"A profitable business?"
Upon hearing this, Cao Zijun and the officials of the Military Manufacturing Bureau exchanged bewildered glances.
In fact, the various government offices within the Six Ministries also cooperated with each other in private.
Just like how the Armory would place orders with the Smelting Bureau when it was extremely busy.
Therefore, this kind of behavior is already commonplace.
In the past, the Ministry of War was always the client, but today it seems that the roles are about to be reversed.
Mu Zian crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Cao Zijun with a smile on his face.
"I'm sure you've all seen the changes that have taken place in the Smelting Bureau."
Upon hearing this, the officials of the Ordnance Bureau exchanged glances.
Both being government offices under the Six Ministries, the Bureau of Metallurgy was always bullied because the Ministry of Works was the lowest-ranking among the Six Ministries.
The Ministry of War, on the other hand, was a powerful government agency. Although the official ranks of the two were similar, the Ministry of War considered itself to be of a higher rank.
However, the Smelting Bureau has undergone tremendous changes.
Not only have the former shacks been replaced with brick and tile houses, but the blacksmiths' income has also doubled.
If you add in some bonuses, you can earn three or four times more in a year than in previous years.
With such high salaries, which of the six ministries' subordinate offices wouldn't be tempted?
Although the Ordnance Bureau once considered itself superior to the Smelting Bureau, in reality, they all faced similar situations.
The blacksmiths in the smelting bureau were starving, and the artisans in the armory were in the same boat.
As the old saying goes, a beggar doesn't envy the rich and powerful, but he will envy a beggar who is better off than him.
It may be inappropriate to say this right now, but that's the situation.
Before, when we were all starving together, I could still make fun of you and tease you a bit.
But nowadays, good heavens! You've suddenly become someone who eats meat and fish every day. To say you're not jealous would be a lie.
So when Cao Zijun heard that Mu Zian planned to cooperate with them, his first instinct was disbelief.
However, the calm and confident expression on Mu Zi's face did not seem fake.
Moreover, what could Mu Zian possibly covet from his elaborate scheme?
A few days ago, Cao Zijun ran into Tian Zhi from the Smelting Bureau on his way to the yamen.
The two men were of the same rank and received roughly the same salary, but Cao Zijun's family background was even better.
Therefore, Cao Zijun's standard of living in the capital was not low.
Tian Zhi lived a little more frugally, his meager salary barely covering his food and drink.
However! Ever since Mu Zi'an took over the Smelting Bureau...
Not only has Tian Zhi become more rounded than before, but he even has a horse-drawn carriage when he goes out!
A horse-drawn carriage is definitely not something an ordinary person can afford, especially in a place like the capital city of Dali.
Even the cheapest carriage costs several hundred strings of cash.
Even disregarding the subsequent costs of raising the horses, Tian Zhi's carriage was equivalent to a luxury car of the BBA level in later generations.
This made Cao Zijun, who usually only dared to call a car when it was raining or snowing, so jealous that he almost lost his composure.
Only two months have passed! Yet Tian Zhi is flaunting his wealth like a nouveau riche.
On the surface, Cao Zijun showed disdain, but secretly he was grinding his teeth in frustration.
"If you are not interested, I will not force you, but I cannot give you this money."
After saying that, Mu Zian got up and was about to leave.
When Cao Zijun came to his senses, he was a little flustered. He turned around and saw that all his subordinates were staring at him expectantly.
The look in his eyes practically screamed "I want to make money!"
Seeing this, Cao Zijun steeled his resolve! Forget about saving face! Nothing is more important than the meat he had in his mouth!
So just as Mu Zian stood up, Cao Zijun quickly stepped forward and said.
"Oh my! Duke Zhenguo, you have a very accurate eye for people!"
"Everyone in our Armory has been eagerly awaiting your arrival."
"The Duke of Zhenguo is the cream of the crop in our Great Li! The cornerstone of the nation! I will help the Duke of Zhenguo even if it costs me money!"
"Why be so polite between you and me!"
Upon hearing this, the surrounding officials echoed his sentiments.
"That's right! The person outside doesn't know that my Ministry of War and the Duke of Zhenguo are the closest of friends!"
Sometimes, Mu Zian couldn't help but admire these people.
If you were to connect their faces together and use them as a city wall...
Let alone the mere 600,000-strong allied army of Zhao and Zhou, even if the number were doubled, it would be impossible for them to breach the defenses of my Great Li.
Mu Zian smiled upon hearing this and continued, following the lead of Cao Zijun and the others.
"How could that be! Public affairs are public affairs, and private affairs are private affairs. We are all serving the court and being loyal to the country."
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately understood and echoed the sentiment.
"Yes, yes, yes! It is to be loyal to the country! It is our duty!"
Seeing how quickly these people had grasped the concept, Mu Zi'an was satisfied.
Cao Zijun, standing to the side, cupped his hands and looked at Mu Zian.
"I don't know. The Duke of Zhenguo wants our help... how does he want to cooperate with us?"
Upon hearing this, Mu Zian went straight to the point and took out the blueprints that he had previously given to Tian Zhi.
"Make as many as you can according to the blueprints. All expenses will be covered by the national public funds. For each additional vehicle built, I will give you a five-tael commission."
Upon hearing this, Cao Zijun respectfully took the blueprints from Mu Zian's hands.
The others immediately gathered around as well.
The drawing on the blueprint showed a wooden cart with a hexagonal wooden barrel on top of it.
The inside of the wooden barrel is divided into compartments, just like a honeycomb.
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