Chapter 44: Manufacturing a Car, Father-in-Law Urges Procreation

That same day, Su Liang arranged for Mo Yu to stay within the Hibiscus Garden.

After dinner, Su Liang handed the design blueprints for the Wooden Ox and Gliding Horse and the Wooden Kite to Mo Yu.

Although he had considered it before, Su Liang knew that if he could build the Wooden Ox and Gliding Horse, he must also have the blueprints for the Wooden Kite. Yet, now that he truly saw the long-lost blueprints appear in his own hands, he could not help but feel a little excited.

He immediately looked at Su Liang and said, "In this life, Mo Yu will surely serve you, Young Master, through thick and thin, and will never have a single word of complaint."

As the words fell, Su Liang shook his head helplessly.

Seeing this, Mo Yu said nothing more; he had already understood what kind of person Su Liang was on the road to Changancheng.

From now on, he would just express himself through actions; after all, the rise of the Mohist school depended on Su Liang.

"You don't need to study the Wooden Ox and Gliding Horse for the time being; just finish making the Wooden Kite as soon as possible. Additionally, I will assign one hundred craftsmen to assist you in completing this matter."

Su Liang also arranged Mo Yu's work; after all, the Mohists should do what the Mohists are supposed to do.

The time required to manufacture the Wooden Kite was too long—Master Mo had spent a full three years building it back then—and Su Liang did not have that kind of leisure time, as he was busy building a small car recently.

After all, a small car was much safer than a Wooden Kite and much simpler to manufacture.

He figured it wouldn't take long for Mo Yu to be able to make the Wooden Kite, especially since Su Liang had assigned one hundred craftsmen to him.

The next morning, Changle woke up early and did not see Su Liang.

After searching around, she finally discovered her husband was busy in the study. Just as she intended to leave so as not to disturb him from his proper work, she heard Su Liang’s teeth-gritting complaints.

This caused her footsteps, which had been turning to leave, to pause instantly, and then she quietly walked to Su Liang's side.

She saw that Su Liang was currently indignantly holding a fountain pen and a ruler, writing and drawing on white paper, while muttering incessantly.

"Husband, what is wrong today? I have never seen you like this when encountering matters before," Changle said while kneading Su Liang's shoulders.

At this moment, Su Liang was troubled by the matter of building the car. It was not that Su Liang could not build it, but that the production of many core components required Su Liang to do it himself.

Having the ancients accompany Su Liang to manufacture engines, air conditioning, and batteries was not a joke; at most, they could help Su Liang manufacture the car frame and wheel hubs, which were relatively simple things.

But as the first car of the Great Tang, and even the world, Su Liang ultimately intended to manufacture it all by hand.

Su Liang did not want to plagiarize, and he was currently worrying about the car's exterior and interior design.

Seeing Changle come over, Su Liang's mood eased significantly.

"Hehe, it's nothing, just worrying about the car's design," Su Liang blurted out immediately.

Upon hearing that her husband was pondering this, Changle smiled and said, "Isn't it just designing things? Changle can help you, Husband. Didn't you often say that there is strength in numbers?"

As the words fell, Su Liang looked at Changle carefully.

Recently, Changle's drawing skills had clearly taken on the style of a master. Su Liang also set his sights on Changle; it was better to leave the brain-work to her, so that Changle would also have a sense of participation.

He immediately asked Changle to draw the car's exterior and interior according to his ideas. For this matter, Su Liang even specifically redeemed many car magazines from the system to inspire Changle.

That afternoon, Changle designed the car's exterior and interior.

Su Liang was amazed as he looked at them.

He hadn't realized before that Changle had such talent in design.

The car Changle designed at this moment had a bit of the "most beautiful Volkswagen" feel in its exterior, with frameless doors, a hatchback tailgate, and 20-inch large wheel hubs. What was different was that the front face looked like a BMW, and the headlights looked like a Bentley; all in all, it was quite aesthetically pleasing.

As for the interior design, the storage space for the central armrest, cup holders, tissues, and other sundries was also designed very reasonably.

However, what left Su Liang speechless was that the car's interior was only designed with four seats.

"Changle, why did you design the back row with only two seats? Wouldn't it be better to seat one more person?" Su Liang asked immediately.

Changle frowned and said, "Uh... Husband, don't you think that if the back row is designed with three seats, it will look very crowded?"

As the words fell, Su Liang was left speechless.

Sigh... after all, she was Li Er's apple of his eye, pampered since childhood, and recently she had been enjoying the novelties of modern society with Su Liang, so naturally, she had unique insights into enjoyment.

