CH 28

“Sir, there’s dead rats over here too!” Jiang Ying yelled as he stopped down next to the firewood pile. This was the fifth dead rat he and his father had found already.

The people of Yu Village, located in the outskirts of Jinyang City, had fallen sick with cold damage one after the other. Normally, people would be doing their damndest to avoid the place – even witch doctors and shamans would keep their distance. Yet the Jiang family father-son had rushed there as soon as they could and searched meticulously around the houses and buildings. They’d discovered numerous dead rats as well as two dogs that’d seemingly died without cause. 

“Does that mean there really is such thing as blight?” Physician Jiang rushed over upon hearing his voice. He was seventy already, but still hale and hearty as ever.

Having practiced medicine for decades, Physician Jiang had an excellent eye for detail. He could see that none of the rats had suffered external injuries. Yet for some reason, they were dying in droves. Aside from the “blight” that Liang Zixi had mentioned, Physician Jiang had no other answers.

Jiang Ying stepped forward for a closer look but was pulled back by Physician Jiang, “Don’t get careless. Liang Zixi said before that the blight can pass to humans through blood-sucking insects. If there’s any fleas on it, you could be in danger.”

It was now the fourth month and the weather was getting warmer by the day. No wonder cold damage ran most rampant during summer and autumn, it made sense, if “blight” really did travel on the backs of rats 

“But there’s countless rats and bugs out there; if blight truly is carried by these creatures, how’re we supposed to stop it?” Jiang Ying frowned as he asked softly.

Physician Jiang shook his head, stumped. If there really wasn’t anything they could do, then what was the use in knowing the source of blight?

He sighed, “Let’s wait for news from Da-er first. If Buddha taught Liang Zixi the knowledge of blight, then he should know how to resolve it.”

※

At full speed, it took six or seven days to travel from Jinyang to the Liang Estate, but even so, Jiang Da was still shocked upon reaching his destination. Why was it that, even after his grandfather had already treated him, not only hadn’t he gotten better, he’d instead deteriorated to this extent? The man lying in bed was extremely unwell; sunken eyes, thin as a stick, deathly pale. His illness was already impossible to conceal. Had he been given the wrong medicine? Had something unexpected occurred?

“How’ve you gotten into this state, Master Liang?” Jiang Da couldn’t be bothered with courtesies anymore. He went over, grabbed his wrist, and started taking his pulse.

“The pill spasm started acting up recently; it’s a bit exhausting,” Liang Feng answered politely and placidly.

After he finished, Jiang Da sighed heavily, “It’s indeed pill spasm. Most users of cold-food powder become afflicted by it. There’s no treatment. You’ll have to grin and bear it. Although, since you haven’t taken any powder again, and the medicine you’ve been prescribed is indeed suitable, your body should start to recover after another month or so.” 

Jiang Da gave him another once-over. It must be known that many users of cold-food powder would fly into a frenzied rage when the addiction overcame them. Pill spasm reduced them all to twitching, screaming wrecks, no matter how lofty their status or how proper their upbringing. Even those who got off lightly became violent, irascible, unreasonable, and unapproachable.

Because pill spasm was so frightful, it was rare that anyone who used cold-food powder could completely break the habit. No matter how much their doctors warned them, they’d keep taking it until it took their lives. And yet, the person before him, despite the severity of his sickness, had not taken another dose. What was even more admirable was that, even though he was still trembling, the brightness of his eyes was not diminished in the slightest. He conversed easily and fluidly without losing his composure.

That wasn’t something most people were capable of. No wonder even someone as famous as Wang Wen praised him to the skies.

Liang Feng sighed privately at Jiang Da’s approving expression. He didn’t need his approval, he needed a way to stop these damnable withdrawal symptoms. These past few days, he’d had trouble eating and sleeping and his hands had been shaking nonstop, but he’d still had to pretend that everything was fine, in order to reassure the people around him. It really was fortunate that he’d already plucked out all the threats hibernating in the Liang Estate and that the pace of life in the olden days was alarmingly slow, or else he’d be at the end of his tether already. 

