People in the Ming Dynasty are lawless

Chapter 757: Business Brought About by the Workshop
Zhu Yuanzhang grabbed the brocade and ran his rough fingers over the fine texture. The old emperor suddenly turned to the prince and said, "Biao'er, how did you come up with the idea of ​​letting women do the work?"

Zhu Biao was reading the supplementary memorial from the Yunnan Taxation Commissioner. He looked up when he heard this and said, "I just think that it is better to give them a chance to live than to let them starve to death." He paused and said, "It is Youwei who has done a good job. Now the workshops in Hangzhou and Yunnan support tens of thousands of women."

The Minister of Personnel Zhan Hui suddenly interrupted, "Your Majesty, this matter should be commended. If all provinces follow suit, the annual revenue of the national treasury can be increased by at least 30%."

Zhu Yuanzhang slapped the brocade on the imperial desk and said, "Approved! Let the Imperial Academy draft an edict, all products of women's workshops will be exempted from market taxes for three years." He looked around at the ministers, his eyes paused on the faces of several old scholars, "If anyone dares to say that women should not show their faces in public, I will send him to Yunnan to count pepper!"

The whole court burst into laughter. Several young officials took the opportunity to get closer to look at the peacock brocade, and one of them exclaimed: "This gold thread is actually made of real gold foil!"

Chen Han took the opportunity to say, "Your Majesty, Mu Sheng requested the allocation of thirty new looms. I think it would be a good idea to send Hangzhou's craftsmen to provide guidance and build Yunnan into a weaving center in the southwest."

"Approved!" Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand, "Allow another 5,000 strings of banknotes as capital. Tell Mu Sheng that if the commercial tax doubles by the end of the year, I will reward him with a hereditary title!"

When the court was dismissed, officials from the six ministries surrounded Chen Han to inquire about the details. Fang Keqin pulled his sleeve and refused to let go: "Duke, what tax system does Yunnan use? Is the promotion of Baochao going smoothly?"

"Don't worry, Lord Fang." Chen Han smiled and pulled back his sleeves. "The Mu Palace has sent soldiers to guard the tax checkpoints. All transactions over ten strings of cash must be exchanged in treasure notes. The foreign merchants were not happy at first, but now they are all rushing to exchange them."

Behind them, several local officials were copying memorials. The Jiangxi Provincial Governor rubbed his hands and said, "Our province is rich in ramie. If we set up such a workshop..."

"Don't even think about it!" The Zhejiang Provincial Surveillance Commissioner interrupted him, "The loom drawings of the Hangzhou workshop are top secret, and the Crown Prince has personally issued a gag order!"

In the study of the East Palace, Zhu Biao was writing a letter to Zhu Youwei. When Chen Han came in, he saw a smile on his face.

"Your Highness is in a good mood?"

Zhu Biao dried the ink and said, "Youwei wrote to me saying that the Hangzhou workshop has improved the loom and increased the efficiency by 20%. I am asking her to send someone to Yunnan to teach them."

Chen Han took out a small wooden box from his arms: "Mu Sheng sent me a sample, saying it was woven by a Dai girl using ancient methods."

The gold threads in the box were twined and shone brilliantly under the candlelight. Zhu Biao picked up one and looked at it against the sunlight. The gold threads were surprisingly soft like cotton thread.

"No wonder the foreign merchants are so crazy." Zhu Biao carefully put away the gold thread and said, "Send a message to the Treasury Department to increase the supply of Treasury notes to Yunnan. Also tell Mu Sheng that the court will send a special transport ship to transport cotton yarn."

Chen Han suddenly remembered something: "Oh, by the way, His Majesty awarded Mu Sheng the hereditary title."

Zhu Biao chuckled: "He deserves it. Yunnan no longer needs subsidies from the court, but has become a major taxpayer. What a great achievement this is."

Outside the Meridian Gate, the heads of the six ministries were still discussing it. The doctor of the Ministry of Revenue held up the copied memorial and exclaimed: "Look at this paragraph - 'A Yunnan woman can buy three liters of rice with a daily wage of fifty coins.' This is enough to support a family in the local area."

