In the Knights Castle not far from Pinden Castle, in the stone-built fortress, the wife and children of the lord Qian Dexing were also having dinner.

On the large solid wood table in the stone hall, there are two silver candlesticks, and three candles are inserted on each of the candlesticks.

The use of six candles for dinner fully demonstrated their status as knights. Although the knights were only the lowest nobles on the fiefdom, they could be the ministers of Qin Lang, who were promoted to re-elected by Duke Wei, and they were indeed nobles.

The Qian family had the fiefs of the knights granted to them by Qin Lang, three Tunzhuang and a Knights Fort in the Pingdeng Valley. It had hundreds of residents and a small mine, and a large area of ​​fields. The Qian family was not only the largest landlord in the Pingdeng Valley, but also occupied many fields, but also the owner of the mine.

In addition, he also had the privilege of knights and enjoyed some of the economic privileges of the three villages of Pingdeng Knights. Qin Lang gave one-third of the tax authority he had and gave the Qian family one-third. Therefore, the Qian family actually had one-ninth of the tax income of the three villages.

Of course, if there is only that little tax income, it is actually not much, but Qian Dexing, as a vassal knight, still enjoys a lot of hidden benefits. For example, as a knight lord, the Qian family can have ten pairs of armor, ten knight attendants, and one hundred village warriors. During war, they can be summoned to send troops to fight.

War is also a benefit for the vassals of Wu'an Prefecture, because they have the opportunity to get trophy in war and have the opportunity to make meritorious service and be rewarded.

In the Central Plains, the selection requirements for the government soldiers are strictly required, and it is generally difficult for the children of non-landlords and powerful men to choose.

The candles on the candlesticks on the Qian family’s dining table are not ordinary candles, but whale oil candles emerging in Wu'anzhou in recent years. The Qin family has a special whaling fleet that goes deep into the South China Sea to chase and kill whales. It often takes a year or two to go out to sea, and it takes a full load to return.

The whale caught can boil oil, whale fat, whale bone and whale brain, etc., and after the whale oil is transported back to Wu'an Prefecture, there is a special whale candle factory in Taiping Port. Compared with traditional candles, whale blubber whale brain candles have many advantages.

However, it is not easy to make whale brain oil into candles, which is a very advanced and complex technology.

China has already started to use whale oil lighting for a long time? It is generally called mermaid oil or mermaid oil? For example, there is a long-lasting lamp in the underground imperial tomb of Qin Shihuang? It is said that whale oil is used. It is said that the reserves are extremely large, and with the weak air, it can burn and illuminate for hundreds of years without extinguishing.

The high-quality candles produced by the Qin family's Whale Brain Oil Candle Factory are very purity, can burn fully, without black smoke, and will not have any odor. Even the second-rate ones are much stronger than ordinary animal fat candles? They can even emit a very nice scent.

Compared with candles processed with beeswax or ash wax worm feces with sparse raw materials? The raw materials of whale brain oil candles are undoubtedly more stable and sufficient.

Every autumn? The whale oil factory will start purifying the whale brain oil and whale oil obtained from the whale's head? Heat it in the pot first? Let the whale brain oil melt into liquid, then remove moisture or other impurities that may be mixed in during transportation on board, and finally pour high-temperature and viscous liquid from the pot into a wooden barrel and store it in the warehouse for a winter.

Whale brain oil under low temperature conditions condenses into semi-solid granular substances. When the temperature rises, when this granular substance begins to soften? Workers then take out the whale brain oil stored in the wooden barrel and put it in a wool woven bag and tie it tightly? Then put them in a huge wood press for pressing. Under huge pressure, the whale brain oil in the wool textile bag is pressed out. These whale oils squeezed out in winter? They are of the best quality.

The residue left in the bag will not be wasted. Pour it back into the pot and heat it, then pour it back into the wooden barrel to store. It will be pressed again after the weather warms up in the early spring. This time it is called spring oil, which is slightly worse than winter oil, but it can also process and produce a very good candle.

The remaining residue after the secondary pressing is dry and crisp, gray, brown or yellow-black. The candle factory will heat the residue again and then add the secret recipe alkaline ingredients to bleach the residue.

Finally, at high temperature, alkaline ingredients will evaporate from the solution, and the rest will turn into white wax again. When poured into the mold, you can make a white candle again.

However, although this candle is still white, it no longer has the unique whale incense.

The Qin family’s whale oil candle factory is almost the only one. Although there has always been a habit of killing whales and refining oil along the coast, they usually make crude whale oil, and then make whale paste, which is directly used for burning and lighting. In fact, it is equivalent to a whale oil lamp.

I have not mastered the technology of refining whale oil into solid candles.

So when the Qin family began to purchase whale oil in large quantities and formed a whale team itself, the Qin family had a large amount of candle materials, which gave them a sufficient source of raw materials than other candle factories. In addition, the uniqueness and fragrance of whale oil candles, so the Qin family's candle factory sold under the banner of mermaid tears after marketing and hype, especially in packaging, so it quickly became synonymous with high-end candles.

Not every candle is a mermaid's tears.

The candle of the mermaid tear illuminates your beauty!

Even the second most popular three-pot oil, the Qin family added some spices to increase the fragrance, turning it into a unique candle with various fragrances, which still keeps the fire out.

As the knight lord of Wu'an Prefecture, it is naturally much more convenient to buy whale oil candles. In fact, the Qian family is selling whale oil candles, ordering candles from the Taiping Port Candle Factory, and then selling them to further places. They can make a lot of money every year.

Therefore, for the Qian family, ordering six whale oil candles for a dinner is nothing. They not only show their strength, but also serve as promotional advertisements.

Mrs. Qin’s dinner was fresh sea fish sashimi, with a little mustard, which was both fresh and delicious, and served with a cup of pepper mutton soup for enjoyment.

