bullyxtreme Chapter 78: Going Astray on the Technology Tree
Chapter 78: Going Astray on the Technology Tree
Yang Jun actually used the steel and craftsmanship used to make divine weapons to create a pot for stir-frying cabbage?
In an instant, countless thoughts swirled in Yang Yan's mind like a tangled mess.
If Yang Jun were a time traveler, he would definitely understand the importance of this technology. A stealthy approach to development is the proper behavior pattern for a time traveler. How could he be so high-profile? That would be suicide!
But if he wasn't a time traveler... then he was a true genius! An engineering prodigy with top-notch metallurgical talent whose abilities were hindered by his royal status!
Looking at Yang Jun, who was still smugly and naively introducing his "culinary experiences," Yang Yan realized for the first time that this prince uncle, who was defined in history as "dying from extravagance," was actually a huge treasure waiting to be discovered.
This "tool" seems to be much more "expensive" and more complex than I imagined.
"Come, come, Yan'er, don't just look at it, have a taste, have another taste!" Yang Jun saw Yang Yan staring blankly and thought he was craving it, so he enthusiastically put another big chopstick of stir-fried cabbage on Yang Yan's plate, piling it up like a small mountain.
Yang Yan mechanically put the food into his mouth and chewed it carefully.
But at this moment, Yang Yan felt that what he was chewing was not food at all, but a shocking secret that could overturn the entire Sui Dynasty and even change the war pattern for the next few hundred years.
He swallowed the food in his mouth, took a deep breath, and forcibly suppressed the pounding of his heart.
If Yang Jun is indeed a time traveler, then once this thin veil is lifted, the two will be locked in a life-or-death struggle.
Yang Yan picked up the glass wine cup in front of him, using the tilt of his head to conceal the fleeting cold glint in his eyes. When he put the cup down, his face was now filled with utmost sincerity, even carrying a touch of youthful admiration and fervor.
"Third Imperial Uncle!"
Yang Yan leaned forward, pressing his hands on the table, his tone urgent: "This...this is simply a miraculous skill that turns the rotten into the miraculous! I've been eating steamed and boiled food in the palace for over ten years, and my mouth is practically tasteless! After tasting this 'stir-fried' dish today, I'm afraid I won't even be able to swallow the imperial meals when I get back!"
At this point, he seemed a little embarrassed and rubbed his hands together, tentatively asking, "Could you give me some of those pots you mentioned? And one of the cooks too? If you don't want to part with them, I can have someone come and learn how to cook them. What do you think?"
After much consideration, he decided to test the waters.
If Yang Jun were a time traveler, he would instinctively be wary of such a demand for the "core technology tree".
Because any time traveler knows that this is not just a pot, but metallurgy, the foundation of one's livelihood! He would hesitate, talk about other things, or even kill to silence him.
However, Yang Jun's reaction was far beyond his expectations.
Feeling completely pleased by the flattery, His Highness the King of Qin let out a burp that smelled of grape wine, completely losing his composure.
He squinted his slightly tipsy eyes, looking at Yang Yan with amusement. He casually grabbed his sleeve to wipe the purplish-red wine stains from the corner of his mouth, waved his hand dismissively, and said, "Hey! I thought it was something serious! You scared me half to death!"
"That broken wok? Those are defective products from when they were making dragon scales, some with uneven thickness or flaws! There should still be about ten of them piled up in the warehouse. You want them? Take them all! They're just taking up space."
"Cooking is very simple. You can have your cook come and stay with me for a few days and he'll learn. If that doesn't work, I can send one to your house for a few days. But I can't just send him to you completely; good cooks are hard to find these days!"
"Third Imperial Uncle... since this pot can withstand intense heat without cracking, its material must be extraordinary, right? You just gave it to me like this?" Yang Yan asked cautiously.
"What's so special about it? It's just trash!"
"Waste?" Yang Yan was stunned.
