Heaven's Formula

General Affairs Bureau?What is this place?

And what is the government's new policy... Didn't it mean that the entire government office was given to others?He, the new prefect with official documents from the court, hasn't taken office yet!

Hong Siqi bowed his hand to the other party, thanking the other party for his kindness, and wrote down the word "General Affairs Bureau" in his heart, "I heard that Jinxia was robbed by pirates a while ago, and the government office was severely damaged. Who is in charge?"

"Hehe, good question from the guest officer." Seeing that he didn't leave, Dr. Cha immediately regained his spirits, "There are two people in Jinxia City who keep their word. Fu Cheng is also the organizer of the General Affairs Bureau, Lord Xia Fan."

"His Royal Highness? She is managing the affairs of the city?" Hong Siqi frowned secretly - he had roughly inquired about the situation here on the way here, and naturally knew that Jinxia was the fiefdom of Princess Guangping, but he did not expect it More often than not, members of the royal family would meddle in local politics. "Has no one ever raised an objection to this? I mean... the local rich and big families and all that."

"Hey, why do you object?" Dr. Tea sighed, "Guest officials don't know that the day the pirates invaded, the government didn't see resistance at all, and the north wall and east wall fell to the enemy in a short period of time. At this time It was the princess who stepped forward and led her personal guards to fight all the way from the west gate to the east gate, and from the east gate back to the north gate, and finally killed herself blood red."

"Two or three thousand pirates were forcibly killed by the princess alone, because His Royal Highness was too brave, and even God was helping her. There were lightning bolts and furious thunder bombardment. The enemy bandits had never seen such a posture before, so they had to break up and flee. .You see, if Her Royal Highness didn't fight against the enemy, the people of Jinxia City would be miserable! So if she wants to take care of Jinxia's affairs, who would dare say a word?"

Hong Siqi automatically ignored the other party's exaggerated words. When he was the magistrate, he also had contact with military and political affairs, and he knew in his heart that leading troops in battle is not a victory alone. "Then what's the situation with the Prime Minister of the Privy Council? I remember they only deal with evil incidents, right?"

"Master Xia was supported by Princess Guangping, so he can be regarded as the actual implementer of the government order." Dr. Cha replied enthusiastically, "He is a kind person. It is to help the disaster-stricken households to repair their houses, and to distribute relief food to prevent the refugees from starving. There are also many job recruitment opportunities there. Her Royal Highness herself is not much different."

"Then... who will deal with the security and disputes in the city?"

"Of course it's the police officers of the Bureau - they not only deal with evil spirits, but also deal with general criminal investigation cases."

There was a loud bang in Hong Siqi's heart.

It's over, it's over.

Where is this disaster relief agency...

This is clearly a government department that completely replaced the Jinxia City Government Office!

Chapter 222 The Subverted System

"This...belongs to the jurisdiction of the government." Hong Siqi clenched his hands subconsciously, and said with the last effort, "Don't you think it's unreasonable and inappropriate to let the princess and the privy mansion manage these things? ?”

"Guest officer, where did you say that?" Dr. Cha looked blank, as if he didn't think there was any problem at all, "The princess is the third daughter of His Majesty, and her background is bigger than the government. She is willing to intervene in people's livelihood and cares about everyone's well-being. , this is the blessing of the people of Jinxia City."

Chickens talk to ducks, chickens talk to ducks!

Hong Siqi looked up to the sky and sighed, these fools knew nothing about government affairs.

If whoever is the most powerful just listens to whoever he is, wouldn't the policy be changed from day to day, and wouldn't the imperial system be messed up?

Strictly speaking, Princess Quang Binh's behavior has crossed the line and she is subject to impeachment!

In order to avoid arousing suspicion, Hong Siqi asked a few more irrelevant questions before returning to the main topic, "If the government office returns to normal and there is a conflict with this... Bureau, will you support the prefect?"

Dr. Tea showed a strange smile.

He didn't answer the question, but his expression said it all.

After Hong Siqi left the teahouse, he headed towards the Dongcheng District along the main street—he wanted to see with his own eyes what kind of monster the Jinxia General Affairs Bureau, which everyone said was almost omnipotent, was.