Still, he didn’t doubt the truth of the young doctor’s words. If there really was any kind of treatment, then cold-food powder wouldn’t have stuck around ruining people’s lives for so many centuries. Apparently, his only choice was to endure.

Liang Feng smiled faintly and said, “I can rest easy with your assurance now, brother Jiang.”

Jiang Da couldn’t help adding, “Even so, you can’t let your guard down, Master Liang. You should rest more and use some medicinal cuisine. Also, among the medicinal ingredients that Controller Wang sent you, there’re a few that can soothe the mind and calm the spirit. I’ll write a prescription that can be used as incense powder; it’ll help you fall asleep at night.”

“That’s excellent; thank you, brother Jiang.” Liang Feng’s eyes lit up. A sedative that could help alleviate the nightmares was good too. 

Liang Feng’s relief helped put Jiang Da at ease. He cleared his throat and said, “My grandfather’s occupied with other things in Tongdi, so he sent me here to look after you, Master Liang. Aside from the oral medicine, I’ll be using acupuncture and medicinal baths to help with the detoxification process. But you’re too weak for acupuncture right now, Master Liang. I implore you to have patience and wait until your condition improves.”

Liang Feng hadn’t expected that Doctor Jiang, aside from performing a checkup, would also be doubling as a physiotherapist. That was far better treatment than what he’d received last time! Was it because of the letter he’d sent or the information he’d provided about the source of blight?

He pondered for a moment, then said, “It’s too bad Physician Jiang couldn’t make it. Perhaps he’s discovered something about the ‘blight’ I mentioned last time?”

Jiang Da coughed, “Truth be told, that’s also part of the reason I came to the Liang Estate this time. My father and brothers have been searching recently, and they’ve indeed found dead mice in the homes of those who caught cold damage. I’ve actually suspected that miasma wasn’t the sole cause of the plague for a long time now. All those nobles avoid cold damage like they would a snake; but mysteriously enough, they’ll fall ill even when everyone around them is fine. It was simply too strange. Now, after seeing all those dead mice, it all makes sense now.” 

That was what interested Jiang Da the most about “blight.” According to reason, as long as you stayed away from those who had cold damage and remained indoors, you should be safe. But when cold damage broke out, everyone, no matter whether they were rich or poor, would get sick. Even amongst those who moved away, some of them would later become infected; many believed it was the work of malevolent ghosts. Now that he thought about it, it was likely because they’d been carrying diseased rats in their luggage, or because they’d been bitten by bugs that’d drunk the blood of the infected. Everyone knew they had to keep their distance from each other, but who could’ve thought that, all along, it was the wild rats spreading disaster?

“But if blight comes from insects and rats, how are we supposed to get rid of the disease?” That was also a question Jiang Da was having trouble with. Unless Buddha had also told him of some way to kill all bugs and rats?

“Tbe bcis cffv ab mbcagbi atf rbegmf.” Mbg atf ijra ofk vjsr, Oljcu Mfcu tjv yffc vlilufcais agslcu ab gfmjii fnfgsatlcu tf gfwfwyfgfv jybea vlrfjrf mbcagbi lc bgvfg ab vlragjma tlwrfio ogbw atf qjlc. Rbk atja rbwfbcf ktb ecvfgrabbv wfvlmlcf tjv olcjiis mbwf, tf, cjaegjiis, uba tlr rqlglar eq, “Mlgrais, sbe mjc qbeg ilwf qbkvfg wlzfv klat kjafg lc atf qjalfca’r tbwf. Ktf ilwfkjafg wera yf erfv jr rbbc jr la’r wlzfv; la mjc’a yf rfa jrlvf obg abb ibcu.”

“Lime? Do you mean the white ash used to make tombstones?” After a short pause, Jiang Da realized what he meant. There were plenty of ash mills that produced white ash, which was used to paint walls and make tombstones. It could work, since it warded off bugs. 

