The Smelting Bureau under the Ministry of Industry is located next to the Courtyard of the Ministry of Justice in the northeast of Daliang City. The area occupied by the Department Office is not small. Together with the Weapon Casting Bureau under the Ministry of War, it is the largest among the six departments under the imperial court.
Two departments.
However, although the scale and the Weapon Casting Bureau rank first among all agencies, its status is not optimistic. In the past, it was at best an existence that provided help to various ministries.
And this seems incredible to Zhao Hongrun.
"What were the main tasks of our Smelting Bureau in the past?" Zhao Hongrun asked the Bureau Chief Wang Fudao while gradually visiting the specific facilities in the Smelting Bureau.
Wang Fu smiled and explained: "As the name suggests, it smelt iron and make tools."
"About iron smelting, I have actually wanted to ask for a long time. The Ministry of War has a Military Casting Bureau, but why is our Smelting Bureau responsible for iron smelting?" Zhao Hongrun asked curiously.
Wang Fu smiled when he heard this and explained: "Your Highness, the Military Casting Bureau of the Ministry of War is only responsible for making weapons and does not care about the rest...and I, the Smelting Bureau, are responsible for improving the iron smelting technology."
As they spoke, they came to an open space and saw two large bamboo baskets placed there, filled with iron swords one after another.
Next to the bamboo basket, there were three people standing, all dressed as official officials in the general government, with the words "Smelting Bureau" tattooed on their chests and backs.
"What are they doing?" Zhao Hongrun asked.
Wang Fu glanced into the distance and explained: "It should be testing the toughness and sharpness of the new cast iron sword."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw a public official in the distance taking out a sword from a bamboo basket and stretching his right arm to hang it. Another public official took out an iron sword with a somewhat different style from another bamboo basket.
The sword came, and after taking a deep breath, he struck hard at the sword hanging flat.
There was just a bang, and the iron sword hanging flat broke from it.
Seeing this, the third official took a few steps closer and carefully inspected the sword in the second official's hand. He saw that there were obvious gaps in the sword. He shook his head in disappointment and wrote down a few words on the booklet with the brush in his hand.
Pen.
"This is a failure." Wang Fu also sighed and explained to Zhao Hongrun with some embarrassment: "Simply extending the number of forgings did not improve the hardness of the iron sword. It is still at the level of twenty forgings."
At this time, Mu Qing, the clan guard behind Zhao Hongrun, heard this and interjected with a puzzled look on his face and asked: "Isn't it said that thirty-forged iron has been smelted?"
Bureau Chief Wang Fu was stunned for a moment, then lowered his voice and explained to Zhao Hongrun and others: "In fact, the number of forgings. Just the number of times of tempering and quenching the iron embryo does not mean that the forging of thirty irons is definitely better than the number of forgings of twenty.
Tenacity…”
Mu Qing scratched his head in embarrassment.
At this time, Wang Fu returned to his normal voice and said: "At the moment, the more mature craft in our Smelting Bureau is twenty-five-meter forged iron. Well, in fact, the craftsmen in our Smelting Bureau are used to calling it Bibo.
Iron is made by a craftsman named Bibo who improved the specific gravity of iron-gold (ore metal) of the original wrought iron. A rare white iron ore was added to the original iron embryo, and after shaping it, it became
The ordinary twenty-forged iron sword has slightly increased toughness, but it still has not reached the standard of thirty-forged iron by the craftsmen in the bureau."
"The standard of thirty forged iron? What is that?" Zongwei Shen Yu asked curiously.
I saw Wang Fu licking his lips and whispering: "Cut an iron sword made of twenty wrought irons, and the blade will not be damaged."
Hearing this, the group of clan guards behind Zhao Hongrun couldn't help but exclaimed in surprise.
Only Zhao Hongrun glanced at Wang Fu with a strange expression.
Is that steel you're talking about?... It's difficult to use the process of making iron from a block to make steel... Tsk tsk.
Zhao Hongrun shook his head slightly.
After that, Wang Fu took Zhao Hongrun to a large shed in the Smelting Bureau.
The so-called work shed refers to the working place of the craftsmen in the Smelting Bureau.
At first glance, they are actually just simple sheds, with cast iron stoves, iron shelves, and some corresponding tools, such as fire tongs, etc. placed in the sheds.
Wang Fu and Zhao Hongrun randomly chose a work shed and stopped. In that work shed, a blacksmith was casting iron. He repeatedly hammered the iron embryo with a hammer to cast it into the shape of an iron sword.
.
Perhaps he suddenly realized that there were several people standing outside his work shed. The blacksmith raised his head in surprise.
He naturally recognized the Bureau Chief Wang Fu, but the blacksmith obviously did not recognize the brightly dressed Zhao Hongrun and others beside Wang Fu. Therefore, he looked at Wang Fu doubtfully, as if he was guessing who the Bureau Chief Wang was.
Why did I bring a man who looked like a rich man to an important place like the work shed that no one else could enter?
Seeing this, Wang Fu reminded the blacksmith: "Continue!"
The blacksmith nodded, as if to say hello to Wang Fu, and then began to hammer the iron embryo on the hammer again.
After watching for a while, Wang Fu guided Zhao Hongrun and others to continue walking deeper into the Smelting Bureau. As he walked, he explained: "As your highness can see, our Smelting Bureau also makes weapons and shields, but this is just
It is used to test the toughness and sharpness of wrought iron. After this process becomes mature, I will smelt it.
Then he handed it over to the Military Casting Bureau of the Ministry of War." As he spoke, he added with some pride: "In fact, regardless of the craftsmanship used by the Military Casting Bureau in previous years to cast weapons, it is this year that the Ministry of War is preparing to update the Garrison Six.
