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

Chapter 193 The First Hand-Crafted Bicycle in Dawu
Su Mo was stunned upon hearing this.

He looked at Lin Moyin suspiciously: "Nanming Palace? What's its background?"

Lin Moyin explained, "They are also members of the Hundred Immortals Alliance."

"The sect is located on Wanjian Peak in Nanming Mountain. Its members mainly practice swordsmanship. The Nanming Li Huo Sword Technique is quite powerful. There are about three hundred members, and several elders in the sect are at the Guiqiao Realm."

"Nanming Palace is considered a mid-to-high level sect within the Hundred Immortals Alliance."

As she spoke, Liu Mei frowned slightly: "When I returned to Su Nu Palace earlier, it was at the behest of my sect to select suitable disciples to bring to the capital to participate in the Immortal Martial Arts Grand Trial."

"The Su Nu Palace and the Nanming Palace have always kept to themselves, so why are they suddenly fighting?"

Su Mo thought for a moment: "Shall we go to Wannian County now?"

Lin Moyin waved her hand: "No rush, let's find out what happened first."

He paused, then snorted irritably, "Those guys, relying on their talent, are used to being arrogant. It's good to teach them a lesson so they won't know their place!"

Upon hearing this, Su Mo couldn't help but become curious: "Is the Su Nu Palace also part of the Hundred Immortals Alliance?"

"How many people came?"

Lin Moyin hummed in agreement: "The current cultivation landscape consists of nothing more than the Hundred Immortals Alliance of the North, the Canglang Alliance of the South, and the Longevity Alliance of the Frontier."

"Our Su Nu Palace is one of the ten Golden Core sects of the Hundred Immortals Alliance. There are thirteen of us who have come to participate in the Immortal Martial Arts Grand Trial. There are six people in the Entry Level, four in the Body Observation Level, and three in the Soul Stabilization Level."

Su Mo suddenly remembered that she held multiple positions.

In addition to the clerks, centurions, and flag bearers, there was also a temporary sixth-rank military supervisor responsible for overseeing the Immortal Martial Arts Examination.

"Does Madam know the position of the Martial Arts Inspector? It seems to be in charge of overseeing the Immortal Martial Arts Grand Examination."

Lin Moyin was taken aback upon hearing this: "Of course I know."

"The Immortal Martial Arts Grand Trial is divided into the Entry Trial, the Body Observation Trial, and the Soul Stabilization Trial."

"The entrance exam is conducted by only the chief and deputy examiners."

"In addition to the chief examiner and two deputy chief examiners, there are four other martial arts supervisors in the Body Observation Realm and Soul Stabilization Realm."

"The Military Supervisor, also known as the Junior Military Supervisor, is responsible for various matters related to the physical examination and the examination venue. He also has considerable say in determining the final rankings."

"However, the imperial court has not yet made a decision on the selection of examiners and supervisors for this Immortal Martial Arts Grand Examination."

As she spoke, Lin Moyin looked at Su Mo suspiciously: "Why did you suddenly bring up this Military Supervisor, my lord?"

Upon hearing this, Su Mo was immediately dumbfounded: "The imperial court hasn't decided on the candidates for proctoring the exam yet?"

Lin Moyin explained, "There are still eight days until the Immortal Martial Arts Tournament!"

"To prevent candidates from trying to curry favor with the examiners and military supervisors in advance, the candidates are usually announced three days before the exam!"

"Even the examiners themselves were unaware."

"At that time, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Central Military Commission, and the Ministry of Rites will take away the examiners and military supervisors in charge of the physical examination and soul assessment, isolate them from the outside world, and escort them directly to the examination venue until the grand examination begins."

Su Mo was even more astonished and couldn't help but take out the ivory token that Leng Liuxi had given him to look at.

She immediately looked up at the commander: "Madam, look!"

As he spoke, he handed the military supervisor's token to Lin Moyin.

Lin Moyin took it and was instantly dumbfounded. She stared blankly at Su Mo: "My lord... how did you become the military supervisor?"

Su Mo smiled wryly, "Given by Leng Xixi..."

Lin Moyin...

After a long silence, he finally uttered a soft, "It's her again!"

Lord Chiju didn't know what to say.

The other chief examiners and deputy chief examiners probably don't even know that they are now examiners for the Immortal Martial Arts Grand Examination.

