Daming: I can’t kill such a greedy prince-in-law?

Three days later, at the royal farm on the outskirts of Yingtian Prefecture.

Zhu Yuanzhang wore a navy blue short-sleeved jacket with a jade belt around his waist, and personally plowed the fields. The officials and common people around him were stunned - since ancient times, how could an emperor work in the fields himself? Not to mention wearing such "weird" clothes.

But Zhu Yuanzhang didn't care. He walked back and forth with the plow in a swift motion, and then said loudly to the onlookers: "Did you see? This dress is so convenient for working! The sleeves won't get caught on farm tools, and the hem won't get stained with mud! Let's order the Ministry of Works to produce a large number of them, and the price will be favorable!"

The crowd cheered. Many peasants had long been fed up with the burden of wearing loose clothes and big sleeves. Now that the emperor had demonstrated it himself, why would they have any concerns?

Not far away, Ouyang Lun and Li Shanchang stood side by side. Li Shanchang whispered: "Your Highness, you are very cunning. You even use the Emperor as a pawn."

Ouyang Lun smiled without saying anything, just looked at Zhu Yuanzhang who was busy in the fields, with a glimmer of admiration in his eyes - this founding emperor might be rude, or greedy for money, but he really cared about the people and was willing to make changes for their livelihood.

The wind swept across the fields, blowing Zhu Yuanzhang's clothes. His short clothes with narrow sleeves looked particularly energetic in the sun, as if foreshadowing that the Ming Dynasty was about to usher in a new trend of reform from top to bottom.

The front page headline of Ming Daily

The print of "The Retired Emperor Demonstrating the New Short Coat While Plowing the Field" was printed overnight in Yingtian Prefecture. The artist used delicate brushstrokes to outline Zhu Yuanzhang's rolled-up cuffs, waist belt, and even the folds on the hem. Newsboys hawked along the streets: "Look at the Retired Emperor's new outfit! The Ministry of Works has released the cutting pattern!"

While the Ming Daily published the print of "The Retired Emperor Demonstrating the New Short Jacket While Plowing the Farm", the Jinling Times quickly followed up with a striking headline "The Retired Emperor Leads a New Fashion in Clothing, and the New Short Jacket May Revolutionize Ming Dynasty Clothing". The article not only describes in detail the scene of Zhu Yuanzhang plowing the farm, but also deeply analyzes the improvement of the convenience of the new short jacket in farming operations, speculating that this will lead to a major change in folk clothing.

The Yingtian Morning News focused on the actions of the Ministry of Industry, reporting extensively that "the Ministry of Industry actively responded to the demonstration of the retired emperor and made full efforts to prepare for the mass production of the new short jacket. The cutting patterns were officially announced to the public today." It also interviewed officials from the Ministry of Industry, revealing that in order to ensure that the new short jacket could be promoted quickly, the Ministry of Industry had organized a large number of craftsmen for training, striving to meet market demand in a short period of time.

The Southern Metropolis Evening News was original in its title, "From the Farmlands to the Marketplace: How the New Short Jacket Ignited the Fashion Fire of the Ming Dynasty." By depicting the reactions of the common people after seeing the retired emperor tilling the fields himself, it showed the sensation this event caused among the people. It also predicted that the new short jacket would spread rapidly through the streets and alleys of the markets across the Ming Dynasty like a spark, setting off a fashion revolution involving the entire nation.

Newsboys shuttled through the streets and alleys, waving newspapers from different newspapers in their hands and shouting: "Look! The emperor is personally tilling the field and demonstrating the new clothes. All the newspapers are saying that the Ming Dynasty is about to change!" For a time, the entire Yingtian Prefecture was immersed in a heated discussion about the new short jackets.

In the backyard of Suzhou Silk and Satin Shop, a dozen cloth merchants were arguing over newspapers.

"This is clearly drawn. It's made of Songjiang fine cotton cloth!" Shopkeeper Lin pointed to the texture of Zhu Yuanzhang's collar on the newspaper. "Look at the warp and weft density. It must have been woven on a three-spindle spinning wheel!"

