My brother Ying Zheng, who dares to kill me?.

Chapter 848 This is a shock to the social structure! The future pillars of the Qin Dynasty deserve to be tempered!

Ying Chengjiao said with a guilty conscience: "The flat-wheel water mill and the vertical-wheel water pestle are just the craftsmanship I developed to study the art of steelmaking."

"If I tell you every time I come up with a new skill, won't you be annoyed?"

"I think it would be better to wait until the steelmaking technique is completed, and then report them to you, elder brother."

The flat-wheel water mill and vertical-wheel water pestle made the Qin emperor and his ministers run and shout without caring about their image.

But for Ying Chengjiao, this is just the prerequisite technology for large-scale steelmaking.

If Ying Chengjiao went to Ying Zheng and made a fuss every time he unlocked a prerequisite technology, then Ying Chengjiao could say with certainty that he had no time to study the art of steelmaking!

Thinking of this, Ying Chengjiao's voice became more confident: "Besides, my elder brother has only seen the advantages of the flat-wheel water mill and the vertical-wheel water pestle, but has not seen their disadvantages."

"The power of both the flat-wheel water mill and the vertical-wheel water mill comes from the water flow, which means they must be in the river, preferably in the rapids."

"Once there is a flood, the vertical wheels may be washed away, and the horizontal wheels may even be destroyed!"

"I think that instead of wasting manpower to build these horizontal and vertical wheels that are not resistant to floods, it would be better to wait until I have mastered the art of steelmaking and directly forge the key parts with steel."

"This will save manpower!"

Ying Zheng pointed at Ying Chengjiao with a trembling finger, hating him for not fighting back, and said, "You! You!"

"In order to teach you about government affairs, my brother spared no effort to spend half a day every ten days to teach you in detail."

"But how can you still be so ignorant of government affairs?"

"What if the vertical and horizontal wheels are washed away by the flood?"

“How much manpower does it take to build a vertical wheel and a horizontal wheel?”

"How much manpower can this water mill, water pestle, and the water roller that my brother has already conceived save for our Great Qin?!"

Ying Zheng was questioning Ying Chengjiao.

Han Cang shouted in a trembling voice: "At least 100,000 per year!"

"Compared with water mills and water pestles, the flat-wheel water mill can save very little manpower."

"The water mill and water pestle can completely replace the men who pounded rice, and only weak women can be recruited to fill and sweep out the corn."

"While one pestle was pounding rice, the woman could also fill and sweep out the corn from the other pestle."

"As long as we add a few more water mills behind this vertical wheel and adjust the mix, one woman today can be as good as four women in the past!"

"And if we can build a water mill, one woman can do the work of five men!"

You should know that the human-powered treading pestle commonly seen in later generations is a tool that only appeared during the Western Han Dynasty!
In this era, women had to constantly lift a pestle that weighed more than three kilograms and was about one and a half meters long, and then smash it hard into the stone mortar. They had to repeat this process more than three hundred times, and it would take more than half an hour to pound a mortar of fine rice.

But the water mill liberated the women from repetitive physical labor that lasted for most of the hour.

Women who used to be able to only hold the pestle with both hands and pound it up and down can now sit in front of the water pestle and use the time they spend pounding rice to adjust the corn in the mortar, or to fill and sweep the corn.

Han Cangyan's statement that one woman can be considered four women is still conservative.

In Han Cang's opinion, if it can be properly deployed, the work that used to take seven or eight women a whole day to complete can now be completed easily by just one woman!

As for the water mill, its significance is even greater.

A millstone could husk more corn in the same amount of time, but it was heavy and required animals or men to push.

When water mills came into being, rice milling, a job that could only be done by strong men or oxen and horses, could now be done by women.

This would not only save a lot of manpower, but also allow the Qin Dynasty to mobilize more men to go to the battlefield!
Lu Buwei added solemnly: "More than that!"

"Pounding rice is laborious, but filling and sweeping rice is not."

"Nowadays, the women of the Qin army pound rice for two hours a day, which is already the limit."

"But this water mill doesn't require women to work hard. If we build a thatched shed above the water mill to block the scorching sun, a woman can work for four hours a day!"

"If it is the autumn harvest, our Great Qin can even let the three women take turns to work, just like the Lantian workshop, where the men can rest but the mills can continue working."

"This will not only save a lot of manpower for our Great Qin, but also save a lot of time for our Great Qin!"

Han Cang nodded repeatedly in agreement: "What the Prime Minister said is very true, it is me who was not thoughtful enough!"

"Now, our Great Qin conscripts 200,000 women every year just to pound rice, and there are also more than 100,000 prisoners who are also responsible for pounding rice."

"If we can develop water mills and water pestles, then our Great Qin would only need tens of thousands of prisoners every year to pound the corn needed by the court."

"The manpower saved can reach at least 250,000!"

"Your Majesty! Our Great Qin can save at least 250,000 corvée laborers every year!"

The number of 250,000 corvées has reached more than 10% of the number of corvées recruited annually by the Qin Dynasty today!
Although the 250,000 manpower mentioned by Han Cang only refers to these 250,000 people for one month, but including the labor and travel, the court needs to pay for their food for at least one and a half months or even two months.