But Su Mo even had an identity token.

She paused, then smiled wryly and said, "Didn't Leng Xixi tell you that you shouldn't reveal your identity as the Martial Supervisor to others?"

Su Mo shook her head: "They didn't say that."

"However, Madam is certainly not an outsider!"

Lin Moyin frowned: "Isn't she afraid that her husband will secretly accept bribes from the examinees?"

"Even though the final decision rests with the chief examiner, the chief examiner cannot easily disregard the opinion of the military supervisor!"

As she spoke, she suddenly realized something: "Hmm... it should be that the young master wouldn't take the candidates' bribes seriously."

Su Mo fell silent.

He then pulled out a coin from Liufu Money Shop: "Wei Zhengguang gave me a thousand taels of silver!"

"The imperial court has relaxed regulations for merchants in five counties. You Li and Wei Zhengguang plan to place their people in the Hundred Household Offices."

He paused slightly, then added, "Only two hundred taels of silver per person, that's incredibly stingy."

"Back then, Chu Jianghe gave Baiyu Capital to her husband for the sake of the centurion of Changping County!"

Lin Moyin...

I feel like we can retract the statement that "we are not afraid of Su Mo accepting bribes from test takers".

But he couldn't help but ask, "Why would Vice Commissioner Wei give you so much silver?"

He's a deputy commander, how could a superior bribe a subordinate!

Su Mo shrugged: "Who knows!"

"They might think that I have experience in Tianchang County, and the commander will seek my opinion."

He sighed, "I didn't want to accept a mere thousand taels of silver."

"But if we don't accept it, Wei Zhengguang and You Li might have some bad ideas, so we reluctantly accept it."

These are Su Mo's honest thoughts.

With his current income, a thousand taels of silver is just a day's profit!
But that's just how things are in officialdom.

If he doesn't accept it, You and Wei won't feel at ease!
Lin Moyin hesitated for a moment: "How much silver do you have, my lord?"

"I'm not entirely sure about that; Siyun manages the accounts." Su Mo thought for a moment, then added, "But there's been a bit more income lately."

"Not counting the shipbuilding funds that Zhang Xuzu and the others just sent, it should amount to about thirty or forty thousand taels of silver?"

Lin Moyin was dumbfounded.

Su Mo added, "That Chen Bao guy is incredibly bold!"

"There should be about 20,000 to 30,000 taels of silver stored in Changping County as well."

Lord Chihō was in a state of mixed emotions and suddenly felt like hitting someone.

As a fifth-rank official with the rank of commander of a thousand households, my annual salary is less than two hundred taels of silver.

This guy earns in one day what I earn in several years!

No wonder the Empress even smashed up her own uncle's restaurant in order to win over Su Mo!

In the past two months, the Empress's treasury has increased by more than 100,000 taels of silver, hasn't it?

In particular, the money from Tianchang County instantly relieved the imperial court's urgent need.

Restaurants, salt, and other supplies were continuously sending silver into the Empress's treasury!

Seeing that the commander's expression was not good, Su Mo quickly said, "Madam, you can take this thousand taels of flying money and spend it!"

"If that's not enough, just ask Siyun for more money!"

Lin Moyin's pretty face darkened: "Does this concubine need her permission to spend money?"

Su Mo was both amused and exasperated.

Lord Qianhu is wonderful in every way, from top to bottom!

I'm just so jealous!
He could only change the subject: "Isn't the Su Nu Palace going to hold a physical examination? Give me the list, and I'll keep an eye on things!"

Lord Qianhu snorted, but still whispered a few names in the end.

She then added, "I will not accompany you to your new post at Shangzuo!"

"We need to go back and see what happened!"

Su Mo nodded: "If you need anything, just ask me, and I'll do my best to help!"

Lin Moyin rolled her eyes at him and said disdainfully, "A mere hundred households, and you dare to be so arrogant?"

"If you become a trial commander in the future, are you not allowed to ride roughshod over me?"

Su Mo's expression was serious: "This subordinate wouldn't dare!"

Even if I were promoted to acting commander, I would only dare to lie on the lady's body!

Lin Moyin gathered her strength in her dantian and exhaled loudly: "Get out!"