Yang Jun seemed to be quite drunk, and was in high spirits, gesturing wildly: "That's right! I wanted to build a mechanical dragon that could automatically spray water, and I needed extremely thin, extremely tough, and wear-resistant iron sheets for the dragon scales. But those useless craftsmen in the Ministry of Works made pig iron that crumbled at the slightest tap, and wrought iron that softened at the slightest heat. They're a bunch of good-for-nothings!"
"I have no choice but to take action myself!"
At this point, a smug look appeared on Yang Jun's face—the elation of an engineer who had solved a technical problem: "I figured the iron wasn't good enough because the furnace fire was too weak and lacked energy! So I ordered the craftsmen to enlarge the bellows and blow hard into the furnace openings. Hey, the flames indeed turned from red to white, becoming unbearably hot!"
This is... modifying the blast furnace structure to increase the furnace temperature?!
Before he could react, Yang Jun leaned closer mysteriously and whispered, "In the 'Wu Yue Chun Qiu,' Gan Jiang and Mo Xie were supposed to sacrifice their own flesh and blood to forge swords, weren't they? I was thinking, since cattle and sheep are also made of flesh and blood, perhaps they could be used as substitutes?"
"So they tried throwing the slaughtered animals into the furnace... and guess what? The iron ingot that came out of the furnace was indeed bluish-black and shiny, and after repeated forging, it became both strong and flexible! The ancients were right, the essence of blood can indeed penetrate iron!"
The last trace of doubt in Yang Yan's heart completely vanished.
Not a time traveler.
Absolutely not.
No time traveler would be so wasteful! No time traveler would speak of such a national treasure so lightly, completely unaware of its military value!
That's true talent.
This is a pure, unparalleled talent that has gone astray in its pursuit of pleasure, a talent that drives people to the brink of madness with envy!
Yang Yan looked at Yang Jun, and his expression completely changed.
All the previous scrutiny, defensiveness, and probing vanished at this moment.
Instead, there is a burning gaze upon rare treasures and stunning beauties.
"Third Imperial Uncle, what is that 'automatic water-spraying mechanical dragon' you mentioned?" Yang Yan asked casually as he poured wine for Yang Jun, but his ears were already perked up.
Since that wok proved that Yang Jun had mastered superb smelting technology, could this "mechanical dragon," which sounds even more complicated, be some kind of primitive steam engine or high-pressure water pump?
Yang Jun waved his hand dismissively, "You mean that 'Water-Powered Bronze Dragon'? Don't even mention it! I originally wanted it to spout a jet of water from its mouth, directly drenching the lotus pond. But who knew that the mechanism in the water tank only sprayed out a few feet, like a child's pee! It was a disgrace. In a fit of anger, I had it dismantled and smashed to save myself the annoyance!"
"Let's not talk about this, it's bad luck! Let's eat!"
"Smashed...smashed?"
Yang Yan's lips twitched slightly; his heart was bleeding.
Although I don't know its exact structure, the fact that it's called an "automatic water sprinkler" means it must involve complex hydraulic or transmission principles. And it got smashed like that?
What a spendthrift! This is a real spendthrift!
But he still had to put on a smile and quickly raised his wine glass: "It was my fault for being so talkative. Third Imperial Uncle's ingenious methods naturally strive for perfection. Come, let me toast you!"
The two were, after all, blood relatives, uncle and nephew, and Yang Yan had endured twenty strokes of the cane today with such righteous indignation that he was eager to curry favor with them. The meal was a delightful one for both host and guest.
After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,
The amber-flavored pottery wine from Gaochang was strong and mellow; Yang Jun had already drunk several liters, and his eyes were beginning to glaze over. The wound on his buttocks seemed to have stopped hurting, and he felt like he was floating on air.
He let out a drunken hiccup, then mysteriously moved closer to Yang Yan, grabbed his sleeve, and said, reeking of alcohol, "Yan'er, although most of your third uncle's things are in Bingzhou, he still managed to do something interesting while he was back in the capital. Come on, your third uncle will show you!"