Liang Feng nodded, “Not only can lime kill lice and ticks, but when poured in water, it also kills mosquito larvae. Just be cautious not to get injured when pouring it.”

Limewater released heat, so it was probably dangerous to add too much. Still, it was inconsequential compared to bubonic plague. He continued, “Also, it’s best to cremate the corpses of the dead. If that’s not possible, then bury them as soon as possible in white ash. Anything that came into contact with the deceased’s stool, vomit, or blood needs to be burned as well.”

That, Jiang Da could understand; whenever smallpox occurred, they’d also have to burn anything that came into contact with the infected. Cremation, though, would be difficult. There’d be more people willing to bury the deceased in white ash; at least that way, they could rest in peace.

“By the way, when you treat patients, it’s best to wear a cloth over your face, so that your nose and mouth are covered; it can somewhat block any miasma that happens to be present. Also, to avoid coming into direct contact with objects tainted by blight, cover your hand with cloth, or use wooden pincers of some sort.” Surgical masks were a significant medical invention; the amount of good they did for doctors and nurses simply couldn’t be understated. It’d be hard to replace any doctors that happened to die of bubonic plague. Educated people were hard to find these days. 

His last instruction was entirely for the sake of protecting medical workers like him. Jiang Da nodded as he wondered whether Buddha really had issued all these biddings. He imagined that Master Liang must’ve given quite some thought to the matter as well.

“Lastly, some trifling things: one must wash their hands before eating to prevent blight from entering through the mouth, bathe themselves and clean their homes often to get rid of lice, cover sewage gutters to prevent bugs from breeding, and kill fewer owls and grass snakes so that they can catch and kill mice. Gradually, perhaps the spread of cold damage may lessen,” Liang Feng finished in one breath, somewhat drained.

That was probably the extent of the disease prevention measures they could take in this era. He didn’t know how much use it would achieve, but they could do their utmost to suppress the source and spread of disease. Every life saved counted for something.

Was that really enough to eradicate cold damage? Jiang Da was a bit skeptical, but after some careful thought, it did make some sense. If each county and each province put those measures into action, even if they couldn’t eradicate the disease, they could still decrease the number of people who got infected. That would already be a huge accomplishment! 

Jiang Da looked at Liang Feng’s pallid, haggard face and sighed, “If your methods really work, Master Liang, you will save countless people.”

Liang Feng smiled and said, “It’s nothing, compared to the ‘Treatise on Cold Damage’ your ancestor compiled. He did a great deed in preserving Zhang Changsha’s medical texts for future generations. I’m afraid I’ll have to count on your family to gather more medical experts to aid in the research of cold damage. If you pool your wisdom, you may yet find a true cure.”

Liang Feng knew that traditional Chinese medicine had a tried and true prescription to treat bubonic plague, but he didn’t know when it was discovered or by whom. He figured that he may as well gather as many people as he could, in the hopes that they would exchange research results and perhaps advance the invention of a treatment. But schools of medicine were highly insular and held their knowledge close. He didn’t know how many people could really break free of that mindset.

After a moment of hesitation, Jiang Da finally nodded, “I’ll do my best.” 

That promise was enough. Liang Feng leaned back on the rest and tried to steady his breathing, “My thanks, brother Jiang.”

At the sight of Liang Feng’s wan, sallow mien, Jiang Da couldn’t resist exhorting again, “You should rest more, Master Liang. Pill spasm is no small matter, you mustn’t take it lightly.”

That, Liang Feng understood very clearly. But if he didn’t find a way to keep busy, he really was afraid he’d get depressed from all the idleness; withdrawal symptoms were no joke. Still, Jiang Da meant well, so Liang Feng smiled faintly, “Surely I have nothing to worry about, now that you’re looking after me, brother Jiang?”