The head of the Ministry of War interrupted: "The soldiers' salaries in Prince Mu's Palace are now all paid in banknotes. I heard that the soldiers are happier than when they were paid in silver."

"Of course I'm happy!" The official of the Ministry of Works said with a smile, "Payment is more useful in Yunnan than silver. It can be used to buy rice and salt. If you ask me, this women's workshop is more useful than a hundred thousand troops."

They didn't notice that there was a Jinyiwei in plain clothes standing in the corner. After listening to the discussion, he hurried to the Northern Pacification Office. Half an hour later, a secret report was placed on Zhu Yuanzhang's desk.

The old emperor laughed loudly after reading it, and said to the eunuch who was with him: "Go, tell Biao'er this - the Women's Workshop is more effective than a hundred thousand troops, what a great saying!"

As the sun sets, Chen Han stands on the city wall and looks out into the distance. The canal is filled with canals, and one can faintly hear the boatmen humming a new tune: "There is a Prince Mu in Yunnan, who does not rely on swords and guns but on looms..."

The attendant asked in a low voice: "Duke, are we really going to promote this nationwide?"

Chen Han looked at the endless stream of carriages and horses on the official road and said softly, "Look at these merchants, they came here just because they smelled the fishy smell. It won't be long before there will be women's workshops everywhere in the world."

In the twilight, a horse galloped out of Jinling. In the yellow silk box on the messenger's back was an imperial edict of commendation for Zhu Youwei. Further away, on the official road in the direction of Yunnan, thirty new looms were being carefully transported to Kunming.

No one knew how this storm caused by a few looms would change this vast empire.

But at this moment, the laughter in the Fengtian Hall, the songs on the canal boats, and the laughter of the women in the Kunming workshops all tell of a new beginning.

……

In front of the screen wall of the Yunnan Provincial Administration Office, several clerks were standing on tiptoe, staring at a newly posted notice on the wall, the ink not yet dry.

"Last month, the Jinguo Workshop paid 12,300 strings of cash in commercial taxes?" Liu, who was wearing a green robe, rubbed his eyes. "This amount is equivalent to the taxes paid by the Dali Prefecture for half a year."

Wang Jingli beside him smacked his lips and said, "My wife said she wanted to apply for a job at the workshop the day before yesterday, but I didn't agree because I thought it was embarrassing. If I had known that she could make so much money, I should have let her try."

The old man selling pancakes at the government gate listened with his ears perked up, forgetting to move his rolling pin. His daughter worked as a cook in the workshop, and last month she brought back three taels of banknotes, so the whole family enjoyed a meal of mutton.

At this time, in the busiest teahouse in Kunming City, the storyteller clapped the wake-up stick, and all the tea drinkers pricked up their ears.

"It is said that this women's workshop has been open for three months and has attracted merchants from Myanmar and U-Tsang to flock here. Do you know the secret?"

The merchant in silk shirt put down his teacup and said, "Don't keep me in suspense. Tell me now!"

The storyteller stroked his beard and smiled, "First, the loom in the workshop was taught by the Princess of Hangzhou herself, and can weave three meters of fine cloth in a day; second, the Yunnan women are skillful, and combined with the Dai gold thread craftsmanship, the peacock brocade they weave is more valuable than gold; third..." He lowered his voice, "The Mu Palace has sent soldiers to guard the tax checkpoints, and transactions must be made in treasure notes, so the foreign merchants have no way to bargain down the price!"

The tea drinkers suddenly realized what was going on. In the corner, several Sichuan cloth merchants whispered to each other: "I've heard that Yunnan Baochao is more credible than silver, and it seems to be true." "Let's go to the workshop tomorrow to place an order before other merchants react."

When Dr. Tea was adding water, he heard them muttering about ordering two thousand pieces, and his hands shook and splashed the account book.

In the West Flower Hall of Prince Mu's Mansion, Mu Sheng was receiving the envoy from Guizhou. In the teacup held by the maid, the golden tea leaves stood upright.

