Chapter 290

Yet in history, the earliest waterwheel actually only appeared during the Eastern Han Dynasty.

So it was no wonder Seeing Ying Zheng did not recognize it.

"It is called a waterwheel, a tool used for drawing water!" Su Xuan said faintly. "Although the Zheng Guoqu is already open, how to draw the water from the Zheng Guoqu into the fields for irrigation is also a problem. Thus, I thought of this object. Later, through the improvements of a certain Mohist, this object has reached a point where it cannot be further altered."

"Even if the water flow is in a low-lying area, through the guidance of this object, it can flow to higher ground!"

"Oh?" Seeing Ying Zheng's eyes flickered, appearing very surprised. "It is actually a tool for drawing water? But it is completely different from a *jiegao* (shaduf)!"

The so-called *jiegao* was a relatively common water-drawing tool in this era. Its appearance was very similar to a lever; a crossbeam was supported on a wooden frame, with a wooden bucket for drawing water hanging from one end and a heavy weight from the other. Like a lever, it could save effort in drawing water. In the "Outer Chapters" of *Zhuangzi*, this object was once mentioned. It recorded that when Zigong was traveling south and passed through Hanyin on his way back, he saw an old man laboriously holding a jar to draw water for irrigation, with twice the effort for half the result. Thus, he told the old man about a labor-saving device called a "gao" and informed him of the method to make it.

The appearance of the *jiegao* meant the populace no longer had to hold jars to draw water for irrigation.

Since Su Xuan mentioned this irrigation tool called a waterwheel, it was clearly far more advanced than the *jiegao*.

Su Xuan's words confirmed Seeing Ying Zheng's conjecture. "Although both are water-drawing tools, this object is far more advanced than the *jiegao*!"

"Since Mr. Su has said so, by reason and logic, it must be tested. I wish to witness it with my own eyes!" Seeing Ying Zheng said.

Su Xuan said, "There is no rush for this matter. Wait until I have finished introducing the other few items to Your Majesty."

After finishing with the waterwheel, Su Xuan began to talk about the seed drill.

The seed drill was the contraption on which the Six-Fingered Black Hero had spent the most energy, mainly because he had an ambition: to achieve the grand goal of tilling a hundred *mu* of land a day. One must know that in later generations, with the help of a tractor, one could barely achieve this goal from dawn till dusk.

In this era, wanting to achieve this goal was truly too delusional.

Therefore, even though the Six-Fingered Black Hero had great ambition, in the end, he did not complete this goal.

Of course, it was not that the Six-Fingered Black Hero lacked ability, but rather that the materials limited his performance.

Agricultural implements made of wood had their limitations. Without using refined iron, when wood probed into the soil, encountering even slightly firm mud would cause damage to the wood.

Of course, if this part could be replaced, the Six-Fingered Black Hero's seed drill—which was effectively a black-tech version of a tractor—would see its work efficiency greatly improved.

Unfortunately, the Mohists seemed to have a special fondness for wood and stone. In their view, it was the Gongshu family that used materials like bronze to make mechanical beasts, and the Mohists disdained to do so.

Even within the Mechanized City, apart from a small number of important mechanisms where they chose to use bronze gears, they preferred to use wood for most other mechanisms. Just like the Zhu Que in the original work, the lever was snapped by Tianming precisely because it was made of wood. If it had been replaced with a sturdy lever, that problem would absolutely not have occurred.

"This object was also made by a Mohist; it is a contraption that combines sowing and tilling in one. Originally, it required human and animal power to drive it, but after the modifications by the Mohist, it incorporates the principles of mechanical beasts. Before use, one only needs to twist the trigger to drive the gears inside, and it can operate on its own..."

Su Xuan was not very clear on the principles of mechanical beasts; that was black technology unique to this world. The Mohists' mechanical beasts, such as the Zhu Que and White Tiger, were already outrageous enough, and the Gongshu family's mechanical beasts were even more so.

For example, the Earth-Breaking Seventh Son, the mechanical snake, and the modified mechanical Wushuang created by Gongshu Chou were simply outrageous, as if they possessed their own lives. Especially mechanical Wushuang; clearly Wushuang Ghost had died at the hands of Gainie, but after being transformed into a mechanical human, it was as if a new will had been born within the originally dead shell.

After finishing the explanation of the seed drill's uses, Seeing Ying Zheng was even more shocked.

With the help of this object, one could actually till dozens of *mu* of land in a single day?

One must know that relying on human labor, being able to till a few *mu* of land in a day was already quite remarkable, and that required the person to be exceptionally capable.

Although Seeing Ying Zheng did not engage in farming, he still had some understanding of this matter.

By comparison, he did not have much interest in the things Su Xuan introduced later, such as the wooden "bicycle." Although Su Xuan said this object was for transportation, compared to tools for irrigation, tilling, and sowing, its value was not as great as one might imagine.

"Someone!"

After hearing Su Xuan's introduction, Seeing Ying Zheng immediately summoned someone.

Soon, a eunuch came before Seeing Ying Zheng, quietly listening to the Qin King's orders.

"Summon the Minister of Agriculture!"

The Minister of Agriculture was originally called the Grand Minister of Agriculture, an agricultural official responsible for teaching the people to farm. Upon reaching the State of Qin, the name was changed to Minister of Agriculture, and his duties were much broader, but the point of being responsible for farming matters had never changed.