By mid-April, the sheds in the smelting bureau had been dismantled, and all the iron-striking utensils such as stoves and anvils in the sheds had been removed.

At this time, Xu Jiong, the construction secretary who was in charge of the new shed project of the Metallurgical Manufacturing Bureau, also personally sent the changed workshop design drawings to Zhao Hongrun.

To be honest, this is the first time Zhao Hongrun has dealt with Xu Jiong, the Silang of the Construction Division.

The Construction Division, also known as the Camp Repair Department or the Camp Department, is the department responsible for civil engineering under the Ministry of Industry, from repairing city walls and building cities to repairing the palaces and houses of various government offices in Daliang City.

Even, even if Zhao Hongrun wants to renovate various official roads in China in the future, he will have to go through the Construction Division.

In fact, each department of the Ministry of Industry has several times more personnel than the other five departments, but many people are not in Daliang, but are responsible for construction matters locally.

It is a pity that although the personnel of the Ministry of Industry occupy the first of the six ministries, their status has always been at the bottom of the six ministries, even if Zhao Hongrun is now in charge of the Smelting Bureau, which has improved the status of the Ministry of Industry in disguise, it cannot make the other five ministries of the imperial court completely change the prejudice against the officials of the Ministry of Industry.

"Lao Xu Shilang personally designed the drawings of my smelting bureau's workshop, and this king really doesn't want to go."

"What His Royal Highness King Su said, this is a major event of the Smelting Bureau, and our Ministry of Industry will still rely on the standards of the Smelting Bureau in the future."

is the so-called family member, therefore, whether it is Zhao Hongrun or Xu Jiong, the director of the construction department, they are all very polite to each other.

In fact, the officials of the Ministry of Industry are also the most united of the six ministries, and it is not difficult to guess why.

Zhao Hongrun took the drawings. After a few careful glances, I have to say that Xu Jiong is worthy of building houses, and the drawings he drew by himself, even Zhao Hongrun can't find any faults, and what is even more commendable is that. Xu Jiong's drawings in the design workshop used the "Su's New Regulations" formulated by Zhao Hongrun two days ago, which made Zhao Hongrun's impression of Xu Jiong and even the Construction Division even higher by several grades.

"This king is very satisfied, so let's build according to this drawing." Handing back the drawings in his hand to Xu Jiong, Zhao Hongrun thought for a while and asked, "Xu Shilang, do you have any projects in the hands of the battalion headquarters recently?" ”

I saw Xu Jiong carefully fold the drawings, and asked suspiciously, "What does His Royal Highness King Su command?" ”

"This king just asks casually."

"Oh." Xu Jiong thought for a while and said, "For now." There are only two projects in the hands of our battalion headquarters, one of which is Wei Mu, the general of the garrison in Nanyan, who entrusted our battalion headquarters to repair several official roads in Nanyan, Hedong, and Shangdang, so as to facilitate the transfer of troops from Nanyan and reinforcements to Shangdang. ”

"Going to the party?" Zhao Hongrun was stunned when he heard this, and the fox asked: "What is the movement of South Korea in the north?" ”

Xu Jiong stroked his beard. He lowered his voice and said: "According to rumors, His Royal Highness King Su attacked the Chu State. South Korea may have signs of troops coming out of the "Tianmen" and "Mengmen" passes, but fortunately, the Southern Yan General Wei Mu and His Royal Highness the King of Yan transferred troops in time and settled in the "Yiguan" and "Shanyang" places, and the Han did not act rashly. …… It is said that if it weren't for His Royal Highness King Su to force Chu to make peace in time, Shanyang would be there. It almost got into a fight. ”

Speaking of this, Xu Jiong sighed slightly.

In fact, when the Wei people mentioned the two passes of "Tianmen" and "Mengmen", they probably would not be in a good mood, because of these two passes. It was once two passes built by the Wei people to block the Korean army, and it was once the northern barrier of the Wei state.

Who would have thought that after the defeat of the Shangdang in the first battle, the Wei people lost these two Xiongguan, and now these two Xiongguan have become the bridgehead for South Korea to eyeing the Great Wei, and it will not be so easy to get it back.

In desperation, the Wei people had no choice but to build another Xiongguan on the south side of Tianmen, which was the "Yiguan".

However, the completion of the "Yiguan", although the Korean army blocking Tianmen, made Shanyang City the target of everyone, and now, Zhao Hongrun's fourth brother, Yanwang Hongjiang, is leading the army to be stationed in Shanyang, confronting the Korean army of "Mengmen Pass".

Yiguan and Shanyang, these two places have now become strategic points for the Wei people to retain the little territory of Shangdang, once they lose these two places, it means that the Wei people will have to withdraw from Shangdang, and even Hedong will have a large territory to be seized by the Koreans.

"Zhao Hongjiang actually led the army to garrison the border of the front line in person?"

Zhao Hongrun was really a little surprised in his heart.

To be honest, he doesn't have a good impression of this fourth brother, because in his opinion, Zhao Hongjiang is an arrogant and reckless guy, and he is not a fellow traveler at all, but it is undeniable that Zhao Hongrun is quite moved by the sacrifice made by this fourth brother like the sixth brother Zhao Hongzhao.

It's just that Zhao Hongrun originally thought that Zhao Hongjiang was in Nanyan, but he didn't expect that this fourth brother would be on the most threatening Shanyang front.

You must know that if the Koreans really use troops against the Great Wei, then the first city to fight will be Shanyang nine times out of ten!

"The armament of the Koreans is not far from my Great Wei......

