The name of the Anlu County engineer is "Shi", Shi, suitable for Sui, Sui for cutting feet to fit shoes.
His family was originally a leatherworker from Shangqiu in the Song Dynasty. According to the elders of the family, they followed the Mohist family to the Chu State more than a hundred years ago, but that is not important. After entering the Chu State, their family made leather for the King E of the Chu State for generations. Jing Youyunmeng
, rhinoceros and elk are full of them, so it is perfect for making armor and leather.
After the Qin State captured Jianghan and established Nanjun, their family became a native of Baigong and lived in the government. Because the Qin State also established a reward and punishment system in the handicraft industry, the armor leather made by their family was excellent and was rated as one of the best for three consecutive years.
As the "best" craftsman, he was awarded the title of Duke. From then on, he had a higher status than other craftsmen.
By Shi's generation, the title had been handed down for three generations, and he had performed meritorious services many times. He was promoted from Gongshi to Bu Geng, and Shi became the county engineer. Although he was only an official with two hundred stones, it was the limit of what a craftsman could hope for.
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When he reaches his status, he no longer needs to cut fur and make armor leather by himself, but the engineer's daily work has not eased at all. The county engineer is equivalent to the county industrial and commercial bureau in later generations, and several departments of the Mineral Resources Bureau are combined together.
There are really too many things to take care of...
The first thing he needs to take good care of is the government-run workshops in Anlu County.
Anlu County is a large county, with tens of thousands of households having great needs for food, clothing, housing and transportation, so there are many workshops.
His family's specialty is leather cutting, and they process the hides of wild beasts shipped from around Yunmengze every day, or the hides of livestock collected from various villages. It should be noted that even if the cows in the stables die,
, the meat, skin, tendons, and horns of this cow are not allowed to be taken by local people, but should be handed over to the government. The government will sell the meat to the public, and the leather will be handed over to the workshop, where it will be tanned, scraped, and rubbed.
Most of them were cut into pieces of armor, then woven into armor, and continuously sent to the arsenal for storage, until they were equipped on county soldiers during wartime...
In addition, there are also wood-cutting houses for making carts and boats; gold-cutting houses for smelting farm tools and weapons; and Bohuan craftsmen for making various large and small pottery and measuring utensils...
The people who work in these government-run workshops, in addition to ordinary craftsmen, also have many workers' subordinates and concubines. Most of them committed crimes and were punished as slaves, and were assigned to the workshops to do mining and skin scraping.
The hard work and dirty work.
Just after the first day of the twelfth lunar month, Anlu County was still shrouded in thick white fog. The engineer Shi Shi had already gotten up and went to inspect the workshop to see if the craftsmen and officials had started work on time.
There was no room for him to be careless, because a few days ago, the county commander issued a new order from Xianyang, requiring all counties in Nanjun to increase the production of armor, shields, and weapons this year. The output has doubled compared to previous years!
People in the Engineering Division have speculated that with so many armored soldiers being produced in the border counties, the king may be planning to use troops against the Chu State, either this year or next year!
When it comes to armaments, the engineer is worried. He can guarantee the output, but the key lies in the quality of the armor and the size of the weapons. It is really difficult to meet the standards.
When Nanjun sent someone to inspect last year, he was fined two armors because the weapons made in the workshop did not meet the standard size, and he lost more than 8,000 yuan. This year, the county's requirements were even more stringent, and Engineer Shi had to urge him.
Each workshop is working overtime.
Therefore, when the engineer was inspecting, he said earnestly to the craftsmen: "There is a law that says that if a vessel is the same as an object, its size, length, and breadth must be the same! When you are handling weapons, especially weapons and containers, you must be careful.
The size is the same. Each item has the name of the craftsman on it. If you are careless and let the county find out that the size is different, the craftsman will definitely investigate it to the end and punish it severely!"
What made the craftsmen most angry was this regulation. Craftsmen of the Qin State must cast utensils according to the fixed standards set by Xianyang.
For example, the local Tao Sheng used to measure rice must be made according to the "Shang Yang Square Sheng" model in Xianyang that has been passed down for more than a hundred years. The volume of sixteen and one-fifth cubic inches is determined as one liter. Dannan County
When the officials came to inspect, Anlu's Fang Sheng found that the error should not exceed 5%, otherwise it would be a violation.
This is especially true for weapons. When making crossbows, it is necessary to ensure that the different hanging knives made by different craftsmen in Anlu County and Jingling County are of the same size, so that they can be installed on the crossbow made in Jiangling County...
Engineer Shi didn't know that some people in later generations would call this extremely demanding process "standardized production." He only knew that if unqualified armored soldiers appeared for three consecutive years, he, as an engineer, would have reached the end of his career. Perhaps the title of knighthood
They all have to be shaved off, so they can continue to work in the family's old business and scratch their skin...
Therefore, when the engineer returned to the courtyard where the government office was located, and before he took off his heavy winter clothes, he heard someone coming outside to offer a "grain-pounding artifact", and he was very impatient.
"Are there any craftsmen from the countryside coming to offer treasures?"
The Qin State has strict rewards and punishments, so the small craftsmen in the countryside often hope to be rewarded for the things they offer, such as being exempted from one shift, or being rewarded with hundreds of dollars. However, people in remote areas often treat something as a treasure if they get it, but it is actually mediocre.
