People in the Ming Dynasty are lawless

Chapter 756: Great Prosperity in the Southwest!!

Mu Sheng suddenly remembered something: "Are they all settled with treasure notes?"

"All are treasure notes!" Wang Yan patted his chest and assured, "According to the new policy of the Duke, all transactions exceeding ten strings of cash must be made in treasure notes. Those foreign merchants were not happy at first, but now they are rushing to the treasure note promotion office to exchange them."

The palace steward trotted over, holding a gift list in his hand: "Sir, the Burmese envoy sent another visiting card, saying that he wants to discuss long-term supply."

Mu Sheng took the gold-stamped post and recalled that half a month ago, the Burmese merchant had arrogantly bargained for him. He turned and looked in the direction of the workshop. There were shadows of people between the white walls and black tiles, and the sound of looms could be faintly heard.

"Tell Aunt Liu that I will be showing the distinguished guests around today."

The workshop was busier than last month. There were all kinds of horses tied to the hitching posts, including short-legged horses from U-Tsang and spotted mules brought by Burmese. Several Bai women were carrying bamboo baskets and selling milk fans. When they saw Mu Sheng coming, they hurriedly saluted.

Aunt Liu was entertaining guests in the sample room. When she saw Mu Sheng coming in, she hurried over to greet him: "My Lord, this is the knife officer sent by the envoy in the carriage."

The man in a short-sleeved shirt saluted with his fists, the silver bracelet on his wrist jingling, "Prince Mu, our envoy said that as long as the workshop is willing to set up a branch in the car, we will provide as much kapok as you want."

Mu Sheng raised his eyebrows. Half a year ago, when he went to collect cotton from the car, the envoy refused to do so. Now, he took the initiative to deliver it to his door.

Chun Xing came over holding the account book and said, "Manager Dao, according to the quantity you requested, we need at least 300 dan of kapok per month. The workshop will settle the bill in cash, all in banknotes."

The knife manager rubbed his hands and smiled: "Baocha is good! It is lighter than silver and can be used to buy salt in the village."

After visiting the weaving room, Dao Guanshi suddenly lowered his voice and said, "Prince Mu, I heard that the workshop is looking for female workers? We have more than a hundred girls in our village, and their hands are more skillful than those of Han girls."

Aunt Liu took over the conversation: "As long as you are willing to learn, we will accept you. We will provide food and accommodation, and the monthly salary starts from two taels of silver."

The knife officer's eyes lit up, and he turned around and said a few words in Dai to his attendant. The attendant ran out of the door and soon brought in a girl in a tube skirt.

"This is my sister Yu'en." The knife manager pushed the girl forward, "She made brocade in the village, and the headman's daughter must wear it when she gets married."

Yu En timidly unfolded a piece of cloth, and on the indigo background, gold threads woven into a peacock's tail. Chun Xing took it and looked at it carefully, and suddenly exclaimed, "Is this gold thread made of real gold foil?"

Mu Sheng's mind moved. If this kind of craftsmanship could be combined with the Jiangnan weaving method, perhaps a new variety could be created.

As he was talking, the sound of horse hooves came from outside the door. Wang Yan squeezed in with sweat all over his forehead: "Prince! The foreign ship just arrived from Ningbo Maritime Customs, and specifically wants to buy the cloth from the workshop!"

At the dock, Alberto the Redbeard was directing the sailors to unload the cargo. As soon as the camphorwood box was opened, the spicy aroma of South China pepper filled the air. He shouted to the tax collector in a stiff official language: "Change it all into treasure notes! I want to order 3,000 pieces of 'Peacock Brocade'!"

Mu Sheng watched the tax collector counting the pepper and suddenly laughed out loud. Three months ago, he was still worried about the military pay, but now even foreign merchants are rushing to send money to his door.

After returning to the palace, Mu Sheng went straight to the study. He spread out the letter paper and didn't even bother to wipe the ink splattered on his sleeves.

