Duke of Zhenguan

Sitting in the front yard of the Lin family's house was an elderly man with gray hair and beard.

Lin Chuan strode into the main hall, cupped his hands in greeting to the old man, and said with a smile:

"My name is Lin Chuan, and I greet you, Master Gongshu!"

Seeing no arrogance in Lin Chuan's eyes, Gongshu Qi felt more confident about the trip. He put down his teacup, stood up, subtly glanced at Lin Chuan, straightened his clothes, and then returned the greeting with a polite bow, saying:

"This old man, Gongshu Qi, greets Young Master Lin!"

"Mr. Gongshu, please have a seat!"

Lin Chuan gestured for Gongshu Qi to sit down, and said with a smile:

"I have just returned and have neglected you, Master Gongshu. I hope you will forgive me!"

"Young Master Lin, you flatter me. I am sorry for my intrusion in coming here, and I hope you will not take offense!" Gongshuqi said.

"To be honest, Mr. Gongshu, I have always wanted to pay you a visit, but I have never been able to find the way. If I had known that you would be here today, I would have certainly welcomed you with open arms!" Lin Chuan said.

"Young Master Lin, you're too kind..."

The surname Gongshu is a brand name in itself, and since Gongshu Qi took the initiative to visit, Lin Chuan lowered his stance, exchanged a few polite words, and then turned the conversation to the Gewu Research Institute, taking the initiative to say to Gongshu Qi:

"Master Gongshu, I am currently setting up the Institute of Investigation of Things and the Academy. The Institute will be completed soon, located in Shanglin Garden. However, although the Institute of Investigation of Things is completed, we are severely lacking in manpower!"

"I'm not afraid of being laughed at, Mr. Gongshu, but yesterday I went to the Imperial Workshop to invite someone, but unfortunately no one was willing to go. I wonder if Mr. Gongshu is interested?"

Gongshu Qi's purpose in taking the initiative to visit was self-evident, but he did not immediately agree. Instead, he cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Lin Chuan and said:

"Since Young Master Lin is so straightforward, I will speak frankly as well. In fact, many people in the Imperial Workshop are from the Gongshu clan or were apprenticed to the Gongshu clan. Young Master Lin previously worked in the Ministry of Works, so you should know a man named Lu Zhen in the Imperial Workshop!"

According to seniority, Lu Zhen should call me uncle. It was Lu Zhen who revealed to me that Lin Langjun wanted to establish the Institute of Natural Sciences!

Since I've come here so shamelessly, I naturally have a request. However, before I agree to your request, I have a few questions for you.

If Gongshu Qi hadn't asked anything, Lin Chuan would have suspected his motives. Seeing that Gongshu Qi was about to ask, Lin Chuan smiled and nodded.

"Please speak freely, Mr. Gongshu!"

"Since this Institute of Natural Sciences is an institute, it must be researching methods of natural science. I would like to ask clearly: if my family members go in, will some of our family's secrets be handed over to the court or made public?" Gongshuqi asked.

"Mr. Gongshu, you misunderstand. The so-called research institute is naturally for researching new things. The things in Mr. Gongshu's house are still his own. It is only the new techniques that are researched that belong to the research institute! I can guarantee that."

The new things discovered naturally belong to the research institute, but those who participate in the research also have a certain degree of ownership. If there are any profits, the researchers will also receive a share. I am still working on the specifics of how to divide the profits! Lin Chuan explained.

"That makes sense. If you feel uncomfortable after you go in, can you leave?" Gongshuqi asked again.

"Forehead……"

This question left Lin Chuan momentarily speechless. After thinking for a moment, he decided to tell Gongshu Qi the truth:

"Mr. Gongshu, the things that the Institute of Gewu studies are important and not important. Some of them may involve court secrets. If you participate in the research of these things, you certainly cannot withdraw!"

Moreover, even if you can withdraw, you must keep it a secret; if it's leaked, the consequences could be severe!

Gongshu Qi remained silent for a long time, then cupped his hands towards Lin Chuan and said:

"Thank you for informing me truthfully, Mr. Lin!"

"Since we're going to be working together, we should naturally lay out the unpleasant things upfront!" Lin Chuan said.

"There is one last thing. I have heard that Young Master Lin is exceptionally talented, especially in mathematics and miscellaneous subjects. I have some questions that I would like to ask Young Master Lin. Is that alright?" Gongshuqi asked in a deep voice.

Lin Chuan chuckled to himself. It felt like their roles had been reversed, and he was the one asking for help!

But just because of the surname Gongshu, Lin Chuan had to give Gongshu Qi some face, and said with a smile:

"Please ask me anything, Mr. Gongshu, but if I cannot answer, please do not laugh at me!"

Gongshu Qi smiled and then asked:

"Has Lin Langjun ever heard of the sled?"

Lin Chuan paused for a moment, then asked uncertainly:

"Is Mr. Gongshu asking about pulleys?"

"A pulley? That's a more apt description!" Gongshu Qi nodded, then continued to ask:

"Since you've heard of pulleys, do you know how much effort can be saved if a rope is fixed to two pulleys to lift heavy objects?"

The problem was simple; it was just a pulley system issue. Lin Chuan replied without much thought:

"If the pulley were smooth enough, it should save about 50% of the effort, actually it should save a little over 40%, right?"

Gongshu Qi looked at Lin Chuan with a surprised expression, cupped his hands and said:

"Lin Langjun is a great talent!"

He came up with this question by chance, and then got his family to try it many times before he finally figured it out.

Many people know that pulleys can save effort, but he asked many people and only Lin Chuan could give the answer so easily and accurately.

Furthermore, Lin Chuan also mentioned something that he and his family had discovered after trying for a long time: whether the pulley is smooth enough has a significant impact on the result.

Lin Chuan was now genuinely interested in Gongshu Qi, and asked with a smile:

"Mr. Gongshu, I have long admired the Gongshu family. If it is convenient, may I pay a visit to your esteemed residence?"

Gongshu Qi was taken aback for a moment, then cupped his hands and said:

"That is indeed my wish, but I dare not ask!"

"Shall we go now?" Lin Chuan asked.

"Young Master Lin, please!"

Lin Chuan nodded, asked Xu Laosan to find the Zhao brothers, Zhao Fu and Zhao Gui, and then went to the storeroom to get some things before following Gongshu Qi out the door.

The Gongshu family lived in Chang'anfang in the southwest of the city. Their family occupied almost half of the alley, and their numerous small courtyards formed a large clan.

Gongshuqi was the head of the family and also the head of the largest branch, which had the largest courtyard, a three-section courtyard.

Lin Chuan and his party of four received a grand reception, with Gongshu Qi's five sons and more than ten grandsons coming to pay their respects.

When Lin Chuan bowed with his hands clasped in greeting, he noticed something particularly interesting: none of these people's hands were unharmed. The least damaged ones were covered with all sorts of scars, and it was common for some to be missing half a finger.

After the greetings, and upon hearing Gongshu Qi's introduction that Lin Chuan was proficient in various fields of knowledge, many people in the room showed expressions of doubt.

Lin Chuan didn't say anything. He had come with a purpose from the beginning. He smiled and said to Gongshu Qi:

"I wish to make a small iron gadget, but I am too clumsy to do it. I wonder if Master Gongshu could find some skilled craftsmen to help me?"

"Is this an attempt to teach a fish to swim?"

The people inside the room began to look at Lin Chuan with hostility.