Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The temperature in Gan Province dropped unexpectedly at the end of the tenth lunar month. One could smell winter in the air along with the biting cold northwestern wind. The white ash trees on the hill behind the manufacturing bureau had lost their leaves. The hill looked bare from afar, left with merely the white ash tree trunks standing like sentinels of the forest.
The temperature was gradually turning cold. However, things were burning intensely in the manufacturing bureau…
In just the blink of an eye, it had been eight full days since Yan Liqiang arrived in the manufacturing bureau.
In these eight days, he stayed in the manufacture bureau and didn’t go out at all. He was either discussing the construction techniques or designs of the carriage with a group of chief weaponsmiths, or visiting the workshops and courtyards to supervise everyone’s tasks. Although Yan Liqiang was the Protectorate General, people who entered the manufacturing bureau often mistook Yan Liqiang as an apprentice if no one told them his identity. That was because he was dressed just like any other craftsman. He had dust or wood shavings stuck on his clothes, and even his hair was sometimes stained by paint.
When the chiefs of the Shugang and Pingba Villages came to the manufacturing bureau for the first time after the invitation a few days ago, they didn’t even spare a second glance on Yan Liqiang when the latter walked past them. They were only looking forward to meeting Qian Su.
In the Huanglong County, Quartermaster Qian’s reputation was on par with the county magistrate. To the chiefs of both villages, they were both important figures.
Qian Su’s suggestion was unprecedented to the village chiefs and they felt as though a meat dumpling had just fallen from the sky. They simply couldn’t believe such a good thing would happen to them. The experts from the manufacturing bureau taught the villagers some skills. They then loaned some materials from the manufacturing bureau and did some of their own preparations. When the final product was complete, the manufacturing bureau would then pay to collect them as long as the quality met the standards. Everything was documented in black and white, and the payment was in pure gold and silver. The manufacturing bureau was basically sending money their way. If it wasn’t for the fact that Qian Su didn’t look like an idiot to them, they would almost be suspicious as to whether he was mentally challenged or trying to scam them.
Needless to say, both village chiefs returned to their villages full of joy. The very next day, both villages actually sent sedan chairs and carriages to fetch the weaponsmiths and transport them back to their respective villages for the lessons. They were even beating gongs and drums very loudly as though someone was getting married. Yan Liqiang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the scene…
While the weaponsmiths were away at the Shugang and Pingba Villages to impart their knowledge, Yan Liqiang’s bellows could be heard coming from the workshops and courtyards in the manufacturing bureau over the next few days. The chief and ordinary craftsmen from the carpenters, blacksmithing, and lacquer workshops all got a taste of the seemingly patient Yan Liqiang’s
…
“I want every visible inch of this carriage to be made of the finest wood! Use the most expensive wood, do not try to cut the costs! Seven Star Sandalwood from Mount Qiyun is the most expensive? Well then, we shall use that! This carriage we’re building now is for the rich! Just keep in mind on what materials the rich will prefer! I shall repeat myself again, this is not military supply! Do not treat it like that! What? You all don’t know what kind of materials the rich prefer? Then look at the movements of my mouth — EXPENSIVE. Remember the pronunciation. EXPENSIVE, EXPENSIVE! Understand…?”
…
“Precision! I want it to be precise! Redo them all again! The metal parts of the steering mechanism under the carriage do not meet the requirements if the measurements are off by even the breadth of two strands of hair! I don’t care how much effort you all have spent on making them! Take these all back into the furnace and melt them all! From now on, that will be the rule when it comes to making these metal parts! Do not ask me questions about whether or not they can be used again…!”
…
“What do you mean by you have applied three layers of paint?! This is not glossy enough! You all here don’t treat this thing like you are making an ordinary carriage! Treat it like lacquerware! If three layers doesn’t work, then make it five! If that still doesn’t work then make it ten!! Remember, it must be glossy! I will only accept it when the black paint is as reflective as a mirror after being polished and waxed!”
…
“Brother, this is the silver handle for the carriage door we’re talking about! I want it to be exquisite and gorgeous! What’s this thing that looks like an axe for executioners? What? You don’t know what is considered exquisite and gorgeous? Well then, just make it look exactly like the sketch I drew! You say that you’re going to swallow the thing you just made if you can’t make it…? Hey don’t eat it, don’t eat it!! This is silver! We’ll lose both money and our lives if you eat it! If you can’t do it, then just run three laps around the manufacturing bureau butt naked…!”
…
“Decorative arrangement! You don’t know what that means?! Make grids in the middle of this piece of wood, then inside those grids… No, not paper! Why paper?! You think this is the window of your house?! This is a luxurious carriage! Why would its window be made of paper! If not paper then what, you say? Use colored glass! Those red, blue, and green colored glass! Grind out the pieces and embed them in the window grids! Arrange them in a way that they make up a beautiful pattern! That’s how you do the decorative arrangement, understand?”
…
The preparations in every workshop and courtyard were in full swing while Yan Liqiang was working in the blacksmith workshop. After countless of trials over the past few days of working until the wee hours of the night while referring to the Yan Liqiang’s diagram, the group of craftsmen finally managed to create Yan Liqiang’s coil spring on the sixth day. Not only that, the blacksmith workshop also made spring steel from the by-products.
There were no flowers, no applause, nothing for celebration. Their success was kept a secret from everyone except Yan Liqiang, Qian Su, and the few craftsmen who were involved in making the spring themselves. After awarding the craftsmen fifty taels of silver, the blacksmith workshop that was used to manufacture the springs naturally became the most secretive location in the entire manufacturing bureau. The craftsmen also received a ‘military command’ to not leak the secret technique of making the spring under any circumstances.
On the eighth day since Yan Liqiang’s arrival at the manufacturing bureau, just when Yan Liqiang completed his morning regime, practiced the Muscle Tendon Changing and Marrow Cleansing and had his breakfast in his private courtyard, Qian Su approached him with a smile on his face.
“Morning, Uncle Qian! Have you eaten breakfast yet?” Yan Liqiang greeted him.
“Yes, I did!” Qian Su’s smile was secretive. “Come, I want to show you something good!”
“Oh? What is it?”
“You’ll know when you see it!”
Yan Liqiang left his courtyard with Qian Su without a second thought. Both of them then came to a small square inside the manufacturing bureau.
Yan Liqiang only realized that a crowd had already gathered at the small square by the time he arrived. Everyone from the manufacturing bureau was standing around the small square in silence, and he was the last person to arrive.
A black four-wheeled carriage was parked in the middle of the square, sleek with an ethereal luster.
Yan Liqiang was stunned when he saw the black four-wheeled carriage. He felt as though he had traveled through time because the carriage was exactly the same as a European aristocratic carriage in a film he watched in his previous life. The sketches he made on the papers became a reality before his eyes for the very first time.
At this very moment, Yan Liqiang even thought he was the main character from the film, ‘Ma Liang and His Magic Brush’…
“Go on and have a look! Everyone is waiting for you to give it try first…” Qian Su said softly beside him.