"Your Highness, Mu Sheng, respectfully reports: Kunming Women's Workshop has been in operation for two months and has already boosted commercial tax revenue by more than 30%. Now, Myanmar, Cheli and other places are competing to supply goods, and foreign merchants have paid deposits exceeding 10,000 guan of treasure notes. I implore Your Highness to allow the expansion of the workshop and to allocate 30 new looms..."

At this point, he paused and added another line: "The Yunnan women are skillful. If they are taught by famous teachers from Jiangnan, they will be able to weave the unparalleled Yunnan brocade."

A cheerful tune came from outside the window. Mu Sheng looked out and saw Yu En and several Bai girls learning Chinese in the courtyard. They held the newly received banknotes in their hands, and the edges of the blue-gray banknotes shone with gold in the sunlight.

The palace steward came in holding a gilded box and said, "Sir, this is today's deposit. I have converted it into banknotes as you ordered."

Mu Sheng casually pulled out a piece of paper. The paper was crisp and the large red seal was bright and eye-catching. He suddenly remembered his father's sigh before he went to war - "Yunnan is a barren land with poor people, and it all depends on the court for aid." Now this light paper money is more useful than thousands of troops.

At dusk, Mu Sheng came to the workshop alone. The looms had stopped, and the women workers were walking to the canteen in groups of two or three. Some were drinking soup from coarse porcelain bowls, while others were counting their wages for the day. The banknotes were passed between their hands, making a rustling sound.

Aunt Liu was teaching Yuen how to use the loom. Seeing him coming, she quickly saluted. Mu Sheng waved his hand: "How many new orders do you have today?"

"Another 4,000 pieces were received." Aunt Liu smiled so hard that her teeth were showing. "Chun Xing brought a few literate girls to work overnight to complete the contract."

Yu En suddenly looked up and asked in stiff official language: "Sir, can weaving cloth really be exchanged for so much money?"

Mu Sheng looked at the thick stack of banknotes in her hand and said softly, "This is nothing. When the 'Peacock Brocade' is woven, the foreign merchants will probably exchange it for an equal weight of pepper."

A burst of laughter suddenly broke out in the cafeteria. It turned out that a young female worker had bought a silver bracelet with her first month's salary and was showing it off to her sisters. Mu Sheng remembered her. She was the daughter of Lao Wang, a tofu seller in the east of Kunming. Half a year ago, she fainted in front of the government office because she couldn't pay the rent.

As the night deepened, Mu Sheng stood by the Dianchi Lake, watching the lights of the workshops on the other side reflected in the water. A caravan of horses was coming down the Ancient Tea Horse Road, with the sound of camel bells mixed with excited discussions.

"Have you heard? The workshop is hiring again!" "My wife signed up, saying weaving is much easier than farming." "Easy? My daughter's hands are full of calluses!" "Silly, calluses are nothing to worry about? The money in her pocket is more than what you earn in a year!"

Mu Sheng looked up at the sky, the stars were shining brightly. He suddenly felt his chest getting hot, as if something was breaking out of the ground. This feeling was more satisfying than winning a battle, and more exciting than receiving an award from the court.

After returning to his study, he wrote a letter to Zhu Youwei. At the end of the letter, he wrote: "... Seeing the smiling faces of the women when they received their wages, I realized the wisdom of the Duke's new policy. In the past, the lives of women in Yunnan were worthless, but now they can hold precious money in their hands and hold their heads high. This is not a windfall, but the right way in the world."

When he put down his pen, the sky in the east was already turning pale. Mu Sheng blew out the candle, thinking that he must go to the Baochao Tizhusi today. He heard that the water brand there had been changed and the exchange rate had increased again.

……

The surface of Dianchi Lake reflected the morning sun, and the dock was already bustling with people. More than a dozen cargo ships were crowded on the shore, and porters were carrying wooden boxes back and forth. There were Southeast Asian merchant ships carrying pepper, Sichuan horse teams carrying tea, and Miao people from Guizhou carrying bamboo baskets waiting for goods.

Aunt Liu stood on the stone steps at the entrance of the workshop, banging the gong loudly. "Today's orders are divided by region! Merchants from U-Tsang go to the left, merchants from Myanmar go to the right, and merchants from Sichuan and Guizhou go to the middle!"

