Although Ge Ciyu didn't dare to compare himself with the great master Li Cunxuan, the former supervisor of the Imperial Workshop Temple, he had a strong desire to write books and establish his own theories. Except for the "Jiangzuo Jing" written over 400 years ago, all the techniques of Jiangzuo were passed down orally within the craftsmen's community. Ge Ciyu and his father had secretly copied down thousands of Jiangzuo oral instructions and experiences, many of which made significant progress and improvements based on the "Jiangzuo Jing".

  Although his heart yearned for it, Ge Ci Yu still had a lot of hesitation.

  "What's wrong, when it comes to your head, you're not even daring? Zhao Shuhan turned around and asked Ge Cuoyu with a smile, "Or is it that your family has passed down an extraordinary skill, which is not easily shown to outsiders?"

  "What family heirloom is not a lost art? For hundreds of years, craftsmen and musicians have been listed as lowly households, and the lost art has also become a lowly skill..." Ge Siyu said with self-mockery.

  "Since Brother Ge is not confined to a particular school of thought, Lin Xie humbly requests that Brother Ge take the trouble to write a book," said Lin Xie, standing up from his seat and bowing deeply to Ge Suiyu. "The Cloud Collection Society will present you with one hundred taels of official silver as is customary, and as for the publication of the book after it's completion, not a single detail needs to trouble Brother Ge."

  Ge Ziyu hastily stood up, returned the courtesy to Lin Xie, and said: "Originally, engraving books was not profitable. Thanks to Brother Zhao's introduction, I am fortunate to know Brother Lin. My hesitation is only because I fear causing trouble for Brother Lin. How could I dare ask for silver in return?"

  "Brother Ge may not know, but when I was discussing with Brother Zhao at night, I felt that miscellaneous studies and craftsmanship can benefit the people and the country. I am not good at writing moral articles, and my poetry and painting are mediocre, but I feel that promoting miscellaneous studies and craftsmanship is our generation's responsibility," Lin Xuan said. "I'm giving you silver, not to say that you're greedy for wealth, but to set an example and encourage more scholars to write books on miscellaneous studies and craftsmanship. Please don't refuse." Lin Xuan asked Zhou Pu to go find Lin Jingzhong to get the silver.

  "To be honest, I'm a craftsman's son and have the responsibility to carry on our family's miscellaneous skills," Lin Mou said, causing Ge Cuoyu to become restless. He grabbed Zhou Pu's hand and stopped him from taking the silver, saying, "Writing books and spreading knowledge is a huge matter for us craftsmen. Let me go back and discuss it with my father first. I don't dare take the silver now, if I bring it back, who knows, my father might beat me to death..."

  Ge Siyu and Zhao Shuhan left at dusk, Lin Xie sent a carriage to send them off. Unexpectedly, after dark, Ge Siyu and Zhao Shuhan returned in the same carriage he had sent, accompanied by Ge Siyu's elderly father, Ge Fu.

  Ge Fu was a legendary craftsman in Jiangning Prefecture. Lin Xie had also heard of his story. Although he was illiterate from a young age, he was extremely intelligent. His ancestors were originally from Rui'an Prefecture and were known as "gold panning households." However, by the time of Ge Fu's generation, there was no more gold to be found in Rui'an, and his family was forced to flee to avoid labor duties. During their journey, both of his parents passed away, leaving Ge Fu alone at the age of 11 or 12. He survived by begging for food in front of the Jiangning government office and was eventually caught and assigned to a craftsman household. Due to his young age and lack of a fixed household to take him in, he wandered from place to place, learning various skills from different craftsmen. By the time he grew up, he had become an all-around master craftsman skilled in carpentry, shipbuilding, pottery, metalwork, and painting, with a particular talent for construction. During the reign of Emperor Longxing, Ge Fu was already a renowned master craftsman under the Jiangning government office. The Jiuyong Bridge outside the Donghua Gate was built under his supervision. Throughout his life, Ge Fu oversaw the construction of countless palaces, houses, bridges, and city walls but was never able to escape his status as a craftsman. It wasn't until Emperor Longxing gave his mother a birthday gift that Ge Fu led a team of craftsmen in creating a magnificent "Hundred Birds Paying Homage" treasure ship, which earned him a special imperial decree releasing him from his craftsman status. Lin Xie had only heard about the exquisite craftsmanship of the treasure ship during casual conversations with Gu Wu Chen. Emperor Longxing was so impressed that he even dug a three-hectare lake in the imperial garden to display the seven-meter-long treasure ship.

  Lin Xie had already arrived on the island prison, when he received news that Zhao Shuhan and Ge Sixian had returned. Ge Sixian's old father, Ge Fu, also came together with them. Lin Xie hastily took a boat to the riverside grass hut on this side of the riverbank.

