Beijing, Ministry of Industry?

Xie Hong was taken aback, the two had just met, and it was not a serious matter to open this teahouse by himself, why did this Lord Shangshu suddenly make such an invitation?

Hearing the word Beijing, he was also a little moved, but after thinking about it, it was still not right, there was still a Liu Jin in the capital who posed a threat to him. Besides, he is not as ignorant as he was when he just crossed over, in the Ming Dynasty, if he wants to be an official, or in the six departments of the Ming Dynasty, it is unthinkable that he has no background.

Not to mention that he doesn't even have a reputation for raising people, even if he is from the same Jinshi, when he meets a colleague with a similar position as himself, he has to be a head shorter, and it is strange that he can be promoted only after a show.

At first, Xie Hong wanted to get close to Zhengde only because he was familiar with it, but after a few months in the yamen, he found that in this era, the only way he could have status and power was to get close to Zhengde by his craft.

"Uncle Zeng, the little nephew doesn't understand...... Xie Hong didn't want to agree to this invitation, but it was not easy to say if he refused. This Zeng Shangshu was very kind when he saw him, and he had a relationship with Dong Ping, and most importantly, his invitation must have been out of kindness. Except for Xie Hong himself, who would have thought that he had always wanted to get close to the emperor?

"Hehe, Lord Zhang left in a hurry, without careful inspection, the old man wants to ask you, Xie Xian's nephew, your hall is built in a circle, in addition to placing more tables and chairs, there should be other intentions, right?" Xie Hong didn't accept his invitation, but Zeng Jian didn't care, but smiled and asked a seemingly irrelevant question.

"It turns out that Uncle Zeng also saw it." Xie Hongjian raised his eyebrows, this Zeng Zeng's vision is not simple, "The use of space is one thing, and the circular wall also has the effect of concentrating sound......

"The virtuous nephew is really proficient in the way of things, in addition to the round wall of Juyin, in the old man's view, your teahouse should have something special, otherwise the piano room is obviously on the second floor, why can you hear it so clearly on the first floor? When the wind and drums sounded, the sound seemed to come from all directions, and this was the real thing. ”

No wonder it will be Dong Ping's father's best friend, this Zeng Shangshu also seems to have the potential of a technical maniac, when it comes to technology, even the originally somewhat gray face is flushed with red light.

Xie Hong knows that the way of learning things is the ancient name for natural sciences such as physics and chemistry. What I didn't expect was that the mechanism that I thought was hidden was also seen through by this old man in such a short time, Xie Hong understood that this was really meeting a master.

Since the last time he made the piano with Dong Ping's help, Xie Hong has put away his contempt for the ancients. With his own craftsmanship, he may be regarded as outstanding in this era, but if he does not have the knowledge of later generations, he is just an ordinary famous craftsman. There are people outside the sky, at least the production method of the divine arm bow is something that Xie Hong can't think of anyway.

"Uncle Zeng's eyes are like torches, and he is really a fellow believer." Xie Hong praised it, and also tried to say, in the Ming Dynasty, it was not a glorious thing to have craftsmanship, even if it was the Ministry of Industry. He looked at Zeng Jian's expression carefully, but saw that the other party was still smiling and waiting for him to speak, knowing that he had acquiesced, he couldn't help but be a little excited.

After arriving in this era, except for the feeling of discussing technology with peers when talking to Dong Ping, when talking to others, the other party does not care. Even if it's a helper like Ma Wentao and a military household like Ma Ang, it's the same, and they don't look down on craftsmen.

The same is true of the dead eunuch in the capital, although he likes the treasures made by the craftsmen very much, he doesn't care about the craftsmen, and he doesn't even check whether Xie Hong is the maker of the treasures, but he just sent someone to follow Dong Chao once. Xie Hong didn't know how these people's concepts were formed, but this kind of atmosphere did make him very depressed.

This official worship of Shangshu Zeng is also a fellow practitioner, Xie Hong was very excited, and did not reserve, and said carefully: "Actually, whether it is the sound of the piano, the sound of the wind or the sound of drums, it all comes from the piano room. However, it is not a normal transmission, but through these tubes......" He pointed to a few corners, Zeng Jian and Dong Ping looked over, and sure enough, they saw some very hidden tubes.

"The openings of these pipes are trumpet-shaped, and they are also ...... in the piano room" Xie Hong's things are equivalent to the original surround sound, of course, the effect is far worse than that of later generations, but fortunately, the space in this teahouse is not too big, for Xie Hong, this sound effect is not satisfactory.

"I see...... Xie Hong thought that he would have to explain in detail, but he saw that Zeng Jian was relieved, obviously he had understood.

"The old man heard from Dong Xian's nephew that Xie Xian's nephew had made two works before, and they were sent to the palace?"

