The Tyrant's Beloved Empress

68

Edited and proofread by KitKat

The carriage stopped in front of the crafting workshop. Without waiting for Xiao Zhige to help him alight, An Chang Qing got off the carriage and walked in briskly. Xiao Zhige could only shake his head helplessly and follow behind closely.

The crafting workshop was erected next to the Ordinance Office. In the front was the entrance hall, behind which was the craftsman's lodgings, and at the innermost area was the backyard where the craftsmen worked. It was also where the waterwheel was placed.

An Chang Qing entered together with the foreman and saw the ten-foot tall water wheel attached to wooden tubes for water intake and a trough at the bottom for diverting the water. There was almost no difference with what he had seen from his previous life.

"Have you tried this in the water?" An Chang Qing asked.

The foreman replied respectfully, "Not yet. But previously, we created a smaller version and tested it in water. However, due to the small size, there was not enough water for it to work. We adjusted and created a bigger one instead."

An Chang Qing looked up and thought of the water wheel he saw in his previous life. A single wheel could irrigate two acres of farmland, if he could develop this technology in advance...

"When can you test this in water?"

"We'll be conducting the test today. I've especially invited Wangfei to come and observe and let us know if there's room for improvement."

An Chang Qing was highly satisfied with the remarkable working speed of the craftsmen. He nodded and said, "Go ahead. If this succeeds, you will be handsomely rewarded."

The foreman heard his words and was even more enthusiastic. He quickly called for people to proceed transporting the water wheel.

The craftsmen were only specialized in their fields and could barely make a living. With Wangfei's creation of the workshop, not only were they receiving decent salaries, they were also appreciated for their profession. Most importantly, Wangfei had suggested many new innovations, making the craftsmens highly respectful towards him.

The craftsmen disassembled the water wheel and had it transported by ox carts to the pre-excavated site. There, they will re-install the waterwheel and immerse it in the river. As the water current passed through, the wheel slowly turned, trapping water in the attached wooden tubes. As the wheel continued to turn, the water in the tubes overflowed and poured into the basin which then distributed the water downhill through the ditches that were dug beforehand.

An Chang Qing exhaled the breath that he had been holding and exclaimed, "It really worked!"

Seeing the water wheel operating, Xiao Zhige who was disapproving of An Chang Qing following him here was nonetheless touched by the sight. No one knew better than him the importance that this water wheel would bring to the people of Yanzhou and even to the whole of Da Ye.

In the future, they only needed to excavate the rivers and install the waterwheel and the irrigation work that required heavy manpower could be done effortlessly. Efficient irrigation would also lead to healthy crop growth and increase in crop yield. With the people freed from the time consuming and laborious work, they would in turn have more time to work on other things.

Perhaps, in the years to come, Yanzhou might no longer be a barren city, rife with poverty.

Xiao Zhige's eyes were filled with affection as he looked at the person by his side, "The water wheel has been developed successfully. It is of great benefit to the people. The craftsmen will receive monetary rewards, what does Nuo Nuo want?"