He then left in shame and anger!
Su Mo was about to report to the Left Office when Liu Siyun stopped him before he even left the door.

Su Mo looked at her suspiciously: "Is something the matter?"

Liu Siyun's pretty face was bitter: "My lord, there are already more than 50,000 taels of silver stored in the cellar. I have been living in fear lately and can't sleep well."

"Shouldn't you recruit some servants and guards to protect the courtyard?"

Su Mo frowned: "In the capital city, would a thief dare to break into a house?"

Liu Siyun was speechless and could only explain, "I am not afraid of ordinary petty thieves, but I am not so afraid of bandits and evil cultivators."

"This morning, I overheard the guests at the restaurant talking about how the wealthy He family from outside the city reported to Changzhi County a few days ago that their cellar had been broken into late at night and their valuables and treasures worth more than three thousand taels of silver had been stolen!"

Su Mo's expression instantly turned serious.

This is no joke.

The theft of silver is a minor matter; the biggest fear is that it will harm Xue Yishu, Liu Siyun, Jiang Lan, and others.

He thought for a moment: "Should I deposit the silver in a money exchange?"

Liu Siyun's eyes widened immediately: "Why deposit it in a money shop? With so much silver, young master, wouldn't you have to give the money shop at least two thousand taels a year?"

Su Mo then realized that in ancient times, not only did not deposit money earn interest, but one also had to pay the money exchange a storage fee!

"never mind!"

"Let's melt down the silver and cast it into a silver ball!"

Su Mo thought for a moment and then said, "If someone comes to steal the silver, let them go. They can't possibly run far!"

I am a centurion in the Embroidered Uniform Guard!

He paused for a moment: "Is Yi Shu still in the room?"

Liu Siyun couldn't help but chuckle: "She's sulking in her room!"

"He must be afraid of Sister Lin, and dares not leave the room even for a moment. He even asked me to buy some strange tales to amuse him!"

Su Mo snorted: "Being confined for a few days is fine, this is outrageous!"

Liu Siyun hesitated for a moment, then asked in confusion, "Please forgive my rudeness, but I have a question."

Su Mo frowned: "Speak!"

Liu Siyun bit her lip: "My lord also allows me, along with Sister Qin, Sister Chen, Jiang Lan, and others, to show our faces in public."

"Why is it that you're the only one who won't allow... Sister Xue to go out?"

Su Mo waved his hand: "This is different!"

"You're doing serious business, she's just being willful and capricious!"

"If we don't temper her temper, she might cause trouble in the future!"

Liu Siyun gave a soft "hmm" and didn't bring it up again.

Su Mo returned to the study, picked up his pen and wrote three letters, summoning Jiang Lai, who was quite clever.

"Go to Tianchang County first and deliver this letter to Magistrate Xue Shan!"

"This letter can be delivered by the messenger to the Wang family in Yanshan County."

"Keep this last letter close to your body and deliver it personally to my uncle Chen Qian in Changping County!"

Jiang Lai nodded quickly to indicate that he understood.

Su Mo thought for a moment and added, "Remember! If trouble arises, the third letter must be destroyed rather than fall into the hands of others!"

Jiang Lai immediately replied in a deep voice, "Don't worry, sir! I understand!"

After Chen Lai left, Su Mo breathed a sigh of relief.

Liu Siyun is right.

I do indeed lack capable people.

We can't let that old fellow Wang Xiuzhi be idle!

Having a powerful sorcerer at the Divine Realm watching over the house puts me at ease.

At worst, we can spend some money to buy resources to help him improve his cultivation!
The Five Elements Spirit Peach combined with Sweet Spirit Dew can help Lord Qianhu advance to the Returning to the Core Formation stage, and might even help Old Wang improve his realm!

Of course, a labor contract must be signed with him before that.

They'll need to be used for at least ten or eight years.

Next, Su Mo took his official document and badge and went to the Left Office to report for duty.

Although Lin Moyin had been transferred from the Upper Left Office to the Right Office, Su Mo was very popular in the Upper Left Office because of the Misty Rain Pavilion, and his status rose rather than fell.

As soon as Su Mo entered the garrison, everyone greeted him warmly.

