Immediately, several people started to ponder in the imperial study room.

Although the people of the Song Dynasty became increasingly rich, even if they were rich, there would inevitably be a gap between the rich and the poor.

Even in the Song Dynasty, there were beggars, refugees, etc. everywhere in the territory, especially those located in remote places. Due to this era, people's livelihood has not improved much.

Not to mention that the Song Dynasty's imperial court has been conquering for years, and the food and grass are not surplus. Even if there is enough food and grass, it is impossible for everyone to ensure that they fill their stomachs.

As for the increasingly popular greenhouse planting method, if you can eat fresh vegetables in such weather, it is just a very small wealthy family.

It is undoubtedly extremely difficult for Zhao Dongting to let the people of the Song Dynasty survive this natural disaster.

After a long time, Lu Xiufu said: "Your Majesty, then we might as well order all places to concentrate refugees and let them gather in major prefectures and counties. With the current food reserves in various places, if enough clothes can be distributed to these refugees, perhaps... If the natural disaster does not last very long, the court can guarantee that they can survive this natural disaster."

Zhao Dongting frowned slightly, "But who knows how long this natural disaster will last?"

He obviously had doubts.

It is a good thing to gather refugees together, and it is also a good thing to distribute clothes and food to them. If such things cannot have a beginning and an end, then it is a good thing and a bad thing.

Take the natural disaster that Lu Xiufu just mentioned when he was young. Zhao Dongting thought that if the court had not been able to achieve a beginning and an end, the people would probably not have such great resentment afterwards. He first helped them, then abandoned them and let them die. In this way, it would be better to ignore them from the beginning.

Of course, this is impossible unless Zhao Dongting is the kind of foolish monarch who "why not eat meat minced".

"this……"

When Lu Xiufu heard Zhao Dongting ask this, he didn't know what to do.

In the face of natural disasters, there is indeed no good solution in this era. After all, it is limited by manpower and material resources.

But at this moment, a slight light suddenly appeared in Zhao Dongting's eyes.

He didn't bother to say anything to Lu Xiufu and others, and hurriedly picked up his pen and wrote quickly. The handwriting of flying dragons and phoenixes appeared on it.

Lu Xiufu and others gently lifted their toes and looked at the paper on Zhao Dongting's desk.

I only saw it, but my expression changed slightly.

They didn't understand what Zhao Dongting wrote very well. They only knew that the emperor actually planned to use coal as fuel to allow coal to make various places to survive this natural disaster.

Seeing Zhao Dongting just writing down on his own, Chen Wenlong couldn't help it and said, "Your Majesty, are you planning to let the people use coal as fuel?"

Zhao Dongting didn't raise his head, and smiled and said, "There are coal everywhere, and the manufacturing process is not as complicated as charcoal, and the cost is low. It should be able to help me survive the natural disasters in the Song Dynasty."

Chen Wenlong, Lu Xiufu and others all had strange expressions.

Chen Wenlong said a little embarrassedly: "Your Majesty, you have never used coal. I am afraid you don't know that although coal can burn, it will emit poisonous gas when burning. This poisonous gas can cause death."

In their opinion, Zhao Dongting was not saving the people of the Song Dynasty, but harming the people of the Song Dynasty.

Zhao Dongting finally looked up and said, "I know. But what I wrote is not ordinary coal. Just refining the coal through my method will not release poison gas."

As he said that, he put down his pen.

On the paper in front of him, the writing is a method of manufacturing anthracite and honeycomb coal.

In later generations, this kind of honeycomb coal was widely used.

It is just because Zhao Dongting focuses on military and state affairs that he has never recalled this honeycomb coal before.

Chen Wenlong and others looked at each other.

Of course they found it incredible. After all, coal cannot be used as a heating system, which is common sense in this era.

The emperor actually said that his method can prevent the coal from emitting poisonous gas. Can this really be done?

Then Lu Xiufu asked, "I wonder where the emperor learned about this method?"

Zhao Dongting scratched his head and said casually: "I figured it out when I was idle."

He can't say that this is what he learned in later generations.

Lu Xiufu and others did not believe his statement. The emperor lived in the palace and could not even see coal. How could he have no time to think about how to use coal?