If more than 10% of corvée labor was reduced every year, how much money and grain could the Qin Dynasty save with this alone?
Lü Buwei added eagerly: "This is just the number of corvée labor that the Qin court has saved."

"The millet consumed by the people in various places also needs to be pounded before it can be eaten."

"If our Great Qin can build these two things throughout the territory and allow the people of Great Qin to use them free of charge, our Great Qin can save millions of manpower!"

"This is just the water mill and water pestle used to grind and pound rice."

"Water mills and water pestles can also be used to pound ore, as Chang'an Jun is doing now, or even to pound hemp pulp and paper pulp. I wonder how much manpower it can save for my Great Qin!"

"The manpower saved can be used for raising children, hunting and felling trees, and resting and recuperating."

"Your Majesty, this water mill and water pestle are definitely not just as simple as saving more than 200,000 corvée laborers for our Great Qin!"

Water mills and water pestles can save a lot of manpower for the Qin Dynasty and produce more corn.

This was enough to make important officials such as Han Cang cry for joy.

But in Lu Buwei's view, these two objects are more than just tools used for grinding and pounding rice for the Qin Dynasty.

The liberation of productivity in units of one month's time per million people per year is far more than just an economic account.

It is a matter of people’s livelihood and people’s hearts!

Lu Buwei even had a hunch.

Once Daqin builds water mills and water pestles throughout the territory, Daqin’s social structure will be impacted!
Ying Zheng looked at Ying Chengjiao with hatred for his lack of argument and said, "Can the words of the Prime Minister and Han Shangqing make my brother realize his mistake?"

"The water mill and the water pestle are truly powerful tools for the prosperity of our country."

"Its significance to our Great Qin is no less than the art of curing excrement with golden juice!"

"How can my brother, you be indifferent to it because you are worried that it will be destroyed by the flood?"

"How many wooden wheels can be made with the millions of manpower saved every year?!"

Facing the eyes of the Qin monarchs and ministers, which were redder than rabbits' eyes, Ying Chengjiao bowed and said obediently, "I know I was wrong!"

"I will have someone submit all the drawings of the water mill, water pestle and water grinder to the court."

"Yes, I have a condition too!"

Seeing Ying Chengjiao's good attitude in admitting his mistakes, Ying Zheng felt better. He waved his hand and said, "My brother, please speak freely. I will allow you to do so!"

Ying Chengjiao immediately perked up and said seriously, "I will hand over the drawings without reservation."

"To the craftsmen who made the water mill, water pestle and water grinder, I can also give them half of their salary as a gift to the Shaofu."

"I will recommend the master craftsman Qi Ai to you, elder brother, and I will let you assign him to my place."

"After that! All matters related to water mills, water pestles and water grinding mills have nothing to do with me!" It was not difficult for Ying Chengjiao to study water mills and water pestles.

It's just a simple principle of mechanics, and any junior high school student can explain it clearly.

But it would be difficult to widely produce these two things in Qin!

Not only does it require the development of renovation plans based on the specific conditions of each water system, but it is also necessary to dig canals, build embankments, and divert water to make the river flow faster. During this period, it will also involve the mobilization of corvée labor, the transportation of materials, the resettlement of people along the canals, the calculations of various local forces, and other miscellaneous affairs.

Just thinking about it made Ying Chengjiao feel his scalp tingling!
Ying Zheng was surprised and asked, "How could my brother ask for such a thing?"

"These three items were all developed by my brother. You are the only one in the Qin Dynasty who understands these three items best."

"Your Highness, it is your responsibility to build these three things!"

Ying Chengjiao said with a sad face: "Brother, my shoulders are weak and I really can't bear it anymore. Can you please stop adding burdens to me?"

"If you submit all the skills I have developed to develop the art of steelmaking to the court, I will be responsible for its implementation."

"I can't finish my work even if I die of exhaustion at my desk, let alone find time to continue studying the art of steelmaking!"

In order to make steel, Ying Chengjiao not only completed the research on technologies such as water mills and water pestles, but also completed all the prerequisites for technologies such as glass making and porcelain firing!

However, Ying Chengjiao not only did not proactively submit these technologies, he also did not proactively carry out derivative research and development.

Because in Ying Chengjiao's view, the only way to achieve the greatest liberation of Daqin's productivity is to complete the steelmaking technology as soon as possible and allow Daqin to enter the steel age!
Using precious time to complete promotion and implementation work that other officials can also complete is a huge waste of Ying Chengjiao's time.

But unfortunately, Ying Chengjiao understood Ying Zheng.

Ying Chengjiao knew that Ying Zheng would never miss such an opportunity to add burden to him!
As expected, Ying Zheng said sincerely and gently: "Brother, I know that I have devoted all my energy and efforts to the Qin Dynasty."

"Yes, this mission is extremely important, and it is not difficult for your brother to handle it!"

"Don't worry too much, my brother."

"The doctor has advised my brother: things are in all directions, the key is in the center."

"My brother, you only need to stay in Neishi County to allocate manpower and material resources and command the officials of various departments to complete this task. You don't need to put in much effort."

