" Your Highness, please take a look. This is the workshop that specializes in making muskets…" Han Rang pushed open a door. The craftsmen who were working in the room saw a young man wearing a four-clawed dragon robe walk in. They hurriedly knelt down and called him a thousand years old.
Zhu Youxiao's expression was a little ugly.
In the Ming Dynasty, the status of craftsmen was very low. They were ranked after the scholars, farmers, merchants, and businessmen. They were not ranked. Therefore, although the craftsmen of the War Bureau were all skilled, they still wore tattered clothes. Their faces were yellow and thin, and they looked malnourished.
"Get up!" Zhu Youxiao waved his hand, and the craftsmen stood up and lowered their heads. With their status, they definitely did not dare to raise their heads to look at this young prince with high authority.
"How much is the monthly salary of each craftsman now?”Zhu Youjian called Han Rang over and asked.
"Three silver coins per person per month." Before Han Rang could finish his sentence, Zhu Youxiao's face was already as dark as water.
Only three silver coins!
"From today onwards, the monthly salary of the small workers will be raised to one tael of silver, the senior workers will be raised to two taels of silver, and the craftsmen will be raised to ten taels of silver.”
Zhu Youjian waved his hand, and Wang Chengen rushed over. He and Gao Qiqian each carried a thousand taels of silver and walked so far. They were exhausted.
White silver was poured on the table. Cao Huachun held the register, and Wang Dehua held a pair of silver scissors. They twisted the whole silver ingot into a uniform size, weighed it with a chisel, and then personally distributed it to each craftsman by Zhu Youjian.
Four hundred and fifty craftsmen received two thousand taels of silver. They were all handed out in a short while. Each of them held the white silver in their hands and were so grateful that tears flowed down their faces. They knelt down with a whoosh and called Prince Xin Qiansui!
"All of you, get up. In the future, as long as you work hard, this king will definitely not treat you badly!”
" Congratulations, host. You have gained the loyalty of 850 craftsmen. You are rewarded with 15 Emperor Points…"
Han Rang, who was standing at the side, looked at everything in front of him and couldn't help but mutter in his heart. His Highness Prince Xin was the Emperor's only half-brother, and now he was trying to win the hearts of the people in such a crucial department like the War Bureau. If he had second thoughts…
"Your Highness, this matter is over. This old servant will take his leave!”Seeing Zhu Youjian looking at him, Han Rang stepped forward, cupped his hands, and tactfully asked to leave.
"Eunuch Han is skilled in crafting. Why don't you give this king some face and continue to manage the War Bureau for this king?”
" This..." Han Rang hesitated. Prince Xin knew that he was Eunuch Wei's man, so why didn't he reject him? Instead, he wanted to keep him?
Isn't he afraid that I will tell Eunuch Wei?
The way this young prince did things was truly unpredictable!
"Is Eunuch Han not going to give Little Wang any face?”Seeing his hesitation, Zhu Youxiao teased him.
"Thank you for not abandoning me, Your Highness. This old servant will definitely repay Your Highness with my life!”
" Congratulations to the host for subduing the War Bureau's Seal Eunuch Han Rang. You are rewarded with 2 Emperor Points…You are rewarded with the blueprint of the steam engine structure…"
In the War Bureau, Han Rang and a few white-haired craftsmen sat around, staring at the drawings hanging on the wall with wide eyes.
" Masters, please take a look. This is a power blueprint that This King has invented…"
Everyone looked at the things drawn on the drawing, and their eyes were a little confused. Zhu Youxiao saw this and sighed." May I ask which master has observed the white gas coming out of the pot of water?”
"This old servant has observed it." An old master stood up and said.
"Then, Master Chen, have you ever thought of storing this white gas and using it to drive the hammer instead of manual labor?”
This…
Everyone was confused by Zhu Youxiao's question. Zhu Youxiao winked at Wang Chengen, and Wang Chengen hurriedly handed over a piece of white paper. He dipped it in thick ink and sketched out the operation principle of a steam engine with a few simple strokes." Elders, let's start with making this object!" If you need any materials, feel free to look for Eunuch Han.”
"Your Highness, what is the use of this item?”After walking out of the room, the War Bureau's Seal Eunuch Han Rang was still puzzled and asked.
Zhu Youxiao stopped in his tracks and looked at the craftsmen who were forging ironware with hammers in the distance." Eunuch Han, how many muskets can the War Bureau make in a day?”
"Three a day is already the peak." Han Rang said truthfully.
" If this thing is produced, I guarantee that the War Bureau can produce hundreds of muskets a day." He paused for a moment." And that's without increasing manpower."”
"This thing is so magical!" Han Rang was shocked speechless.
"Eunuch Han, I'll leave this matter to you!”Zhu Youjian came to the door and bowed deeply to Eunuch Han." The rise and fall of the War Bureau is related to the military equipment of the Ming Dynasty. I hope that Eunuch Han will take care of it."”
"Naturally." Han Rang smiled and stopped Zhu Youjian." Prince Xin, your highness, you have come to my War Bureau. Please allow this old servant to show some hospitality to you. Please, your highness!"”
"Thank you, Eunuch Han!" Zhu Youjian was not an unreasonable person. Since Eunuch Han had the intention to invite him, he could not reject his request.
Prince Xin walked in front, Eunuch Han followed behind, and Wang Chengen and the others followed from afar. They went out of the palace and came to a roast duck restaurant called " Yu Taixiang " outside the front door. When the waiter saw the clothes of these people, he knew that their identities were not ordinary, so he hurriedly greeted them with a smile.
The few of them took their seats. Zhu Youxiao looked around and saw that the shop was crowded with people and diners. He could not help but think to himself. Although there were frequent floods and droughts everywhere, wars everywhere, and the Ming Dynasty was showing signs of defeat, the merchant women did not know the hatred of subjugation. These common people were still eating happily here and were keen on their appetites. He did not know whether to be happy or to lament.
"Brother, why do you have to be so sad? After this year, in the spring and March of next year, you and I will win the championship in one fell swoop. At that time, we will give this wealth to the emperor's family to glorify the family.”
" Brother, you know that my ambition has never been the imperial examinations…"
At the table next to him, a middle-aged man who looked to be in his early thirties was persuading his companion. The companion let out a long sigh and picked up a piece of meat to put into his mouth. He shook his head and sighed repeatedly.
"Are the few people beside you the candidates who have entered the capital to take the examination?”Zhu Youjian asked.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]