Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 155 The Ministry of Industry’s review of politics is coming

Bask in the sun, or the summer sun! Jia Lian has been having a hard time these days!
Is it easy for me, a well-dressed young man, to work hard during the summer for several days in a row just to earn a little bit of money?
Lowered one color number!

Jia Lian decided to stay in the office for half a month and never take another breath.

In the worried eyes of the doctor, Jia Lian returned to the office.

The master doctor turned around and summoned the two foreign ministers to discuss the matter.

"Uncle Guo is tanned, and everyone saw it. I wonder if he went to the workshop below for a private visit in disguise."

"It's very possible that these gentlemen care about their bodies the most. They wouldn't go out in the scorching sun unless necessary."

"Hurry up and send someone to the workshop to ask if there are any strangers around."

While several Shangguan officials were discussing countermeasures, Jia Lian leisurely enjoyed Zhang Shuli's tea-making service.

I thought that Jia Lian was a difficult boss, but I never thought that this gentleman was very trouble-free. He drank tea and read newspapers in the office. He brought his own tea and was very willing to share it, and there were many varieties. There are Hangzhou Biluochun, Luan Guaipian, Huangshan Maojian, and Keemun black tea. There are many choices, if you want to enjoy some tea, make your own.

Secretary Zhang started talking while chatting.

There is no problem with the Shenji Camp. If there is a problem, it will be the fault of the Shenji Camp. What does it have to do with our Ministry of Industry?
The receptionist carefully introduced the two fire guns in front of him, one was a first-year gun and the other was a five-year gun.

Of course, we must be careful about what we should be careful about. How else could we call the Ling Shen Ji Battalion?
The shooting range is not too big. There is a simple long table in the thatched shed with two muskets placed on it. There is a straw target fifty steps away.

The next day Jia Lian came to Yu Heng Division. When Zhang Shuli saw it, he immediately said that he was ready. Let's go over and take a look?

Jia Lian took care of himself and followed Secretary Zhang out, riding to the west of the city. After exiting Xizhimen, he dismounted at the gate of a military camp in the outer city. The soldiers on duty looked at the two men lazily, and the leading officer smiled and talked to Shuli Zhang. After the two flirted, Shuli Zhang came over and invited Jia Lian to enter the military camp.

After Zhang Shuli placed the tea in front of Jia Lian, he replied unhurriedly: "The first type of blunderbuss is a matchlock blunderbuss that was finalized in the first year of Taizu. There is also a second type of blunderbuss that is a hand blunderbuss and also used for burning fires." Rope. In the fifth year of Taizu’s reign, there was a flint-haired five-year-old type gun. Due to cost and inconvenience of use, it was produced in small quantities. Only the Shenji Battalion under the Beijing Camp had the equipment."

Jia Lian really didn't expect that due to cost reasons, the flintlock gun was actually suppressed by the matchlock. Isn’t this bad money driving out good money?

Secretary Zhang immediately said: "As long as you don't go to the warehouse, you can do whatever you want."

When I think about it, if the imperial army loses the battle because of incompetent weapons, wouldn't this affect my life of stability and prosperity?
"Let's go, take me to see the five-year-old flintlock gun." After Jia Lian finished speaking, he stopped drinking tea and stood up directly.

The officer continued to explain in a low voice: "This gun is afraid of strong winds, rain and snow. Under normal circumstances, the success rate of firing is only 60%."

Thinking of Jia Lian, he sat down and said with a smile, "Don't be in a hurry!"

As a result of yesterday's discussion, no matter what this man wants to do, let him serve him comfortably and don't pester Yu Hengsi about that. Don't stretch your hand to slap the smiling face. You come to the Ministry of Industry to observe the government. I have worked hard and tried my best to serve you. You can't fall out again, can you?

Jia Lian listened carefully to his introduction, then picked up the flint and examined it carefully.

Everyone in Secretary Zhang was numb. Why did this gentleman think of this incident?

"That's exactly what it means!"

Jia Lian responded casually, flipping through the official documents in his hand, and became more energetic when he saw [First Year Type 1 Gun].

In fact, the Ministry of Industry also has a shooting range for test firing. Isn't this inappropriate for Jia Lian to go to? What if he sees something is wrong?

Secretary Zhang breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly went out to report. Chief Zhang was also numb. Why did this man do something wrong again?
"Maybe you're just curious? After all, he was born in Wu Xun?" Chief Zhang comforted himself.

"Master Jia, don't worry. This thing may not be available in the warehouse. Why don't you ask someone to go to the Shenji Camp to ask? You are ready to go and have a look." Zhang Shuli quickly persuaded, and Jia Lian agreed upon hearing this. , I’m not here to cause trouble.

"Brother Zhang, what's going on with this first-year type 1 gun?" From the weapons and equipment, we can see the combat effectiveness of the army. Combined with Wang Ziteng's results in the Western Regions, Jia Lian felt that it was necessary to find out the level of military preparedness in this era.

