Chapter 33 Expenses

Things have come to this point, and Eunuch Huang can only remain silent. He is really short-sighted and has nothing to say. But his ordeal is not over yet. Although the prince’s experiment yesterday was not successful, he had accumulated extremely valuable experience and pointed out the future development direction of the ascension route. So Mu Qi was very interested and introduced to Eunuch Huang the experience of the craftsmen in refining the elixir.

With the level of chemistry at this time, there is no hope of refining any high-purity explosive pills; apart from increasing the oxidant as usual, the only way is to adjust the amount of pills loaded and the placement of the pill furnace to increase the height of ascension. The great contribution of the craftsmen this time was to verify the correctness of this idea - the more the charge in the furnace, the better. The furnace is more powerful when it is filled to about two-thirds. The furnace cannot be placed in the open air for calcination at will. It is best to bury it half underground after it is ignited, using the tunnel to restrain the shock wave and increase the effect of the shock...

"Unfortunately, the direction of ascension was wrong this time, and it actually blew down the wall of my house!" Mu Qi complained to Eunuch Huang: "However, as long as I can adjust the direction of ascension, I am confident that I can increase the height of ascension to more than 25 meters!

Eunuch Huang: …………

Eunuch Huang was quick to sense something was wrong: "Wait, you said this section of the wall was blown down?"

Because the incident happened suddenly, the news sent back by the spies in the Imperial City was very brief, only saying that the prince of Duke Mu had caused a big trouble again - to be honest, this was not a big news in the East Factory at all, and Eunuch Huang did not take it seriously at all. After receiving the oral order of reprimand, he casually took a template and came to the scene to work. But now he looked around and was shocked to find that the situation seemed a little different from what he had imagined. The noise might have been a little louder -

Of course, Eunuch Huang didn’t care about other things. However, the villa of Duke Mu's Mansion was bestowed by the Emperor himself. In order to demonstrate the Emperor's great grace, all the construction work was supervised by the East Factory. And precisely because it was Eunuch Huang who personally supervised the renovation, one knows how much effort went into every brick and tile of this garden. At that time, Duke Mu had just returned to Nanjing for recuperation after being seriously injured while rescuing the emperor. Master Feixuan wanted to show his superiors and subordinates that he would never treat his meritorious officials unfairly, so he was very selective in the materials and workmanship used. He basically built a smaller version of the specifications that Emperor Gaozu used to build the city wall of Nanjing. The standard that Emperor Gaozu used to build the city wall of Nanjing was "a foundation for all ages", a fortification that was said to be something that would never be breached!

Well, it’s a bit exaggerated to say that it will never be breached; after all, Emperor Taizong strolled in more than ten years later without any delay. But if this city wall, which cost countless efforts, was easily blown down by a little bit of elixir, then it would not just be the nine clans of the Minister of Works who would be exterminated!

Eunuch Huang rolled his eyes and stood there for a moment, still unable to believe such a strange story. He could only mutter:

"Is it really caused by the explosion of the elixir?"

"How could I deceive the Supervisor?" The prince immediately defended himself: "I have the most detailed and complete records here, which can be checked by the Supervisor."

He took out a thick manuscript from his arms and handed it over with both hands. Eunuch Huang took it and looked at it. The paper was densely covered with the familiar small handwriting. He flipped through it again and found that everything from the purpose of the experiment to the experimental methods to the record of the experimental process and finally the reflection on the final results were clearly analyzed and logically rigorous, without any omissions.

This is what makes Prince Muguo unique. In fact, when he first took a different approach and came up with the ingenious theory of "ascension", Master Feixuan who lived deep in the palace found it completely incomprehensible. He even started to suffer from a mental illness and judged others by himself. He always suspected that this son of a noble family was deliberately trying to deceive his father, the monarch who was devoted to practicing Taoism. But after repeated observations, Master Feixuan's inexplicable doubts were gradually dispelled - considering Master's usual ruthless and inexplicable scheming, this was even rarer than Emperor Gaozu giving bonuses to his subordinates.