The housekeeper took the servants to serve and have a meal, and there were also a group of young boys standing aside, but they were dressed well and were not slave servants. These were the children of the Qian Dexing family's knight attendants and were called disciples of the Wu family.

Their father was Qian Dexing's family soldier, who assumed the duties of guarding, managing territory, training militia, etc. for Qian Dexing, and charged for him during war.

They are usually landlords in the territory and have a lot of land, so they specialize in practicing riding and shooting battle formations. Their children also started to learn martial arts at a young age. After they turned six, they were sent to the lord's house to be trainees and attendants to learn aristocratic etiquette.

In the school of Knights Castle, he studied and studied cultural etiquette, riding and shooting battle formations, etc.

In the future, when they become adults, these people will follow them to the battlefield, and even inherit the position of the knight attendant of their fathers and brothers, and may even make contributions in fighting for the Duke of Defense and become a knight.

Even every year, Duke Wei would pick some good seedlings from the trainees and attendants from various knights and teach and train them personally.

“These whale oil candles are really good.”

The eldest lady enjoyed the light brought by the whale oil candle very comfortably. She once thought that she was suffering from coming to Lingnan, but she didn't expect that she would enjoy it more and more here.

The endless fresh seafood and various delicious fruits, not to mention the despicable wife of the Duke's Mansion who was once looked down upon, now in this small place, he has become the noble lady of the lord. Although he is in a mountain valley, he is always in Chang'an. There are always people in the Duke's Mansion who are respected, but everyone respects it here, which is a world of difference.

"My grandfather wrote to him that these mermaid candles were very good. He liked them very much, saying that they could provide transparent white light and that reading letters at night was also very suitable. There would be no worries about candle flowers splashing on the books and burning the books."

"It is also said that this candle is hard and can be held directly by hand. It will not melt even in hot summers, and its candle tears will not leave greasy stains like other candles. Moreover, this candle burns for longer, especially without the need for wick cutting."

The eldest lady Lin smiled slightly, and a trace of disdain flashed through her eyes.

Her father-in-law, Qian Jiulong, said it was nice to support the concubine's son and not to go out. But in fact, he had never really valued this concubine's son before. When they left the concubine's mansion, they were actually more like being swept out. The wealth of the Duke's mansion was just casually sent out for them, even if they were completely drawn.

He was afraid that this concubine's son who had left his hometown, far away from the prosperous Chang'an, and ran to Lingnan, had now stood up with his own ability.

He came to this wild land with Duke Wei and made many achievements with his blood and courage. He not only owned the fiefdom territory of hundreds of households, but also had a small business of 100 million yuan. Now, just selling whale oil candles every year can bring more than a thousand yuan of benefits to their family in one year.

Her husband even planned to customize a whaling ship from the shipyard and hired the captain and sailors to go to sea to catch whales to strengthen their relationship with the candle factory and at the same time open up another way of wealth from the whaling industry.

What Madam Lin is most concerned about is her husband's career. Her husband had just been promoted to military officers of Wu'an Prefecture, and this time he received another heavy responsibility, leading thousands of troops to guard Shixi.

I heard that the war is imminent, and Madam Lin is looking forward to her husband fighting a beautiful battle and that she will have a more stable position in the Qin family in Wu'anzhou.

"I have asked the butler to prepare a thousand candles for your grandfather, which has been enough for him to use for a long time."

In fact, a thousand candles are not worth a lot of money. After all, the top whale candles produced by the Qin family are only a thousand coins per piece. The ordinary and top-quality ones are actually 150 coins per piece, the medium-quality ones are 100 coins per piece, and the inferior ones are 50 coins per piece.

The one thousand pieces, the top one hundred pieces, the top two hundred pieces, the medium five hundred pieces, and the lowest two hundred pieces were sent by Lin. The ones were originally used to sell candles, so the cost price was not that high.

"Dalang, in a few days, you will go to Taiping Port with the butler. I have asked the butler to book a boat ticket to Chang'an for you, and you will personally send these candles to Chang'an to your grandfather."

Qian Dalang was stunned for a moment, "Do you still have to send it to Chang'an in person?"

Lin said earnestly, "You were not selected by the Wei Gong family as a servant last time. Your grandfather is very sorry. We plan to ask you to go to Chang'an and ask your grandfather to send you to the Imperial College for a few years before coming back. You are the boss, and we want you to inherit our family business in the future. You can't stay in this mountain forever. If you failed to be selected as the Wei Gong Mansion, you won't blame you for being sick. Last time you happened to be sick and missed the opportunity. You went to Chang'an to study hard for a few years. We will send you to the Wei Gong Mansion again."

"But now I am fighting, and I am also a member of the Wu family in Wu'an Prefecture, how can I leave?" Dalang said.

"You are only a few years old, and fighting is the responsibility of the Wu family, but you are still young. You must first practice your skills and broaden your horizons before coming back to serve Duke Wei, and fulfilling the duties of the Wu family." Lin said with a smile.

"Can you guys go with me?"

"No, your grandfather is only willing to send you to the Imperial College. Although there are tens of thousands of students in the Imperial College, there are strict requirements for entering." Lin said that although his son is the grandson of Duke Xun, he is only a concubine's grandson born to a concubine's son and cannot enjoy the treatment of entering the Imperial College.

It was also the thousand whale oil candles sent by the couple to show their filial piety that Qian Jiulong made an exception to help them. It was no longer easy for a favor, so how could he send other sons to the Imperial College in Beijing?

"They learn skills at home, and the same is true when they try to be selected as attendant of the Duke of Wei's Mansion next time."

"My grandma, the combat readiness level has been improved again. Are you okay on the front line? Grandpa will not be in trouble, right?"
Chapter completed!