Chapter 44

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

After dinner, Su Liang handed the design blueprints for the wooden ox and flowing horse and the wooden kite to Mo Yu.

Although he had thought about it before, Su Liang could build the wooden ox and flowing horse, so he must have had the design blueprints for the wooden kite. But now that he truly saw the long-lost blueprints appear in his hands, he still could not help but feel a little excited.

He immediately looked at Su Liang and said, "In this life, Mo Yu will surely serve the Young Master faithfully, and I will never have half a word of complaint."

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

Seeing this, Mo Yu said nothing more. He had already understood clearly what kind of person Su Liang was on his way to Changan.

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 flowing horse during this time; just make the wooden kite as soon as possible. In addition, I will transfer one hundred craftsmen to you to assist you in completing this matter."

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

The manufacture of the wooden kite took too long; Mozi had spent a full three years building it back then. Su Liang did not have that much spare time; he still had to be busy manufacturing small cars recently.

After all, small cars were much safer than wooden kites and much simpler to manufacture.

It stood to reason that it wouldn't be long before Mo Yu could make the wooden kite; after all, Su Liang had transferred one hundred craftsmen to him.

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

After searching around, she discovered that her husband was busy in the study. Just as she was about to leave so as not to disturb her husband's serious work, she heard Su Liang's gritted-teeth complaints.

This caused her footsteps, which were about to turn and leave, to stop instantly, and then she quietly walked to Su Liang's side.

She saw Su Liang at this moment angrily holding a fountain pen and a ruler, writing and drawing on white paper, while still muttering to himself.

"Husband, what is wrong today? I have never seen you like this when encountering things in the past," Princess Changle said while massaging Su Liang's shoulders.

At this moment, Su Liang was worried about the matter of manufacturing cars. It was not that Su Liang could not make them, but that the production of many core parts required Su Liang to do it himself.

Having the ancients accompany Su Liang to manufacture engines, air conditioners, and batteries was not a joke. At most, they could help Su Liang manufacture relatively simple things like the chassis and wheel hubs.

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

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

Seeing Princess Changle come over, Su Liang's mood eased a lot.

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

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

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

Recently, Princess Changle's painting skills clearly had the demeanor of a master. Su Liang was now setting his sights on Princess Changle; it was better to leave the brain-work to her, so that she would also have a sense of participation.

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

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

Su Liang clicked his tongue in wonder as he looked at it.

He had not discovered before that Princess Changle actually had such talent in design.

The car designed by Princess Changle at this moment had a bit of the feeling of the most beautiful Volkswagen 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. Overall, it was quite aesthetically pleasing.

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

It was just that what left Su Liang speechless was the car's interior, which only designed four seats.

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

Princess Changle frowned and said, "Uh... doesn't Husband think that designing three seats in the back would make it look very crowded?"

As the words fell, Su Liang was speechless.

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

"Then what is this LCD screen you designed?" Su Liang said, pointing to Princess Changle's design blueprint.

"Doesn't Husband think it looks very good?" Princess Changle raised her little head and asked back.

Upon hearing this, Su Liang was extremely depressed, but he was also helpless.

This matter was originally something Su Liang asked Princess Changle to do, and Princess Changle did not live up to Su Liang's good intentions.

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

"Sigh..." Su Liang sighed helplessly.

He then looked at Princess Changle and explained, "The current technological level of the Great Tang cannot reach it; Husband also has the heart but lacks the strength."

"Can't Husband make it?" Princess Changle asked suspiciously.

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

He had such heaven-defying existences as the system mall and the encyclopedia search engine; how could he 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 Princess Changle's expectant gaze, Su Liang then checked the system mall. Seeing his thirty-plus million prestige points, he could only barely redeem the car computer and LCD screen for a Volkswagen CC, and he sighed helplessly.

But this was also good; Princess Changle must also like the CC's exterior, 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 them for later.

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

After Princess Changle left, Su Liang stared at the design blueprint in front of him and became depressed.

According to Princess Changle's design, a panoramic sunroof was impossible to realize. Princess Changle designed a fastback style, which did not allow for this in terms of space. In the end, 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.