  At this time, Ge Fu was already over 70 years old. Under the reflection of the campfire, his white eyebrows and hair were shining brightly, but his body was still very strong and robust. His dark skin and tall, thin figure made him look very spirited as he stood there. Because Ge Fu's reputation was too great, after getting older, he really feared being asked by various parties to supervise engineering projects, so for these few years, he had been using illness as an excuse to stay at home and rest, refusing to see outsiders. At this moment, looking at him, not a single hint of illness could be seen. The private club, Ji Yun She, had a very deep relationship with Ge Fu through the several master craftsmen from Jiangning Prefecture's Department of Public Works and those invited by Jiangning Prefecture. When Lin Xie came over, these master craftsmen had not yet left and were still surrounding Ge Fu, asking after his well-being.

  "Mr. Ge! Lin Xie has arrived and pays his respects." Lin Xie looked at Ge Fu, who was surrounded by people in front of the thatched cottage, and walked over to give him a deep bow with the demeanor of a junior scholar.

  "Lin Si's guest is polite," said old man Ge Fu with a loud and clear voice, his words resonating in people's ears. Although he lived a simple life, he was also someone who could stand up straight and speak in front of high-ranking officials such as the Minister of Works, Vice Minister, and Military Counselor of Jiangning Prefecture. He spoke to Lin Xie with great demeanor, without rushing to talk about the book. With his hands on his hips, he looked at the camp by the river and said, "This old man also knows a few generals who have fought battles, they all say that if casualties exceed 30%, it's still possible to keep the soldiers from dispersing and fleeing. I didn't believe it when I heard about the situation here from Si Yu in my house, but after seeing it with my own eyes, it's truly orderly. If Lin Sir were to become a general, he would definitely be a famous one..."

  The first night the refugees arrived at the river mouth, they were ambushed with premeditation. No one could stop the casualties, and it was because Lin Xuan was able to quickly stop the spread of panic after the tragedy occurred, and organized the refugees to restore order at the river mouth as soon as possible, which made Gu Wu Chen and others even more trusting of Lin Xuan.

  In fact, Lin Jie's command of the organization was only one aspect, while Lin Mengde, Zhang Yuber and others lent their full support, which was another aspect. The larger factor was that these refugees had no home to return to, and Cao Zikang, Ge Cunxin, Ge Cunxiong and many other brothers were scattered among the refugees, serving as a stabilizing force in the midst of the refugee crisis.

  Some things are unknown to others and naturally all the credit goes to Lin Xie's head.

  "It was actually Lin Xie's fault, I don't dare to take credit for it," said Lin Xie. "Mr. Ge must have come here with some advice for me. It's already late, and I'm afraid there won't be enough time to return to the city. Why not go to the island as a guest instead?"

  Lin Xie invited Ge Fu, Ge Siyu and Zhao Shuhan to take a boat to the prison island as guests. He let Zhou Pu lead the guards and soldiers to stand guard at the river mouth.

  In the early morning, Li Cunhan, the supervisor of the Temple of the Imperial Workshop, wrote "The Artisan's Handbook", which has been considered a classic in the field for nearly 500 years. For over a thousand years, this is the only specialized book on the subject that has been written. At this time, Lin Xie and Zhao Shuhan were urging Ge Siyu to write a book and establish a theory, at least within the Imperial Workshop, it would be considered a monumental task. After returning home, Ge Siyu spread out the "Tiliao Prison Book" written by Zhao Shuhan in front of Ge Fu, who was immediately moved and, disregarding his rule of not leaving the house for several years, took Ge Siyu and Zhao Shuhan out of the city at once.

  Ge Fu was exempted from the artisan register, and his only son Ge Siyu, born in middle age, also entered officialdom. The old man looked very lightly on money, so he naturally didn't have the idea of secretly passing on his craftsmanship. As a famous master craftsman in Jiangning, Ge Fu's exemption from the artisan register by imperial decree made his reputation in the construction industry reach its peak in this life. What could be more moving for him in his later years than becoming a renowned master and ancestor of the construction industry?

  Ge Fu has always had this idea, and over the years, he has been sorting out and recording the secrets and experiences of Jiangzuo with his son Ge Sijiu one by one. However, due to the world's disdain and rejection of Jiangzuo's miscellaneous arts, Ge Fu, despite having the intention, has been delaying it due to various concerns.

  The so-called turning point is very subtle. When Ge Xueru spread out the real book of "Ti Lou Yu Shu", it gave the old man a mind to let go: at the age of 70, there are only a few years left to live well, and if he hesitates any longer, this thought will follow him into his coffin.

  Ge Fu has almost experienced everything in his life and has developed a transparent and honest character. He doesn't fool around with Lin Lian, and the old man's knowledge and skills are so vast that they make Lin Lian and Zhao Shuhan stare in amazement. When walking to the pigpen, he talks about pig farming techniques with the pig herder, and two prisoners nod their heads frequently. Lin Lian asks a prisoner who is skilled in woodworking to replicate a large spinning wheel from Pingjiang Prefecture, but after disassembling it, they find that the structure is too complex and can't be reassembled or replicated even after two days of trying. Ge Fu points out the problem with just a few words. Lin Lian says that every day, light-sentence prisoners are sent to the riverbank to catch fish, and he's considering adding two fishing boats. Ge Fu immediately uses a wooden stick to draw a diagram of the fishing boat's water grid on a candle holder, giving it to Lin Lian to take to the shipyard for modification, so that they won't have to worry about preserving small-scale catches of fish meat.

