Lu Huaishen complained that he was hungry, Yao Chong was calculating the usefulness of the new technique, and Zhang Shuo was in a daze.
A beautiful carriage passed by and stopped at a place for a person to get out.
He didn't bother with the group of craftsmen eating and walked to the well alone to see someone pressurizing the water.
The well had just been drilled and the water was still muddy, but it would clear up after a bit of pressure.
"There's actually a good way to drill a well. This old man came a step too late and drilled a hole the size of a bowl directly into it. Bamboo tubes are used to protect the walls of the well. Good idea, good method. "
The person walked around the well and came to a craftsman eating dried radish stew. "Are you going to drill a new well in the afternoon?"
"Yes, one on the other side. Two more tomorrow for four wells." The craftsman ate a mouthful of yellow rice as he spoke.
The person turned back to the carriage and called for the driver and a servant to bring out the charcoal brazier and add more charcoal.
A thin copper pot was placed on top of it and the cooked mutton and green onions were poured into it.
The driver and servant didn't eat with them. The two of them held a bowl and waited until it was ready.
In another rented car, Zhang Shuo lifted the curtains and looked out. He saw it.
He said to Lu Huaishen, "Huaishen, there's food. Old Wei just came and set up the pot."
"Where, where?" Lu Huaishen poked his head out and got off the carriage.
"Yuanzhi, you're not going?" Zhang Shuo was also hungry and wanted to eat Wei Zhigu's food.
"Why not?" Yao Chong didn't care about the past. How could a thin-skinned person become the prime minister?
The three of them walked over.
Zhang Shuo glanced at it and said, "Get in the car and eat. Don't eat outside. This car of yours is proof of your identity. I'll wait for you to come over. The villager will come out of the car in a moment and tell Li Yi."
"I didn't bring much meat." Wei Zhigu was helpless and asked someone to carry the food into the carriage. The inside of the carriage wasn't as spacious as outside.
"I'm satisfied with some soup." Lu Huaishen was indeed hungry.
Wei Zhigu's carriage was large. When they got in and saw the meat and other food, Lu Huaishen looked at him with disdain. "We're eating your food and you're still lying to me."
"Your family has no money and you're always hungry. I'm afraid you can eat too much." Wei Zhigu joked and seemed to be in a good mood.
The four of them sat down and waited for the soup to boil.
"My family's new house will be ready in half a month's time. We'll meet up for a meal there." Lu Huaishen was still thinking about the house.
He was different from Wei Zhigu. His family was big, but they didn't buy him a house in Chang 'an.
Wei Zhigu's grandfather was Wei Zheng, Li Shimin's mirror. After his death, he was pushed onto the tombstone, and Li Shimin repaired it.
The house they lived in was the ancestral home. Otherwise, how could it be so close to the Imperial City?
His sons were all married and became officials. He spent his own salary, and with the addition of his ancestral property, he lived a good life.
Therefore, even if he didn't go to the Celestial Family, his family would still have mutton to eat.
"Zhigu, have you seen the new well drilling technique?" Lu Huaishen scooped some sauce into his small bowl. It was leek sauce, waiting to be dipped into the mutton.
"I only saw the well. Who would have thought that it would be so fast? It only took a morning to finish." Wei Zhigu had a distressed expression.
"If Li Yi said that he could dig a well in an hour, I would believe him." Zhang Shuo didn't like leek, so he scooped vinegar and soy sauce and added chopped green onions.
Yao Chong, on the other hand, added a little of each condiment, such as sesame oil and garlic paste.
When he was done, he said, "How do we get the new technique? We can dig a well or a salt well. "
"Salt well?" Wei Zhigu was stunned for a moment before realization dawned on him. "Salt well from the Shu Lands, my god! With this technique … "
"Don't think about it. If His Majesty is right, he has already made arrangements. You want to dig a well and get it directly? "Zhang Shuo asked.
"I'll ask His Majesty for it." Wei Zhigu didn't say anything about going to Zhuangzi.
