Chapter 522: Man can conquer nature
Chapter 522: Man can conquer nature
Unlike in the past, the new object that the Ministry of Industry is studying this time is
To the outside world, everything seemed calm and there wasn't even any ripples.
After the 1,000 soldiers of the front army scout unit camped in the workshop outside the city for two days, they gradually withdrew.
Only ten cannons were left for daily quality inspection.
The workshop was still filled with black smoke and a hot smell all day long as usual.
Nothing different from usual.
This caused many people who were secretly investigating to give up.
They all believed that some of the Ministry of Industry’s plans had failed.
However, in the imperial city of Yingtian, there was a completely different atmosphere.
The Ministry of Industry may seem calm on the surface, but the situation inside is extremely tense.
The government office where the Dushui Division was located became unusually quiet.
The officials coming and going walked in a hurry, their expressions full of tension.
As they walked, their eyes kept scanning the surroundings, as if they were always on guard against something.
Other departments of the Ministry of Works all noticed the abnormality of the Du Shui Si and were full of confusion, not knowing what had happened there.
Ji Yuchen, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, who was in charge of supervising the workshop, stood quietly at the entrance of the main hall of the Ministry of Works, staring at the small courtyard in front of him.
His face looked calm, but there was a hint of intrigue in his eyes from time to time.
Beside him, Zhou Mingli, a doctor of the Ministry of Works and Civil Affairs, stood silently.
The fat body is like a heat source, constantly emitting heat.
His expression was much more straightforward, his brows were tightly furrowed, and his eyes were full of surprise and doubt.
"Mr. Minister, what on earth is the Water Resources Department doing?
It's been very mysterious these past few days, even Lord Lu has disappeared."
Zhou Mingli finally couldn't help but ask.
Ji Yuchen frowned slightly, stretched out his hand and gently pulled his beard, and said slowly:
"I don't know either. Minister Qin's whereabouts have been erratic these past few days, and he's been in and out of the Ministry of Revenue quite often.
Could it be that our Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Revenue have other cooperation besides asking for money?"
Zhou Mingli was shocked and said:
"Sir, has the palace agreed to the flood control plan presented by the Water Conservancy Department a few days ago?"
Ji Yuchen's eyes flashed with anger, and he glanced at Zhou Mingli:
“Thirteen million taels of silver, even if the palace agrees, the Ministry of Revenue cannot come up with it even if it sells everything it has.
What's more, how can such an important matter be decided by the palace?
Last year's financial surplus was only a few million taels, and the court would have to save up for several years to get enough.
This money is related to the expenses of various government offices.
Your Majesty and the Crown Prince want to control the flood quietly, how is that possible? "
Perhaps because he had been feeling depressed for a long time, Ji Yuchen, who was usually taciturn, said a lot this time.
This made Zhou Mingli lower his head and dare not refute.
“Then sir, what on earth is Du Shuisi doing?
I sent people to investigate the workshop outside the city, and found that the workshop was no different from before.
The kiln inside has been firing all the time, and the staff has not changed.
Could it be that they are working in vain? "
"You ask me, who should I ask?"
When this matter was mentioned, Ji Yuchen became even more furious, with a gloomy look in his eyes.
As the left vice minister, he ranked second in the entire government office, and was also successfully responsible for the research and development of bicycles and tricycles.
But for some reason, he always felt isolated in the Ministry of Works.
Although daily affairs are still numerous,
But he could clearly feel that Qin Kui and Lu Yunyi must be planning something in secret and were deliberately hiding it from him.
But what is it?
He looked sideways at Zhou Mingli, and seeing his fat appearance, he felt even more annoyed, and couldn't help but say:
"Master Zhou, can't you eat less?"
Zhou Mingli was somewhat at a loss for what to do after being scolded so suddenly.
But since Shangguan had spoken, how could he dare to refute? He could only bow and say:
"Master Ji, I understand, but..."
There was some hesitation on his face, and he seemed to be hesitant to speak.
"If you have something to say, just say it!"
Ji Yuchen became even more annoyed by his procrastination.
Zhou Mingli's eyes flashed with joy, and he quickly moved closer and said in a low voice:
“Master Ji, I don’t know what the Du Shuisi is busy with right now, but they are extremely busy.
