Almost two quarters of an hour later, Wei Changtian and his party, accompanied by several officials, arrived at the Tiangong Bureau Yamen.
In fact, it is more like a larger workshop than a yamen.
It's just that compared with the ordinary small workshops in the market, Tiangong Bureau's workshop is several grades higher than the former in terms of scale and "supporting services".
Not only are there layers of military protection, the food and drink inside are excellent, and there are even brothel girls who perform "shows" on a regular basis.
And these craftsmen indeed deserve such treatment.
The "black powder" they developed alone could not be said to be able to defeat thousands of troops, but at the very least it would save many lives in Daning and Shu in the war to come.
But he really complied with what Wei Changtian said when he established the Tiangong Bureau -
knowledge is power.
"..."
Standing outside the gate of Tiangong Bureau, look at these six words engraved on the right side of the door, and then look at the words "Heavenly principles come from human desires" on the left.
Wei Changtian was stunned for a moment, and then asked a small official next to him.
"Who added this last sentence?"
"Go back to me, sir."
The junior official was a little surprised and looked at Ning Yuke who was following Wei Changtian: "Your Majesty completed it."
Ning Yuke?
Wei Changtian looked back at Ning Yuke, his eyes a little curious, but he didn't say much.
Knowledge is power, and natural principles come from human desires.
It can be said that the meanings of these two sentences have almost no connection, and I don’t know how the Tiangong Bureau engraved them as couplets on both sides of the gate.
But read it a few more times...
Don't say it, it makes sense.
"Let's go."
"Go in and have a look."
...
From afternoon to dusk.
An hour later, Wei Changtian and Ning Yuke paid a careful visit to the Tiangong Bureau.
Her Majesty the Queen is here in person, and naturally all the officials in the bureau have to report on their "work achievements."
Of course, the Tiangong Bureau has not been established for long, and many researches are still in the "tackling" stage, and there is nothing useful except "black powder".
Therefore, Ning Yuke mainly listened to the report from the "Gunpowder Factory".
"Hearing the news that the traitors from the four countries are about to attack, I am extremely angry and I just hope that I can help your majesty solve the problem..."
"So I led my craftsmen to work day and night to prepare the gunpowder formula, and there were several fires..."
"Several craftsmen were unfortunately injured during this period. Fortunately, everyone dealt with it in time, so no one died..."
"There are many similar things, so I won't tell Your Majesty one by one. In short, for Your Majesty and Shu, the hardships involved are not worth mentioning..."
"..."
In the workshop full of the smell of gunpowder, a fat little black man vividly described how difficult the process of developing black gunpowder was and how loyal and capable he was.
But the dozens of craftsmen standing behind him just smiled innocently and never said a word.
Perhaps in the eyes of these craftsmen, it is natural for the little fat black man to take away their credit.
Besides, I have good food and drink at the Tianjin Bureau, and I get a good salary every month. It is simply the best job.
If you accidentally say something wrong and be resented by this adult, and find a reason to expel you from the Tiangong Bureau in the future... then there will be no place to cry.
In this way, a group of craftsmen became the background for the little fat man to claim credit.
Ning Yuke, who was well aware of all this, did not point it out, but nodded slightly and said:
"good."
"You have worked so hard for me, Shu, and now you have developed black gunpowder. It can be said that your hard work has paid off."
"It's all thanks to your Majesty."
The fat little black man immediately continued with a smile on his face: "If your Majesty and Mr. Wei hadn't been far-sighted, how would I have had such a great opportunity to serve the country?"
"That's right...someone is here!"
Ning Yuke's expression remained unchanged, and he gave a soft drink, and the accompanying eunuch immediately came closer.
"Your Majesty, this servant is here."
"Well, Mr. Wang led the gunpowder workshop to develop powerful black gunpowder, which is a great achievement."
"When I get back, I will tell the officials that I will promote Mr. Wang to one level and be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver."
"Yes, I have remembered this."
"..."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"I will do my best to serve Your Majesty and Shu!"
The fat little black man talked for a long time and finally got the result he wanted. He knelt down excitedly and thanked the Holy Grace repeatedly.
The craftsman behind him naturally also knelt down, and the scene suddenly became lively.
They do the work, but the "leaders" get the credit.
Although at first glance it seems that Mr. Wang is taking credit from the people below him, this is actually normal.
After all, the Tiangong Bureau cannot only have craftsmen working, these officials responsible for management are also indispensable.