"Master, Her Royal Highness, she has violated the rules! Shall we report it to the Ministry of Officials and ask the Holy One to punish her?" Ding Pan excitedly said.

"Heh," Hong Siqi sneered, "Do you think the Lord Tianguan would be ignorant of this?"

"Ah? The Minister of the Ministry of Officials knows?"

"At least you should have heard of it." His voice became colder, "I said that after ten years, the higher-ups finally let me get closer and transferred me to be the prefect of Jinxia City. It turns out that there are such things inside."

"I don't understand..." Ding Pan wondered, "Since the higher-ups know, why didn't they make any statement?"

"I guess it's related to the Privy Council." Hong Siqi rubbed his chin, "It's not a matter of a day or two for them to get involved in the government affairs. These laymen can only see the relationship between Xia Fucheng and His Highness the Princess. But you can't see the huge power of the Privy Council behind him. To be honest... this is more difficult than the wealthy and aristocratic families."

The servant's face suddenly turned bitter, "Then you have become a chess piece for the six parts to explore the way?"

"It's up to me to decide whether to use this chess piece or not." Hong Siqi said in a deep voice.He didn't want to go head-to-head with the royal family and the Privy Council at all. Even if he could gain the moral upper hand, he would definitely not be the one who reaped the results in the end.He would be called a fool if he really did such a thing as writing a memorial to impeach the princess.

However, one's own rights and interests still have to be fought for.

One is the third princess who is still young, and the other is the Fu Cheng who was born as an alchemist. He doesn't believe that the other party can manage all the affairs of a city.

Just wait until they show a flaw...

"Everyone, come and have a look and listen! The General Affairs Bureau is recruiting reserve officials! You don't need the imperial examination results, you don't need the rankings in the township examination, as long as you have a clean background, no past criminal records, and can read and write, you can apply!"

When Hong Siqi walked to the intersection of Dongcheng Street, before he saw the gate of the Bureau, there was a clear and clear shout from the corner.

He sprained his foot and almost fell to the ground.

This, this, what is this talking about?

The bureau actually selects officials by itself?

He even doubted his own ears - although the other party was talking about a probationary official, the word official itself was not allowed to be used indiscriminately, not to mention that the other party didn't look at the imperial examination results?

"Master, this..." Ding Pan also looked shocked.Obviously, this yelling had a great impact on the two masters and servants who had been immersed in officialdom for a long time.

Hong Siqi took a deep breath, "Go and see!"

Turning the corner, a bustling long street appeared in front of the two of them.The side with the wall was undoubtedly the location of the Bureau, and he confirmed this through the guide sign on the roadside.

The wall did not completely enclose the Office, and the entrance that was regarded as a gate was almost a hundred paces wide, and it could be seen from the flow of people that there was no restriction on the people's access, so that the place that should have demonstrated the majesty of the institution was full of noise. Fair.

And the voice I heard just now came from a girl in red.

The shape of the clothes is also very unique, not like the usual wide-swinging robes or skirts, but slightly straight long trousers, the red fabric is decorated with white silk long sides, and paired with a pair of short boots, it looks generous and elegant. striking.

There were a dozen or so other people wearing the same costume, both men and women, and they were characterized by their young age.

Hong Siqi walked up to the girl, "Little lady, I would like to ask you, is it true that you said that the Bureau recruited reserve officials?"

"This is the newly promulgated policy. There is Her Royal Highness's seal on the back of the document, so don't worry." The other party replied briskly.

"Then isn't this reserve officer in conflict with the officials appointed by the court?"

"Well...there are still some differences. First of all, applicants must pass the training of the secretariat, and there will be multiple reviews in the follow-up. Only those who perform well can be officially elected. Although the threshold is high, the salary and treatment are also very good. , it is a rare opportunity for ordinary people!"

No, that's not the point at all.

The girl in red obviously didn't understand what he meant.

Hong Siqi had no choice but to make the question more specific, "What I want to ask is, what would scholars think if the bureau did this, and would they accept it? I listen to you, as long as they can read, businessmen, actors, etc. , Dr. Tea...can anyone be competent?"