The Yuheng Qinglisi has been busy with the supervision of business construction recently, and Li Zhigang is even busier.
Not to mention the Tuntian Division, after developing new equipment,
I spend the whole day in the countryside and am very busy.
Now, of the four departments of the Ministry of Works, only the Department of Construction and Cleaning has nothing to do.
Many of the people in charge below have already complained.
Do you think we can find some work for the Construction Department?"
Zhou Mingli felt very unfair.
The Construction and Repair Department is mainly responsible for construction and management work.
It included summoning craftsmen, preparing building materials, and supervising the construction of palaces, mausoleums, and other buildings.
It was also responsible for maintaining royal supplies such as the procession, ceremonial objects, and musical instruments, and supervising the storage of building materials such as wood, pottery, and firewood.
And now, because of the struggle in the government office,
The Yuheng Qinglisi took away his job of building a business, and the Du Shuisi's recent work of raising materials for flood control was also put on hold.
Now the Ministry of Construction has nothing to do.
We can only maintain the instruments used in the grand ceremony a few days ago.
Then, he stayed in the workshop to study bicycles, but the production was not the responsibility of the Construction and Maintenance Department.
This gave Zhou Mingli a strong sense of crisis.
In today's court, conventions that persist for long enough may become established facts.
If the Construction Department does not take any action,
It will become like the Shrine in the palace, and become a "noble" government office that can only do cleaning.
The difference is that the Jingongjian cleans the imperial city, while the Yingshansi cleans the utensils in the imperial city.
There was a moment of silence between the two.
After a long time, Ji Yuchen took a deep breath and glanced at Zhou Mingli:
"I know what you are thinking, but bicycles and tricycles are now classified as military equipment.
It is impossible to promote sales.
Even if it is released to the public, it is still government-run, and it is impossible to monopolize it.”
Zhou Mingli's thoughts were revealed, but he didn't show any restraint at all, he just lowered his voice a little.
“Sir, in the early years, the salt and iron industries were all government-run, but they could not be stopped even though there were orders and prohibitions.
Although iron is still state-owned, salt has been changed to a monopoly, and there is also the Kaizhong-French.
In my opinion, bicycles and tricycles will eventually become a monopoly.
Some big business houses are well-informed and have already found me, hoping to meet with the Minister.
Let's see if we can, with the support of all parties,
First, distribute tricycles and bicycles to the public and see how the government and the opposition react.
They assured their subordinates that once the products started selling, there would be ways to make money.”
Ji Yuchen listened silently with no expression on his face.
It was not until Zhou Mingli finished speaking that he slightly raised the corners of his mouth and glanced at him:
"Master Zhou, you really have great powers."
"You are too kind, sir. You are being severely marginalized by Lord Lu, and Minister Qin has the support of His Majesty behind him.
It's almost the end of the year. When the Ministry of Industry's budget for next year comes out,
It is still unknown how much can be approved by the ministers and the Construction Bureau.
I have been in the Ministry of Works for many years and I know one thing very well: without money, nothing can be accomplished.
Mr. Minister, you have to make plans early. If tricycles and bicycles can be sold to the public,
At least this part of the money must be shared by us.
It can also ease the difficult situation next year.”
"Haha." Ji Yuchen sneered.
"Master Zhou, you are here to act as a lobbyist today, right? Tell us who they are."
Zhou Mingli's eyes lit up and he quickly took a step forward.
He said the names of several businesses in a voice that only the two of them could hear, and Ji Yuchen's eyes changed repeatedly after hearing them.
"The Xinma Trading Company controls most of the carriage and horse business in the city. Are they also involved?"
Zhou Mingli was delighted and said quickly:
"Manager Li of the Xinma Trading Company joined forces with some people a few days ago and forcibly suspended the purchase of many carts and horse-drawn carriages.
You know, at this time every year, they have to place orders with the workshop.
This year is so abnormal, he must have known some news.
So I sent someone to visit them, and the two sides hit it off immediately.
The Singapore and Malaysia Trading Company did know about the tricycle.
