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

Chapter 160 The Empress Wants Su Mo to Become Minister of Works!

Upon hearing Leng Liuxi question the production volume of the Divine Arm Bow, Yin Rou snorted: "This humble servant would not dare to deceive you gentlemen!"

"If you, Lord Centurion, do not believe me, you may go to the warehouse and check!"

A strange expression flashed across Leng Liuxi's pretty face.

Nangong Sheyue also showed an expression of disbelief!

The Phoenix Cry Division's artisan battalion, with over a thousand men, has produced only about five hundred Divine Arm Bows in recent days!
The three hundred misfits in the Gufeng Mountain Craftsmen's Camp were basically artisans in exile.

In just over ten days, two hundred divine crossbows were made?

If it's true, then wouldn't the thousand divine bows that the Empress requested be completed within two months?
"go!"

Nangong Sheyue said in a deep voice, "Take me to the storeroom for a look!"

Yin Rou replied solemnly, "This humble servant obeys!"

Then, he led everyone to the storeroom on the left side of the rear office.

Outside the warehouse, more than ten elite Dragon Guards stood guard.

Yin Rou turned to Nangong Sheyue and said, "This warehouse is a restricted area, and only Lord Su is allowed to enter. This humble servant also needs a token issued by Lord Su to enter."

As he spoke, he showed his token, signaling the guards to step aside. He then took out the warehouse key and opened the heavy door.

Sure enough, rows of wooden shelves were filled with brand-new Divine Arm Bows!
Twenty bodies per row, ten rows in total, easy to see at a glance!
On another shelf, there were five.

Upon seeing these divine bows, Xiahou Yi couldn't help but feel suspicious.

Is this the secret weapon manufactured by the Gufeng Mountain Artisan Battalion?

It looks no different from an ordinary crossbow, so why would it warrant the deployment of the Dragon Guard and the Empress's personal presence?

Nangong Sheyue suppressed his excitement, took a deep breath, looked at Leng Liuxi, and said calmly, "Commander Leng, go and test these Divine Arm Bows!"

Leng Liuxi nodded, stepped forward slowly, and carefully examined these divine bows.

Then, to everyone's astonishment, they discovered that all the crossbows were exactly the same size, as if they had been made from the same mold!

On the crossbow arm, there was a row of symbols engraved, which were the strange symbols that Su Mo used when he was doing the accounting!
Leng Liuxi then picked up a crossbow.

Targets had been set up in the warehouse, clearly to test the power of the crossbows.

Leng Liuxi loaded the crossbow with a bolt, aimed at the thick wooden target, about thirty paces away, and pulled the trigger.

With a whoosh, the crossbow bolt shot out at an astonishing speed!

As the vibration sound came, the crossbow bolt pierced straight through the log!

Xiahou Yi's scalp tingled instantly!
With such terrifying crossbow bolts, could he, a half-step Grandmaster Trial Commander, withstand the Black Tiger Primordial Technique that he was so proud of?

Yin Rou jogged over and retrieved the test crossbow bolt.

"This log is specially designed for testing the Divine Arm Bow. Only those that can pierce through the log are considered qualified and their records will be entered into the database."

Leng Liuxi nodded slightly.

With such power, it is clear that the range of the Divine Arm Bow is definitely over two hundred paces.

She then disassembled the two divine bows, rearranged the components, and reassembled them.

He took a slight breath.

The two reassembled divine bows fit together perfectly, just like before!
He tested the crossbows repeatedly with a blank expression.

Its power is enough to pierce through logs.

Yin Rou said with a hint of pride, "This is what Lord Su meant by uniform standards!"

Leng Liuxi: "Are all divine arm bows like this?"

Yin Rou nodded: "All the parts of the two hundred or so divine crossbows can be disassembled and installed on other crossbows without any problem!"

"Initially, the parts made by the craftsmen had too large a dimensional deviation, resulting in an extremely low pass rate."

"Lord Su said this is because of... insufficient knowledge."

"Therefore, I specifically set aside half an hour in the evening to teach the craftsmen to read and do arithmetic!"

