Duke of Zhenguan

Lin Chuan had no intention of showing off his skills before an expert.

He came to the Gongshu family purely to see if the people of the Gongshu family were really as powerful as the legends said, and naturally, he also had the intention of testing them.

Unlike his younger relatives, Gongshu Qi understood Lin Chuan's meaning to some extent and confidently asked:

"What does Young Master Lin wish to do? Please speak freely."

"Ball bearings!" Lin Chuan said.

"I know what a bearing is, but what is a ball bearing?" Gongshuqi asked.

"Master Gongshu, may I borrow your brush and ink?" Lin Chuan asked.

Gongshu Qi nodded and instructed the middle-aged man beside him:

"Brother, go and prepare paper and pen."

A moment later, the middle-aged man came up with paper and pen and placed them on the table. Under the watchful eyes of a dozen or so members of the Gongshu family, Lin Chuan picked up the pen and began to draw on the paper.

The structure of ball bearings is not complicated, and they can be made with current technology.

After sketching out a simple diagram of the ball bearing, Lin Chuan didn't explain further, but simply smiled and said to everyone in the room:

"This is it!"

This is when you can see the skill level of the Gongshu family. Gongshu Qi and several middle-aged men looked at the simple drawings on the table, their expressions gradually changing from confusion to understanding.

Bearings are not a new thing; they have been constantly evolving. The most primitive bearings appeared as early as the Qin Dynasty, and now the prototype of ball bearings has gradually emerged.

Lin Chuan presented a modern, simple ball bearing, which was not difficult for everyone to understand.

Gongshu Qi was not only the head of the Gongshu family, but also the most skilled. He was not only highly skilled, but also well-versed in literature. Looking at the blueprints on the table, his face was filled with surprise, and he murmured to himself:

"I see! I see! Adding a ball bearing reduces wear, and if we add tung oil for lubrication... how come I didn't think of that..."

After Gongshu Qi's explanation, the ill will in the eyes of the young men of the Gongshu family vanished instantly. They knew better than anyone how useful this little thing was.

After Gongshu Qi calmed down, Lin Chuan smiled and said to him:

"Master Gongshu, making this thing won't be easy, especially the ball bearing in the middle..."

"Don't worry, Young Master Lin, I will do it myself. I'm sure I can make it. Please sit here for a moment, Young Master Lin. I'll take some people to do it right away!" Gongshuqi grabbed the blueprints, gave Lin Chuan a perfunctory bow, and strode out.

The others followed suit, leaving Lin Chuan alone in the main hall of the front yard.

Fortunately, the Gongshu family knew Gongshu Qi's temperament. After Gongshu Qi and the others left, a woman in her thirties brought in some snacks, curtsied apologetically to Lin Chuan, and said softly:

"My grandfather always acts this way when he sees something he likes; please forgive his rudeness, Mr. Lin!"

The woman was probably Gongshu Qi's daughter-in-law. Lin Chuan didn't know how to address her, so he could only smile and cup his hands in greeting.

"Sister-in-law, you flatter me. A man of Gongshu's character is truly capable of getting things done!"

The woman nodded and left with the plate.

Lin Chuan couldn't just wander around other people's houses, so he could only sit and wait, and two hours passed in the blink of an eye.

Around noon, Gongshu Qi, dressed in all black, excitedly carried a bearing the size of a palm into the main hall, followed by his equally excited descendants.

Upon entering the main hall, disregarding even formalities, he held up the bearing and said to Lin Chuan:

"Young Master Lin, the bearing is finally finished. Please take a look and see if it's acceptable?"

Lin Chuan took the bearing and immediately felt a sense of familiarity; this should be the first product from the industrial age to appear in the Tang Dynasty.

I held it in my hand and spun it around; the ball bearings rolled inside the steel ring, making a crisp sound.

Although the bearing was not lubricated, each ball was perfectly round and smooth, and there was no feeling of resistance during operation, indicating that the precision was not low.

After turning the bearing around twice, Lin Chuan handed it to Gongshu Qi and said with a smile:

"Master Gongshu, your skill is superb! With this, many things can be improved!"

"Yes, especially for carriages. With this, the wear of the bearings will be greatly reduced. However, this thing is not easy to manufacture. It would be best to use refined steel!" Gongshuqi sighed.

"Mr. Gongshu, this is the purpose of my establishment of the Institute of Gewu. We not only need to study how to manufacture bearings, but also the steel needed to manufacture bearings, and even how to increase the speed of bearing manufacturing!" Lin Chuan said.

"Young Master Lin's actions are truly commendable, I admire them greatly!" Gongshuqi bowed respectfully to Lin Chuan.

"To be able to hand-mold a ball bearing in just two hours, there's no doubt about the Gongshu family's abilities," Lin Chuan said sincerely, bowing to Gongshu Qi.

"Mr. Gongshu, the Gewu Research Institute currently has nothing but the completed buildings. Although I have some knowledge of miscellaneous subjects, I still need someone with your superb skills to actually get things done!"

I will not beat around the bush with you, Mr. Gongshu. If you are willing to condescend, I am willing to set up a workshop for you. Apart from some necessary procedures, you will be in complete control of the workshop.

The treatment they receive in all aspects will definitely not be worse than that of the Director of Works.

If there are any successes in the future, I will petition the court for recognition, and I will certainly not treat Master Gongshu unfairly!

"In that case, I will ask for your continued care from now on, Young Master Lin! May I ask how many people you need, Young Master Lin?" Gongshuqi asked.

"The more the better!" Lin Chuan said.

"In that case, I will discuss it with them and visit Young Master Lin another day!" Gongshuqi said.

After the matter was settled, Lin Chuan had dinner at Gongshu's house before returning to Tonghuafang with his men.

The next day, he went to the palace to request an audience with Li Shimin.

The building for the Gewu Research Institute will be completed soon, and the negotiations with the Gongshu family have been finalized. The Gewu Research Institute can now prepare for its opening.

The money came from Li Shimin, and Lin Chuan was also acting under Li Shimin's banner. Craftsman Lin Chuan could make his own decisions, but the managers should consult Li Shimin first.

Although Lin Chuan didn't want to be held back, with people arranged by Li Shimin, it would be easier for him to use Li Shimin's banner, wouldn't it?

Li Shimin was very satisfied with Lin Chuan's attitude. In fact, he also valued the Gewu Research Institute. Not to mention anything else, the alcohol that Lin Chuan produced had now become one of the essential supplies for the Imperial Medical Bureau and the army.

With the help of alcohol, the number of deaths and illnesses in the military dropped by 50%. If he could come up with something else, he would be willing to give not only 50 million, but even 50,000 strings of cash.

Since Lin Chuan had brought it up, he readily arranged for someone for Lin Chuan, a eunuch under Zhang Anan named Li San.

In front of Lin Chuan, he told Li San to follow Lin Chuan's arrangements in all matters, which was to say he gave Lin Chuan the greatest autonomy.

This was also the result Lin Chuan most wanted to see. Li Shimin only sent Li San to the Institute of Gewu, which was obviously just for supervision. He was in complete control over everything else. Could there be anything better than this?