Manager Li also said that if they bought a large number of new carriages and carts at this time, it would be a waste of money.
So he gathered a group of people and decided to use the old carriages and horses first, repairing those that could be repaired and throwing away those that could not be used.
On the one hand, it saves money, and on the other hand, it puts pressure on our Ministry of Industry.
Sir, there are already some complaints from the three carriage-building workshops in the city.
The orders for next year have not come yet, and the managers are getting anxious like ants on a hot pot, and they are running around everywhere.
Some of them have even found me here.
As for the other officials in the Ministry of Industry, they should have received the news."
Ji Yuchen looked at Zhou Mingli deeply and suddenly laughed:
"No wonder you came to me today to talk about this. It turns out you have someone to rely on."
Zhou Mingli cupped his hands and said:
"Mr. Minister, the bicycles and tricycles have to be sold eventually. The sooner they are sold, the sooner they can make money."
Ji Yuchen sneered at this.
As a superior, he knew that he had to respond to the demands of his subordinates. If he ignored them, no one would be willing to work for him in the future.
So even though he was dissatisfied, he remained calm and smiled amiably. "Do you know who the owner of Xinma Trading Company is?"
Zhou Mingli's eyes flashed with doubt, and his voice was a little hesitant:
"I have asked around, and strangely enough, the apparent owners of Xinma Trading Company are all wealthy people from Huaixi.
This method is very similar to the way some nobles in the court deal with their property.
So although I haven't found out who his real boss is, I guess he must be a big shot in the court.
Such a big shot wants to promote bicycles and tricycles into the public.
My Lord, our Ministry of Industry should also follow the trend."
"It's the Caoguo Mansion."
"what?"
Zhou Mingli, who was talking excitedly, suddenly froze in place, and the smile on his face froze instantly.
"The owner of Xinma Trading Company is Cao Guogong Mansion.
Do I need to tell you about the relationship between Duke Cao and Lu Yunyi?"
Ji Yuchen looked at him with a smile.
Zhou Mingli stood there in a daze. For a moment, he felt that the world was playing a huge joke on him.
"Master Ji, are you serious about this?"
“In the past there was the Chang Mansion, but now only the Cao Mansion remains.
So, if you jump up and down like this, the final result will most likely be to help others.
Moreover, I don't know whether Lord Cao knows about the Xinma Trading Company.
But relying on Lu Yunyi's relationship with Duke Cao, he has the ability to make the Xinma Trading Company stop all its current actions.
By then, without the Singapore and Malaysia Trading Company to lead the charge,
How do bicycles and tricycles get around? Do they rely on the drivers in the city?"
Not only Ji Yuchen understood this matter, but Zhou Mingli also knew it clearly.
If a major event lacks someone to take the lead and shoulder the responsibility,
It is unlikely to be accomplished with just a few scattered soldiers.
Zhou Mingli looked towards the Dushuisi Yamen.
The flood control plan costing tens of millions of taels of silver was ridiculed by countless people.
But the Du Shuisi Yamen is still as busy as ever, because there are people who take the lead in this.
As long as people's hearts are focused, things can be accomplished.
Just as Zhou Mingli was lost in thought, a figure hurriedly walked into the Ministry of Works and went straight towards the Ministry of Water Resources.
The sound of heavy armor colliding was particularly harsh in the Ministry of Works, but no one dared to take it lightly.
Ji Yuchen cupped his hands with a strange look on his face and said:
"Meet Mr. Lu."
Zhou Mingli also reacted and bowed quickly:
"Greetings to Lu Bu Tang!"
Lu Yunyi, who was wearing armor and had a very different temperament, waved his hand casually as a greeting.
Then he walked straight into the Du Shui Si without even looking at the two of them.
Ji Yuchen stood up straight, his eye sockets were deep and his face was strange:
"Master Zhou, let's think of another way."
Zhou Mingli pursed his lips and said nothing.
The previous confidence disappeared without a trace at this moment.
Inside the Du Shui Si Yamen, Wang Chen suddenly raised his head from the desk, his bloodshot eyes sparkling with excitement.
His actions did not attract much attention.
Because many officials present were scratching their heads and calculating.
Sum up all the possible expenses one by one.