Those centurions and trial centurions treated Su Mo with even greater respect!
There was no way around it; Su Mo was too conspicuous. Wearing a tiger-patterned robe to listen to music in a brothel, it would be strange if the centurions of the Left Office didn't know!
Upon arriving at the headquarters of the Left Guard, Su Mo was taken aback.

Unexpectedly, it was Wen Yannian, the probationary commander, who snatched the vacancy of the chief commander of the Left Guard!

When Wen Yannian saw Su Mo, this rare guest, he was slightly surprised and dared not presume to get up and personally pour tea for Su Mo.

After learning Su Mo's purpose, Wen Yannian was stunned again!
Su Mo has actually been promoted to centurion!
However, he was promoted to commander of a thousand households after all. Wen Yannian looked much more composed than before and did not show any shock. He just thought to himself that Su Mo had a very strong backer and it was only natural for him to be promoted to commander of a hundred households.

Didn't you see that even Zhang Guojiu was humiliated in front of him?
Others may not know that the destruction of Tianyi Tower was closely related to Su Mo, but that definitely does not include the Embroidered Uniform Guard!

After Su Mo politely took his leave.

Wen Yannian watched Su Mo's retreating figure with mixed feelings. Before he could even take a sip of tea, a clerk secretly delivered an official document from the imperial court.

When Wen Yannian saw it, he was immediately dumbfounded!

Su Mo became a fiefdom marquis?
……

Su Mo was bored. Although he was a centurion and had his own office in Shangzuo, all his men were in the Gufeng Mountain Artisan Camp.

I might as well go to the artisan camp to check on the progress of my works.

He had already given Yin Rou the blueprints for the waterwheel, rickshaw, bicycle, and four-wheeled carriage.

However, several days have passed, and there has been no news.

There's no rush to build a large waterwheel; the river at Gufeng Mountain should already be frozen, so it won't be needed for the time being.

But rickshaws and bicycles were for Leng Xixi and Nangong Sheyue's livelihood.

They were so capable; they withstood all the pressure from Zhang Guojiu and even killed a Jinyiwei commander. Naturally, Su Mo couldn't slack off.

I asked the Thousand Household Office for a horse.

Su Mo headed straight for Lonely Peak Mountain.

As soon as they stepped out of the city gate, they saw several people dressed as martial artists and Taoist sorcerers, moving about in twos and threes outside the city.

Many were still competing in martial arts techniques, making it quite a lively scene.

I wonder how many candidates have come to the Immortal Martial Arts Grand Examination. Judging from the scale, it seems like there are quite a few! But I can't blame them.

All other professions are inferior; only being an official is superior!
The two quickest ways to become an official in Dawu are the imperial examination and the Immortal Martial Arts Grand Examination!
Lin Moyin stood out in the grand examination and is now ranked as the Right Commander of the Thousand Households!

Both the imperial examinations and the Daoist examinations were held every three years.

The Immortal Martial Arts Grand Examination, in particular, attracted far fewer participants than the imperial examinations. Held only in the capital, it drew heroes and Taoist practitioners from all over the world, all hoping to fight their way through the crowds and obtain an official position in the imperial court!
We arrived at the foot of Lonely Peak without stopping.

They were astonished to find that the number of Dragon Guards on patrol had increased significantly, and their area had expanded considerably, no longer just the territory of the Artisan Battalion.

Su Mo couldn't help but frown.

He reined in his horse and summoned a patrolling guard.

He showed his identification badge and asked in a deep voice, "What's going on here?"

"Something happened at Lone Peak Mountain?"

The Dragon Guard soldier hurriedly replied, "Sir, recently, quite a few martial artists and Taoist sorcerers have come to Lone Peak Mountain!"

"General Xiahou was afraid that they would come for the artisan battalion, so he ordered us to increase the number of patrols."

Su Mo's expression changed slightly: "Do you know why?"

The Dragon Guard soldier shook his head: "I don't know about that."

Lonely Peak Mountain is now Su Mo's fief.

Although he had not yet recruited troops to guard his fiefdom, such an unexpected turn of events naturally drew Su Mo's attention.

Seeing that the soldiers were unaware of the situation, Su Mo simply went straight to the Longxiang Guard camp to find Xiahou Yi!
Xiahou Yi was in the barracks at the time, frowning as he looked at the geomantic map. He was secretly surprised when Su Mo came to see him.

