Episode 14 recap: The Machine Bureau began construction.
Schneider took the initiative to meet En Cheng and presented Colonel James's letter to him. After reading it, En Cheng immediately asked him to leave, saying that this matter would cost him his life because the weapons they were selling were expensive, and the Empress Dowager would accuse him of selling out the country for personal gain. However, Schneider came up with a plan. He suggested selling this batch of weapons to the Eastern Province Navy and offering En Cheng a 10% commission if the sale was successful.
The Empress Dowager was pleased with Ding Bao Zhen's efforts in managing the Yellow River and investigating corruption cases. En Cheng informed the Empress Dowager that Ding Bao Zhen had offended Schneider and twisted the truth by claiming that Ding Bao Zhen gave up purchasing foreign warships and weapons due to their high prices. The Empress Dowager believed this false information and advised Ding Bao Zhen to consider the overall situation.
Zhang, the official, delivered the Empress Dowager's letter to Ding Bao Zhen, who believed that the other party's arrogance was due to their possession of weapons. Ding Bao Zhen saw an opportunity to raise the price. If they bought the weapons, there would be no money left for the Navy's funding. Ding Bao Zhen was not willing to accept this situation, as the people were already struggling to feed themselves, and he did not want their money to go to foreigners.
That evening, Ding Bao Zhen discussed the affairs of the Machine Bureau with others. He insisted on learning from Western methods rather than relying on foreign craftsmen. En Cheng learned that the Empress Dowager had received Ding Bao Zhen's proposal for establishing the Machine Bureau and immediately rushed to the palace, disregarding Schneider. They sought out someone knowledgeable about Western affairs, Zhang Yin Huan from Hubei, who frequently interacted with foreigners due to his Guangdong ancestry. Ding Bao Zhen immediately summoned him.
Zhang Yin Huan had already brought the factory blueprints he had prepared in advance. He was willing to dedicate his lifelong knowledge to assist Ding Bao Zhen in establishing the Machine Bureau. The Empress Dowager examined the proposal and believed that Ding Bao Zhen had put in a lot of effort, but she had one condition. Schneider firmly believed that Ding Bao Zhen's Machine Bureau would not succeed and discussed with En Cheng how to deal with it. En Cheng advised him to remain calm and patient.
The Empress Dowager appointed Xu Jian Yin as the head of the Machine Bureau. Chen Yun Fei was worried that Xu Jian Yin would cause trouble. At that moment, a commoner came to seek an audience. Ding Bao Zhen and the others immediately welcomed him and introduced everyone. Xu Jian Yin had spent four years in seclusion constructing a large Qing warship. His purpose in coming this time was to learn about the factory process. Xu Jian Yin suggested that the factory be built in a high place to avoid flooding. He admired the factory blueprints and expressed his respect. However, when it came to not using foreign craftsmen, Xu Jian Yin disagreed again, as he believed that foreigners were cautious and therefore wasteful. Ding Bao Zhen was displeased when Xu Jian Yin mentioned that they had already hired a foreign craftsman. Zhang Yin Huan proposed a competition between Chinese workers and foreign craftsmen the next day before making a final decision.
Zeng Zhaoji helped a child retrieve a kite stuck in a tree by accurately shooting it down with a slingshot. Zeng Zhaoji competed with a foreign craftsman in assembling a firearm, but the craftsman finished assembling the gun before Zeng Zhaoji. Xu Jian Yin evaluated the results of their gun assembly competition, and Zeng Zhaoji extended the length of his gun. The craftsman tested it and was impressed by the increased power, expressing admiration. Xu Jian Yin was willing to admit defeat.
Knowing that the Machine Bureau's procurement of foreign workers would surely be opposed, Ding Bao Zhen suggested building it near a mine for self-sufficiency. However, the mines were located in low-lying areas and couldn't meet the requirement of building in a high place. After recent investigations, they discovered a location with both iron and phosphorus mines near Lekou, which had convenient transportation. Zhang Yin Huan carefully observed Ding Bao Zhen's attire, his old clothes and worn-out shoes, and greatly admired him.
Schneider was idly playing with crickets, placing all his hopes on En Cheng. Meanwhile, Ding Bao Zhen had already begun construction of the factory. At that moment, someone came up with a bad idea, suggesting that they falsely claim to have lost a staff member in Shandong and use it as an excuse to search for him, thereby obstructing Ding Bao Zhen. They didn't care about the relationship between the two countries; they only cared about how much money they could make.
Ding Bao Zhen believed that a country could not do without its own Machine Bureau and entrusted everyone to do their best. However, Xu Jian Yin thought that the remaining funds were far from enough to establish the Machine Bureau. Ding Bao Zhen had no choice but to proceed step by step, first producing explosive shells and then firearms. This way, they wouldn't be subject to external constraints and wouldn't fear a halt in the supply of foreign weapons.
But Xu Jian Yin wanted to purchase cheap weapons from foreign merchants in Shanghai. Ding Bao Zhen immediately corrected the worker's expenses, stating that using Chinese labor would save a significant amount of money. Zeng Zhaoji and the others volunteered to go to Shanghai to purchase machinery, and in the end, Zeng Zhaoji stayed behind to replicate the machines, while the procurement of explosive shells was entrusted to Xu Jian Yin, and Zhang Yin Huan was entrusted with factory management.
A German warship claimed that an employee had fallen into the water and had already reached Shandong's coastal defense. Ding Bao Zhen believed in being prepared for potential dangers and instructed the three individuals to approach the situation from three different angles. The entire navy was summoned, and Chen Yufei urgently attended to a secret matter. An old man insisted on not selling his land and returned the silver to Ding Bao Zhen. Learning that his land was in Lekou, he insisted on keeping it, so Ding Bao Zhen agreed to compensate him with a good piece of land.
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