I am a corrupt official, but they say I am a loyal minister

Getting ready to take another big swipe.

At the court meeting, Lin Beifan reported loudly: "His Majesty, after more than a month of painstaking research, I have finally developed a supreme water weapon. I am going to test the water for the first time. Please witness with Your Majesty and all the officials!"

All the officials were in an uproar!

The Empress was overjoyed: "Lin Aiqing, seriously? Have you really researched it?"

"Don't dare to lie to Your Majesty!" Lin Beifan shook his hands and said with a smile, "Once this sharp weapon is released, the Great Martial Water Army will be invincible!"

"Okay!" The empress said loudly: "Lin Aiqing is worthy of being the pillar of the country! If the water test is successful, I will definitely reward you a lot!"

On the morning of the second day, the empress and all the officials came to the riverside of the capital with great anticipation to watch Lin Beifan's water weapon test for the first time.

However, at this time, the river was empty and there was nothing.

"Lin Siye, where's your boat?"

"Where's your giant steel ship, why didn't you see anything?"

"Where is your ship?"

"Hurry up and let His Majesty and all of us take a look!"

……

Even the Empress asked, "Lin Aiqing, where is your boat?"

Lin Beifan smiled slightly: "Your Majesty, and my lords, please wait a moment, the ship will be here soon! This will be an unprecedented ship, so don't be surprised when the time comes!"

After being told by Lin Beifan, everyone looked forward to it even more.

Just as he was talking, more than a dozen students from the Imperial Academy came towards several trucks full of goods.

Lin Beifan lifted the cloth on the truck body and said with a smile to everyone: "Your Majesty, and my lords, next will be the moment to witness the miracle!".

Chapter 128 This is not a sharp weapon on the water, what is it?

Everyone is even more confused!

Obviously, everyone was asked to see the ship, but there was no ship, and there were a few more trucks full of goods.

But everyone didn't ask much, just watched quietly.

Then, under Lin Beifan's command, the students began to get busy.

One of the trucks was filled with long and short wooden sticks, which were quickly spliced ​​together by the students to form a huge wooden frame, which was somewhat similar to the keel of a ship, but it was spread out flat.

Another truck was actually filled with air bags for making big balloons.

It's just that these airbags are much smaller than the big balloons after they are blown open, only as big as two people hugging each other.

The students quickly filled the small air bag with air, then sealed the hole, stuffed it into the wooden frame, and tied it firmly.

Inside each wooden shelf is a small air pocket, like a neat air bubble.

Then, a wooden plank was placed on top.

This scene left everyone in a fog.

It is said to be shipbuilding, but it does not look like a ship at all.

It's not a boat, how do you get into the water?

Someone couldn't help asking: "Lin Siye, what the hell are you doing? Why can't I understand after watching this for a long time..."

Lin Beifan smiled mysteriously: "Master Zhao, please be calm and calm, I will understand soon!"

So, everyone can only watch it patiently.

In this way, about an hour later, Lin Beifan directed the students to create a huge flat plate with a length of 5 feet and a width of 5 feet, and then pushed it into the river and floated on the river.

Lin Beifan reported loudly: "My Majesty, this is the hovercraft, a powerful water weapon developed by Weichen, please take a look at it!"

The empress was dumbfounded, and all the officials were dumbfounded!

Looking at the huge board floating on the river, everyone was stunned!

After a long time, the empress pointed to the huge wooden plank on the river and said, "Lin Aiqing, is this what you call a sharp weapon on the water?"

"Exactly!" Lin Beifan smiled slightly.

Qian Yuanshen, Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, pointed at the big board on the river with a confused face: "Lin Siye, didn't you say that you want to build a giant steel ship? This is what you said... a giant steel ship?"

Lin Beifan's face straightened: "Master Qian, you may have misremembered! This official has always been talking about sharp weapons on the water, and never promised to build a giant steel ship! Besides, it's only three months, and the time is so short. If you can’t afford the steel for shipbuilding, where do you want me to build steel ships for you?”

Hubu Shangshu was suddenly at a loss for words!

It seems that the other party has been emphasizing the sharp weapon on the water, and has never said that they want to build a giant steel ship!

It's just that when it comes to water weapons, everyone can't help but think of giant steel ships!

Because only a giant steel ship can be called a sharp weapon on the water!

However, now another problem arises.

"Lin Aiqing, you said this is a water weapon, but how can it look like a water weapon? What can it do?" The empress was very confused.

It is said to be a hovercraft, but it does not look like a boat at all.

It looks like the planks are joined together, and a few big waves can break it apart.

Baiguan couldn't help but nodded.

Lin Beifan smiled and said: "Your Majesty, don't look at him as simple! But in fact, it can carry goods and people! I can assure you that this hovercraft will not sink even if there are hundreds of people on it~!"

"Is this true?"