"There is indeed such a thing...... Xie Hong didn't know how to answer for a while, although he was a fellow practitioner, he was also a scholar after all. Last time, he heard from the little eunuch from the palace that the court seemed to disagree with Zhengde's collection of playthings, and he didn't know if this Zeng master would ask for guilt.

"Xie Xian's nephew doesn't need to worry, the old man is different from the princes in the court, although he has a Jinshi background, he is actually just an old craftsman." Zeng Jian smiled indifferently, although his words were calm and light, Xie Hong still caught a trace of resentment in the old man's expression.

Dong Xian's nephew said that the former nephew had made a new musical instrument, and when the old man listened to that tune just now, there was indeed a musical instrument with a soft and light sound, could it be that new instrument? The old man's family history, back then he was also proud of his craftsmanship, and today he saw his nephew, so he knew that the world is big, and he can really produce many people, and the old man has lived for 70 years, but he is just a frog at the bottom of the well. ”

"If it weren't for Brother Dong's help, the little nephew would have been able to try indiscriminately, and the little nephew really couldn't stand the praise of Uncle Zeng." Xie Hong didn't dare to hold it up, after walking out of the small county town, he already knew that this era was not as simple as he originally thought, and the eyesight of the old man in front of him was extremely extraordinary.

"You can afford it, when the old man is your age, he doesn't have so many wonderful ideas. The old man originally didn't believe that there was really a life with longing wisdom, but now when I see it, the old man believes it, hehe. Zeng Jian said with a smile.

"Yes, Brother Xie, you don't have to be too humble, just say that the matter of casting steel wire, if there is no guidance from you, even if the foolish brother has the technique, there are not enough good materials to use, and you deserve Uncle Zeng's praise." Dong Ping also echoed that he was not interested in the clever things that Xie Hong made, but he had always been obsessed with Xie Hong's instructions on his steelmaking.

"There are not many young people who are as calm as you." Seeing that Xie Hong was still humble, Zeng Jian waved his hand to stop him, and brought up the previous topic again: "Nephew Xie Xian, do you wonder why the old man invited you to the capital?" ”

"Some, indeed." Xie Hong replied curtly. He originally wanted to ask the reason and then declined, but Zeng Jian diverted the topic and received some praise. was praised by such a big man, and Xie Hong's calmness couldn't help but be a little fluttery, and he almost forgot his original doubts.

"The virtuous nephew must have also seen that the old man's hand was originally holding a tool." Zeng Jian raised his hands and sighed: "It's not a secret, there are many people in the DPRK and China, and the old man is often criticized because of this." Dong Xian's nephew, your father and I have a good relationship, but there are many differences in identity, have you ever been a little strange? In fact, Dong Zeng's two families were originally world friends......"

Zeng Jian seemed to be talking to himself, telling the story.

It turns out that the ancestors of the Zeng family and the Dong family can be traced back to the Northern Song Dynasty, both of them are craftsmen in the interior, the Dong family is good at iron-making and steel-casting, and the Zeng family is the best at gunpowder equipment. Later, because of the war, the two families were also separated, but the descendants of later generations did not know how to recognize each other again, and the two families have intersected with each other since then, and the situation of the two families is similar, they are secretly inheriting their crafts, and they are passing on poems and books on the surface.

The situation of Zeng Jian and Dong Ping is quite similar, they are both in this generation, and there is only one son. In order not to lose his craft and not become a craftsman, Zeng Jian had to study and learn the craft at the same time. Fortunately, he is extremely talented, and even under the two distractions, he still achieves something.

It's just that he himself often sighs, if it weren't for the fact that the imperial examination took up too much energy, his craft could have reached a higher level.

"Talking about old things, it makes the two virtuous nephews smile, and when people are old, they will inevitably be a little verbose." Zeng Jian waved his hand and asked in a deep voice: "Nephew Xie Xian, you use the technique of casting steel wire in this new instrument, and this technique is derived from the former Song Dynasty Divine Arm Bow, do you know this Divine Arm Bow, what do you think?" ”

"The weapon of the nation." As a craftsman, how could Xie Hong not know about this divine weapon. Although the records of later generations are chaotic and inconsistent, the lowest rated record prevails, and the maximum range of the Divine Arm Bow is also as high as more than 300 meters. Three hundred meters! What a terrible number is this in the age of cold weapons?

China's bow and crossbow have been recorded since the pre-Qin and Han dynasties, and there are poems in Chu Ci: with Chu sword and Qin bow, the art of iron-making in the Warring States Period flourished in the south, and the bow and crossbow of the Qin State at this time can already be called the world with the art of iron-making.

In the Han Dynasty, the bow and crossbow of the Han army was even more prestigious, Li Ling was besieged by more than ten times the enemy army that year, and he was able to fight and retreat, the enemy army was difficult to advance, and the final defeat was because of the end of the arrow. At the end of the Han Dynasty, the bow array of Koji Yi broke the white horse righteousness of Gongsun Zhan, and the Zhuge crossbow was even more prestigious, until the Wuhu Rebellion, the bow and crossbow technique of the Central Plains declined.

