The Great Tang General

As soon as Li Xuan returned to Chang'an, he continued to immerse himself in government affairs.

In mid-March, Cui Guangyuan, the Minister of Works, accompanied Li Xuan to the Craftsmen's Bureau to verify the new invention.

The Craftsmen's Office is located in the original Sixteen Kings' Residence.

The emperor issued an edict on the Jichen day of the first year of the Qianyuan period, ordering that it should first be published in the "Da Tang Monthly", and then printed with movable type and distributed throughout the country.

The imperial edict stipulated that all scholars, craftsmen, merchants, and common people who had a skill could create tools, discover unknown things, and apply mathematics. They were not to be considered as "strange and lewd skills" but "inventions".

The article published in the "Tang Monthly" stated that skills will change the world, expounding on the strengths of craftsmen and involving all aspects.

Li Xuan used the example of changing a straight-beam plow to a curved-beam plow. This simple transformation made it easier for the people to farm. Less effort, more reward.

It also emphasized that anyone who possessed an "invention" would be heavily rewarded, regardless of their social status.

This includes titles.

It set a precedent for common people to bring honor to their family through their skills.

The era when everything else was inferior except for studying is gone forever.

There are 360 ​​professions, and every profession has its top talent. This is the kingly way.

With Li Xuan's prestige, after the imperial edict was issued, countless craftsmen were ready to go, and those who had ideas in mind worked day and night to study the tools.

Therefore, the craftsmen called the edict of Qianyuan Yuanzai "Ji Chen Gong Ling".

In later generations, a group of people will firmly believe that this is the true beginning of the Industrial Revolution.

The Department of Craftsmen, in addition to the department's own officials, also gathered a group of craftsmen who came from far and wide.

They get together to discuss and practice their craft.

The Supreme's personal visit to the Craftsmen's Department shocked the entire Craftsmen's Department.

After all, Cui Guangyuan had no idea when Li Xuan would arrive. When the court was dismissed today, Li Xuan directly informed Cui Guangyuan that he had to go to the Craftsmen's Department, and there was no time to prepare.

The entire Craftsmen's Office was graced by Li Xuan's arrival.

In the hearts of craftsmen, Li Xuan is the greatest emperor.

He changed the status of craftsmen so that they would have no worries about food and clothing.

A special craftsman department was set up. I was so excited to see the emperor in person.

Li Xuan also greeted the craftsmen cordially.

Be approachable and win favor.

After a brief exchange, we got down to business.

"Your Majesty, this is the inventor of the cotton loom, Chen Sannian."

Cui Guangyuan introduced Li Xuan to a young man who looked to be only about thirty years old.

"I pay my respects to the Supreme..."

Chen Sannian also immediately paid a visit to Li Xuan, feeling extremely terrified.

"No need to be polite. Tell me how efficient the spinning wheel is and how it is spun into cloth."

Li Xuan looked at the "spinning wheel" in front of him and asked Chen Sannian.

It is impossible to demonstrate it in person, after all, it takes a long time to turn cotton into cotton cloth.

"According to the order!"

Chen Sannian received the order and immediately went to the cotton spinning machine.

He was from Wannian County. He learned craftsmanship from his father since he was a child and often watched the whole process of women weaving silk.

When cotton began to be promoted, Chen Sannian saw cotton cloth coming from India.

He thought the cotton cloth was too rough. When he learned that the Indian countries regarded cotton cloth as a luxury and wanted to equate it with silk, Chen Sannian sneered.

Outside Chang'an City, there are thousands of miles of fertile fields covered with white flowers.

As a craftsman, he knew that cotton produced in one step should be cheaper than silk.

The Jichen Gongling was full of energy for Chen Sannian. He referred to the ancient spinning wheel and after several years, he developed the cotton spinning machine.

The new cotton textile machine has hundreds of parts, which are so sophisticated and complicated that it looks extraordinary.

As an inventor, Chen Nian Nian can complete weaving independently and is familiar with every step of weaving.

Chen Sannian was holding a ball of cotton, and the process of spinning, combing and twisting the cotton had been completed.

Then he described to Li Xuan the process of pulling the pinched thread through the eye of the needle on the loom.

The warp threads are hung vertically on the loom, while the weft threads are hung horizontally. They are pulled up by the upper and lower axes of the loom respectively, in a staggered state of 90 degrees.

Then, by pressing the interlaced warp and weft lines together, a horizontal structure is formed...

Finally, the woven cloth needs to be processed, including dyeing, printing, ironing, etc. Different processing methods can create different effects...

From spinning to weaving, Chen Sannian described it to Li Xuan step by step.

Li Xuan listened calmly.

He also observed the cotton textile machine himself. Although he knew nothing about it, he could tell that it was a pedal-operated machine. Judging from the parts, he believed that this cotton textile machine was still relatively advanced compared to the current times.

“How much cloth can this loom weave in a day?”

After Chen Sannian finished his story, Li Xuan asked him.