He had his personal guards lead Su Mo into the barracks, then nodded and smiled at Su Mo, saying, "Lord Su, it's been a long time!"

"Congratulations, Lord Su!"

Su Mo...

"General Xiahou, are you aware that I have become a solitary figure on a mountain peak?"

Xiahou Yi explained, "Gufeng Mountain is the fiefdom of Su Shanzi. As I am responsible for guarding the artisan camp, I naturally received the imperial court's announcement immediately!"

He paused, his expression turning serious: "To be honest, Lord Su, His Majesty has issued a secret decree to me, requiring the Longxiang Guard to be responsible for protecting Lord Su's fiefdom!"

Su Mo smiled wryly and said, "I see. No wonder I noticed that the Dragon Guard's patrol area had expanded considerably!"

"I'll have to trouble General Xiahou to take care of things from now on!"

Xiahou Yi knew about the relationship between the Empress and Su Mo, so he dared not be presumptuous and quickly said with a smile, "Lord Su, there's no need to be so polite!"

"This is an imperial decree, and I will certainly do my utmost!"

He paused slightly, his brows furrowing: "However, quite a few people do want to enter Lonely Peak Mountain today. The Dragon Guard is short-handed and may not be able to patrol effectively. Lord Su, you should be careful."

Su Mo immediately became suspicious: "What exactly is going on?"

He was at Gufeng Mountain just yesterday, and everything was normal then.

How could such a change happen in just one day?
Xiahou Yi's expression turned serious, and he said in a deep voice, "I have arrested a few of them for questioning."

"Most of them are people who went to the capital to participate in the Immortal Martial Arts Grand Trial. They all said that they heard yesterday that a second-grade spirit python appeared in Lonely Peak Mountain, and some people even found several rare spiritual herbs in Lonely Peak Mountain!"

"That's why I came to this solitary mountain, intending to hunt spirit pythons, search for spiritual herbs, and improve my cultivation!"

Su Mo's expression suddenly changed: "General Xiahou, do you think they're here for me?"

Xiahou Yi pondered for a moment: "That's one possibility!"

"However, the rumors about the Lonely Peak Mountain that Lord Su was granted today appeared yesterday. If the other party knew about this beforehand, they are probably after Lord Su."

"If not..."

Su Mo's heart stirred.

His own isolated mountain and fiefdom were obtained only after the secret method of refining salt was presented to His Majesty, and he had to beg for them.

Nine out of ten of these rumors have nothing to do with me.

However, we cannot rule out the possibility that Zhang Shouning and the deceased Lu Wenxuan were behind it.

He looked at Xiahou Yi with a serious expression: "If you're not here for me, then you're here for the artisan battalion?"

Xiahou Yi nodded emphatically and said in a low voice, "That's exactly what I fear most!"

"Lord Su understands the importance of the artisan battalion better than I do!"

"If enemy spies discover the secrets of the Divine Arm Bow and the Eight-Ox Crossbow, they will definitely try every means to obtain the manufacturing method."

"Furthermore, the Heavenly Mother Cult and other remnants of the previous dynasty are causing trouble, and we must be on guard!"

Su Mo's expression instantly turned serious!

Xiahou Yi breathed a sigh of relief, then said, "I have already submitted a memorial to His Majesty, requesting that His Majesty investigate the source of this rumor."

"If there really is a spirit python, it would be best if it were discovered by someone by chance, thus spreading the news."

"If someone is secretly plotting something, we must arrest them as soon as possible to put our minds at ease!"

Su Mo couldn't help but curse inwardly!
I just planted the sweet potatoes, and this happened!

We mustn't let those martial arts practitioners or sorcerers ruin the sweet potatoes grown by the villagers, mistaking them for miraculous medicine!
We need to send a few Imperial Guards to guard Shenma Rock!
After bidding farewell to Xiahou Yi, Su Mo immediately returned to the Artisan Battalion's official residence.

Upon seeing Su Mo, Yin Rou exclaimed with delight, "Teacher, you've arrived!"

"This disciple was just about to send someone to inform the master!"

Su Mo was speechless.

I've corrected her several times, telling her not to call herself "teacher," but it seems she's completely ignoring me.

Too lazy to waste any more time, he nodded and asked, "What is it?"