Since the Tang and Song dynasties, China has revived, and the craftsmen of the Song Dynasty are far ahead of the world in all aspects of technology, and the same is true of the bow and crossbow technique, and the divine arm bow is the work of its culmination. Although the truth has been annihilated in the long river of history, but just by the few words recorded in the annals, Xie Hong can imagine the power of this weapon.

The weapon of the country is well deserved.

Zeng Jian was very satisfied with Xie Hong's answer, and said: "What the virtuous nephew said is not bad, but then, who is the craftsman who made this sharp weapon, can the virtuous nephew know?" ”

Xie Hong froze slightly, this is really not easy to answer, there are not many records of the Divine Arm Bow, and there is even less information about the maker. He tried hard to recall the consultation that seemed to be in the future, and said with some hesitation: "It seems that Zhang Ruoshui offered ......"

"Humph!" Xie Hong and Zeng Jian didn't know each other for the first time, but the old man had always been kind, but when Xie Hong answered the question, the old man's face was angry, and he snorted coldly. Xie Hong couldn't help but be taken aback when he saw this, could it be that there was a problem with his answer?

Zeng Jian's anger was not for Xie Hong, and without waiting for Dong Ping's persuasion, the old man sighed and said, "It's okay, it's no wonder that the virtuous nephew, the old man just felt something in his heart and was angry for a while." As he spoke, he seemed to have a smile on his face, and there was a look of ridicule in a trance, and he said: "Nephew Xie Xian, you still need the help of Dong Xian's nephew to make this new musical instrument, if you make that divine arm bow, what should you do?" Is it enough for one person? ”

Xie Hong Khan, he didn't know how to make the divine arm bow at all, even if it was a bow and crossbow in later generations, he was not very good at it. Besides, how can those in later generations compare with the Divine Arm Bow, and the materials used in this era are simply not possible. Even if Dong Ping knew some skills, I am afraid that the two of them alone would not be able to do it.

Not to mention the divine arm bow, even if it is a piano, it is not possible to use a large number of people in Dongjiazhuang to make it? He hurriedly said: "Not to mention the strength of the little nephew alone, even if there are a few more Xie Hong, where can he make such a sharp weapon?" ”

"Xie Xian's nephew doesn't need to be arrogant, with your talent, there will be great achievements in the future." Zeng Jian shook his head and said: "But that magic pen bow is indeed not the power of one person to make it, it was also the master of the divine craftsman Li Hong, and the ancestors of the Dong and Zeng families, as well as many other unknown craftsmen, developed it together, but the power of everyone." ”

"It's just that, hehe, not only the names of many craftsmen, including the ancestors, are not visible in the annals of history, even if it is Master Li Hong, who mentions it? In the end, a eunuch received the credit, and, in the eyes of the scholars, the merit was nothing, otherwise, the credit might not have fallen into the hands of a eunuch. ”

Xie Hong somewhat understood what Zeng Jian meant, as a craftsman, he often sighed when he read history in later generations, if it is said that Confucianism has done the greatest harm to Chinese civilization, it is the suppression of craftsmen. In ancient times, during the pre-Qin and Han dynasties, this suppression was not obvious, and many of the Mo family and their children were famous in the world.

Since the Song Dynasty, the suppression of craftsmen has become extremely obvious, and it is even more powerful in the Ming Dynasty. In terms of Xie Hong's own experience, he has not told his mother about making money with his craft, and he only said that he was dedicated to the emperor to show his loyalty. When I first crossed over, I almost lost my family because I didn't dare to show my skills.

In this era, craftsmen are called artisans, and prostitutes have the same status, while scholars are the highest level of society, and they do not have comparable surnames at all. Even now, when Xie Hong has a craft, he doesn't dare to publicize it, and only dares to let the people who are closer to him know.

"Shinong Industry and Commerce, all the adults in the court said that this is the rule set by Emperor Taizu." Zeng Jian's tone was even more resentful.

"But really? Back then, it wasn't the scholars and doctors who advocated it, and Emperor Taizu didn't check it for a while, so he set such a rule? Hmph, you naturally like this rule, the lower the status of the craftsman, the more convenient it is for them to summon, if it can be used as a livestock, then it is the best. ”

Without waiting for Xie Hong to understand, Zeng Jian's tone changed, and he suddenly said a sentence that shocked his heart.

"Why does Liu Jin's eunuch like treasures, but he first swallowed the credit of your treasure offering, and then disdained you, for the sake of this, Xie Xian's nephew must have thought it through now, right?"

ps. Thank you book friends for the reward that I want to become a vip, today is still three more, Xiaoyu is on the classification recommendation list for the first time, I really appreciate everyone's support, and please continue to support Xiaoyu in the future.