After the festive atmosphere of the Lantern Festival gradually faded away, Chu Fan's life returned to his usual idle life, and the construction of the Royal Yuya Villa and steel plant that he cared about was finally completed.
Chu Fan did not go to the steel mill to check it out in person. As a lazy emperor, he did not have to do everything himself.
He had already handed the steelmaking technical manual to Tang Hongwen, so he believed that Tang Hongwen would devote all his energy to the work. If Tang Hongwen did not do a good job, Chu Fan would consider replacing the person in charge.
Chu Fan found reviewing memorials and attending morning court sessions extremely cumbersome, not to mention personally refining the steel. He felt that if he had to do even these things himself, wouldn't his life as an emperor be too arduous?
Therefore, Chu Fan decided to have the princes from the Imperial Affairs Office oversee the Ministry of Works' progress. After all, they were all members of the royal family and considered themselves his own people. After their missions were completed, the Kingdom of Wei would ultimately be passed down to the royal family, so it was only natural for them to oversee the Ministry of Works' work.
When Chu Anping arrived at the Ministry of Industry, he found that the Ministry had used the steel produced by the steel plant to forge several extremely sharp swords.
The blades of these longswords gleamed with a cold light, and delicate ripples were faintly visible. Chu Anping grasped the swords in his hands, feeling their heft, and couldn't help but admire the exquisite craftsmanship of the Ministry of Works. These swords not only demonstrated the forging prowess of the Wei artisans, but also served as the best proof of the miraculous effects of the steelmaking method Chu Fan had bestowed upon them.
Minister of Works Tang Hongwen introduced to Chu Anping: "Your Highness, these swords are made of steel refined according to the steelmaking method bestowed upon you by Your Majesty. Swords made of this steel are incredibly sharp, capable of cutting through iron like mud. Even weapons made of the previously refined steel are unable to match them."
Chu Anping picked up the long sword made by the Ministry of Industry and looked at it carefully. As a powerful warrior, the issues he considered were more profound than Tang Hongwen.
He asked Tang Hongwen, "Minister Tang, has your Ministry of Works tested the power of this sword?"
Tang Hongwen replied, "After it was made, our Ministry of Industry tested it with a sword-testing stone. The stone was easily split in two, but the blade remained completely intact, demonstrating its sharpness."
After all, these swords were to be presented to His Majesty. How could they be so easily presented to His Majesty for inspection without undergoing rigorous testing? If they were presented without testing, and His Majesty discovered that the swords made by the Ministry of Industry were of poor quality, it would not only damage the reputation of the Ministry of Industry, but also affect the Ministry's position in His Majesty's heart.
Chu Anping said, "Bring out a large sword-testing stone. I want to try it myself."
No matter what Tang Hongwen said, Chu Anping had to personally verify the power of this sword to see how powerful it could be.
Soon, a huge sword-testing stone was brought to Chu Anping. Normally, even the best steel sword would have difficulty leaving a noticeable mark on such a huge sword-testing stone.
Chu Anping took a deep breath and injected his internal energy into the sword. With a flash of sword light, the sword-testing stone cracked with a sound. The cut was as smooth as a mirror. A hint of surprise flashed in Chu Anping's eyes.
Chu Anping looked at the still intact sword blade and couldn't help but praise it, "Minister Tang, your Ministry of Works has truly lived up to His Majesty's trust. This sword is not only incredibly sharp, but also incredibly tough. It's truly a weapon of state. His Majesty will surely be delighted to see this."
After Chu Anping finished speaking, he handed the sword back to Tang Hongwen. He had only come on His Majesty's orders to inspect the Ministry of Industry's steelmaking achievements. A sword forged by the Ministry of Industry, no matter how sharp, should be presented to His Majesty personally by the Ministry of Industry. If he presented it on behalf of the Ministry of Industry, he would be overstepping his authority and would be seen by His Majesty and the Ministry of Industry officials as an overreach, which would be undesirable.
Tang Hongwen was extremely happy to see that the long sword he made was recognized by Chu Anping. Chu Anping was a member of the royal family and a member of the Royal Government Affairs Office.
His sudden appearance at the Ministry of Industry must have been a command from His Majesty to inspect the Ministry's steelmaking efforts. Since Chu Anping praised the longsword forged from the newly refined steel, it meant that the royal family highly recognized the weapons forged from the steel refined by the Ministry of Industry.
Tang Hongwen replied, "Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty. I will present these swords to Your Majesty for your personal inspection."
Chu Anping nodded, and then talked a lot with Tang Hongwen about his views on weapon forging. As a warrior, Chu Anping had his own unique insights into weapons.
The two chatted happily, with Chu Anping offering suggestions for improvement from time to time. Tang Hongwen listened attentively, secretly admiring Chu Anping's mastery of not only his martial prowess but also his profound expertise in weapon forging. Chu Anping's suggestions offered the Ministry of Industry many new possibilities for future weapon forging.
When Chu Anping finally left, Tang Hongwen wanted him to take a newly forged longsword with him, but Chu Anping decisively refused. He believed that it was absolutely inappropriate to take a longsword forged by the Ministry of Works without the emperor's order, and he absolutely could not start such a precedent.
Although the Royal Government Affairs Office possessed great power, the greater the power, the more rules it had to follow. If the princes in the Royal Government Affairs Office acted arbitrarily, it would undermine the imperial order and cause the Royal Government Affairs Office to lose its credibility.
Chu Anping knew very well that maintaining the rigor and order of the court was far more important than momentary selfish desires.
Chu Fan didn't know about these situations in the palace. When Tang Hongwen handed the swords to him, he was attracted by them at first sight.
Chu Fan asked Tang Hongwen, "The princes from the Royal Government Affairs Office should have already visited the Ministry of Works, right? What did they say?"
Tang Hongwen replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, Prince Chu Anping praised the new long sword forged by the Ministry of Works, saying it was sharp and tough, and a weapon of state."
Chu Fan nodded slightly after hearing Tang Hongwen's answer. Since Chu Anping had already approved, there was no need for him to be too picky. After all, these properties would be left to the royal family in the future. Since Chu Anping had already approved, then let it be.
Chu Fan continued, "Lord Tang, please place these swords in the palace. All future weapon forging will be based on this standard. Also, once the Ministry of Industry has mastered the steelmaking process, we can continue to expand. After all, the Xiongnu could invade from the south at any time, and our dynasty needs to have sufficient sophisticated weapons to prepare for emergencies."
Tang Hongwen replied, "I will obey your orders and live up to your trust. The Ministry of Industry will increase steel production, making our army more sophisticated and ensuring the stability of our borders."
Chu Fan nodded with satisfaction and said, "Thank you very much, Lord Tang, for your help. Lord Tang, please go down and arrange the relevant matters."
Tang Hongwen withdrew. As for the reward? It was a joke. His Majesty provided the money to build the steel mill, and His Majesty provided the steelmaking technology. The Ministry of Industry simply transformed this technology into a practical industry. Besides, it wasn't as if His Majesty hadn't paid the Ministry's craftsmen a salary.
Furthermore, His Majesty has already assigned the Ministry of Works to set up a dedicated weapons-selling shop called the Divine Weapon Pavilion within the Royal Yuya Villa, with all proceeds going to the Ministry. With such a reward, what more could one ask for? The most important thing for a person is self-knowledge.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