Zhao Hongrun seemed to feel some kind of pressure, after all, South Korea is known as having 100,000 iron cavalry, although the national population is far less huge than that of Chu, but the combat effectiveness of its army is far from being comparable to those peasant soldiers of Xuancheng Jun Xiongtuo, that is, the elite cavalry that once beat the chariot troops of the Great Wei to a stream!

"What about another project?" Zhao Hongrun asked.

"There is another one, which is the water department that assists my Ministry of Engineering." Xu Jiong, the construction secretary, said with a smile: "Your Highness also knows that the Ministry of Water is rectifying and sorting out the waterways of Sanchuan County, heh, this is a project that has lasted for nearly ten years, and our Ministry of Industry, I am afraid that there will be no time to breathe in the next ten years." ”

Zhao Hongrun nodded when he heard this, as he said in the past, the officials of the Ministry of Industry enjoy the lowest treatment among the six ministries of the imperial court, but they do the hardest and most tiring work in the country, and it is commendable that although these officials of the Ministry of Industry have complained, they have always been conscientiously fulfilling their responsibilities and obligations.

"In short, there is Lao Xu Shilang."

"How dare you."

After some politeness, Zhao Hongrun personally sent Xu Jiong outside the house.

After sending Xu Jiong away, he returned to his seat and sat down, sorting out all the thoughts in his heart.

Although Zhao Hongrun is very aware of the importance of the Ministry of Industry, and at the same time hopes to help the Ministry of Industry, it is a pity that he alone is not enough to improve the status of the Ministry of Industry in the six ministries of the imperial court, unless his father, Emperor Wei Tianzi, speaks up and increases the power of the Ministry of Industry.

It's a pity that Wei Tianzi can't do what Zhao Hongrun wants, he will only say like that at most: "If you have the ability, find a way to improve the status of the Ministry of Industry." ”

Yes, whether it is for Zhao Hongrun or for the rest of his sons, Wei Tianzi will never take the initiative to help them, maybe in Wei Tianzi's opinion, this is an opportunity for the sons to hone themselves, and how can they easily interfere.

"Forget it, let's take care of our own one-third of an acre of land first."

Sighing slightly, Zhao Hongrun continued to think about how to target the reform of the Smelting Bureau.

It is undeniable that although the Smelting Bureau has always been at the bottom of the six departments and twenty-four departments of the imperial court, its technical strength, throughout the entire imperial court, is comparable to only a few departments.

For example, in terms of iron smelting, only the Military Casting Bureau of the Ministry of War can keep pace with the Smelting Bureau; In terms of large-scale equipment construction, only the Ministry of Industry can compete with the Smelting Bureau; As for the construction aspect, the Metallurgical Manufacturing Bureau also has the technology of the battalion headquarters that is not inferior to that of the Ministry of Industry.

All in all, the Metallurgical Manufacturing Bureau is a very comprehensive technical department, and the only factor that restricts this department is the capital and treatment.

As far as Zhao Hongyun knows, there are many departments and offices of the six ministries and 24 departments of the DPRK and the Central Committee of the DPRK and the Central Committee of the DPRK and China in the past, which regarded the Metallurgical Bureau as the forefront of technology. It's just that some of them don't talk like that, while absorbing the technology of the Smelting Bureau, they sneered at the Smelting Bureau, and over time, the Smelting Bureau was reduced to a typical example of doing white work for others.

"In order to improve the status of the Metallurgical Bureau, it seems that the technology must be blocked, but this trick will not cure the symptoms, and the best way is to continue to improve the technology, and upgrade the technology to a point where it is difficult for other ministries and departments to imitate......

Zhao Hongrun gradually had an idea.

"Do you want to get some black technology out......

Zhao Hongrun gently scraped his chin with his fingers, pensive.

The "black technology" he thinks about in his mind certainly does not refer to the technology that cannot be proven and developed in some science fiction novels, but only the technology that surpasses contemporary technology.

For example, the steam engine.

I remember that as early as when he was fighting with the army of Xiong Tuo, the king of Xuancheng, Zhao Hongrun had transformed the two hundred chariots into a hideous battlefield beast, and its solid defense became a nightmare for countless Chu soldiers.

The cost of increased defense is a great reduction in mobility, and even with the help of rope-hooked peripherals, eight horses can pull those chariots, which will not be much faster than the lightly armed infantry when they run.

And if it is increasing the defense, or increasing the crossbowmen on the chariots, this will completely limit the mobility of the chariots, to put it simply, if it is transformed according to Zhao Hongrun's most desirable way, the horsepower alone is not enough to drag those chariots.

At this time, a power system that goes beyond horsepower is needed to carry these vehicles, such as the steam engine.

It's a pity that although Zhao Hongrun can draw the most rudimentary steam engine, there are some necessary parts in the steam engine system, and Dawei currently does not have the strength to build it.

Therefore, although he regretted it, Zhao Hongrun could only temporarily suppress this tempting idea in his heart, because he knew very well that the technology of the Smelting Bureau was far from reaching the point of creating such contemporary black technology.

The smelting bureau can't even make steel rods, screws, nuts, gears, springs, wires and other parts, let alone anything else?

If it is forcibly built, it will at best pull out the seedlings and help them grow, and in the end, you will not get the slightest harvest from the hard work.

"Come on, tell those people to keep striking iron......

Zhao Hongrun gave up the so-called black technology with some frustration, and was ready to start from the basics honestly.

However, when he turned his attention to carpentry, his heart suddenly moved.

"Carpentry? Trap ...... Lu Guo Trick!!' (To be continued.) )