Someone had already fed coal into the steam engine. During the burning of the coal, black smoke kept coming out of the chimney.
Zhang Yang frowned and looked at the wisps of black smoke, thinking about environmental issues.
Although Li Shimin was curious about steam engines, this was the first time he had seen this thing used in production. He added: "I just took a rest in the court, and the Ministry of Rites and Changsun Wuji were still quarreling about the King of Goguryeo."
After a long silence, when Zhang Yang didn't answer, Li Shimin sighed impatiently and said, "Are you listening to me?"
Zhang Yang coughed and said again: "Listen."
Thinking about continuing to talk about the affairs of the court, but feeling that it was boring, Li Shimin smiled and said: "Do you think I should be enshrined in the Zen of Mount Tai?"
"Those are all His Majesty's own affairs. As long as His Majesty has this wish, there will be support from the DPRK and China, and there will definitely be opposition."
The emperor had nothing to say and wanted others to talk to him. Zhang Yang looked distressed and continued to watch the progress in the factory with his hands folded.
Li Tai and Niu Chuang led a group of craftsmen to assemble the many connected parts.
Then everyone encountered another problem. After some of the tie rods were assembled, the transmission became more difficult.
Li Tai was discussing with everyone.
It was snowing again in the cold winter. Li Shimin's face was solemn and he said again: "You don't care about the affairs in the court. Are you more concerned about the casting in the village?"
Zhang Yang said sadly: "I am now the Minister of Taifu Temple. I don't want to interfere in matters that I shouldn't interfere with."
"What about the old grudge between Xu Jingzong and Changsun Wuji?"
"Your Majesty is joking. Their personal grudges have nothing to do with me. I have lived in Lishan for a long time. Furthermore, even back then, I never let the old grudges between the two of them affect my decision."
Li Shimin whispered: "You are still the minister of Zhongshu Province, not just the minister of Taifu Temple."
The emperor always had full confidence in the country, and the emperor who was extremely enterprising always hoped that his subordinates would also be enterprising.
In Li Shimin's few words, Zhang Yang sighed, watching the snow getting heavier and heavier, and replied: "Your Majesty, matters in the court are too difficult."
It was rare to hear him say such words, so Li Shimin sat in the snow, stroking his beard and said: "I thought you would say that all your hard work pays off, and where are your heroic words from back then? This is not what you would say."
The connection between the steam engine and the lathe could only be put on hold for the time being due to the transmission rod.
Zhang Yang withdrew his gaze and thought of bearings. Bearings are an important part of mechanical equipment. They are two steel rings inlaid with beads.
Only now do I understand that on the road to industrial development, various parts and components are inseparable. For Zhang Yang, every time he has to pick up the original technology, it is as painful as making up for a lesson, and he has to start this road again. Again.
In the early stages of industrial development, linear transmission was always limited. In terms of meeting various angles and transmission efficiency, people had higher requirements for casting technology and mechanical equipment.
As a result, more sophisticated instruments appeared.
Now that I think about it, it's not that easy, it's also very difficult.
Facing Li Shimin's question, Zhang Yang said melancholy: "I used to think those things were very simple, but now I think it's too difficult. The court is becoming more and more complex, just as technology and craftsmanship are improving. Just do simple things.”
"Is anything in this world simple?"
The king and his ministers sat together in the snow and expressed the same emotion.
Li Shimin whispered: "In the past, a man's achievements stopped making progress when he reached forty. After this year, I will also be forty."
The surroundings were quiet, except for some discussions and metal knocking coming from the factory in the distance.
Zhang Yang smiled and said: "Your Majesty thinks that he is over forty, so he went to Mount Tai to celebrate his birthday, right?"
"Um."
Li Shimin responded and then fell silent again.
The prince stood in the snow and looked at the monarch and his ministers in front of him. His Majesty was in his forties, and the emperor was becoming more cautious and more like an emperor.
From the time His Majesty launched the mutiny at the Xuanwu Gate, to the early years of Zhenguan when he ascended the throne despite countless infamy, and then the severe drought in the early years of Zhenguan, it was not easy for His Majesty to endure the Turks' invasion of Chang'an City.
Although he endured the abuse from many nobles, he had to face these people with a smile, and he had to be cautious every step of the way.
In the eyes of the prince, Your Majesty is a very powerful person. How many ordinary people can be strict with themselves after they ascend the throne?
If it were Yang Guang who acted with personality and wildness, and with a person like Emperor Yang of Sui, many people would probably die in this world.
Zhang Yang thought, maybe Li Shimin also felt that when he was over forty, he had passed the most important stage of his career as emperor. He thought that he might never be able to be granted the title of Zen in this life, and he had passed the passionate age of wanting to be granted the title of Zen. Now he is just I glanced at Mount Tai from a distance, but I didn’t climb it, and I didn’t receive the title of Zen.
