plumnovel Chapter 020 A Big Toy for Chongzhen
Chapter 020 A Big Toy for Chongzhen
Chapter 020
Yongcheng, Zuixianlou.
Zuixianlou was bustling with activity and incredibly lively.
This is the most well-informed place in Yongcheng, and also the largest and best restaurant in Yongcheng County. Zuixianlou is the property of the Zhang family of Yongcheng. As early as the reign of Emperor Renzong of Ming, Zhang Chang, the brother of Empress Zhang and Earl of Pengcheng, presented fine wine to Emperor Renzong. Emperor Renzong Zhu Gaochi once wrote: "Huanggou fine wine intoxicates immortals and gods", and Zuixianlou got its name from this.
If a time traveler were to try and make money by brewing distilled liquor, they would surely lose everything, because Zuixianlou had already started brewing liquor more than two hundred years ago.
For example, the "three bowls of wine before crossing the hill" that Wu Song drank in "Water Margin" was a type of spirit, with an alcohol content of around 10 to 15 degrees. Even spirits with the title of imperial wine did not sell well at Zuixianlou, because people were used to yellow wine and rice wine.
Just like now, in the lobby of Zuixianlou, there are about twenty or thirty tables of customers. Ninety percent of them are drinking Sishui Huadiao wine, half a percent are drinking baijiu (Chinese white liquor), and a portion are drinking huangjiu (yellow wine).
"Have you heard? Chen Boying from the Construction Supervision Bureau beat up Commander Zhou!"
"It wasn't just a beating; I heard his nose was broken, and more than ten soldiers were driven out by the craftsmen wielding hammers!"
"Tsk tsk... Is Chen Boying planning a rebellion?"
"Rebellion? Hmph, what do you mean by rebellion? Behind Chen Boying stands Magistrate Sun. Magistrate Sun just left, and then Commander Zhou went to provoke them. Whose face are they slapping?"
"So what? The common people won't fight with the officials, but a military household dares to attack a centurion? Isn't that courting death?"
Inside a private room on the second floor of Zuixianlou, several gentlemen dressed in silk robes gathered together, talking in hushed tones.
"Master Liu, what do you think of this matter?"
Liu Yuanwai was not a member of Liu Yun's family. Liu Yun, Liu Chao's father, was considered an outsider in Yongcheng, having only been registered there for over twenty years. Liu Yuanwai, on the other hand, belonged to the Liu clan of Yongcheng, and his ancestor was the military general Liu Shun.
Liu Shun was credited with managing the Yellow River in the early Ming Dynasty. His three sons spread their family in Yongcheng and, after more than two hundred years of development, formed a large clan (now there are more than 100,000 people with the surname Liu in Yongcheng, accounting for 8.7% of the county's population).
Master Liu smiled faintly and said, "Lord Sun has done a great favor for Yongcheng. He established the Construction Bureau, manufactured iron-shafted plows and seven-row seed drills, saving countless lives. Which of you has not benefited from Lord Sun's kindness? However, now that Lord Sun is gone, who wouldn't want a bite of the Construction Bureau's lucrative business?"
"The Yongcheng Agricultural Implements Manufacturing Bureau is our Yongcheng Manufacturing Bureau, and Guide Guard is Guide Guard. It's none of Guide Guard's business to interfere in Yongcheng's affairs!"
"That's right, but the problem is, who is Commander Dong? Back when he was suppressing the remnants of the White Lotus Sect, he was a ruthless killer. Chen Boying beat up his men, so this Construction Bureau... is probably going to have a new owner."
"Dream on!"
A young man who looked like a scholar said, "I, Shi Lin, am not capable, and I will never stand by and watch their garrison overstep their authority. If they really dare to touch the Construction Bureau, I will definitely write to my father to impeach them..."
"Young Master Lian is absolutely right!"
The young master surnamed Wang immediately chimed in, "I'll write to my uncle right now; the Guide Guard should also take action!"
At the Construction Bureau, Chen Ying listened to his adopted son Chen Yongzhi's report and breathed a sigh of relief. Although the Construction Bureau was a lucrative target, the problem was that in order to maintain the balance, no one could make a move, otherwise they would be attacked by the gentry of Yongcheng.
