Chapter 474 Young Man Spends Generously
Chapter 474 Young Man Spends Generously
The next day, the sun rose rapidly, and the sunlight was like a giant sword, attacking from the eastern horizon, instantly cutting through the darkness.
Soon the entire Yingtian City was illuminated.
With a pair of dark circles under his eyes, Lu Yunyi arrived at the Ministry of Works at the beginning of the Chen hour, which was around seven o'clock.
The reason for coming at this time is because the current emperor is diligent in his work and attends court early almost every day.
The time is usually between 3 and 5 in the evening.
It was still dark at that time. If the time spent on the road was taken into account, many ministers in the court would have to get up and pack up at 2 a.m.
If you live far away, it should be even earlier.
The government office opens after the morning court session, which is between 5 and 7 o'clock.
If it is a quiet government office, many clerks and officials may arrive at seven o'clock.
And extremely busy government offices like the Ministry of Works usually gather at five o'clock.
At this moment, Lu Yunyi and his personal guards were standing at the gate of the Ministry of Works. It was quiet here and there was no one in sight.
This scene made Lu Yunyi feel like he was late for school, but he did not feel the panic he had felt in the past.
Sometimes it is like this. When I was a child, I felt that the sky was falling, but when I grew up, I thought that it was just like that. I don’t know why I was so panicked when I was a child.
Putting his thoughts aside, Lu Yunyi calmed down and took a step forward.
He walked straight over the threshold of the Ministry of Works and walked in!
After passing through the spacious corridor, he entered the real Ministry of Works.
Like other government offices in the capital, this place faces north and south, and all of them are bungalows with a staggered layout.
The main building is a spacious courtyard surrounded by low-rise houses.
A relatively closed office area is formed.
Unlike the deserted outside world, it becomes much more lively once you enter the yamen.
Many clerks holding documents and drawings could be seen walking hurriedly in the yamen.
At this moment, Lu Yunyi was wearing a black suit with a flat collar and smooth lines. He had a white marble gold ribbon around his waist and long boots on his feet. His tall stature and handsome face made him very conspicuous.
Many officials noticed this young man and turned their eyes to him.
At this time, the doorman came out in a hurry. He looked to be in his thirties, with dark circles under his eyes and traces of millet porridge at the corners of his mouth.
How come someone came when I was taking a break? Who is this person?
Although he was complaining in his heart, he did not dare to neglect it.
The six ministries are all located in the imperial city.
Most of those who were able to enter the imperial city held some official position.
"Sir, this is the Ministry of Industry. May I ask who you are looking for?"
But when the person in front of him turned around, the doorman's heart skipped a beat.
The person in front of him had a calm expression, without any panic.
More importantly, there was a faint aura of power emanating from him, which was an aura that only people who had been in a high position for a long time could have.
Soon, the doorman saw what he was wearing around his waist, and his pupils suddenly contracted!
The third grade gold wire forged belt!
He knew who was in front of him.
"I, the humble official Fei Xin, greet the Minister." The doorman bowed.
His action quickly attracted the attention of everyone present. Their hurried steps slowed down, and finally they stopped and paid homage.
In the main hall of the Ministry of Works, Qin Kui, the Minister of Works, came out after being summoned by the clerk.
He saw the young man in the courtyard at a glance, and there was a flash of surprise in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and then a hearty laugh came out.
“Hahahaha, but Lu Bu Tang?”
Lu Yunyi swept his eyes across Qin Kui's face, and he did look somewhat like the "Young Master Qin" that day.
He walked forward quickly, a smile on his face, and raised his hands from a distance:
"Your subordinate Lu Yunyi pays homage to the Grand Marshal."
"Bu Tang" is a respectful title for Shangshu and Shilang. Since Qin Kui is so polite, Lu Yunyi will naturally not be stingy.
According to the "Book of Zhou", Sikong was the "Winter Official" among the Six Officials, in charge of civil engineering and water conservancy construction.
Although this title was abolished after the Yuan Dynasty, it was still used in the court and among the people as a respectful title.
As expected, Qin Kui paused slightly while walking.
The originally stiff smile on his face suddenly became soft and natural, and his laughter became louder and louder.
He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Qin Kui had long thought that a twenty-year-old young man who was in charge of both the military and the local area would inevitably be full of youthful vigor. In addition, Lu Yunyi's arrogant behavior seemed to confirm this point.