Therefore, neither Ning Yuke nor Wei Changtian exposed the little black fat man's intentions, and they promoted him and rewarded him with silver as usual.
but......
"Sir Wang, I wonder who first trial-produced the formula of this black gunpowder?"
Suddenly, Wei Changtian, who had been silent until now, took a step forward and asked with a smile: "Is this person here now?"
"Back to the young master, here!"
The fat little black man immediately turned around and shouted: "Liu Dameng! Come here quickly!"
"Ah! Little one, I obey!"
Soon, a majestic man ran nearby from the crowd and hurriedly knelt on the ground.
"Young man Liu Dameng, I've met your Majesty, I've met Mr. Wei..."
"Hahaha, you don't have to be nervous."
After helping Liu Dameng up, Wei Changtian said with a smile: "Since you developed the black gunpowder, you should take the lion's share of the credit."
"Now that Mr. Wang has been promoted, he will naturally no longer work in the gunpowder factory in the future."
"That's it, you will be in charge of the gunpowder factory from now on. Are you willing?"
"..."
Liu Dameng came to take charge of the gunpowder factory?
Everyone's expressions suddenly became very surprised.
You know, in this era, ordinary people had only two ways to become officials, either to take the imperial examination, or to join violent institutions such as the army and the Xuanjing Division.
And people like Liu Dameng, who are neither illiterate nor able to practice cultivation, are destined to be "civilians" throughout their lives.
Although the official rank of the gunpowder mill manager is not high, he is still a serious "adult".
Therefore, Wei Changtian's appointment not only directly changed Liu Dameng's fate, but also opened an opportunity for the craftsmen of the Tiangong Bureau, and even all kinds of people in Shu who were proficient in "strange and obscene skills" to rise in class.
As long as you have the ability, you can become an official in the court.
"Master Wei, I am willing!"
The answer was a little delayed, but crisp and clear.
After hesitating for a moment, Liu Dameng did not hesitate and actually agreed. He seemed to be a generous person.
"Hahahaha, okay!"
"Then it's settled!"
Laughing and patting Liu Dameng on the shoulder, Wei Changtian turned his attention to the group of obviously envious craftsmen not far away.
"The same goes for you!"
"As long as you do well! Your Majesty and I will never begrudge rewards!"
"It's not impossible for you all to become Minister of the Ministry of Industry!"
"..."
As soon as Wei Changtian said these words, the Minister of Industry behind him couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.
However, the craftsmen on the opposite side became obviously a lot more excited.
"Yes! I will do my best!"
"We can definitely come up with more powerful gunpowder!"
"Young Master Wei, don't worry! Your Majesty, don't worry..."
Soon, the report on "black powder" ended happily.
The fat little black man was promoted to an official position, and the craftsmen gained motivation. Wei Changtian successfully opened a new window of "selecting talents and appointing capable people".
He even made an exception and allowed several "representatives of outstanding craftsmen" to attend tonight's dinner.
Eating in the same room as the empress, these rough guys have never experienced such treatment. During the meal, they were all stuck on their seats like wooden stakes, and they didn't even have the courage to take a peek at Ning Yuke.
Um......
These are all trivial matters, so I won’t go into details here.
Anyway, after having had enough wine and food, Wei Changtian also became interested, and he led Liu Dameng and other craftsmen to discuss how to use the black powder on the battlefield.
It has to be said that more people means greater power.
Soon he heard many suggestions that were ordinary in his previous life but were very innovative now.
Why mix poison in a gunpowder barrel to make a "poison gas bomb"?
How about throwing a gunpowder barrel out of a catapult to make a "missile"?
What about making some small explosive packets mixed with iron pieces that soldiers can throw out to injure the enemy...that is, a simple version of a "grenade".
The more Wei Changtian chatted, the more excited he became. He stayed up until midnight. Later, he even went to the "Steam Engine Workshop" to discuss with the craftsmen there the problems encountered in the development of steam engines.
Of course, Ning Yuke doesn't understand this and will definitely not participate.
However, in the middle of the night, she was itching again and couldn't sleep, so she quietly came and stood outside the house and took a peek.
Seeing Wei Changtian and a group of craftsmen holding various strange-shaped iron tools in the room with excited expressions, the empress could not help but feel a little confused.
Why does the owner look so happy?
Do men... all like to play with these steel objects?