Top Scholar

Chapter 604 Incognito Visit
After the entire tour was completed, Su Lu once again showered the two with praise, showering them with compliments.

The two master craftsmen humbly asked for your valuable advice.

Su Lu then said, "If we're going to nitpick, I think the efficiency is still a bit low. One person with one hammer, it's time-consuming and laborious, and you can't probably do that much in a day, right?"

"With all six apprentices working together, they can earn two thousand silver dollars a day," Qiu Cheng replied.

“Our coins are intended for circulation throughout the land, and this current pace is far from sufficient,” Su Lu frowned. “Moreover, we will be minting subsidiary coins next…”

Zhu Zihe, who was standing to the side, laughed and said, "What's so difficult about that? Just make a few more sets of molds and add more manpower. If that's not enough, just add more people and equipment. We can always keep up with demand."

“This job is too confidential, so it’s not advisable to have too many people on it,” Su Man said.

Lu Jingchang smiled and said, "Rest assured, gentlemen. It is Qiu Zhangzuo's task to produce silver coins, while increasing production is my duty."

Previously, it was Qiu Cheng who had been demonstrating the fine craftsmanship, and Lu Jingchang hadn't had a chance to show off his skills yet... This was also Su Lu's intention in appointing the two of them. Qiu Cheng was the head of the Silver Coin Bureau, skilled in fine work and able to ensure the quality of silver coins, but he was not good at managing output, let alone organizing large-scale production.

Lu Jingchang, the ambassador of the Ministry of Works' Mint Bureau, was best at organizing large-scale production and improving labor efficiency. Of course, he was certainly inferior in terms of precision, so he complemented Qiu Cheng perfectly, and the two of them together were well-suited for the coin-minting work.

“Then let’s hear Ambassador Lu’s insightful opinion,” Su Lu said with a smile.

Lu Jingchang then spoke eloquently: "Your Excellency, in my humble opinion, both the production of silver coin blanks and the final hammering and minting of coins can be done without manpower. Instead, a continuous milling machine can be used, powered by water, running day and night, increasing production by more than tenfold!"

"A connected millstone?" Su Lu had never heard of this term before.

But Lu Jingchang explained, "It's a machine that uses water to pound rice."

Su Lu then understood...

Lu Jingchang further explained: "This continuous mortar is also called a tipping mortar, and it has existed for a long time. It uses water power to drive a waterwheel, which drives a short horizontal bar on a horizontal axle to strike the mortar tip in sequence, thus achieving continuous operation. The water-powered sand-pounding and copper-grinding tools used by the Baoyuan Bureau when minting coins were derived from this. With just a little modification, it can be adapted."

Upon hearing this, Su Lu was overjoyed and said, "So Baoyuan Bureau has already started using water conservancy machinery? That's great, it saves us a lot of trouble!"

Qiu Cheng also exclaimed, "I've long heard that the Baoyuan Bureau gathers all kinds of skilled craftsmen, and it truly lives up to its reputation!"

Lu Jingchang hurriedly said, "However, our precision is a bit lacking, and we still need the head of the workshop to help us improve it."

"It's my duty," Qiu Cheng said gladly.

"When will the renovation be completed and the scaffolding erected?" Su Lu asked.

“The technology is mature and not too difficult. It should be completed before the New Year.” Qiu Cheng immediately stated, “If it’s not completed, we won’t celebrate the New Year.”

"Good, that's more like a chief engineer." Su Lu said happily, "Then let's set the trial production date before the end of January. If the transformation doesn't go smoothly, we'll just use the existing methods to work it out. Like Zihe said, we can just open a few more production lines and hire more people!"

"Please rest assured, sir, we will definitely start production on time and will certainly live up to your expectations!" the two said confidently.

"Very well, I am relieved to hear the two chief engineers say so." Su Lu nodded happily, then solemnly reminded them, "Remember, all the formulas and processes of the mint must be kept strictly confidential, and not a single word of them should be leaked!"

"Your subordinate obeys!" Qiu Cheng and Lu Jingchang straightened up and replied in unison.

~~
Busy as New Year's Eve approached, Su Lu and his colleagues from the Imperial Household Department rushed to finish several major tasks, ensuring that the new three major camps would receive their pay and rations after the New Year.

"Great! We can finally enjoy the New Year in peace!" The group of colleagues breathed a sigh of relief, temporarily relieved of their heavy burden, and cheered.

Su Lu was also quite sensible and immediately announced, "We'll have a five-day holiday so everyone can have a great time celebrating the New Year. We'll come back to work on the sixth day of the new year!"

"Thank you, Lord Su!" The group of colleagues were overjoyed and bowed to him in all seriousness to express their gratitude.

There was nothing they could do; it was all because Boss Zhu was so unreasonable, only granting one day of statutory holiday for the New Year. Su Lu extended it by four days in one go, how could everyone not feel happy?
In addition, they received a generous subsidy a couple of days ago; the amount is not disclosed, and no one is allowed to reveal it. This is because it wasn't a salary from the imperial court, but rather an allowance issued in the name of the Imperial Funds Commission… essentially a reward from the Emperor.

That makes sense, really. They were doing three jobs each, so they deserved extra pay. Su Lu never shortchanged those who worked alongside him.

The reward was a little bit too much, though it was the Emperor's reward, something no one else could afford. But considering that all the officials in the capital had been receiving only half their salary for the past six months, it was best not to upset them.

The colleagues quickly tidied their desks, filed and locked up the confidential documents, affixed seals, pasted Spring Festival couplets and the character "福" (good fortune) inside and outside the Imperial Household Department, set off a string of red paper offerings, said "See you next year" to each other, and happily went home to celebrate the New Year...