But after meeting today, Qin Kui's preconceived impression of Lu Yunyi has changed greatly!
He is handsome, graceful, and polite.
There is no trace of arrogance in him, and even compared with ordinary warriors, he is less aggressive.
While he was looking at Lu Yunyi, Lu Yunyi was also looking at him.
Qin Kui was about 45 or 46 years old, of medium build and dark complexion.
His beard and hair were mixed with white hair, his face was full of wrinkles, his eye sockets were deep, and he also had dark circles under his eyes. He looked like he was in his fifties, and particularly old.
In particular, the bleak yet forced feeling that emanated from him was something Lu Yunyi was very familiar with.
Even this smell was emanating from his body at this moment.
"Lord Lu, you are busy with military affairs, and now you have to take care of the Ministry of Works. It seems that you are very busy."
Qin Kui spoke first, looked at the dark circles under his eyes, and smiled.
Lu Yunyi spoke frankly, pointing to his dark circles:
"Sir, please don't torture me. The army is on holiday. This is because I was drunk last night.
Until now, I can hardly open my eyes. "
Qin Kui was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, and stretched out his hand to sweep the many officials in the courtyard:
"Master Lu, thanks to you,
More than a hundred of us, including the Ministry of Works staff, more than thirty officials, and more than twenty workshop managers, all stayed up all night."
Lu Yunyi looked at the many officials present.
Seeing that they all looked desolate, he turned to look at Gong Xianzhi, the personal guard at the door, and ordered:
"Go, bring the things here."
"Yes!"
Gong Xianzhi bowed and hurried out of the Ministry of Works.
Lu Yunyi looked at Qin Kui who looked puzzled and said:
"Minister Qin, I just came back from Yunnan, where I happened to find a kind of tea called Pu'er.
The tea soup is thick orange-yellow, with a sharp and long-lasting aroma, a rich taste, and is durable enough to be brewed for a long time. It is a good tea for refreshing.
I also often handle the work of the craftsmen.
I have been busy day and night and I understand the hardships that you gentlemen and my colleagues are going through.
I just arrived today, so I brought some good Yunnan tea to my colleagues so they can taste it too. "
Having said this, Lu Yunyi looked at everyone present:
"This is extremely expensive, my colleagues, please drink it sparingly."
As soon as these words came out, the heavy atmosphere in the field eased instantly.
Many officials looked at the new minister with a friendly look in their eyes.
Who said our minister has a bad temper? That’s nonsense!
Qin Kui also had to admit that this boy was honest, humorous, capable, resourceful, and generous.
Although it was their first meeting, he, like His Majesty the Prince, was extremely fond of this young man.
In fact, the reason why he could reach this point today is related to the person in front of him.
If Lu Yunyi hadn't discovered the problem with the weapon,
The previous Right Vice Minister Chen Guangsong would not have fallen, nor would he have been promoted to Right Vice Minister, let alone become the current Shangshu.
This is how it is in the officialdom. If you take one step slowly, all steps will be slow. But if you take one step quickly, all steps will be fast.
"Lord Lu is young and promising, which makes me very envious." Unconsciously, Qin Kui's attitude became much friendlier.
"It was a fluke."
Lu Yunyi smiled and looked towards the door.
Gong Xianzhi had already walked in carrying a large box. His whole body was muscular, especially the box in his arms, which looked bigger than a person and was obviously very heavy.
This made many clerks and officials present secretly frightened.
"Boom"
The box fell to the ground with a muffled sound, and the dust it raised spread outward.
Gong Xianzhi opened the box, revealing the fully wrapped round tea bricks inside.
It looks extremely thick at first glance.
Lu Yunyi explained with a smile:
"The journey back was long, so I had no choice but to press the tea into bricks.
Although it may look insignificant, this box of tea is worth a hundred taels of gold."
There was a flash of surprise in Qin Kui's eyes, and the clerk's expression also changed slightly.
One hundred taels of gold?
"Is this thing so expensive?" Qin Kui couldn't help asking, looking at it again and again.
Lu Yunyi smiled and said, "Things are valuable because they are rare. This thing is rare, and most of it was captured from the Luchuan Army."
Qin Kui felt a chill, the smile on his face faded a little, and he was shocked.
He was actually deceived by the person in front of him and almost forgot that he was a general with blood on his hands.
