Chapter 414: The Craftsman

The sprawling Imperial Armory was divided into many workshops according to the types of items produced, each with its own dedicated courtyard and gate controls to prevent craftsmen and laborers from smuggling finished goods or raw materials out of the facility.

Such practices had been repeatedly prohibited in the past, yet they never truly ceased.

Because their wages could barely keep their families alive, many craftsmen, after finishing their work, would often sneak some raw materials home, so that when they took on private commissions for wealthy households, they could cut costs and increase their own profits.

The various officials of the Imperial Armory largely turned a blind eye to this.

Those who habitually smuggled materials were mostly highly skilled veteran craftsmen — the backbone of military production — and the court's various military supply orders still required their cooperation to complete. Moreover, these smugglers regularly offered silver bribes to the officials, which was why such practices ran rampant.

Of course, with the full implementation of the new policies championed by Zhu Youjian, the strict enforcement of the various regulations within the Imperial Armory, and the earth-shaking changes in the incomes of the craftsmen and laborers over the past few years, this situation had long since completely disappeared.

Now the gates of all important workshops were guarded by Embroidered Uniform Guard officers, and the Guard's independence from the court's administrative structure had put an end to all manner of rule-breaking.

Under the cordon of the imperial guards, all unauthorized personnel within the workshops were confined to their courtyards, and Zhu Youjian encountered no superfluous persons along the way.

His party had not walked far before, under Bi Maokang's guidance, they entered a spacious courtyard.

Zhu Youjian stepped into the courtyard and immediately spotted the completed carriage sitting in the open space at the center.

In one corner of the yard, three craftsmen stood cowering, backs bent and heads lowered, while several plainclothes officers scattered around kept watch over them.

Zhu Youjian strolled casually up to the carriage, which had not been hitched to any horse, and looked it over from top to bottom — this product of an era-defining innovation.

The carriage's cabin was more than twice as large as those used by common folk in the Great Ming, and because the chassis had been widened, the entire cabin was also broader and taller than those little cage-like carriages. Judging from its appearance alone, those who rode inside would be far more comfortable and safe.

Though the wheels were still made of wood, they had been enlarged to match the changes in the vehicle's overall weight and size — nearly one and a half times the size of the wheels on the old two-wheeled carriages — and the width of the rims had been increased by over an inch, greatly enhancing the vehicle's stability in motion.

Zhu Youjian walked from the side of the carriage around to the front and peered into the cabin.

Calculated in later generations' units of measurement, the cabin was roughly 1.8 meters wide and a bit over 3 meters long. If benches were placed along both sides, it could easily seat seven or eight adults.

If a noble or high official were to use it exclusively, a small soft couch could even be installed inside for the master to rest upon during the journey — all while attended by serving men and maids.

The spacious cabin could also accommodate braziers or ice basins, maintaining at least basic warmth in the bitter cold and relief from the heat in the sweltering summer.

In rainy weather, besides the tung oil finish on the cabin itself providing a measure of waterproofing, the driver could also spread an oiled canvas — likewise treated with tung oil — over the roof, so that neither cargo nor passengers need fear being soaked by the rain.

If used as a freight wagon, the rear of the cabin could be designed with a removable tailgate for easy loading and unloading. For goods that need not fear wind or rain, the canopy could be omitted entirely, and the front and rear panels need not be too tall either — this would also reduce the purchase cost considerably.

Of course, these were the downstream considerations for future sales, assuming the carriage could eventually be mass-produced commercially — a matter for later.

As for the pivot axle, since it was beneath the chassis, Zhu Youjian — being the sovereign of the realm — had no need to lower his dignity and crouch down to inspect it. It was enough to know that it could be manufactured.

"Excellent, excellent! It matches what I envisioned closely! Any minor shortcomings can be improved upon later based on actual conditions! This item is not difficult to build — the hardest part lies in the ball bearings and the pivot axle. Where is that craftsman?"

Zhu Youjian's approval finally let Fan Jingwen, Bi Maokang, and the others breathe a sigh of relief.

This was something the Emperor had conceived on a whim. If, with all these master craftsmen at hand, they still could not build it, the people in this courtyard would have no face to continue in their posts.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, this man is named Sun Kuan, and he is waiting over there. The other two with him are the craftsmen who built the carriage, named Hu Liu and Mao Zhuang. Would Your Majesty like to have them brought over for questioning?"

Zhang Jimeng, who had been standing not far behind Zhu Youjian all along, hurried forward at Bi Maokang's signal to bow and report.

"Mm, summon Sun Kuan and the others. I wish to see what these master craftsmen look like!"

Zhu Youjian gave the order with a smile. Wang Cheng'en beside him quickly turned his head and shot a glance at Cheng Qianli, who waved toward the corner. Several officers each grabbed one of the three craftsmen, who kept their heads lowered, and the group hurried over to where Zhu Youjian stood.

Stopping a few paces before Zhu Youjian, the craftsmen — still not daring to raise their heads — dropped to their knees with a thud and kowtowed heavily as they had been instructed beforehand: "This commoner Sun Kuan (Hu Liu, Mao Zhuang) kowtows before the Emperor!"

"Heh heh, rise! You may come closer to speak!"

Zhu Youjian said with a smile.

Having been forewarned, Sun Kuan and the other two knew they might be summoned before the Emperor today, so they had deliberately put on brand-new short-sleeved work clothes.

All three had been eagerly looking forward to seeing the legendary His Majesty with their own eyes, but now that the moment had come, they were all extremely nervous.

Sun Kuan felt his whole body stiffen, his mind buzzing with noise, lips and mouth parched, face alternating between pale and green. In a daze, he heard a gentle voice telling them to rise. Sun Kuan led the way — the three kowtowed heavily once more, then scrambled trembling to their feet, their heads hanging even lower than before.

Hu Liu and Mao Zhuang fared even worse, only knowing to watch what Sun Kuan did and mimic him exactly. In just that short span, both had sweat soaking through their clothes, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

"Sun Kuan, let me ask you — what trade do you practice in the Imperial Armory? And how did you come to think of using ironwood for the ball bearings? This method is truly ingenious! The completion of this carriage owes its greatest credit to you!"

Zhu Youjian understood the state the three men were in, so he did not speak of other matters but went straight to the point.

When a person feels extremely nervous for whatever reason, if someone asks them a professional question about the field they know best, that tension quickly eases.

Sure enough, Sun Kuan — who had been scared half to death — heard the Emperor asking about his craft, and his mind immediately shifted to the professional habits of many years. His taut nerves relaxed.

"Answering Your Majesty, this commoner comes from a family of carpenters for generations. I have served the court for over twenty years and have done many kinds of work, using all manner of woods. When the masters said they wanted to make ball bearings, I immediately thought of the ironwood I had used before! This commoner does not deserve the credit. Originally, our family were lowly registered folk who could not even eat their fill for generations. Now Your Majesty has let my whole family eat their fill and dress warmly. I even built houses for both my sons and married them off. Every few days the family can even see fish and meat. We truly cannot repay Your Majesty's great kindness and virtue! In my spare time, I deliberately bought fine timber and carved a full-body statue of Your Majesty to enshrine at home. Every day I burn incense and pray, only hoping that Your Majesty may live ten thousand years!"