"Bullshit!" Boss Zhang, who specializes in linen, slammed his head on the table. "The emperor is demonstrating in the field, so of course he uses wear-resistant ramie! Didn't you see that the hem of his clothes is not soaked in mud?"

Suddenly, a sneer came from the corner: "You all have made a mistake." Everyone turned around and saw that it was Mahamu, a Hu merchant who traveled to the Western Regions all year round. He shook out a roll of shiny cloth: "This is the new blended cloth from Hamiwei, with cotton and linen interwoven, and the price is only 60% of Songjiang cloth."

Amid the uproar, the waiter rushed in in a panic, "Boss, something bad has happened! The Cai Family Cloth Shop next door has put up a sign saying 'The Same Cloth Used by the Emperor', and it's packed with customers!"
-
In the "Skillful Zhang" tailor shop in Qinghefang, Hangzhou, Master Zhang, a third-generation tailor, is wearing reading glasses and writing down key data on the edge of a newspaper with a charcoal pencil.

"The cuffs should be three inches shorter and the length of the garment should be five inches shorter." His eyes suddenly widened. "The way the sleeves are connected is wrong!" The apprentices came over and saw that the newspaper illustration clearly showed a never-before-seen "raglan sleeve" structure.

The eldest disciple exclaimed: "Master, doesn't this save fabric for the armpit seams?" The younger disciple has already taken out an abacus: "A piece of clothing saves at least eight cents of fabric!"

Suddenly, there was a loud "clang" from next door. Everyone ran over to take a look and saw a strange iron rack set up in the shop of "Fast Cut Li", and tailor Li was stuffing cloth into the rack. "Watch out!" He stepped on the pedal hard, and the blades on the rack "swish" cut out neat pieces of clothing - it turned out to be the "cloth cutting machine" secretly developed by Ouyang Lun's industry department.
-
In the slums west of Nanjing, five women were chattering around a well.

"Have you heard? Mr. Wang's family bought 20 sets of ready-made clothes!" Aunt Liu gestured, "They said they were for the farmhands, but his daughter stole them and went out for an outing!"

Mrs. Zhou took out a piece of cloth from her bosom in a mysterious manner and said, "My cousin works in the Ministry of Industry, and this is the leftover material from his official uniform." Everyone passed the indigo-dyed fine cloth around, and Granny Li suddenly clapped her hands and said, "Oh my! This is made from old military uniforms!"

The youngest granddaughter was already counting on her fingers: "If we alter all the old clothes at home into narrow sleeves, the saved fabric will be enough to make school bags for the kids." Suddenly she lowered her voice: "Let me tell you, my boss saw a foreign merchant ship bringing in a kind of 'denim' at the dock."
-
In the Imperial College Library, students were arguing with each other.

"How can we change the hair and skin that our parents gave us?" Conservative student Zhao read the "Da Ming Hui Dian" (The Code of the Ming Dynasty). "The Taizu established that the clothes of the common people all have fixed patterns!"

Reformist Qian Xuesheng threw out the newspaper and said, "Even the emperor can wear it, so why can't you?" He unfolded his own design drawings and said, "Look at this stand-up collar design. It retains the Chinese style and is easy to move around in."

The farmer's son in the corner suddenly said, "You are all arguing about these empty things, why don't you think about it." He raised his sleeves full of patches, "My mother wore thin clothes in the cold winter to save me clothes. If the new clothes can really save 30% of the fabric..."

In the silence of the room, the teacher quietly stuffed the "Proposal for Clothing Improvement" into the memorial to be submitted to the emperor.
-
On the Qinhuai River pleasure boat, the top girls are holding a "New Clothes Spring Appreciation Party".

"Sister, you look so pretty in this outfit!" Hong Fu from Cui Yan Pavilion pulled at Bai from Zui Xian Lou's sleeve, "You actually changed your short coat into a double-breasted jacket!"