The officials and clerks around him also apparently reacted. Their movements became stiff and the smiles on their faces faded a little.
These days, the Beijing army’s fleet is arriving soon.
There were also some rumors in Beijing about the gains of this trip.
It is rumored that the scouts of the front army killed no less than 200,000 soldiers and civilians in Luchuan, accounting for most of the battle in Luchuan.
For some reason, the Ministry of Works, which was originally a bit stuffy, now felt a bit chillier.
Qin Kui laughed dryly and called the clerk over: "Since Lord Lu brought it back from afar, we can also take advantage of it.
Put the things away and distribute them to everyone in the yamen, as a reward for their hard work these days."
The atmosphere finally relaxed.
"Master Lu, I will take you to the government office."
Qin Kui made a gesture of invitation, looking very kind.
But Lu Yunyi quickly stopped him:
"I won't bother you with such trivial matters, Your Excellency. I overslept today, so I'd better get down to business first.
May I ask how the thing is going? Is it going well? "
Qin Kui paused, his face becoming more serious.
"Master Lu, please follow me."
So, Lu Yunyi followed Qin Kui into the main hall of the yamen, walked through the main hall and went to the backyard of the Ministry of Works.
After they left, many clerks and officials came over immediately.
He looked at the box of Pu'er tea and sniffed it hard.
"Yes, it is indeed very fragrant, and the taste is strong. It is obvious that this tea can be steeped for a long time."
Some people commented on it, while others secretly sneered:
"This Lord Lu is quite good. He brought such a valuable gift. I just don't know how much we can get in the end."
After hearing this, the officials shook their heads and looked regretful.
Since this item is so valuable, it will definitely be distributed to the officials in the government office first, as they won’t be able to get much.
At this time, Li Zhigang came over, frowning slightly:
"Have you finished all the work? Give me some advice here!
Since Minister Lu has said that everyone in the yamen will share a share, is it possible that your share will be left out?
Go, go, go to work."
Li Zhigang waved his hand impatiently.
The officials curled their lips and dispersed with a look of reluctance on their faces.
After they left, Li Zhigang walked to the big box.
He looked at the firmly packed tea bricks inside, reached out and took a piece, took a strong sniff, and his eyes suddenly lit up!
“Good tea!”
He bent down again and took another piece, preparing to keep one for himself and give one to someone else.
After doing this, he looked at the two clerks beside him and ordered:
“I didn’t see anything.”
"Yes"
The two clerks nodded helplessly. They were extremely helpless with this Lord Li.
He has always been shameless and always clinging to power.
After becoming a doctor, he became even more fawning and arrogant, but he was capable and had the protection of the Shangshu, so others could not do anything to him.
The backyard of the Ministry of Industry is not as neat and tidy as the front yard.
There were several small houses located in the four directions, and there were also some sundries in the yard, mostly spare parts and broken equipment.
Seeing this scene, Qin Kui was not ashamed, but said proudly:
"Sir Lu, our Ministry of Industry is a large workshop.
Everyone has their own job, doing the work in the workshop.
Don’t feel strange when you come here.”
"What are you talking about, Minister Qin?
On weekdays in the military camp, the places I spend most of my time in are the military tents and the ordnance workshop."
Qin Kui nodded repeatedly: "If you want to do your work well, you must first sharpen your tools.
If you want to do everything well in this world, you need the corresponding tools.
Even in a war, weapons are indispensable if you want to win.
Although the Ministry of Industry is not as prominent among the six ministries,
But this is a place that truly serves the country and the people. I hope that Lord Lu can concentrate on his work and serve the country and the people."
After he finished speaking, Qin Kui led Lu Yunyi to one of the rooms.
He opened the door, but did not go in. Instead, he stood in front of the door.
"The carts and bicycles made by Lord Lu have had a great impact on the people of the world, both good and bad.
Lord Lu doesn't need to pay attention to some of the rumors in the court."
Lu Yunyi knew what Qin Kui meant. He nodded and said with a smile:
"Minister Qin, tools are neither good nor bad; it depends on the person who uses them.
These two things are weapons of rebellion in the hands of bad people, but they are sharp tools for making a living in the hands of good people. There are still more good people in this world."
Qin Kui was stunned, a smile broke out on his face, and his wrinkles seemed to relax a little.
"That's very good! Lord Lu thinks so, and I feel relieved."
