Top Scholar

Chapter 597 Release
In the small council chamber of Donggui Hall.

The two master craftsmen each picked up two Western silver coins and carefully examined them.

To be fair, these silver coins are not exactly exquisitely crafted, but their advantage lies in the fact that they were mass-produced rather than handmade. Yet, the surface of the coins is smooth, without any sand holes, and the lettering and patterns are exceptionally neat and clear, which is quite amazing!

"It's definitely not cast!" Ambassador Lu Jingchang of the Baoyuan Bureau stated firmly.

"The characters on coins should be raised and rounded to facilitate casting, but the characters on these silver coins have sharp, knife-cut edges, lacking the bevel required for casting. Furthermore, if it were sand casting, the coins would shrink upon cooling, making it impossible for the characters to be so clean and crisp!"

Qiu Cheng carefully stroked the coin's surface with his fingers, gazing at the clear patterns, and slowly said, "It's definitely not cast. Look at the edges and the depth of the characters; it must have been first hammered into a blank and then stamped out with a hard mold."

Su Lu's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "How did the master craftsman figure that out?"

"What's so difficult about that?" Qiu Cheng smiled smugly, held up two double-column coins to Su Lu, pointed to the pattern on them, and said confidently, "Take a close look at this pattern. There's not a trace of carving, yet the design is rounded and has a raised texture. I dare say that this is the method of hammering and stamping used in our silversmithing business!"

He paused for a moment and then said in a deep voice:
"First, the silver ingot is hammered until it's smooth, removing any sand holes and air bubbles, then it's pressed into a mold to take shape. This technique is commonly used for making jewelry; I never imagined that the barbarians would use it to mint coins. No wonder they can produce such smooth and polished coins in mass production!"

Lu Jingchang, who was standing to the side, also analyzed the situation logically and with evidence: "My lord, please look. The eyebrows and eyes of the portrait on the front are very deep, but the corresponding area of ​​the badge on the back is slightly lighter. This is because a double-mold clamping hammering process was used. If the upper and lower molds were not hammered together, the silver material would not be squeezed to the front. It would not be like this."

The two masters then took turns explaining the craftsmanship of the silver coin, dissecting it in detail and even deducing the process involved.

Su Lu could only listen from the sidelines, with no chance to interrupt. In fact, he originally wanted to inspire the two masters and help them break through this barrier... For this reason, he even invited a pastry chef from the imperial kitchen to demonstrate how to use a pastry mold to make pastries on the spot.

It's completely unnecessary; an expert can see the difference at a glance!
While secretly admiring that everyone has their own area of ​​expertise, he also had to admit that before the Industrial Revolution, there were almost no unsolvable problems in the world.

The craftsmen of the Ming Dynasty were already far ahead in terms of expertise. They could guess the method of making the product just by seeing the actual object. Of course, without their accumulated experience, one could not reach their level of craftsmanship. However, by continuously improving through the methods of learning, one will surely surpass their predecessors in the future!

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel excited—in that case, could those things that he had a slight understanding of the principles but couldn't actually do be entrusted to these master craftsmen of great skill to realize?

Now, even as a liberal arts student, I can make some contributions in the field of science and engineering...

But I'm currently too busy to deal with this, so I'll have to deal with it when I have time.

Su Lu immediately ended his reverie during the meeting and said loudly to the two of them, "You two master craftsmen are truly insightful! After hearing what you said, I am finally confident that I can handle this imperial mission well."

"Not at all..." the two master craftsmen hurriedly said modestly, "This is not a difficult task, it just takes time."

"This matter concerns the very foundation of the nation. I implore you two to work together to reproduce this process as quickly as possible and mass-produce silver coins that meet the requirements!" Su Lu looked at the two men earnestly and said in a deep voice:

"I then petitioned His Majesty to appoint the two as the chief craftsman and chief engineer of the Imperial Mint of the Ming Dynasty!"

"This..." The two master craftsmen exchanged a glance, but their faces showed difficulty. "Please forgive us, sir, but we are each affiliated with our own government offices, and I'm afraid the higher-ups will not release us."

"You two need not worry about that," Su Lu said with a wave of his hand. "The Royal Mint is under the Royal Assets Management Committee, and the chairman of the Royal Assets Management Committee is none other than His Majesty the present."

The two knew they couldn't refuse, which only made things worse... They were both top experts in their respective fields, and regardless of external opinions, they were still living comfortably.

At this age, they've long been accustomed to the current stability, so who would want to step out of their comfort zone? If Su Lu hadn't used the Emperor to pressure them, the two old foxes would have already made up an excuse to refuse.

Seeing this, Su Lu smiled slightly and activated his skill 'All or Nothing': "The annual salary is two thousand taels of silver. One thousand taels is a fixed amount, no matter what; the other thousand taels is a reward for merit, depending on performance. Moreover, I dare to write a document as proof that I will never assign any task that cannot be completed. You two just need to do your job well, and you will definitely get the full amount!"

"Two thousand taels?!" Lu Jingchang gasped, exclaiming in shock, "This...this is far more than a first-rank official could earn!"

How could a lowly ninth-rank official earn so much more than a first-rank official?
"The Imperial Funds Commission is not a government office; you two can think of it as a business for the royal family," Su Lu explained solemnly. "In business, naturally, you need to hire talented people with high salaries. Of course, the Emperor's money isn't spent for nothing; you have to earn it back for the Emperor. If you neglect your duties and mess things up, then don't blame me for being ruthless!"

He had always shown the two of them extraordinary respect, but it was only when he occasionally revealed his true colors that they suddenly realized who they were talking to.

