The Jiafang Department built a hydraulic workshop on the Cao Canal in Jinguangmen, which was originally a wharf where the gate was driven by the mechanism to raise the water level to facilitate the transportation of grain, and was requisitioned by He Zhizhang. Many things on the gate were ready-made, which made it easier to set up a workshop, so within half a month this experimental house was almost renovated.

He Zhizhang came to the workshop to inspect and ordered the craftsmen to start testing the pressure. I saw that someone opened the sluice gate to release water, and after a while, the waterwheel was turned around, and an official of the Jiafang Department shouted: "If it is red, put it on!" When the two craftsmen heard this, they carried a piece of red-hot iron with their tongs and rested it on the anvil. There was a loud bang, He Zhizhang only felt a flash of fire splashing in front of him, and subconsciously hurriedly closed his eyes.

"How?" He opened his eyes and asked casually.

A craftsman replied, "The whole piece of iron requested by Ming Gong is too heavy, and the strength is not strong enough to press it. ”

He Zhizhang's heart sank, and he saw that people tried for a long time, but he really couldn't move the whole iron plate. In desperation, I had to ask someone to burn a small one, which could be forged...... After all, the effort was not in vain, and the manpower could not beat the piece of iron just now with a hammer, and the strength of the mechanism was finally much greater. After many tests, experienced craftsmen estimated that the hammer force of this water row was about 400 catties, far exceeding the arm strength of a strong force.

Zeng Jin, the commander of the Jiafang Department, flattered: "He Shilang has Yin and Yang physics, so that the workshop is very effective, and after the transformation over time, it will definitely be able to improve the hammer power." The height difference of the waterway here is not large, and the water drain is also small, so let's choose another place where the mountains and rivers flow, and recruit skilled craftsmen to rebuild the water drain and try again? ”

"I'm afraid there isn't enough time." He Zhizhang pondered for a moment, "Looking at its hydraulic power, I thought that even if I changed to a larger water drain, I wouldn't be able to forge the entire piece of armor in a short period of time." ”

An old craftsman next to him said: "Why don't Ming Gong first cast a piece of molten iron, and then burn it red, beat it, and grind it into shape?" ”

He Zhizhang asked, "How long does it take to make a pair of armor like this?" ”

The craftsman thought for a long time before he said: "After it is soft, it has to be beaten for a while and then heated, and so on repeatedly, there are many trimming and grinding processes, and I am afraid it will take several months...... It also requires a group of skilled craftsmen, and ordinary people can't take on this job. ”

He Zhizhang's brows did not open and he thought about anything, and he did not respond to the craftsman's words, and the officials did not dare to say much when they looked at his face. After a while, he beckoned the officials who accompanied him to leave the workshop.

Zeng Jin asked cautiously, "This workshop ...... Is it back to the cantonment? ”

"Isn't it easier to make heart goggles than manpower?" He Zhizhang turned around and dropped a sentence, "It's not so easy to press out the armor so simply, I first watched them burn iron with charcoal, and what kind of firing is all based on experience, and heating is also a problem." We can't get bored and drill into one place, we have to find another way. ”

"Yes...... Be. Zeng Jin was amused in his heart, and he still dealt with it seriously.

Everyone tossed and turned, and the process of burning hot iron in the workshop to try to forge armor was long, and it didn't take a lot of time, and when they came out, the whole morning had passed unconsciously. Zeng Jin and the others glanced up at the sun and reminded: "Please ask He Shilang to go back to the official office for dinner, and it will not be too late to be busy in the afternoon." ”

He Zhizhang shouted: "I'm going to eat just after a while, and I'm going to drink tea and talk for a while after eating?" So what else can we do! Now let's go to your manufacturing workshop and ask someone to bring some pancakes, so that we can satisfy our hunger with water, so why bother with any additional work? ”

The group had to follow He Shilang to the craftsman workshop of the Jiafang Bureau, this kind of local officials almost do not come, only the small officials come to pass the word and run errands, and it is really rare for so many officials to come suddenly.

When He Zhizhang arrived at the place and found that there were not many people inside, he was a little unhappy, and asked Zeng Jindao: "Today is not Mu Holiday, where are all the people who work?" ”

Zeng Jin said: "This year, the armor that the imperial court has forged has been completed, and the damaged armor stored last year has been basically repaired last month, and only a few remain, so the Jiafang Department has temporarily dismissed most of the craftsmen and only left a few people to finish." Wait for the government office to sign for the new batch of armor breaking, and then recruit people to work. ”

He Zhizhang said: "If there is a war somewhere at the border at this time, and the damaged armor is sent in, you will repair it until next year?" ”

Zeng Jin's face was a little ugly, and he pointed to a craftsman who was busy and said: "Look at the belly armor of this armor, it needs to be supplemented by hundreds of fish scale armor pieces, and it is not a day's work from creating these armor pieces to making them connected. ”

He Zhizhang said: "You have dismissed the people, why don't you make some scales to prepare when you are free, and replenish them when they are damaged?" ”

Zeng Jin couldn't help but smile a little, and said busily: "These armors were either made five years ago, or made three years ago, from the hands of countless different craftsmen, and the current armor pieces may not match them." What's more, people are tall, short, fat and thin, and everyone wears different clothes, where can it be so trouble-free? ”

"Hehe......" He Zhizhang suddenly laughed, pointing at Zeng Jindao, "I know what your problem is, I have a solution." Today everyone will disperse, I promise that a pair of armor can be built in two months, and it will only take half a month to repair. ”

Zeng Jin is unknown. He Zhizhang hurriedly returned to the official office, asked someone to bring some files of the Jiafang Office, and got busy overnight with his staff. The first thing he set out was to develop the standard of armor. At that time, the spinning wheels of many workshops in Luoyang were bought from farmers or recruited by themselves, and the models of each village were different, and once the spinning wheel was broken, it had to be delayed; He Zhizhang specially recruited craftsmen to build some spinning wheels according to the specified size, the size standard is almost the same, and some damage can be replaced immediately, and specially hired craftsmen are constantly improving the equipment, so the speed of his workshop is constantly increasing.

Now the problems of the Jiafang Department are the same as those of the small workshops, which is also the reason for their inefficiency. The seemingly simple problem is actually difficult for people to perceive in this era, because the whole society is a loose small peasant structure, people go their own way, except for the military and political institutions, there are few opportunities for large-scale collaborative work, even if it is a large project such as building canals and fortifications, it is also a temporary requisition of strong men to get together. Therefore, it is normal for the specifications of the armor to be confused.

He Zhizhang's knowledge is much higher than that of ordinary people, and he happens to have experience, which makes him discover the problem. If Xue Chongxun spends his energy on doing this, he will definitely be able to understand it, and he will see how much he knows; But there are many links in the entire national court, and it is impossible for him to have time to handle everything, so he can't do it separately, and using the right talent is the most effective way. G