What's wrong with me, a powerful minister, supporting a few female officials?

Chapter 153 Empress, squat down!
Leng Liuxi glanced at Su Mo speechlessly.

The Divine Arm Bow Phoenix Cry Division has been created, and it is very powerful. There are also two versions: a regular version and an enhanced version.

A precious sword?

The Great Wu Dynasty was not without its sharpest blades, capable of cutting hair in two.

For example, the swords forged by Taoist sorcerers who specialize in swordsmanship are capable of cutting through metal and iron without any difficulty.

It's just that manufacturing it is not easy.

However, Leng Liuxi blinked and cooperated with Su Mo: "And the Divine Arm Bow? The Treasure Sword?"

Su Mo quickly handed over the Divine Arm Bow: "Please take a look, my lord!"

"This divine crossbow has a range of 250 paces and can penetrate heavy armor!"

Leng Liuxi was taken aback upon hearing this.

Judging from this divine bow, it has no magical aura and is obviously just an ordinary weapon.

It's actually more powerful than the Divine Arm Bow made by Fengming Si?
Increasing the range by fifty paces is no joke.

Being able to fire two more shots at a time when facing charging cavalry can have a huge impact on the course of the battle!
Her expression immediately turned serious: "How much did this crossbow cost?"

Su Mo had no idea how much it cost to build this divine bow.

He only gave Ding Bashi fifty taels of silver.

Ding Bashi not only created the Eight-Ox Crossbow and the Divine Arm Bow, but he also smelted soft steel.

Of course, this also used a lot of official materials accumulated by the Dingzi Camp.

Turn your attention to Ding Bashi.

Ding Bashi was clearly terrified. The dozen or so black-armored female knights with murderous intent were putting too much pressure on him, unlike Su Mo who was approachable.

He took a few breaths before saying, "Reporting to...Reporting to my lord, this crossbow requires spring steel...soft steel."

"It would take seven or eight taels of silver to make one!"

Upon hearing this, Leng Liuxi's expression suddenly darkened: "What?! This Divine Arm Bow costs seven or eight taels of silver to make?"

Ding Bashi was so frightened by Leng Liuxi's sudden burst of terrifying aura that his face turned pale, his mouth opened and closed, but he couldn't utter a single word!

Su Mo hurriedly said, "Lord Leng, that's not how you settle accounts!"

"Seven or eight taels of silver is a bit expensive, but the Divine Arm Bow is very powerful!"

"It can be used by ordinary soldiers and is the most effective weapon against cavalry!"

"If we coordinate with the flat-box wagon formation, when the cavalry attacks, we can form a wagon formation, with our soldiers hiding inside the wagons to shoot them down. The cavalry will be no threat!"

Leng Liuxi was startled again, and for some reason cursed under her breath!
That guy never tells the truth!

Last time he said he didn't know anything about military strategy, but now he's suddenly come up with a flat-box chariot formation!

She was about to ask a question.

Su Mo immediately explained, "Besides, the current cost is seven or eight taels, but as long as it is scaled up and produced on an assembly line, I believe the cost can be reduced to five taels or even lower!"

The Divine Arm Bow was another key to his promotion.

Su Mo was genuinely afraid that this poor fellow Da Wu would think the Divine Arm Bow was too expensive, so he tossed it aside.

As soon as these words came out.

The Empress then remembered what she had just wanted to say!
In the Phoenix Cry Division's artisan barracks, an ordinary divine arm bow costs ten taels of silver, while the enhanced version costs a full one hundred taels!

Su Mo's divine arm bow is more powerful than the ordinary divine arm bow, with a range of fifty paces longer, and it only costs seven or eight taels to make!
Was Su Mo reporting the information in a negative light?
Or is it that the Fengming Division is lining its own pockets?
If it's the latter, then that's terrible!

Can Fengming Si still be trusted?

This was using the Empress's private treasury; ten thousand taels of silver were taken out, and Leng Liuxi's heart bled!