Chun Xing led a few literate female workers to register at the long table. She flipped open the thick account book, and the pages with wet ink rustled. A merchant wearing Sichuan brocade squeezed to the front, his sleeves stained with dust from the journey.

"Manager, I want to order 500 pieces of 'Peacock Brocade'. This is the deposit." The businessman took out the treasure banknotes and slapped them on the table. The blue-gray banknotes piled up into a small mountain.

Chun Xing dipped her ink and wrote down: "Chengdu Liu's Silk Shop, 500 pieces, to be delivered before the Frost Descent." She looked up and asked, "Shopkeeper Liu came all this way in person?"

Shopkeeper Liu wiped his sweat and said, "The orders from Hangzhou are scheduled until the beginning of next spring. I heard that Yunnan has come up with something new, so I left overnight." He pointed behind him, "See? Those over there are from Luzhou, and those behind are from Chongqing Prefecture." Under the newly built pergola in the backyard of the workshop, Yuen was teaching the girls to twist gold thread. The Dai girl's deft fingers twisted the gold foil into thin threads, which shone like broken gold in the sun. A Bai girl was so fascinated that the cotton yarn in her hand fell to the ground.

"Don't worry." Yuen comforted him in stiff official language, "Learn slowly."

Mu Sheng led the tax commissioner through the weaving room. The sound of the looms was like rain hitting banana leaves. The thirty newly arrived machines were all put into use. Wang Yan walked and wrote in the account book, and the tip of the pen made a rustling sound on the paper.

"Sir, at this rate, the tax revenue by the end of the month could exceed 10,000 guan." Wang Yan's voice trembled, "The deposit brought by the Sichuan merchants alone is more than 2,000 guan."

Mu Sheng nodded. He looked out the window and saw several more caravans arriving at the dock. The silver jewelry of the Guizhou Miao people sparkled in the sun, and they were bargaining with the foreign merchants in stiff Mandarin.

At noon, the aroma of hot and sour fish wafted from the workshop cafeteria. Aunt Liu invited the merchants to eat, and the long table was filled with Yunnan specialties. The Persian merchants learned to use chopsticks to pick up rice noodles, sweating profusely from the spiciness, but reluctant to stop.

"How does it taste better than in Hangzhou?" Aunt Liu asked with a smile.

The Shu merchant took two mouthfuls of rice and said, "It's good! But it's so spicy that my tongue is numb." He pointed at the next table and said, "Look at those people from Guizhou. They added three more spoonfuls of chili to their bowls."

In the afternoon, Chun Xing took the merchants to visit the newly expanded dyeing workshop. Ten large vats were filled with dyes of various colors, and Bai women were mixing new colors. A Miao girl took out a block of indigo she brought with her, gestured and said a few words.

"She said this color is brighter." Yuen helped translate.

Chun Xing took the indigo and tried it on the cloth. It turned out to be more vivid than ordinary dyes. She immediately called a painter and recorded the new color sample in the album.

"It's just right for the tail feathers of the 'Peacock Brocade'." Chun Xing said to the Miao girl, "How about the workshop buying your dye at the market price?"

The girl's eyes lit up, and she turned around and cheered to her companions. Her Miao language mixed with laughter scared away the sparrows under the eaves.

When checking the accounts in the evening, Aunt Liu was shocked by the number. "Today, you received 8,000 strings of cash in deposit alone?"

Chun Xing nodded while counting on the abacus. "The Sichuan merchants ordered a lot. Liu Ji alone ordered 500 pieces. The Burmese side also ordered 300 pieces of 'Golden Thread Brocade', saying that they would pay tribute to their king."

Mu Sheng walked into the account office with a letter in his hand. "Another 20 looms were sent from Hangzhou, using the priority channel for grain transport."

Aunt Liu clapped her hands and laughed, "That's good! I was just worried that we didn't have enough machines."

As the night deepened, the lights in the workshop were still bright. The newly hired female workers were working overtime to learn how to weave gold thread, and Yuen patiently corrected their techniques one by one. The sound of horse hooves came from outside the window. It was the horse team from Guizhou that had transported the dye overnight.

