Since the Accounting: A Chronicle of the Roman Khanate

Chapter 578 The Heavenly Father created all things to support the barbarians, but the barbarians had nothing to repay the Heavenly Father.

After taking everyone to see various weapons, Guo Kang got a promise from Tuohuan, saying that he would try his best to help make more firearms. However, the production cycle of these weapons, especially artillery, is quite long, and it may not be possible to catch up. When the time comes, all we can do is do our best.

Of course, Guo Kang didn't care much about this. This set of technology was designed by himself, and he knew it very well. The effect of today's "automatic technology" is actually this.

"The frame for drilling the cannon is itself a heavy and huge object. We worked on it for several months before debugging it. Other workshops would also spend a lot of effort just to imitate it. So I am actually not in a hurry. "This was not in the expedition plan," he explained.

"And, let me tell you the truth, although the accuracy is relatively high in theory, the accuracy of this instrument still depends on the master's manual adjustment. The drill bit you just looked at has a relatively high hardness to ensure efficiency. If you want to do it well, The difficulty is actually quite high. It can only be made by skilled craftsmen. The sizes of the finished products are always different. In actual use, they still have to be replaced and adjusted, and the machine will have to be shut down after a while. The advantage is that it saves effort.”

“During the previous test, we also asked many people, and also found skilled craftsmen to personally operate and experience it, and collect their opinions.” He said: “Compared with this set of equipment, the most popular one among the cannon-casting craftsmen. It’s the shelf itself. Some people even want to buy one alone without any other accessories..."

"Why? Didn't you say before that the core of industry lies in the power source? If you don't want the power, wouldn't it be like buying a coffin for a pearl?" Tuohuan asked curiously.

"The current power is still a big problem. Either it cannot be maintained, or it is difficult for us to obtain it ourselves." Guo Kang said.

"Moreover, the machine itself has been improved a lot. It has an automatic shutdown mechanism, which can manually control the transmission gear to leave the power source. After other work is completed, it can be put back directly. The shaft ratio has also been adjusted before. A lot of improvements have been made, and a lot of accessories have been added. Compared with other contemporary drilling and boring machines, it has been basically redesigned so that it rotates more stably. It also has a specially equipped adjuster with a scale to change the position of the blade. , and it’s a lot easier.”

"These designs actually do not directly improve the accuracy of the machine itself. They are more trouble-free to operate and make it easier to increase the accuracy by manual adjustment. Therefore, it is normal for them to want it."

"Those large hydraulic workshops are supported by various supporting infrastructure. Some of them are themselves part of the water conservancy system and require careful site selection. The existing hydraulic facilities are also very important in our workshop system. , has long been divided up by various projects, and it is impossible to directly ask others to give it up. "

"The Italian armor industry is very developed. They produce daily necessities that can be used throughout Europe. There is no need to worry about buying and selling, and the profits are very high. Therefore, it is fully developed, and craftsmen and workshop owners are also motivated to improve production efficiency. But even so, their division of labor and planning are generally only at the level of masters and apprentices. If it is further refined, it will be too much, and neither the tools nor the organizational methods can keep up with such requirements. "

"A loom is considered simple. Machines related to smelting and metal manufacturing are on another level," said Guo Kang. "Not only are the machines themselves bulky and expensive, but the power source also needs to be carefully selected. If we really want to carry out organized mass production, we can't just use a few donkeys like we do now, and it's even more impossible for people to pedal like weaving."

"...Then, you can push it." Guo Kang didn't know how to answer, so he could only tell a cold joke.

"Then the motivation is just for now?" Theodora still seemed a little unwilling.

"It's not just a matter of craftsmen working. Personnel organization is actually a very complicated task." Guo Kang shook his head and said: "If you really want to increase output, you not only need to rely on multiple machines to work in parallel, but you also have to establish the management of staff at the same time. The system breaks down the processes as much as possible so that craftsmen with different proficiency levels can do different things in different positions.”

