activa-t Chapter 111 Commencement of the Waterworks Project
Chapter 111 Commencement of the Waterworks Project
Lu Ji Carriage and Horse Shop, Jinan Prefecture.
As soon as Lu Yan's carriage came to a stop, Hu Jingshui and Zhao Tie came to greet him.
"Master, you're finally back!"
Hu Jingshui looked anxious. "Is there any news from the capital? What did the Ninth Prince say?"
Lu Yan jumped off the carriage, dusted himself off, and a smile appeared on his lips.
"It's done."
Those two simple words brought a sigh of relief to both Hu Jingshui and Zhao Tie.
"That's wonderful!" Hu Jingshui's voice trembled with excitement. "Boss, what's next..."
"Let's go inside and talk."
Lu Yan stepped inside, speaking as he went:
"Summon Changying as well, along with several managers from the workshop. We'll meet in the study in half an hour."
"yes!"
……
Half an hour later, the study was full of people.
Zhao Tie, Hu Jingshui, Zhao Changying, and the three managers of the workshop—Old Zhou, the foreman of the blacksmiths, Li Da, the foreman of the carpenters, and Sun Er, the foreman of the coppersmiths.
Lu Yan sat in the main seat and briefly explained the situation in the capital.
"The Ninth Prince gave us two months' notice, and the silver has already been allocated—ten thousand taels."
His gaze swept over the crowd.
"Starting today, the waterworks project officially commences. Everyone must give it their all and there can be no slackening."
"Yes!" everyone responded in unison.
Lu Yan nodded and began assigning tasks.
"Uncle Zhao, you'll be in charge of technical management. You'll oversee all the design, manufacturing, and debugging."
"Don't worry, boss," Zhao Tie replied in a deep voice.
"Jingshui, you're in charge of purchasing materials. Copper pipes, gears, wood, tung oil... you'll handle everything needed. Money isn't an issue, but the quality must be excellent."
"Yes." Hu Jingshui nodded.
"Changying, you're in charge of security. The workshop operates day and night, with many people and eyes watching; you need to prevent anyone from causing trouble or stealing."
"Don't worry, boss, I'll keep a close eye on things," Zhao Changying said.
Lu Yan then looked at the three stewards.
"Old Zhou, you're in charge of forging the iron parts. The sprinkler heads, valves, and supports must all be made of top-quality wrought iron, without any sand holes or cracks."
"Don't worry, boss. I've been a blacksmith for thirty years. This is no problem for me," Old Zhou said, patting his chest.
"Li Da, you're in charge of the woodwork. The water tank, stage frame, and puppet skeletons must all be made of top-quality nanmu or elm wood; no other types of wood."
"Yes, boss," Li Daying replied.
"Sun Er, you're in charge of the brass parts. Pipes, gears, connecting rods—all must be made of top-quality brass, with high precision and no burrs."
"Don't worry, sir, I will do my best," Sun Er said.
Lu Yan stood up, walked to the wall, and lifted a curtain.
Behind the curtain was a huge blueprint, about ten feet square, densely covered with various lines and symbols.
"Please look, everyone. This is the general plan for the water system."
He picked up a wooden stick and pointed to each part of the drawing, explaining them one by one.
"The entire water system consists of four parts: a water storage system, a water spray system, a lifting stage, and automata."
"The water storage system is at the very top, a reservoir three zhang (approximately 10 meters) high. Water flows down from here, creating pressure that drives the entire system."
"The water spray system is located in the middle and consists of a main pipe, diversion valves, and spray heads. By controlling the valves, the water can be sprayed in different shapes."
"The lifting stage is located in the center of the fountain and is driven by gears and pulleys, allowing it to rise and fall automatically."
"The automaton stands on the stage, powered by water-driven gears. These gears drive linkages, which in turn move the automaton's arms and legs, causing it to perform various actions."
He put down the stick and turned to look at the crowd.
"These four parts are interconnected and indispensable. If any part malfunctions, the entire system will collapse."
"Therefore, I demand that every component be made to the best of its ability, without any flaws."
The crowd looked solemn and responded in unison:
"yes!"
……
After the meeting, everyone dispersed and began to get busy.
In the workshop in the backyard, the clanging and hammering sounds rose and fell.
Old Zhou, along with a dozen blacksmiths, were sweating profusely by the furnace, forging various iron parts.
Li Da, along with more than twenty carpenters, were busy in the lumber pile, sawing wood, planing boards, and chiseling tenons.
Sun Er, along with seven or eight coppersmiths, was meticulously casting gears and pipes beside the copper furnace.
Lu Yan walked around the workshop, carefully inspecting each step of the process.
"The nozzle diameter is incorrect; it should be three-tenths, not two and a half-tenths. Redo it."
"This piece of wood has wormholes and cannot be used. Replace it with another one."
"The tooth pitch of this gear is uneven, it will jam. It needs to be recast."
He personally oversaw every detail, leaving no stone unturned.
The craftsmen were initially skeptical—what kind of craftsmanship could a scholar possibly know?
But they soon discovered that this Mr. Lu was no novice.
He can not only read blueprints, but also point out problems in the process and even propose ways to improve them.
"Boss, who taught you this skill?" Old Zhou couldn't help but ask.
Lu Yan smiled slightly.