His smile was practically soul-snaring. Jiang Da smiled unwittingly in return, “Rest assured, I won’t be leaving the Liang Estate any time soon. I’ll write you a prescription for ‘peaceful rest’ now. Give it a try tonight, Master Liang…” 

※

That night, he used Jiang Da’s ‘peaceful rest’ prescription. Its faintly medicinal fragrance soon soothed Liang Feng’s spirit and gently lured him into a deep sleep.

He didn’t have a single night terror or pill spasm flare-up. When Liang Feng opened his eyes again, it was already bright outside. Both Lüzhu and Yiyan looked overjoyed, nearly happier than he himself was.

As Lüzhu cheerily helped her master get dressed and freshened up, she chirped, “The ‘peaceful rest’ incense really works! The medicinal cuisine’s been prepared already, I’ll bring it for you right now, master!” 

Yiyan, one step ahead of her, was already standing by the bed, bowl in hand, ready to help Liang Feng sit up and use the medicine.

“This is medicinal cuisine, it’s gotta be taken slowly, spoon by spoon, so hurry up and hand it over to me!” Lüzhu demanded.

“I know.” Yiyan didn’t move. He took advantage of his height and held the bowl high out of Lüzhu’s reach.

“How unreasonable….” Lüzhu clenched her little fist, about to go up and kick him. 

Watching the cat and dog fight going on right in front of him, Liang Feng blinked, then laughed, “Set the bowl down, I can drink it myself.”

They both settled down right away. Lüzhu’s eyes shone even more joyously; she moved a small table over to Liang Feng’s side. Yiyan slowly put the bowl down, his eyes glued to Liang Feng.

Looking at the bowl of somewhat bitter-smelling rice porridge, Liang Feng took a deep breath, then slowly picked up the spoon and began to drink. His hands were still tremulous, but not nearly as bad as before – either getting a full night’s sleep had helped, or the withdrawal symptoms were beginning to recede. It was a good sign and did wonders for the irritability bottled up in Liang Feng’s chest. He drank most of the warm porridge sip by sip before putting it down.

“You really are much better, master; you should properly reward that Doctor Jiang!” At that moment, Lüzhu was utterly ecstatic. She’d been scared to death watching her master get thinner and thinner over the last few days, hating that there wasn’t anything she could do to cheer her master up, even just a bit. How could she not be happy, now that her master was finally smiling? 

Yiyan’s feelings as he gazed up his lord’s faintly rosy complexion were more complicated. For the last few days, he’d fed him medicine by hand, wiped down his body, and, during the occasional night terror, held him tightly in his embrace, easing away his uncontrollable tremors with his own two hands.

Of course, Yiyan knew that it was all because of sickness, so severe it could turn life-threatening at any moment, that he had the chance to touch that deific person and close the distance between them. He surreptitiously pinched his palm and pushed down his anxiety. It didn’t matter. If he trained the soldiers well and forged for his master an invincible army, he could become irreplaceable to his lord. More irreplaceable than Lüzhu, or even the young master!

Liang Feng finished off the medicinal cuisine, watched Yiyan leave for the barracks, then got up, “Lüzhu, help me to the study.”

“Master, you should be on bed rest for a few more days. Perhaps I can bring a few books over?” Lüzhu hurriedly implored, not wanting her master to tire himself out. 

“No thanks. I must reply to Controller Wang as soon as possible.” Jiang Da had brought correspondence from Wang Wen as well. He’d written quite a few words of consolation and sent some rather valuable medicinal ingredients. It’d be simply too rude if he didn’t write a thoughtful response.

Hearing this, Lüzhu didn’t protest any further. She carefully lent him a hand as he shuffled over to the study.

The first thing Liang Feng saw upon entering the study wasn’t books, but a little doll-like person sitting by the desk.

“Dad!” When Liang Rong abruptly caught sight of his father, he’d excitedly hopped off the chair before remembering his manners and hastily corrected his behavior. He walked over to Liang Feng and very properly saluted him. 