Of course, the prince's theory of physical ascension was still unreasonable and no one could understand it; but the records submitted by the prince every time were always rigorous, detailed, meticulous and rich; he also personally provided accurate illustrations and detailed processes that could be reproduced. Except for the details. Each report follows the same structure: first, it reviews the background of the experiment, summarizes the achievements and limitations of past experiments, and puts forward the innovations of this experiment; then it explains the purpose of the experiment and records the experimental process in detail; finally, it summarizes and analyzes and looks forward to the future - the whole structure is smooth and seamless, and it has the beauty of eight-part essay.

Human beings are always moved by strictness and accuracy. Even someone who is familiar with human nature like the old Taoist priest cannot help but admit the good intentions after reading such a report.

So, Prince Mu may have some problems with his brain, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with his attitude. As the number one aging giant infant in the dynasty, Master Feixuan cannot force his subjects to grow a sufficient brain (in fact, it is not a bad thing for the nobles to have no brains), so he can only give up.

...And, to be honest, compared with those abstruse and incomprehensible elixir recipes and nonsensical secret techniques of the Taoist priests in the palace, the readability and accuracy of the prince's stuff are really far ahead; not only were the eunuchs who inspected the goods impressed, even the taciturn Master Feixuan couldn't help but be tempted, and secretly gave several not-so-outrageous reports to his trusted alchemists, ordering them to write a list of alchemy techniques according to this method - the Master's standards have always been unified, he only likes to be vague and incomprehensible to his subjects, but he has never been willing to appreciate the incomprehensible works of others.

Therefore, regardless of whether the theory of elixir-induced ascension is reliable or not, at least this experimental record should be reliable. Eunuch Huang flipped through the hand-drawn diagram on the back of the book (also drawn by the prince, who dares to say that the prince is not loyal to his king and father?), and silently put it into his sleeve.

Mu Qi caught a glimpse of the dazed expression of the eunuch commander of the Eastern Depot, and felt quite proud. The use of tunnels to increase the power of explosives - elixirs - was an example of what he had borrowed from later military tactics; the Taiping Army had used this technology to blow down the walls of Nanjing. However, digging the tunnel also requires considerable technical skills. He recruited a number of miners to conduct repeated experiments, and only recently obtained some empirical data. Therefore, the whole set of experiments can be regarded as the result of my hard work.

The evolution of natural science cannot rely solely on primitive trial and error; when technology develops to a certain level, it is necessary to use mathematical tools to abstractly summarize experimental data and geometric configurations, and at least calculus and analytic geometry must be used. Considering the average math level of the Guapi trio, it would be too difficult for them to make such a leap in their lifetime. But it doesn’t matter, Mu Qi has already made plans. When maritime trade is smooth in the future and Zhang Taiyue comes to power, he will send gifts to Shezong to build relations with him, and ask him to send people to the West to find the great sage Galileo, and bring him to China to discuss the great cause of ascension. I believe that Mr. Zhang will never refuse.

Mu Qi imagined the glorious scene of the ascension route and decided to paint another pie for the angel investor, so he shook Eunuch Huang's hand affectionately:

"I'll let you know, my experiment is going very smoothly. I can send the alchemy furnace to the sky in one piece within half a year at most. This will definitely be a huge progress in my ascension career..."

Whether it is a great progress in the cause of ascension or not is not discussed for now, but if the alchemy furnace is sent to a height of a hundred feet, half of the capital city will probably see this great miracle of physical ascension rising from the ground to the sky. It is still unknown what the people of the capital think, but the Eastern Depot, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Imperial City Division, and even all the spy agencies inside and outside the prosecution should be in a dilemma. Eunuch Huang sighed and decided to give a gentle advice:

"You'd better be careful, my prince. His Majesty's birthday will be in a few months. At that time, all the governors and princes from other places will come to the capital to pay tribute. We must not allow any trouble to happen..."

Dad, please stop making trouble, okay?