"Your Majesty, as long as the cotton is selected and twisted, we can weave two to three bolts of cotton cloth a day."

Chen Sannian did not dare to exaggerate and answered conservatively.

If you want to increase production, you have to find other ways.

Even so, his cotton looms were far superior to cotton cloth produced in foreign countries.

"Show me the undyed product!"

According to current productivity, two or three horses are more than enough.

One piece is four zhang long and one foot and eight inches wide.

Including tailoring, one piece of cloth can be made into several pieces of clothing.

"Your Majesty, this is the cloth that I, a commoner, have woven with this spinning wheel. Please take a look."

Chen Sannian took out a piece of cotton cloth from a box and presented it to Li Xuan.

The color was very abrupt, but Li Xuan could see that the workmanship was fine, even finer than the cotton cloth offered as tribute in India.

He reached out and touched it. It was very soft and comfortable, like cotton.

Cotton and silk each have their own advantages and disadvantages.

Li Xuan remembered that cotton cloth in later generations also developed into many famous cloths, which were as valuable as the finest silk.

Most importantly, when cotton became popular, cotton cloth became more accessible to ordinary people.

Whoever is covered in Luo Qi is not a silkworm breeder.

This situation is unavoidable. Cotton, which is comfortable and practical to wear, can definitely lead the trend.

"Not bad……"

Li Xuan put the cotton cloth back and clapped his hands.

He still has some knowledge in his head, but he would rather have someone else say it or create it.

He will not be stingy with the reward of titles.

"As a craftsman, you should strive for perfection, be enterprising and overcome difficulties. This loom is already very good, but I hope it can be more efficient in the future, or even appear in a more unique way. You can apply for a sum of money from the Ministry of Industry to research a new generation of looms."

"I issued an edict in the year of Qianyuan, Yuanzai, Jichen, stating that craftsmen could be given titles, and I was not joking. This loom is similar to the previous one, but you have improved and created something original based on cotton, which is no less than an invention."

"Sir, I am not kidding. I will now confer upon you the title of the Prince of Jinming County. You will enjoy the salary and land granted by the title."

Li Xuan affirmed Chen Sannian's achievements and after some hesitation, gave him a title.

Even if he had to spend a fortune to buy horse bones, Li Xuan would still give Chen Sannian a good title.

Not only that, it will also be promoted extensively in the next issue of "Datang Monthly".

Let the world know that inventions and creations can bring glory.

It is undeniable that the Chinese people have been obsessed with official positions and titles since ancient times, and even great poets are no exception.

The Tang Dynasty had a vast territory and abundant resources.

When more people are willing to work hard in this area, even if the contribution is small, it can form a trend of accumulating water into a river.

"Three years, why don't you thank the Supreme for his grace..."

Seeing Chen Sannian with his eyes wide open, Cui Guangyuan immediately reminded him.

"I thank the Supreme for bestowing the title. From now on, I will do my best to create a better spinning wheel."

Chen Sannian reacted and immediately bowed to Li Xuan.

The emotions in his heart were beyond words. He had never dreamed that this day would come.

I thought that I would only get some rewards, but it would be far from the title!

After all, only civil and military officials who had made great contributions would be granted titles.

"If you use your ingenious ideas, it is possible to raise your rank."

Li Xuan patted Chen Sannian's shoulder and looked like he was optimistic about you.

In Chang'an and Luoyang, there were many dignitaries and royal family members who had titles but no official positions.

Li Xuan wouldn't care about giving up a few titles.

Compared with those royal nobles who just lived a life of idleness and waiting for death, every time a title was bestowed on a craftsman, the Tang Dynasty would take a step forward.

Chen Sannian became even more excited.

He has a goal for the rest of his life.

On the dark road, there was a bright light guiding him.

Afterwards, Cui Guangyuan took Li Xuan to meet a man named Xia Quan.

This is a scholar.

He was good at arithmetic and wanted to show his mathematical achievements before taking the imperial examination.

The Jichen Gongling included mathematics, which made Xia Quan want to become famous with it.

Seeing the emperor in person was something he had not expected and he was very reserved.

Li Xuan comforted him and asked him to use paper and pen to introduce his achievements.

Everyone knows that the emperor is good at arithmetic.

Seeing Xia Quan's reasoning and arithmetic, Li Xuan understood that it was Tianyuan Technique. This was a high-order equation.

A hundred years ago, the arithmetic master Wang Xiaotong used geometric methods to solve cubic equations.

But this often requires superb mathematical skills, complex derivations and a lot of text description, which is very difficult.

However, Tianyuanshu is difficult to develop.

Li Xuan looked at Xia Quan's reasoning and used the method of increase and multiplication.

Moreover, Xia Quan is proficient in the new "Huaxia Numbers" and various symbols created by Li Xuan.

This made his calculations easy.

"I think this technique can be applied to water conservancy projects and help people's livelihood."