Su Mo further stated that as long as production is planned and standardized, the cost can be reduced to less than five taels of silver!

If it's true, why bother making an enhanced version of the Divine Arm Bow!
The ten thousand taels of silver I allocated myself were enough to make two thousand Su Mo version of the Divine Arm Bow!

An army can be formed in an instant!

The Ministry of Works naturally has a large stockpile of bow-making materials, which greatly reduces the time required to manufacture bows and arrows, eliminating the need for lengthy material preparation work!
The Empress's expression grew increasingly serious, her phoenix eyes narrowed as she looked at Su Mo: "Young Master Su, is what you say true?"

"Then what about assembly line production?"

Su Mo nodded and said in a deep voice, "This concerns the nation's military strategy, and I dare not speak recklessly."

He examined the production methods of the Dingzi Group and even the entire artisan battalion, and also inquired with the artisans.

Knowing that production in this era was mostly done by individuals working alone.

Assembly line production is absolutely overwhelming; it's no wonder costs come down!
So Su Mo continued, "Assembly line production means breaking down the manufacturing process of machinery!"

"Each craftsman is responsible for one step in the process."

"We'll assemble it once all the parts are manufactured!"

"This method allows craftsmen to focus more on the crafts they are responsible for, which naturally leads to continuous improvement and increased efficiency."

"Simple procedures can be handled by apprentices or even newcomers."

"In this way, not only can the efficiency of manufacturing machinery be improved, but manufacturing costs can also be greatly reduced!"

Leng Liuxi frowned, pondering the feasibility of Su Mo's words.

Zhou the carpenter, who was standing nearby, couldn't hold back any longer and mustered up his courage to say, "Lord Su, how can a craftsman's skills be so easily passed on to others?"

"Furthermore, if some processes are handed over to apprentices who are not skilled enough, wouldn't the parts become useless and a waste of materials if they are made to the wrong size?"

Su Mo looked at Zhou the carpenter in surprise.

I never expected him to have such insight!
Upon hearing his own assembly line idea, he immediately thought of the biggest problem with assembly line production!

This is not easy!
He's a talented person and deserves to be nurtured!

Leng Liuxi suddenly realized, "What the carpenter said is absolutely right!"

"Does Young Master Su have a way to solve this?"

Su Mo nodded: "Carpenter Zhou is right, this is the biggest problem with assembly line production."

"To solve this problem, we need to set strict standards, whether it's quality standards or size standards..."

After pausing, Su Mo was about to suggest that the manufacturer leave a mark on each component so that those responsible could be held accountable if problems arose.

However, thinking about it more deeply is somewhat inappropriate, so I won't mention that point.

He added, "As long as we standardize the measuring tools and establish size standards."

Even if the parts don't fit perfectly, minor modifications and adjustments during assembly shouldn't cause major problems!

"Moreover, standardized parts produced on an assembly line have another advantage."

"If a crossbow is damaged on the battlefield, other intact parts can be removed and replaced, and it will be a good crossbow ready to fight again! This greatly reduces the equipment wear and tear rate!"

As Su Mo was speaking, he suddenly noticed Leng Liuxi staring blankly at him, and he was taken aback.

The favorability rating above my head hasn't decreased...

Did I say something wrong?
Well?!!
Why did my favorability rating suddenly increase by three points?

It's 15%!
He couldn't help but ask, "Lord Leng, what's wrong?"

Leng Liuxi took a deep breath and smiled, "It's nothing!"

"Young Master Su, please continue. I'm listening!"

Su Mo frowned: "Is there anything else to say?"

"Yes, sir, look, I have a precious sword here!"

He raised the battle sword forged by Ding Bashi, its gleaming blade flashing under the Empress's nose, making the old eunuch and a dozen black-armored female knights' scalps tingle and cold sweat pour down their faces!
"I have tested this sword; it is extremely sharp, no less than a hundred-times-refined steel blade."