Since Zhaoyu had been promoted as the manager of the tailory, it meant she couldn’t stay by Liang Rong’s side all day. Thus, she pleaded with the master to allow the young master to use the study. Obviously, Liang Feng could see through her intentions – she wanted to give more opportunities for Liang Rong to spend time with him. And, there wouldn’t be any unexpected issues if he stayed in the study; she wouldn’t have to worry about him when she wasn’t around. Liang Feng, of course, approved of the suggestion, and Liang Rong began to practice calligraphy in the study.

Liang Feng smiled at the child’s overly serious expression. He casually grasped Liang Rong’s little hand and led him over to the table, “Were you copying characters, Rong-er?”

Liang Rong’s cheeks were flushed as he said cutely, “I was! I already did ten pages today!”

The kiddo certainly was hardworking if he’d already finished ten pages this early in the morning. Liang Feng smiled and meticulously looked over his work. There was already some structure to his characters; but because Liang Rong’s was small and weak, and his hand was shaky, he wasn’t quite able to manage to draw straight lines. Another issue was with the quality of the copybook itself. It was only a pity that it was a bit early to start on the Liu Style and that his handwriting wasn’t good enough to serve as a calligraphy model; best not to lead him astray. 

Liang Feng pondered for a moment, then said, “Later, I’ll find a few of Grand Mentor Zhong’s copybooks for you to work from.”

Zhong Yao’s clerical script and regular script were impeccable, the best choice to start out with. But it wasn’t easy to find decent copybooks – perhaps he could request Wang Wen’s assistance? Having a back-and-forth exchange of gifts was the best way to establish a friendship. It wasn’t a good idea to be too reserved with such high-status nobility.

He patted Liang Rong’s head and said, “Alright, do a couple more pages, and I’ll let Lüzhu play with you.”

It wasn’t good for kids to be shut indoors all day. Since Lüzhu was rather bubbly too, she was the perfect playmate. 

Liang Rong listened dutifully and got back on the chair. Liang Feng had had that chair specially remodeled. In truth, chairs already existed in this era, but they were all soft, foldable, temporary chairs that people used on vacation. He’d only had one modified, changing the material of the seat to wood, for Liang Rong, in case sitting in seiza for too long would stunt his growth. It wasn’t too hard to come up with a reason; he’d just said that Liang Rong needed the extra height since the table was too tall for him.

Since children weren’t so constricted by etiquette, and Liang Rong was delighted at being able to use his father’s desk, the chair naturally found its way into the study.

Liang Feng smiled as he watched Liang Rong pick up his brush once more and earnestly begin to practice. He walked to the other side of the desk and sat in seiza.

Even though he’d been muddleheaded with sickness, he hadn’t stopped recalling the Diamond Sutra. Firstly, because he needed to prepare to write back to Wang Wen. And secondly, because, like many Buddhists, he found the Diamond Sutra rather calming. Just reciting it every day could quell his ire. It aided Liang Feng greatly in maintaining his temper. The past few days, though, his hands had shaken so much that his calligraphy was hardly legible. Now that he’d finally recovered, there was no better time to transcribe the scripture. 

There was already Zuo Bo Paper spread out on the desk; Lüzhu was diligently grinding ink. Once the consistency was just right, Liang Feng picked up his brush and began reproducing the scripture from memory. This time, he was copying down the fourteenth chapter, the one that spoke of how Subhūti sobbed after realizing the scripture’s profound meaning. This chapter spoke too of how one must realize the true essence of Buddha’s teachings without clinging to appearances. It would be even more enticing to Wang Wen, who loved Buddhism, yet lived in excessive extravagance.

This was a lengthy section. As Liang Feng wrote it out word by word, his restless discomfort began to die down. Calligraphy itself was a relaxing activity, not to mention when one was intently transcribing scripture. Like the flowing of clear streams and winding creeks, ink words formed upon white paper with a soft rustle.