"And the large steam power source..." He thought for a while and said: "This thing, like our new cannon, is still in its infancy. In fact, our best piston cylinder now is based on the cannon. The same technology has been gradually developed, and both parties have to grab the machines to use it... I think it is unrealistic to promote it in the short term. "

"This kind of disassembly is very particular. Many workshops have had this idea for a long time. For example, the Italian armor master I hired before would hand over large pieces such as breastplates and arm guards to apprentices, and do it themselves. Specially dealing with movable joints such as shoulders and knees, because the movable parts are the most difficult to make and require the most experience and skills.”

"From my own point of view, this is indeed a pity. Because the actual effect of this machine is not to exponentially increase the drilling speed, but to reduce the time of human participation. Therefore, if there is only one machine working alone, then The improvement in efficiency is still relatively limited, and there is no qualitative difference. It just makes the master more relaxed. "

"As the saying goes, Rome was not built in a day. Even if the court puts all its efforts, this cannot be accomplished in a short time. For today's small workshops, it is a bit too difficult to do this. We ourselves have not fully figured it out. Now I have no idea where to put this thing.”

"I can understand this. Adding more machines must be a huge investment." Theodora nodded: "You asked me to look at the loom before, and I found that when choosing a place to build a workshop, you need to consider There are a lot of things. It’s really troublesome to figure out the details.”

"That is to say, more machines must be used now to keep the craftsmen busy, right? Otherwise, the efficiency will not be reached." Tuo Huan thought for a while and asked.

"What we want to do now is a very long-term matter. I estimate that we need to think through the arrangements for the division of labor and the upgrade of supporting tools before we can unleash our true potential and show greater advantages. Just like The same issue applies to precision. Only one machine can do this. The entire industry must be standardized and certain standards must be maintained from beginning to end in order to be more meaningful. Our 'industry' also requires numerous machines and strict organization. Method. Before these are completed, it will definitely be a lame half-baked job.”

"I don't have that much time, but if you are anxious to bring two guns by yourself, I can help you try..." Theodora seemed to be really thinking about it.

"Okay, okay." Guo Kang quickly stopped her: "It's just that the transition period is more difficult, and we haven't reached this point yet."

"We are actually lacking all kinds of things now, so we don't have to worry about power issues in this aspect." He said: "You see, processing is already a relatively simple direction. What is really slow is In terms of materials, whether it is equipment or the artillery itself, we lack metal with sufficient performance. Many designs are stuck at this stage, and we can only give up or sacrifice other places in exchange for this compromise. It’s even more difficult. I don’t have much else to do except spend time grinding it out. “There are so many problems waiting here. Even if we have plenty of motivation, it’s useless to just increase our efforts.” It can be solved. As for the places that simply need iron tools and power, the only place there is is the Ross area, but with a little development, there are a lot of rivers that can be used. In the short term, there is no shortage of power there. "

"Moreover, as far as firearms are concerned, there is no need for us to increase suddenly for the time being, otherwise the supply of gunpowder will not be able to keep up. Except for the Ming Dynasty, there is no place in the world where gunpowder is always sufficient. Our current gunpowder production is sufficient for war consumption. , It’s already very difficult. Now, it’s better to improve the quality of firearms and try to increase the power and reduce the weight while maintaining the same consumption. It would be too difficult to fully supply gunpowder.”

"You tell me how to do it first, and then we'll see if it's difficult or not." Tuo Huan said, "We can't just give up. Otherwise, we may never catch up with others."

"This is really not possible. The larger saltpeter mines are overseas. In our current situation, even if the expedition ship arrives there, it is unlikely to mine them and bring them back to establish a stable route. As for other methods... Theoretically, saltpeter can be mined from It can be synthesized in the air, but this is too far away. I don’t know how long it will take to see hope. Anyway, we can’t even think about it.”

"Is it possible to study it in the Ming Dynasty?" Theodora's first thought was this question.

"It won't work in the Ming Dynasty either." Guo Kang was very surprised.

"Oh, that's okay, I'm scared." Theodora shook her head.

"For so many years since our Khanate was established, we have been working hard to build the country, develop technology, and educate farmers. As a result, there are still a lot of problems that have not been solved. High-quality textiles, porcelain, and even ironware have to be imported from the East. " She said helplessly: "Zhuge Liang lamented that there were so many talents in the Central Plains. Over the years, I can understand. "

"It's okay, it's okay. If we think more about it, we can still catch up." Guo Kang could only comfort him: "Look, the sugar problem has been solved now."

