The Prodigal Son

After leaving the palace, Qin Yu returned home as quickly as possible.

Then, he summoned his servants to help him deliver the armor plates to the Ministry of Works' Crafts Department.

After testing the hardness of the armor plates, Yu Zhi, the head of the craftsmanship department, gave a production deadline.

"What? Half a year?"

Qin Yu's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Are you kidding me?"

This is the Ministry of Works' Crafts Department!

In such a large area with so many craftsmen, it took half a year to complete all the armor?

Isn't this work efficiency a bit too low?

Meeting Qin Yu's gaze, Yu Zhi also looked helpless. "Doctor Qin, we've been given orders from above to produce a certain number of armors each month. You can't expect the entire Crafts Department to forge armor for you, can you?"

"If we don't meet our monthly targets, we can't afford the consequences if our superiors hold us accountable!"

"And you know how hard this thing is, even drilling a small hole in it would probably take half a day!"

"It's all thanks to you, Doctor Qin. If it were someone else, it would have taken at least a year and a half!"

Yu Zhi was also helpless!

If this thing weren't so hard, even with the combined efforts of the entire Crafts Department, it would only take two days at most to finish it.

But he just tried it, and this thing is way too hard!

If you want to drill a hole in it, you can only grind it down little by little with a diamond drill!

This is an extremely time-consuming process!

"Please do me a favor."

Without saying much, Qin Yu simply handed Yu Zhi a silver note worth one thousand taels.

"No, no!"

Yu Zhi refused, saying, "Doctor Qin, it's not about the money; it's just that this thing is really too time-consuming! How about this, you go find Lord Feng and ask him to stop our mission. I will definitely finish the armor for you within half a month!"

"..."

Qin Yu remained silent.

Isn't that obvious?

There's still fighting in Shuozhou!

How could the imperial court possibly stop the Bureau of Craftsmen to make armor specifically for itself?

I don't have that much nerve!

After a moment's thought, Qin Yu handed the silver notes to Yu Zhi again, "Consider this my treat for everyone! Three months. As long as you finish the armor for me within three months, I'll give you another ten thousand taels of silver to reward you all!"

Yu Zhi looked at Qin Yu with a bitter expression, "Doctor Qin, please forgive me! This really isn't about money!"

"Thirty thousand taels!"

Qin Yu increased his bet again.

Yu Zhi shook his head again.

"Fifty thousand taels!"

Yu Zhi shook his head again.

"You don't really want 100,000 taels of silver from me, do you?"

Qin Yu's face darkened.

Even when you're taking down a rich person, you don't do it like this!

Yu Zhi was almost in tears. "Physician Qin, how about I have everyone in the Crafts Department kneel down and kowtow to you? Please don't make things difficult for me."

He regrets it terribly now.

I should have said a year, not six months!

"I……"

This was the first time Qin Yu had encountered someone so stubborn and unyielding, leaving him speechless.

Just as he was thinking about how to get Yu Zhi to agree to help him shorten the armor manufacturing time, he suddenly noticed the water-powered machinery in the distance.

What the hell!

Qin Yu suddenly slapped his forehead.

I'm getting myself into a rut!

We can't make them shorten the time it takes to make armor for us, but we can make them shorten the time it takes to make other armor!

In this way, wouldn't I be able to free up more time to make my own armor?

In my past life, I was a master of handicrafts, so improving the machinery and increasing production efficiency shouldn't be too difficult!

With this in mind, Qin Yu quickly walked towards the equipment in the distance.

Yu Zhi's expression changed drastically. He quickly grabbed Qin Yu tightly, pleading with a sob in his voice, "Doctor Qin, I beg you, please don't do anything rash! If you smash these instruments, you'll be taking the lives of me and these thousands of people!"

As he spoke, Yu Zhi frantically winked at the clerk beside him, signaling him to hurry up and report the news.

If Qin Yu were to smash all these precious artifacts of the Craftsmen's Office in a fit of anger, he might lose his head, but he certainly would!

The clerk understood and immediately ran out like a gust of wind.

"I……"

Qin Yu's forehead instantly filled with black lines. "What the hell am I smashing?! Let's see if you can help you improve your equipment!"

"what?"

Yu Zhi was taken aback for a moment, then smiled apologetically and said, "Why don't you sit down first? We can discuss the armor matter again and see if there's any way to shorten the time."

Are you kidding me!

This is the Ministry of Works' Crafts Department!

The tools of the Craftsmen's Office need to be improved by him?

When it comes to military campaigns and composing poetry, all these thousands of people combined cannot compare to Qin Yu.

But when it comes to making and improving machinery, any master craftsman could easily outsmart Qin Yu.

Does he even know what a water-powered forging hammer is?

Does he understand how water-powered grinding discs and water-powered polishing wheels are connected and operate?

……

In the afternoon, after finishing his lunch, Zhao Luan, accompanied by his two henchmen, prepared to make a trip to the Lü family.

Originally, since Madam Lü gave birth at an advanced age, she wouldn't have needed to personally deliver the gift.

However, she happened to have something to discuss with Lu Chunqiu, the Minister of Justice, so she decided to go there herself!

Just as they were preparing to depart, Ruan Zhi stumbled over, crying out in a panic, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!"

Upon hearing Ruan Zhi's words, Zhao Luan's heart sank.

Could it be that Shuozhou suffered another defeat?

Damn!

I just finalized the plans to reorganize the salt administration and open up the salt road in Minjiang!

If the Shuozhou army suffers another defeat and heavy losses, these two matters will probably have to be temporarily shelved!

Just as Zhao Luan was filled with anxiety, Ruan Zhi ran up to him, panting, and said, "The Ministry of Works sent someone to report that Qin Langzhong bribed Yu Zhi, the head of the Craftsmen's Department, with silver, demanding that he forge armor for him within two months. Yu Zhi refused, and Qin Langzhong, in a fit of anger, wanted to smash the water-powered machinery in the Craftsmen's Department to vent his frustration!"

"What?"

Zhao Luan's expression changed drastically. No longer caring about the carriage, she snatched a horse from a censor's guard, quickly mounted, and roared with a frosty expression, "To the Craftsmen's Office!"

Yun Ying snapped out of her daze and quickly led a group of imperial guards on horseback to chase after them, leaving Shangguan Youyi still bewildered in the wind.

That bastard!

How dare he do that!

With a major war about to break out in the imperial court, how dare he damage the water-powered machinery of the Craftsmen's Office?

No matter how much His Majesty favors him, he cannot be so audacious!

Or is it that he doesn't want to take on the task of reorganizing the salt administration and is deliberately making trouble for himself?

But no matter how much trouble he causes, he can't touch the vital parts of the Craftsmen's Office!

He's not just looking for trouble, he's courting death!

It's over, it's over!

This time, something big is probably going to happen!

After a long while, Shangguan Youyi finally came to her senses and asked Ruan Zhi, her mind in turmoil, "Are you sure Qin Yu really did this stupid thing?"

"Why aren't you sure?"

Ruan Zhi stomped her feet in anger, "It was Lord Feng who personally sent someone to report this! Lord Feng has already rushed to the Craftsmen's Office!"

"A madman! This madman! How dare he do that?"

Shangguan Youyi was furious. "Quickly send someone to inform the Empress Dowager! Go to the Lü family; the Empress Dowager is there!"

His Majesty will certainly not let Qin Yu off easily this time!

It's estimated that only the Empress Dowager can calm His Majesty down when he's angry!