However, thinking of Zhao Dongting's past created thunder, grenade launchers and other objects, they still had some hope for Zhao Dongting's "strange ideas".

Just for insurance, Lu Xiufu said again: "Master, should we make the coal according to your method first, and then pass it to various places?"

Zhao Dongting chuckled when he heard this, and naturally knew what Lu Xiufu and the others were thinking.

He nodded, handed the paper to Lu Xiufu, and said, "Then you all go and ask someone to use my method to make honeycomb coal."

“Honeycomb coal…”

Lu Xiufu muttered in confusion, took the paper from Zhao Dongting, and then retreated with Chen Wenlong and others.

Seeing that the emperor was so confident, they did not dare to slack off at all.

Although there are no people in the Song Dynasty who have frozen to death, and the people can still hold on, if the weather continues to be cold, it will be too late to save it.

However, after Lu Xiufu and others left, Zhao Dongting was still pondering in the imperial study.

The Song Dynasty has not encountered natural disasters in recent years, and he has not yet felt it deeply. But now the natural disaster is coming, which makes him deeply feel the backwardness of technology in this era.

If it were in the descendants, not to mention that the weather was only a few degrees below zero, even if it lasted for more than ten degrees below zero, the people would not have to worry about being frozen to death.

Here, Lu Xiufu and others led many yamen runners out of the palace in a hurry.

There were no coal craftsmen in this era, but coal was everywhere. They stepped on the vast snow, but their eyes were full of hope.

If the emperor said that honeycomb coal could really replace charcoal to provide people with warmth, then there would be no need to worry about such cold currents and natural disasters after the Song Dynasty.

They soon arrived outside Changsha City.

There is no shortage of coal mountains here.

Such mountains are often barren and no people cultivate them.

It is not easy to dig coal.

Lu Xiufu and others were helpless when facing the mountains.

In the end, Zhao Dongting personally took action and summoned the Feilong Army in the city to dig a large amount of coal mines outside the city. In order to save time, he was completely mining with thunder.

In just a few days, a lot of coal was excavated.

Zhao Dongting asked the Ministry of State to recruit labor in the city and publicize the refining and manufacturing methods of anthracite and honeycomb coal.

The emergence of new coal surprised all the ministers in the court.

When the first piece of honeycomb coal was manufactured, Lu Xiufu and others who had always stayed in the coal mine immediately started to try it out.

As a result, there was really not much smoke, let alone the "toxic gas" that could suffocate people.

Lu Xiufu and others, who were overjoyed, hurriedly took the honeycomb coal to the palace to ask for a meeting with Zhao Dongting.

When Zhao Dongting saw that the honeycomb coal was refined, he did not hesitate at all. He immediately ordered the Ministry of State to pass on the coal-making method to various places.

At the same time, local government offices were ordered to inform the people that although honeycomb coal was not poisonous, it must be remembered not to use it in a completely closed room.

Dozens of fast horses left the palace one after another in Changsha City.

In this kind of weather, even carrier pigeons are no longer useful.

The fast horses galloped on the snow-covered official road, and the horses and knights were all wrapped tightly.

On the official road, someone who was heading to Changsha City saw this scene and murmured in a low voice, "What happened in the Song Dynasty?"

And these people are Li Xiushu and the group.

Li Xiushu in the carriage didn't mention it, but most of the people outside the carriage were wrapped tightly.

Changsha is indeed extremely cold this year.

Although these masters are not afraid of coldness, they are not willing to be shirtless to attract attention.

The carriage slowly marched into Changsha City under the escort of the crowd.

As soon as I entered the city, I saw the bustling inside the Changsha city gate.

Many people gathered, and they didn't know what they were doing in a long queue.

I only know that some people came out with a basket carrying many dark things.

Inside the carriage, Li Xiushu lifted the curtain at some point and asked outside the car, "What are they buying?"

A priest from Tingchao Mansion hurriedly asked.

Then when I came back, I reported to Li Xiushu with a strange expression, "Back to the emperor, what are they buying honeycomb coal..."

“Honeycomb coal…”
Chapter completed!