"The water is spring water brought from Yuquan Mountain. It's good anywhere in the capital, but ordinary water is too hard and not suitable for making tea."

Jia Lian took a look at the gunpowder pool and discovered the problem. Why didn't he add a lid?

Well, I have basically figured out what level it is. The flintlock gun is still an elementary version. Perhaps Taizu left too early and subsequent R&D investment did not keep up, resulting in many problems that remained unresolved. Judging from this meaning, Taizu had no direct understanding of weapons and equipment.

This is because Jia Lian saw the gourd containing gunpowder, which meant that it was not a fixed charge. He poured out a little gunpowder and took a look. Jia Lian felt much more relaxed. The gunpowder was of good quality, granular and maroon in color.

In other words, when it comes to black fire and medicine, the Great Zhou Dynasty is almost the top player.

Look at the gun again, cock the hammer, and feel the force. From the officer's introduction, it can be seen that under normal circumstances, only 60% of the shots are fired. No wonder it is not popular. It is completely understandable. It's windy in the north, and it's windy or rainy or snowy, and this gun is basically useless. Especially looking at the matching package, there is no spear stabbing, which shows that you need to carry a knife during combat.

Judging from the appearance, this gun is no different from modern rifles. It is not a traditional hook stock.

Jia Lian stopped looking at the matchlock gun and asked the receptionist to shoot a few shots with a flintlock gun.

This officer looked like he was an expert at first sight. He was skilled in loading, compacting, raising the gun, and firing.

The first shot was fired smoothly, with a bang, white smoke came out, and the pungent smell penetrated the nostrils. Jia Lian didn't care about this and looked calmly without saying anything. The officer had no choice but to continue.

The second shot was not so smooth. After loading, I raised the gun and pulled the trigger. It failed to fire, but the second shot was successful.

You don't need to look at it to know that it is a problem with the steel, which has insufficient elasticity, resulting in a low firing success rate.

"This fire gun still has a lot of room for improvement. Why hasn't the Ministry of Industry launched an improved model for so long?" Jia Lian didn't ask casually, but deliberately asked. Of course, the receptionist didn't know the reason, so he smiled and said nothing. Secretary Zhang stepped forward and explained: "According to records, trial production began in the first year of Taizu, and it took five years of research and development before it was ready for use, so there was no further investment."

Secretary Zhang did his homework well and explained the reason directly.

"Weapons are directly related to the lives of soldiers and success or failure on the battlefield. How can we stop research and development because of fear of difficulties?"

When Jia Lian questioned him rudely, Shuli Zhang's expression was very twisted.

The receptionist ran away a long time ago, probably because he didn't want to be implicated, and he was not stupid, so he didn't listen to what he shouldn't have heard.

When there was no one around, Secretary Zhang whispered: "The reason why we stopped the advanced research and development of Type 1 gun for five years was because the former chief assistant Fang Baiyi said that this gun could not meet the requirements. The cost was huge, and the people and money were wasted. In addition, the four border areas were relatively stable at that time, so there was no need to invest too much in armaments and affect people's livelihood. Therefore, the Supreme Emperor issued an order to stop investment in research and development."

After hearing this, Jia Lian couldn't help complaining: "Corrupt Confucianism is harming the country! It's only been a few days of peace, and I forgot about it in times of peace. Fang Baiyi deserves to die!" Jia Lian dared to say this, but Secretary Zhang didn't dare to listen, for fear that he would say [ The Emperor is confused].

Fortunately, Jia Lian did not continue talking. Instead, he took out a small notebook and took out a charcoal pen to record today's investigation results.

Flintlock musket, no rifling, no lid on the powder tank, no spur, non-fixed charge.

If you just look around, you can find so many areas for improvement. Jia Lian thought about it and wanted to write an improvement report when he went back.

Secretary Zhang saw clearly from the side and couldn't help but advise: "My young master, the cost of one flintlock gun is worth two matchlock guns. You don't care about the cost, the court does."

Jia Lian said calmly: "Of course I know the court cares about it, and the cost can be reduced."

Secretary Zhang continued to persuade with sincerity: "My young master, you have never seen how fire guns are made in a workshop. Just for this gun barrel, it takes a master craftsman three days to make a suitable barrel."

Back at Yu Heng Division, Jia Lian in the office was writing furiously and starting to go through the process.

"Investigation Report on the Perfection and Improvement of Flint Guns", writing official documents and so on, Jia Lian was so familiar with it that he didn't need to think too much about it.

Swipe, swipe, swipe, and the 5,000-word official document was written in one swipe. The official document starts with the current situation of flintlock guns, discussing the shortcomings first and then the advantages. The flintlock gun at this stage does not have many advantages, but as long as it is more convenient to load and fire, it is enough, and the shortcomings can be corrected.

The second part of the report is the direction of improvement. There are five points in total, which were all written down in the notebook before.

The third part is about some ideas about the manufacturing process, and what are the directions in which the current process can be improved. If steel is not good, then organize people to carry out research and development and improvement. Don't give up just because you are afraid of spending money or difficulties.