"Now, the three hundred craftsmen in the craftsmen's battalion, and even their families, can basically recognize more than one hundred characters, understand blueprint dimensions, and know simple arithmetic operations!"

A cold glint suddenly flashed in Leng Liuxi's eyes, and she said in a deep voice, "In less than half a month, Commander Su has enabled hundreds of craftsmen to read?"

As she spoke, she raised her phoenix eyebrows slightly: "Arithmetic operations, what kind of academic discipline is that? I have never heard of it before?"

Yin Rou's eyes were filled with admiration: "Lord Su is a man of profound learning, and understands the way of teaching and educating people. It's a pity that I am so foolish and ignorant that I can't understand Lord Su's methods of educating people!"

"but……"

She then changed the subject: "According to Lord Su, arithmetic is the most basic arithmetic skill, sufficient for ordinary craftsmen!"

Leng Liuxi narrowed her eyes slightly.

It seemed that, in the eyes of this junior officer, there was a hint of...disdain?
Does she look down on herself?

The Empress was speechless for a moment.

What knowledge did Su Mo impart to her over the past ten days?
What makes her so...proud?
She suddenly smiled: "These two arithmetic operations, I wonder if Officer Yin could explain them to me?"

Yin Rou replied seriously, "Of course!"

Upon hearing this, Leng Liuxi was somewhat surprised: "Is Officer Yin really willing?"

"This must be... a rather advanced level of knowledge, right?"

Yin Rou said calmly, "Lord Su once told me..."

"Knowledge monopoly is the biggest obstacle to world development."

"That master craftsman was unwilling to pass on his skills to others, and it took Lord Su a lot of effort to resolve this matter!"

"Master Su is not afraid of others asking him for advice; he is only afraid that others are unwilling to study diligently."

Yin Rou paused for a moment, then said with certainty, "As long as others are willing to learn, Lord Su would have no reason to hide anything!"

Her expression grew even more solemn: "Although I am not as capable as Lord Su, I am determined to follow in your footsteps!"

Leng Liuxi was speechless.

Was it a mistake to try so hard to extract all sorts of knowledge from Su Mo in the past?

Why don't you just ask him directly?
Why was he so secretive and unwilling to speak frankly when I asked him for advice? Yet he was so generous to Yin Rou?
Is Yin Rou being treated as a personal disciple?

Yin Rou glanced at Leng Xixi and Nangong Sheyue, then added, "However, mathematical operations cannot be explained clearly here."

"Please follow me, gentlemen!"

Leng Liuxi followed Yin Rou to the square on one side of the government office.

There was a bamboo shed, and outside there were rows of simple wooden tables and benches.

Under the bamboo shed stood two large white lacquered boards, each five feet square.

On the board, there were many large characters written in charcoal. Judging from the strokes, they were vigorous and powerful, clearly written by Su Mo.

Leng Liuxi was both amused and exasperated.

While these charcoal characters may not be considered masterpieces, they possess a unique style and charm.

At first glance it seems ordinary, but upon closer inspection it stands out as a school of its own, even resembling the establishment of a new sect.

In any case, it's infinitely better than that dog-paddle style calligraphy!
Leng Liuxi really couldn't understand the reason!
"Heaven and earth were dark and yellow, the universe was vast and boundless, the sun and moon waxed and waned, and the stars and constellations were arrayed in the sky..."

The Empress sighed inwardly.

It was clearly Su Mo's doing again.

Although it is not as famous as the timeless masterpiece "Left Leading Yellow, Right Holding Falcon," it is easy to recite and is perfect for teaching characters!
What a great talent!
It can be both elegant and popular!

He can directly confront sages to guide the world, engage in scholarly discussions on the Way, and personally instruct the common people!

This is a true genius!

At this moment, Yin Rou had already picked up a charcoal pencil and neatly wrote down ten numbers, including one, two, three, four, etc., on another large white lacquered board.

Below, each corresponds to the strange symbols that Leng Liuxi saw.

