Ang Lee planned to produce a thousand plowing machines in three months. Naturally, it was to ease the pressure of the coming spring plowing, reduce the people's dependence on cattle, and improve the efficiency of plowing.
However, it was not realistic to completely replace cattle in the short term. After all, even if a plowing machine worked for twenty hours a day, it could only plow 200 mu of land. If a thousand plowing machines worked at the same time, they could only plow 200,000 mu of land.
The Tang dynasty had a total of 600 million mu of land. If these plowing machines worked day and night, it would take three thousand days and nights of work, which was more than eight years. By then, the Japanese would have been chased away.
However, the efficiency of plowing machines was dozens of times higher than that of cattle. At present, they were limited by resources and naturally could not replace cattle. However, as time went by, the pressure they could relieve would be greater and greater. Eventually, they would replace cattle and become the main force of plowing.
Under the premise of large-scale improvement in efficiency, many great aristocrats who owned tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of mu of land could hire very little manpower to plow the land. In this way, many tenant farmers would be dismissed by the aristocrats, resulting in a large surplus of labor.
However, the grain output would not change, and the materials of the Tang dynasty would not be reduced at all. It was just that some tenant farmers would not be able to survive. In order to survive, these tenant farmers who could not make a living would inevitably flood into the cities and join the workers of the plowing machines. This would allow the imperial court of the Tang dynasty to have enough manpower to carry out larger-scale industrial production.
In order to make an empire strong, the first thing to do was to liberate the agricultural population. With the power of science and technology, a small number of people could be engaged in agriculture to feed everyone. In this way, the rest of the people could join the industry and handicraft industry. In this way, the empire would have more and more wealth and become stronger and stronger.
After talking about the assembly line of plowing machines and the earth-shaking changes that might happen in the Tang dynasty after the plowing machines were popularized, Li Longji was very excited. He ordered Ang Lee to immediately start manufacturing plowing machines and speed up the development of water pumps and harvesters.
In order to see the water pump and harvester as soon as possible, Li Longji transferred a large number of craftsmen from Luoyang City to join the work of producing the plowing machines. He let the research and development craftsmen continue to develop new machines.
The assembly line production of the plow machine required a lot of craftsmen. However, because Ang Lee had specified a few common parts specifications, the core transmission parts of the plow machine were the same as the parts used in the steam locomotive and the steam ship. They were all mass-produced items. Only a small number of parts were unique to the plow machine and needed to be produced independently.
On the premise that there was still space left, the location of the plow machine assembly line would be placed in the R&D center to facilitate management. If there were any problems, they would be able to solve them immediately.
"Assistant Minister Li, there are a lot of people outside who want to buy a plow machine. They are here to ask about the market price."
As soon as Ang Lee's steam engine assembly line started to work, many nobles' butlers came to see the excitement.
These people were all smart people. They all personally went to the 20 mu of fields where the plow machine was tested and checked. They also asked the witnesses at the time. For this reason, they all understood the details of the plow machine. They knew that the plow machine's performance was reliable and its efficiency was dozens of times higher than that of cattle. After reporting to their masters, their masters had the idea of buying the plow machine, and they came to ask about the price.
Since the plow machine was invented and started to be produced, it was to serve the spring plowing. These nobles had a large number of mu of fields and were very suitable for using advanced machinery to carry out efficient plowing operations. Moreover, the nobles were also relatively rich and could afford these plow machines.
Therefore, Ang Lee's initial goal of popularizing the plow machine was to let these nobles who owned more than 10,000 mu of land taste the benefits first, and then popularize it step by step.
Small nobles who owned more than 1,000 mu of land might not be willing to spend money to buy a plow machine, but they could rent it from the nobles. The rent could be calculated according to the number of mu or the number of days.