"Then what is this LCD screen you designed?" Su Liang pointed at Changle's blueprint and said.

"Don't you think it looks very good, Husband?" Changle raised her little head and asked back.

Su Liang felt incredibly depressed upon hearing this, but he was also helpless.

This matter was originally something Su Liang had asked Changle to do, and Changle had not let down Su Liang's good intentions.

It was just that the current level of technology was not enough to make an LCD screen; at best, they could make a dashboard.

"Sigh..." Su Liang sighed helplessly.

He then looked at Changle and explained, "The current technological level of the Great Tang cannot reach that; your husband's heart is willing, but his strength is insufficient."

"Can't you make it, Husband?" Changle asked in confusion.

As the words fell, Su Liang became unhappy. Who was she looking down on?

He possessed such heaven-defying existences as the system mall and an encyclopedia search engine; how could he possibly not be able to make it? It just required time.

At worst, he would just redeem the car computer and LCD screen from the system mall.

Feeling Changle's expectant gaze, Su Liang immediately checked the system mall. Seeing that his thirty-plus million prestige points could only barely redeem a Volkswagen CC's car computer and LCD screen, he sighed helplessly.

But this was also fine; Changle presumably liked the CC's shape, so this could be considered a matching set. It just so happened that Su Liang could also replicate the EA888 engine one-to-one; as for more high-end engines, he would leave those for later.

Seeing Su Liang thinking seriously, Changle stopped bothering him and went to play with Little Sizi.

After Changle left, Su Liang stared at the design blueprint before him and became depressed again.

According to Changle's design, a panoramic sunroof was impossible to realize. Changle had designed a fastback shape, which did not allow for it in terms of space. Ultimately, Su Liang could only shorten the length of the sunroof.

Not only that, Su Liang also changed the steering wheel to a racing steering wheel.

Furthermore, the air conditioning vents were changed to the airplane jet style like a Mercedes-Benz; one for the driver and passenger seats each, and two on the center console, for a total of four vents in the front row, which was similar to Changle's previous design.

However, between the two vents on the center console, Su Liang added an extra crystal clock face.

With this, the car's design came to an end.

The dimensions of the entire car were also determined by Su Liang: 4.9 meters long, 1.88 meters wide, and 1.46 meters high.

That day, Su Liang worked alone until midnight before he finished organizing the blueprints for all the car's parts.

The next morning, Su Liang arranged for people to cast some simple car parts with low technical requirements.

He himself and Erhu worked together to build the car's frame.

Unknowingly, the car's frame and wheel hubs had been polished, and now Su Liang had already redeemed the car computer and LCD screen.

Not only that.

Su Liang also redeemed accessories such as LED headlights and the car battery.

Just these things alone cost Su Liang a full forty million prestige points.

At the same time, the car seats had also been made, with a red and white color scheme. As for why it was this color, it was requested by Changle.

Additionally, the car's color was also determined by Changle: blue on the outside and black on the inside.

Su Liang looked at the car that was already taking shape before him, and he could not help but feel full of motivation.

As long as the first car was successfully built, the subsequent matters would be much easier to handle, and it wouldn't be long before assembly-line production could begin.

The first year of Zhenguan, April 18th.

Just as Su Liang was busy casting the engine, Zhangsun Wuji arrived.

"Hehe... good son-in-law, long time no see," Zhangsun Wuji laughed.

"Oh? When did you return, Father-in-law?" Su Liang asked.

"Hehe... I just returned yesterday. I came to see you as soon as I finished handling government affairs. I heard you have been building some kind of car recently?" Zhangsun Wuji looked at Su Liang happily.

As the words fell, Zhangsun Wuji looked around from time to time.

Seeing this, Su Liang shook his head helplessly; this was not coming to see him at all, but clearly coming to see his own daughter.

Presumably, he was just like Li Er, hoping his daughter would conceive soon.

"Why, you brat, are you not welcoming me?" Seeing Su Liang sigh and shake his head, Zhangsun Wuji immediately became unhappy. His daughter, the daughter of a dignified Duke, was a concubine to Su Liang, and now he just wanted to hold a grandson.

"Sigh... Father-in-law, Yue'er is only fifteen this year; it is truly not suitable for childbearing. Let's wait another two years."

Su Liang was speechless. Before, it was Li Er and Empress Zhangsun urging for offspring, and now Zhangsun Wuji had been added to the mix.

