Looking at the book in his hand, Huang Qiong didn't need to say anything. Yu Mingyuan also knew what the third errand was given to him by the prince in front of him. Thinking of the two previous things, this gentleman asked me to look at this because he wanted me, the appointed Privy Councilor, to take charge of this matter. It's just that this errand seems to be the best one among the three errands given to me.
But in fact, this errand is the most troublesome and difficult one. With the support of this prince, the copper used for casting cannons can be easily solved. The question now is for the craftsmen to find it themselves. Do the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works have enough craftsmen? Without craftsmen, no matter how much copper there is, how can one cast a cannon? You know, as early as the reign of Emperor Taizong, all cannon casting had stopped.
After hearing Huang Qiong's question, Yu Mingyuan did not reply immediately. After pondering for a long time, he said: "Your Highness, the matter of cannon casting is a big deal. Whether it is a light cannon or a large cannon, it requires a large number of skilled craftsmen, as well as a large amount of copper and tin. And this kind of cannon has been discontinued since the reign of Emperor Taizong. Casting, it is still unknown whether skilled craftsmen are available and can still cast it.
"I have been serving abroad, and I don't know the situation of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Industry. It has been nearly a hundred years since the reign of Emperor Taizong, and the imperial court has not been casting cannons for more than a hundred years. Your Highness also knows that these craftsmen are passed down from generation to generation. In one generation, I am afraid that the skills of craftsmen have been abandoned in the past hundred years. I am afraid that no one can even make molds. For this matter, I need to first understand the foundation of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Industry."
"What's more important is that even if they are cast, they also need skilled gunners. Nowadays, the skilled gunners in the army are among the border troops in the North. Transferring people from the border troops requires coordination from the front department. Compared to Of these two things, the copper and tin needed to cast the cannon, I am the least worried about. What I mean is that this matter is of great importance, and I cannot give your Highness any answer for the time being. I have to let you know the basics first."
Huang Qiong was actually happy that Yu Mingyuan didn't take over everything. If Yu Mingyuan patted his chest and promised him, Huang Qiong would feel uneasy. Because Huang Qiong also knew that during the founding years of the People's Republic of China, the king of Guilin had already melted money to cast cannons. At that time, dozens of doors were cast before and after. However, since casting stopped during the reign of Emperor Taizong, it has not been cast again for more than a hundred years.
Nowadays, the officials in the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Industry have no idea whether there are any craftsmen who are proficient in this craft. Yu Mingyuan was right. The craftsmanship of craftsmen in the past dynasties was passed down from father to son, from generation to generation. There is no use for their craftsmanship, and the craftsmen who made cannons have already changed careers for several generations. The original craftsmanship and standards have probably been discontinued long ago, and this matter almost entirely needs to be explored from scratch.
Regarding Yu Mingyuan's words, Huang Qiong nodded with deep approval: "Master Yu, this is the mature way to plan a country. Master Yu, just go ahead and do it, and everyone will support you. If there is anything needed, no matter how late it is, Your Excellency can go into the palace to find me. I will transfer people from the Privy Council, Ministry of War, and Ministry of Works to whomever you like. There are also matters concerning the forts, so I have to worry a lot about them."
Yu Mingyuan breathed a huge sigh of relief when he heard that Huang Qiong did not worry about it, but chose to play it safe. The business has been roughly settled, and I know that I will be extremely tired from traveling in Mingyuan for the past few days. At the same time, I have just arrived in Beijing and this family also needs to be settled. Even though the mansion he had given to him had been fully prepared for their family, they still needed to return, so Huang Qiong did not keep anyone around.
After saying goodbye and returning to the mansion, Yu Mingyuan didn't bother to tidy up at all. Instead, he thought of the three things Huang Qiong had given him, and felt even more stressed. He didn't show it in the palace before, but now when he returned to his house, Yu Mingyuan dismissed several servants who were sorting books for him. Locking himself in the study, he picked up the book Huang Qiong gave him and started reading again.
After a long time, I put down the book in my hand. He was transferred from Jiedu Envoy to Deputy Privy Envoy and Minister of the Ministry of War, even if the rank was flat. But everyone knows that this is basically equivalent to a promotion. But Yu Mingyuan, who was not happy about being promoted at this time, pinched the bridge of his nose a little tired. The previous prince said that he was not brought to Beijing to enjoy the blessings. Looking at it now, none of these three errands are easy.
This person, who is a first-rank Privy Envoy and is in charge of all military affairs in the world, can be said to be a very powerful person. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, all privy envoys in the past dynasties have been senior officials with extremely high qualifications. Don't look at it before, but you have already sat in the position of the second-grade Jiedushi. However, compared with previous privy envoys, my qualifications are still too young. The most important thing is that he has already transitioned from literature to martial arts for many years.
Nowadays, it has become a common practice for the privy envoys of the Qi Dynasty to be served by civilian officials. He was transferred from the military attache to the Privy Council, although in name he only signed the Privy Council affairs in the name of deputy envoy. But signing the Privy Council matters is tantamount to actual teaching. In this dynasty, signing refers to those officials who are not yet qualified enough but are actually awarded because of need. It is a name for strengthening the past. It can be said that the signing will definitely be corrected.
But agents may not be able to correct things. Maybe this agent will continue to act until he retires. Yu Mingyuan knew that he was an outlier in the officialdom since the founding of Da Qi. Although he was born as a second-ranked Jinshi, he has been transitioning from civil service to martial arts for many years and has become an authentic military attaché. In the civil service system, they have always been excluded. But among the military attaches, he was also not popular.
