"The crown prince also told me about the secrecy of this technology, and also suggested that in addition to controlling the family of the craftsman, it is best to choose a craftsman who has no family background." Li Shi thought for a while and said, "Wei Qing, let's talk about it carefully." ”

Wei Renshi nodded and said: "Your Majesty, what Weichen said about technical secrecy means that in order to safeguard the technical rights and interests of our Datang, we should formulate a set of clear and specific confidentiality regulations, form national norms, and then take various protective measures to protect the skills and achievements of our Datang in accordance with the national standard procedures, and not be learned by personnel from other countries." ”

"Do you mean, just like my dynasty strictly prohibits the private casting of 100 steel, and prohibits the spread of 100 steel-making weapons?" Li Shi frowned and said, "I naturally know the stakes, since the founding of the country, there has been a rule that strictly prohibits weapons from being sold to other countries. ”

"Your Majesty, Weichen feels that it is far from enough to achieve this level, and he has not maximized our technological leadership." Wei Renshi saluted Li Shi and said, "Your Majesty, let's talk about what is technological leadership first. For example, just like growing grain, the people of the Central Plains have been growing grain for generations, knowing when to sow seeds, when to water, when to fertilize, when to weed, and when to harvest. What we know is the technology for growing food. Because of these technologies, as long as there are no natural and man-made disasters and no chaos in the world, the people of the Central Plains can rely on this kind of grain planting technology to cultivate the fields and then harvest a lot of grain. The Uighurs and Tibetans don't know how to get seeds, when to plant seeds, what can be planted in a certain place, and they don't have these techniques for growing grain, so they can't eat grain, they can only eat beef and mutton, they can only spend money to buy grain from the Central Plains, and even if they give them grain, they won't farm. In contrast, it is natural that the Central Plains people profit. Your Majesty, this is the technological advantage. Nowadays, our Datang has many skills that are far ahead of other countries around us, such as the 100 steelmaking technology you just mentioned. We have the technology of 100 steel, so we can make 100 steel knives, which are more tough and sharp, and more hard. The Hui and Tubo people did not have this technology, so they could not make a hundred steel knives. In this way, we have an advantage in weapons when fighting. But if one day they learn the technology of 100 steelmaking, they will also be able to make 100 steel knives, and at that time, our advantage in weapons will not exist. ”

Wei Renshi explained to Li Shi: "On the other hand, the Hui people have better horse training and horse raising skills, so their war horses are stronger than ours, have better physical strength, and run faster. And we don't have this kind of horse raising technology, so our war horses are not as good as the Hui people, so the Hui people have a lot of war horses, but because we don't know how to raise, so they are gradually exhausted, after all, there is still no war horse as good as the Hui people. But if one day we get that kind of horse raising technology, we can also raise good war horses according to this technology, then the advantage of Hui Hui no longer exists. Therefore, it plays a very important role in the secrecy of leading technology. ”

Wei Qing continued. Li Shi listened thoughtfully.

"After these examples, I believe that Your Majesty has understood the importance of technical secrecy. On the other hand, in China, the technical secrecy work is actually very inadequate. Listing these important confidential technologies separately and placing them under the responsibility of a separate specialized agency is only the first step in the work of technical secrecy. Subsequently, there is also the aspect of personnel selection, as well as the aspect of related personnel. His Majesty and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince have noticed that it is very effective to choose homeless craftsmen and avoid coercion. Or gather the craftsmen's families together in a separate place for the craftsmen's families to live in, and send troops to protect them, so that the craftsmen can not only feel at ease, but also can make the craftsmen's families become hostages in our hands, so as to prevent any craftsmen from being bought, which is also very effective. In addition, it is also very important to use a set of effective production methods to avoid a single craftsman knowing all the processes and each link of a certain confidential object as much as possible......"

"Wait, Wei Qing, I understand both of what you said earlier." Li Shi interrupted Wei Renshi's words and said to him: "But what Wei Qing said, avoid letting craftsmen know the production of confidential objects, but I want to ask, if you don't let craftsmen know how to make them, then how can this thing be made?" ”

Wei Renshi smiled and replied, "Your Majesty, have you forgotten the production method of the standardized assembly line that I gave to Your Majesty before?" A craftsman is only responsible for one of the joints, so that it is natural to minimize the phenomenon of a person having a comprehensive understanding of every aspect of a confidential object from beginning to end. ”

It would be a great gain if we could make the people realize that the status of technical secrecy is the most important thing. The emperor's attitude can not only ensure that the advanced technology of the Tang Dynasty will not be stolen by foreign enemies in the future, but also form an atmosphere in the entire Tang Dynasty, and also make a start for the emperor who succeeded to the throne later, leaving a rule.

After all, technical secrecy is too important.

Science and technology are the primary productive forces, and maintaining the advanced nature of technology is a country's greatest advantage.

Li Shi was silent, bowing his head and thinking. After a long time, he raised his head again and said to Wei Renshi: "What Wei Qing said is not unreasonable. Not to mention anything else, if this method of steel smelting is passed on, it will be learned by the feudal towns, or by the Tubo and Hui families, and the impact on the imperial court will be no less than a natural disaster, and it may even be a catastrophe! That being the case, I granted the prince's request. ”

"Your Majesty Shengming!" Wei Renshi was overjoyed when he saw that Li Shi finally agreed, and hurriedly sent it away, and then said: "If Your Majesty wants to establish such an institution, then Weichen still has a few suggestions. ”

"Wei Qing said." Li Shi said.

"The purpose of this organization is to continuously improve existing technologies or create better ones. Since it is carried out around technology, then Weichen suggested that the people in it should mainly be craftsmen who know a certain technology, less masters, and more craftsmen. Wei Renshi said: "In addition, the imperial court keeps this institution strictly secret, and even the courtiers should know as few people as possible about the existence of such an institution." ”

Li Shi thought for a while and said, "Yes, now that I think about it, this part is very important, and I must do it." ”