ATPnovel Chapter 101 Infinite Ecstasy!
Chapter 101 Infinite Ecstasy!
Chapter 101 Infinite Ecstasy!
Li Sui excitedly knelt down before Zhu Houzhao, kowtowing repeatedly to express his admiration.
"Your Majesty is truly wise!"
"Hearing your words is more valuable than reading for ten years. The ancients were right. Your Majesty's words have enlightened me greatly!"
"By introducing assembly line production processes, the cost of both flintlock muskets and breech-loading cannons will be reduced by 80%, while the production speed will increase by at least five times!"
"Your Majesty's move not only solves the cost problem of the Ministry of Works manufacturing firearms, but if it is fully implemented, it will also benefit all the people of the Ming Dynasty!"
"Your Majesty's achievements will be remembered for generations to come!"
Li had already realized that the assembly line production method was not only useful for the Ministry of Works in manufacturing firearms.
It can shine even brighter in the civilian handicraft market.
The core result of assembly line operations is a sharp drop in the final selling price after cost reduction.
Zhu Houzhao strictly controlled firearms and artillery; no matter how low the cost or how profitable these items were, he would never sell them.
The handicrafts produced by ordinary people are genuinely meant to be sold, whether they are porcelain, silk, cloth, or other handicrafts.
Once this advanced production technology is adopted, their final selling price will plummet, allowing more people in the Ming Dynasty to use exquisite porcelain and wear fine fabrics.
Moreover, factory owners will earn more, and workers' wages will rise accordingly.
It is no exaggeration to say that the entire social landscape of the Ming Dynasty would be completely transformed in this way!
By the mid-Ming Dynasty, the seeds of capitalism had already begun to sprout.
In various parts of Jiangnan, small workshops had long since emerged, employing landless people to produce various handicrafts.
Zhu Houzhao looked at Li with a slight smile: "This new product manufacturing process can be promoted. Smart factory owners will take the initiative to learn it."
"But are firearms and artillery the only items that can be produced using assembly lines?"
"Can't it be used for shipbuilding?"
"this----"
Li paused, frowned, and pondered deeply, but finally shook his head in confusion.
"Your Majesty, there are too many steps and too many parts in shipbuilding, and the parts are too big and too heavy to move around."
"How can such a colossal vessel as a warship, with a single component often several meters long, be manufactured using an assembly line?"
Zhu Houzhao smiled and explained, "The core of assembly line operations lies in the division of labor, pace, parallel operations, and logistics support."
"At the beginning of construction, the large ship can be divided into hundreds of huge sections, each of which is a module."
"Although the ship may not be stationary, the materials, parts, and modules are in motion. We can build the large modules first and then assemble them at the end."
Modern shipbuilding is indeed not a standard assembly line operation in the traditional sense.
It is a more advanced modular production system, which is better suited for the construction of large objects.
Shipbuilding is the pinnacle of modern industrial engineering management.
Now, Zhu Houzhao brought this advanced engineering and manufacturing concept to the Ming Dynasty hundreds of years ahead of schedule!
Li was once again shocked by Zhu Houzhao's words. With just a gentle nudge, Zhu Houzhao enlightened Li, and all the difficulties were easily resolved!
Li was deeply impressed by Zhu Houzhao's wisdom: "Your Majesty is wise and sagacious, possessing unparalleled knowledge and intelligence. I am ashamed of my own shortcomings!"
"With His Majesty, the people of the Ming Dynasty are truly blessed beyond measure!"
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your guidance. Upon returning, I will immediately begin reforms to reduce production costs to less than 20% of the original amount!"
"Go."
"Your humble servant takes his leave."
Zhu Houzhao nodded, quite satisfied with Li, the Minister of Works, who understood things very quickly.
After all, most people in this world can't even understand the terms he uses.
Not long after Li took his leave, Yu Huatian, the supervisor of the Western Depot, entered the Cining Palace.
"Your Majesty, this is the result of the Western Depot's investigation."
Zhu Houzhao took the memorial presented by Yu Huatian, opened it, and saw that the contents were the cost of the Ministry of Works producing firearms and warships.
The cost of each flintlock musket, each breech-loading cannon, each steel steamship, and the monthly wages of each craftsman were all clearly recorded.
Zhu Houzhao took out the memorials presented by Li and compared them one by one.
The amounts recorded above are not significantly different and fall within the normal range of error.
Zhu Houzhao then dispelled his doubts and nodded slightly to Yu Huatian: "You did well, you may leave."
"Yes, Your Majesty. This humble subject takes his leave."
Zhu Houzhao's secret police never stopped monitoring officials in various departments of the court.
As the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he would never have complete trust in any of his ministers.
Zhu Houzhao had to ensure that these officials of the Ming Dynasty were under his control at all times!
In the blink of an eye, the Ming Dynasty was already experiencing unbearable heat, reaching the hottest and most humid period of the dog days of summer.
Inside Cining Palace, basin after basin of ice blocks were taken from the ice cellar.
But there wasn't a single tree in the Forbidden City, and even with ice, the heat made Zhu Houzhao somewhat annoyed.
Zhu Houzhao stood under the eaves, looking at the scorching sun outside. The sweltering afternoon heat made him frown.
"Liu Jin".
"This old servant is here."
