Chapter 60 The Function of the Pocket Watch

"As you all know, the most important thing in a march is controlling the rhythm. You cannot let the troops march too fast; if they do that for too long, they will be exhausted and unable to move. Nor can you let them march too slowly, because if you are too slow, you won't reach the encampment before nightfall."

"Under normal circumstances, controlling that rhythm relies entirely on feel."

"In a real battle, however—such as the raid on Bancheng—the roads are unfamiliar. The sky is gloomy, and you might even encounter rain. You cannot judge time by the sky, nor can you judge your progress by the road."

"On top of executing a rapid raid, you must also preserve your physical strength. Because once you reach Bancheng, you still have a battle to fight."

"At times like these, people are prone to panic. Once the officers and soldiers panic, they easily end up running too fast, and by the time they reach Bancheng, their momentum is spent, leaving them completely collapsed."

"This is when you use pocket watches to tell the time and control your speed."

"Practically speaking, it is best to send people ahead in secret to run along the route a few times beforehand, determining the most suitable speed and the exact checkpoints for specific hours. When the raid takes place, you march strictly according to this schedule."

"Furthermore, this time our forces were split into two separate paths, yet we coordinated with one another entirely according to a pre-arranged schedule."

"Therefore, from now on, everyone must add a new subject to their studies: incorporating a strict schedule into military campaign planning."

"Secondly, you must learn how to repair pocket watches."

He Chongan had been feeling somewhat stirred and inspired, but upon hearing this last sentence, his expression instantly stiffened with a sense of impending doom.

As He Ziqi shifted the conversation to repairing pocket watches, he continued, "Out of the fifty pocket watches this time, buffeted by wind, slashed by blades, and soaked by rain, a total of seven broke down, while several others developed minor issues."

"From now on, these pocket watches are the weapons of a commander. You must learn to maintain a pocket watch with the exact same care you use to maintain your arms."

Hearing this, He Chongan felt as though he had just been slapped across the face.

A burning, stinging pain.

Seven out of fifty broken.

A defect rate of fourteen percent.

If anyone's military-industrial production reached such a level, they ought to be dragged out and used for target practice.

The mere thought of a military order dictating an attack at five o'clock, only for troops to wait and discover their watch had stopped, and the catastrophic losses that would follow, made him want to die of shame.

He knew, of course, that Myanmar was hot, humid, and rainy. During military campaigns, equipment suffered severe vibrations and was even subjected to swords, crossbows, and firearms. Problems were bound to happen.

Yet in his heart, he blamed himself bitterly: "Why didn't I think it through and put more effort into rust-proofing and waterproofing?"

He now suspected that the broken pocket watches had rusted from the inside.

The internal components of the watches had merely been dipped in oil to leave a thin film, while every other rust-prevention measure had been completely neglected. He Chongan had not known any specific anti-rust methods at the time—after all, he was not a professional scholar in this field; he only understood the broad direction of the technology, while the fine technical details eluded him.

As for waterproofing?

Without rubber, how could one possibly waterproof anything?

He Chongan looked at He Chongan and said, "Third Young Master, the pocket watches were of immense help this time. I must ask you to teach everyone how to repair them."

He Chongan observed He Ziqi's expression and noticed not a single trace of blame regarding the damaged watches; he was treating it as a matter-of-fact occurrence.

Understanding dawned upon He Chongan.

He had been viewing ancient people through the mindset of a modern man.

The concept of quality changes with the development of productivity.

In ancient times, if a garment could be passed down through three generations—even if it became a patchwork of countless patches—it wasn't considered broken.

In modern times, if a piece of clothing lacks a single loose thread but has merely gone out of style, people discard it.

In modern times, handmade goods represent the absolute pinnacle of individual craftsmanship, often classified as works of art because otherwise, they would have no market at all.

In truth, the quality of industrial manufactured goods vastly surpasses that of hand-crafted items. One can only say that among handicrafts, the best ones are exceptionally superb—truly works of breathtaking skill—while the worst ones are exceptionally terrible. Yet because commodities were so scarce, as long as an item was barely usable, most people just made do.

The pocket watches crafted by He Chongan were already considered quite impressive in the eyes of most people in this era.

Yet He Chongan could not forgive himself so easily.

He secretly resolved that in the future, he would manufacture the finest military supplies for the He family.

Facing He Ziqi's gaze, he said, "No problem."

"Ah—" An unknown sigh escaped from somewhere among the younger generation of the He family.

This signified that they had acquired yet another burdensome subject to study. Moreover, repairing such intricate pocket watches must surely be exceedingly difficult.

After the meeting was dismissed,

He Chongan wanted to find He Ziqi to ask what exactly had gone wrong with the broken pocket watches, but he was intercepted and summoned by Madame He.

Madame He went straight to the point: "How much ready money do you have on hand right now? Liquid cash."

He Chongan was startled for a moment, then replied, "The account books of the Fengyu Firm don't have much cash left; probably a little over twenty thousand taels."

This was simply He Chongan's habit.

Unlike many landlords and wealthy squires of this era who loved hoarding silver, He Chongan believed that keeping too much silver on hand without investing it was practically a crime.

The very essence of money is circulation and flow.

After taking over the operations of the Fengyu Firm, He Chongan had merged it with the horse ranch and the briquette factory; henceforth, it would be known as the Fengyu Briquette Factory, especially since it bore a title bestowed by the Emperor.

Although Prince Jin had handed over the Fengyu Firm, he had withdrawn all the cash reserves. After going through a series of restructuring procedures, He Chongan did not actually have much ready money left in his hands.

"This time, the situation in the Western Sea was turned around and danger averted entirely thanks to you. Without you, I wouldn't have known what to do. I have already made inquiries: the Privy Council is preparing to record our merits, and they intend to confer upon your eldest brother the title of Heir to the Marquis of Wuning."

He Chongan immediately replied, "That is wonderful."

Many matters were rumored as whispers long before official decisions were made.

This was, in fact, a subtle hint regarding the Emperor's bestowal of honors upon the Marquis of Wuning—using this military achievement to extend the title of the Marquis of Wuning for another generation and save it from being demoted.

To He Chongan, this was also a thoroughly beneficial development.

Madame He closely observed He Chongan's expression and noticed that he seemed to have no particular reaction to He Chongxin becoming the Heir to the Marquis of Wuning.

A weight lifted quietly in her heart.

"You have made monumental contributions to the He family, and the household ought to show its appreciation. This Fengyu Firm should rightly belong to you. But I have no other choice now," Madame He said. "I can only ask you for money."

"Mother, please do not speak like that. Even without me, Father's great victory at Bancheng would have been enough to turn the tide. Besides, the Fengyu Firm was bestowed upon the He family by the imperial court; how could it be said to belong to me?" He Chongan replied. "If Mother speaks in this manner, your son will not know how to conduct himself."

"How can that be? What belongs to whom must remain clear. Fair rewards and punishments are the foundation upon which a household is built. This Fengyu Firm must be yours. It is simply that I need to draw upon some funds urgently."

"Furthermore, according to the He family's ancestral precepts, we must not hoard excessive wealth. If there is too much money, the descendants will cease to strive in their study of martial arts."

This ancestral precept was, in fact, true.

Of course, none of the successive heads of the He family had actually been all that honest; it was simply that whenever they invested in various businesses, they always managed to lose money.

That was the real reason why the He family possessed so few industrial enterprises.

Making money was never an easy task; the He family knew only how to wage war.

He Chongan declined repeatedly.

One insisted on giving, while the other insisted on yielding.

Mother and son engaged in polite deference for quite some time.

For no other reason than this: Madame He had grown genuinely wary of this concubine-born son of hers.