Mu Sheng stood by the Dianchi Lake, looking at the twinkling lights on the other side. Three months ago, this place was a wasteland, but now it has become the most lively place in the southwest. The sound of camel bells on the ancient Tea Horse Road, the shouts of Sichuan and Guizhou merchants, and the sound of looms in the workshops interweave into the most moving music.

He thought of his father's worries before he went to war, and now he could finally stand up straight and reply to the letter - Yunnan no longer had to rely on aid from the court.

The next morning, the first rays of sunlight shone on the newly hung plaque of the workshop. The six characters "Southwest Women's Workshop" shone brightly. As soon as the door opened, the merchants who had been waiting for a long time poured in like a tide.

Aunt Liu stood on the steps and announced loudly: "From today on, our workshop will officially accept orders for official fabrics from U-Tsang and Myanmar!"

The crowd cheered. A Sichuan merchant squeezed to the front, raised the banknotes above his head and said, "I'll order another 1,000 pieces!"

Just as Chun Xing was about to record it, the sound of hurried horse hooves came from afar. The envoy of the Guizhou Xuanwei Envoy jumped off his horse and said in a loud voice: "I am here to order 2,000 pieces of Miao brocade according to the order of my master!"

Mu Sheng looked at the lively scene, and the corners of his mouth rose unconsciously. He touched the banknotes in his arms, and the stiff paper made him feel at ease. This light paper was weaving a brand new world with the women of Yunnan.

The rippling water of Dianchi Lake reflects the thriving scene of the workshop.

Further away, at the end of the Ancient Tea-Horse Road, countless caravans were heading towards Kunming.

……

Just after the fifth watch, the white marble steps in front of the Fengtian Hall were already filled with civil and military officials. Chen Han stood in the ranks of civil officials with his sleeves gathered up, his fingertips stroking the report just sent from Yunnan. Three whip cracks were heard in the mist, and the vermilion palace gate slowly opened.

"Your Majesty is here!"

Zhu Yuanzhang stepped onto the throne in his dragon-patterned boots, his eyes still showing the tiredness of waking up in the morning. When the eunuch on duty unfolded Mu Sheng's memorial, the old emperor yawned and asked, "Is Yunnan asking for military pay again?"

Chen Han stepped out and bowed: "Your Majesty, Mu Sheng reported that the Jinguo Workshop has been open for two months and the commercial tax has increased by 30%. Foreign merchants have paid deposits of more than 10,000 strings of cash in advance, and places like Burma and Cheli are competing to supply goods."

The hall was in an uproar. The Minister of Finance Fang Keqin almost dropped his tablet on the ground. He pushed forward and asked, "How much? Ten thousand strings of cash?"

"Twelve thousand three hundred strings of cash." Chen Han shook out the memorial and added, "All in Baochao."

Zhu Yuanzhang leaned forward, and the sleeve of his dragon robe swept over the teacup. When the eunuch wiped it hastily, the old emperor had already strode down the steps and snatched the memorial. He squinted and read it three times, and suddenly laughed out loud: "What a good boy from the Mu family! Better than his stubborn father!"

Minister of War Ru Huang came over to take a look, his beard sticking up high: "This amount is equivalent to half of the annual salary of a garrison."

"More than that!" Fang Keqin counted on his fingers, "Yunnan used to need subsidies from the imperial court, but now it has become a major taxpayer!"

There was a lot of discussion in the court. Several imperial censors were talking to each other. They still remembered that they had impeached the women's workshop for being immoral half a year ago. Zheng Yi, the Minister of Industry, squeezed next to Chen Han and lowered his voice and said, "My Lord, is that new loom really so magical?"

Chen Han smiled but did not answer, and took out a piece of peacock blue brocade from his sleeve. The sunlight shone through the high windows onto the cloth, and the dark patterns flowed like shimmering waves.

"This was improved by the Dai craftsmanship in the Kunming workshop." Chen Han spread out the cloth. "Mu Sheng said the foreign merchants were willing to exchange it for pepper of equal weight."

……

(End of this chapter)