"Everyone, don't count it!"
Wang Chen's voice echoed all around. Everyone paused with their pens and turned their eyes to him.
Wang Chen took a deep breath, his face showing excitement, and said in a resounding voice:
"The silver and money calculated yesterday were correct!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the originally dull atmosphere suddenly stagnated and became almost silent for a moment.
Then, the numbness on everyone's faces turned into excitement.
"Bang, bang, bang", more and more people stood up.
It even knocked over the seat behind him, but no one cared.
Wang Chen looked at their excited expressions, carefully recalled the expression on Lu Butang's face when he spoke, and suddenly clenched his fist, put it in front of his chest, and said in a sonorous and powerful voice:
"My dear colleagues, it is now possible to control the flooding of the Yellow River!"
Wang Chen suddenly felt that the words he said seemed to be missing something.
He sank his energy into his dantian, took a deep breath, and said more forcefully:
"My dear colleagues! From today on, our Du Shuisi will go down in history.
The dams and reservoirs we build will last for a hundred years.
It will benefit the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait for generations to come! "
As he spoke, Wang Chen tried to make his voice louder and clenched his hands.
Slowly, a feeling of relief came over me.
But the strange thing is that although many officials in the room looked excited,
But he always felt that something was missing, but he didn't know where the problem was.
"So lively? What are you doing?"
At this time, the greeting from the door attracted everyone's attention.
A tall, mighty and heroic figure appeared in the yamen.
As soon as he appeared, the gloomy atmosphere in the yamen seemed to be swept away.
Wang Chen felt it was very strange and felt that the air in the yamen seemed to have become much fresher.
However, he did not bother to think about the reason, but picked up a piece of document in his hand and rushed over.
"Minister, look!
This is the amount of silver I calculated after two days of calculations!"
Lu Yunyi was a little surprised. He looked over and raised his eyebrows slightly, revealing surprise:
"So much less?"
"Reporting to the Lord, we have completed two measurements and they are accurate!"
Lu Yunyi smiled and nodded to the many clerks and officials present:
"Well done, you are all the pillars of our Ming Dynasty."
He raised the document above his head with some excitement, clenched his fists, and spoke in a deep and powerful voice:
"Everyone, do you know how long the people on both sides of the Yellow River have been waiting for this piece of paper?"
After hearing this, Wang Chen was stunned.
The officials present had their lips tightly shut, their bodies tense, and their faces filled with confusion.
"A thousand years, at least a thousand years!" Lu Yunyi looked excited.
“For thousands of years, floods in the Yellow River have been a constant presence.
Every time a dam breaks, the earth weeps and the people wails.
The flood destroyed countless homes and claimed countless lives.
Throughout the dynasties, countless people with lofty ideals have devoted themselves to the cause of river management, but all have failed.
Floods have always been a sharp sword hanging over the Central Plains, threatening the safety of the people at all times.
but,
Today! Now! Right now!
The heavy responsibility of history falls on the shoulders of our Du Shui Company and on each and every one of us!
This is the mission entrusted to us by destiny and the opportunity given to us by the times!
We are no longer spectators or witnesses, but participants.
We will become heroes who rewrite history!
The Yellow River flood will end in our hands!"
Yes, yes, yes! That’s the feeling!
Wang Chen became excited as he listened to Lu Yunyi's impassioned speech.
This was especially true for the many officials present, all of whom had their eyes wide open, their faces filled with determination and resoluteness.
“This document still requires a huge amount of money, but I will do my best to negotiate and make sure your efforts come true.
I believe that the imperial court and the palace will be involved.
Just because this is a great feat that has created a new world.
We want to make the Yellow River water gentle and peaceful through the watering of wisdom and sweat.
Let the surging muddy water turn into a fountain of life that nourishes the earth, irrigates the fertile soil on both sides, and breeds vigorous vitality!
We, every one of us at the Water Resources Department, will do this with fearless courage, firm conviction and unyielding will.
The final battle against the Yellow River floods begins! Victory will surely belong to us. "
Lu Yunyi raised his arms high, moved his body, and scanned everyone present:
"Because, man can conquer nature!"
(End of this chapter)