"Please look, sir. This is the new golden thread tea made in the workshop." Mu Sheng lightly touched the edge of the teacup with his fingertips. "Each pound of tea leaves is wrapped with three ounces of gold foil, specially for the headman of Uszang."

The envoy's hand holding the teacup trembled slightly. He recognized the gold foil craft, which was clearly the secret hammering method of the Miao village, and now it was learned by the Han workshop.

"Sir, my girls can also weave brocade..."

"I was just about to discuss this with you, Your Excellency." Mu Sheng clapped his hands, and the attendant immediately presented a piece of Miao brocade. "If you combine this pattern with the Hangzhou weaving method, the workshop is willing to pay an extra five cents per piece."

The envoy's beard curled up. He calculated that if all the more than 300 girls in the village were employed in the workshop, he could earn 600 strings of cash per month.

At this time, in the dyeing workshop, Yu En was teaching the Bai women how to mix new colors. The ore shipped from Guizhou was piled up next to the indigo dye vat, shining blue-green like peacock feathers in the sun.

"Add some more sodium sulfate." Yu En stirred the dye with a wooden stick, "This way the color will be brighter." Chun Xing hurried over: "Go and see! The Burmese merchant brought a new dye, saying it is a purple color specially used in the Siamese royal palace."

The dyeing workshop was in an uproar. Aunt Liu touched the sample cloth, not caring that her fingers were dyed purple. "With this color and gold thread, it will be sold like hot cakes if it is made into brocade!"

In the workshop's accounting office, the beads on the abacus rang like heavy rain. After Xiao Tao checked the last account, she suddenly exclaimed, "Today, the Sichuan merchant ordered 300 more pieces than the Burmese?"

Mu Sheng heard this as soon as he stepped into the room, and the corners of his mouth rose unconsciously. "Normal. Sichuan merchants took the ancient Tea Horse Road to U-Tsang, and they could make three times the profit after reselling it."

He took the account book and looked at it carefully. Suddenly, he pointed at a line and asked, "Did Yang's Cloth Shop complain about the workshop having too many rules last month?"

"That's right." Xiao Tao smiled. "He was the first one to come today and said he wanted to buy all the Miao brocade in Guizhou."

There was the sound of horse hooves outside the window. Mu Sheng looked out the window and saw a team of Miao horsemen unloading goods. The girls' silver ornaments jingled, and their backpacks were full of freshly picked herbs and minerals.

"Tell Aunt Liu to open a new dyeing workshop tomorrow." Mu Sheng turned around and ordered, "Recruit another fifty Miao girls, and pay them according to their experience."

As night fell, the posthouse in the south of Kunming was brightly lit. Several Jiangxi cloth merchants were arguing over a map, their saliva splattering on the sign of "Women's Workshop".

"We must get 2,000 matches tomorrow!" "Bullshit! Our Fuzhou Chamber of Commerce has already made it clear with Prince Mu!"

The postmaster squatted in the corridor, eating a sesame cake, and shook his head as he listened to the bidding inside. Ever since the workshop became prosperous, this posthouse has been more lively than a gambling house, with people banging their heads on the table every day to grab orders.

Farther away in Dali City, Tusi Duan was reading a letter by candlelight. The housekeeper reported in a low voice: "Prince Mu's Mansion said that if we provide snow hemp from Cangshan Mountain, the workshop will share 30% of the profits."

Tusi Duan's fingertips traced the red seal on the letter paper. He recognized it as the secret seal of the Baochao Tizhusi. Mu Sheng was able to get the imperial court to act as a guarantor.

"Inform all the villages to switch to growing snow hemp from tomorrow." Tusi Duan suddenly stood up, "Select another 30 smart girls and send them to Kunming to learn how to weave."

The surface of Dianchi Lake reflected the starlight, and the workshop was still bustling with people. When Chun Xing inspected the back door, she found several dark figures sneaking around.

"who!"

