People in the Ming Dynasty are lawless

Chapter 754 Yunnan Establishes a Semicolon
The morning mist had not yet dissipated, but the Hangzhou Canal Wharf was already bustling with people. Porters carrying bags formed a long line, loading rolls of "Quanqing cloth" onto the canal boats. The boat captain, Lao Wu, was smoking a pipe and counting the wages for the third trip of the day with narrowed eyes.

"Old Wu, add two more ships!" The dock manager's voice was so loud that ripples appeared on the water. "The foreign merchants from Ningbo are in a hurry to load the goods, so increase the freight by 30%!"

Old Wu blew out smoke rings and grinned, revealing his yellow teeth. Ever since the cloth from the Jinguo Workshop became popular, the people who were transporting goods had never stopped. It used to take three days to collect a shipload of goods, but now they have to send out five ships a day.

Seven or eight new inns have been built on both sides of the canal. In front of the most imposing "Si Hai Lou", Alberto the Red Beard was speaking stiff official language to the innkeeper: "Book ten more rooms! My caravan will arrive the day after tomorrow!"

The shopkeeper's abacus clicked loudly. Three months ago, this building was so deserted that horses could run there, but now even the firewood room has been converted into a dormitory. He secretly glanced at the account book. The rent paid in advance by the foreign merchants alone was equivalent to the income of half a year in previous years.

At the mutton soup shop on Gongfang West Street, Aunt Liu was drinking from a coarse porcelain bowl, sweating profusely. She is now a weaving instructor at the workshop, earning six taels of silver a month. The stall owner, Lao Zhang, scooped a spoonful of bone marrow and added it to her bowl: "I heard that another group of Portuguese merchants came this morning?"

"That's right." Aunt Liu wiped her mouth. "The queue at the workshop door has lasted until noon. Manager Xiao Tao said that the 30 new female workers will start working tomorrow."

Old man Wang, who was selling pancakes at the corner of the alley, listened with his ears perked up, kneading dough non-stop. Since the workshop became prosperous, his stall had to knead five more pounds of flour every day. The wife of Li Xiucai next door set up a letter writing stall, specializing in writing contracts for foreign merchants, and earned more than her husband, Xiucai.

In front of the Canal Transport Office, the clerk read out a notice at the top of his voice: "From now on, we will add a night shift for the canal boats, and the porters' wages will be doubled!" The crowd immediately exploded. A thin man squeezed out of the crowd and ran home - he had to tell his wife quickly that he could save two more taels of silver this month.

Zhu Youwei stood on the observation deck of the workshop, with the silver scissors swinging at her waist. Boats shuttled in the canal, and cars and horses were like dragons on the shore. The West Market, which was deserted three months ago, is now full of shops. In the distance, a new weaving workshop is being built, and the wooden racks are full of craftsmen.

"Princess, look at this." Xiao Tao came up with the account book and pointed to the latest page. "Last month alone, we helped Hangzhou Prefecture add more than 400 new employment contracts."

Zhu Youwei took the account book. Between the pages was a document from the Maritime Customs, which listed the newly added commercial taxes—three times more than the same period last year. She ran her fingertips over the numbers, as if she could hear the sound of money flowing.

"Let Prefect Zhao allocate funds to widen the road from West Street to the dock." She pointed to the crowded street in the distance. "If the traffic jam continues, the goods will rot in the warehouse."

Xiao Tao wrote down the instructions and added, "Xuji Teahouse wants to partner with us to open a branch, saying that it will be a place for foreign merchants to rest."

"Tell them that the workshop only hires female workers." Zhu Youwei narrowed her eyes, "If they agree to this, they will get 30% of the profits."

Suddenly, a call was heard on the canal. A large ship flying the flag of Prince Mu was approaching the shore, and the deck was piled with spices from Southeast Asia. The red-nosed foreign merchant stood at the bow and shouted, "Unload the goods first! I'll pay double the freight!"

