"Your Highness, this has nothing to do with whether you recruit or not. It's really not enough iron ore!" Old man Liu Min was anxious and sweating, rubbing his hands and explained: "Your Highness, there are only so many iron ore in our Tang Dynasty in a year. If we make all our efforts to cast cannons, we are afraid that we will not even have the materials to build horizontal swords."

"The output is not enough..." Li Chengqian took a deep breath. He had no choice but to this objective fact.

It's just like people can't let the sun rise from the west, and Li Chengqian also has no way to increase the steel production of the Tang Dynasty. After all, there are only so many ores, and they can't improve it even if they want to.

Another point is the transportation problem. Although the Tang Dynasty is now building roads on a large scale, due to the relationship between manpower and material resources, the progress is still slow.

Moreover, in order to strengthen the control of the northern desert grassland and the border of the Western Regions, the main directions of road construction are now concentrated in the north and west. As for the road conditions in the Central Plains, there has been no major change. Except for the road from Chang'an to Luoyang, other places have not even been planned.

The iron ore production is low and road transportation is inconvenient. These two points alone have basically wiped out all Li Chengqian's hopes.

"Your Highness, you can guarantee that you can do your best, but you can't do one thousand cannons in three years. Please think twice." Lao Liu was also willing to do it this time. If you love someone, you won't have a cannon anyway, it will be a life.

After a period of buffering, Li Chengqian slowly calmed down from his madness. He knew that his requirements were too high, but he still asked unwillingly: "So how much can you increase the output? Can you achieve 500 doors in three years?"

If a batch of Zhenguan cannons cannot be created in the shortest time, not to mention what the old man who has paid tens of thousands of yuan would think, even the group of old killers from the Sixteen Guards would be difficult for Li Chengqian to deal with it.

Therefore, he had to make the newly formed artillery troops combat power within three years. Only in this way can he calm the old men of the Sixteen Guards, and at the same time he could use some of the 60,000 guan for other purposes with peace of mind.

Thinking of this, Li Chengqian couldn't help but feel that the old man's money was really hard to make. It was much more difficult than the barbarians in the north and west.

Liu Min was forced by Li Chengqian and had no choice but to make a promise: "If it is four hundred, I can guarantee it, but five hundred cannons... I can only say that I can do my best."

As for whether it can be completed in the end, let’s talk about it then. Many things can happen in three years. Take one step at a time. At worst, you can be dismissed from office and get a title and be granted a title in Yazhou in three years.

"The research on new steel formulas cannot be stopped. The palace will issue a reward order of 15,000 guan, and a national reward will be offered. If the second and third prizes are finally taken away by outsiders, then you will be the one who is in prison. You may be famous for your old Liu!"

However, Li Chengqian didn't seem to want to let Lao Liu go. Even though Liu Min had agreed to the task of making 500 Zhenguan cannons in three years, he still put the task of studying new materials on the head of the supervisor.

Anyway, it is a tradition for the Li family to catch a toad and snatch out the urine. The words that can be done more are not said once or twice. Liu Min has long been used to such an arrangement, so naturally there will be no surprise.

Moreover, Li Chengqian's arrangements are not aimless. After such unreasonable arrangements, there are often some guidance, which will not let his subordinates mess around with their eyes. Thinking of this, Lao Liu's eyes were filled with a hint of wings: "Your Highness, we have been studying new steel, but this formula..."

"You can make the recipe yourself, and I can't help you, but don't learn from those Hu people. Even the spices are put in it, that thing is useless." Li Chengqian remembered that when he was doing glass development some time ago, he seemed to have seen those Hu people adding star anise and cinnamon to the liquefied glass liquid, and couldn't help but remind Liu Min.

"Haha, this minister knows that he won't mess around like those Hu people." Liu Min also knew the past of those Hu people. He couldn't help but smile and assure him when Li Chengqian mentioned it.

"New materials do not have to focus on steel, and don't let go of other metal materials formulas. You must keep records when conducting tests, and at the same time keep the records and the final products produced together. No one knows whether these materials will be of use in the future. Don't give up just because they do not meet the current requirements."

Based on the concept of later laboratories, Li Chengqian has been reminding Liu Min what to pay attention to when studying new materials.

He majored in chemistry and knew nothing about materials. He could only give a general guide. The specific operation depends on Liu Min himself.

However, Li Chengqian proposed the laboratory plan to him, hoping that Lao Liu could organize some manpower to establish a professional research department. This research department should be independent of the production unit, have its own small smelting equipment, and its own simple hydraulic press...

In short, this research department is equivalent to a small general who serves as a supervisor. As long as it is a supervisor, the research department must have it, and even if it is a supervisor, the research department must have it.

Li Chengqian said whatever he thought of, and said it in scattered for about half an hour. Finally, he was a little tired and closed his mouth. He looked at Liu Min and said, "Old Liu, you must remember what I said just now and operate it as soon as possible. The Tang Dynasty will soon have a big battle to fight, and time cannot be delayed."

"Your Highness, you can move, but... you don't have money." Liu Min spread his hands as Li Chengqian's habitual actions: "Your Highness, you are not a profitable institution. You don't have a penalty in your hands now. If you want to achieve what you said, you have to ask the Ministry of Civil Affairs. This matter... The ministers from Shangshu Tang really don't understand the negotiations."

"Shangshu of Tang? Tang Jian?" When Liu Min said that Shangshu of Tang, Li Chengqian naturally thought of that old guy Tang Jian.

"Yes, the Tang Shangshu... is very difficult to deal with, minister, minister..."

"Okay, Lao Tang, don't worry, I will go to find him personally." Li Chengqian sighed inwardly and said, "The prince was actually regarded as a salesperson by himself. I wonder if the princes of all generations who have been in China for 5,000 years will jump out of the grave in anger.

But what if it doesn't?

If he wants to live a life of ten years and directly inherit the throne in the future, then he does not have to make trouble like he is now. Just be careful, don’t rebel, and don’t make Li Er feel dissatisfied. Then he can be a playboy in nothing.

But this is not what he wants. From the beginning to now, Li Chengqian already knows that he can no longer stop now, and even if he wants to do it, he can't do it.
Chapter completed!