"Brother Nai believes in the prince!"

The amount of government affairs that Ying Zheng handled every day when he was 22 years old was more than a hundred times what Ying Chengjiao needs to handle every day now.

But those government affairs were not stressful at all for Ying Zheng. Ying Zheng could even spare most of his time to fight openly and secretly with various forces in the court!
So in Ying Zheng's opinion, are the government affairs that Ying Chengjiao needs to deal with considered a big deal?

You can just do it casually while traveling by car!

If Ying Chengjiao really feels that this amount of government affairs is already a huge pressure, then these government affairs should be handed over to Ying Chengjiao so that Ying Chengjiao can get sufficient experience.

Otherwise, Ying Zheng wouldn’t even dare to die!

Ying Chengjiao looked at Ying Zheng pitifully and said, "Brother Wang~~~"

Ying Chengjiao tried to awaken Ying Zheng's sympathy.

Ying Zheng's voice became gentler as he said, "After the La Festival, will you accompany me on a hunting trip for ten days?"

Ying Chengyu: (o▽)o
Suddenly, Ying Chengjiao felt less embarrassed.

Given Liu Ji's ability, there shouldn't be any problem for him to handle these government affairs on my behalf, right?

If Liu Ji's ability is not enough, then bring Xiao He in as well!

If it doesn't work, add Zhang Liang in as well!
Although this task is still a bit difficult for them now, as the future backbone of the Qin Dynasty, they should have more experience~
Ying Chengjiao's eyes sparkled and he refuted with an unhappy look on his face: "Not enough!"

"At least half a month!"

Ying Zheng said in a short voice: "Good!"

"Just half a month!"

"Pass the widow's order!"

"Promote Lord Chang'an to the position of Junior Secretary, and order the Junior Secretary and the Junior Secretary to fully cooperate with Lord Chang'an. The Dushui Yamen will directly obey Lord Chang'an's orders!"

Ying Chengjiao: (⊙_⊙)?
Ying Zheng's straightforwardness made Ying Chengjiao deeply suspicious.

Is my asking price too low?
Ying Chengjiao hurriedly said: "Brother Wang..."

Ying Zheng interrupted Ying Chengjiao and asked with a half-smile, "My brother used water power to develop water mills, water pestles, and water grinders. It can be seen that my brother is particularly good at driving water."

"Besides these three items, do you have any other ideas for driving water for the benefit of our Great Qin?"

Ying Chengjiao couldn't say what he wanted to say just now.

Any other ideas for diverting water for the benefit of Qin?

Water-powered wheelbarrow, water-powered drum wheel, water-powered spinning wheel, hydroelectric generator...there are too many of them!
The blast furnace in Lantian County is using water to blast air.

But if Ying Chengjiao were to come up with all these methods of diverting water for the benefit of the Qin State and implement them throughout the Qin State, it would take him at least ten years.

Forget fishing, Ying Chengjiao doesn’t even have time to study the art of steelmaking!

Ying Chengjiao immediately changed the subject and said, "Brother, I don't know much about the Shaofu, and I have never governed a local government."

"I need some helpers to carry out my orders!"

The smile in Ying Zheng's eyes became more intense, and he nodded and said, "Order!"

"The appointment and dismissal of all officials in the Du Shui Yamen can be decided by Lord Chang'an alone!"

Ying Zheng saw clearly that Ying Chengjiao must have many water-controlling techniques hidden in his mind.

But Ying Zheng did not induce Ying Chengjiao to reveal those techniques.

Giving Ying Chengjiao the task of building water-penetrating mills and water-mills within the Qin territory allowed Ying Chengjiao to experience for the first time the feeling of being a Nei Shi but being able to remotely control the local areas for his own use. Ying Chengjiao also grew from this experience, which made Ying Zheng very satisfied.

Ying Zheng just wanted Ying Chengjiao to grow, not to force him to grow too fast, let alone to force Ying Chengjiao to do something he didn't like!

Since Ying Chengjiao is unwilling to speak now, Ying Zheng will not force him.

Ying Zheng believed that when Ying Chengjiao felt it was appropriate, he would take the initiative to reveal it.

Even when Ying Chengjiao feels it is inappropriate, Ying Chengjiao might still reveal his talent!

Ying Chengjiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he had succeeded. He quickly bowed and said, "Thank you, big brother!"

Then Ying Chengjiao grabbed Ying Zheng's arm and walked downstream, urging him repeatedly: "It's getting late, the workers must have gathered by now."

"Brother, please follow me and go downstream."

"I can't prove that I haven't deceived you, big brother, and I feel uneasy for the time being!"

The Lantian workshop houses many of the advanced craftsmanship that Ying Chengjiao developed to develop the art of steelmaking.

Ying Chengjiao really didn't dare let Ying Zheng wander around the Lantian workshop anymore.

Otherwise, Liu Ji would be exhausted to death!

"Aqiu!"

Liu Ji suddenly sneezed, glanced around, and then picked up another linen shirt from the fortune teller and put it on. He whispered, "Liu is strong and good at swimming, how come he caught a cold after diving to save someone?"

"It shouldn't be!"

(End of this chapter)