Taking on a disciple—Improving the carriage

Yan Lide’s sudden act of kneeling to become a disciple startled Li Zhi out of his wits; he stood there, dazed, for quite some time before he could react. Hastily, he reached out, attempting to help Yan Lide to his feet.

He said anxiously, “Master Yan, what are you doing? I am unworthy—how could I possibly serve as your teacher?”

But Yan Lide, seeing Li Zhi’s refusal, was determined not to rise. Struggling to remain on his knees, he pleaded, “Your Highness’s wisdom surpasses anything known to history. I am not worthy of a tenth of your knowledge. Please do not despise my dullness—accept me as your disciple, I beg you.”

By now, Li Zhi was truly at a loss. After all, he had only solved a minor problem by relying on knowledge from his previous life. Most of this knowledge was theoretical; when it came to practical skills, he could not compare. Yan Lide, in contrast, was a true master artisan—his theoretical understanding and hands-on ability were both at the pinnacle of their era.

Now, such a figure was determined to become his disciple. To Li Zhi, this was utterly absurd. He hurriedly tried to persuade Yan Lide to rise, attempting to help him up. But with his young and frail body, how could he possibly move the older man?

And so, the two were locked in a stalemate.

At that moment, their commotion drew the attention of those in the adjacent official residence. Soon, several people gathered at the entrance to Yan Lide’s quarters. Upon seeing the scene before them, they were stunned, rooted to the spot, unable to decide how to respond.

Li Zhi turned anxiously to them and called out, “Please, come and persuade Master Yan. I truly cannot accept such an honor!”

Though the others did not know what had transpired, since Li Zhi had spoken, they naturally felt compelled to act. But Yan Lide was resolute. Not only did he refuse to rise, he also handed over the blueprints drawn by Li Zhi to the assembled officials.

He then explained in detail exactly what had happened.

Once more, a heavy silence fell over the room. Except for the soft rustle as the blueprints were passed from hand to hand, even the sound of breathing seemed barely audible.

After a long pause, Yan Liben, Yan Lide’s younger brother, was the first to speak: “Your Highness, since my brother sincerely wishes to become your disciple, you might as well grant his request.”

Upon hearing this, the others nodded in agreement.

These officials, all craftsmen by origin, were not given to convoluted thinking. In their eyes, Li Zhi’s abilities were more than enough to command their respect. Thus, Yan Lide’s desire to become his disciple seemed entirely reasonable.

Seeing the situation, Li Zhi could only reluctantly accept, stressing once again that his strengths lay in theory, and that his practical skills were not strong. The others paid this no mind; none of them expected a child under three years old to be particularly adept with his hands.

And so, on his very first day at the Directorate of Works, Li Zhi found himself accepting the director as his disciple.

The news spread through the Directorate like a hurricane, reaching every corner within half a day. And this was only the beginning.

By the next day, the story had reached the entire court, and even Emperor Taizong himself soon heard of it.

In the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Emperor Taizong laughed heartily for quite some time before turning to Zhang Anan, who stood by his side. “Anan, what do you think of Zhinu?”

Zhang Anan replied with a smile, “His Highness the Prince of Jin is truly a prodigy bestowed from Heaven; his wisdom is beyond compare.”

Emperor Taizong said with pride, “I have long said that Zhinu excels in the study of things, but the court ministers would not believe me. Now, even the chief artisan of the Directorate has become my son’s disciple—let’s see what they have to say now.”

Meanwhile, the ministers were in utter confusion, unable to fathom how Li Zhi could be so extraordinary.

But Li Zhi had no mind for these matters. He was deep in discussion with Yan Lide and the others about matters of architecture.

With cement and slaked lime now available, Li Zhi was eager to see these materials spread among the people of the Tang Dynasty. Encountering such professionals as Yan Lide and his peers, he naturally seized the opportunity for discussion.

He presented the methods for making cement and lime, and used the remaining materials at hand to produce some finished products. While the artisans’ abilities to summarize their experiences varied, their hands-on skills were uniformly excellent.

After a brief discussion, they decided that Li Zhi would fund the construction of an inn in Chang’an, built with bricks, tiles, and cement.

This inn would combine elements of modern residential structures, as proposed by Li Zhi, with features of classical architecture familiar to Yan Lide and the others.

Since winter was approaching, Li Zhi chose first to establish two workshops to prepare the necessary materials, with construction set to begin in earnest the following spring.

With the help of Yan Lide and the others, the workshops were swiftly built and put into operation. During this period, the first upgraded four-wheeled carriage was also successfully produced.

This particular carriage had been designed by Li Zhi especially for Emperor Taizong.

From a distance, the entire carriage resembled a small room, its exterior adorned with intricate carvings. It had double doors, a small window on each side, and inside was placed a broad seat. The seat and backrest were upholstered with cowhide stuffed with duck down, giving it the feel of a sofa.

In front of the sofa was a low table, suitable for holding books and fruit trays. On either side of the door stood a round stool, convenient for guests to sit.

On each side of the frame were four specially made leaf springs, and at the connection between the axle and the wheels was a bronze bearing.

The wheels themselves were wrapped in several layers of cowhide to reduce vibration. Of course, Li Zhi knew this was of limited effectiveness, but in the absence of rubber, there was little else to be done.

The steering mechanism of the front wheels could be operated manually, with a device somewhat akin to a handbrake—lowering it allowed the wheels to turn left or right, raising it locked them in place.

After personally driving the carriage around, Yan Lide exclaimed excitedly, “It’s a success! This carriage is incredibly easy to drive and there’s no jostling at all.”

Hearing this, Yan Liben and the others who had come to observe leapt with joy.

Li Zhi could not help but smile as well, seeing their happiness.

To him, the carriage was still far from perfect—at the very least, it ought to have rubber tires.

When the carriage was presented to Emperor Taizong—even as a man accustomed to grandeur—he was astounded. In his eyes, it was nothing short of a mobile study, its appointments no less splendid than those of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

He ordered his coachman to drive him around the palace, quickly drawing the attention of Fang Xuanling and other courtiers. They craned their necks, full of curiosity, to watch the carriage pass through the courtyard.

By now, they all knew that this was the masterpiece that had prompted Yan Lide to become Li Zhi’s disciple.