Qin Ke hurried day and night to finish before the autumn harvest, precisely so he could use his rice fields to verify the results.
Fortunately, Gu Lanxi had sent enough people, and their craftsmanship was impeccable. Otherwise, he truly would not have been able to handle such a delicate and complex project.
Thus, the first agricultural harvester of the Great Yan Dynasty was born.
On the day Qin Ke prepared to conduct the test, Gu Lanxi also came to Qinghe Village. This time, however, she came alone—the Eldest Princess did not appear.
Qin Ke was curious.
Qin Ke wanted to gossip.
But Qin Ke did not dare to ask.
In the past, whether harvesting wheat, rice, or other crops, common folk relied entirely on manual labor. The tool of choice was a sharpened sickle, and even a strong laborer working from dawn till dusk could harvest only a little over two mu of land in a day.
The harvester built according to the system's blueprints was fitted underneath with ground-wheel–driven cutting blades, and above with a reel and a grain-collecting platform. Without steam engines or fuel, the harvester could only be pulled by horses or donkeys. Once activated, the reel pressed the rice stalks down, the cutting blades severed the stalks, and the harvested rice fell onto the collecting platform. When enough rice accumulated, a mechanical trigger released it, causing the grain to drop down—achieving semi-automatic bundling.
In truth, this type of harvester was more suitable for wheat fields, but for now, Qin Ke decided to test it on his rice paddies.
Lu Youqing also took a rare break from her books that day. Qin Ke often urged her to balance work with rest and not place too much pressure on herself.
Sometimes Lu Youqing listened to Qin Ke's advice; sometimes she did not. But on such a special day, no matter what, she would come to witness it with her own eyes.
They stood before an endless stretch of rice fields, which looked as though the ground had been covered in gold. The rice ears were plump and heavy, swollen as if about to burst. When the wind blew, waves of golden ripples surged across the fields.
Gu Lanxi's knowledge of farming was limited, but on the way there she had seen other rice fields, and she also owned estates of her own that required regular inspection. None of the rice she had seen before compared to Qin Ke's—each grain was full, and the heavy ears bent the stalks low.
She thought that even without weighing them, the yield from Qin Ke's fields would certainly be very high.
Everyone was eagerly anticipating the harvester's performance. Gu Lanxi was especially cautious and had people cordon off several hundred meters around the site.
The horses pulling the harvester were two gentle old horses Gu Lanxi had brought with her. After harnessing them, a driver in his thirties sat in the designated seat at the front of the machine. He lightly tugged the reins to urge the horses forward. As they moved, the rotating reel pressed down the rice heads, the cutting blades below sliced through the stalks, and the grain fell smoothly onto the collecting platform.
Once enough rice accumulated on top, the mechanism was triggered, and the grain dropped from the platform. The people behind only needed to load the fallen rice onto donkey carts and haul it home.
In just over two hours, all ten mu of Qin Ke's rice fields had been harvested. At this speed, a single harvester could reap forty to fifty mu in one day—several times more efficient than traditional manual harvesting with sickles.
The craftsmen Gu Lanxi had sent stood nearby the entire time, eyes fixed on the experiment, fearing any mishap. When they saw the results, they were so excited they nearly jumped with joy.
They usually worked only on ordinary machinery—who could have imagined that one day they would create something so astonishing and inconceivable with their own hands?
Qin Ke, on the other hand, remained calm throughout. He had complete confidence in anything produced by the system. If any issues arose, they would most likely stem from the materials—after all, they could not compare to the durability of modern steel.
"This device is excellent," Gu Lanxi finally said, a satisfied smile appearing on her face after watching the entire process. Ever since Jinyang had returned to the capital, her mood had remained subdued.
Though she too was amazed and intrigued, she was accustomed to grand scenes and thus remained composed.
"Although this machine is successful, it is not yet time to release it. I will take the blueprints and the craftsmen with me. You only need to wait for our news."
Seeing the successful trial eased Gu Lanxi's concerns somewhat. Next came the discussion of serious matters.
Although Qin Ke knew they had their own plans and that, strictly speaking, he should not interfere in what came next, he hesitated briefly and still spoke up:
"Are you planning mass production?"
As expected, the moment the question left his mouth, Gu Lanxi's expression darkened slightly.
"I mean no offense," Qin Ke quickly said. "I only want to say that the production process for the harvester is intricate and complex. Many of the components are iron parts that require highly skilled craftsmen to forge and polish. If mass production is intended, it might be worth trying an assembly-line approach."
"Assembly line?" Gu Lanxi's expression softened somewhat. Hearing this unfamiliar term, she raised an eyebrow with curiosity.
Qin Ke nodded and explained in as much detail as he could: "It means breaking the production process down into different steps, with each person responsible for just one task. Simple parts can be handled by ordinary workers, while complex components are assigned to experienced masters. Once everyone becomes familiar with their own task, production speeds up, and overall efficiency improves."
Gu Lanxi considered this carefully. Not only did she understand his idea, she also thought of another benefit: "By assigning different components to different departments, it also makes it easier to keep the entire process confidential."
That way, even if someone harbored ill intentions and tried to steal the technique, they could only obtain a fragment of it.
Qin Ke silently nodded. He had never underestimated the wisdom of people from this era—especially not these extraordinary women.
"I will consider your suggestion," Gu Lanxi said, looking at Qin Ke with growing appreciation.
Perhaps this man truly could help Jinyang change her circumstances.
Gu Lanxi was a very busy person. After seeing the harvester's performance, she left with her people, taking both the completed harvester and the craftsmen who had worked on it.
Only Pei Xiu remained at Qin Ke's home. Qin Ke guessed she would stay by his side for some time—both to monitor him and to serve as a channel of communication between him and Gu Lanxi.
Once Gu Lanxi's people had all departed, Qin Ke bent down and picked up an ear of rice from the ground. He rubbed away the husk and looked at the crystal-clear, jade-white grains, unable to suppress a soft smile.
Nothing could compare to the sense of fulfillment and achievement that came from personally witnessing the harvest of seeds one had sown with such painstaking effort.
Next, Qin Ke began leading people to load the harvested rice onto carts and haul it home, preparing for threshing.
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Currently at chapter 204 for advance chapters
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