Chapter 651: The Charm of the Pocket Watch

"Speak," Zhao Xu said.

The ministers stopped in their tracks and looked toward Yang He.

Pulling a bag from his robes and taking out an object, Yang He said to Zhao Xu, "Your Highness, this is a batch of Pocket Watches just manufactured by the Clock Workshop. Please take a look."

Zhao Xu was delighted; he had been looking forward to this item for quite some time.

Taking the Pocket Watch, he examined it carefully.

It was the size of a palm and silver in color overall.

Beneath a metal cover, clear Glass shielded the watch face.

At this moment, the hands on the dial were rotating, pointing to the first quarter of the Shen period, which was 3:15 PM.

This was exactly as he had instructed; the time markings on the Pocket Watch used the timing method of the Great Song.

One day consisted of twelve double-hours, each double-hour divided into eight quarters, each quarter into fifteen minutes, and each minute into sixty seconds.

Feeling the smooth casing of the Pocket Watch, Zhao Xu felt a wave of pleasure.

Since his transmigration, he had essentially lacked a precise concept of time.

With the Pocket Watch, he would now be able to know the exact time at any moment.

Furthermore, he believed the Pocket Watch would also have a certain utility in military campaigns.

When commanding battles, generals could assign specific times for their subordinates to launch attacks, making coordination much easier.

For the Imperial Court, it could establish a strict time management system and improve administrative efficiency.

Next, he took Yang He's bag and pulled out another Pocket Watch from inside.

Comparing them, he found that the two Pocket Watches were basically identical.

In fact, he had given the order to manufacture Pocket Watches two or three months ago.

The reason Yang He was only bringing them out now was not because the craftsmen at the Workshop had only recently mastered the manufacturing process.

It was because the Workshop had solved the problem of Assembly Line production for the Pocket Watches, achieving large-scale manufacturing.

Otherwise, he would not have appeared as if he were asking for credit.

After all, only large-scale manufacturing of Pocket Watches truly held significance.

With low costs and high output, it could then be sold as a high-profit commodity.

So he asked, "Can the Workshop now manufacture Pocket Watches on a large scale?"

Yang He nodded, "The craftsmen have become proficient in polishing the clock parts; each group of craftsmen is responsible for a different process, and they are assembled at the end. We can produce two hundred and sixty Pocket Watches daily."

"Oh?" Zhao Xu was slightly surprised.

This quantity satisfied him, as the parts were all polished by hand after all.

At this stage, he felt there was no need to waste the Steam Engine on the manufacturing of such a small item as a Pocket Watch.

Good steel should be used on the blade.

The main task for Wang Chong and the others was to build an industrial system from scratch.

After all, the Steam Engine ships of the Western Lands had been launched, and the Steam Locomotive was already running on the tracks.

Although he had initiated the plan to research and build these two types of machinery,

if they could not build a factory for supporting parts,

even if Chen Shou and Wang Chong understood the principles, they would be unable to manufacture the Steam Locomotive and Steam Engine ships.

Thinking of this, he intended to use this window of time before the war to personally participate in the construction of the industrial system.

"Your Highness, what is this?" While Zhao Xu was deep in thought, Chang Wei leaned in, his eyes darting around.

Zhao Xu smiled helplessly, "Stop putting on an act; if you want one, just ask."

There was frequent interaction among his old subordinates, and he did not believe Chang Wei knew nothing about the Pocket Watch.

Having said that, he slapped a Pocket Watch into Chang Wei's palm.

Chang Wei was overjoyed; just as Zhao Xu had guessed, he had long heard about this novel gadget from Yang He.

Having understood the function of the Pocket Watch, he had even more frequently inquired about news of it from Yang He.

To him, this item was perfect for generals.

With this thing, generals could command soldiers to complete certain tasks within a precise time.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Chang Wei fiddled with it for a while before tucking the Pocket Watch into his robes like a treasure.

Ministers like Yang Feng and Liu Fu immediately revealed envious looks.

"Ahem..." Yang Feng coughed deliberately, his eyes stealing glances at the Pocket Watches from time to time.

Liu Fu rubbed his hands together, staring straight at Zhao Xu.

"Alright, consider yourselves lucky." Unable to resist the pleading looks of the group, Zhao Xu took the Pocket Watches from Yang He's bag and distributed them one by one.

Fortunately, there were only twelve ministers in the Council Hall, and the Pocket Watches Yang He brought were just enough to go around.

As everyone received a Pocket Watch, the atmosphere in the Council Hall became relaxed and joyful.

The ministers, like children who had just received toys, fiddled with the Pocket Watches without taking their eyes off them.

Seeing this, Zhao Xu's confidence in the commercial prospects of the Pocket Watch grew significantly.

The ministers' reactions were enough to prove the charm of the Pocket Watch.

So he said to Yang He, "Expand the production of the Clock Workshop immediately and introduce the Pocket Watch as a commodity to Gaoli and the south."

Yang He had come this time precisely for this matter, so he said, "As long as Your Highness sets a price for the Pocket Watch, the first batch can be sold tomorrow."

Zhao Xu nodded and held up one finger, "One thousand Silver."

Currently in the Great Song, the Pocket Watch was absolutely a top-tier luxury item; since it was a luxury item, it had to be expensive.

This statement did not scare Yang He, but it did give Chang Wei and the others a shock.

At one thousand Silver each, their combined salaries for three years would not be enough to buy one.

Glancing at the pocket watch, they treasured it all the more for a time.

Having settled this matter, Zhao Xu ordered everyone to disperse.

Returning to the Yan Commandery Trading Firm, Yang He immediately ordered the firm's officials to place the pocket watch on the firm's display counter.

This counter was specifically for displaying goods currently for sale to the outside world.

As the powerful clans and merchants lifted their boycott of trade with Yanzhou following the extortion during the plague, more and more merchants poured into Yancheng.

In order to obtain first-hand information, the merchants in Yanzhou often sent people to keep an eye on the display counter.

As soon as Yang He placed the pocket watch out, it immediately stirred up a wave of Bolan.

The merchants at the firm and the servants sent by the merchants immediately crowded around to inquire.

The firm's officials took the opportunity to place a sign specifically introducing the functions of the pocket watch in front of the counter, while also allowing the merchants to touch and experience the pocket watch.

This was also a method of promotion.

Amidst the commotion, many merchants immediately submitted orders to the firm, and some servants left the firm at once to pass this information on to their own shopkeepers.

Over the next two days, the word "pocket watch" filled the streets and alleys of Yancheng.

Not only did merchants flock to it, but the high-ranking officials and nobles who had fled from Jinling also scrambled to purchase them.

That day, after Zhao Xu distributed the pocket watches to the ministers in the Council Hall.

They, including Chang Wei and Yang Feng, wished they could stick the pocket watches to their foreheads.

No matter where they went, they would take the pocket watch out of their robes to take a look, then tuck it back into their robes with incomparable flair.

It was simply showing off at every moment.

How could those high-ranking officials and nobles who did not have a pocket watch stand it?

One by one, they would not rest until they bought a pocket watch.

In less than two days, the inventory at the Clock Workshop was completely wiped out.

Nearly one million taels of Silver fell into the hands of the Yan Commandery Trading Firm.

While the pocket watch was hot in Yancheng.

The envoy from Qi who had fled from Yancheng arrived in Lu City, bringing back Zhao Xu's reply to Han Zheng.