·

Prince Mu was loyal to his majesty and patriotic, so he was duty-bound to do so. He generously promised that he would never let the East Factory embarrass him at this critical juncture. However, he carefully tested the majesty's confidant during the conversation: "On the day of your majesty's longevity, all the ministers are of course celebrating together. There is no one who is not happy and excited. Even if we do our best to prepare gifts, it would still be insufficient. But I wonder if there are any changes to the specifications of the etiquette this year?"

The nobles in the capital also have their own set of unspoken rules when celebrating the emperor's birthday. Basically, they follow the market conditions each year, and are not allowed to flatter or sell themselves too much. Excessive flattery to the emperor to drive up the market would make everyone lose face. This kind of market is usually controlled by the eunuchs close to Master Feixuan, and most of the time you need some connections to get it.

Given the status of the Duke Mu's Mansion, there is certainly no problem in saying something like this. But when Eunuch Huang started to explain, he hesitated for a moment: he vaguely remembered that the prince had already informed him that the gift that Wanshou was going to present this time seemed to include the "pill" that he had carefully polished and iterated several times, as well as a complete set of equipment for refining the pill.

Of course, everyone knows that Master Feixuan is intent on practicing Taoism, and he also has a pill recipe and a secret technique for refining pills. But the "elixir" presented by the Crown Prince might, probably, perhaps, be beyond the comprehension of the Imperial Household Department and the Eastern Depot...

In Eunuch Huang’s personal opinion, giving this gift is still a good thing, but not giving it might be better.

Unfortunately, his personal understanding does not count. In order to refuse the gift from the Prince of Duke Mu - even if it was just a tactful refusal - Master Fei Xuan had to express his opinion in person. What's even more regrettable is that, perhaps because he was shocked too many times by the actions of the Prince of Mu, the reclusive Feixuan Zhenjun Wanshou Emperor had already realized the principle of governing by inaction several years ago, and basically never asked about the trivial affairs of the prince - the so-called "not stupid or deaf, not a fool"; as long as he could pretend not to see, the first victims created by the prince's brain circuit would be the East Factory, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the Cabinet, which would not be involved by Feixuan Zhenjun anyway.

...Facts have proved that an older giant baby psychopath disguised by taking elixirs and practicing thick black techniques is ultimately unable to face off against a genuine, hard-core psychopath with wild imagination. Since ancient times, falsehood has never been able to defeat truth, and saints never deceive me.

Without the authorization of the True Lord, Eunuch Huang must not offend the nobles easily. He thought for a moment and decided to express it in a roundabout way:

"After all, it's a big day, so it can't be deserted."

It can't be deserted, it has to be lively, and to make it lively, you have to give more gifts. As long as the Duke Mu's Mansion could send a few more gifts, the Imperial Household Department would have a way to move them around, change the order, and at least make that pile of "pills" less conspicuous. This is the experience of the trusted eunuchs who have been doing their work for decades and they never make mistakes.

Mu Qi nodded, indicating that he understood the father-in-law's deep meaning, and then sighed angrily, almost mumbling:

"This is as it should be. The grace of His Majesty has not yet ended. The grace of His Majesty is compounded. As ministers, we must of course make more contributions..."

Although this sentence was a bit puzzling, it at least eliminated a potential big bomb. Eunuch Huang breathed a sigh of relief and didn't care about anything else. He said a few more perfunctory words and hurriedly ended the topic.

To be honest, every time he went to the Duke Mu's mansion to announce imperial decrees and handle official business, although it was just a few simple official duties, it always gave him a feeling of brain numbness, mental confusion and exhaustion. Even when he was in the Imperial Household Department, staying up late to approve documents and serve elixirs, he had never been so tired. He was so distracted that even the matter of placing Wu Cheng'en was only dealt with hastily and he only mentioned it in passing. It was unknown whether the other party understood it or not.

Whatever you want, this job is so torturous.