Unlike Chen Sannian, Xia Quan had the honor of meeting Li Xuan, so he volunteered to recommend himself.

After explaining to Li Xuan the higher-order equations he created, he also talked about the applications of this arithmetic.

In China, the mathematics of the ancients was closely related to reality.

Each appearance of arithmetic is mostly used in construction, water conservancy projects, roads, handicrafts, etc.

Therefore, many craftsmen are proficient in arithmetic.

“This algorithm could have a name!”

Li Xuan nodded in agreement and asked Xia Quan.

"Replying to the Supreme, I have not yet been given a name. Please give me a name."

Xia Quan responded.

"Let's call it Tianyuan Jutsu!"

Li Xuan answered without hesitation: "Mathematics has no limit, I hope you will keep up the good work!"

With the foundation of Tianyuanshu, the emergence of multivariate high-order equations is a foregone conclusion.

Li Xuan just gave a hint. Whether it would continue to come from Xia Quan or from other arithmetic masters, it all depended on their response.

"Xia Quan, you have made great contributions to the advancement of mathematics, which can benefit the country and the people. I hereby confer upon you the title of male of Fangqu County, and allow you to teach your mathematics and Tianyuan Technique to students in the universities of Chang'an and Luoyang, and to publish Tianyuan Technique in the Tang Monthly under your name."

Li Xuan thought of a nearby place name and chose a baron for Xia Quan.

Xia Quan was a poor man, but the title he held made him more confident.

His goal was to pass the Jinshi exam. If he failed, he could settle for the next best thing and take the mathematics exam.

The selection of officials in the Tang Dynasty is now more systematic and clearer.

For example, officials who are proficient in arithmetic are very popular in the Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Agriculture, and Ministry of Industry.

"I, the common people, thank you, Your Majesty!"

Xia Quan thanked Li Xuan with an excited look on his face.

He was even more surprised than Chen Sannian that his sudden inspiration in arithmetic could earn him a title.

I just wanted to leave a good impression in front of the Supreme.

Although a title does not represent any actual power, it is the foundation for him to enter the official career.

After chatting with Xia Quan for a few more words, Li Xuan went to see the work of other craftsmen.

Among them, handicrafts have the lowest value for Li Xuan.

It is impossible for Li Xuan to be granted a title.

Because this cannot obviously drive industrial progress.

But most craftsmen are trapped in shackles and like to make handicrafts.

There are even ceramic vases for pure appreciation.

Li Xuan conferred titles on Chen Sannian and Xia Quan and announced it to the world.

Let many craftsmen break out of their original thinking.

Either benefit the country!

Either benefit the people.

Or promote the progress of the times.

It is impossible for others to obtain the title.

"Replying to Your Majesty, I have a huge project in my mind, but I only have the blueprints, but no money to build it. I built it when I was back home, but I have already spent all the money and have done sufficient experiments."

Just then, a craftsman, introduced by Cui Guangyuan, presented a thick stack of drawings.

His name was Zhuge Xing. He was passionate about astronomy and geography, and came from a family of craftsmen.

But this kind of thing is not something that ordinary people can afford.

Zhuge Xing was born in Shu County, Bashu Province. After learning about the Jichen Gongling, he polished his achievements, asked the county magistrate for some travel expenses, and ran to Chang'an to seek opportunities.

The observatory he built was very simple, and without funds, he would never be able to achieve the perfection he had in his lifetime.

Li Xuan took the drawings handed to him by Zhuge Xing and looked at them carefully one by one.

"Is this an observatory? It seems to need water transportation?"

After reading it, Li Xuan guessed.

Astronomy is a very profound subject and is indispensable on the road to progress.

"Your Excellency is wise. This is a water-powered instrument tower that can demonstrate the changes in celestial phenomena..."

Zhuge Xing was full of admiration for Li Xuan, saying that he was worthy of being the emperor and knew everything about astronomy and geography.

Few people can tell what he is doing from the drawings.

It’s a pity that Li Xuan is the emperor, otherwise he would definitely be a soulmate.

Then Zhuge Xing introduced his astronomical instruments to Li Xuan.

When the entire instrument was completed, it was more than four meters high and about two meters wide. It was a wooden structure building in the shape of a square platform, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom.

The armillary sphere and other items are made of copper. The whole platform is divided into three compartments. The lower compartment contains the timekeeping device and the power mechanism of the whole platform. The middle compartment is a secret room where the armillary sphere is placed. The upper compartment is a wooden house with the armillary sphere in the middle.

The armillary sphere rotates once a day and night, and there are various mechanical parts inside.

This instrument is driven by water power and integrates astronomical observation, astronomical demonstration and timekeeping system.

Zhuge Xing called it a great creation.

He once believed that he was a descendant of Zhuge Liang and that it was the blessing of his ancestors that allowed him to undertake such a huge project.

"wonderful!"

After listening to it, Li Xuan already had an idea in his mind.

Although he only uttered one word, it was a very high evaluation... (End of this chapter)