"I learned it from a book."
"You can learn this from a book?" Old Zhou looked incredulous.
"Yes," Lu Yan said. "The principles of the world are all in books. As long as you are willing to read, think, and try, you can learn anything."
Old Zhou nodded as if he understood, but in his heart he felt more respect for this young boss.
……
The third day of June.
The project has entered its fifth day.
The framework of the reservoir has been completed, and the three-zhang-high wooden frame stands in the center of the backyard, which is quite spectacular.
Lu Yan stood under the wooden frame, looking up at the water tank at the top, his brows slightly furrowed.
"Uncle Zhao, is the capacity of this reservoir sufficient?"
Zhao Tie stepped forward and said:
"Master, according to the design on the blueprints, this reservoir can hold fifty bushels of water, enough to spray for half an hour."
"Half an hour..." Lu Yan pondered for a moment, "That's not enough. If His Majesty enjoys watching, he might want to watch for an hour or even longer."
"How about making it even bigger?"
"No, making it any bigger won't support the wooden frame," Lu Yan shook his head. "Let's try a different approach—build another reservoir next to it and connect them with pipes. That way, the two reservoirs can take turns supplying water, allowing the fountain to spray continuously for more than an hour."
Zhao Tie's eyes lit up.
"Master, you're brilliant! This method is excellent!"
"Go and make the arrangements."
"yes!"
……
June 10th.
The sprinkler system installation has begun.
Copper pipes of varying thicknesses meander down from the water reservoir to the ground-level sprinkler system. Each pipe is carefully sealed to ensure there are no leaks.
Lu Yan squatted on the ground, personally inspecting each interface.
"The seal here isn't tight enough; add another layer of tung oil and hemp fibers."
"This valve is a bit stiff, let's apply some oil."
"This pipe has too much of a bend, which will obstruct the water flow. Replace it with one that has a smaller bend."
The craftsmen made the modifications one by one according to his instructions.
Hu Jingshui hurried over, holding a stack of receipts in her hand.
"Master, the brass you requested has arrived, a total of five hundred catties. Also, twenty barrels of top-quality tung oil and one hundred catties of hemp fiber."
"Okay." Lu Yan took the receipt, glanced at it, and asked, "What's the price?"
"It's 30% more than the budget," Hu Jingshui said with a wry smile. "Copper prices have risen sharply these days, and good copper is hard to find."
"Thirty percent..." Lu Yan frowned. "It can still hold up. How's the quality?"
"Don't worry, boss, I've personally inspected the goods; they're all top-quality."
"Okay." Lu Yan nodded. "Keep an eye on it; the supplies can't be cut off."
"yes."
……
June 15th.
The installation of the lifting stage has begun.
This is the most complex part of the entire system—the stage needs to be able to rise and fall automatically, all thanks to the gear and pulley system below.
Zhao Tie, along with several craftsmen, lay down under the stage, carefully adjusting the meshing of the gears.
"Move a little more to the left...yes, right here..."
"Give it a try."
A craftsman activated a mechanism, and the stage slowly rose.
It rose to a height of about three feet, and suddenly, with a "click," it got stuck.
"Stop!" Zhao Tie shouted.
He crawled under the stage, inspected it carefully, and frowned.
"The gear tooth pitch is off, it's off by half a tooth."
"Half a point?" The craftsman looked bewildered. "Such a small difference can have an impact?"
"Of course," Zhao Tie said. "The gears must mesh perfectly; even the slightest misalignment is unacceptable. We'll have to make a new one."
"yes."
Lu Yan walked over and asked:
"Uncle Zhao, what's going on?"
Zhao Tie explained the situation.
Lu Yan pondered for a moment and said:
"The precision of the gears is crucial. Sun Er's casting process might not meet the requirements."
"What should we do then?"
"I remember there's an old craftsman surnamed Zhou in the west of the city who specializes in making clock gears; his craftsmanship is top-notch," Lu Yan said. "Jing Shui, go and invite him over; double the pay."
"Yes!" Hu Jingshui responded and left.
……
June 20th.
The automaton production has begun.
This is the most intricate part of the entire system—the puppet needs to be able to wave, nod, and turn around, and each movement requires a separate gear set to drive it.
Lu Yan personally designed the doll's internal structure and drew detailed blueprints.
"The puppet's skeleton is made of wood, its joints of bronze, and its connecting rods of iron."
He pointed to the blueprints and spoke to the craftsmen.
"Every joint must be flexible, without any jamming."
The craftsmen were dazzled by the blueprints.
"Master, this is far too complicated..." one of the craftsmen couldn't help but say.
"Complexity is what makes it valuable," Lu Yan said. "If it were simple, anyone could do it, so what would be the point of having us?"
He patted the craftsman on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, I will teach you step by step. As long as you study diligently, there's nothing you can't learn."
The craftsmen exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, and nodded in agreement:
"yes!"
……
Even though it was late at night, the workshop was still brightly lit.
Lu Yan stood in the center of the courtyard, watching the busy craftsmen, a smile appearing on his lips.
Everything is going according to plan.
In another month, this water system will be completed.
He looked up at the stars in the sky and took a deep breath.
"Success or failure hinges on this."
He muttered to himself.
We must not fail.
(End of this chapter)