The girl tilted her head and thought for a while, "If you don't accept it...won't it be fine if you don't sign up?"

"The order will be broken in that way, and scholars will not admit it!" Hong Siqi said his thoughts in a hurry, "Without their support, Jinxia City will be in chaos sooner or later!"

A chaotic city may be suitable for wealthy families and gangs, but it is by no means what he wants to see—officials must control people to have power, but scholars do not support them, and no one can use them, how can he make money?

Unless he came out against the princess.

"Why don't you admit it? The school organized by the Bureau will soon enroll the first batch of apprentices. As long as they are of the right age, they can listen to lectures without spending money. Are these considered scholars?" , Most people can’t even read a book in their lifetime, and now they finally have the opportunity, how could they oppose the new policy of the Bureau of Affairs?”

Open a school?Free tuition...?

Hong Siqi forgot how he got out of that street.

In less than an hour, he felt that he had been greatly impacted.Opening a school and recruiting "officials" alone sounds extremely ridiculous, but no one thinks there is anything wrong.Yes, the people he is talking to are all mud-headed people who have never had contact with scholars, but Hong Siqi knows in his heart that it is often not the scholars who can keenly perceive the current situation of the city, but the people who have lived in the streets for a long time—— Even if they don't understand the source of this situation, their words and deeds will unconsciously reveal the evolution trend.

"Master... what should we do now?" Ding Pan murmured.

After being silent for a long time, Hong Siqi said, "Time is not on our side. There is no need to inquire any more, and go to meet Her Royal Highness the Princess."

Chapter 223 Magic Furnace

Outside the east gate of Jinxia City, next to the salt fields.

A huge brick oven looms on the sand.

It is about nine feet high, with an inner diameter of more than fifteen feet. The outer circle is made of bricks in three layers, and the cracks between each layer of bricks are filled with fine sand to prevent heat from escaping and strengthen the furnace wall. pressure capacity.

Beside the stove, the soldiers were going back and forth to add raw materials, and the person in charge of them was Mo Yun, the person in charge of the Machine Building Bureau.

"Attention, the iron ingots must be placed in the correct order, and remember to read the labels on them when picking up the raw materials!"

"One bar is up, two bars are down, and the iron ingots are staggered in pairs, leaving a gap!"

"If you find a problem, you can't force it. You must report it to me. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my lord!"

"Is this the new test product you mentioned?" Following the familiar voice, Ning Wanjun threw off the escort and walked quickly to Xia Fan's side, "Did you hear the inconceivable whisper again?"

"I've met Your Highness!" Seeing the princess appearing, the busy crowd bowed their heads together.

"You keep busy with your own work, don't make trouble for me!" The princess waved her hand.

"Here!"

Xia Fan sighed helplessly. Since she pointed out that Luo Qingqing was the listener, now he justifiably regards himself as one of the listeners. Although he has never heard any whispers, when the other party meets He always asks "considerately" if he has lost his mind, which makes him dumbfounded.

"It is indeed a new experimental project, but it has nothing to do with Whispering." Xia Fan curled his lips, "Speaking of which, why don't you ask Miss Luo if she is still rational?"

"She is more serious than you at first glance, so why ask?" Ning Wanjun asked without thinking, "I never worry that she will have any problems."

"Thank you for your trust." Luo who was on the side nodded slightly.

Well, let's make up one by one.Xia Fan rolled his eyes silently, "Actually, I only started this project, and the real planner and implementer is Miss Mo Yun."

"Oh? Tell me?"

"It starts with Miss Luo's ability..."

Xia Fan's thoughts that day were not just in his head, but he ran into trouble when he tried to figure out a production flow chart at night-he didn't know the level of smelting technology in this era, and he didn't have a special Having understood the modern steelmaking process, it is just like theory is theory, but it has become a difficult thing to transfer to actual operation.

So he approached Mo Yun with the idea of ​​trying.

And the latter actually has a lot of accumulation in this area.