Unsurprisingly, Gong Shishi has seen a lot of things, so how could it be possible that everyone sent them "He's Bi"?
The story of He's Bi is widely circulated in Nanjun. It happened in the Chu State hundreds of years ago. Bian He, a Chu State man, offered the Bi twice, but both times were considered fake and he was cut into pieces. His two feet were cut off.
They were all gone. It was not until the third time that they were accepted, and from then on, the world’s most precious treasure, the Clan Jade, was born...
But the state of Qin is not the king of Chu. As long as the people who come to offer artifacts have not done anything beyond their duties, no matter whether they are good or bad, they have to accept it. And then tell them in a pleasant manner that this thing is useless and they will not get any reward. You wait.
Where can I stay cool and stay...
Therefore, even though Gong Shishi didn't want to see them, he still had the two treasure presenters from Yunmengxiang brought up. It was just a waste of half a moment.
Not long after, two people carried an object into the yard of the Engineer's Office, attracting the attention of all the officials in the yard.
The person walking in front was a seven-and-a-half-foot-tall young man, with a brown cap on his head, and wearing soap-colored linen clothes. He was obviously a gentleman. The person behind was eight feet tall. Judging from his appearance, he was probably a soldier or craftsman.
When he arrived, he put down the things in his hands and bowed to the engineer skillfully: "In the sunset in Yunmeng Township, Master Heifu, the craftsman with a citron, has seen the engineer!"
Citron on the side also followed suit and bowed clumsily.
"Black husband?"
The name seemed familiar to the engineer, and the clerk next to him told him that this was the warrior who became famous for capturing three thieves in October.
"What a strong man!"
At that time, warriors were valued, so engineers had to praise them, and their attitude toward the two of them became a little better, so they were allowed to enter the house. After checking their bodies, they began to be patient and listened to Mr. Hei.
Introducing the artifact they brought to the county seat...
"I dare to tell the engineer that this thing is called a treadle, and it was made by accident by my sister-in-law..."
After listening to the introduction, the engineer couldn't help but be suspicious. From ancient times to the present, rice has been pounded with one hand, but the two people in front of him said that it can be pounded with wooden poles by foot, which is faster and more labor-saving?
“Can this thing really help pound rice with twice the result with half the effort?”
"Engineer, please look at this. This is the record I made for my sister-in-law."
Hei Fu took out a piece of wood and handed it over. When the engineer took a look, he saw that it was densely written with the records of using a treadmill to pound rice every day for more than half a month. Every time, Hei Fu looked at the sun and started pounding rice.
In about half an hour, the amount of millet that was pounded ranged from 5 to 7 bushels, and once even 8 bushels were pounded!
The more the county engineer looked at it, the more surprised he became. Firstly, he was surprised that Heifu recorded it so carefully, as if everything was within his plan. Secondly, he was doubtful that this treadmill could really grind so much grain in half an hour?
The officials of the State of Qin paid great attention to practical results, and the county engineers did not waste time asking questions. After giving an order, two petty officials came up with several workers and ministers.
"Carry it to the county warehouse! You will know if it is true or false after you try it!"
His engineer's office was not as good as that of the county magistrate. The magistrate's official office had only a small courtyard, a few rooms for offices, and the county warehouse behind the courtyard.
The county warehouse not only has ready-made stone mortars and mountains of millet and rice, but also nearly a hundred concubine slaves who are serving the punishment of "pounding" and are responsible for pounding grain.
Hei Fu stood up again and made a suggestion: "Engineer, it is best to let two concubines of about the same height and strength use the treadmill, pestle and mortar to pound the grain at the same time, so that the difference will be more obvious."
"That makes sense."
The engineer Shi nodded, accepted his opinion, and said: "You two will also go to the county warehouse together to teach the concubines how to use it, and everything will be clear to you."
Hei Fu looked embarrassed: "I haven't told the engineer yet. Hei Fu is just accompanying my sister-in-law this time. I have something urgent and I have to go first..."
"Presumptuous!" Gong Shishi was a little unhappy: "Since you are here to present the utensils, you should wait until the results come out. Why are you so anxious? Could it be that you are anxious to become an official?" The reason why he said this was because today
It's the first day of December, the day when officials at all levels begin to be selected.
Coincidentally, Heifu was really in a hurry to interview as an official.
Hei Fu nodded helplessly, pointed to the wall and said: "Engineer, I won't go far, it's at the government office next door."
Engineer Shi was stunned: "The yard next door is where the county officials manage their affairs. Do you really want to..."
Heifu smiled and said: "Of course, I was recruited by the county and ordered to be evaluated by the chief officials to see if I am qualified for the post of Huyang Pavilion Chief. The evaluation is today. I hope the engineer will understand. The time is coming, I
We really need to take the first step!"
…
PS:
"Counties, capital officials, and twelve counties are exempted from officials, assistants, and officials. They will be exempted on the first day of the twelfth lunar month and end in the third month." - "Eighteen Types of Qin Code. Regulations for Setting Officials"
"If utensils are the same as objects, their size, length, length and breadth must also be equal." - "Eighteen Types of Qin Laws. Gonglu", well, this is the textual basis for the "standardized production" of the Qin Dynasty on the Internet. As for the final calculation