Although it sounds exaggerated, like some kind of classic arrogant statement, the Ming Dynasty at this moment is indeed a vast land with abundant resources and everything. In fact, it has no need for foreign goods and has no interest in actively doing business with others. Since ancient times, barbarians from all over the world have been begging the Celestial Empire to buy things, but it is the imperial court that imposes various restrictions every day. Whoever is not willing to buy it does not matter to the court. Anyway, there are people who will buy it whether you want it or not...

What the Ming Dynasty lacked was usually some precious metal deposits. Of course, you generally don’t need to buy this kind of thing. If there are precious metal veins discovered in the surrounding area, Ming troops will appear on them soon. Then this place will become the Celestial Empire, and then the Celestial Empire will become even more vast and abundant, with everything...

In fact, it was okay at the moment. According to the history he knew, by the late Ming Dynasty, there was no need to even go out to look for minerals. As the Europeans discovered the New World, the Spanish and Portuguese began to bring silver in ships. Shipped directly. According to later statistics, in official terms, the silver flowing into the Ming Dynasty accounted for one-third of the world's total silver; and if other forms of transportation are also included, it is estimated to be half of the world's total.

Because the Spaniards found that none of the goods they could provide were not already available in China, they could only conduct trade by paying money to purchase them directly. As a result, a large amount of precious metal currencies poured into China.

In the Americas, Europeans faced extremely high mortality and accident rates, and with their hands full of the blood of indigenous people and their own people, mined more than 70% of the world's silver, and nearly half of it was shipped directly to Manila via the Pacific route. ; Of the silver sent to Europe, another 40% eventually flowed into the Central Plains through the Eastern Route. In this way, a large amount of silk, porcelain and other commodities can be exchanged. Of course, there is also the most important bulk item - the iron pot.

Moreover, what is more disappointing is that this trend has not changed even after the industrial age. As long as there is no abnormality in the order of the Central Plains and the industry is developing normally, there is no surprise when it reaches this point - in the post-industrial world, it is still the Central Plains that sells various steel products to the world, and it is equally difficult for other countries to do so. Take out equivalent goods for trade.

Including silver, although it is no longer used as currency, its flow direction has not changed. According to World Bank data, 2022 tons of silver will flow into China in 14, accounting for 89% of the world's total; while the second-placed South Korea will have tons. Most of this silver comes from Latin American countries such as Peru and Chile. Sometimes when I look at these things, I don’t know what happened after five hundred years of great navigation...

Of course, taking off sex doesn’t seem so pessimistic. He seems to have his own understanding of this and does not think that this kind of thing will not turn around.

"Every other place has its own characteristics. In terms of products, there are many places that are richer than the Central Plains. We can't blame the world entirely. We can say that these are the reasons for poor natural endowments. Could it be that they all belong to the Heavenly Father? Wrong?" He questioned: "I think the reason why we can't compete with Zhongyuan is because Manzi is too good."

"That's right..." Guo Kang scratched his head.

"After I heard what you said that time, I was thinking that our social customs, cultural habits, and so on, are all reflections of people's organizational methods. The so-called Central Plains civilization is the way Central Plains people organize and live. And these methods , making them more efficient, therefore, this civilization is significantly stronger than all barbarians," Tuo Huan analyzed.

"If we want to develop our country and make Rome stronger, we have to approach the most efficient way. To put it simply, it is Centralization. Only in this way can resources be fully utilized and the gifts of Heavenly Father can have the greatest effect. Although the barbarians They have many resources but cannot produce valuable results to repay the Heavenly Father. It can be seen that their existence is a blasphemy against the Heavenly Father. As devout believers, we must eliminate these pests after we have civilized all the barbarians. There is no need to be afraid of tomorrow."

"This is also a way..." Guo Kang felt that it made sense. Eliminating barbarians is in line with all major goals for human development and progress. It can be seen that this is a very just method. So, he nodded and agreed.

(End of this chapter)