After all, the Ministry of Industry manages the production and construction of the entire Qiguo, and iron smelting and forging steel are naturally included. For one of the directors of the Machine Building Bureau, even if he has never operated it himself, the technology and craftsmanship in this area are by no means unfamiliar. .

After a night of intense exchanges between him and the other party, an experimental plan that conforms to the level of the times and surpasses the times was born.

Xia Fan learned from Mo Yun's dictation that Qi State's smelting technology was not far behind, or in the Yongguo period, some people had realized that steel was an excellent material for casting swords because it was between pig iron and wrought iron.It's just that iron is more difficult to melt than copper, and large metal utensils are still dominated by bronze.

After a century of research, the popularity of tower kilns and human blowers has led to a steady increase in iron production, and the Ministry of Industry naturally turned its attention to steel with higher strength.The method they advocate now is to burn pig iron into molten iron and pour it on wrought iron sheets, and mix the two to form steel.In layman's terms, it is to fuse iron with high carbon content and iron with low carbon content to obtain iron with moderate carbon content, which is the so-called steel.

Although the Ministry of Industry does not know that carbon is the element that determines the performance of steel, it still produces qualified smelted products based on experience, which is quite amazing.However, this method is limited by the temperature of molten iron, and each batch of mixed steel ingots is only a few ingots, which are generally used by the Ministry of Industry to make the most elite weapons, or the core components of mechanical equipment.Even with sparing use, steel is still in short supply.

It can be said that as long as the furnace temperature cannot be raised, the scene of large-scale smelting will be difficult to realize after all.

Xia Fan's plan is to directly surround a furnace, place pig iron and wrought iron in layers, and start melting from the upper layer.In the process of flowing down, the molten iron will increase the chance of contact with the air and further reduce the carbon content—this is also considering that the wrought iron smelting process at this time is mainly stirring, and the carbon content may be generally high, so to make this arrangement.

Once getting rid of the constraints of the heat source, the whole process becomes simple and easy.

Hearing that Ning Wanjun's eyes had lost focus, he was obviously confused by a lot of nouns, "Uh... I understand the principle. According to what you mean, once this method is successful, my soldiers will not be able to Are you short of steel knives and armor?"

"You can think so," Xia Fan smiled, "but its ultimate purpose is to make soldiers no longer need steel knives and armor."

Improving the performance of weapons is only an incidental use after a breakthrough in material technology. Its greatest significance is to go back and improve the quality of the original device, thereby further expanding production capacity.

There is only one Luo Qingwei, and it is difficult for others to rely on her ability to reach the position in one step, but the method of heating is not limited to dragon scales.With a good steel furnace, the arc from the Shockwave can do the same.Compared with the indescribable listener's technique, the magic weapon engraved with the amplifying circuit talisman at least has the hope of being copied in batches.

The key is where this initial melting pot comes from.

The answer is now at hand.

"My lord, all the raw materials are in place." The soldier reported.

Mo Yun ordered in a deep voice, "Check the ignition mechanism."

"Report—the ignition mechanism is normal!"

"Close the bottom furnace door."

"Report—the furnace door is closed!"

"Everyone evacuate."

"Yes, all the staff withdraw from the smelting furnace area!"

When everything was ready, she walked up to the three of them, nodded slightly to Luo, and said, "It's up to you next."

Luo lightly stretched out his single palm and pointed it at the brick oven, "I will do my best."

Under the gaze of everyone, a sword blade with a faint golden light quietly emerged above the stove top.

Then, it descended slowly and entered the furnace through the hole at the top.

Obstructed by the wall, the vision is invalid here, Luo Qingqing can only rely on the experience and feelings accumulated in the previous simulation drills - after she put the blade flat, she tried to retract it in the direction where she was.

At this moment, the "ignition device" was triggered.

It is essentially a falling platform, and the iron ingot on it is pulled by the rope. When the thin dragon scales cut the hemp rope, the iron ingot hit the blade of the sword.

Luo felt the change lightly.

The outer layer of the dragon scales disappeared temporarily, and the power flowing in the blade suddenly rushed to the iron ingot.The heat spread quickly and quickly ignited the entire upper level of the furnace.