As he spoke, Su Mo brandished his sword again right under the Empress's nose: "A wooden stake as thick as an arm can be cleaved in two with a single stroke without much effort."

Leng Liuxi frowned: "Let's not talk about the knives yet, let's talk about the assembly line."

"How exactly will it be implemented?"

"How much money can be saved in construction costs?"

Su Mo casually said, "I've already said it, the key lies in the establishment of measurement standards."

"It's hard to say exactly how much money can be saved; it depends on the specific circumstances."

He paused, then continued, "My lord, look at this sword! It's truly formidable! Magistrate Xue Shan once gifted me a precious sword, but I feel it's not as effective as this one."

As people of later generations.

Long-range weapons like bows and crossbows, even the Eight-Ox Crossbow, were not worth mentioning in Su Mo's eyes!
No matter how powerful it is, can it be more powerful than cannons and machine guns?

assembly line?
There's nothing more to say!
You won't even tighten the screws yourself!

Aside from firearms, knives and guns are what men love most!
This was a divine weapon crafted under his guidance, and Su Mo naturally couldn't resist showing it off.

Unfortunately, the Empress's focus was clearly not on the same wavelength as Su Mo's.

"This knife is indeed quite good!"

The Empress then asked, "Is assembly line production suitable for all military equipment?"

Su Mo nodded: "More or less."

"This precious sword, though forged in the ordinary way, has undergone a tempering process, making it not only sharp but also more resilient!"

The Empress gave a soft "hmm": "This is truly an excellent knife."

Then, changing the subject, he asked, "What about the flat-box cart formation that you mentioned earlier, sir, to deal with cavalry?"

Su Mo casually said, "If you connect the flat-box carts end to end, making them circle around, it will be very difficult for cavalry to break through."

"Sir, you really don't want to take a look at this knife? It's very effective!"

Leng Liuxi has many treasured swords in her vault!
It was immediately obvious that Su Mo's sword was only at the level of a hundred-refinement sword.

Anyone who understands the folding and forging method and has good skills can basically forge it; it just takes a little more effort.

The most crucial aspect is the tactics for dealing with cavalry!
The Great Wu Dynasty was short of warhorses, and it was completely at a disadvantage when facing the Di and Man cavalry!
"Keep this knife!"

Leng Liuxi smiled and asked, "What kind of flat-box cart is the one that Young Master Su mentioned?" "And how is it connected end to end?"

Seeing that he was cold and couldn't grasp the point at all, Su Mo didn't bother to pick up the precious sword again.

In his view, ordinary iron materials could be used to forge battle swords, which could be mass-produced and equipped with the army, thus immediately improving the army's combat effectiveness.

Since she doesn't want the credit, it's perfect to leave it to Commander Qianhu.

More importantly, the quality of the iron material should be improved so that its applications are not too wide, such as forging armor!

The importance of materials science is beyond question!
That's about all the insight a centurion of the Phoenix Cry Division could have. It's a limitation of the times, there's nothing that can be done about it. The Empress should know better than her!
Just don't say you forgot to bring her next time!

Seeing Leng Liuxi's curiosity about the flat-box cart array, I'll just have to try and improve my favorability towards her.

He picked up a twig, squatted down, and was about to draw a pattern when he looked up and saw Leng Liuxi still standing there dumbfounded. He couldn't help but say irritably, "Squat down too, sir."

"It's inconvenient for me to speak like this!"

Pale-faced eunuch...

Black-armored female knight...

Does this mean we should be on equal footing with sages?

Do they think their three races have too many people?
Leng Liuxi hesitated for a moment, then turned and ordered the black-armored female knight, "Tell them to step back!"

After driving away Ding Bashi and the others, the Empress ordered the knights to disperse and guard the vicinity, preventing anyone from approaching. Then, she squatted down opposite Su Mo, covered her mouth, and chuckled, "Young Master Su, please speak quickly!"

