Chapter 527 It’s more refreshing to be a villain
After Emperor Taizu Gao ascended the throne, his distrust of literati and civil officials was almost known to everyone.
He killed civil officials like killing dogs, not only killing them, but also skinning and stuffing them with straw. He would make a scarecrow of human skin and leave it in the place, and the new official had to go and pay respect to this "predecessor" when he took office.
I believe many officials would be scared out of their wits when they saw the scarecrow made of human skin.
But the strange thing is that afterwards they are still greedy as usual.
It was as if the fear had never existed.
Everyone has a sense of luck, and such people cannot be trusted... This is the political will left by a certain emperor.
Since the civil servants cannot be trusted, let’s start from scratch.
So the palace became a small court, with everything from the Imperial Guard, factories, prisons and bureaus.
Even if he completely falls out with the civil officials, the emperor can have his own team to maintain his rule and confront the civil officials.
This is also the reason why Emperor Jiajing was able to remain on the throne even after falling out with the civil officials.
The palace has complicated institutions, and most people have no idea what’s going on inside.
This is especially true for a firearms fanatic like Feng Yuan. Even though he has worked in the Armory Bureau for most of his life, he still knows nothing about the power structure within the bureau.
Jiang Qingzhi had been extremely busy recently, and Feng Yuan was too embarrassed to ask him for advice, so he returned to the Armory Bureau with his questions.
"Is Lao Feng back?"
"Old Feng, didn't they say you went to seek a higher position? Why are you back? Were you kicked out by Long Wilbur?"
"Hahahaha!"
The craftsmen teased Feng Yuan with envy. Feng Yuan laughed and found a few old craftsmen.
"I have something I would like you to discuss with me." Feng Yuan squatted down.
"Good!" An old craftsman said with a smile, "If you don't have Li Er's good wine to drink, don't blame me for not giving you face."
"I'll treat you!" Feng Yuan nodded in agreement. He was a serious man, and since he said he would treat us, he would not give any discounts. Then several old craftsmen squatted down.
"What's the matter that requires so much seriousness that we have to take action together?"
"This is a bit troublesome." Feng Yuan pointed to the earthen machine tool that was drilling holes nearby and said, "There's a new thing over at Xin'an Lane that needs to be drilled. The straighter the hole, the better. The hole drilled by this thing looks straight..."
"What a straight bullshit! If it weren't for the trouble, I could make it straighter myself than by drilling it." An old craftsman said disdainfully.
"Yes!" Feng Yuan scratched his head, "But this thing doesn't require much. You can only use this thing to drill. I came here to ask you to give me some advice and see if there is any way to improve it."
An old craftsman took a look at the earthen machine and asked, "Are you trying to improve this drilling machine?"
Feng Yuan nodded, "We all know that if we want the hole to be straight, we have to make the bed fit tightly."
That is to say, the structural accuracy of the earth-moving machine tool itself must be improved, and then the drilling accuracy can be improved.
Several old craftsmen looked at each other.
"This matter..."
"How about building them one by one?"
"It's difficult. The important parts of this thing are all made of good steel. It's impossible to make it with just manual labor. If it's cast, it's useless."
"If we get more to choose from... Pah! The cost would be so huge that even the rich uncle in Xin'an Lane would vomit blood."
"How much money and grain does the Mo family's land outside the city cost every day? I'm afraid that the old man has no rice to eat."
"If I make a new bed..." A white-haired old craftsman lowered his head and drew a picture on the ground with a ruler in his hand.
He is the oldest and most experienced craftsman in the Armory Bureau.
Even Feng Yuan was eagerly waiting for his calculation results.
The old craftsman sighed, "It is possible to do it from scratch, but it will take at least one or two years, and it will cost a lot of money and food."
Designing and building a machine tool from scratch, having to go through all kinds of failures and errors in the process...it only takes one or two years to complete, and it will still be jaw-dropping to future generations.
Feng Yuan said disappointedly: "Is there any other way?"
The old craftsman shook his head. "Old Feng, listen to my advice. Don't be too ambitious. Just do your best. As for building a new bed..."
Everyone smiled bitterly at each other.
"Eunuch Chen!"
Chen Shi came. When he saw Feng Yuan, a smile appeared on his stern face. "Old Feng is back?"
"Yes." Feng Yuan bowed respectfully, "I have some difficult questions and came back to ask for your advice."
"Just ask." Chen Shi said with a smile.
After he left, the old craftsman said, "Actually, Eunuch Chen is pretty good. At least he's better than those officials in the Ministry of Works."
"That's right. I heard that the officials in the Ministry of Works didn't treat the craftsmen as human beings at all. Not only did they deduct their wages and food, but they also beat and scolded them at will."
"Beating and scolding are fine, but the most annoying thing is pretending to know. They should go west but insist on going east. Do you dare to ask: What do you know?
Anyone who opposed would be severely beaten first. Over time, the craftsmen in the Ministry of Industry learned their lesson and did whatever the higher-ups said. As for innovation, it was none of our business.
Everyone was complaining, which made Feng Yuan sigh. He thought that if he told everyone that Chang Wei Bo supported him, it would make these people's eyes red with jealousy.
Thinking of what Jiang Qingzhi said about leaving a name in history, Old Feng felt excited and prepared to go back and continue thinking about it.
The very next day, someone went to the Ministry of Works to ask to see Lan Zhen.
"Jiang Qingzhi encountered a problem. It was said that it was about drilling. Feng Yuan was at a loss and asked for help from the Armory Bureau, but the old craftsmen in the Armory Bureau were also unable to help."
"understood."
After the man left, Feng Yuan punched hard and jumped up.