·

After seeing off Eunuch Huang, Mu Qi called the accountant and asked him in detail about the surplus in the mansion, so as to plan the budget for gifts to the old Taoist priest. But the accountant spent a long time turning the abacus beads, and then hesitantly said a very shocking number.

"Two thousand taels!" Mu Qi's eyes bulged out: "I only have two thousand taels in my hand?!"

The mansion of a Duke, a top noble with countless businesses, can only mobilize a mere two thousand taels of profit!

Of course, the surplus that the prince mobilized was only the inventory in the capital, and the assets in other places were still in the hands of his biological parents. It was not his turn to squander the family fortune for the time being... But even so, the speed at which he spent money was too outrageous!

I don't bully men or women, nor do I eat, drink, gamble, or spend money on anything, so how could I afford such a huge expense?

The accountant was at a loss, and after a while he finally spoke the truth: "To answer your question, the other expenses on the books are not that big, but the cost of refining pills multiple times is really..."

"What is the truth?" Mu Qi was furious, and in an instant he sympathized with the old man in Xiyuan: "No matter how much you spend, can you spend all the money in the treasury?!"

The accountant could only open the account book tremblingly and explain to the master one by one:

"This is the cost of preparing some equipment for making nitric acid using a traditional method last month..."

"I just made nitric acid, but it cost me one thousand taels?" The prince took a glance and said in disbelief: "Is the nitrate you bought made of gold, or is the acid you made made of gold? You are making money on me! This is a disgrace to the heavens!"

"Of course the 'acid' is worthless, but no one sells this equipment on the market!" The accountant was terrified and quickly complained: "We asked the prince for permission at the time, and we had to ask craftsmen to build it according to the blueprints - but few people could understand the blueprints, and the related materials were expensive, so of course the expenses went up..."

Mu Qi thought about it and found that it was true: "It shouldn't be that expensive! How much would it cost to hire a craftsman to do it for a few months?"

"How can it last for just a few months?" The accountant whispered, "Your Highness probably doesn't know that for a craftsman who is in great demand in the market, everyone would sign a long-term contract..."

He carefully explained the truth to his master - the economic flow in the capital was extremely rigid, the market size was extremely small, and the craftsmen might not be able to get any work in a year or two, so they were unwilling to work short-term, and instead preferred long-term, and even signed life contracts or sold their bodies; it was hard to say whether the master was cruel or not, but at least he would not have to worry about income for a few years. Some craftsmen with superb skills would demand a higher price. Not only would they have to sign a death indenture, but their entire family would also have to sign one. Therefore, every time the Duke Mu's mansion conducted an "experiment", the number of craftsmen employed by the mansion increased exponentially, and management had to be strengthened accordingly, until it eventually overwhelmed the finances...

Simply put, through years of unremitting efforts, Prince Mu successfully replicated a wave of miniature versions of the three redundancies for his family, the so-called redundant workers, redundant officials and redundant expenses, which were all part of his dream of returning to the Song Dynasty.

It must be that the Duke and his wife are far away in Jinling, otherwise the Crown Prince would have been howling in agony and his butt would have been beaten to a pulp!

Mu Qi was stunned. He remained silent for a moment, and finally uttered:

"...Why don't you hire some people? I heard that the employment system has been developed..."

At this point, he suddenly choked and remembered the original words in the history book - some historical materials did pay attention to the prosperity of employment activities in coastal and economically prosperous areas at this time, and regarded it as the "sprout of capital." But since they are just buds, it means that these activities are still small and weak and cannot achieve anything significant. The mainstream of the entire economy is, of course, the system of military households and artisan households created by Emperor Gaozu, a market system that is a complete hereditary system of occupations and personal dependence, and is so feudal that even Zhu Xi would call himself an expert!

When the prince thought of this, he was overwhelmed with grief and had to bury his face deeply in his hands, not wanting to show it to anyone again.

"Damn it, please give me some capitalist enlightenment." He murmured, "Feudal personal dependence is too low... I can't afford it!"

——At this moment, he finally understood what backward systems meant by affecting production.