Liang Rong was also practicing calligraphy, but no matter how much self-control he had, he was still a child. In no time at all, his brush accidentally slanted, ruining the practice page. He’d wanted to show it to his father, but had messed up the last stroke. He couldn’t help feeling rather vexed. He looked up and saw that his father was also writing something. The person across from him sat with such regal posture, his wrist elegantly poised in mid-air; there was music in his every movement. To his silent observers, he was incomparably admirable.

Liang Rong looked down at the words he’d written and blushed in shame. He secretly flipped the paper over and continued practicing. 

The father and son wrote quietly for nearly an hour before Liang Feng finally put his brush down and took a deep breath. He’d copied it twice before getting a satisfactory result. He thought for a moment, then added another page to his missive, thanking Wang Wen for the medicinal ingredients he’d sent, praising Jiang Da’s competence, and expressing his thoughts about the disease prevention methods that he’d dreamed of. Lastly, he mentioned that he wanted to find a few suitable copybooks for Rong-er.

Even though he’d inherited the original’s memories, Liang Feng wasn’t capable of writing purple prose, so he tried to be frank and straightforward. Even if his writing wasn’t anything fancy, at least it was unpretentious.

He glanced at his son, still arduously practicing his brushwork, and smiled, “Lüzhu, take Rong-er out to play for a while. It isn’t good for the eyes to spend too much time writing.”

Lüzhu was just hoping that Liang Feng would take a break, so of course, she agreed. She tugged Liang Rong, who looked back longingly, out the door. Shortly, there was the sound of playful laughter in the courtyard. The early summer sunlight was pleasant and warm; the study smelled of ink and paper, without the choking bitterness of medicine. Liang Feng relaxed and leaned on the rest behind him; within a few minutes, he began to doze off. 

After some time, Lüzhu whispered by his ear, “Master, are you awake?”

“Somewhat.” Liang Feng opened his eyes, and said to Lüzhu, who was looking at him concernedly, “Is someone here?”

If there wasn’t anyone, Lüzhu would’ve let him nap in peace instead of asking. Her intentions noticed, Lüzhu blushed and said quietly, “It’s Craftsmen Liu and Jiang.”

“Call them in.” Liang Feng rubbed his face, turned, and found that Liang Rong was already gone. Perhaps the servants, worried that he’d disturb his sleep, had taken him away. 

Lüzhu, not daring to dally, hurriedly left. Shortly, Craftsmen Liu and Jiang walked into the study together and saluted to Liang Feng.

“You’ve crafted the bellows then?” Liang Feng’s eyes were not on the two men but on the large wooden box in Craftsman Liu’s arms.

Using wind power to raise furnace temperature was generally effective, so naturally, the first thing that came to Liang Feng’s mind was the double-action piston bellows. In rural villages, practically every family had one; he’d actually gotten the chance to play around with one when he’d stayed in one of those villages with his buddies. He wasn’t too clear on the insides were built, but he had an approximate understanding of what it should look like, so he’d told Craftsman Liu everything he knew and let him figure it out on his own.

Craftsman Liu had been brimming with enthusiasm recently. Not only had his son received an important task for the paperworks, his own woodworks also seemed like it was coming back to life. After the master had praised him for his work on the spears and told him to make bellows, he’d given it his all. Because he’d especially went to take a look at the leather blowing-bags used in the metalworks to get an idea of how to make the dang thing, and because, according to the master, the mechanism wasn’t all that complicated, just a layer of window paper, Craftsman Liu had already crafted the final product. 

Craftsman Liu flushed beet red and said eagerly, “It’s all thanks to your pointers that I could make it, master. Bellows like these where you can just push and pull the handle to blow air is so much easier to use than leather blowing-bags! The wind power is stronger too!”

Craftsman Jiang was just as worked up as he said, “These bellows really are amazing! I tried it in the kiln once and got bright white flames; it really was the legendary porcelain fire! Although, the kilns we have now are too large to properly control the temperature. We’ll have to open up a smaller kiln, but the money on the clayworks’ accounts is enough to cover it!”