"Zhang Yang, do you think I regret that I didn't receive the Zen title from Mount Tai?"
"Your Majesty is joking, how dare I say I'm sorry."
Li Shimin chuckled softly, "I think I am not qualified to climb Mount Tai to become a Zen monk. You, Zhang Yang, did not enter Lingyan Pavilion. Do you have any resentment?"
"I have no grudges. Climbing Lingyan Pavilion is just a false reputation. Many people regard him as a lifelong honor. I feel that this kind of honor will only increase the burden."
These words made Li Shimin look a little serious. He didn't like what Zhang Yang said very much. Those who can ascend Lingyan Pavilion are those who serve the country and the country and are absolutely loyal to His Majesty.
The seriousness on his expression turned into a bit of suspicion. Li Shimin glanced sideways at him. If this boy doesn't surrender to me and give everything to the Tang Dynasty, he will not be allowed to climb Lingyan Pavilion.
In Zhang Yang's view, Lingyan Pavilion was just a means for His Majesty to help those ministers of the country.
The monarch and his ministers once again looked at each other in silence.
Your Majesty is already forty years old. After a man reaches the age of forty, he gradually enters his old age. He no longer has the spirit of his youth and lives a more sober life.
What is sober is that Li Shimin feels that he should not go to Mount Tai to become a Zen emperor in his life. Once he goes to become a Zen emperor, the emperor in the future may say what he will say about him as an emperor who was not in the right position.
Thinking about it now, Li Shimin clearly realized that Taishan's enshrinement was not important.
It is the next generation of leaders in Zhang Yang's hands, Pei Xingjian, Xue Rengui, Wang Xuance and others, who are important.
The emperor's thoughts changed from recovering the lost land in the Central Plains to expanding the territory, and now he began to consider what kind of society he should leave to future generations.
And Zhang Yang is the most important one among the next generation of young people.
If Zhang Yang can be subdued, he feels that the country can be more stable.
As he said, things in this world are becoming more and more difficult. Taifu Temple has been struggling to diversify its crops for a year. Now it is still difficult. It is not just a word from the DPRK that the towns and counties around the country will respond positively. .
If you think about it carefully, what he said makes sense. It explains the overt and covert fighting between the monarch and his ministers over the years.
"Zhang Yang, what kind of person do you think I am?"
Glancing at Li Shimin, Zhang Yang sighed: "Your Majesty is a very realistic person."
"Reality?"
"That's right, Your Majesty doesn't have many delusions about worldly affairs. Just like His Majesty doesn't think that I will willingly hand over Gaochang, so he exchanges his diplomatic power with me. If I can be a good minister of the Ministry of Rites, Your Majesty can also gain something. , if I do not do well, there will be no loss to His Majesty."
"So I offered a price of 30 million yuan. I knew that I would not get any benefits from His Majesty, so I asked Your Majesty to write an IOU and use the entire Lishan Mountain as collateral."
Li Shimin nodded, "So, when you were asking for prices all over the place, what you really wanted was not money, but a place to settle down? Now that you have grown up, you are negotiating terms with me and dealing with me?"
"If I hadn't handed Lishan Mountain to you, you would still be a person with nothing until now." At this point, Li Shimin's expression became more regretful, "I was fooled."
Zhang Yang smiled knowingly, "Your Majesty still has to pay back the money. If Zhenguan can't pay it back, it will be passed on to future generations. I hope that the Tang Dynasty will last forever until the money is repaid."
"You are really a vicious person. You want the Tang Dynasty to be immortal forever, and you want the entire Tang Dynasty to pay your debts."
Zhang Yang smiled and said: "The construction of Lishan is for the people's livelihood and the country, your Majesty can rest assured."
"Yes." Li Shimin nodded and patted his shoulder heavily, "Now the person I feel most at ease with is you."
…
What a hypocritical emperor.
Zhang Yang couldn't help but shake his head, saying sarcastic words without blinking.
The emperor's psychology is distorted, his views are reversed, and his values are different from those of normal people.
Then, he stood up and said, "I haven't seen your teacher since I came back from Mount Tai. How is his health?"
Seeing Niu Chuang and Li Tai walking towards him, Zhang Yang replied: "Sun Shenyi led a team of three doctors, a total of thirty doctors. They always discuss the disease, but they still can't remove the teacher's disease."
"It's like a bucket with an extra gap. Water has been flowing out of this canal. Now the water flowing out is getting bigger and bigger, and the gap is getting bigger and bigger. The lesion is the gap."