Jiang Qingzhi had asked the Ministry of Industry for help, hoping that the Ministry of Industry would support him with some craftsmen. Jiang Hua didn't care, but Lan Zhen opposed it and arranged the recent affairs of the craftsmen so densely that they had no time at all.
Jiang Qingzhi’s response was: What I want to get is a treasure that will benefit the country and the people. Do you dare to stop me, Ministry of Industry?
Now everyone is staring at Xin'an Lane, waiting to see what treasure Jiang Qingzhi can come up with.
The scholars in the capital discussed this matter a lot. At first, they were quite cautious. After all, they were worried that the Mohists had been dormant for thousands of years and left behind something shocking. Once Jiang Qingzhi brought it out, the Ministry of Works would dare not give it to the craftsmen. The Taoist priest would be able to destroy the Ministry of Works with a palm thunder. But as time passed, there was no movement in Xin'an Lane. This made those people more confident.
After Lan Zhen turned against him, the relationship between him and Minister of Industry Jiang Hua took a sharp turn for the worse. Now Jiang Hua is also waiting for Jiang Qingzhi's baby to come out. Once he succeeds...
Lan Zhen's face flushed, and she was extremely excited.
"Jiang Qingzhi, let me see how you can justify yourself!"
Once Jiang Qingzhi fails to produce anything good, the Confucianists will naturally start to make a fuss.
Lan Zhen doesn't need to do anything, just wait to reap the fruits of victory.
He immediately called his confidants and ordered: "The craftsmen in the Ministry of Works must be kept under close watch and are not allowed to help outsiders."
"Don't worry, Minister. Even if Duke Chengguo comes, he won't be able to borrow craftsmen from our Ministry of Works." The confidant understood.
After his confidant left, Lan Zhen slumped in his chair, the exhaustion after the excitement coming over him like a tide.
He closed his eyes, and suddenly his body shook, "When did this old man become so careless about the overall situation?"
He opened his eyes with a complicated look.
His lips moved a few times, "Just this once. From now on, I will serve the public wholeheartedly, with no selfish motives at all."
……
Jiang Qingzhi went to the gunpowder workshop and saw the chaotic management on site. He couldn't help but angrily said: "Is this what you call attention?"
The accompanying Minister of Industry Jiang Hua said awkwardly: "I can't take care of it on weekdays."
"I think the palace should intervene in this matter." Jiang Qingzhi said seriously: "Minister Jiang, I am not complaining, but your Ministry of Works is not doing a good job in supervision!"
This is a warning, and Jiang Hua knows it very well. He also knows that if it were someone else, Jiang Qingzhi would not be happy to warn him. You love whoever you want, but if I don't step on you when you are in trouble, I am being kind.
"I will start working on this matter later." However, Jiang Hua was a little hesitant about letting people from the palace interfere in the gunpowder workshop.
"If I agree to this, everyone in the Ministry of Industry will blame me later."
"Is state affairs more important, or is your reputation more important?" Jiang Qingzhi said bluntly, "If it were someone else, I would suggest that the palace take over everything."
The official following Jiang Hua was angered by Jiang Qingzhi's aggressive attitude, "This is a matter for my Ministry of Industry."
Open flames are prohibited here. Jiang Qingzhi held an unlit medicinal cigarette in his mouth and glanced at the official. "I made this thing. What? You don't accept it? Get down right here, even if you don't accept it!"
The official was stunned by these words and his face turned as red as pig liver.
Jiang Hua smiled bitterly, "Forget it, forget it, as you say, as you say!"
Jiang Qingzhi smiled and said, "Old Jiang, let me give you a piece of advice. A good official is not one with a good temper."
Jiang Hua seemed to be thinking about something.
Jiang Qingzhi left, and the official sneered, "When he succeeds, he becomes arrogant. I want to see how long he can be arrogant. If he can't produce something good that is approved by the Ministry of Industry, don't even think about taking a single craftsman with you."
He suddenly felt something was wrong and turned back slowly.
Jiang Hua, the Minister of Works who had always been good-tempered, looked at him coldly.
"Shangshu, your humble servant..."
"The promotion of biogas digesters in Guangxi is not going well. You can go and help them."
That place in Guangxi...isn’t that a semi-wild area?
"Shangshu, Shangshu..."
Jiang Hua strode out, "Sure enough, it's more refreshing to be a villain!"
Jiang Qingzhi had long been unhappy with the management style of the Ministry of Industry, but he had no way to intervene. Today, he vented all the pent-up anger and felt refreshed.
When he returned home, Duoduo walked past him holding a mouse in his mouth. When he saw Jiang Qingzhi, he stopped and looked up, signaling to his owner if he wanted to share a bite.
Jiang Qingzhi shook his head and slipped away with regret.
"Master, Feng Yuan has been saying that he wants to see you for something."
The servant waited for him for a long time.
"understood."
Jiang Qingzhi went to the backyard first, "My wife."
"Hey!" Li Tian was reading a letter. The letter was written by her best friend who married and moved to another place. The letter expressed some envy for her.
"Ask the kitchen to prepare some sweet braised pork for lunch. I don't know why I've been liking sweets lately."
"understood."
Jiang Qingzhi then went to the "small workshop" at home
When Feng Yuan saw him, he said with shame: "I am incompetent."
"Having a problem?"
"Yes." Feng Yuan explained the difficulty. "...The most troublesome thing is the precision that Uncle mentioned. If the precision of the bed is not enough, the drilled hole will naturally not be straight."
"So you want to improve this drill press, but you can't get the precision parts."
"Yes."
"This matter..."
"The villain is incompetent!"
"I'll do it!"
Jiang Qingzhi sensed the small machine tool in his mind that had never been used.
It’s time to make a fortune!
(End of this chapter)