"I'm quite curious!"

He paused, fearing this guy was trying to fool him, and added, "The Sage has a real headache dealing with the Northern Di cavalry."

"If you, sir, have a way to deal with cavalry, this achievement will be no less meritorious than that of the Eight-Ox Crossbow!"

Su Mo's heart skipped a beat.

The reason he attributed the credit for the Eight-Ox Crossbow to this cold-hearted man was because...

Of course it's not because she's good-looking!

Leng Xixi is of royal blood and works in a vital department like the Phoenix Cry Division. She frequently reports to the Emperor, clearly indicating that she enjoys the Empress's favor!

Lu Wenxuan made Su Mo feel a great sense of crisis.

Who knows if Wei Zhengguang is reliable or not?

Su Mo definitely needs to find another powerful backer, one who can withstand Lu Wenxuan's powerful support!
The cold-blooded royal lineage is the only option!
His words were coldly relayed to the Empress's ears!

The emperor's mind is on the matter!
Lu Wenxuan should think twice before he tries to harm me!
We can't just say things casually and try to fool this cold and indifferent person.

Su Mo hesitated for a moment, carefully choosing his words, before slowly speaking: "The Great Wu Dynasty doesn't lack horses, it lacks warhorses!"

Leng Liuxi nodded slightly: "What you say is absolutely right, my lord!"

Su Mo used a twig to sketch the approximate outline of the flat-box cart on the ground: "In field battles, the biggest disadvantage of infantry over cavalry is that they cannot defend a city."

"Flat-sided vans can make up for this shortcoming!"

Su Mo then sketched out the front and back of the flatbed cart: "It is usually pulled by crossbowmen to transport grain and other supplies."

"When encountering the enemy, they would link up their chariots end to end to form a chariot formation."

"Lord Leng, please take a look!"

Su Mo drew a square on the paper: "This is the central command!"

Outside the square, draw three concentric circles of different sizes: "The circles represent a formation of flat-box carts, and multiple interlocking circles can be added depending on the actual situation."

"Our infantry can hide inside the wagons, erect shields, and fire at the enemy through the firing ports!"

"Even if the enemy cavalry charges into the enemy lines, they will be trapped by the inner chariot formation. Once their speed slows down, they will lose all their advantage and become fish in the net!"

Leng Liuxi narrowed her eyes slightly, nodded her head gently, and exclaimed, "This formation is truly marvelous!"

"It enables infantry to defend against enemies in the field and even to penetrate deep into the grasslands to pursue the enemy!"

"However, the key to this formation is that the soldiers must be well-trained."

"Upon spotting enemy cavalry, we must quickly form battle formations, leaving no opportunity for the enemy to find us!"

She took a deep breath and exclaimed in surprise, "I'm so curious!"

"Young Master Su's knowledge of military strategy and tactics is truly divine... Where did he acquire it from?!"

Su Mo smiled and said, "This has to start from ten years ago."

That winter, the ground was covered in snow...

Leng Liuxi's forehead creased with annoyance: "Stop!"

Su Mo wiped away the scratches on the ground, stood up, and his expression became serious: "However, what I have said is all just theoretical talk. You cannot believe it all, my lord. Everything must be verified in practice!"

Leng Liuxi stood up and nodded, saying, "I will remember this!"

She paused, then her expression turned serious: "Young Master Su, you shall now explain the methods for manufacturing the Eight-Ox Crossbow and the Divine Arm Bow, as well as the method for forging soft steel..."

"Hmm... Including this array of flat-box carts, I'll organize the case files and present them to His Majesty when I return!"

Su Mo was taken aback: "Now?"

Leng Liuxi nodded: "Now!"

Su Mo thought for a moment. In any case, he had already memorized the blueprints for the Eight-Ox Crossbow and the Divine Arm Bow, and could draw them at any time.