Miss Bai turned around proudly, and the modified version of the "Moonlight Skirt" with bells on her waist jingled: "I sewed twelve pleats in my skirt. It feels like walking on clouds, and it can be turned into pants when running!" Suddenly, there was a commotion on the shore. The maid of Ouyang Lun's family was wearing men's shorts and was helping the caravan load and unload goods. A scholar shook his head and said "It's against morals", but was choked by the words of the madam: "Didn't the gentleman praise Miss Bai's new dress for its elegance yesterday?"

That night, at least three courtesans sent people to the prince consort's residence, paying a large sum of money to buy the design of a modified skirt that "can be used for both work and dancing."
-
At the border guard post, soldiers were arguing around a fire.

"This is a great outfit!" The captain pulled at his shortened battle robe, "I chased the Tartars yesterday and didn't get caught on branches again!"

The old quartermaster was gloomy and said, "How much silver will it cost to change the uniforms of the whole army? Those masters in the Ministry of Revenue..." Before he finished speaking, the personal soldiers came running over excitedly, "Sir! The prince consort sent 300 sets of 'training uniforms', which means they were made from captured Mongolian robes!"

The parade ground was suddenly bustling with activity. Some noticed the leather patches on their elbows, some cheered, "Finally I can squat and shoot arrows," and some veterans put their new clothes inside their armor, saying, "Great! This waist-hugging design doesn't rub my armpits!"

The general looked at the report on the modification of military uniforms and suddenly slammed the table: "Write a letter to the Ministry of War - if they don't approve the replacement fee, we will continue to wear Mongolian uniforms!"
-
In the teahouses of Quanzhou Port, merchants from all over the world passed around newspapers translated into multiple languages.

"The situation in Ming Dynasty is going to change." The Ryukyu merchant touched the pattern on the newspaper, "Hurry up and write a letter to ask the country to change the looms!"

Alvarez the Portuguese took out his pencil and wrote down: "Pay attention to the button on the collar. Europe has never seen such a design!" His companion had already calculated the profit: "If we remove the embroidery and use rivets instead."

In the corner, Japanese businessman Onodera suddenly stood up and said, "Please chat slowly, everyone. I need to go book a boat ticket for tonight." His hands were shaking as he held the newspaper - the belt around Zhu Yuanzhang's waist in the picture was clearly a modified version of the samurai hakama!
-
In the Needlework Department of the Imperial Palace, palace maids were biting their ears while altering clothes.

"Have you heard? Mr. Li Shanchang's family urgently summoned thirty tailors last night."

"Hush!" The older maid looked around nervously, "My cousin works for the Korean Duke's Mansion. She said she is rushing to make 500 sets of 'traditional ceremonial robes' to be distributed to the Imperial College for free!"

In the corner, the young eunuch sent by the Embroidered Uniform Guard pretended to sort out the silk threads, but in fact he wrote down every word on the secret folder in his sleeve.
-
"Now the whole Ming Dynasty is discussing clothes." Princess Anqing rubbed Ouyang Lun's shoulders, "Are you satisfied?"

Ouyang Lun smiled and unfolded the secret reports from various places: "Yingtian cloth prices have increased by 30%, 18 new tailor shops have opened in Songjiang, and the Ministry of Industry has received 700 plans for machinery improvement."

“The effect is OK, but it’s still a little far from what I want!”

"This hasn't met your requirements yet?!" Princess Anqing was very surprised.

The dusk dyed the carved window lattices of Yuelai Tower into amber. Zhu Yuanzhang reached out to fiddle with the mutton-fat jade paperweight on the desk, and suddenly pressed the paperweight hard while listening to the sound of rock-paper-scissors from the wine shop downstairs. The charcoal fire in the copper basin "crackled" and sparks flew, startling the teacup in Wang Hongru's hand to ripple.

"Everyone," Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly stood up, his navy blue brocade robe swept across the table and overturned a half plate of pine nut candy, "you are all partners of my trading company!" He deliberately prolonged the ending tone like a hook to catch everyone's eyes. Li Wancai's fingers twirling his goatee suddenly tightened, and the abacus beads in Zhang Fugui's arms made a slight sound.