The dock was in chaos. The porters pushed and shoved each other, all trying to grab the lucrative job. Old Wu spat and swung his carrying pole to maintain order: "Line up! Line up! Draw lots according to the old rules!"

This commotion attracted Mr. Zhao who was passing by to stop and look. He waved his folding fan and said to the account office: "Go, vacate two rooms in our warehouse to be used for cargo transfer. In today's market, we can make a fortune just by renting the warehouse."

In the workshop cafeteria, Chun Xing was demonstrating loom operation to a new female worker. This girl was timid six months ago, but now she is an experienced worker who can teach apprentices. She pointed to the canal boat outside the window and said to the apprentices: "See? The cloth we weave can be exchanged for so many good things."

A girl wearing a blue headscarf asked in a low voice: "Sister, can I really open my own shop after working for three years like you said?"

Chun Xing smiled. She lifted her sleeves to reveal the heavy silver bracelet on her wrist. "Look, I bought this last month. When you become masters, you will earn more than me."

As dusk fell, Hangzhou was as bright as day. The restaurants and teahouses were bustling with people, and the storyteller clapped his hands to wake up the people: "Today we will talk about how the Women's Workshop solved the fake orders!" Although the foreign merchants did not understand, they also clapped their hands and cheered. At the counter, the shopkeeper was busy exchanging treasure notes for foreign silver, and the abacus beads were almost flying.

After Zhu Youwei and Xiaotao finished touring the workshop, they turned into the newly opened bookstore on West Street. The owner was Liu Hanlin, who had retired. Now he specialized in printing weaving atlases and foreign language manuals. When he saw the princess coming in, he quickly took out the latest edition of "A Comprehensive History of Western Mathematics".

"As you requested, I added the workshop's special dark pattern." Liu Hanlin pointed at the edge of the page. "Even if someone wants to imitate it, they can't make it so fine."

Zhu Youwei paid the deposit with satisfaction. She looked out the window, and the lanterns on the canal boats formed a galaxy. Three months ago, who would have thought that a few looms could stir the living water of the entire city?

On the way back to the workshop, they were stopped by a burst of fragrance. It turned out that Wang had set up a snack stand, specializing in selling Hu pancakes with mutton, which were popular with foreign merchants. Seeing the princess coming, she quickly packed two and handed them over: "Thanks to the workshop for taking us in, now the three of us can have enough food to eat."

Xiao Tao took a bite of the Hu pancake and suddenly pointed to the distance and exclaimed, "Princess, look!"

The Caoyun Wharf was brightly lit, and more than a dozen newly arrived foreign ships were unloading their cargo. Dark-skinned Nanyang sailors carrying boxes of pepper passed by local porters. Further out on the river, countless sails were breaking through the fog.

Zhu Youwei stroked the silver scissors and suddenly thought of the female worker who jumped into the river. How wonderful it would be if she could see what happened tonight. In Hangzhou today, women can not only make a living with their own hands, but also be managers, open shops, and even bargain with foreign merchants.

Back in the backyard of the workshop, the female workers were learning to read at night. The candlelight reflected their serious faces, and they were not writing "Women's Rings" but account book numbers and product names.

Aunt Liu saw the princess coming back and reported excitedly: "Today we wove another fifty rolls of 'Mathematical Cloth'. The people in Prince Mu's Mansion said they wanted as many as they could get!"

Zhu Youwei nodded. She looked at the map of the Ming Dynasty on the wall. Hangzhou was just one of the dots. But at this moment, this dot was spreading out countless fine lines, spreading along the canal system to the whole world.

Late at night, the horns on the canal still sounded. This city, awakened by the looms, is writing a new legend.

……

The canal boats slowly approached the shore, and the flags of Prince Mu's Palace fluttered in the morning breeze.

Zhu Youwei and Xiaotao stood at the dock, watching a team of guards in brocade robes escorting a young man down the deck.

"My princess, how are you?" The young man bowed, his eyes shrewd, "My name is Mu Sheng. My father has gone on an expedition to Japan. Now I will take care of the affairs of Prince Mu's Mansion temporarily."