At this moment, these nobles impatiently sent their butlers to learn about the market price. Naturally, this was what Ang Lee wanted. This meant that Ang Lee did not need to worry about the sales of the plow machine. Of course, the development and production of the plow machine used the money of the national treasury. If it was sold and made money, it would also go to the national treasury. Ang Lee could not get any of it, but he was happy to see that the national treasury was full.
"Pass down the order. Let them line up and come in."
Ang Lee softly ordered.
"Assistant Minister Li, there are many secrets in the R&D center. It is not a place for random people to casually enter."
His subordinate advised.
"These butlers are all smart people, but they are not proficient in machinery. They can't steal anything. I will give them special permission and let them in."
Ang Lee said unquestionably.
Letting future customers inspect the factory was very common in the later generations. It could not only show one's sincerity, but also let customers better understand the performance of the product. Through this kind of behavior, customers could also see the strength of the company.
Of course, the plow machine workshop set up by Ang Lee was supported by the imperial court of the Tang dynasty. The strength of the company was the entire Tang Empire. Naturally, its strength was unquestionable.
"This humble one pays his respects to Assistant Minister Li."
A large group of nobles' butlers all saluted Ang Lee.
"Haha! No need to be so polite. This official heard that you have the intention to buy a plow machine, is that right? "
Ang Lee asked with a smile.
"This … this humble one is just here to learn about the market price."
"Yes, yes, yes. First, ask about the price. Whether to buy or not, this humble one can't make the decision!"
"Assistant Minister Li, we have all seen the power of the plow machine. We just don't know the price."
The butlers all answered.
Since they knew the details of the plow machine, they could naturally guess that the price of the plow machine would not be cheap. After all, the iron material of such a big iron machine would be worth a lot of money. Of course, the actual price would be much higher than the iron material. As for how high the price would be, they had no ability to predict.
"Haha! You don't have to worry about the price. This official will sell it at cost price. The price is still under calculation. You can go take a look at the production line first! Since you have come here, you can't come here for nothing! "
Ang Lee said politely.
Of course, Ang Lee would never really sell it at cost price. These big families were very rich. At least, they would sell it at two or three times the cost price. In addition, there was no machine that could not break, especially those parts that were easy to wear and tear. In the future, they could also make a lot of money in the repair of parts.
These butlers had never been to the R&D Center. When they heard that they could visit the assembly line of the plow machine, they naturally did not refuse and went all the way.
After seeing the craftsmen making all kinds of complicated parts, they all looked at each other in dismay. They felt that such a complicated process and so much manpower could only produce an inconspicuous part. As such, the price of the plow machine must be very expensive.
Of course, the plow machine was still mainly made by manpower. Of course, the price would not be cheap. However, its efficiency was dozens of times higher than that of cattle. Even if the price was higher, the price of dozens of cattle was not cheap. Moreover, it required more manpower to operate and cost more manpower.
These nobles knew that as long as the price of the farming machinery was cheaper than using cattle, they would definitely choose to buy it. Of course, the reliability of the machinery had to be within their acceptable range. If it kept breaking down, they would not have the thought of buying it.
After the butlers finished their tour, Ang Lee gave a price. It was only twice the cost price. This was very polite. At least, Ang Lee felt that it was not very expensive.
When the butlers heard this, some of them were overjoyed. Some of them showed a pained expression. However, the manufacturing of the plow machine was very complicated and required a lot of manpower and resources. It was normal for the price to be higher. They could understand.
However, they were still a little worried about the reliability of the plow machine. After all, if it kept breaking, they would lose a lot of money after buying it.
Seeing that some of the butlers were still doubtful, Ang Lee said, "You don't have to worry. The plow machine produced this time can be sold or rented. If you want to rent, you will be charged according to the number of mu of land. The rent will be 80% of the price of cattle plowing a mu of land. It is very cost-effective, right?"