Su Lu also sealed all the seals and official documents of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and finally sealed the main gate of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices to indicate that it was no longer in operation. Then he went to Tengxi Hall to tell Zhu Houzhao, "See you next year."

Two bachelors, Zhu Zihe and Lin Zhihong, also went to his house for the New Year. The two of them, along with Su Man, waited quietly for him to come out by the Taiye Pond.

Who knew that after waiting and waiting for half an hour, Su Lu finally came out, followed by Zhu Shou, dressed as a young master.

Su Man and the other two hurriedly stepped forward, intending to pay their respects with full ceremony, but Zhu Shou gently waved his hand to stop them. "This great general is going on an incognito visit, so please keep a low profile."

Su Lu said softly to the three men, "The General wants to go see the disaster victims." The three men inwardly exclaimed, 'Good heavens!'—to conduct a clandestine investigation on the afternoon of New Year's Eve? That's too ruthless!
“The people in charge should all have gone home for the Chinese New Year by now,” Zhu Zihe said softly.

"That's exactly what I wanted—for them all to be gone." Zhu Shou said, walking out with his hands behind his back, "Only in times like these can we see the true situation."

Looking at his nervous-looking buddies, Su Lu laughed and said, "Let's go, even an ugly daughter-in-law has to meet her in-laws eventually..."

~~
The group then boarded Su Lu's convoy and drove away from Chang'an Avenue.

The streets were filled with the crackling sound of firecrackers, and every household had pasted up Spring Festival couplets, the character "福" (good fortune), and door gods. No matter how difficult life was for ordinary people, they always made sure to celebrate the New Year in a lively and festive manner...

Zhu Shou directed the convoy to turn east and west on the street. When he found that the refugees' shacks were no longer visible by the roadside, he finally arrived at the original Danengren Temple.

Upon alighting from the carriage, the group discovered that the once-prosperous temple, considered the premier temple in the capital, had long since removed its old plaque and replaced it with a new wooden sign bearing the three large characters "Huang En Yuan" (Imperial Grace Temple). A separate wooden sign, written in Song typeface, hung on the gateposts.

'The Ninth Disaster Relief Point of the Imperial Assets Management Committee of the Ming Dynasty'.

The courtyard gate was wide open, and a group of children dressed in gray cotton-padded clothes were chasing and playing, their laughter echoing throughout the entire temple.

Their cotton-padded clothes and trousers were made by the disaster relief office staff who dismantled the monks' bedding and used the cloth they used to make their robes.

Children always get new clothes for Chinese New Year, and every little girl gets a red ribbon in her hair...

The children, dressed in new clothes, had little faces red from the cold, but their faces were full of happy joy. The boys clutched the firecrackers they had picked up and played with them by the stone steps at the door and in the open space in the yard. The crackling sounds were continuous, which frightened the little girls so much that they covered their ears and screamed, but they refused to leave.

Seeing this scene, Su Lu was relieved; Lu Ying and the others in charge of disaster relief hadn't been sloppy.

In reality, when officials first enter officialdom, they still hope to follow the words of the sages: "to govern the world and benefit the people." Those who aspire to be corrupt officials from the very beginning are a tiny minority.

Although most people will soon be taught a harsh lesson by reality, who wouldn't want to be a good official given the opportunity?
Just as everyone was about to go in and take a look, they were stopped by several strong young men guarding the gate.

Who are you?

Zhu Zihe then smiled and said, "We are students of the Imperial Academy. We heard that the Emperor's grace was so great that he established this Imperial Grace Academy, which saved many disaster victims. We took advantage of the holiday to come and see if it is really as rumored."

The young men guarding the gate, seeing that they were all well-mannered and, apart from the leader who seemed rather slovenly, the others appeared to be scholars, softened their expressions and began to chatter amongst themselves.
"Of course it's true! His Majesty sent officials from the disaster relief office to deliver grain, coal, cotton quilts and clothes to us, and also to treat our illnesses!"

"Back in my hometown, I always heard that the emperor was unreliable, but after coming to the capital, I realized that the emperor's grace is boundless, and it was all just rumors spread by those below."

"Don't talk nonsense and cause trouble for the adults!"

"Don't worry, we won't report you," Zhu Shou said with a smile. "So you're saying you're disaster victims yourselves?"

"Yes. Doesn't it look like it?"

“Doesn’t seem like it.” Zhu Shou looked them over. Although they were all thin, they looked quite well and were no different from ordinary people.

"That's right!" several young men laughed. "We've been eating and drinking for free for almost a month. If we were still half-dead, would we be doing justice to the Emperor's grain?"

“Young man, if you had seen us on the street last month, you certainly wouldn’t be saying this. Back then, we were not only starving, but also sickly and half-dead,” said one of the eloquent young men.
"I had a high fever and my whole body ached. There were also many festering sores. I thought I was going to die."

“We’re about the same,” the others echoed.

"It's healed in just one month?" Zhu Shou asked incredulously. "Did the Imperial Hospital's herbal medicine really work?"

He despised the imperial physicians the most, and hadn't taken any medicine from them in years.

"It wasn't the medicine from the Imperial Hospital; it was water boiled with poplar bark by the adults for us to drink. It was amazing. After drinking it, we felt much better, and our illnesses gradually got better!"

"Is it really that amazing?" Zhu Shou exclaimed in surprise.

“This was my brother’s idea,” Zhu Zihe said.

"Oh, then that's not surprising." Zhu Shou believed him.

"It's a folk remedy, but it can cure serious illnesses. If you have a headache or fever, you can give it a try," Su Lu said with a smile.

"Okay." Zhu Shou quickly instructed Zhang Yong, who was following behind, "Write it down quickly. Cook it for me to drink later."

"Yes, yes, I've got it," Zhang Yong replied hastily.

(End of this chapter)