Liu Jin quickly approached Zhu Houzhao and bowed, asking, "What are your orders, Your Majesty?"
"It's too hot. Let's go to Xiyuan to escape the heat."
Although Xiyuan is right next to the Forbidden City, it has Zhonghai Lake, Nanhai Lake, and large areas of green vegetation, and the weather is much cooler there.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Liu Jin chuckled and agreed, then asked, "Should we bring some concubines with us? Consort Kang, Consort Shu, and Consort Li?"
"Go, all of you go." Zhu Houzhao nodded.
"What about Consort Liu? And the other concubines in the Chuxiu Palace?"
"Go, everyone, go!"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Xiyuan was very close, and that very evening, Zhu Houzhao and his entourage moved into Xiyuan.
At this time, the Leopard Chamber and the Longevity Palace were not yet completed, so Zhu Houzhao chose the Chongzhi Hall as his temporary residence.
That evening, Zhu Houzhao hosted a banquet for all his concubines in the banana garden next to Chongzhi Hall.
At the banquet, Consort Kang, Xia Tianxin, and the pregnant Consort Shu, Li Xianran, sat closest to Zhu Houzhao.
Following them were Consort Liu Ningwei and other favored concubines whom Zhu Houzhao visited many times.
Princess Yi Soo-eok, who was sent by Joseon to marry a foreign ruler, was given the rank of concubine, but was arranged to sit in the middle position.
This shows that Li Shouyi was not favored by Zhu Houzhao at all.
In fact, after Li Shouyi entered the palace, Zhu Houzhao only favored Li Shouyi once.
Subsequently, Zhu Houzhao distanced himself from Li Shouyi because of her cold attitude.
Even after that night of serving the emperor, Zhu Houzhao had the Imperial Hospital send Li Shouyi a bowl of contraceptive soup.
Zhu Houzhao didn't even want Li Shouyi to have his child!
"Your Majesty, I would like to offer you a toast."
Liu Ningwei held a glass of wine, walked up to Zhu Houzhao, and gracefully offered it to him.
"it is good."
Zhu Houzhao nodded slightly, raised his wine glass to clink with Liu Ningwei's, and was about to drink.
Liu Ningwei, however, took the initiative to extend her hand and drink a cup of nuptial wine with Zhu Houzhao.
"Hehehe, Sister Liu is so bold!"
"What? You're envious? Then go and drink the nuptial wine with His Majesty!"
"I think it would be better to skip the nuptial wine and have His Majesty drink 'beauty wine' instead."
Amidst the commotion of other concubines around him, Zhu Houzhao smiled and shook his head, thoroughly enjoying this rare moment of relaxation.
Liu Ningwei lowered her head and whispered in Zhu Houzhao's ear, her breath sweet as orchids: "Your Majesty, I have recently come up with many new and comfortable things that I would like to teach you slowly."
"When will Your Majesty be able to bestow your favor upon me again?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Houzhao's appetite immediately whetted.
Among his concubines, Liu Ningwei was the most skilled in various arts, and even she said she felt comfortable with her, which immediately aroused Zhu Houzhao's thirst for knowledge.
"Is that so? Then how about I summon you tonight to learn?"
A look of joy flashed in Liu Ningwei's eyes: "Then I'll have to prepare well tonight."
After saying that, Liu Ningwei winked at Zhu Houzhao and returned to her seat.
""
The next moment, two more beautiful and charming women came forward to toast Zhu Houzhao.
After clinking glasses, before the wine had even been drunk, one of the concubines asked a thorny question.
"Your Majesty, you be the judge. Is it me who serves you more comfortably, or Lin Daiyu?"
Zhu Houzhao frowned. What he disliked most was the jealousy and infighting among the concubines in the harem, which gave him a headache.
Before he could answer, the concubine surnamed Lin interrupted, "Your Majesty, my sister and I are both unwilling to admit defeat, and we've agreed to have a contest right here."
"I wonder if Your Majesty would be willing to act as the referee today?"
Zhu Houzhao was taken aback, and then he understood what the two men were thinking.
Zhu Houzhao gasped, caught in a dilemma: "I'm afraid it won't work today. I need to learn new knowledge from Consort Liu tonight."
Although both women were annoyed that Liu Ningwei had gotten there first, they still wore bright smiles on their faces.
"Then we won't compete with Sister Liu today. Your Majesty, please remember to be the referee tomorrow!"
"Definitely, definitely."
After clinking glasses with the two women, Zhu Houzhao watched them leave with a smile.
Later, more concubines came forward to toast Zhu Houzhao, and he accepted all of them.
Even though Consort Shu, Li Xianting, was pregnant and could not drink alcohol, she used tea instead of wine to express her feelings to Zhu Houzhao.
Consort Kang, Xia Tianxin, frowned slightly and gently reminded him, "Your Majesty, please drink less. You are already a little drunk, and you still have to attend court tomorrow."
Zhu Houzhao smiled and shook his head: "Consort Kang is too kind. This little bit of wine is nothing to me."
"Come, Consort Kang, have a drink with me too."
"His Majesty----"
Xia Tian couldn't resist Zhu Houzhao's insistence and drank another cup as well.
The entire banquet was filled with joy and harmony, except for Consort Li Shouyi, who remained seated and motionless throughout.
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