The Biba iron craftsmanship put into use during the camp's military preparations are all technologies inherited from our Smelting Bureau."
Immediately afterwards, Bureau Chief Wang Fu took Zhao Hongrun to visit the other facilities in the Smelting Bureau one after another, giving Zhao Hongrun a general understanding of the Smelting Bureau.
poverty!
Yes, after visiting the entire smelting bureau, what impressed Zhao Hongrun the most was that this department was so poor.
It is obviously the technology research and development department of Dawei, but what are the most common facilities in this department?
It's a work shed!
A shoddy work shed!
Zhao Hongrun could hardly imagine that those blacksmiths had repeatedly improved the iron smelting technology of the Wei Dynasty under such crude conditions.
What’s even more incredible is that the iron smelting process of the Smelting Bureau is obviously for the Ministry of War, but the iron ore, wood, coal and other materials applied to the Ministry of Household Affairs are still hung on the Smelting Bureau. Isn’t this pure?
Working for the Ministry of War?
To put it bluntly, except for the meager salary income, the craftsmen in the Smelting Bureau received no other subsidies. Even Bibo, the craftsman who improved Bibo Iron, only received two hundred taels from Emperor Wei.
It's just a reward.
After that, the Ministry of War took over the new technology of the Metallurgical Manufacturing Bureau without any indication, and was preparing to use it in this year's batch of weapons to replace the armaments of the Sixth Battalion of the garrison.
After watching for a while, Zhao Hongrun shook his head, frowned and said: "Wang Jucheng, to be honest, I am a little disappointed with the current situation of our Smelting Bureau. I can't understand, why don't we improve the facilities in the bureau?...Yes
Okay, I have seen that you are so poor. I just wonder why you don't want to find some way to get some money to improve the facilities in the bureau? In my opinion, those sheds should be demolished and replaced with brick and stone houses.
"
Perhaps because of what Zhao Hongrun said, Wang Fu showed a hint of fear on his face, and he quickly explained: "Your Highness, don't worry, this year our Smelting and Manufacturing Bureau will receive a lot of work from the Weapon Casting Bureau. By then, the money will be available."
Used to renovate those work sheds and replace them with the brick houses His Highness mentioned."
"Huh?" Zhao Hongrun suddenly stopped when he heard this and looked at Wang Fu in disbelief.
But Wang Fu got it wrong and added: "Xiaguan means that this year the Ministry of War is not going to build large quantities of armaments. According to the practice of previous years, the Ordnance Foundry Bureau will ask our Smelting Bureau to help build iron embryos...
…”
I'm going!
Listening to Wang Fu's explanation, Zhao Hongrun almost spit out a mouthful of blood.
He never expected that Wang Fu would actually interpret what he meant by making money as working for the Ministry of War's Weapon Casting Bureau and doing odd jobs.
"Is this how you used to make money?" Zhao Hongrun asked with wide eyes.
Wang Fu opened his mouth and added in a low voice: "Sometimes the Ministry of Revenue will ask us..."
But before he could finish speaking, Zhao Hongrun raised his hand to interrupt him.
"I finally understand why the Ministry of Industry is at the bottom of the six ministries, and the Metallurgical Bureau is even at the bottom of the bottom."
"..." Upon hearing this, Chief Wang Fu's face turned red and white. It was obvious that he was a little embarrassed and ashamed.
However, Zhao Hongrun seemed to have seen through the thoughts of Bureau Chief Wang Fu, and frowned and said: "It is not you, let alone me, the Metallurgical Bureau, who should be ashamed, but those gangs... Forget it, from today on, the Metallurgical Bureau will only develop new products.
I will handle the rest of the craftsmanship."
The Chief of Bureau, Wang Fu, was stunned for a moment when he heard this, and he quickly raised his hands and said, "Yes, Your Highness, Prince Su."
"In addition, I will give you one hundred thousand taels. With this money, you can ask me, the Construction Department of the Ministry of Industry, to renovate and renovate the facilities in our Smelting Bureau. I will tear down all those sheds and replace them with bricks and tiles."
house."
"Ten...ten..." Wang Fu looked surprised.
Zhao Hongrun didn't bother to pay attention to whether Wang Fu was talking about yes or ten, and continued to give the order in a tone that left no room for doubt: "For the remaining silver coins, you ask someone to build a money bank in the bureau and pile the remaining money and belongings in it..."
From today on, our Smelting and Manufacturing Bureau will build its own money bank and take charge of its own financial expenditures. Furthermore, we will no longer apply for any funds from the Ministry of Household Affairs, but in exchange, any government office in the future, including the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, will
, whenever you need to use our Smelting Bureau, you need to pay a sum of money as a reward!"
"This..." Wang Fu suppressed the horror in his heart and whispered: "I'm afraid it's not appropriate?"
"What's inappropriate?" Zhao Hongrun frowned and said without refutation: "In short, our Smelting Bureau will fend for itself from today on... If anyone in the court is dissatisfied, ask them to come and argue with me!"
"……yes."
On the same day, news came out from the government and the public that shocked many people. It was said that the Smelting and Manufacturing Bureau of the Ministry of Industry, headed by King Su Zhao Hongrun, announced that it would no longer provide free assistance to any government agencies in building any tools. At the same time, it ended all policies including the Ministry of War.
Including the Military Casting Bureau, we have had cooperative relationships with any ministries and departments in the past.
What on earth does that boy want to do?
In the Chui Gong Hall, Emperor Wei carefully read through the news about the Smelting Bureau presented by the eunuch, and couldn't help but fell into deep thought. (To be continued.)