This time, the Zhao-Zhou allied forces came with great force, and the Six Ministries were extremely busy.
The Ministry of War mobilized troops, the Ministry of Revenue allocated funds, the Ministry of Rites issued a proclamation, the Ministry of Personnel adjusted and allocated official positions, and the Ministry of Justice strengthened control over the capital to prevent chaos.
Among the Ministry of Works, the Smelting Bureau was the busiest, with iron billets constantly being produced and sent to the Arsenal.
Having promised Xiao Qing to help, Mu Zi'an naturally had to make preparations as soon as possible.
Having not seen Mu Zi'an for a long time, Tian Zhi hurriedly stepped forward and said.
"Greetings, Duke Zhenguo! We have produced quite a few of the bearings you requested in the past few days."
As he spoke, Tian Zhi handed a dark iron bearing to Mu Zi'an.
There is no polishing technology available at the time, so the bearings are naturally not as smooth as those of later generations in terms of appearance.
However, the quality was excellent, after all, the cost of each of these bearings was ten or even a hundred times that of a bearing made in later generations.
If there is even the slightest mistake in hand forging, a bearing is ruined. A high scrap rate naturally increases costs.
It took the combined efforts of the entire smelting bureau to barely manage to produce two hundred pieces.
Mu Zian was to give one hundred of these two hundred coins to Zhao Shizhen.
Wheels were added to the red-coated cannon to facilitate subsequent towing.
As for the remaining one hundred coins, Mu Zian had other uses for them.
Time is of the essence, and Mu Zi'an has urgently transferred all the personnel from Dingxiang to the capital.
Therefore, we must produce as many weapons as possible within the limited time available in order to have a better chance of winning this war.
So, Mu Zian handed the drawings he had finished to Tian Zhi and then gave him some instructions.
"We'll produce as much of what's shown in the picture as we can in the next few days."
"All expenses will be reimbursed by the government, and for every car you build, I will give you a commission of five taels of silver."
As the saying goes, "A great reward will surely bring forth brave men," and the same applies to the Smelting Bureau.
Mu Zian has only been in charge of the Ministry of Works for a short time, so it is unrealistic to expect him to completely renovate the military equipment of the entire Dali.
You can't get fat in one bite, and taking too big a step can easily lead to disaster.
Therefore, Mu Zian wants to take advantage of this battle against Zhou to bring some new equipment to the battlefield for testing.
Fortunately, with Mu Zian pouring in large sums of money, the smelting bureau's production capacity increased more than tenfold.
The daily output of iron billets can easily fill the warehouse.
The swords produced by the Ministry of War's Ordnance Bureau using the newly manufactured iron billets from the Smelting Bureau are now sharper than ever before.
With Mu Zi'an also in charge, the status of the Smelting Bureau naturally rose accordingly.
Nowadays, the Smelting Bureau is a highly sought-after department among the six ministries and major government offices.
The blacksmiths there could earn more in a month than some fifth or sixth-rank officials in the capital.
Don't assume that being an official is all about making money. In a place like the capital, where land is incredibly valuable, the daily cost of living is unimaginably high.
Many low-ranking officials in the capital even had to rely on their families for financial support in order to make a living in the city.
However, since the Smelting Bureau is not a department specifically in charge of military equipment manufacturing, Mu Zian plans to go to the Ministry of War and ask their Ordnance Bureau to help manufacture some as well.
For those in the Ministry of War, the name Mu Zian was practically synonymous with the King of Hell.
Whenever Mu Zi'an appears, nothing good ever happens to the Ministry of War.
Upon arriving at the Ministry of War's Ordnance Bureau, Cao Zijun, the bureau's secretary, was already waiting at the door.
No one dares to offend this man.
"Greetings, Duke Zhenguo!"
Cao Zijun, along with a group of officials from the Military Construction Bureau, respectfully bowed to Mu Zian.
Surrounded by the people from the Armory Bureau, Mu Zian entered the government office.
Cao Zijun stood respectfully to the side and asked.
"I never expected that the Duke of Zhenguo would take the time to visit my military training camp today and offer his guidance. It is truly an honor for our humble abode."
The surrounding government officials all stared nervously at Mu Zi'an.
Mu Zian tapped his fingers lightly on the table and asked with a smile.
"Why can't I come to the Military Bureau for a chat if I have nothing else to do?"
Upon hearing this, Cao Zijun broke out in a cold sweat in surprise and quickly replied.
"How dare I! How dare I!"
"As long as the Duke of Zhenguo arrives first, I will be happy to welcome him at any time."
As soon as Cao Zijun finished speaking, the other officials echoed his words.
"That's right, that's right."
The people in the Ministry of War were truly terrified of Mu Zi'an.
After all, even their own Minister was no match for the other party, let alone their underlings.
Mu Zi'an could crush them like it was nothing, he didn't even need to use any force.
Seeing how cautious these people were, Mu Zian lost interest in teasing them and asked directly.
"I have a lucrative business opportunity here. Would you be interested in taking it?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com