Zhu Youwei returned the greeting and said, "Prince Mu has come from afar, and the workshop is honored."

Mu Sheng smiled and pointed to the spice boxes that were being unloaded on the ship: "This time I brought 300 kilograms of South Sea pepper, as a gift for the sisters in the workshop."

Xiao Tao's eyes lit up. Nowadays, pepper is more expensive than gold in Hangzhou, so this gift is not cheap.

In the main hall of the workshop, the maid served the newly harvested Longjing tea. Mu Sheng took a sip, put down the teacup and said, "To be honest, I came here for business and also for a favor."

Zhu Youwei remained calm: "Please speak, my lord." "Although Yunnan is located in the borderland, it hides huge business opportunities." Mu Sheng took out a map from his sleeve and spread it out, "Princess, please look, Yunnan is connected to Myanmar in the south and U-Tsang in the west. There are endless caravans traveling back and forth on the ancient Tea Horse Road every day."

His finger drew an arc on the map: "If we can set up a branch of the Women's Workshop here, it will not only provide jobs for women in the southwest, but also help sell goods from the Central Plains to more distant countries."

Zhu Youwei stared at the map. Yunnan was located at a strategic point, and it was indeed a good place. But she did not express her opinion immediately, but asked: "Does the prince have any specific rules?"

Mu Sheng was well prepared, and took out a booklet from his bosom: "This is a proposal drafted by the royal staff. Yunnan is rich in kapok, and the price is 30% lower than that in Jiangnan. If we set up a workshop here, the cost of raw materials can be reduced by half."

He opened the booklet and continued, "Besides, labor is cheap in Yunnan. A skilled weaver earns three taels a month in Hangzhou, but only two taels in Kunming. Most importantly—" he tapped his finger heavily on the sign of the Ancient Tea-Horse Road, "goods shipped out of here can avoid the layers of tax checkpoints in Jiangnan, and the profit is at least 20% higher."

Xiao Tao was so absorbed in listening that she couldn't help but interrupt: "But Yunnan is a long way away, how can we transport the machine there?"

Mu Sheng smiled and said, "This is exactly the third point I want to talk about. The Mu Palace has a ready-made house by the Dianchi Lake, which can be used as a workshop with a little renovation. As long as the princess nods, the palace will be responsible for delivering the machine."

Zhu Youwei closed the booklet, with a hint of admiration in her eyes. This Prince Mu was young, but he was very thoughtful.

"That's a good idea, but I need to discuss it with the Crown Prince and Duke Chen." She stood up and walked to the window, looking at the boats on the canal. "I'll give the Crown Prince a reply in three days."

Mu Sheng cupped his hands and said, "It should be so."

That night, Zhu Youwei wrote two letters under the lamp: one to Chen Han, detailing the proposal of Prince Mu's Mansion, and the other to the crown prince, enclosing the economic plan brought by Mu Sheng.

She wrote in a letter to the prince: "If the Yunnan branch is established, it can firstly relieve the pressure on the Jiangnan workshops, secondly open up the southwest trade route, and thirdly stabilize the people's livelihood in the border areas. The Mu Palace is willing to bear 30% of the cost, and the court only needs to send a few female officials who are proficient in weaving to provide guidance."

The messenger rode as fast as he could to Jinling. Two days later, the prince's handwritten order was delivered to Hangzhou.

Zhu Youwei unfolded the yellow silk, and Zhu Biao's handwriting was so strong that it could be seen through the back of the paper: "Approved. The Women's Workshop is ordered to immediately prepare for a branch in Yunnan, and the required silver will be allocated by the Ministry of Revenue. In addition, the Mu Palace is ordered to assist in the construction of the official road to ensure the smooth flow of goods."

Mu Sheng was delighted when he received the news: "If my father knew about this, he would be relieved."