In the minds of those military attachés who came from aristocratic families or who were in the military, I, an official who was born in the second rank of Jinshi, was also an outlier. In recent years, it can be said that I have been unable to rely on both civil and military skills. Sitting in the position of Privy Councilor, even if it is just signing the Privy Council matters, is probably like sitting in the crater of a volcano. He is now a military attache, and it is now customary for civilians to serve as Privy Councilor.
Now that the Privy Councilor is vacant, and the Privy Councilor is a first-class official, and he has great power, many civil servants in the court are keeping an eye on him. As a military attache, even if he is signing Privy Council matters, I am afraid that the entire civil service system will regard him as an alternative. If civilian officials reject him, military attachés will not welcome him either. Even with Huang Qiong's full support, the strife in the officialdom is enough for him to drink.
As for being an assistant to that master, given that master's character of never rubbing his eyes, I'm afraid it won't be too easy for me as an assistant. As for the casting of cannons, it gave me even more headaches. The most difficult thing is the problem of the craftsman that he mentioned in the Wende Hall. Those craftsmen, I'm afraid they will be able to cast bronze cranes, copper furnaces, and those copper pots and other things with ease.
But if you ask them to forge cannons, they may not be able to do it. To pick up the craftsmanship that has been lost for nearly a hundred years is probably more laborious and will take a long time. Regarding this matter, how much time can the somewhat impatient master give me? I don't have this number in my mind? Thinking of this, Yu Mingyuan looked at the things in front of him and had a headache for a moment.
Yu Mingyuan locked himself in the study and didn't even eat dinner. Li Xiu, who had just ordered the servants and roughly arranged the house, was slightly worried. I wonder what happened to my husband after he entered the palace that could make him become like this? You should know that no matter how stressed the husband was when he was in Bianzhou, he would rarely lose his composure when he returned to his hometown. What happened today is the first time since we got married.
In fact, Yu Mingyuan did not have much luggage to pack when he was transferred back to the capital from Bianzhou. After being transferred to the Henan Road Jiedu Envoy, Yu Mingyuan's home did not move with him, but remained in Xiaoqi Camp. Even after taking her daughter to Bianzhou, she did not move her family there with her. He almost took office alone, and it was only after marrying Li Xiu that he purchased some things in the Bianzhou mansion.
This time when he was transferred from Bianzhou to Beijing, Huang Qiong sent someone to Xiaoqi camp in advance and delivered all the things he left there in advance. A few people only brought their own clothes, and among the few luggage left, almost all of them were books. His books almost pulled five carts. After Yu Mingyuan and his family entered the house, they put some furniture and decorated it a little before they could live in it.
In addition, Huang Qiong rewarded a group of maids and servants, so after Yu Mingyuan came back from the palace, Li Xiu had already ordered the servants to arrange them. As soon as her husband returned to the house, he locked himself in the study, not even caring about his precious books. Li Xiu, who had always been very affectionate with Yu Mingyuan since they got married, couldn't help but feel a little worried about him in her heart.
After learning from the servant's report, Yu Mingyuan didn't even have dinner. Li Xiu then cooked in person, prepared some of Yu Mingyuan's favorite side dishes, and carried them out of the study. Yu Mingyuan was slightly unhappy when he heard the knock on the door. When he saw his wife coming in with food in her hands, her frown relaxed. Since marrying Li Xiu, Yu Mingyuan has always felt very lucky.
Li Xiu is a virtuous and capable person who keeps her home in order. She never let herself worry about family matters, and she even gave birth to a son. Moreover, he has been with Princess Jing for several years and has a very long-term vision. He never secretly accepts money from subordinate officials behind his back. He also maintained a close distance from the family members of his subordinate officials and never interfered with his official affairs.
It's rare to cook today, so I prepare a few of my favorite side dishes. I must have heard my servant say that I haven't eaten dinner yet. Looking at Li Xiu, Yu Mingyuan felt unusually warm in his heart. After being alone for so many years, he fought bloody battles for the country on official business. After returning home, he became both a father and a mother, living alone with two children. Although there are servants at home, they have not known what it is like to be at home for many years.
Ever since I got married to Li Xiu, I finally knew what the warmth of home was. Li Xiu's gentleness and considerateness made it possible for her to enjoy unlimited relaxation when she returned to her home after a busy day. Taking the tray from his wife, Yu Mingyuan hugged his wife tightly in his arms because of his happy and stable life after marriage, his appearance and temperament had become more outstanding, and he had become plumper after giving birth to his son.
Feeling her husband's attachment, Li Xiu did not push away her husband who never did such affectionate acts outside your boudoir. Although he hesitated, he still stretched out his arms and hugged her husband's neck. She rubbed her husband's head, which was leaning on her arms, and said in a gentle tone: "Isn't the British prince in charge of this court now? You are familiar with him in Zhengzhou, he shouldn't embarrass you."
Leaning in his wife's warm embrace, Yu Mingyuan shook his head and said: "We can no longer call him the King of England. The King of England back then is now the crown prince and the crown prince of the country. Now he not only handles the affairs of the country, but also the emperor. All the jade seals passed down to the country have been passed on to him. It can be said that the emperor not only has a false reputation, but in fact, this prince is the number one person in the Qi Dynasty. "
"Our prince is good at understanding people's minds with his unpredictable methods. As long as he is given two years, the emperor will regret it and it will be impossible to regain his power. This is why I am transferred back to the capital this time. The prince has been transferred back by name. Now, I can be regarded as his former minister. Now that he has great power, your husband and I can be said to be prosperous and prosperous within a short distance."
