Quick Transmigration: When Can I Just Lay Down and Wait to Die?

Old Seven's business has already produced glass and cement, but the craftsmanship is still lacking. There are still a few air bubbles in the glass, and the color matching is not quite right.

These can only be improved gradually in later stages of production. Lao Qi is already working on setting up production lines to expand production, but they're short-handed! They have enough ordinary labor, but few skilled craftsmen responsible for research and development and improvements!

Dai Zi's health has recovered, and the subsequent firearms research and development will require manpower. We can't expect Old Dai to develop them by hand, can we? Besides, no industry exists in isolation; it involves many other aspects.

Sigh, it seems that talent is always in short supply, not just in the 21st century! Let's bring out the third prince, Yunzhi, and put him in charge of selecting professional talent.

The current imperial examinations, in modern terms, are more humanities-oriented. Mathematics is tested, but only superficially, and physics and chemistry are even less relevant. Apart from those Taoist priests who also practice alchemy, other people, unless they are interested in it and their families have sufficient financial resources, can't even get close to it.

The eldest son of the fourth uncle had asked the third son to choose someone with a science background, and Yunzhi, having accepted the task, dared not slack off in the slightest. Although he was well-read, he had not studied these science subjects in depth.

To ensure the task was done well, he first consulted with Lao Qi and Dai Zi to determine the specific type of people needed and set a standard. He also recruited many people from the Ministry of Works, and together they produced three test papers.

The imperial examination system is relatively complete at present, and most students who pass the examination can become officials. However, there is no clear rule for the talent selection that he is in charge of now. He can only discuss and come up with a plan with his disciples and submit it to the Fourth Master for review.

After reading it, the Fourth Uncle thought, "No wonder it's called the 'Nine Princes' Succession Struggle'! The entire fortune of the Qing Dynasty is probably concentrated on this group of brothers."

These brothers each had their own unique skills. If they had been reincarnated separately, the Qing Dynasty probably wouldn't have ended up like this.

However, this also proves from another perspective: the scroll is still useful! If it weren't for so many outstanding brothers standing by them, they probably wouldn't have achieved what they have today.

The Fourth Uncle carefully reviewed the charter presented by the Third Brother, and combined it with some information from his spatial storage. He offered some suggestions for revising the various details, asking the Third Brother to go back and refine them further.

At the same time, the construction of Lao Qi's production line also encountered new problems. The supply of raw materials began to tighten. There was no shortage of raw materials, but the transportation was too slow.

The seventh prince hurriedly went to the palace to report the matter to the fourth prince. It seems that road repair has become the most urgent matter at present.

After confirming with Lao Qi that the cement production technology was mature, they spent a lot of money to hire people and speed up cement production, while also paving roads from the capital to the surrounding areas.

First, the official road was paved. The Fourth Master also specifically emphasized the importance of leaving expansion joints, because this was ancient times, and the roads were used by oxcarts and horse-drawn carriages.

If one summer were too hot and the road surface suddenly lifted up with a "bang," the ancients, who didn't know anything about science, would think it was some kind of retribution if it happened once!

If they encounter this too often, they'll start to wonder if it's divine retribution, or if the emperor is being unreasonable, or if it's a warning from heaven! To avoid future troubles, these expansion joints must be properly maintained.

In an imperial society, the common people would resolutely carry out orders from above. Newly paved cement roads didn't need any guardrails or warning signs; no one dared to leave their mark on them.

To ensure that traffic was not affected, Lao Qi repaired the road in the same way as in later generations, half in half. However, while repairing, he also widened the official road quite a bit. Anyway, Fourth Master was not short of money now, and labor was cheap. If there were not enough people, he would just hire them!

With the makeshift "explosive pack" invented by Grandpa Dai for breaking rocks and the support of Fourth Uncle, the road construction project quickly commenced. The official road was bustling with activity as workers busily worked. Seventh Uncle personally supervised the project daily to ensure its quality.

However, the third son also encountered some resistance in the process of improving the regulations. Some officials felt that the practice of selecting science and technology talents was too novel and might break the ancestral rules.

It's impossible for the Fourth Uncle to pay attention to these pedantic officials. What are ancestral rules? Even 200 years from now, what he says will also be considered ancestral rules!

With the strong support of the Fourth Prince, Yunzhi posted notices in the capital to recruit talented individuals, promising generous compensation and opportunities to showcase their abilities.

The notice attracted many students and craftsmen interested in science. The third brother personally tested these people, giving them challenging questions related to physics, chemistry, and mathematics.

But the talent selected in the capital alone was far from enough. He also sent people to academies and schools in various places to promote his work, and selections were conducted simultaneously in multiple locations.

Science subjects are different from humanities subjects. With science, you either know it or you don't, which prevents cheating. After all, even if you pass the exam, once you're in the Ministry of Works, you really have to be hands-on. Nobody would be foolish enough to commit such a devastating crime!

Soon, the talent selection process on the third brother's side yielded preliminary results. A group of outstanding science and technology talents emerged, and they came to the capital with great enthusiasm and talent to devote themselves to the research and development of glass and firearms.

With the addition of this fresh blood, even if the research and development progress is not greatly improved, at least the old craftsmen like Dai Zi can catch their breath, and they no longer need to do many things by themselves.

"A researcher's body doesn't belong to him, but to the country!" These were the words of the Fourth Uncle. If Dai Zi and his ilk can live another year, it's all the country's benefit!

The Qing Dynasty's infrastructure construction was in full swing. To support the Fifth Prince's mission in Mongolia, the road from Beijing to Shengjing was the first to be completed and opened to traffic.

After the road was repaired, following behind the fifth brother's caravan was a squad of imperial guards. These were men carefully selected by the eldest brother at the fourth brother's request. They carried many "explosive packs" and catapults, and their destination was the border with Mongolia.

Artillery can be manufactured now, but the cost is too high and the accuracy is not that high. It's not that artillery is bad, but "explosive packs" are more cost-effective!

Two members of this imperial guard unit knew the mixing ratio of explosives, allowing them to use locally sourced materials to prepare more as needed, ensuring a continuous supply. Why send people to the border?

Your road is so well-built, it's convenient for people in China, and it's convenient for people in Mongolia too! We need to be prepared. First, show your strength at the border. If you still have ideas, then go ahead and try.

Of course, the development of artillery, rifles, and pistols is still ongoing. Once the products meet the stability standards, these will be issued to the military.