What is a good thing? For Li Zhuo now, anything that can help him save money is a good thing!
When Li Zhuo heard that building a city wall with cement was so cost-effective, durable, and had a very short construction period, he was immediately attracted.
He analyzed it carefully and found that he had no reason to refuse to use cement!
So he said excitedly: "If this is true, then you have all made great contributions to the court! I will definitely reward you handsomely!"
But before Li Zhuo could say what he planned to reward, Wei Yong said, "Your Majesty, whether the effect of cement is really as Master Lu said remains to be verified."
Lu Chen raised his eyebrows and thought to himself that he was right to attack Wei Caier. This old guy Wei Yong really wanted to turn against him.
However, judging from the title of Master Lu, Wei Yong's attitude towards him seemed to have indeed improved.
"Yes, yes, I think what Lord Wei said makes sense. Let's see for ourselves whether cement is really useful."
Lu Zhengping looked very nervous when he said this. Logically speaking, everyone will be able to use cement in the future, which is a great thing for the Ministry of Industry.
But from Lu Zhengping's perspective, this may not be a good thing.
You have to know that these generals who made cement were once from the Ministry of Industry. Why didn't they make cement when they were in the Ministry? Why did they come up with such an amazing invention after changing their jobs?
You can say that this is all Lu Chen's credit, and the idea was provided by Lu Chen, but isn't there any problem with the Ministry of Industry itself?
What's more, once the construction cost is determined, the operating funds available to their Ministry of Industry will be reduced, which is something he does not want to see.
On the contrary, the Minister of Revenue, Liang Licang, was very happy to see this invention come to fruition. When he heard that Lu Zhengping wanted to sabotage him, Liang Licang took the initiative to help without Lu Chen even saying anything, saying, "Lord Lu, you are wrong. When has Master Lu ever boasted? If he said this thing is useful, then it must be useful."
Liang Licang bowed to Lu Chen and said, "Master Lu is truly a god. With this invention, I wonder how much money and food this will save for the Great Qi, and how many soldiers' lives it will save!"
These words were definitely spoken by Liang Licang from the heart, and he now sincerely wanted to kowtow to Lu Chen.
If cement really worked and was cheap, his life as the Minister of Revenue would be much easier.
In the future, all construction expenditures will be reduced by 90%. Liang Licang had never dared to think about such a thing before. He would even wake up laughing in his dreams.
Cui Shanzhan, standing nearby, also spoke up, "If it can truly solidify in a short period of time, it will truly be a very important strategic resource. We'll be able to quickly build fortifications in the field, giving us a significant tactical advantage."
Compared with the Ministry of Revenue, Lu Chen actually has a better relationship with the Ministry of War. It can be said that they prosper together.
So no matter how effective the cement is, Cui Shanzhan will first help Lu Chen to praise it.
Seeing the two Shangshu coming out to support him at the same time, Lu Chen couldn't help but sigh, thinking that he now had a foundation in Da Qi.
Looking at Lu Zhengping who was about to say something, Lu Chen laughed and said, "No problem, it's just an experiment. I just remembered that the stone statue buried at the gate of the Imperial College some time ago is almost time to be buried. Why don't we do both things together tomorrow!"
Li Zhuo clapped his hands excitedly and said, "Okay, since Master Lu has said so, then let's do everything as you say."
After this period of contact, Li Zhuo also understood what kind of person Lu Chen was.
Since he can say such things, the effect of cement should not be too bad.
After the morning court was over, a group of ministers walked out in twos and threes. As they walked, they turned their heads from time to time to look behind them, and then continued to whisper.
After they all left the palace, the rumor that Master Lu was going to perform magic in the Imperial College quickly spread throughout the capital.
In order to ensure the fairness of the experiment and leave the people from the Ministry of Industry speechless, Lu Chen also specially invited Lu Zhengping and many people from the Ministry of Industry to watch.
When the people from the Ministry of Works saw that the craftsmen had built an arrow tower in less than an hour, the corners of their mouths twitched.
If tomorrow's test proves that this thing is indeed strong and durable, that would be terrible. The entire Da Qi construction industry might be facing a major earthquake.
"Father, if cement is really so effective and cheap, then we must purchase it in large quantities. Many of the water conservancy facilities on our fiefdom need to be renovated, and cement is the perfect material for this!"
"Lady Saint, I've already found out everything. The experiment will be held outside the Imperial College tomorrow. I've already sent someone to reserve a spot for us."
At noon the next day, the entire Imperial College was packed with people. I had heard that Lu Chen was proficient in magic for a while, and today I was finally able to see it with my own eyes!
This made the government offices and the imperial guards responsible for the security of the capital very busy. After they finally got the situation under control, the emperor arrived with a group of civil and military officials.
The benefits of status were apparent at this time. Court officials above the third rank could follow Li Zhuo closely and watch the experiment up close.
As for officials below the third rank, they can find a corner to stay.
Looking at the ten-meter-high arrow tower in front of him, Li Zhuo exclaimed in amazement, "Was this really built yesterday? It only took one day?"
"To be precise, it actually took less than an hour. The structure of the arrow tower is not complicated, so it was very easy to build."
After hearing this, the eyes of Li Zhuo, Cui Shanzhan and a group of generals lit up.
Many tricks immediately emerged in their minds, which might be used on the battlefield in the future.
Li Zhuo reached out and patted the arrow tower in front of him, and said impatiently: "Then let's get started!"
As soon as he finished speaking, someone came up with two cloth bags. One of them was placed under the arrow tower, and the other was placed at the base of the wall of the Imperial College.
"Everyone, I've heard that the walls of the Imperial College were built at great expense, and their strength is comparable to the walls of the capital. So, today, let's conduct a comparative experiment to determine whether the walls built using traditional methods are superior, or whether the walls constructed using cement are stronger. Everyone, please step back to a safe distance behind the yellow line. Ignite!"
boom!
Just when everyone was still not able to react to what was happening, two loud noises shook the entire capital.
After the explosion, Lu Chen pointed at the Arrow Tower with a triumphant expression and said, "As you can all see, despite such a violent explosion, the Arrow Tower wasn't seriously damaged, while the Imperial College's walls have collapsed. This proves that cement is indeed a good material, strong and durable, Your Majesty!"
"No, cement and the like are no longer important. Tell me about this explosion thing! This is the real artifact!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