Mild steel is even simpler; it's nothing more than raising the furnace temperature, removing impurities, adding carbon powder to turn it into high-carbon steel, and then adding a tempering process.

Sometimes, it's not that the craftsman's skills are lacking, it's just that they lack inspiration!
If you tell them the trick, even Ding Bashi can forge spring steel, let alone the real master craftsmen in the Ministry of Works.

Therefore, Su Mo nodded: "Okay!"

"There are no brushes or ink here; you must return to the barracks to write or paint!"

"Please wait a moment, sir!"

Afterwards, Su Mo called back the trembling Ding Bashi and Zhou the carpenter.

He rummaged through his purse, casually pulled out a handful of loose silver and two gold ingots: "Give the loose silver to that black dog to rebuild his house."

"These two ingots of gold are not much, only about three ounces each. You may each take one ingot!"

Empress...

I'm actually a little envious of that jerk!

I wish he could be so generous in rewarding his ministers!
Ding Bashi and Zhou the carpenter were dumbfounded, staring incredulously at the gold ingot Su Mo handed over.

He swallowed hard, but dared not reach out to take it!

Ding Bashi stammered, "My lord... this... this gold is for me?"

Su Mo laughed and stuffed the gold into their hands: "Take what I'm giving you!"

"Work well for me from now on, and I will not treat you unfairly!"

He paused, then continued, "The other craftsmen and helpers who participated in making the Eight-Ox Crossbow..."

"I don't have much silver with me. I'll send someone to bring some over tomorrow!"

"A reward of three taels of silver will be given to each person!"

Ding Bashi and Zhou the carpenter were at a loss for words.

Carpenter Zhou was quick-witted; he immediately knelt down and said, "From now on, I will obey all your orders, sir!"

Ding Bashi also quickly knelt down: "This humble servant dares to die for you, sir!"

Su Mo laughed heartily: "Get up, everyone!"

"I don't need you to die for me, just serve me!"

Then, looking at Leng Liuxi, whose expression was somewhat strange, he said, "My lady, let's go!"

Leng Liuxi nodded.

Walking alongside Su Mo, halfway there, she finally couldn't help but say, "Those are nothing but lowly military craftsmen, while Young Master Su is an official appointed by the court. How can you treat them like this..."

Leng Liuxi couldn't find the right words for a moment.

Su Mo smiled and said, "Does Your Excellency mean to blend in with them?"

Leng Liuxi nodded: "Exactly!"

Su Mo thought for a moment and said, "Actually, it's nothing. It's just that I don't think I'm much more noble than others."

He paused, then said self-deprecatingly, "Just a few months ago, wasn't I also a lowly clerk?"

“These people are already living in hardship. Although I am not a good person, I really can’t bear to kick them while they’re down!”

Leng Liuxi nodded and said, "I never imagined that Young Master Su had such a compassionate side."

Su Mo gave a wry smile: "Actually, I'm not much better than him."

“It is our duty to bully them at will.”

"Aren't others just as easily bullying and humiliating me as well!"

Upon hearing this, Leng Liuxi frowned slightly: "Who has insulted my lord? Tell me."

Su Mo blurted out instinctively, "Isn't that Lu from the Embroidered Uniform Guard..."

As he spoke, his voice suddenly stopped, a look of fear appearing on his face. He quickly shook his head and said, "No, no!"

"My lord, please don't misunderstand. No one is insulting me. I was just making a metaphor out of a sigh!"

Leng Liuxi narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly, but did not continue to ask this question.

The two walked back to the artisan camp.

Su Mo's eyes widened suddenly as he looked at Hao Jian and the others, who were kneeling at the entrance of the barracks with their hands tied behind their backs.

Hao Jian is really unlucky!

Skipping work is really a bad thing!

Um, to express my apology, I specially spent fifty yuan to have someone make pictures of the Empress and Lord Qianhu, so that everyone can appreciate them!


(End of this chapter)