Suppressing his excitement, Zhu Youxiao reached out to take the silver dollar and looked at it carefully.

The obverse of the silver coin is a side profile portrait of His Majesty the Emperor wearing a twelve-tassel crown, with the words "Made in the third year of Tianqi in the Ming Dynasty" surrounded in a semicircle above the portrait.

Well, it may not be as realistic as in the painting, but it can still show that I am young and heroic, right?

Zhu Youxiao was very satisfied except that his head was not as shiny and big as Yuan Da's. Turning it over, he smiled.

Two coiled dragons surround the silver coin, which is vivid and majestic. The dragon's mouth faces a round fire bead, which is the shape of two dragons playing with the bead.

In the middle is a circle with the word "一两" (one liang) inside.

Sun Yuanhua felt that time was passing very slowly, so slowly that even though he was full of confidence, he felt a little nervous.

"Very good." Finally, the emperor's voice sounded, which made Sun Yuanhua feel relieved and he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

Zhu Youxiao placed down another small silver coin. The obverse showed a dragon head with eyes wide open and mouth gaping, while the reverse showed Jiahe holding a "medium round (half liang)". This one was simpler in form, but the pattern was also very clear and eye-catching.

Both sample coins had straight serrated edges, which delighted Zhu Youxiao even more. He smiled and said to Sun Yuanhua, "A mixture of casting and machining. Am I right?"

"Your Majesty is so wise, that's exactly it." Sun Yuanhua bowed and said with a proud smile on his face.

Traditional coin casting is done at high temperatures, also known as the pouring method. However, mechanical coin casting can be processed at room temperature, which has obvious advantages.

But at that time, it was impossible to use all mechanical processes to make coins. Although the Italians had invented a screw press to produce gold coins with complete patterns and text for the Pope.

Sun Yuanhua and the missionaries conducted repeated research and developed a stamping machine that used animal power for shearing and hammering. This was a huge technological advancement and greatly improved efficiency.

Zhu Youxiao certainly knew that such a stamping machine was not powerful enough, and that gold and silver of sufficient quality were still relatively soft, and could only be successfully used if there was a hard mold made of crucible steel.

But in order to press steel, besides inventing a steam engine, one had to build a dam to store water and develop hydraulic press equipment. Zhu Youxiao was impatient for time and investment.

"Every progress is gratifying." Zhu Youxiao was able to see things from the perspective of people at that time and could understand Sun Yuanhua's pride. "I believe that in the coinage process, we can find shortcomings and continue to improve."

Reaching out and nodding at Sun Yuanhua, Zhu Youxiao said with a teasing smile, "Sun Qing has made another contribution. Go back and speed up the minting of coins. Let me think carefully about how to reward you."

Sun Yuanhua hurriedly bowed and took his leave, feeling happy and excited.

Although the emperor did not reward him immediately, the joke was even more valuable, showing that the emperor appreciated and trusted him and no longer regarded him as an ordinary minister.

Inside the hall, Zhu Youxiao picked up the sample coin and looked at it from left to right.

Then, he gently picked up two fingers, blew hard, and immediately put it to his ear...

Your face is turning green, right?

Zhu Youxiao knew that the silver dollar could not be fake, and he also knew that his ears were not deaf. Looking at the silver dollar in his hand, he rolled his eyes and suddenly took a bite.

Hey, you bit the "Zhu Xiaotou" and made a tooth mark! It really is real, the quality is very good, this method is so simple.

Zhu Youxiao chuckled, but when he looked up, he saw Li Chengcheng standing at the palace gate with the cat in his arms, his eyes wide open and his face full of shock.

Blinking his eyes, Zhu Youxiao threw the silver coin into the air, then caught it with his left hand, clapped it with his right hand, and held the silver coin in his palm.

"Come here and guess the heads or tails." The emperor ordered Li Chengcheng majestically, "If you guess wrong, you will be punished."

Oh? Ah! Li Chengcheng regretted coming in at the wrong time and also regretted being too obvious.

With her lips slightly pouting, the girl rubbed over pitifully.

……………….Dividing line…………………….

Please don’t talk about becoming a marquis, for one general’s success is built on the bones of thousands of soldiers.

Such is war, such is life. A general's fame, whether immortalized in history or his illustrious military exploits, is earned at the cost of the lives of countless soldiers.

Soldiers are so insignificant. They fight for their country and sacrifice their lives on the battlefield, but most of them don't even leave their names behind.

Not only was he nameless, but even having enough food and warm clothes was once a luxury, not to mention sufficient wages and complete equipment.

But all of this has quietly changed this year. The most obvious change has been the remote town of Dongjiang, which has grown from a refugee beggar army to a major force in the war against the Jiannu.

Spears, swords, shields, and red coats—these were the equipment of the Dongjiang army when it was first established. While a timely help to the beggars, they were quite shabby for the regular army.

But the upgrade speed was very fast. The armor was replenished after a few months, muskets were continuously equipped, and there were hundreds of warships of various sizes.

Now, before winter even arrives, cotton-padded clothes, cotton-padded shoes, gloves, hoods, iron masks and other supplies are being delivered continuously, so the generals don't have to worry about the difficulties of fighting in winter.

The court's efficient organization was one thing, but more importantly, the emperor was able to think of the officers and soldiers fighting on the front lines and make arrangements in advance.

The logistical support not only strengthened the strength of the Dongjiang Army, but also benefited all ordinary soldiers.

It's no secret that if food and supplies are scarce, they are the ones who suffer the most. Officers and generals are always treated better than them, and this has always been the case.

Zhang Xiaoxi put on a hood, which was a felt pocket (a Northeastern old man's hat) that left his eyes exposed. It not only kept him warm but also cushioned the discomfort of the iron mask touching his face.

Zhang Xiaoxi was very satisfied after looking at the iron mask that was scribbled all over and looked like a devil and a treacherous minister.

Putting the iron mask on his face and tying the rope behind his head, Zhang Xiaoxi turned his head and looked around. Although his vision was slightly obstructed, he felt that he must be very majestic and scary.

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!