Three carriages loaded with looms set out from the workshop, accompanied by 20 skilled female workers. Zhu Youwei personally escorted them to the dock and instructed them, "When you arrive in Yunnan, teach the local sisters first. Remember, what we bring is not only the skills, but also the ability for women to make a living."

The female workers nodded solemnly. Xiao Tao handed an account book to Aunt Liu, the team leader: "This is the workshop's rules. Follow them when you get there."

Mu Sheng's guards brought a Yunnan horse and said, "Princess, rest assured. The Mu Palace will live up to your trust."

After watching the fleet go away, Zhu Youwei turned to Prefect Zhao and said, "Please prepare a notice to recruit the second batch of female workers to Yunnan."

On the day the notice was posted, a long line formed in front of the workshop. There were not only unemployed women, but also many women with children. A young woman holding a baby timidly asked, "Manager, can I go with my baby?"

Xiao Tao smiled and said, "Of course. The Yunnan branch will set up a nursery to take care of the children of the working sisters."

As the news spread, even women from surrounding counties came to sign up. Zhu Youwei looked at the densely packed names on the roster and suddenly remembered something. She turned to Mu Sheng and said, "Sir, Yunnan is a place where many ethnic groups live together. We might as well recruit some local women."

Mu Sheng clapped his hands and said, "That's exactly what I meant. Bai women are good at embroidery, and Yi girls are good at dyeing cloth. If we can integrate the skills of each ethnic group, we might be able to weave a unique piece of cloth."

A month later, good news came from Yunnan.

On the day the branch workshop was completed, more than 300 women signed up. Mu Sheng wrote to say that the first batch of "Yunnan brocade" had been woven, and the color was brighter than that of Jiangnan.

Zhu Youwei handed the letter to Xiao Tao and said, "Tell the weavers that from today on, every ten pieces of cloth woven will be rewarded with an extra fifty coins. We must let the world know that women can not only support themselves, but also support the people of the area."

……

The Dianchi Lake outside Kunming sparkles, and the newly built women's workshop with white walls and black tiles is particularly eye-catching in the morning light. Aunt Liu stands in front of the workshop gate, with her hands on her hips, looking at the long queue in front of the door. Some of these merchants are wrapped in U-Tsang felt, and some are wearing Burmese sarongs, all waiting for the workshop to open.

"Everyone line up!" Aunt Liu shouted vigorously, "Come one by one, don't push!"

The workshop door slowly opened, and the female workers, wearing the same green dresses, stood neatly on both sides. Chun Xing, a weaving expert from Hangzhou, stood in the front holding a piece of newly woven brocade. The sunlight shone on the cloth, and the dark patterns flowed like water waves.

A U-Tsang merchant squeezed to the front and gently stroked the cloth with his rough fingers. "This cloth is much finer than our felt. How much is one piece?"

Aunt Liu took over the conversation with a smile: "Sir, you have good eyesight. This cloth is woven using the thirty-six-shuttle method specially made in our workshop. It only costs two taels of silver per piece, which is 30% cheaper than the one shipped from Jiangnan."

The Burmese merchant came over and asked in stiff official language: "How long will it take to produce a horse?"

Chun Xing stepped forward and answered calmly, "With a new loom, a skilled worker can weave one piece of cloth in three days. If it's ordinary cloth, two pieces can be produced in one day."

The merchants immediately started talking about it. They traveled along the Ancient Tea-Horse Road for many years, so they naturally knew what this speed meant. In the past, it took at least two months to transport cloth from Jiangnan to Yunnan, but now they can buy it locally, and it is fast and good.

Aunt Liu saw that the time was right and clapped her hands: "Dear guests, please follow me and take a look at our loom."

Inside the workshop, twenty new looms were neatly arranged. The women workers were operating them skillfully, with the shuttles flying back and forth. A young woman was teaching a new girl how to sew threads patiently and meticulously.

"This is the latest loom from the Hangzhou Women's Workshop," Aunt Liu proudly introduced. "It is three times faster than the old loom and can weave a variety of complex patterns."

……

(End of this chapter)