Chapter 27 Zhuge Liang Meeting
It's just that the Zhuge Liang meeting that He Xi imagined was completely inconsistent with what he saw in front of him.
He Xi thought that he and this "expert" would sit down at the meeting and have an intimate conversation, so he borrowed a yamen room from the Ministry of Industry. All the great craftsmen from the Armament Bureau were called over, and it evolved into what it is today.
He sat on the stage, with dozens of gray-haired old craftsmen kneeling below.
There were several eunuchs standing behind him.
It didn't feel like a meeting at all, but rather like a meeting.
This is how craftsmen are treated in this era. It's impossible to respect at all. There is no right to express opinions. Some only have the power to obey orders.
He Xi said: "Old people, please get down and sit down and talk."
These craftsmen still couldn't believe it, and finally they dared to get up under He Xi's repeated urging. As for sitting, there were simply not enough chairs in the yamen, so some mahogany benches were found from somewhere. That's it for everyone to sit down.
So after everyone sat down, He Xi still felt that it didn't look like a meeting, but rather like a teacher giving lessons to students. However, He Xi ignored these details, coughed twice, and said: "Everyone knows that in ancient times, there was a Suiren family who invented the method of drilling wood to make fire, allowing people all over the world to eat cooked food. There was a Chao family who imitated birds and animals to build houses. . Let the people of the world have a stable place to live. Leizu made clothes and protected the people of the world from the cold. These are people who contributed to the world in ancient times. What they do is also the work of craftsmen, so I never think that craftsmen are humble. Not only is industry not a humble industry, but it is very important. Since ancient times, people have used it to gain wealth. For example, during the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Yu Wenkai supervised the construction of Chang'an City. Luoyang City was also regarded as an important minister and its name went down in history. There is glory and wealth, even if Nearly a hundred years later, you should also have heard of one thing. The former Song Dynasty was at war with the Mongols. The Mongols attacked Xiangyang for several years and fortified the city, resulting in numerous casualties. If Xiangyang could be defended, the southeastern half of the former Song Dynasty would be protected. The people of the Yuan Dynasty ordered craftsmen from the Western Regions to build Huihui artillery, which destroyed the Xiangyang city tower with one cannon. The Lu family was frightened and surrendered. Therefore, the power of craftsmen can affect the general trend of the world. It must be important. Therefore, today's younger generations are ignorant, so please give me some advice. .”
After speaking, he bowed.
When He Xi thought about it, shouldn't everyone applaud him for doing this?
But the scene was so silent that it seemed like there was even the sound of a pin dropping.
Every craftsman seemed to be stupid and didn't dare to speak, staring at He Xi blankly. Not sure what to do?
It's not their fault.
Applause is essentially a form of etiquette. It says when to applaud. Most modern people understand this. However, people in the Ming Dynasty did not have this etiquette. Everyone doesn’t understand, as for other reactions.
Sorry, craftsmen were the lower class of society in the Ming Dynasty, and many people in the lower class were cautious. They would rather not do it than make a mistake because they cannot afford to make a mistake. He Xi acted like this, and they didn't understand what He Xi was going to do?
Don't know how to react?
Then there is no response.
More importantly, they couldn't understand what He Xi was saying.
He Xi cited scriptures, and it was about the Suiren clan, the Youchao clan, Lei Zu, Yu Wenkai, and the battle of Xiangyang. Most craftsmen have never heard of it. They didn't understand a lot of what He Xi said.
Even a few people who understood it couldn't believe it.
For example, Foreman Ge.
Foreman Ge is now gray-haired. As I get older, I still hear people talk about the Battle of Xiangyang. After all, since the First World War in Xiangyang, it will only last more than a hundred years. Foreman Ge heard a lot about it when he was a child.
Of course, the most important thing is that the ancestors of Ge Gongtou were craftsmen in the Song Dynasty.
After all, this is normal. Many craftsman skills are passed down from family to family. Outsiders rarely get the inheritance. Foreman Ge can be regarded as the representative of craftsmen by Fu Zhong, but it is definitely not because of his age. But those who have good skills in their hands. Coupled with the fact that he is fair and convinced by many craftsmen, he has such a status.
Therefore, Foreman Ge still has an impression of the Battle of Xiangyang. I also have some understanding of the Huihui gun.
It's just that he knows it a little too well.
Whether it was the Song Dynasty, the Yuan Dynasty, or the current Ming Dynasty, craftsmen were the ones who were called upon. He didn't believe that He Xi could do this just by saying this. Even if He Xi wanted to do this, what could He Xi do on his own after so many years of tradition?
However, he noticed one thing. When you are polite, you must ask for something from others. He Xi's behavior is a waste of money. Maybe this is an opportunity for the Ge family.
A great opportunity.
This embarrassing situation did not last long. After all, He Xi is also thick-skinned. After coughing slightly, he ignored the awkward moment and got straight to the point. Said: "Due to the war in the southwest, a large amount of ordnance needs to be mobilized. The number of Nanjing's arsenal is not enough. It is necessary to urgently build a batch of ordnance. The most important thing is, 100,000 pairs of armor. It must be built by the end of the year."
