The test flight was successful. After a pep talk for the artisans, they were all sent back to their posts.
Zhang Tian, his enthusiasm undiminished, fawned over Fang Er.
"My Lord, I want to fly it myself."
Fang Er turned to look at him. "Have you memorized everything?"
Zhang Tian nodded vigorously. "Hehehehehe, I've watched and learned. Throttle, steering, speed control, it's not difficult! Besides, aren't Mo Ming brother and Prince Wei here? With them guiding me, it should be fine."
"Go ahead, but be careful. Fly close to the forest. If you encounter any problems, abandon the machine and jump into the woods!"
"We're not sure how long this wooden shell can last. Flying close to the treetops above the forest is the safest. If anything goes wrong, jumping into the woods might at worst result in serious injury. But jumping onto flat ground... tsk tsk tsk, you'd probably be crippled even if you survived!"
"Understood! Your humble servant will depart!"
Zhang Tian snapped to attention, saluted, and then happily turned to leave.
Yelü Goudan and Xigua Butian also came closer. Their sons had tested it safely, no problem! Their old bones could also experience the feeling of flying! After returning, they could brag to their old subordinates for a lifetime! "We both have two shoulders and one head, and I've flown in the sky! You bumpkins are still riding horses and eating dust, how embarrassing!"
Hiahiahiahiahia~!
Life and death are by fate, wealth and honor are by heaven.
Fang Er paid them no mind. Let them show off. The more people who flew, the more opportunities there were to discover problems with the helicopter.
Sitting in the workshop, Zhao Gang stood opposite Fang Er. Fang Er took out cigarettes and offered one.
"Old Zhao, there's a lot of work ahead. How many artisans can we use right now?"
Zhao Gang carefully took the cigarette, tucked it behind his ear, and scratched his head before answering.
"Reporting to my Lord, we currently have about three hundred skilled artisans who can operate machine tools. This is an old mining area, so skilled blacksmiths are not hard to find. We just need to teach them some theory and our measurement standards. If each person is responsible for one process, we can train another three hundred people in a month with temporary training."
Fang Er nodded with satisfaction. This was also why he had placed heavy industry here. Living off the mountain, finding blacksmiths near the mines was much easier.
"Then increase the recruitment and training of artisans. The New Eastern Vocational School trains all-round talents. Here, focus on single trades. The tasks will only become more numerous and heavier in the future, so you must not slack off on this."
"The helicopter prototype has been successfully test-flown. In the future, the fuselage will be made of gold, lighter than steel. Therefore, you need to organize a team to create casting molds according to the prototype. This way, we can begin mass production as soon as the materials arrive."
"In addition, we also need to establish a separate team specifically for producing engines. The team responsible for the fuselage and final assembly will be named Shenyang First Aircraft Workshop, abbreviated as Shenyang Yifei. The team responsible for engines will be named Shenyang First Engine Workshop, abbreviated as Shenyang Dongli."
"Besides that, we also need to form a team for firearms, named Shenyang Arms Factory. Later, I will send you a few new guns. Organize the blueprints and hand them over to the Arms Factory for production."
Fang Er issued orders for the establishment of three new workshops.
"Yes! Your humble servant understands!"
Zhao Gang listened and took notes with his notebook.
"Alright, record it and start working on it. The task is heavy, so please put in extra effort. From today onwards, you are officially appointed as the Grand Artisan of the Workshops. Once the personnel for each workshop are selected, submit a list to me. You can make minor decisions yourself."
"Yes, my Lord, your humble servant will go down and make arrangements now."
Zhao Gang saluted and withdrew. Fang Er stomped out the cigarette butt, stood up, and walked towards the backyard. In the backyard, several women were still looking up, searching the sky for the helicopter's trace. They didn't even notice Fang Er's arrival until he deliberately coughed a few times, calling their souls back.
"My Lord, did it really fly?" Chai Yue asked Fang Er for confirmation. Although she had seen it with her own eyes, she still wanted to hear her husband confirm it.
"Of course! If your husband says it can fly, it can definitely fly! When the matters here are settled, shall I take you to fly back to Chang'an?"
Fang Er sat down on a chair and pulled her into his arms, whispering in her ear with a smile. His warm breath tickled Chai Yue's earlobes.
"Hehehehe, my Lord is so naughty. Qing'er and the others are watching."
Fang Er looked up at Xiao Qing and the others. The girls quickly turned their heads, shifting their gaze elsewhere.
"Hahahaha!"
"Qing'er, go and ask Baoju to prepare some wine and dishes. We have guests at home."
"Yes, master." Xiao Qing responded and walked towards the kitchen.
Chai Yue asked curiously, "My Lord, who is visiting?"
Fang Er pointed to the sky. "The two leaders of the Khitan tribe and the Xi tribe have come. They are currently having fun in the sky with Qing Que."
"They should be back soon."
Speaking of which, they arrived. Before the food and drinks were ready, Su Feng came to report that the helicopter had returned.
"Ask Baoju to bring the wine and dishes to the front hall later."
After giving instructions to Xing'er, Fang Er released Chai Yue and walked towards the front hall. In the front hall, Yelü Goudan and Xigua Ting Tian, the two old fellows, were excitedly sharing their experiences. Yelü Tianying and Xigua Butian stood behind their respective fathers. Li Tai and Mo Ming were also present.
Seeing Fang Er arrive, everyone quickly stood up to greet him.
"My Lord!"
"Mountain Master!"
"Teacher!"
"Sit, sit down and talk."
Fang Er swaggered to the main seat and sat down, facing Yelü Goudan and Xigua Butian.
"Goudan, how is the situation with the Tianying tribe now?" These two had just arrived during the test flight and hadn't had time to report the situation there to Fang Er.
"Hahahaha, as my Lord instructed, Tianying City has been built. It is three li long and three li wide." Yelü Goudan was quite proud when mentioning the new city. With the combined efforts of the young men from both tribes, Tianying City was built in three months, something he hadn't even imagined would be completed so quickly before.
Fang Er nodded and asked again. "How many troops, cattle, and sheep does the Tianying tribe have now?" This time, it was Xigua Ting Tian who answered.
"Reporting to my Lord, both tribes currently have over twenty thousand households, a population of ninety thousand, with twenty thousand adult males. The rest are women and children." Here, "adult males" refers to strong men between fifteen and thirty years old.
Fang Er frowned. Calculating it this way, there was only one able-bodied laborer per family. "Since you have submitted to the Great Tang, have you heard of the Emperor's decree on childbirth?"
Xigua Ting Tian nodded repeatedly. "Reporting to my Lord, I have heard of the childbirth decree. We came this time specifically to bring pregnant women. We just happened to meet the people you sent on the way, which is how we got to experience the feeling of flying!"
Towards the end, the man himself chuckled. It was an unexpected coincidence. If they hadn't met the men sent by Tie Lao Ba to gather the various tribes on the grasslands, based on their previous travel speed, they would have taken at least one more day to reach Shenyang.