In addition, the air conditioning vents were also changed to the airplane jet style like a Mercedes-Benz, one for the driver and passenger seats, and two on the center console, for a total of four vents in the front row, which was about the same as Princess Changle's previous design.

It was just that Su Liang added an extra crystal clock dial between the two vents on the center console.

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

The dimensions of the whole 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 parts.

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

He and Er Hu worked together to make the car's frame.

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

Not only that.

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

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 Princess Changle.

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

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

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 operations could begin.

The first year of Zhenguan, April 18th.

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

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

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

"Hehe... I just returned yesterday. I came to see you after finishing the government affairs. I heard that you, kid, are building some kind of car recently?" Zhangsun Wuji looked at Su Liang happily and said.

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; it was clearly coming to see his daughter.

It must be the same as Li Er, hoping that his daughter would conceive soon.

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

"Sigh... Father-in-law, Yue'er is only fifteen years old 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 children, and now there was another Zhangsun Wuji.

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

"Hmph... look at Changle, and then look at your Empress Mother..."

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

"Hehe... Father-in-law, have you 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 slowly recuperate in the future," Zhangsun Wuji was unhappy. This was not planning to let him hold a grandson.

After Zhangsun Wuji finished speaking, he also looked at Su Liang, not knowing why Su Liang responded this way, and at this moment, he was frowning slightly and pondering...

Then, seemingly thinking of something, he immediately looked at Su Liang with a cunning face and said, "Hehe... didn't you tell the Emperor 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 kid should work hard and strive to get Yue'er pregnant soon."

"By next year, it will be just right for her to give birth."

As the words fell, Su Liang was extremely depressed. This Zhangsun Wuji was clearly arguing sophistically.

And he had a look of not giving up.

In the feudal era, influenced by life expectancy, people's general marriage age was relatively early. Most ancient women's marriage age was around thirteen to fourteen. In modern society, women around 13 to 14 are still in the schooling stage.

In the current Great Tang, however, they married early, and even had to bear children and multiply offspring.

The requirements for women in ancient society were not high. They only needed women to be raised in the deep boudoir, obey their husbands' orders, be influenced by the Three Obediences and Four Virtues throughout their lives, and become childbearing machines.

Therefore, 13 or 14-year-old women were just at the stage where their outlook on life and the world was initially formed. If they married early at this stage, it was also a good thing for their husbands, at least it was easy to manage them and make them willingly become objects of sacrifice for the family.

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

Just when 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 whenever he saw Li Er recently. Since these days, there had been no major events in the Great Tang, Li Er had set his sights on Su Liang, or to be precise, on Princess Changle's belly.

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

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

Who knew that Li Er would use Miss Ruyan as an excuse? Now Miss Ruyan was eighteen years old, so she could give birth, right? As long as Miss Ruyan was pregnant, Su Liang could not favor one over the other.

Li Er was calculating his own little abacus at all times.

"Hehe... virtuous son-in-law, now the internal rebellion in Sumpi has been completely pacified, and the Tubo army has also completely withdrawn from Sumpi territory. Now Sumpi has truly and completely submitted to the Great Tang."

"This can be said to be a great thing for the Great Tang," Li Er looked at Su Liang and laughed.

"It's just that now the courtiers of Sumpi all want to elect Senbo Yao as the next king of Sumpi, and the current King of Sumpi, Senbojie Dajiawu, also has this intention. How has the virtuous son-in-law arranged this?"

Regarding the interesting stories between the two, Li Er also specially had people investigate.

There was no way; no matter how much Li Er and others gossiped before, Su Liang just wouldn't say.

"Cough, cough..." Su Liang coughed twice upon hearing this to relieve the embarrassment.

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

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

"At this time, Sumpi, under the governance of King Senbojie Dajiawu, was already in chaos, and now he also has the heart to abdicate."

"Senbo Yao is not only Dajiawu's daughter but also a recognized virtuous woman in the clan," Su Liang explained helplessly.

Now the courtiers of Sumpi only recognized Senbo Yao as the next king of Sumpi. Su Liang also understood the reason; after all, with that layer of relationship, he could be completely at ease after Sumpi returned to Tang.

"Hahaha... then you, virtuous son-in-law, will have your hands full. I don't believe you won't care about your confidante in that daughter country," Li Er laughed loudly.