Was it prepared long ago? Did Prime Minister Chu plan for the common people's winter needs when he first took office?
How could he have foreseen things so far in advance? Wasn't Prime Minister Chu busy with the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Royal Chamber of Commerce, expanding the imperial examinations, and assisting His Majesty with state affairs at that time?
How could he have had time to deal with such matters in advance? Or, as Prime Minister, would he consider the common folk so far ahead of time?
The civil and military officials looked at Chu Chen in disbelief, their thoughts complex.
The Empress's eyes, however, lit up, her excitement difficult to conceal.
Last year, she had received memorials from various regions detailing the dire plight of the people during winter.
People freezing to death at home, on the streets, individuals dying, entire families perishing – it was a common occurrence.
It could be said that every winter, Yunyue Kingdom lost one percent of its population.
"Your Majesty, do you recall when I accompanied Princess Xin Yue on the campaign to defend the eastern borders?"
Chu Chen suddenly asked.
"I naturally remember," the Empress nodded, returning to her seat.
Since Chu Chen dared to speak before the civil and military officials, claiming to have a solution, the Empress had absolute faith.
"At that time, I captured tens of thousands of surrendered soldiers with fewer men. After the war, the surrendered soldiers were handed over to the court, and the court ordered them to continue logging and mining."
"Now, as your second prime minister, I have brought this matter forward and ordered the remaining thirty thousand to concentrate on mining smokeless coal, selling it to the people at a low price, which will be sufficient for all the people of Yunyue Kingdom to safely get through this winter."
Coal? But this doesn't seem right.
The Empress was stunned, and so were the civil and military officials.
They knew what coal was: a black, combustible ore that, when ignited, indeed provided warmth but produced toxic fumes.
In the past, when this substance was discovered and used extensively, it caused considerable trouble, poisoning tens of thousands of people to death.
Now, how could Prime Minister Chu come up with such a foolish idea, intending to use this substance to get through the winter?
Wait, smokeless? But even if it's smokeless, it's still toxic!
Seeing everyone's bewildered expressions, Chu Chen chuckled inwardly.
The Empress's expression turned slightly grim. "Although this coal burns with considerable heat, it produces toxic fumes and is inherently poisonous. If people or animals are exposed to it in an enclosed space, they will die within moments. How can it be used?"
"Your Majesty, what you are referring to is bituminous coal. The coal that I have ordered the prisoners to mine is smokeless coal."
Although Chu Chen inwardly found these people uncultured, he still explained it to them.
"Smokeless coal?" The Empress seemed to understand. "Does it produce heat but no smoke when ignited?"
"Indeed," Chu Chen replied.
"This smokeless coal has no smoke, so burning it will not poison people to death?" the Empress asked again, still concerned.
"Replying to Your Majesty, it will still cause death."
Chu Chen's words greatly surprised the Empress. If it still causes death, what's the difference?
The Empress's expression immediately soured, and the civil and military officials were stunned. Were they not playing a trick on His Majesty?
"Your Majesty, whether coal is smoky or smokeless, its combustion process releases carbon monoxide, which is a poisonous gas that causes poisoning. It can be visible or invisible, and both have their own smell."
"Those who die from carbon monoxide poisoning while burning coal for warmth do so because of poor ventilation and lack of air circulation, leading to an overly enclosed space. In other words, as long as there is a crack left open for air circulation when using coal, there will be no poisoning."
Chu Chen explained to the Empress and the ministers the principle behind deaths from burning coal for warmth.
But this left the Empress and others bewildered. Carbon monoxide? What is that?
"What is this carbon monoxide?" the Empress asked, confused.
"Your Majesty, carbon monoxide is a gas in the air. Its density is lighter, and it often resides in higher altitudes. Its quantity is extremely small compared to the oxygen contained in the gases we breathe."
Chu Chen then explained to the Empress and the ministers the composition of the air, which greatly shocked them.
Who would have thought that the air, which is everywhere, contains so many substances? Oxygen, nitrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and so on.
So, the air is composed of various gases, and humans primarily breathe oxygen. It all makes sense now.
The Empress and all the ministers suddenly understood.
At this point, they also understood the principle behind deaths from burning coal for warmth, and they also knew why, despite being toxic, Chu Chen had ordered the prisoners to mine smokeless coal.
This is because smokeless coal, due to its lack of smoke and fewer impurities, has greatly reduced toxicity in its smoke compared to bituminous coal, even though it may produce imperceptible white smoke.
Finally, Chu Chen smiled. "Your Majesty, the Royal Chamber of Commerce will be launching a product called a hand warmer just before winter. This hand warmer can be hung inside one's robes, allowing people to feel warm even when outdoors."
What a good thing! Prime Minister Chu! I want one!
The eyes of the ministers suddenly lit up, filled with longing.
Winter court sessions still had to be held. Last winter, the court session started at Chen Shi (7-9 AM), an hour later than in spring, summer, and autumn, but it was still unbearablely cold.
Waking up early for court and then enduring the cold in a carriage on the way – if they had these hand warmers, wouldn't winter court sessions be comfortable and warm?
The Empress did not crave it as much as the ministers, but she did have some desire for it. This item would be excellent for rewarding ministers or servants.
Most importantly, the Royal Chamber of Commerce produced it, bringing in a large amount of revenue.
The Empress was overjoyed. This move not only solved the winter problem but also brought in money. There was nothing more wonderful.
Smokeless coal was indeed prepared for the common folk, while hand warmers were for all the people in the country.
The homes of the common folk were drafty, so even burning regular coal would not be a problem. Carbon monoxide poisoning? That's laughable. The common folk would need houses that weren't drafty first.
Who gets poisoned by burning coal? It's the petty bourgeoisie who can afford coal, which is more expensive than firewood, and the middle and upper classes who can afford it.
The common folk mostly burn firewood for warmth. Coal, being a mineral, is unaffordable for them. A few wen per piece is not cheap.
As for how smokeless coal would be sold to the common folk, it would be priced at two wen per piece, a price most of them could afford.
However, this was still not enough. A piece of smokeless coal could only burn for a few hours and its range was limited, unable to supply the entire family. But Chu Chen had other methods to ensure that one piece of smokeless coal could solve a household's heating problem for the night.
As for daytime heating, Chu Chen stated that since they were common folk, why would they be idle during the day? Chen Yuanliang might have let the common folk idle in winter, but Chu Chen would not be so generous.
Even during winter days, they had to work. Being exploited by this prime minister was the right way.