It was fortunate that Li Jing was in Yunnan at the moment, otherwise he would be annoyed to death.

"Hmph... look at Changle, and look at your mother-in-law..."

"She had already given birth to the Crown Prince, and isn't she doing just fine now?" Zhangsun Wuji immediately retorted.

"Hehe... has Father-in-law forgotten? Empress Zhangsun was too young when she gave birth, which is why she developed the root of her illness," Su Liang explained helplessly.

"Aren't you a divine doctor? You can just slowly recuperate her later," Zhangsun Wuji was unhappy; this meant he wasn't planning on letting him hold a grandson.

After Zhangsun Wuji finished speaking, he looked at Su Liang, wondering why Su Liang responded this way, and he began to frown slightly in thought...

Then, seemingly thinking of something, he immediately looked at Su Liang with a cunning expression and said, "Hehe... didn't you tell His Majesty that one can give birth at at least sixteen? You also know that Yue'er will be sixteen next year."

"During this recent period, you brat, work hard and strive to get Yue'er pregnant soon."

"By next year, it will be just the right time for her to deliver."

As the words fell, Su Liang felt incredibly depressed; this Zhangsun Wuji was clearly arguing illogically.

And he had the look of someone who would not give up.

In the feudal era, influenced by life expectancy, people's general marriage age was relatively early; most ancient women married around the age of thirteen to fourteen. In modern society, women aged thirteen to fourteen were still in the schooling stage.

Yet in the current Great Tang, they married early, and even had to bear children and propagate the lineage.

Ancient society did not have high requirements for women; they only needed women to be raised in the deep boudoir, obey their husbands' orders, and be influenced by the Three Obediences and Four Virtues throughout their lives, becoming nothing more than a birth machine.

Therefore, thirteen or fourteen-year-old women were just at the stage where their outlook on life and the world was initially forming. If they married as a wife early at this stage, it was also a good thing for their husbands, at least it was easy to manage them and allow them to willingly become objects sacrificed for the family.

Under normal circumstances, ancient men married at twenty and women at fifteen. Now, in order to restore the population, Li Er had changed the marriage age to fifteen for men and thirteen for women.

Just as the father-in-law and son-in-law were arguing.

His other father-in-law, Emperor Li Er, and Empress Zhangsun also arrived.

Su Liang felt a headache every time he saw Li Er recently. For these past few days, there had been no major events in the Great Tang, so Li Er had set his sights on Su Liang—or to be precise, he had set his sights on Changle's belly.

Su Liang had already declined countless times, but it was of no use at all.

At first, Su Liang used the excuse that Changle was only fifteen years old, saying she could not give birth too early.

Who would have known that Li Er would bring up Ruyan, arguing that since Ruyan was already eighteen, she could surely give birth now. As long as Ruyan conceived, Su Liang could not favor one over the other.

Li Er was constantly calculating with his own meticulous little schemes.

"Hehe... my good son-in-law, the internal strife in Subi has now been completely quelled, and the Tubo army has fully withdrawn from Subi territory; Subi has now truly and completely submitted to the Great Tang."

"For the Great Tang, this can be called a monumental piece of good news," Li Er said with a chuckle as he looked at Su Liang.

"It is just that the court officials of Subi all wish to elect Senbo Yao as the next monarch of Subi, and the current Subi monarch, Senbojie Dajiawu, also has this intention. How does my good son-in-law plan to arrange this?"

Regarding the interesting anecdotes between the two, Li Er had specifically ordered people to investigate.

There was no help for it; no matter how much Li Er and the others gossiped before, Su Liang simply would not say.

"Ahem..." Su Liang gave two dry coughs upon hearing this to ease his embarrassment.

At this moment, he could not help but think to himself that the matter between him and Senbo Yao had been uncovered by Li Er.

"Sigh... this is actually a small matter; Senbo Yao is the most suitable person to succeed as monarch."

"At this time, Subi is already in complete chaos under the governance of the Great King Senbojie Dajiawu, and he now has the intention to abdicate."

"Senbo Yao is not only the daughter of Dajiawu, but she is also recognized by the tribe as a virtuous woman," Su Liang explained helplessly.

Now that the Subi court officials only recognized the election of Senbo Yao as the next monarch of Subi, Su Liang also understood the logic behind it; after all, with that layer of connection, one could be completely at ease after Subi submitted to the Tang.

"Hahaha... then my good son-in-law, you will have your hands full. I do not believe you would not care about your confidante in that kingdom of women," Li Er laughed heartily.