Of course, Chen Ying did not entrust his safety to others. He reached for his waist, where a newly made pistol was tucked.
It should actually be a flintlock revolver, but because the primer problem was not solved, it could only be flintlocked, but within thirty paces, it was enough to be fatal.
Chen said in a low voice, "Bo Ying, you're being too reckless!"
"This isn't about the blueprints. I gave them the blueprints, and tomorrow they want the craftsmen, and the day after that they want the entire construction bureau. Human greed is insatiable."
"What should we do then? Are we just going to wait to die?"
"Wait to die? No."
Chen Ying said resolutely, "If they really dare to force me... I'll let them taste what thunderous wrath is all about."
If he doesn't fight back, he's doomed. But if he's determined to fight to the death, and with his three consecutive Thunder Cannons, he'll become a hedgehog, and no one will dare to bite him.
The next day, the Guide Guard's troops did not arrive. On the third day, there was still no sign of the Guide Guard mobilizing troops. On the fourth day, the fifth day... it was still the same.
Song Yanniang finally breathed a sigh of relief. During this period, the Bureau of Manufacturing was very calm, and production continued as usual. Chen Ying continued to implement his plan of using others to generate revenue.
Now that the Bureau of Construction has accumulated a certain amount of technology, he began to design the Bureau's fifth product, which was a four-wheeled heavy carriage.
The Bureau of Manufacturing possessed most of the technical capabilities for producing four-wheeled heavy carriages. When producing the Chain Thunder Cannon, they created springs, bridge shock absorbers, bearings, axles, and wheels. More importantly, they also manufactured steering mechanisms.
It can be said that the current Imperial Workshop is fully capable of building four-wheeled carriages. The reason why four-wheeled carriages were not widely used in ancient China was that the steering mechanism was not solved, the shock absorption effect was too poor, and the terrain was complex.
The problem is that in Guide Prefecture, these issues don't need to be considered. It's a plain, and heavy-duty wagons offer excellent value for money when transporting grain or other supplies, with a promising market prospect.
Another reason is that with the end of autumn grain planting, the demand for both iron plows and seeders has decreased significantly, and the Bureau of Manufacturing also needs new products to support these craftsmen.
Just as Chen Ying's four-wheeled carriage project had completed its initial design and was beginning to distribute casting parts, a commotion arose outside the supervisory bureau.
"here we go again!"
Song Yanniang held a revolver in one hand. This newly developed pistol was successful because its caliber was too large, a full four-tenths of an inch, or about 12.44 millimeters.
Chen Ying suddenly stood up, grabbed the short gun from the table and tucked it behind his waist, then strode out. Chen Daniu, Wang Tiezhu, and the other craftsmen also picked up their tools and followed him.
However, Chen Ying discovered that the officers and soldiers outside the door were not the ones he had expected.
A lavishly decorated carriage stopped at the entrance, and in front of it stood a boy in brocade robes, about twelve or thirteen years old, with a handsome face, a touch of childishness in his eyes, yet an indescribable air of nobility.
He was dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, with a jade pendant hanging at his waist. The carving was exquisite and clearly of extraordinary quality.
Standing beside the boy was someone Chen Ying never expected: Zhang Zhengyu, the grandson of Zhang Xin, the Earl of Pengcheng.
This notorious playboy in Guide Prefecture was now standing respectfully half a step behind the young man, his head bowed and eyes downcast, showing none of his usual arrogance.
What alarmed Chen Ying even more was that there were more than ten people following behind the boy. These people seemed to be standing casually, but they formed a protective formation. Each of them had sharp eyes and was clearly a martial arts expert.
Among them was a fair-skinned, beardless middle-aged man wearing a dark blue round-necked robe, his hands tucked into his sleeves, his gaze calm as still water, yet it sent a chill down Chen Ying's spine for no apparent reason.
eunuch.
These two words flashed through Chen Ying's mind.
"Boying, how have you been?"
Zhang Zhengyu stepped forward: "This distinguished guest has come from the capital!"
"From the capital? Accompanied by eunuchs?"
Chen Ying's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly thought of someone: Zhu Youjian, the fifth brother of the Tianqi Emperor Zhu Youxiao.