  Ge Fu had a deep respect for his predecessors and only said that he wanted to make annotations on Li Cunhan's "Jiang Zuojing". Lin Guan said that he would offer 100 taels of official silver, but the old man did not refuse. He just said: "To annotate 'Jiang Zuojing' well, I'm afraid 100 taels of silver won't be enough. I also have some savings for my old age, so let's use them together. Besides, if we really want to write a book, I'll make a list of people who are skilled in the construction industry. Lin Siyuan and Zhao Zhuren should invite as many people on this list as possible. Writing a book will be much easier with their help. After all, Li Cunhan and I have limited knowledge, and it's been years since we last worked on a project. Our memories may not be accurate... These people are not all masters who are tightly held by various government departments. Some of them are even particularly disliked by the officials. I've been in this industry for 60 years and know what each person is good at."

  Ge Fu was illiterate, and his son Ge Siyu wrote on his behalf. The list of names included artisans from Jiangning Prefecture, some under the jurisdiction of the Jiangning Prefectural Government Office, others under the Jiangning Provincial Government Office, military artisans under the Jiangning Garrison Command, those under the jurisdiction of the Jiangdong Pacification Commission, those under the Jiangdong Provincial Military Command, and those under the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's Office.

  Although Zhao Shuhan was a seventh-grade official, he actually had no real power and could not invite these master craftsmen.

  Lin Xuan looked at the list, a total of twenty-six people, in addition to covering the twelve types of work involved in construction, such as earthwork, stonework, carpentry, sawing, bamboo work, tile work, mud work, brick work, kiln work, etc., also included ironwork, boat-making, and cart-making. The people listed by Ge Fu were undoubtedly the top craftsmen in each trade. Jiangning was the southern capital of the Great Viet dynasty, naturally a place where dragons and tigers hid, but some dragons and tigers were underestimated by the world. Lin Xuan felt that this list was as heavy as a thousand jun, thinking that he must escape to Changshan Island tonight, besides bringing Su Mei and Xiao Man out of the city, the most important thing was to bind all these people according to the list and take them to Changshan Island.

  This list is simply for him to follow and recruit talent in Jiangning.

  Ge Fu is a straightforward old man. He said that if he goes out of the house today and is seen by others, someone will definitely come to invite him to come out of retirement. With a troubled heart, he cannot wholeheartedly help his son Ge Siyu write books. He says that the island prison is quiet, but it's better to just stay on the island prison.

  Lin Ge, of course, was not to be found. He opened a waterway at the river mouth and built a dock. Later, he would invite skilled craftsmen from Jiangning Prefecture who had a good reputation to do the work. With Ge Fu on Prison Island, these craftsmen absolutely wouldn't follow Jiyun Society's lead.

  Ge Fu wasn't very happy living within the high walls either, and asked Lin Xie to lend him five people to serve him for three days. Lin Xie naturally agreed, and was even worried that he wouldn't have enough manpower, so he gave him ten people instead.

  Ge Fu lived on the island for three days and built a bamboo house on a small flat land at the southern end of the island, near the riverbank. The three connected bamboo houses were made by splitting bamboo into tiles, bundling bamboo into walls, and even the floorboards inside the house and the corridors outside were all made of bamboo. In the end, he used bamboo branches to weave a fence and formed a small courtyard, with a doghouse at the entrance and a few lush green bamboo shoots planted in the corner, blending seamlessly with the white waves outside, full of vitality.

  As soon as it was completed, Ge Fu invited Lin Xian to come in and have a look. Even the tables, chairs, beds, cabinets, cups, and bowls inside were all made of bamboo. Lin Xian envied him so much that he wanted to drive old Ge Fu out and occupy the place for himself.

  "My skills are nothing compared to bamboo craftsman Zhao Zui Gui Er..." Ge Fu said with a smile, "This Zhao Zui Gui Er was ruined by his drinking. Only after drinking did he become sober and have the energy to work, but which official would provide him with wine to drink? He's been half-crippled all these years."

  "If he can get ten apprentices to build such a small courtyard in three days, I'll provide him with wine every day." Lin Fu smiled and asked where Ge Fu Zhao Zui was living, wanting to go invite him tomorrow. Even if it's just half of the disabled person, the yamen won't care about the life and death of this kind of craftsman.

  "If you're willing to take him, have Si Yu bring him over tomorrow. All these years he's been freeloading off our family's wine, it's infuriating. Now I can finally get rid of this nuisance..." Old Man Ge Fu said with a delighted smile.

  *********

  PS: Chapter 2 is online, today's update is also 8,000 words, asking for red tickets!