The group followed Liang Yu along the path between the fields, heading towards the foot of the barren mountain.
Before long, faint noises could be heard from ahead, a stark contrast to the tranquility of the fields.
The dirt road underfoot gradually turned into smooth bluestone slabs.
On both sides of the road were factory buildings I had never seen before, tall and neat.
Some chimneys were billowing thick smoke, while others were emitting strange roars.
"These...these are the workshops?"
Looking at the bustling scene before him, an old minister asked somewhat hesitantly.
In his memory, most small workshops were low and cramped shacks; he had never seen one of this scale.
Liang Yu nodded slightly and led them to a huge brick kiln that was radiating a scorching heat.
This brick kiln was larger than any official kiln they had ever seen.
Several kilns were spitting out raging fires, and waves of heat rolled in, hitting you in the face.
The air was filled with the distinctive, scorched aroma of burnt soil.
"Steward Yu!"
A burly man with a ruddy complexion and wearing a short jacket saw Liang Yu arrive.
He hurried over, a simple smile on his face, and bowed respectfully.
"What brings you here?"
Manager?
Several veteran ministers were struck by a thought and exchanged meaningful glances.
His Highness even personally manages these workshops!
He truly did everything personally and spared no effort!
Liang Yuqing's delicate face still held a faint smile, and her tone was gentle.
"I brought a few adults with me today. Captain Wang, how's the brick and stone firing going lately? Is there enough for our needs?"
Captain Wang patted his chest, his voice booming.
"Reporting to the steward, it is thanks to the Mountain Goddess and the adults of the desolate mountain."
"Our new kiln has excellent technology, and it produces bricks very quickly! Red bricks take five days, and gray bricks take a little longer, but ten days is still enough!"
He pointed proudly to the mountain of bricks piled up beside him.
"More than enough to supply all the new workshops and residential areas at the foot of the mountain!"
"What?"
Upon hearing this, Grand Tutor Xi nearly dropped his jaw in astonishment.
"Five days? Ten days? And they can be fired into bricks?"
He could hardly believe his ears.
Is this really true?
Another senior official also hurriedly pressed for an answer, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"As far as I know, the process of making good bricks and stones involves everything from mixing the mud, shaping the bricks, drying them, to firing them in the kiln."
"It takes anywhere from half a month to two or three months for the product to cool and come out of the kiln before it takes shape!"
"Yes, yes!" the other senior officials echoed.
"Moreover, the bricks and stones here are of pure color, have distinct edges and corners, and are hard in texture; they are definitely not inferior products!"
Captain Wang chuckled and scratched his head.
"This is something I don't quite understand either. It's a method passed down from the desolate mountains. They say that by improving the kiln and the formula, the time can be greatly shortened."
barren mountain!
Another barren mountain!
The old ministers felt an even deeper sense of awe for the mountain god of the desolate mountain whom they had never met.
They secretly pondered how astonishing the output of bricks and stones from this barren mountain was.
If the funds were used to build city walls and pave official roads, wouldn't the infrastructure of the Liang Kingdom be developed by leaps and bounds?
“This workshop in the desolate mountains is truly something special!” an old minister exclaimed to his colleagues in a low voice.
"Just the speed of brick firing alone can save so much manpower and resources! This is a powerful tool for the nation!"
Seeing the look of surprise on their faces, Liang Yu understood.
He offered little explanation, only offering a slight smile.
"My lords, please follow me."
She then led the group to another, even larger factory.
Before we even got close, we could hear a deafening, loud crackling and buzzing sound coming from inside.
Pushing open the half-closed door, the sight before them caused the old ministers to gasp and stop in their tracks.
Inside the spacious factory, dozens of enormous wooden machines, unlike anything they had ever seen before, were lined up side by side.
Countless spindles spun rapidly on the machine, and snow-white cotton threads converged like flowing water.
At the other end of the machine, the fabric is quickly woven into smooth, fine pieces and then slowly rolled up.
Several female workers dressed in matching blue overalls moved about among them.
With focused expressions and swift movements, they rolled up the woven cloth and placed it in a corner to the side.
From a distance, this corner has been piled up into a small mountain.
"What...what is this?"
An old minister pointed at the roaring machines, his voice trembling slightly.
"One machine can do the work of dozens of weavers working day and night!"
"How many bolts of cloth can this produce every day? It's unimaginable!"
Grand Tutor Xi was dumbfounded. Most of the fabrics in his mansion were purchased from the best silk shops.
Those weavers were already top-notch in their craftsmanship, but it took them an extremely long time!
These fabrics are actually comparable to the skill of those weavers!
Liang Yu's clear voice drowned out the noise of the machine.
"This is a textile workshop, which uses water-powered textile machines."
"The clothing of the people living at the foot of the mountain and the uniforms of the New First Army all come from here."
She paused, then added, "Not just cotton, but also linen and kudzu."
“Even some simple silk fabrics can be woven.”
The veteran officials felt that their understanding was being refreshed time and time again.
Water-powered? Such a fantastic idea is unheard of!
They were still reeling from the shock of the textile workshop.
Liang Yu then led him to another glass workshop, where an even more intense atmosphere permeated the air.
The workshop was sweltering, with several towering furnaces radiating intense heat.
The craftsmen were shirtless, sweating profusely, yet they were all in high spirits.
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