Chapter 44 Getting Rich
After drinking a cup of tea, Meng Xi moisturized his internal organs. He breathed a sigh of relief, and his originally uneasy heart gradually calmed down.
"Let's go!" Zhao Yuanxi knew how anxious he was at the moment, and seeing that his complexion had improved a little, he didn't plan to delay any longer.
The paper mill was not far from Liyang Palace, and it would arrive in the time of one stick of incense.
Meng Xi followed Zhao Yuanxi through the front yard of the paper mill, passing by the rows of paper drying racks, his eyes full of shock.
He had seen papers with flower and bird patterns painted on them in Xianyang. Those papers were so sought after by the nobles in the city that it was hard to find one. But the papers here were like they were worthless and were just piled up randomly.
Meng Xi hesitated to speak, wanting to ask the Queen Mother where this place was, but he had more important things to do right now, so he could only put aside his doubts for the time being.
"Here we are! This is the finished waterwheel!" Zhao Yuanxi moved two steps to the side.
A complete waterwheel appeared in front of Meng Xi.
The waterwheel is connected to the stream, drawing water from the stream. The water flows through bamboo pipes into the large water tank in the middle of the yard. The water in the water tank then flows into the huge pool in the distance.
"The waterwheel is driven by water flow and can lift water from a low place to a high place. Here, a pedal device is added. If water cannot drive it, human power can also be used!" Zhao Yuanxi explained.
Even though Meng Xi had prepared himself mentally, he still couldn't help being shocked when he saw the waterwheel working. He scooped up a handful of water from the waterwheel, and the cool water flowed through his fingers. He clenched his fists.
This waterwheel will not only help to stabilize the current drought, but if it is promoted nationwide, the amount of land that can be irrigated will also be greatly increased.
Zhao Yuanxi asked, "How many waterwheels does the king plan to have you make?"
"Three thousand."
"So, you came here alone?" Zhao Yuanxi's expression became strange.
The smile on Meng Xi's face froze before he could hide it. He was reciting the method of making the waterwheel and did not have time to gather more people.
The king asked him to build 3,000 in half a month, which was obviously not something he could accomplish alone.
"I will write a letter right away and ask the craftsmen to come over." Meng Xi was a little embarrassed.
Zhao Yuanxi nodded. "The workshop in Yongcheng can serve as a place for you to learn, but it will still be very difficult to complete 3,000 waterwheels in half a month. It would be better to utilize the existing carpenters in the counties. After you finish your training here, you can go directly to other places to teach the method of making waterwheels."
"That's great. But I wonder when I can meet the craftsman who made this waterwheel?" Meng Xi looked at Zhao Yuanxi expectantly.
"The oak is not here, but there are a few people here who know how to make it."
Zhao Yuanxi asked someone to call a few people over.
These people were the Mohist disciples who were invited by Li. When they saw Meng Xi, they were all surprised.
"Master Meng!"
Meng Xi was also surprised. The Qin State did not attach importance to the Mohist School, and there were very few Mohist people left in the Qin State. In fact, the reason why he was here was because he was accidentally captured by the King of Qin and had to stay to build a palace for the King of Qin.
"How did you get here?"
"Junior Brother Li sent me a letter inviting us. The Chu State is in turmoil, so we had no choice but to come here to seek a way out."
The actual situation was more complicated than they said. King Kaolie of Chu favored the treacherous Li Yuan. Li Yuan's sister entered the palace to interfere in government affairs, causing unrest in the whole of Chu. King Kaolie of Chu had died of illness, and the ten-year-old King You of Chu succeeded to the throne. The regent Chunshen Jun was killed by Li Yuan, and the government was monopolized by Li Yuan.
The Chu nobles naturally refused to submit to Li Yuan and fought against him. Many of their relatives and friends were involved in this struggle, and no one knew how many died.
Of course, there is another reason, that is, Zhao Yuanxi gave too much.
Compared with other places, Qin State turned out to be a good place to go.
Hearing that someone he knew had passed away, Meng Xi's joy at seeing the Mohist disciples faded a little. He held their hands and sighed, "It's good to be alive! It's good to be alive!"
In this world, even if you don’t seek wealth and glory, it’s already difficult to survive.
"Li told me that you have all learned how to make a waterwheel, so the task of teaching Meng Xi and the others is now up to you!"
Several people bowed and said, "We obey your orders."
Meng Xi also expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, Queen Mother!"
Zhao Yuanxi nodded slightly, stopped disturbing him, and started to leave. When he reached the door, Gao Sheng was just coming back from outside.
After not seeing him for a few days, his demeanor has changed a lot. He used to look like a timid little man, but now he looks a bit like a scholar.
"Madam!" Gao Sheng's face lit up with joy when he saw the Queen Mother from afar. The gold in his arms seemed to be hot. He couldn't wait to share the good news with Zhao Yuanxi.
Before the carriage stopped, he jumped out and asked, "Madam, why are you here? Is there anything going on in the workshop?"
Ever since the paper mill was handed over to Gao Sheng, Zhao Yuanxi seldom came here. The last time he came here was to sell paper to Xianyang.
Zhao Yuanxi smiled and said, "You're not here for the paper mill, but for something else. Did you just come back from Xianyang?"
Gao Sheng bowed deeply to Zhao Yuanxi and said excitedly, "Exactly. All the Yong paper we sent to Xianyang last time has been sold out. Excluding the share given to Changping Jun, we've made a net profit of a thousand gold coins!"
Several people moved into the house, and Gao Sheng opened the box he carried with him, which was filled with gold.
Zhao Yuanxi took a quick look and felt his mood surge, and he felt refreshed.
Gold, lots of gold! This was probably the most gold she had ever seen, and it was all hers.
In her previous life, Zhao Yuanxi was busy with research and she really had no concept of money, especially after digital currency became popular, she had never touched money.
But now, a huge pile of gold was placed in front of her! Zhao Yuanxi took a deep breath and suppressed her excitement.
Zhao Yuanxi said, "You've done a great job! You must have worked hard to earn a thousand gold coins. Here's a hundred gold coins as your reward!"
Gao Sheng was surprised and happy. It would be a lie to say he was not tempted when he got the money, but this was the first task given to him by the Queen Mother, and he didn't dare touch a cent for fear of something going wrong.
The Queen Mother was willing to give him a hundred gold coins, which meant that he had completed the mission very well. "Thank you, Queen Mother!"
"How is Changping Jun doing? Has he given you any trouble?" Zhao Yuanxi asked.
The eldest nephew has a bad temper. Although Zhao Yuanxi thinks he is a good partner, Gao Sheng must have suffered a lot of grievances because of his bad temper.
A trace of confusion flashed across Gao Sheng's face. "I followed the Queen Mother's orders and went to Changping Jun's residence to discuss matters. Changping Jun did not meet with me. All matters were handled by Changping Jun's retainers on my behalf."
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