Flowers in full bloom

Chapter 692: Master Hua is truly powerful

Emperor Shengwu recalled the first waterwheel installed on Huaguo Mountain, and his brows furrowed even deeper.

Without exquisite craftsmanship, it is indeed difficult to make a waterwheel that meets the requirements. Emperor Shengwu paced back and forth in the imperial study.

It seems that only the craftsmen of the Ministry of Works can implement the ingenuity of Prefect Hua and benefit the people. Emperor Shengwu opened the manual for making the vertical well waterwheel.

Emperor Shengwu looked at the waterwheel, then at the production instructions, his mind racing.

"Your Majesty, would it be better if we allowed the local craftsmen to come to the capital to study for a period of time?"

Seeing that Emperor Shengwu was turning around in circles, Old Marquis Pei said the opposite of what he meant.

“It’s possible, but the effect won’t be good. After all, a craft can’t be learned in one go. Sometimes it takes several years to learn.

In this case, not only will Xichang Prefecture not be able to use this vertical well waterwheel this year, but it may not be used next year either." Emperor Shengwu shook his head.

"Your Majesty is right... This is a waste of time. Besides, we don't know when these local craftsmen will be able to learn to make waterwheels that meet Lord Hua's requirements. The time frame is uncertain." Old Marquis Pei nodded and agreed.

“By the way, we can transfer a few skilled people from the Ministry of Works to Xichang Prefecture to help make water wheels while training these local craftsmen. This way we can achieve the best of both worlds.” Emperor Shengwu clapped his hands and finally said what Lord Pei wanted to hear.

"Your Majesty is wise! The people of Xichang are blessed! Lord Hua is also blessed!" Old Marquis Pei flattered him.

“Hahahaha…” Emperor Shengwu solved the problem and laughed heartily.

Lord Pei got the result he wanted and went home satisfied. After returning home, he read Hua Lei's letter again, smiled, and put it in the drawer.

This stubborn little girl would probably be happier to see people.

The mini waterwheel made by Hualei was left on the desk in the imperial study and placed there as a decoration.

When Emperor Shengwu was tired of reviewing memorials, he would press the pedal with his hand, and the waterwheel would gurgle and spin around and around.

Five days later, the best craftsmen from the Ministry of Works left Shangjing in a hurry, heading west. A careful count revealed fifteen of them.

Lord Li, who was already the Minister of Industry, was lost in thought as he looked at the book on making vertical well waterwheels in front of him. Some people can always turn adversity into opportunities.

At that time, when I heard that Hua Lei was appointed as the prefect of Xichang Prefecture, I felt sorry for Hua Lei in my heart.

When I made my first waterwheel, it went wrong and it was Hualei who helped me. I have always remembered Hualei’s kindness.

When in Mobei, although Hua Lei often helped Minister Zhang to deal with him, he never got angry. He just always admired Hua Lei's intelligence.

I thought that after returning from Mobei, Hua Lei, who had performed so well, would definitely make further progress. Unexpectedly, she came to a standstill because of her pregnancy.

When he learned that Hua Lei was appointed as the prefect of Xichang, Hua Lei had already set out on her journey to the west. In the past few months, whenever Lord Li thought of Hua Lei, he felt sorry for her.

He was still wondering if Hua Lei had done something wrong behind the scenes, which was why the emperor exiled her to the frontier, and thus dragged Rong Jin down with her. But now he knew that Hua Lei was not exiled to the frontier, but was entrusted with an important task.

Eunuch Fu came personally to deliver the emperor's oral order, selecting the best craftsmen from the Ministry of Works to immediately go to Xichang Prefecture to assist Hua Lei in her work. What an honor!

More than half a month later, Hua Lei met the best craftsmen from the Ministry of Works in the government office of Xichang Prefecture. They came to help her make a waterwheel.

Hahaha… It is better to teach a man how to fish than to give him a fish. As a beneficiary, Hualei was very satisfied. So, after these craftsmen had a good rest, Hualei led them to the workshop and started making vertical waterwheels while helping to teach them skills.

The officials of the government office were once again stunned by Hua Bud. How come all of a sudden, the top craftsmen in Shangjing City all came to the government office workshop to help make the waterwheel? This Mr. Hua really has great powers!

Hua Lei had no idea what her colleagues in the government office were thinking, so she planned to go to Changliang Prefecture in the next two days.

During the previous meeting, there was no news from the two prefects who had not come. Hua Lei originally thought that the two might have been delayed on the way.

However, after so much time had passed, no one had come, and no news had come. After Hua Lei had read all the job reports at the government office and dealt with a lot of urgent matters, she now had some free time.

So he decided to go to Changliang Prefecture in person. Originally, patrolling each prefecture was also the responsibility of the newly appointed prefect.

However, when the flower buds arrived, it coincided with the busiest season of spring plowing, so the patrol of the state capital below was delayed.

Now, all the urgent matters have been dealt with, so after a little tidying up, Hualei is ready to set off.

Rong Jin was worried about Hua Lei going alone, so he arranged his things in advance and prepared to go with Hua Lei.

In order not to attract attention, Hua Lei and Rong Jin changed into casual clothes, dressed up as traveling merchants, and rode over on horseback with a few guards.

To go to Changliang Prefecture, the nearest route requires passing through Changhui Prefecture, where the Anbang soldiers are digging a pond. Hua Lei also plans to patrol there and check on the progress.

Three days later, Hua Lei and Rong Jin had already arrived in Changhui Prefecture. Because they had to go to the suburbs to check the pond, Hua Lei directly skipped the capital of Changhui Prefecture.

During this period, the Anbang soldiers had dug two ponds, one in Taohua County and the other in Meilin County.

The size and depth of the pond were measured and discussed by the workshop staff and Ding Zhizhou after actual site measurements. Hua Lei only signed her name on the approval order.

At this time, she stood in front of a pond that had been excavated in Taohua County and took a careful look. The pond was about the size of a football field and more than ten feet deep.

The bottom of the pond has also been compacted and covered with a layer of gravel and fine sand. Of course, it hasn't rained yet, so there is no water in the pond, only a slight dampness.

The dam was rammed very solidly. In order to strengthen it, a lot of small stones and yellow sand were added to the entire dam. It was poured with glutinous rice slurry and there was a gravel road on it.

In Western Xinjiang, there is a lot of gravel and fine sand, so it is quite convenient. The outlets of the ponds are also set up, but there is no water truck yet, so it looks empty.

After a while, when the pond is full of water and the waterwheel is set up, the surrounding farmland can be irrigated. However, this depends on the will of God.