"As early as three years ago, Divine Doctor Sun said that if the teacher's disease is not cured, medicine and stone are useless. Now he can only rely on decoctions to support him. The burden of the disease on the body is increasing day by day, and now it is getting more serious."
"I'll go see him."
Li Shimin sighed and left with the people.
When Li Tai and Niu Chuang came closer, Li Shimin had just walked away.
Li Tai asked curiously: "What are you doing, father?"
Zhang Yang looked back and said, "I went to visit Duke Zou."
When Niu Chuang handed over the drawings, Li Tai immediately turned his face away. Now he would vomit when he saw the drawings.
The drawings showed various components connected to the lathe. Just as I had thought before, the important component missing was the bearing.
With the conclusion in mind, Zhang Yang said clearly: "You guys stop for a moment and I will think of a solution."
When I returned to Lishan Mountain with the drawings, I saw Li Yue whispering something to Xiaohui and Xiaowu.
Zhang Yang walked into his workshop pretending to be nonchalant. As he passed by, he heard his wife talking about the famous families in the south of the Yangtze River. Lishan was rich and powerful, so he could deal with the aristocratic families, let alone several famous families in the south of the Yangtze River? It's enough to leave it to my wife and Xiaohui to deal with it.
Pushing open the door of the workshop, Zhang Yang took out some iron materials and began to think about the casting of bearings.
I picked a few pieces of good quality iron material, lit the oil lamp on the side and started sketching the drawing.
A beautiful flintlock gun hung on the wall. The body of the flintlock gun was shiny silver-white, with a front sight installed on the muzzle, and the sides of the gun handle were inlaid with gold.
This flintlock gun inlaid with gold exudes the aura of local tyranny. It is the first flintlock gun of the Tang Dynasty. Even if it looks a little rustic, it is still a great progress of the Tang Dynasty.
While they were busy in the workshop, they saw Li Yue bringing a basin of pastries, "Xiaohui's family brought this from Jiangnan. It tastes very good."
Zhang Yang put down what he was doing, washed his hands and picked up a piece of warm pastry. He took a bite and found that it was made of glutinous rice. It was roasted until golden on both sides, and the inside was soft and sticky. He couldn't help but be surprised, "Huh? Isn’t this rice cake?”
Thinking of rice cakes, Zhang Yang looked at the heavy snow outside the workshop, "Unconsciously, it will be Chinese New Year."
Seeing that her husband's hands were red from the cold because he was busy in the workshop, she frowned distressedly: "They say harvesting in autumn and storing in winter, how can anyone be so busy in this winter?"
Zhang Yang sighed: "General Li Jing wants to see the firearms, and the steam engine in the village has problems again. They don't need me, a master of technology, to use my wisdom to help them solve the problem."
She covered her mouth and smiled, "This is the first time that my husband is proud of himself."
Zhang Yang said with some pride: "My craftsmanship is the best for them, and my understanding of metal casting technology is several realms ahead of them."
The couple ate the rice cake quietly, but felt that it was a little tasteless. Li Yue also took a small dish of salt and sprinkled fine salt on the rice cake to make it taste more delicious.
Zhang Yang said disappointedly: "You should add some chopped green onion."
"The onions haven't grown yet in the greenhouse. I'll pick some in two days and eat them like this for now. Xiaohui's family has sent a lot of them."
She was chewing rice cakes in her mouth, her eyes full of satisfaction.
Now that Qingque is married, her worries are settled, and she added: "I heard that Master Yuan is very old."
Zhang Yang asked curiously: "Isn't he always in Qintian Prison?"
Li Yue covered her mouth and chuckled, "I'm thinking of inviting Taoist priests Yuan Yuan and Li Chunfeng to teach my daughter numeracy and calendar after this year."
After eating the rice cake, Zhang Yang took a sip of tea with a serious expression, "Is it possible to let our daughter go to practice Taoism?"
"What's wrong with practicing Taoism?"
I really look for the best in everything, and the teachers who teach my daughter are all first-rate.
Everything else is good, except that you cannot teach your daughter to be Machiavellian. The child should be innocent. When she grows up, she will be a straightforward child.
Whether she is acting up or not learning well, it is best for children to be simple and straightforward.
"You said that the queen would accept our daughter as a disciple. Would it be better if she was just a disciple in name only?"
Li Yue nodded, "Yes."
The couple reached a consensus that life in the palace was too gloomy, and they did not want their daughter to spend all day scheming.
Li Yuan only told her about his previous rebellion.
My daughter can learn mathematics, the art of war, and exercise her skills.
Or if you learn to write from Mr. Ouyang Xun, you can also become a master of calligraphy.
With such a big Lishan here, who would dare to bully his daughter in the future?
Nothing can teach her to be Machiavellian.
After finishing the pastries in the bowl, the couple walked out of the workshop together.