"My lords, this is the Su-style number system created by Mr. Su, or simply Su-style number system."

"Corresponding to the numbers above respectively."

"Two arithmetic operations, the simplest addition and subtraction, are followed by four arithmetic operations."

Yin Rou listed an addition expression: "For example, to add 999 and 777, you can use this number to write the expression..."

Leng Liuxi watched Yin Rou demonstrate, her expression growing increasingly serious. So, Su Mo had used these two arithmetic operations—simple addition and subtraction—to calculate the restaurant's accounts!
Simply list the numbers to add in the addition function to quickly calculate the result.

If a mistake is made in any step, it can be checked one by one to find the error!

Master the ten Su numbers.

Even the most foolish commoner or craftsman can calculate numbers of tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions!

Leng Liuxi's expression was serious: "Commander Su's unique method, Su Shu, has indeed made calculations quite simple. Even ordinary people can calculate millions!"

"What are the methods for those four arithmetic operations?"

Yin Rou's expression was solemn, looking exceptionally sacred: "The four arithmetic operations are addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division!"

"It needs to be used in conjunction with the Nine-Nine Rhyme!"

"In addition, there is an order of operations: multiplication and division first, then addition and subtraction..."

"For example, there is a craftsman who makes eleven components of the Divine Arm Bow every day, for a total of thirteen days. The difficulty coefficient of this component is one-fifth, and each point can earn him twenty coins."

"You can multiply eleven by thirteen, divide by five, and then multiply by twenty!"

As Yin Rou spoke, she wrote the calculation formula on the whiteboard and quickly obtained the result: "In the end, it can be concluded that the craftsman's reward for making the component is 572 coins!"

Leng Liuxi's phoenix eyes flashed with a cold light: "These four arithmetic operations are the mathematical knowledge of Commander Su?"

Yin Rou said calmly, "Lord Su's knowledge is vast and profound."

"The four arithmetic operations are only a tiny fraction of what adults learn in mathematics; they are merely the foundation of elementary mathematics."

"Above these are courses in intermediate mathematics, advanced mathematics, statistics, calculus, and so on!"

With that, Yin Rou sighed deeply, her expression dejected: "It's just a pity that I'm so foolish."

"It took me ten days to barely master the four basic arithmetic operations: exponentiation, root extraction, and cubic equations in two variables!"

Her face grew even paler, and she added, "This humble servant clearly remembers Lord Su's initial disappointment and resentment, his teeth clenched in anger."

"This humble servant...is truly ashamed to face Lord Su's painstaking teachings!"

The Empress, Nangong Sheyue, and Xiahou Yi exchanged a glance subconsciously.

Then he looked at Yin Rou, whose face was full of dejection.

I don't know what to say anymore.

I can barely understand exponentiation and root extraction.

What are cubic equations in two variables, as well as advanced mathematics, statistics, calculus, and so on? It's like listening to gibberish!
Xiahou Yi kept swallowing his saliva.

I feel like my worldview is collapsing.

How could an eighteen or nineteen-year-old boy with such sharp knowledge be so knowledgeable?
Where did he get his knowledge from?

A female disciple he casually taught had already attained such profound knowledge that even the sage was astonished!

So, what level of knowledge does Su Mo possess?
Bachelor? Grand Scholar? Great Confucian Scholar?
Even... sages?
Leng Liuxi remained silent for a moment, then suddenly gave Nangong Sheyue a wink.

Nangong Sheyue immediately said in a deep voice, "Let's go! Take me to that factory!"

Yin Rou naturally obeyed.

Xiahou Yi was about to follow, but was stopped by a cold look from the Empress.

He quickly coughed twice: "Lord Su once said that the factory is a restricted area and the Dragon Guards are not allowed to enter, so I will not follow them!"

Leng Liuxi walked into the factory.

The room was quite spacious, with various crossbow-making materials neatly stacked inside.

Dozens of craftsmen, in an orderly fashion, were busy making parts for the divine arm bow, holding various tools.