Judging by his age, he was born in the 38th year of the Wanli reign, and is thirteen years old this year.
Chen Ying's guess was correct. His forging of the iron plow aroused the interest of the Tianqi Emperor. However, he knew that everyone had their own expertise and was not too impressed. The seeder, on the other hand, was different. It contained too many ingeniously designed mechanisms, which aroused Zhu Youxiao's competitive spirit.
Zhu Youxiao was known as the Carpenter Emperor, but he did make quite a few inventions, such as the "Copper Vat Water Play," which used a mechanism at the bottom of a copper vat to control the shape of the water column with water pressure and flow, such as waterfalls or flying snow, and made small wooden balls jump, creating a dynamic landscape.
This design predates Western fountains by more than two hundred years. Other inventions include ice beds, heated beds, folding beds, and folding tools. If there were patent fees, many camping products today would require Zhu Youxiao to pay patent fees, making him the true originator of invention.
"This humble servant, Chen Boying, greets Your Excellency."
Chen Ying bowed respectfully, neither humble nor arrogant.
"I've heard that Commander Chen is skilled at crafting ingenious devices, such as the iron-shafted plow and the seed drill, both of which benefit the people. Would you be willing to take a look?"
"Please, young master."
Chen Ying stepped aside to lead the way.
The group entered the workshop, where the furnace was burning brightly and the craftsmen were busy at their work. They did not stop to pay their respects because of the arrival of distinguished guests, as was Chen Ying's rule.
Zhu Youjian seemed interested in everything here. He stood in front of the refining furnace for a while, then walked to the cooling area, the foundry, the heat treatment area, and the finished product area.
Zhu Youjian pointed to the iron-shafted plow and asked, "The curvature of this plowshare seems different from usual?"
"Young master has a good eye. The soil in Yongcheng is divided into two types: black silt and sand. The sand is fine, but the silt is harder and has a deeper curve, making it easier for oxen to burrow and requiring less effort."
Zhu Youjian nodded, seemingly understanding, and then inquired about the seed planter.
Chen Ying explained the working principle of the seeder to him: "The rotor and dividers of this seeder can adjust the sowing density, making it more even than manual sowing..."
Zhu Youjian came with a mission from Zhu Youxiao, which could also be described as a friendly exchange from afar.
"Commander Chen, the reason I've come today is to ask you something."
"I wouldn't presume to offer my advice, sir! Please give your instructions!"
Zhu Youjian glanced at Cao Huachun, the eunuch behind him.
Cao Huachun understood, took out a roll of blueprints from his bosom, and slowly unrolled it.
The drawing shows a set of furniture: a table that can be folded into three sections with its four legs folded back, a folding chair with its back and seat folded together, and a bed with foldable bed boards and detachable bed legs.
"Can Chen Baihu make this set of furniture?"
Chen Ying carefully examined the blueprints and said, "The structure isn't complicated; it's simply a design using mortise and tenon joints and hinges, but the concept is ingenious..."
He recalled the carpenter emperor Zhu Youxiao in history. It is said that this emperor loved woodworking and often made exquisite objects by hand. These drawings were mostly made by him.
"It can be made; it can be completed in three days."
A hint of surprise flashed in Zhu Youjian's eyes: "Three days? Does Commander Chen know that the best craftsmen in the capital, after examining this set of furniture, all said it would take at least three months?"
Chen Ying had a sudden inspiration and instantly thought of how to promote four-wheeled carriages. He originally wanted to build a four-wheeled flatbed cargo carriage, but after seeing these blueprints, he thought of the motorhomes of later generations.
"That's because they didn't use the tools!"
Chen Ying pointed to some of the machinery in the Bureau of Manufacturing and said, "Young Master, please look. It usually takes several days to polish ordinary ironware. However, with our foot-operated grinders and water-powered grinders, the speed is much faster..."
In fact, Chen Ying spent a lot of time and effort on mechanical equipment over the course of two months. He even invented equipment such as a water-powered forging hammer, a grinding machine, a water-powered polishing machine, and a foot-operated drilling machine.
"Please wait a moment, young master. Give me seven days, and I will give you a large toy!"