After Ang Lee mentioned the rental plan, the butlers all started discussing. They felt that this method was very good. At least, it was safer in terms of risk than buying it directly. Moreover, because the number of cattle could not keep up with the speed of land annexation, some large families had to hire people to help them plow the land during the spring plowing. They would be paid according to mu of land. This phenomenon lasted for many years. Some people even bought a large number of cattle to do this business during the spring plowing. It became a way to make a living.
Now, the price that Ang Lee gave for plowing a mu of land was only 80% of the market price of cattle plowing a mu of land. These butlers were naturally very happy. Moreover, after seeing the effect of the plow machine, they felt that it was much better than cattle plowing. Renting the plow machine was more cost-effective.
Some expressed that it was cost-effective to buy the plow machine, while others felt that renting it was safer. The butlers' opinions were not unanimous. Of course, as butlers, they did not have the right to decide whether to buy the plow machine. They still had to go back and ask their masters before making a decision. Fortunately, the rental and selling prices were told to them. When they returned, it was easier to report back.
After sending off these customers, Ang Lee ordered that the plow machine samples that had already been produced be sent to the fields every day. This was to let more and more people see the true power of the steam engine with their own eyes and make the correct judgment.
These plowed fields were the land of the common people. They were naturally very happy about this. After all, after plowing the land, the pests and eggs hidden in the soil would be turned over to the surface. They would be completely frozen to death in the upcoming cold. Especially the large number of eggs, which would definitely be frozen to death. This would reduce the pests in the coming year.
The talents in the R&D Center followed Ang Lee's orders. Every day, they would work for two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon. After plowing 20 mu of land, they would rest. They would plow 40 mu of land a day.
The number of people who came to watch the show increased. Not only did the common people often come over, even the nobles in the capital would come over to watch the show. Needless to say, the servants and butlers of the various noble families would come over to watch the show. Every time, the number of onlookers would reach three layers. The scene was especially lively.
In order to test the effect of the plow machine, many people would personally go to the fields and use their hands to grab the plowed soil. Because there were too many people like this, the land that had just been plowed a few days ago was trampled flat by curious people.
Of course, there were also some people who came to watch the plowing and learned how to operate the plow machine. Under the encouragement of the R&D staff, many bold and loud men who liked to be in the limelight personally experienced it. They told others that operating the plow machine was very simple. They just needed to control the direction.
As a result, the reputation of the plow machine became even greater. Some of the nobles' desire to get their hands on the plow machine naturally became even stronger.
After half a month of testing, the plow machine didn't have a single malfunction. Such a strong reliability surprised many nobles and made them decide to buy it. They even wanted to buy a lot of it.
The orders were like snowflakes flying into the R&D Center. In a few days, the thousand pre-sold plow machines were all snatched up by the noble families. Ang Lee's plan of renting out the plow machines was completely ruined. Many of the nobles who were a step late could only wait for the next batch. With the R&D Center's current production capacity, the next batch of products would be released after the spring plowing.
The nobles who successfully ordered the plow machine were naturally very happy. Some of them ordered at most ten of them. They could plow up to 20,000 mu of land a day. Within a few days, they would be able to plow all the land they owned. As for the rest of the time, they could help those who needed to plow the land and collect commission according to the amount of land. Moreover, they wouldn't be as kind as Ang Lee. Under the premise that the plow machine was better than the cattle, it was already good that they didn't raise the price. How could they give a 20% discount?
Since it was an order, of course they had to pay a deposit. As a result, the treasury's wealth had increased by a lot. This allowed Ang Lee to continue to develop the advanced machinery. Without any worries, the development of the water pumping machine had also entered the accelerated stage.
A month after the successful development of the plow machine, the water pumping machine was a success. It was first used in Ang Lee's 500 mu of vegetable greenhouse, thus eliminating the two large water wheels that originally stood there.
Ang Lee estimated that the efficiency of the water pumping machine was more than a hundred times that of the large water wheels through the irrigation of his 500 mu of greenhouse. The efficiency of the water pumping machine crushed the large water wheels.
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