When Leng Liuxi and the others entered, the craftsmen didn't even glance at them.

Once the craftsman has made the parts and raises his hand, someone will use a strange tool to measure each part, then give the craftsman tokens and place the parts into a box.

Nangong Sheyue couldn't help but ask, "Why are all the craftsmen in the factory building?"

Where is the foreman?

She had been to the artisan barracks of the Phoenix Cry Division.

The working conditions there are completely different from here.

If the craftsmen are lazy, they will never be able to complete their assigned tasks without supervision.

The situation at the Gufeng Mountain artisan camp truly surprised and puzzled Nangong Sheyue.

Yin Rou explained, "It all comes down to money!"

“The craftsmen in the other craftsmen’s battalion all receive the same wages, regardless of how much work they do.”

"The artisans of the Lone Peak Mountain Artisan Battalion earn points based on the number of qualified parts they manufacture."

Points can be redeemed for money and daily necessities.

"In order to earn more points, craftsmen will work hard without supervision or urging."

"In Su Shi's words, this is called stimulating the craftsmen's initiative and improving work efficiency."

"Furthermore, if the craftsmen can offer suggestions for improvement, such as increasing the efficiency of the production line, enhancing the power of the crossbows, or reducing manufacturing costs, they will receive generous rewards!"

"A few days ago, a carpenter proposed a method of combining oven drying and air drying to shorten the shaping time of crossbow wood, and he received a reward of thirty taels of silver!"

"in addition……"

Yin Rou suddenly stopped and didn't continue speaking.

Leng Liuxi frowned slightly: "What else?"

Yin Rou hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Lord Su said that in order to motivate craftsmen to work harder, in addition to monetary rewards, we should also let them see hope."

"Hope is ten times more important than money!"

She gritted her teeth and finally said, "The top three in monthly points will have one reasonable request granted by Lord Su!"

"The top scorer of the quarter..."

"Lord Su promised to help them restore their civilian status and allow them to continue working in the artisan battalion as hired laborers!"

"Furthermore, the two individuals who perform best after completing the missions involving the Divine Arm Bow and the Eight-Ox Crossbow will be offered the position of captain, with treatment equal to that of a junior officer."

"Of course!" Yin Rou changed the subject, "Lord Su also warned me that there must be punishment along with rewards!"

"Only by combining rewards and punishments can we persevere."

"If an artisan ranks in the bottom three in monthly points, half of their points reward will be deducted. If they rank in the bottom three for three consecutive months, their points will be reset to zero and their wages will be halved!"

After hearing Yin Rou's words.

The Empress fell silent!

The art of managing people!

On a grander scale, this is the art of slaying dragons!

What virtue or ability does this woman possess to have such good fortune, receiving such complete instruction from Su Mo?

Su Mo truly treated her as his former personal disciple!
……

After we finished looking at the last and most heavily guarded factory building.

Zhou the carpenter and several other craftsmen assembled the divine crossbow, tested its range and power, and finally inscribed the Su number sequence before loading it into a carriage and transporting it to the warehouse.

The Empress remained silent for a long time.

A dozen or so factories, all put together, form the assembly line Su Mo was talking about!
No wonder Yin Rou said that she made more than two hundred divine arm bows in just over ten days!

The efficiency of this production line is truly remarkable.

Difficult-to-manufacture parts are handled by skilled veteran craftsmen, while simple parts are handled by apprentices.

Practice makes perfect, and the manufacturing speed naturally gets faster and faster.

During her one-hour inspection of the production line, Leng Liuxi saw a full ten Divine Arm Bows come off the assembly line!
The daily construction work is calculated in five hours.

If materials were not scarce, wouldn't it be possible to make fifty divine bows in a day?
This assembly line could be extended to the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of War, and other departments...

Less money, faster speed, build more machines!

The Empress took a deep breath.

Suddenly, I had the urge to immediately transfer Su Mo to the Ministry of Works and appoint him as the Minister of Works, a position of the second rank!

A lowly ninth-rank county clerk is a waste of his talents!
(End of this chapter)