Chen Shouting's Adam's apple rolled twice, and he leaned forward with an apologetic smile: "Boss Zhu, you are joking. How can we be worthy of the title of 'partners'? The last time you argued with the Prince Consort at the investment conference, I still remember it. " "Don't talk nonsense!" Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly slammed the table, shaking the candle flame violently, "Now there is a big business in front of you, do you want to do it?"

Suddenly, a clear clapper sounded outside the window, startling the pigeons under the eaves. The five merchants looked at each other and asked, "Boss Zhu, are you talking about the new short-sleeved shirt business?"

"You still have some vision!" Zhu Yuanzhang laughed.

Li Wancai's goatee was shaking with excitement: "Boss Zhu, it's a good idea! This new style of short coat is in short supply now. If you can unify the style and price..." "And fabric!"

Zhu Yuanzhang took a sip from the teacup, his eyes swept across the shocked faces of the crowd, and suddenly put the teacup down heavily: "All the cloth shops in Yingtian Prefecture are scrambling to sell, but there is not even a unified banner!"

Silk tycoon Li Wancai was the first to come to his senses. He stroked his goatee and said with a smile, "Boss Zhu, do you want to create a well-known clothing brand?" Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and pulled out a wrinkled blueprint from his sleeve. It was the new short-sleeved shirt print that appeared in the Ming Daily that day. "Great! We want to set up 'Zhu's Clothing Shop'. From fabrics to finished clothes, we have the final say!"

Zhang Fugui, a rice merchant, came forward to take a closer look at the blueprint and suddenly exclaimed, "This cloth is made of fine cotton from Songjiang, but the price of cloth has increased by 30% now. The cost..." "Don't worry about the cost!" Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand, with a cunning look in his eyes, "We have channels in Yangzhou and can get low-priced cotton and linen shipped over. But this material still needs to be improved--" He pointed to the cuffs of the print, "It needs to be more wear-resistant and more breathable, so that farmers can wear it to work, and scholars don't look vulgar when they wear it!"

Tea tycoon Chen Shouting stroked his chin and thought: "If we want to mass produce, we may not have enough tailors." Before he finished speaking, Wang Hongru said: "Hangzhou Qinghefang has a new cloth cutting machine, and the Ministry of Industry is promoting it. If we can discuss cooperation, how about it?" "Okay!" Zhu Yuanzhang slammed the table, causing the tea in the teacup to splash. "Send someone to Hangzhou tomorrow to get the exclusive right to use this cloth cutting machine!"

The more they talked, the more excited they became. Silk tycoon Li Wancai proposed opening direct-sale stores in various prefectures and counties, and rice merchant Zhang Fugui advocated launching a membership system, where clothing vouchers could be exchanged for rice, flour, grain and oil. Zhu Yuanzhang nodded frequently, and suddenly his face darkened: "But there is one thing that is most important - a sales license! Now the Ministry of Industry controls the production and sales of new clothing. Without a license, you are a smuggler!" He looked at everyone with a sharp gaze, "We must get this license at all costs!"

Wang Hongru bowed slightly and asked tentatively, "Boss Zhu wants to..." "Let's go to the Ministry of Industry tomorrow!" Zhu Yuanzhang stood up suddenly, and the jade belt around his waist rang with his movements. "Let's see whether this sales license is for the Prince Consort's people or for our Zhuji Clothing Shop!" He looked around at everyone, his eyes full of determination. "Everyone, this will be the first big victory for our Zhuji Shop! When we become the number one clothing merchant in the Ming Dynasty, we will not earn a few boxes of silver, but a mountain of gold and silver!"

The room was silent for a moment, and then suddenly a thunderous response broke out. Li Wancai was the first to raise his glass, spilling the wine on the precious Persian carpet without noticing: "I am willing to go through fire and water for Boss Zhu!" (End of this chapter)