Episode 2 Chapter 30 The Wanderer

Ye Tao left Danyang with reputation. Although he had only stayed in Danyang for a few days, he visited Huang Xuping and Tan Weixin and received extremely high praise. He showed off a bell and shocked Luo Qin, a talented man from Chunnan Kingdom. These things were enough to make the name Ye Tao talk about in the mouths of many people. On the way back, Tan Weixin did not come to see her farewell, but sent three guards to Ye Tao to protect his safety, and to strengthen the connection between himself and Ye Tao. In order to allow Ye Tao to encounter any trouble in the Ye family's business process, he could rely on these guards with low power and low rank to get rid of the trouble.

When he returned to Yicheng, it had been more than a month since Ye Tao left Yicheng. Originally, Ye Tao was worried that the production of the clock would be difficult, but unexpectedly, in this month, a series of tools specially made to produce the clock had been gradually produced, and there were many apprentices who could make and verify accurate gears. Although it was still a long way from the time to mass-produce the clock, it was already surprising that it was able to do these in these times. The production and processing of the escapement mechanism did not seem to be a big problem. At least several of Ye Tao's senior brothers could do this work with high accuracy requirements well. Anyway, Ye Tao never expected that in this era, he could produce these gears as mechanized as in another time and space, and could produce such precision parts by combining machine tools and handicrafts, which made him feel very accomplished.

Ye Tao immediately began to draw the minute watch production department, divided into three departments: spare parts production, verification and assembly. While cultivating the first batch of watch technicians in the Eastern world in this era, he began to conduct trial production. With the technical level of Ye's workshop, he was able to produce one clock every two to three days. The final production clock did not use the organization that used music to report the time, but only used the dim and bright bell sound. Ye Tao simply sorted out the information of his mature music box and taught it to his senior brothers, and they began to prepare for the establishment of a special music box factory.

What was unexpected was that compared with the clock factory, the music box factory seemed to be more favored by apprentices and students. There were far more apprentices and students who could enter the music box factory than those who wanted to enter the clock factory. The compensation in the two factories was actually better, because in addition to the original wages, in order to ensure the technical secrets of the clock, Mr. Qi would also give another allowance for each apprentice who entered the clock factory. However, the Ye Workshop has always advocated that the pursuit of technology in the bones of each apprentice student through several years of learning and training has played a role at this time. Compared with the seemingly dull clock, it is obviously a music box that can play music in various tones, which is more magical in the eyes of most people.

Ye Tao realized that the technical accumulation of Ye's workshop had reached a certain level and began to show a trend of accumulation. While feeling the fruitful results he had gained over the years of hard work, Ye Tao once again felt extremely depressed. Because, when the technical problems were solved, the sales problems and the problem of establishing channels were put first. When Qi Zhentao received news from Danyang, the capital city and realized that Ye Tao had become a well-known figure, he immediately began to urge Ye Tao to go to the capital city.

From the last time when he was going to the capital, Qi Zhentao didn't want to let anyone go, and this time he urged him to leave when he left. He had completely different treatments when he went to the capital twice. The difference really made Ye Tao very depressed.

After staying in Yicheng for less than a month, Ye Tao set off again for Danyang.

I had known that Ye Tao must have been planning to stay in Danyang for a long time this time. Tan Weixin had prepared a house for Ye Tao. It was a garden that was only a few minutes away from the princess's mansion. It was built decades ago and renovated a few years ago, and it revealed a warm and elegant charm everywhere. Although no one lived in this garden in recent years, it has been well maintained. Before this, this garden was used by Tan Weixin to store various gifts and calligraphy and paintings given by others. It was also considered a place that His Royal Highness the Princess liked very much. All the things that could be placed or hung on the wall were treasures. The princess gave such a garden to Ye Tao, which really caused some discussion.

"Do you dare not accept it?" Ye Tao's refusal to the garden made Tan Weixin feel very strange.

"...Don't you know what Danyang's comments about me are like now?" Ye Tao said with a wry smile, "I thought that this time I came to Danyang to do something well with the reputation I saved last time, but it seems that the situation is not right. I feel that although I have fame now, there are many negative statements. Why did I suddenly become a guy who relies on your favor and seek fame?"

Tan Weixin curled her lips and said, "It was the thing that the people from Chunnan Kingdom did. Chunnan Kingdom couldn't save this face, so she must suppress you. Luo Qin doesn't have this ability, but someone has it. Have you heard of the Song family of Yuhang?"

"Isn't the Song family the largest commercial family in Chunnan? Is this matter related to the Song family?" Ye Tao said strangely.

"In Dongping, the big merchants don't want to have any connection with the official government. Chunnan Kingdom is not... Without the officials in the court, the Song family can have their current status? Song Yu, the fourth son of the Song family, has come to Dongping and is here to give Luo Qin a suggestion." Tan Weixin said.

After touching his head, Ye Tao said, "...How come it sounds like a crisis public relations?"

Tan Weixin laughed and said, "That's it, so I think it's very interesting. I'll call you a jester, a flatterer, or a lucky person, so what? Why not just act like a jester like that? As a jester, can't you do all kinds of things?"

Ye Tao was silent for a while and said, "What do you mean is fun to play with?"

Tan Wei said happily: "That's right, what are you doing nervously? Rumors are always just rumors. You are neither capable nor resistance to such messy rumors. Moreover, after all, with me as a backstage, what are you afraid of?"

Ye Tao suddenly felt something was wrong and asked tentatively: "It's not that simple, right? What do you want to do?"

"It's nothing. I just see those guys from Chunnan Country are very unauthentic. I will never let those guys from Chunnan Country succeed. When my father and Princess Bailian get married, the guys from Chunnan Country have to hold their tails." Tan Weixin said, "As for what to do, that's your business. What you need, just ask me, just suppress the guys from Chunnan Country anyway."