At this point, Qin Kui showed some sadness on his face and let out a long sigh:
"Sir Lu, the Ministry of Industry has contact with some of your items.
I think that Lord Lu's talent in fortification far exceeds that in military affairs.
At that time, I wondered why such a good talent would join the army.
But I didn't expect that in just one year,
Lord Lu came to the Ministry of Industry, which means that the times have changed and his merits have been fulfilled."
Lu Yunyi smiled, for some reason.
The Minister Qin in front of him did not look like a minister of high rank, but rather like the owner of a workshop.
It may also be that Qin Kui was promoted too quickly. He only took one year to complete a journey that others would take a lifetime to complete, which meant that the craftsman spirit in him had not yet faded.
Qin Kui took him into the house.
After entering, Lu Yunyi was shocked by the scene before him.
From the outside it looks like a house, but from the inside it looks like a fully equipped workshop.
It looked much more spacious than the outside. There were about twenty people busy working inside, each occupying a work surface. The stuffy atmosphere made the smell inside unpleasant.
He immediately saw more than a dozen bicycles of different sizes placed in the middle of the house.
At first glance, the materials are quite different.
Even the size of some structures have been changed, which is obviously an attempt by the Ministry of Industry to improve bicycles.
At this time, Lu Yunyi saw an old man in casual clothes with some stains on his clothes hurried over and looked Lu Yunyi up and down.
Qin Kui smiled and introduced Lu Yunyi:
"Sir Lu, this gentleman is the Left Assistant Minister Ji Yuchen. Sir Ji,
Now the bicycle case is under the charge of Mr. Ji."
After saying this, Lu Yunyi looked Ji Yuchen up and down.
From the information he received, Ji Yuchen served as the Minister of Works for three years.
Since the position of Shangshu was vacant, he had been in charge of the Ministry of Works and was originally a strong candidate for Shangshu.
But he was allied with Qin Kui, and he was always upset and made trouble in every way possible.
In his impression, this person should be a veteran official.
But now he looks like a craftsman.
Ji Yuchen looked at Lu Yunyi with a complicated look in his eyes. He sighed softly and bowed:
"Your subordinate Ji Yuchen greets Lord Lu."
The atmosphere in the room froze for a moment, but an embarrassing thing still happened.
The left and right assistant ministers were both of the third rank, and the left assistant minister was the most senior one in the government.
But because the Crown Prince's guest is of the third rank, the Left Vice Minister now has to pay his respects to the Right Vice Minister.
The awkward atmosphere in the venue was clearly audible.
Lu Yunyi's expression was calm, and he nodded slightly:
"Master Ji, there is no need to be so polite. I have been ordered to come to the Ministry of Works to supervise the manufacture of military equipment. You don't need to care about some trivial etiquette."
At this moment, Lu Yunyi no longer had the elegant and graceful look he had before.
A fierce aura unique to the battlefield surged out, and the clarity in the eyes also quietly changed, and a sense of indifference to human life emerged after experiencing great storms.
Qin Kui on the side held his breath and clenched his old fists quietly.
Although Mr. Lu in front of him has not expressed his opinion on the affairs of the Ministry of Works, his current attitude says it all.
With two against one, the chaos in the Ministry of Industry that had been going on for a long time could finally come to an end.
Ji Yuchen's hair stood on end.
In a trance, I felt like I was meat on the chopping board, ready to be slaughtered at any time.
His breathing quickened slightly, he cupped his hands and stood up straight.
Lu Yunyi said calmly:
"Master Ji, how is the Ministry of Works' progress on the bicycle project? Can samples be sent to the palace?"
Ji Yuchen pursed his lips and pointed to the center of the room:
"Lord Lu, the samples have been delivered to the palace during the morning court session, and His Majesty and the Crown Prince have tried them.
These are the samples made by the Ministry of Industry based on the materials at hand, and the silver coins they made are all less than one tael.”
Lu Yunyi nodded:
"This is as it should be. Costs need to be further reduced, and the costs of civilian and military use need to be separated.
Regarding the structure, what good solutions does the Ministry of Industry have?"
Ji Yuchen pursed his lips and said: "The Ministry of Industry has explored more than ten ways to change the structure.
But the effect is not ideal. The bicycle made by Mr. Lu is
In our opinion, it is a mature object that does not need improvement. "
Lu Yunyi frowned:
"No, there is still a lot of room for improvement."
(End of this chapter)