The fourth part is summary and outlook. Although it was a formal article, Jia Lian still wrote something.

Although the rate of fire of a musket is not high, it is easy to train. An archer can master it in less than three to five years, but a musketeer can master it in a month. Muskets are the future. What is the current international situation? Externally, the war in the Western Region is still ongoing, and chaos continues in the southwest. Internally, the Yunyang Civil War has not yet been resolved. Even in times of peace, one must be prepared for danger in times of peace. Being wary will lead to death, and forgetting to fight will lead to danger. In history, when the Tang Dynasty was prosperous and powerful, didn't it just collapse?
Handing a 5,000-word report to Mr. Langzhong is not considered an overstep. After all, he is here to observe the government.

After reading this report, Dr. Yu Hengsi, it was really a lawsuit. Young Master, you are here to observe the government, not to be the chief official? Unfortunately, if we think about it more carefully, could this be the mission His Majesty gave Jia Lian? Is Your Majesty dissatisfied with the Ministry of Industry? Or are you solely dissatisfied with Yu Hengsi?
Well, Mr. Yu Hengsi, doctor, pick up the pen and draw a black circle to indicate that you have read it and submit it.

When it was almost time to get off work, Mr. Lu, the Minister of Works, was thinking about some of the advantages of Xin Na's concubine, such as the motivating effect of her screams, and he was thinking about how many pills he should take at night.

Unexpectedly, Dr. Yu Hengsi came in at the door and presented an official document with an uneasy expression.

What official documents need to be delivered personally by Dr. Yu Hengsi? Is something wrong?
Mr. Lu's expression changed suddenly and he stood up in shock. Normally, it would be sent by a scribe, so there would be no accident, right?

"What happened?" Mr. Lu couldn't help but ask. Mr. Lang patted the official document and said, "Please take a look at it before talking."

Before getting off work, Mr. Lu, who had been looking down at the report, raised his head and said, "Please go and invite the two ministers to discuss it."

The two ministers walked together, laughing as they walked, and while they were discussing where to go to drink and have fun in the evening, Master Yu Hengsi stopped the two of them: "Master Shangshu invites you." Looking at this man's expression, the expressions of the two ministers also changed. became gloomy.

Extremely disappointed, he turned around and came back. Lord Shang Shu Lu patted the report on the table and said, "Read it before you speak."

A quarter of an hour later, the two waiters who were forced to work overtime had extremely complicated expressions. This matter was really big or small.

"Although Jia Lian's family has a good academic background, he is still only sixteen years old, right? The improvements mentioned here are really promising. Even if it is not a flintlock gun, if the matchlock gun is modified like this, the actual combat effect will definitely be greatly improved."

Mr. Liu, the right servant, is obviously a technocrat, and his words really hit the mark.

"What do you mean by Brother Liu?" Mr. Lu became more energetic. He is not good at technology, but Mr. Liu is good at it. Mr. Liu was born into a family of craftsmen, and the whole family supported him in his education and success, thus leading to a class jump. Although he was a fellow Jinshi, he was promoted to county magistrate after observing politics for half a year. He knew technology and had high emotional intelligence, so his promotion path was fairly smooth.

However, Tong Jinshi's background determines that he has no special circumstances, and his culmination is a ministerial book.

"If you don't consider the cost, this report is very feasible." Mr. Liu concluded with certainty.

Mr. Lan frowned and said: "It is better to do less than to do more. If you can suppress it, suppress it. Once the report is submitted to the cabinet, there will be a lot to do."

Mr. Lu and Mr. Liu both understood what he meant. In this matter, we should tap the potential from within, and don't push it upward. Once more investment from the Ministry of Works is required in the name of improving the temper, more conflicts of interest will be involved.

First of all, other departments cannot agree. The Ministry of Works asks for money under the pretext of improving armaments. Why can't other departments follow suit and use their own excuses to report and ask for money? You, the Ministry of Industry, are smart, right? Who can't come up with clever names? Our Ministry of Etiquette will organize a group trip recently. Have you seen our lions opening their mouths?
The Punishment Department is an unlucky bureau that can shout a few times. It has insufficient personnel and insufficient funds to handle cases, which will cause instability in local public security. Aren't the entire Punishment Department trying to find ways to dig deep into its internal potential and overcome difficulties? Is your Ministry of Industry special?

What would the Tobe say? Isn't it the same old story? The imperial treasury is empty and the expenditure is insufficient, so the Ministry of Works still has an excuse to ask for money? No money, here is a message from the Minister of the Ministry of Finance, come and take it. Oh, the report was written by Jia Lian, so that’s okay.

Mr. Lu pondered for a few times before speaking: "What if this is your Majesty's intention? After all, no matter how talented Jia Lian is, he is only sixteen years old. If he can come up with such a report just by visiting the Shenji Camp, Mr. Liu will be surprised. Can’t find fault? Do you two believe it?”

The office suddenly became quiet and the temperature dropped several degrees!

(End of this chapter)