Zhao Feng heard the middle-aged man's unkind tone, but he was not timid. Instead, he nodded in a neither humble nor overbearing manner, raised his hands and asked.
"Who is it? I was indeed the one who made that waterwheel!"
Upon hearing this, the two officials who had barged into the courtyard snorted coldly.
"You don't even recognize Master Yu, the prefect? You are indeed a commoner from the countryside, with no knowledge at all!"
Zhao Feng looked at the middle-aged man in surprise. He didn't expect that this man was actually the prefect!
For a rural villager like him, the prefect is already the biggest official he can see.
Although the prefect is only one level higher than the county magistrate, he is a true sixth-grade official!
Moreover, there are many officials in the prefecture's yamen, such as the previous master, who also has a rank but no position. He enjoys the salary of a ninth-rank official in the imperial court, but it is not considered a real position in the imperial court.
The most important thing is that the prefect is qualified to go to the capital to meet the emperor. At the end of every year, he has to go to the capital to report on his duties, and he also has the opportunity to climb up.
Yu Ruhai stretched out his hand and then asked Zhao Feng.
"Since you made this waterwheel, why didn't you dedicate it to the court or the officials?"
"Don't you know that this year is a year of severe drought and there is no rain? How many lives can be saved with this water tanker?"
Zhao Feng directly spread his hands with a bitter expression on his face.
"Sir, I was wronged!"
"I do know that this water wheel can save many people's lives, so I promoted the water wheel in several surrounding villages. I was planning to dedicate this water wheel to adults, but suddenly a man came , saying that he is the master of the government office!"
"I also spent money to buy the waterwheel drawings I designed. I thought this would solve the problem, but why wasn't it solved?"
When Yu Ruhai heard this, he snorted angrily and said through gritted teeth.
"I knew it was that damn bitch Yu Wen who pretended to be someone else and took the credit!"
After saying this, Yu Ruhai sighed and waved his hand, signaling the officials to wait outside the hospital.
Then he sat at the stone table in Zhao Feng's home, sighed and said to Zhao Feng.
"I didn't expect that you actually designed this waterwheel. The previous master was indeed my master, and he also dedicated the waterwheel to me. However, there are many places where the land cannot be irrigated by waterwheels."
"I asked him to come up with a solution, but he couldn't solve it, which caused disasters in many places. I fired him from his post and now he is in prison."
"You said you built this waterwheel, so let me ask you, if the farmland in a place is higher than the river, how to solve it?"
Hearing Yu Ruhai's words, Zhao Feng knew that Yu Ruhai wanted to test himself. Unexpectedly, although Yu Wen handed in the drawings of the waterwheel, he could not learn and use them at all, so that although the drought was alleviated, But there are also many places affected by the disaster.
But this did not trouble Zhao Feng, Zhao Feng said directly with a smile.
"It's very simple. If one waterwheel doesn't work, just add another waterwheel!"
"A waterwheel can pump water up a certain distance, and when combined, the water can reach a higher place."
"Then using bamboo to guide it, wouldn't it be possible to irrigate it?"
Yu Ruhai's eyes suddenly lit up. He didn't expect that it could be solved so easily, but none of the people in his office had come up with this solution!
Zhao Feng found another bamboo and explained to Yu Ruhai.
"There is another way to use the rotation of the waterwheel and a few connecting rods to make the water in the bamboo continuously pumped up by the wooden blocks. In this way, a simple water pump can be made."
"It can also send water to very high altitudes!"
Yu Ruhai sighed and said to Zhao Feng.
"If Yu Wen had been so stubborn and told earlier that it was him who made this waterwheel, so many people in the state capital would not have been affected by the disaster!"
Zhao Feng didn't know what to say, but Yu Ruhai smiled and waved his hand.
"But I can't blame you sir for this. It's precisely because of the waterwheel that you built that although some places suffered disasters, it also gave some places a bumper harvest of food."
"The purpose of my visit this time is to see where the disaster is not serious and to carry out targeted disaster relief."
Zhao Feng nodded, no wonder this Yu Ruhai would come.
Yu Ruhai looked at Zhao Feng and couldn't help but have some other thoughts in his mind. If Yu Wen hadn't taken the credit for making this waterwheel, then with Zhao Feng's help, he would be able to manage this smoothly this year. of drought.
And through a simple conversation, Yu Ruhai also saw Zhao Feng's talent, so he started to win over him.
"If you don't mind it, sir, why don't you come to my office and be my master? This will also allow you to put your talents to good use!"
Zhao Feng opened his mouth, then raised his hands in embarrassment and said.
"I hope you will forgive me. I am a commoner who is used to idleness in the countryside. I am afraid I am not qualified for such an important position."
When Yu Ruhai was rejected, he immediately frowned, snorted coldly, and said.
"I am the sixth-rank magistrate of the imperial court. Isn't it embarrassing to be a master for me?"
Zhao Feng suddenly felt miserable, but at this moment, Chen Rou suddenly walked out of the room and came to Zhao Feng. While saying hello to Yu Ruhai, she secretly stuffed something into Zhao Feng's hand.
Yu Ruhai looked up at Chen Rou, then couldn't help but shake his head and smile.
"Sir, you'd better think about it carefully. After all, if you stay here in the countryside, your talents will probably be buried!"
Zhao Feng shook his head again, calmly put the badge given to him by the fourth prince on the table, and said to Yu Ruhai.
"I hope you'll forgive me. I really don't have any thoughts in this regard now, but I promise you, if I have any thoughts in this regard in the future, I will definitely come to your house!"
Yu Ruhai frowned, looked down at the waist badge made of pure gold, and then suddenly took a breath of cold air.
"This...have you been to the capital before?"
Zhao Feng smiled and nodded.
"Cao Min has indeed just returned from the capital, and this brand was given to me by one of Cao Min's friends in the capital."
Yu Ruhai was immediately taken aback, then put away his previous arrogant attitude, nodded awkwardly and said.
"So that's it, then I won't disturb you sir!"
"If you, sir, want to enter the officialdom and lack a recommendation, you must come to me!"
Zhao Feng also smiled and cupped his hands, and promised seriously: "Absolutely!"
Yu Ruhai then stood up, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, turned around and left.
Zhao Feng breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't expect that the badge Zhou Kang gave him was quite effective!