As soon as these words came out, the craftsmen below suddenly became noisy.
Without him, they are all great craftsmen. Not only are they technically good, they themselves will be responsible for certain production tasks. After all, officials do not directly manage craftsmen. They usually find highly respected people among the craftsmen to manage them.
Therefore, these big craftsmen are also responsible for organizing production.
Naturally, we know what the concept of one hundred thousand pairs is.
"Quiet." He Xi said, "Speak one by one, Mr. Ge, you tell me."
He Xi is only familiar with Foreman Ge. Let him speak.
Foreman Ge said: "Your Majesty, you are aware of this. This is not a shirk. It is really impossible. It is only three months from the end of the year. From armor making to weaving, we simply don't have enough manpower."
He Xi said, "Can we send more people?"
Foreman Ge was silent.
He Xi said: "This is the emperor's order, and there is no room for sloppiness. Let's discuss whether it is okay to send more manpower?"
The craftsmen whispered, and finally Foreman Ge spoke. Foreman Ge said: "Sir, we just calculated it, and it still doesn't work. Although it is not difficult to make armor plates, the craftsmen who need to have some skills are not. One person can use it. And there are only so many blacksmiths in Nanjing City. Even if we call all the other blacksmiths, it will not be enough. At most, we can make 20,000 pairs by the end of the year, and we are already working day and night."
He Xi said: "Is there anything you can do? For example, reduce the process? Or improve the process and reduce the working hours?"
For a moment, He Xi was faced with death-like silence again.
He Xi was a little disappointed.
These craftsmen have no motivation at all. He Xi did not think that the production process of Ming Dynasty armor was perfect. Even if there are no revolutionary improvements, there should be some ways to improve some efficiency.
It's just that none of these craftsmen have the intention to speak out.
However, He Xi can understand it if he puts himself in his shoes. It is easy to increase efficiency, but it is difficult to decrease it. Once there is this precedent. Will the court calculate calculations based on the latest records in the future? If so, will these craftsmen have their spines pointed at by the people below?
Some people would even pay with their lives for what they are saying now.
Because when many officials manage craftsmen, they don't care so much, and they drive people to death.
He Xi could only speak for himself. Said: "Everyone, I have an idea. Instead of more than a hundred pieces of armor on our armor, it can be made with more than a dozen pieces. Doesn't it actually save a lot of time?"
"What do you think?"
There was silence again.
However, He Xi could tell from the eyes of these craftsmen that he had made some common sense mistake.
He Xi said: "Mr. Ge, is there something wrong?"
Foreman Ge could only stand up again and said, "What the Lord said is absolutely true, but -----" Foreman Ge didn't know what to say.
He Xi smiled softly and said, "If Mr. Ge has anything to say, just say that I am not so narrow-minded."
Foreman Ge said: "This way, the working hours will not be reduced, but the working hours will be increased."
He Xi said: "How do you say this?"
Foreman Ge said: "The armor plate is no more than the width of a palm and the length of a bundle. It doesn't take long to apply, but if the armor plate is enlarged, the time required will also increase. To wear a pair of heart shields, it will take The time required is several times that of a piece of armor, and it is difficult for ordinary apprentices to master. You can only let craftsmen do it, which will only make it slower."
He Xi understood.
He had seen the armor film, the young one. It was the apprentice who wielded the sledgehammer, and he used the most force, but it was just brute force. The master uses a small hammer to control the heat. Instead, it was replaced with a larger armor piece, such as a breastplate. We can’t let apprentices get started.
In this way, fewer people participate in production. Efficiency is slower.
In fact, ancient craftsmen were not fools. If this method worked, someone would have used it long ago.
He Xi said: "Wouldn't it be better if we didn't need people and just used water to push the sledgehammer and use it to smash it?"
When Craftsman Ge saw that He Xi didn't pay attention, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Listen directly to He Xi’s question. Suddenly I felt helpless. He Xi felt that the atmosphere was exactly the same as his previous question.
That means he made some common sense mistake again. He continued to ask: "Can Mr. Ge please help me clear up my doubts?"
Foreman Ge said: "Sir, the materials we use to make armor plates are all pig iron."
"Pig iron?" He Xi repeated. Still haven't figured out what happened to the pig iron.
Foreman Ge said helplessly: "Sir, pig iron is brittle and cannot be beaten directly, as it will break. So it can only be heated and then beaten."
He Xi understood immediately. Why didn’t ancient China use hydraulic forging to make armor? It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s that I can’t. Material science is the key to everything. What is needed is not hydraulic forging, but a sufficient quantity of steel.
That is, large-scale steelmaking technology.
Fortunately, He Xi caught the core of the problem and asked: "If there is enough steel, can armor be made like this?"
Foreman Ge said: "What your Excellency said is absolutely true. It's just that you have to refine the iron into steel first. It's better to directly forge pig iron into armor pieces."
He Xi asked: "Can you please give me some advice from Mr. Ge?"
