The First Emperor became increasingly interested in the construction bureau and in science and technology.
He stated frankly, "If I weren't an emperor, I would definitely dedicate my life to science."
"Your Majesty, following our mentor's instructions, we are currently constructing internal combustion engines and steam engines. You should have seen the steam engine last time; it's incredibly expensive. We don't yet have a way to improve it and reduce its operating costs. The construction department is currently divided into three groups. One group maintains and upgrades the Four Great Inventions, and this group alone consumes two-thirds of the research funding. Research on the internal combustion engine is currently stalled, and the steam engine cannot be further studied due to its exorbitant cost. Therefore, I believe that the construction of a money exchange in the Great Qin is of utmost urgency."
"That's true. Without money, even the most skilled cook can't make a meal without rice."
The First Emperor nodded. He was not an emperor who did not understand things. On the contrary, he had a good understanding of the steam engine at this stage.
In fact, Li Lin did not initially intend to carry out any industrial revolution in the Qin Dynasty, an era with backward productivity.
The steam engine and the internal combustion engine were just examples he casually mentioned during his physics and chemistry classes.
Unexpected.
These research fanatics actually started researching machinery that surpassed the productivity of the Qin Dynasty.
If this had happened in the Qing Dynasty, perhaps not a single penny of the silver allocated to Empress Dowager Cixi's birthday banquet would have been allocated to the scientific and technological personnel.
"Your Majesty, your birthday is not far away. If we were to use the remaining funds in the national treasury now, I'm afraid the taxes collected from the autumn harvest would not be enough to cope with the drought in the southern regions next spring. If the court does not have the money to appease the people, there is a possibility of a popular uprising in the south!"
"This... Minister of the Imperial Household Department, how much money did I originally plan to spend on my birthday celebration?"
"About three million strings of cash plus some miscellaneous fees, roughly around five million strings of cash."
"this......"
The First Emperor hesitated for a moment, after all, his birthday was a major event that happened once a year, and this year was also a crucial year for him, when he turned forty-seven.
I'll be forty-eight next year.
After all, he celebrates his birthday on the first day of the Lunar New Year every year, which means he celebrates his 48th birthday.
He wanted to take advantage of this age to bring good fortune and have a smooth 48th birthday.
"How much money is your construction company short of for research on internal combustion engines and steam engines?"
"It's hard to say, but the minimum estimate is around ten million coins!"
"Minister of the Imperial Treasury, how much money is left in the national treasury?"
"Your Majesty, there are still about 20 million strings of cash, most of which came from the past donations of Minister Li, ah, the Imperial Censor Li Lin."
"Then allocate ten million strings of cash to the construction company. It doesn't matter if it's not my birthday; the internal combustion engine and steam engine are of utmost importance."
"Ah? Your Majesty!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty is wise!"
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