Chu Anping was filled with admiration for Tang Hongwen's noble character, his willingness to promote talented individuals without seeking credit. He knew that such a leader was always loved and respected by his subordinates, regardless of the organization. Often, subordinates weren't unwilling to put in the effort, but rather worried that their hard-earned achievements would be easily taken away by their superiors.
Chu Anping knew that a team's cohesion and efficiency depended largely on the fairness and integrity of its leader. He believed that Tang Hongwen's actions would inspire more craftsmen and workers to work more actively and contribute to the development of the Wei Kingdom.
After Tang Hongwen told Chu Anping in detail about what had happened to Zhu Ziyi at the Ministry of Works, Chu Anping said, "Zhu Ziyi has indeed made great contributions this time, so the court will definitely not be short of the rewards he deserves. There is no need to wait until the steam locomotive is completed before asking His Majesty for rewards. The Royal Government Affairs Office can give Zhu Ziyi some rewards now on behalf of the court as a token of encouragement."
Hearing this, Tang Hongwen was also happy for Zhu Ziyi and bowed deeply to Chu Anping: "I will thank the prince on behalf of Zhu Ziyi."
Chu Anping smiled and said, "Minister Tang, there's no need to be polite. No matter who has made contributions to the State of Wei, the court will reward them accordingly. Moreover, the work the Ministry of Works is doing now is extremely difficult and extremely important to the State of Wei. Therefore, a small reward is nothing. As long as the Ministry of Works can complete the manufacture of the steam locomotive as soon as possible, that will be the greatest reward for Your Majesty and the State of Wei."
After saying goodbye to Chu Anping, Tang Hongwen immediately returned to the Ministry of Works and told Zhu Ziyi what Chu Anping had agreed to. After hearing that Chu Anping had rewarded him, Zhu Ziyi was also very happy. He just did what he should do, but he did not expect to receive rewards from the court.
Not long after Tang Hongwen returned to the Ministry of Works, the document decreeing rewards was also sent to the Ministry of Works. The morale of the Ministry was greatly boosted. Zhu Ziyi was named "skilled craftsman" and was given 100 taels of gold and ten hectares of fertile land.
When the craftsmen in the Ministry of Industry saw that Zhu Ziyi had been rewarded, they were all excited and motivated. The steelmaking furnaces burned day and night, and these craftsmen all wanted to be the next to receive the reward.
Of course, this document of reward was not written by the lazy emperor Chu Fan, but was written by the Royal Government Affairs Office after Chu Anping discussed with several princes in the Royal Government Affairs Office and determined the reward items.
After the guard who read the document left the Ministry of Works, Zhu Ziyi bowed to Tang Hongwen and said, "Thank you, Lord Shangshu, for speaking well of me to His Majesty. I will do my utmost to complete the task assigned by Lord Shangshu and His Majesty."
Tang Hongwen patted Zhu Ziyi on the shoulder and said, "Zhu Ziyi, you must remember that the imperial court never mistreats those who have made contributions. This time, you were able to discover the secret in the blueprints and speed up the completion of the steam locomotive. This is a great achievement for the Ministry of Works and the imperial court. The imperial court deserves to reward you."
As long as you can continue to maintain this work attitude, I believe your future achievements will definitely not be low."
Zhu Ziyi nodded heavily. He knew that in addition to having a good superior, the rewards for his current situation were also given by His Majesty and the court. Only by working harder could he repay His Majesty and the court for their kindness.
After Zhu Ziyi set an example, the Ministry of Industry greatly accelerated the speed of building steam locomotives. A large number of parts were produced every day and then assembled according to the requirements on the drawings.
Of course, Tang Hongwen was also very concerned about the rubber issue. After all, His Majesty said that without rubber, steam locomotives would be difficult to run smoothly, so Tang Hongwen had been sending people around to find out if anyone knew the origin and acquisition method of rubber.
In the Wei Kingdom, officials were diligently fulfilling their duties, while Chu Fan was leisurely touring the city of Kaifeng with his female companion. Although he spent most of his time in the palace, he also realized that it was necessary to leave the palace occasionally to appreciate the natural scenery of Wei Kingdom and understand the living conditions of the people.
With the widespread circulation of newspapers, many ordinary people began to gather in teahouses to listen to storytellers interpret the news in the newspapers that day. These teahouses thus prospered, and to accommodate the increasing number of tea drinkers, teahouse owners even placed more stools and tables outside their doors.
Chu Fan and his companions joined the lively scene. They chose to sit outside a teahouse, sipping tea while casually chatting with Mu Xi and others about the changes in the lives of the people of Wei. Just then, a young man who looked like a scholar approached, bowed politely to Chu Fan, and asked, "Would you be honored to sit at the same table with me and listen to your insights?"
At first, Chu Fan thought that the young man wanted to get close to Mu Xi and other women around him. After all, they were all beautiful women with outstanding looks and would naturally attract other people's attention.
But when Chu Fan observed the young man carefully, he found that his eyes were clear and without any distractions. Chu Fan also saw a hint of melancholy on his face, which suggested that he might be a man with unappreciated talent.
If this young man wanted to attract a woman's attention, he wouldn't have such a sad expression. After all, no beautiful woman would be interested in a scholar with a sad face. Clearly, this young man really wanted to discuss his confusion and insights with Chu Fan.
So Chu Fan said to the scholar, "Of course, please sit down."
Mu Xi and others also behaved very considerately. They stood up and moved to the next table, providing a relatively quiet environment for Chu Fan and the scholar so that they could talk without being disturbed.
When the scholar heard Chu Fan agree, as Chu Fan expected, the scholar did not pay too much attention to Mu Xi and others who had just left. Instead, after they left, he sat opposite Chu Fan.
He then began to ask Chu Fan a question: "Sir, I was fortunate enough to hear you talking about the changes in the lives of the people of Wei. I wonder what your thoughts are on these changes in Wei?"
After hearing the scholar's question, Chu Fan gently put down his teacup, pondered for a moment, and then replied in a calm tone, "In my opinion, the people of Wei are now able to live and work in peace and contentment, and the country is also showing a prosperous scene. This is undoubtedly a good thing to be celebrated."
After hearing Chu Fan's comments, the scholar nodded slightly in agreement and continued his questioning: "Sir, your views coincide with mine. I also believe that the living standards of the people in Wei have improved significantly compared to the past. However, there is one thing I'm very confused about. I wonder if you would be willing to answer this question for me?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com