"Good sword, it is indeed a good sword!" Emperor Jing applauded and cheered, the joy in his eyes was beyond words.
He was aware of the level of sword skills of the palace guards.
Its quality is comparable to the swords bestowed upon military commanders.
The new sword made by the Ministry of Works can even cut through the swords of the imperial guards, which shows its superb craftsmanship.
What's even more rare is that when you look closely, there is only a tiny crack on Gongbu's sword, and the damage is not serious.
All the ministers were also amazed.
"A good sword, worthy of being made by the Ministry of Works."
"Fang Zhengyi should have lost this time, but I wonder how much this sword cost?"
Jiang Liang smiled slightly and pressed his hands lightly: "Everyone, this sword is newly made, and the price is about three taels of silver. But... this is just a rough estimate. Because it took so many craftsmen to work together to develop it, the price is a bit higher."
"But in time, the price of this sword will surely drop significantly. Lord Fang, do you think that if this sword can be equipped to the entire army in the future, it will be beneficial to the country and the people?" Jiang Liang stroked his beard, extremely proud.
"In time, the price of muskets will drop significantly. If we install a bayonet on the barrel, we can fight a few hand-to-hand combats. I don't think it will work!" Fang Zheng showed contempt and poured a basin of cold water on him without hesitation.
Five taels of silver to make a sword is really a waste of money.
If Taoyuan County can improve its technology and streamline its procedures in the future, and if it can also carry out large-scale production, a musket will cost less than five taels of silver.
However, the Ministry of Industry's iron smelting and forging technology is worthy of praise.
"Master Fang, there is no point in saying more! Bring your things up." Jiang Liang snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves, turned his head and stopped looking at him.
You can't spit out ivory from a dog's mouth, and a cultured person won't engage in an argument with him!
Emperor Jing smiled and said, "Okay, I've already looked at the Ministry of Works' stuff. Fang Qing, where are yours?"
Fang Zhengyi said calmly, "My things are outside the palace. It is not convenient to display them inside the palace. May Your Majesty and your colleagues please come outside the palace to have a look?"
"Outside the palace? Wow, it looks like it should be a pretty big thing, right?"
"Yes, could it be that Fang Zhengyi wants to win by sheer force? That's a bit naive."
"I didn't see him bringing anything big into the palace when I came here today?"
Listening to the discussion below, Emperor Jing's eyes became more interested: "Alright! Then all my dear ministers, follow me to the outside of the palace to watch."
The emperor gave an order, and all the ministers lined up and walked out slowly.
In the square outside the main hall, Fang Zhengyi and the prince had already arranged two bicycles with their cooperation.
But at this time it was also covered with red cloth.
When everyone arrived at the square, they saw the eye-catching red color at first glance.
He started pointing again.
I couldn't guess what it was by looking at its shape, and I became more and more anxious.
Fang Zhengyi walked up to the bicycle, stood next to it, held the red cloth in one hand and said, "Look, everyone. The object I want to show you today was made by a craftsman from Taoyuan County. It's called a bicycle!"
After saying that, he pulled hard with one hand, and the whole red cloth was lifted up.
The two bicycles were fully revealed in front of the emperor and his ministers.
One is mainly made of wood, while the other looks more refined. It is made entirely of metal and is inlaid with gold and silver on the outside, which is extremely beautiful.
It is still fashionable to ride it on the street today.
Emperor Jing looked at the bicycle in confusion and asked, "What is a bicycle? Can it move by itself?"
"No, it requires a person to ride on the bike and alternately step on the two pedals below, and then the bike will move." Fang Zhengyi explained.
As soon as the explanation came out, someone immediately laughed: "Master Fang, please stop joking. This is just a frame with two wheels."
"If the two wheels are in parallel, wouldn't someone fall off if they rode on them?"
"That's right! Lord Fang, this thing looks a bit weird, and it's not stable for transportation. What use can it have?"
Fang Zheng scratched his head and wanted to explain, but when he thought about it carefully, it seemed that he really didn't know why the bicycle didn't fall over.
All I can say is: "Everyone, seeing is believing. To see if it will fall down, why don't you just ride it and give it a try?"
“Before the test ride, let me give you a brief introduction.”
"Look, everyone. Not only can this vehicle move as fast as the wind, but it can also carry heavy objects. There is a basket in the front for placing objects, so people don't have to carry anything when buying vegetables. There is also a seat in the back for carrying people, so you can take your children to school or something like that."
"The best thing is this little box in front of the bike!" Fang Zheng walked to the front of the bike and opened a small transparent box. "There's a mirror inside, and there's also an oil lamp with a fixed base. When you light the lamp and close the lid, it can illuminate the road at night."
"What do you think?" Fang Zhengyi said proudly.
How is it? Not so good!
Are you trying to fool people with this junk?
The ministers looked at each other, and even Emperor Jing had a look of embarrassment.
It sounds great, but it doesn't seem to work... Let's not talk about whether it can run with two wheels, can it really pedal with a person behind it? And the place where the light is installed on the front is even more stupid. It's not surprising that someone riding this thing will fall to death on the road in the middle of the night, right?
"Alright Fang Qing, demonstrate as soon as possible. I want to see how this thing stands up."
"Father, let me do it!" Li Yuanzhao had been eager to try, and now he finally volunteered to step forward.
He walked over to the bicycle and said, "Father, I know how to ride this. Why don't you let me practice?"
"Then you demonstrate it."
Li Yuanzhao got into the car swiftly and exchanged glances with Fang Zhengyi.
Seeing Fang Zhengyi's resolute look, Li Yuanzhao no longer hesitated. He kicked his footrest and stood up by stepping on the foot pedal.
The bicycle rushed out steadily!
When Fang Zheng saw his skillful movements, his memories of being a social animal were activated again...
In the wide square, Li Yuanzhao stomped his feet like a wild dog that had broken free from its reins.
The wind blew past his ears and ruffled his hair.
Emperor Jing and his ministers were all petrified.
It didn’t fall! It really didn’t fall!
Not only did it not fall, but it was also moving quite fast!
"Father! Look, I can still turn!"
Li Yuanzhao shouted excitedly, made a big circle and returned to the crowd.
"Lao Fang, get in the car! Let them see how to transport people!"
Fang Zheng hesitated for a moment, then walked forward and sat diagonally on the back seat. He put his arm around Li Yuanzhao's waist and whispered, "Slow down, don't fall!"
"It can't be wrong! Let's go!" Li Yuanzhao shouted and pedaled quickly again.
"Oh my, I've really broadened my horizons today. This bicycle is quite unique, haha." Zhang Dongxiang exclaimed while stroking his beard.
"Mr. Zhang, I don't think this thing is of much use. Most people's daily activities range no more than five or six miles. Who would be willing to spend money to buy such a strange thing? It is really ugly to parade it in the streets. Besides, the people are stupid. Even if they have spare money to buy it, they may not be able to learn how to use it." Jiang Liang looked at him meaningfully.
......
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