The hotter the flame, the colder the color. It looked like Craftsman Jiang, whose family had been potterer for generations, really did know a thing or two about fire. As for his request, Liang Feng had no objections, “Put a pause on all the clayworks’ other work and focus on porcelain. Also, I once heard that there’s a type of black stone in the mountains that ignites when it comes in contact with fire. Try buying some and using it to fire the kilns.”

He meant coal, of course. Bing Province was a mountainous region with massive coal deposits; there were probably quite a few shallow veins of coal lying around. If they could use coal instead of wood, they could save manpower while raising kiln temperature. 

As expected, after a moment of thought, Craftsman Jiang responded, “I think the black stone you’re talking about might be called rock charcoal, master. Some families use it cause it’s easier, but rich households rarely do, cause the smell’s super strong.”

That was it then. Liang Feng nodded, “I’ve only heard of it in passing. Since it’s not widely used, it must be cheap. Go purchase some and test it out.”

After a few ups and downs, Craftsman Jiang practically obeyed Liang Feng’s orders without question; he instantly nodded and answered in the affirmative.

Liang Feng then said to Craftsman Liu, “You did very well in making these bellows. Go retrieve two thousand coins from the accounts as your reward. Also, the drought this year is still persisting, I’m afraid we’ll have need of irrigation tools. Do you know how to make water wheels?” 

Craftsman Liu was nearly struck silly by the two thousand coins that’d landed on his head – since when had they gotten rewarded for mere prototypes? And a full two thousand coins! He hadn’t even heard the second half of the master’s words. Craftsman Jiang, who’d wasn’t as slow, elbowed him. Only then did he get his wits about him and blurt, “I, I know how to make chain pumps! It’s just they take a lot of time and work…”

His family had originally hailed from Fufeng, same as Great Craftsman Ma. After he’d improved the dragon-bone chain pump, it’d become quite widespread in his hometown. Thus, Craftsman Liu’s ancestors had passed down the knowledge of how to manufacture it. But not only was it time-consuming, it was also expensive as well – which is why the Liang Estate had only built a couple at the outset of its establishment and hadn’t bothered with the pointless expense ever since.

“Just build it, don’t worry about the cost,” Liang Feng said decisively.

Earlier, when he’d punished Craftsman Wu, not only had he had him beaten, he’d confiscated his assets as well. All of a sudden, he had an extra hundred thousand silver on his hands. Rather than let it grow mold in the storehouse, he was more inclined to invest it into the estate. He’d upgrade infrastructure and issue reward money as appropriate; that was the best way to increase worker productivity and economic activity. A good friend of his had taught him this; a pity that that person was no longer by his side. 

As his mood abruptly turned melancholy, Liang Feng stressed the importance of confidentiality in regards to the bellows and porcelain-making to the two craftsmen, then waved them away. Then he ordered Lüzhu to summon Jiang Da so that they could further discuss the matter of disease prevention.

The author has something to say:

The leather blowing-bag is a primitive type of bellows; it probably existed ever since the Spring Autumn Period. They were greatly improved upon during the Han Dynasty. The piston bellows, though, were invented during the Tang Dynasty. They were more efficient at providing a forced draft.

As for coal, it was already recorded by the Han Dynasty. It should already be relatively common to use coal to smelt metal in the Jin Dynasty. 

Great Craftsman Ma was the famous inventor Ma Jun, who lived during the Three Kingdoms Period. He overhauled silk-making looms, invented the dragon bone chain pumps, and improved on the repeating crossbows, catapults, etc that Zhuge Liang invented. His ingenuity was without equal. It was because the population was in steep decline during the Three Kingdoms and Wei Jin era that people discovered many agricultural applications for military inventions. That was why there was remarkable agricultural development. The social stability and prosperity during the beginning of the Western Jin Dynasty also fomented the upper class’ overly extravagant lifestyle.