"Aren't you making things difficult for me?" Ye Tao scratched his head and said, "I don't have the money to play with this. Otherwise, it would be a great thing if I could kill the Song family with money, right? That Song Yu and others don't have to be afraid of any crisis public relations."

"What's your idea?" Tan Weixin's eyes lit up.

"How about you tell me to build a garden opposite Jingu Garden? It doesn't take such a big budget, but it should have a better landscape effect than Jingu Garden. The garden design of Jingu Garden is really wasteful. Many elements are not used well, and it doesn't look very exquisite in terms of decoration."

Tan Weixin's expression changed a few times in an instant, and she sighed: "Do you know where are around Jingu Garden?"

Ye Tao was stunned for a moment and said, "I really haven't noticed it. After all, I've only been there for so long in Danyang."

"The land opposite the door is General Zhuo's mansion, my uncle's house; on the left is the old Situ Hang Haiping's house, and Hang Haiping is also the father of my guard named Hang Tianqi who you have seen. I feel embarrassed to move his house; on the right, it is difficult to get a plot of land, but that piece of land is a warehouse for silk and other products. However, even if I am, I am afraid I will not be able to take this piece of land from Yuan Xinchang's boss." Tan Weixin said: "I admire your idea very much, but this operationality is really hard to say. Is there any other way?"

"How about you demolish your princess mansion and let me rebuild it?" Ye Tao said.

"Bah!" Tan Weixin spitted: "This is a garden that has been passed down for hundreds of years in the Dongping royal family. Even if I can decide, I will never let this garden be destroyed in my hands. Besides, after so many years of additions, I am still very satisfied with my garden."

Ye Tao shrugged and said, "Then forget it."

Tan Weixin thought carefully, and she thought this was really a good idea. Of course, as a person who has entered the high-level social circle in Danyang, Ye Tao must have many opportunities to meet and confront Luo Qin, Song Yu and others. Even if Ye Tao wants to avoid it, the two bitches in Chunnan Kingdom probably would not let Ye Tao go. Now, only by suppressing Ye Tao can the Chunnan Kingdom fight for status in the upper class of Dongping Kingdom be rationalized. However, a beautiful garden is like a monument, and its function is to verbally attack the guys in Chunnan Kingdom without any verbal attacks. Dongping and Chunnan, who has a strong culture, who has exquisite skills, and who is seeking fame. When the results come out, all those who watch and argue must shut up. What's more, in this era, as long as the funds are guaranteed and the technical means are strong, it actually takes not much time to build a garden. That's just a few months.

The reason why a garden becomes a garden is that most of the time it is spent making the trees and flowers grow in shape. As long as these are operated reasonably, transplanting is not very difficult.

After thinking for a long time, Tan Weixin asked, "If it's not a garden, are you interested?"

Tan Weixin mentioned an opportunity. Danyang is now expanding outward, and the city is not enough space. The Dongping royal family and the Ministry of War are discussing to station 24,000 soldiers originally stationed in the city outside the city, and are trying to build a huge barracks in Danqing Mountain less than five miles away from Danyang.

Tan Weixin has a certain say in this matter, because among the 24,000 soldiers who moved out of the city, 4,000 were imperial guards supported by royal coins, and one-third of the construction costs of the entire huge barracks were allocated by internal coins. Now the Ministry of War is arguing with Tan Weixin. What is the construction plan of the entire barracks? Tan Weixin's opinion is that she would rather pay a little more in the early stage than to ensure that the barracks have a capacity of at least 40,000 to 50,000 people, but the Ministry of War is unwilling to bear the extra costs. If Tan Weixin's idea is based on Tan Weixin's idea, the construction cost of the entire barracks would be as high as 1.4 million taels of silver. No matter how they argue, the Ministry of War is only willing to bear 600,000 taels of gold at most, allowing Tan Weixin to bear all the remaining funds, and Tan Weixin also felt uncomfortable.

However, if the construction of this barracks can be given another function, then it will be no big problem to ask Tan Weixin to spend hundreds of thousands of taels of silver. To build this barracks, the army can be used to participate in the construction, and a large number of craftsmen in the army can also participate in the construction. It may take less time to build such a magnificent barracks than to build a beautiful garden. If the construction plan can be determined immediately, it may even be completed before the completion of the Jingu Garden.

After listening to Tan Weixin's suggestion, Ye Tao was very moved. For Ye Tao, the significance of building gardens and magnificent buildings was probably equivalent to building models in the original time and space. However, the time and space are different, and the abilities are also different. Things that were absolutely unable to complete were not a big problem here. Ye Tao's mind began to circumvent the shapes of various fortresses, barracks, castles, and cities. She was really moved by being able to participate in and even preside over such projects.

"How is it? Are you a little moved?" Tan Weixin saw the change in Ye Tao's expression. The expression on Ye Tao's face was like a big boy who saw a fun toy.

"Okay! I'll take it." Ye Tao said firmly.

"That's good. I'll ask the officials of the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War to come to you for consultation. Your name is still the proofreader of Princess Zhaohua's Mansion." Tan Weixin once again emphasized that she could give Yu Yetao this identity. It's not that she didn't know how complicated this officialdom is, but often, if you want to do something, you have to let yourself get involved in that fierce and dirty river. The identity of this proofreader can only be regarded as an insignificant title, or even an official position. However, on the one hand, this can avoid the officialdom's infighting directly on Yetao, but it is indeed an identity that can get along with those officials who work with them. Considering the influence of the Princess' Mansion on the entire Dongping State officialdom, this identity is basically enough.

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Chapter completed!