"King Song is here. Ask King Song." Lu Huaishen suggested.
"Alright." Wei Zhigu readily agreed and ordered a servant to invite King Song.
The servant whispered a few words into Li Chengqi's ear, and Li Chengqi carried a small clay pot over. He had already eaten it, so he couldn't throw it away.
When he entered the carriage and saw the three prime ministers, Li Chengqi wasn't surprised at all.
He put down his clay pot and asked, "Minister Wei wants a new drilling technique?"
"Can it be leaked?" Wei Zhigu was nervous.
"But it can't be kept a secret unless it's a specialized construction team." Li Chengqi was amicable.
"On behalf of the common people …"
"Minister Wei, you can't represent me, but I can give you the technique. However, does the Ministry of Works think that it costs less than others to dig wells? If not, why should the Ministry of Works dig wells?
With my third brother's money, he can dig three wells for others and two wells for the Ministry of Works. How can one less well be accounted for? "
Li Chengqi asked a very realistic question. With the same amount of money, the amount of work done would make a difference, right?
"How can others save more money than the Ministry of Works?" Wei Zhigu argued.
"Other people can come up with new techniques, but I don't see the Ministry of Works coming up with any." Li Chengqi said.
As expected, Wei Zhigu panted, feeling depressed.
Li Chengqi continued, "What kind of work do you think the Ministry of Works can compare to the craftsmen of Li Yi and Zhuangzi?"
"Maybe it's dredging … but?" Wei Zhigu said with uncertainty.
"Minister Wei, have you forgotten about the method of using water to flush sand?"
Li Chengqi reminded him. Last time, you asked a small official under the Ministry of Works to go to Zhuangzi to ask how much technology they got. Don't you know?
"There has to be a comparison. You can't just say that it's faster and cheaper." Wei Zhigu was unconvinced.
"Minister Wei, look, if we divide the area where the well needs to be dug, piece by piece, every piece …"
Li Chengqi began to explain the method he learned from Li Yi to Wei Zhigu.
Each area would be subject to a bidding process. If the Ministry of Works had their own construction team, they could participate in the bidding.
Whoever offered the lowest price, the best quality, and the fastest speed would naturally be chosen.
If they couldn't do it, they would have their money deducted.
"Good, this method is good." Lu Huaishen picked up a piece of mutton and agreed.
"Isn't it too complicated?" Wei Zhigu didn't want to agree. He still didn't know the cost and time of digging a well.
The Craftsmen Alliance had already started fighting. If they continued to fight, they would gain experience.
How would the Ministry of Works bid? If they were too slow, their money would be deducted. Whose money would be deducted?
"What does Prime Minister Yao think?" Li Chengqi asked Yao Chong.
"Not bad." Yao Chong told the truth. The money was paid by Her Majesty. If the Ministry of Works wanted to steal, it would be very difficult to catch and kill people.
Zhang Shuo didn't wait for Li Chengqi to ask and took the initiative to say, "I agree."
Wei Zhigu lowered his head and thought. He sighed. "It's indeed a good idea. But who's going to watch over it?"
"The Ministry of Works. The Ministry of Works will send people to each area to check. Of course, there will be other people secretly watching. If the Ministry of Works works with the construction team to fake it … "
Li Chengqi didn't finish his words.
"When will the new method be spread?" Wei Zhigu was ready to learn.
"Today will do. If others are willing to watch, they can come in the afternoon. The drilling will continue tomorrow. The tools will be placed at the side. You can watch and learn. "
Li Chengqi was generous. Come, I'll teach you.
When the three Prime Ministers heard this, they looked at each other and confirmed that it was too late to send people to the Shu Lands.
After the meal, Wei Zhigu sent someone to the Ministry of Works to call for more people.
The three Prime Ministers returned to the Political Affairs Hall to work. Li Chengqi quietly asked his subordinates to pull the other two alliances over.
"The smelting technology needs to catch up. Good steel should be used on the blade." Li Chengqi thought of the drilling knife. If the knife wasn't good, it wouldn't be able to drill.
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