"Your Majesty can give it a try!"

The empress waved her hand immediately: "Come and see 10 people first!"

Immediately, 10 soldiers stepped onto the hovercraft and were safe and sound.

"Ten more!"

Another 10 soldiers stepped onto the hovercraft, all unharmed.

"Add 20 directly!"

20 soldiers set foot on the hovercraft, still unharmed.

In this way, the number of soldiers has been increasing, but the hovercraft is still floating steadily on the river.

Until reaching 100 people, there is still no sinking trend.

This time, everyone finally looked at each other differently.

"On this square inch, it can actually carry hundreds of people!"

"These are all grown-up men, and each one weighs 150 catties, so they have a load of 15 catties! It's scary!"

"It doesn't look like a boat, why can it carry so many people?"

"What's the reason? Could it be those airbags?"

……

Lin Beifan smiled and said: "Your Majesty, there are still many places up there, why don't you send some soldiers up there and see how many people can stand there!"

"Ai Qing is right!" The Empress waved her hand.

Then, another 10 soldiers stood on the hovercraft.

In this way, the number of people continues to increase.

110!

120!

130!

……

Until the end, there were almost 200 people standing.

Everyone was shoulder to shoulder, there was no place to stand, and the hovercraft still did not sink.

"This...is really a miracle!"

"A boat built with so few planks can carry more than 200 people!"

"Its load capacity is already comparable to that of an ordinary big ship!"

"How on earth is this done?"

……

Everyone was shocked.

"As you can see!" Lin Beifan smiled and said: "One of the biggest advantages of my hovercraft is that it can carry loads! Even if there are twice as many soldiers, it will not necessarily sink! Here, I would like to ask Your Majesty and all the adults. One question, how much silver taels do you think it takes to make such a hovercraft?"

Everyone couldn't help but fell into thinking.

Among them, Wang Rushui, Shangshu of the Ministry of Industry, spoke first: "To build a large ship that can carry 200 people, judging from the cost of our Ministry of Industry, it will cost more than 1000 taels in total! If it is handed over to a private boat workshop, the price will be higher. About 1400 taels! Taking an intermediate number, the official guesses that it needs 1200 taels!"

Lin Beifan smiled and shook his head: "No, guess again!"

Qian Yuanshen, Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, stood up: "This hovercraft looks so simple, it should not cost so much! So I guess, it will cost about 500 taels!"

Lin Beifan shook his head again: "No, there are too many, guess again!"

"How much is 500 taels?" Everyone was shocked.

An old minister stood up and said, "My official guesses that it will take 300 taels to build this ship!"

Lin Beifan shook his head again: "It's still too much!"

"Lin Aiqing, don't be foolish, tell me the cost quickly!" the empress couldn't help asking.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Lin Beifan said with a proud smile, "It took less than 100 taels to build this hovercraft!"

Everyone was shocked.

"Such a hovercraft that can carry more than 200 people cost less than a hundred taels?"

"Even less than [-]% of the cost of an ordinary big ship!"

"Lin Siye, are you joking?"

"how can that be?"

……

"It's true!" Lin Beifan explained in detail: "This hovercraft looks ordinary, mainly composed of wood and airbags! Among them, the wood for the ship's frame and ship boards cost less than ten taels of silver!"

"The most expensive ones are those airbags! Because those airbags are made of the same airbags used to make big balloons! The airbags are tough, waterproof, airproof, and fireproof, so they cost a lot, costing 80 taels!"

"So, the total cost of this hovercraft is about 90 taels!"

This time, everyone finally believed it!

It really took less than a hundred taels to build this hovercraft that can carry more than 200 people!

"Your Majesty, and my lords, I will ask you another question!" Lin Beifan smiled and said, "How long does it take to build such a hovercraft?"

It was Wang Rushui, Shangshu of the Ministry of Industry, who said first: "` "According to the information of our Ministry of Industry, it will take three months to half a year to build such a large ship that can carry 200 people!"

"It should take a month!" said Gao Tianyao, Minister of the Ministry of Officials.

He played a trick, because Lin Beifan delivered it within a month.

So obviously, the shipbuilding time cannot exceed one month.

Everyone also agrees with this time period.

"In less than a month, a large ship capable of carrying more than 200 people was built, saving more than 6% of the time! Lin Siye, great skill!" A minister gave a thumbs up.

Lin Beifan shook his head and raised a finger: "My lords, you all guessed wrong! In fact, it only takes a week!"

Everyone was shocked again: "Can it be done in a week?"

Lin Beifan explained: "For example, the wooden frame for building a hovercraft has standard specifications, and it is easy to manufacture! If you hand it over to a few skilled craftsmen, you can make it within a week! Those airbags also need exactly one week to manufacture! When these two are built, as you have seen just now, they can be erected within an hour and float steadily on the river!"

This time, everyone finally believed it!