The two quickly sat up straight, not daring to breathe.

"Go back and think about it," Su Lu said, serving tea to see the guest out. "No need to think about it! I'll do it!" Lu Jingchang suddenly shouted, immediately kneeling down and saying, "I can't be ungrateful! Say no more, I'll do it for you!"

Don't be fooled by his seemingly forced demeanor; he's actually very calculating in his mind, having already weighed everything from fame to fortune.

Although he wore the robes of a ninth-rank official, in reality, only those who had passed the imperial examinations were considered legitimate officials in the Ministry of Works. For artisans like him, it was merely a title. Even if they became vice ministers, no one would respect them…

Besides, how much is a ninth-rank official's annual salary? Let alone two thousand taels, even a thousand taels would take him ten or twenty years of hard work without eating or drinking. Although there are some other ways to supplement his family's income, nothing compares to the peace of mind of receiving two thousand taels cleanly. He's already this age; he can work for a few more years and then go home to retire. Isn't that wonderful?

Lu Jingchang's shout put Qiu Cheng in a difficult position again. The Silver Work Bureau was one of the twenty-four departments of the inner court, so he was considered one of the emperor's "own people". Now that even Lu Jingchang, an "outsider", had agreed, if he dared to refuse, he would be in big trouble if the higher-ups investigated.

"I agree." He had no choice but to lower his head and kneel down beside Lu Jingchang.

"Isn't the head strategist going to reconsider?" Su Lu looked at him with a half-smile.

Qiu Cheng's heart skipped a beat, realizing that his attitude had already displeased the other party. He quickly shook his head and said, "No need! Your Excellency is so kind to offer such generous terms. If I were to refuse again, I would be ungrateful..."

"Good, good, good!" Su Lu clapped his hands and laughed loudly, "Zihe, take the two master craftsmen to complete their onboarding procedures."

Before leaving, he instructed Qiu Cheng, "First, strike out a few Zhengde silver dollars to see the effect."

"Yes, sir, rest assured." Qiu Cheng hurriedly replied respectfully, "I will present it to you in the next two days."

~~
Wang Qiong's treatment at the Northern Garrison Prison improved dramatically overnight.

Not only did they provide him with a bed and bedding, but they also delivered hot soup and meals on time yesterday and this morning... and it was a three-dish meal with meat and vegetables!
Since entering the imperial prison, Wang Qiong has only been given thin porridge with more sand than grains of rice to drink each day, and cornbread harder than stones to eat. Even this is not enough to satisfy his hunger; he is only given one bowl of porridge and one cornbread a day, leaving him so hungry that his belly sticks to his spine and his eyes glow green at night.

Old Wang was really happy with this meal. If he were given a bowl of noodles with oil and vinegar, he wouldn't even mind having his father shot...

After eating and drinking his fill, he lay down on the bed, covered himself with a thick quilt, and hummed comfortably. At least his life was starting to feel a little more like a human being.

Last night was the most restful night's sleep he'd had since being imprisoned. This morning, Wang Qiong ate his fill and was about to go back to bed for a nap when he heard the jailer open the iron gate and laugh, "Lord Wang, wake up! Come out! The Emperor's grace is boundless; you are here without charge!"

"Ah, so fast?" Wang Qiong was taken aback. Her son-in-law had only visited her two days ago, and now, in less than two days, he had already helped her escape her misery.
"Isn't it good to be fast? Are you addicted to being in jail?" the jailer laughed.

"I don't want to stay in this godforsaken place for another second!" Wang Qiong hurriedly got up and walked out, but because his steps were too big, he almost tripped over his shackles and fell flat on his face.

Fortunately, the jailer reacted quickly and caught him. "Watch your step, old man, you can't slip again."

So they simply removed the shackles from him ahead of time.

"Thank you so much." Wang Qiong thanked him profusely, then slowly walked out of the dark and gloomy prison, stretching his wrists...

Liu Daxia and Wu Tingju were also released from the imperial prison with him.

The imperial edict announcing their release also specified the whereabouts of the three men—

Wu Tingju was appointed as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Although the Provincial Administration Commissioner was a second-rank official and the Vice Minister was a third-rank official, it had long been said that the Ming Dynasty valued positions more than ranks. To be promoted from the second-in-command of a province to the second-in-command of a ministry, and moreover, to the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was definitely a high promotion and a sign of being given important responsibilities.

Liu Daxia was appointed as a disaster relief commissioner and rushed to Shandong overnight to oversee the relief efforts. He was treated like a beast of burden, with no distinction between official and commoner status, and was essentially given no rank or position. Liu Daxia, however, was delighted with the appointment. After kowtowing to express his gratitude to the emperor outside the Meridian Gate, he took the imperial edict and left the capital that very day to carry out his duties.

As for Wang Qiong, he was appointed as the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief and Governor of Sichuan, concurrently assisting in military affairs and supervising the suppression of the rebellion. The imperial edict specifically emphasized that he should immediately assume his post and quell the rebellion!

Being transferred from the position of Grand Canal Transport Commissioner to Governor of Sichuan was not exactly a demotion, but it was definitely an extremely difficult job!

Because at this time, the civil unrest in Sichuan had become uncontrollable—the initial banditry in Hanzhong had not yet been quelled, and Lan Tingrui and Yan Benshu from Baoning gathered a crowd to rebel, calling themselves "King of Shuntian" and "King of Guadi." Their momentum was like wildfire, quickly sweeping through Baoning, Guangyuan, Tongchuan, Chengdu and other prefectures!
In just a few months, the rebel army, along with displaced people, swelled to a force of 100,000!
(End of this chapter)