Yin Rou blinked: "Teacher, your four-wheeled carriage is finished."

"And that bicycle, Ding Bashi also made it last night."

Su Mo was immediately taken aback: "It's finished so quickly?"

Why didn't you mention it yesterday?

Yin Rou chuckled, "Isn't this a surprise for the teacher!"

"The carriage was actually completed a few days ago, but it's still missing some details."

She paused, then smiled and said, "But the bicycle was indeed only made last night."

Su Mo let out a breath.

It seems I've really struck gold.

Ding Bashi is not only skilled at blacksmithing, but also proficient in such strange and ingenious skills.

It's estimated that the level of a ninth-grade fitter in later generations would be around the same as Ding Bashi's.

"Take me to see him right away!" Su Mo said, then suddenly remembered something, "No, first call Geng Yi here!"

Last time, Hao Jian and his group went up the mountain too many times but eventually encountered a tiger and were wiped out by the sudden arrival of the Empress.

Fortunately, Su Mo pleaded on his behalf, and although he was demoted one rank, he was transferred back to Shenjing as a blessing in disguise.

Currently, the artisan battalion only has eight squad leaders. Geng Yi is quite capable and has good interpersonal relationships, so he stood out from the crowd and became one of the two squad leaders.

"This humble servant greets Lord Su. What are your orders, Lord Su?" Geng Yi bowed respectfully to Su Mo.

Su Mo nodded: "Take a few of your men and go to Shenma Rock!"

"I have instructed the villagers to plant several vines. You are to guard them day and night, and prevent anyone from harming them!"

Upon hearing this, Geng Yi was overjoyed and quickly replied, "Don't worry, sir!"

"This humble servant will not slacken his efforts; as long as the vine remains, so shall I; if the vine dies, so shall I!"

Geng Yi is a smart man; he knows that doing favors for his superiors is the fastest way to get promoted!

Su Mo nodded: "Let's go now."

"If you do this job well, I will grant you the position of captain!"

Geng Yi was so excited that his body trembled.

He quickly accepted the order and left.

Su Mo then called Yin Rou over, and together they headed towards Ding Bashi's workshop.

With nothing else to do on the road, Su Mo casually asked, "How is Wu Gouzi doing today?"

Yin Rou quickly replied, "He was perfectly lucid, but he had a fever several times afterward. We wiped his body with alcohol, and it subsided quickly."

"He was able to drink porridge this morning, so he should be fine."

Su Mo sighed inwardly.

People in this era are indeed much stronger physically than those in later generations, probably partly because this world is full of spiritual energy.

Of course, the most important thing is definitely those two drops of Nine Spirit Elixir from Nangong Sheyue.

He nodded slightly, then asked, "You haven't been back to Shenjing for a long time, have you?"

Yin Rou was taken aback for a moment, then nodded: "This disciple has not returned to the capital for almost a month!"

Su Mo smiled and said, "Why don't you take a few days off and go back to the city to rest? If people find out, they'll think I'm mistreating my subordinate!"

Just as Yin Rou was about to speak, Su Mo asked again, "Are you married?"

Upon hearing Su Mo's words, Yin Rou hesitated for a moment, her pretty face dimmed, and she said softly, "Teacher, I am indeed married."

Seeing Yin Rou's expression, Su Mo frowned: "Officer Yin, please don't misunderstand."

"I was just asking casually."

"I should be in the artisan camp these days. If you wish to take a break and return to the city, that is certainly possible."

Unexpectedly, Yin Rou's face suddenly turned bitter, and she said in a low voice, "I'm doing quite well in the artisan camp, and I don't want to go back to the city."

Su Mo frowned immediately: "Why do you have that expression?"

"If you have something to say, feel free to speak frankly to me!"

Yin Rou forced a smile: "Thank you for your concern, Master. I'm fine, I just don't want to go back to the city!"

Su Mo looked at her suspiciously.

But if they don't say, he doesn't need to ask any further questions.

Nine out of ten couples have unhappy sex lives, or have problems like mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationships.

Such a private matter was naturally not something he, as the superior, should interfere with.

Upon arriving at the blacksmith's workshop, I pushed open the door and was immediately greeted by the familiar warmth.

