It would probably be difficult to put the plow into widespread use in a short time.
"Young Master Chen, may I ask how much it costs to make one of these plows?"
"Lord Wei, you've asked the wrong person. You'll have to ask the carpenter!"
Chen Fan didn't answer directly. Instead, he looked toward the village chief.
The village chief immediately understood and turned to call out.
"Old Mutou, come over! I have something to ask you!"
Before long, an old man in a coarse short-sleeved shirt came hurrying over with a young man.
After hearing what was going on, the old man directed the young man to lay the Qu Yuan Plow flat.
Then he inspected it, looking it over and tapping here and there. Before long, he had reached a conclusion.
"This Qu Yuan Plow is made mostly of solid, seasoned wood. The process isn't too complicated.
"I could make one in about three days. If you provide the materials, it'll cost 150 wen.
"If I have to provide the materials, it'll cost at least 600 wen!
"Oh, and the plowshare is made of iron. You'll have to provide that yourself.
"If you don't want an iron one, I can make it, but it won't last as long!"
Old Mutou, the carpenter of Zhao Family Village, gave a fair estimate.
At that, Wei Zheng's expression darkened as he considered how to handle the matter.
Now that he had found something so useful, Wei Zheng naturally couldn't keep it to himself.
But if he simply reported it, the only ones to benefit would be the great aristocratic clans.
Compared with ordinary commoners, the great clans had the means to replace their plows quickly.
With handy tools, the labor the clans had accumulated could be freed up.
Then the clans would be able to claim wasteland more quickly and expand the amount of land they owned.
That was something Wei Zheng absolutely didn't want to see.
"Good grief, it costs that much?"
Village Chief Zhao gazed at the Qu Yuan Plow before him with a pained, regretful look, his eyes full of reluctance.
Making a plow like this wasn't cheap.
Even if he supplied the materials, the iron for the plowshare wouldn't come cheap.
The plowshare on the Qu Yuan Plow Chen Fan had made had used at least three jin of iron.
Even ordinary iron cost fifty wen per jin.
Add in the cost of making the plowshare, and—he didn't even want to think about it!
Village Chief Zhao had thought his family was quite well-off, but even he didn't dare to have another Qu Yuan Plow made.
Looks like I'll have to make His Majesty pay for it!
Wei Zheng considered how much money was left in the emperor's private treasury.
And if he had the artisans of the Imperial Workshops make the plows, he could reduce the cost even further.
On top of that, the Imperial Workshops could buy the materials at prices well below the market rate.
At that very moment, far away in Chang'an City, Emperor Taizong suddenly shivered!
"Brr, is it getting cold?"
Li Shimin looked up at the sky, and the eunuch attending him hurriedly fetched a cloak.
"We can't sell this Qu Yuan Plow too cheaply. It's a powerful tool for reclaiming wasteland.
"Think how much we could make if we crafted them slowly. Uncle Mutou, listen. Take my design and go to Chang'an City with that high official to teach the technique.
"Start a class and charge ten strings of cash per student. We'll split the earnings fifty-fifty!"
Chen Fan raised an eyebrow at the old carpenter. Wei Zheng's face turned dark.
He had been thinking about how to cut costs, and Chen Fan had gone and raised the price.
Still, Chen Fan was the one who had invented the plow.
Given Wei Zheng's character, he couldn't threaten or bribe Chen Fan, so he tried to persuade him instead.
"Young Master Chen, this is already expensive to make. If you raise the price further, the common people probably won't be able to afford it!"
Chen Fan raised an eyebrow and replied with a smile.
"Ordinary people are too poor. Even if I don't raise the price, will they really buy one?"
Wei Zheng's lips twitched. He gritted his teeth and spoke to Chen Fan in a low voice.
"Young Master Chen, don't worry. I can persuade His Majesty to use the money in his private treasury to make a batch.
"Then we can distribute them among poor families. Once the prosperous farmers see the benefits, they'll have their own made."
Chen Fan's mouth twitched as he looked at Wei Zheng as if he were some kind of devil.
Wei Zheng, the Human Mirror. No wonder Li Shimin is always itching to cut your head off.
Anyone but Li Shimin would've had you executed for pulling a stunt like this!
"Lord Wei, how much money can His Majesty's private treasury have? How could it possibly supply the people of the whole empire?
"This isn't difficult to learn. A skilled carpenter can make one after buying a single plow.
"Why not sell the technique, then use the money we earn to modify the Straight Plows?"
Chen Fan spoke with confidence. He had spent two years preparing for this.
How could he not have considered the problem?
"Modify them?"
Wei Zheng was puzzled. Chen Fan called for someone to bring over a Straight Plow.
Then, as Chen Fan explained, Wei Zheng's eyes lit up.
"Lord Wei, look. The difference between the Qu Yuan Plow and the Straight Plow is only in the lower part.
"We only need to modify that section. At worst, we'll have to replace the plowshare more often.
"Uncle Mutou, take another look. How much would this cost?"
Hearing this, the old carpenter stepped forward again and even began making adjustments himself.
Before long, he looked up and nodded.
"If we modify them this way, I can do one in half a day for fifty wen.
"If you have enough—more than ten—I can bring it down to forty wen each!
"But modified like this, it'll only be about eighty percent as effective as the Qu Yuan Plow."
Wei Zheng trembled with excitement, his voice quavering.
"That's enough, that's enough! Young Master Chen, you are truly a great talent. On behalf of the people of the empire, Wei Zheng thanks you for your great kindness!"
Wei Zheng brought his hands together before him, thumbs crossed, and bowed to Chen Fan.
And the instant the Qu Yuan Plow touched the ground, in a space shrouded in black mist—
A layer of Golden Light held the black mist at bay.
Within the Golden Light stood a gate tower engraved with three characters: Huoyun Cave.
Caves, thatched huts, palaces, and buildings of all kinds stood within.
In the central palace, nine people of extraordinary bearing sat facing one another.
The man at the head had a handsome face and eyes like shifting stars.
"Another Great Sage has emerged among humanity!"
A middle-aged man with a pair of horns growing from his head smiled in a simple, honest way.
"Our human race has gained another Great Sage. This is cause for celebration!"
"What's there to celebrate? We've been trapped in Huoyun Cave for who knows how many years.
"First, King Wu of Zhou relinquished the title of Human Emperor. Then Qin Shi Huang attacked Heaven and was imprisoned on Mount Li!
"Since then, we haven't been able to interfere in the rise and fall of dynasties in the mortal world.
"Let alone that nowadays, there isn't even a Co-lord revered by all humanity!
"What does it matter if a Great Sage has appeared? Can he really break through this vast web of karmic sin?"
Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors: I've Become a Conservative?
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