Chapter 19 Selling paper! Selling paper!
Since returning from the Chu family that day, Zhao Yuanxi no longer went to Lugewu frequently.
After the curved plow was completed, Zhao Yuanxi asked Li to send it to Yongcheng, and let the county magistrate and engineers of Yong County coordinate this matter and promote it. Such a thing that benefits the country and the people should naturally be put to full use.
With the Empress Dowager Zhao Yuanxi around, the county magistrate of Yong County did not dare to be negligent, and they soon discovered the wonderful uses of the curved plow.
Zhao Yuanxi let them deal with the rest on their own.
Because the paper mill was just being built and many people were needed, Zhao Yuanxi kept Li. After all, a good carpenter was very important.
She has a lot of things that still need Oak's help to complete.
This pen was made by Li at the request of Zhao Yuanxi. It looks similar to the ones used by ancient people to draw eyebrows, but it is longer and more similar to a modern pencil.
Zhao Yuanxi casually picked up a piece of paper and traced it a few times with a charcoal pencil. "It works very well. Thank you for your help."
Li's face was tanned red, and he felt a little embarrassed.
"Do you have any other questions?" Zhao Yuanxi asked puzzledly when he saw that he had not left yet.
"Madam gave me two blueprints a while ago. I've already completed the curved plow, but I still have many questions about the waterwheel."
Zhao Yuanxi put down the pen in his hand and chuckled, "Then you should ask first. If I know, I will definitely tell you everything."
Li's originally nervous heart relaxed when he met Zhao Yuanxi's calm eyes, "Please follow me, Madam."
The backyard is where the workers rest. Since Li has to do manual work, a separate area is set aside for him and various kinds of wood and stones are placed on it.
In the center of the courtyard stands the most basic version of a waterwheel.
A bamboo tube is hung on the large wooden wheel in the middle, and there is a receiving trough next to it. It looks almost the same as the water-turning drum wheel Zhao Yuanxi has seen before.
Li looked distressed. "I built it according to the diagram Madam gave me, but when I put the waterwheel in the water to try it out, it started to turn, but it wouldn't draw water steadily."
Zhao Yuanxi gently pushed the wheel of the waterwheel, and the bamboo tube on it turned with her movement. Soon she found the problem.
"The problem is not with you." The picture she drew was not detailed enough. It was not easy for Li to make the thing, so some errors in details were normal.
"Adjust the opening of the bamboo tube to this angle," Zhao Yuanxi gestured. "This will make it easier to draw and pour water. You can also replace the bamboo tube with a wooden barrel of the same size. This will stabilize the waterwheel's speed and improve its durability."
There was no concept of standardization in this era. Although Ju subconsciously chose bamboo tubes of similar size for the sake of aesthetics, there were still differences in the sizes of the bamboo tubes, which would also affect the operation of the waterwheel.
"You can try making a proportional waterwheel. If it works, you can adjust this big one."
It is not easy to make such a large waterwheel, and Zhao Yuanxi couldn't bear to see him take the wrong path again.
Li nodded repeatedly, very grateful to Zhao Yuanxi.
Zhao Yuanxi suddenly asked, "Li, do you know the Mo family?"
Ever since he started preparing to comprehensively improve productivity, Zhao Yuanxi has been thinking about recruiting some professional and technical personnel.
The first school she targeted was the Mohist school. Unfortunately, the Qin kings of all generations valued the Legalists and did not pay much attention to the Mohists. Although the Qin Shaofu supported some Mohist people, they only helped the Qin king build palaces and never used those technologies for the people.
When Zhao Yuanxi first met Li, he suspected that he was a member of the Mo family.
A small craftsman from the Qin State could not learn the skills from the distant Chu State unless he had connections in Chu State.
Li wanted to deny it, especially after he became suspicious of Mrs. Zhao's identity, he didn't want to expose himself.
But he didn't want to deceive the lady.
"What does Madam want to do with the Mo family?"
“I want to ask them for help in making something.”
"Madam, I can help you with anything you want to do." Li was very sure.
Zhao Yuanxi smiled and said, "Of course I believe you, but human energy is limited. Just like today, I wanted a pen, and you were obviously busy with the waterwheel, but you still had to take time out to help me."
"Madam, have you guessed that I'm from the Mo family?"
"It's quite obvious. After all, you didn't try to hide it." Zhao Yuanxi nodded.
Li was a little embarrassed, "But I don't know who the lady is?"
"Don't you see? I thought I was pretty obvious too."
Although she didn't wear the queen mother's gorgeous clothes, she used things that belonged to the Qin royal family, and her subordinates were all guards of the Qin Palace. Is it hard to guess?
Her identity is indeed impossible to guess, but no normal person would dare to guess in that direction. After all, who would believe that the queen mother of a country would not stay in the Qin Palace and instead run out to mingle with farmers.
"Are you really the Queen Mother?"
“Guaranteed genuine!”
"Then why do you..."
Zhao Yuanxi followed up on his words and answered himself, "You want to know why I farm? I remember that you Mohists emphasize universal love. You can consider my actions as universal love as well. I want to try to make sure everyone in the world has enough to eat."
"If we want to feed everyone in the world, we have to increase food production. But simply growing good seeds isn't enough. I need to create tools that can improve farming efficiency. That's what you're doing!"
"If you don't believe it—"
"I believe you. If you are willing to believe me, I will also believe you. I will pass the message to my fellow disciples, but I cannot guarantee whether they are willing to come."
"This is already very good!" Zhao Yuanxi smiled sincerely.
She really was short of people, especially after she expanded her business, she had even fewer people.
Now just a paper mill has drained all the people under her.
Gao Sheng had to travel between Xianyang and Yongcheng. Although her guards listened to her, they were still guards of the Qin Palace in name. It was not good for them if she kept transferring them here.
In the end, only the few people given by my cheap son were left——
I have to say it's very useful. She even wants to ask her step-son to get some help.
Or, she could consider cooperating with her adopted son to transform the paper mill into a state-owned enterprise and give him a share of the profits?
While Zhao Yuanxi was hesitating whether to contact his adopted son, Ying Zheng had already received the news.
Ying Zheng looked at the paper in his hand. The ink on the paper was not yet dry. He had already thought a lot, "Is this really made by the Queen Mother?"
Lu Le said, "The Queen Mother and several eunuchs and maids from the Qin Palace did this secretly. She seemed to be planning to sell the items to officials in Xianyang."
"Sell?" Ying Zheng was stunned. Was the Queen Mother of Qin really short of money? Why would she want to engage in business?
The Qin State implemented a policy of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce. The status of merchants was extremely low. Merchants and their descendants were not even allowed to serve as officials. Anyone with a certain status would not associate with merchants.
Ying Zheng didn't understand why the Queen Mother seemed like a different person since moving to Yongcheng.
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