Bare-chested and covered in sweat, Ding Bashi, along with several apprentices and his honest son Ding Xiaochui, was pointing and gesturing at a rather rugged old-fashioned bicycle.

Su Mo was genuinely surprised when she saw it.

Unexpectedly, Ding Bashi actually managed to build a bicycle.

They even installed the foot support.

Don't underestimate the simplicity of a bicycle.

In fact, it is quite difficult to make it by hand. If you can really make a bicycle by hand, you can be rated as an eighth-level fitter!
The bearings, gears, and chains alone require a lot of work.

If the artisan battalion hadn't implemented standardized parts, even if Ding had been given another eighty or one hundred days, he probably still wouldn't have been able to finish this bicycle.

Just as Su Mo was looking at the bicycle from afar, Ding Bashi saw Su Mo and Yin Rou appear and hurriedly led everyone over.

"Greetings, Lord Su! Greetings, Lord Yin!"

Faking it!

Su Mo nodded and laughed, "Ding Bashi, you're something else!"

"They actually managed to build a bicycle!"

Despite his many flaws, he does have quite a few capable subordinates!

Ding Bashi grinned and said, "Making this bicycle took a lot of effort, and it looks exactly the same as what Lord Yin described."

He paused, then suddenly frowned: "It's just that I'm stupid and can't get this bicycle to move on its own. I'm currently figuring it out with these brats."

Ding Bashi turned his gaze to Su Mo and couldn't help but ask again, "Lord Su, does this bicycle need to be equipped with runes and magic arrays to move on its own? But I don't know anything about that."

Su Mo was both amused and exasperated: "A bicycle doesn't just start moving on its own!"

Ding Bashi looked on with suspicion: "If it's not walking by itself, how can it be called a bicycle?"

Upon hearing this, even Yin Rou looked at Su Mo with suspicion and confusion.

Su Mo was too lazy to explain to Ding Bashi.

He looked the bicycle up and down.

On the stainless steel wheels, there was a ring of something that looked like rubber but wasn't quite rubber.

He reached out and pinched it.

It's solid, and the elasticity is quite good.

"What is this?" Su Mo turned to look at Ding Bashi.

I used to think that the biggest problem with bicycles was the rubber tires.

Su Mo didn't know if there were rubber trees in the Great Wu Dynasty.

Without rubber tires, the only option is to increase the frame's elasticity; otherwise, given the road conditions of the Great Wu Dynasty, riding would be so bumpy that the rider would question their existence.

Simply put, it's either a pain in the ass or a lot of trouble!
Alternatively, one can only ride on flat cobblestone streets like Zhuque Avenue.

Su Mo was genuinely surprised.

I never imagined that Ding Bashi would actually make solid tires.

Ding Bashi hurriedly replied, "I have never heard of the rubber tree that Lord Yin mentioned."

"But there are black rubber trees on Lonely Peak Mountain. Once the bark is damaged, it will secrete a viscous black sap. Once it solidifies, it is moderately soft and hard and extremely wear-resistant. It looks very similar to the rubber that Lord Yin described."

"I'll find it and try it, but I don't know how effective it will be."

Su Mo was taken aback.

This seems to have touched on a blind spot in his knowledge.

I'd never heard of vinifera trees before.

However, it is certain that the rubber tree's sap is white and is definitely not the same species as the black rubber tree!
However, it's normal for the cultivation world to have species that didn't exist in the previous life.

Su Mo squatted down and observed it again. Then he turned the pedal and found that the gears and chain turned quite smoothly.

Its surface is oily and shiny, likely due to the application of animal fat to reduce friction.

As the pedals turned, the two wheels whizzed around.

It seems... there's nothing wrong with this bicycle!

Next, once the actual combat test is completed, we can announce that the Great Wu Dynasty's hand-made bicycle project has been perfectly achieved!

Su Mo couldn't help but get excited too.

It looks like an old-fashioned bicycle that is not much different from what was formerly known as the "big iron donkey".

Su Mo felt like she had traveled back to the modern era!
He turned to look at Yin Rou, Ding Bashi, and the others who were filled with curiosity, and chuckled: "Didn't you want to know why this vehicle is called a bicycle?"

Su Mo took a deep breath: "I will now show you what the power of industrialization is!"

　I'm out of time, I'm only halfway through making the changes, but I can check back in five minutes!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)