The shadows scattered in fear. There was a wooden sign on the ground. When they picked it up, they found it was a pass for the cloth merchants in Songjiang Prefecture. Chun Xing sneered and threw the wooden sign into the stove.

"Want to steal my skills? That's not that easy."

The next morning, Mu Sheng received three urgent reports in the palace. One was that the Guizhou envoy had sent a hundred Miao girls, the second was that the Duan family's snow hemp had been shipped, and the third was that the Songjiang cloth merchants collectively requested to see him.

"Tell them that they can cooperate if they want." Mu Sheng said to the housekeeper, "but they must use treasure notes to settle the bills, and a 10% tax will be collected on each piece of cloth."

Just as the housekeeper was about to leave, Mu Sheng added, "Spread the news that the workshop is looking for women who know Siamese. The monthly salary is five taels, including food and lodging."

The news spread like wildfire throughout the city before noon. Several old men in the teahouse slapped their thighs and said, "I should have let my daughter learn to speak foreign languages ​​earlier!" "It's not too late to learn now. I heard that the workshop has opened night classes."

At this moment, Yu En was in front of the dye vat in the workshop, worrying about the Burmese dye. The purple dye was always uneven, and she tried seven or eight times but it didn't work.

"Don't worry." Aunt Liu handed over a bowl of tamarind juice. "The craftsmen from Hangzhou will arrive the day after tomorrow. They are very knowledgeable."

Yu En suddenly remembered something and took out a small cloth bag from her skirt. "My grandmother left me a recipe that said to add this." She unfolded the banana leaf, revealing some brown powder.

The newly dyed cloth was hung on bamboo poles, and the morning breeze blew through it, creating a dreamy purple-gold color. The foreign merchants passing by stared with wide eyes, took out their money bags and ran to the accounting office.

"I'll take this one! No matter how much it costs!"

Chun Xing looked at the crazy crowd and suddenly understood why the princess insisted on having women in charge. Only women understand the value of women's craftsmanship. These patterns are woven with the wisdom of their ancestors.

Mu Sheng stood on the observation deck, looking at the newly arrived grain ships in the canal. The deck was piled with wooden boxes, all of which were newly allocated looms by the court. Further away, the dust on the ancient Tea Horse Road was flying, that was the Sichuan-Guizhou horse caravan rushing in at night.

He touched the banknote in his arms, the paper was as crisp as new. This light paper was weaving a big network in Yunnan, linking women, crafts and hopes of all ethnic groups together.

……

Old Zhao, the postmaster in the south of Kunming, was dozing on the counter when he was suddenly awakened by the sound of horse hooves. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and looked outside, only to see more than a dozen horse-drawn carriages blocking the entrance to the posthouse, with small flags with the words "Sichuan" and "Guizhou" stuck on the shafts.

"Sir, are you staying in the hotel or stopping by for a meal?" Old Zhao went to greet him hurriedly.

The leader was a fat man wearing Hangzhou silk, with a jade pendant jingling on his waist. "Book the whole backyard! Our Luzhou Chamber of Commerce wants to stay here for a long time!"

Old Zhao's sleepiness disappeared immediately. Since the opening of the Jinguo Workshop, this shabby posthouse has suddenly become a hot commodity. He rubbed his hands and said, "Excuse me, sir, the backyard is already full. A jeweler from Guangxi came yesterday, and even the stables were converted into bunk beds."

A thin man came out from behind the fat man, took out a piece of silver and slapped it on the counter. "Free up two rooms. We are in the cloth business and can't afford to delay."

Just as Lao Zhao was about to decline, another group of people rushed in from outside the posthouse. The Miao man in the lead had a silver collar that jingled and shouted as soon as he entered the door: "Boss, is there an interpreter who can speak Yi language?"

There was a commotion in front of the counter. Old Zhao stood on tiptoe to look around. There were more carriages and horses on the official road outside the post house heading towards the city. He recognized the banners, there were medicinal material merchants from Guizhou, salt gangs from Sichuan, and even pearl merchants from Guangdong and Guangxi.

"This is strange." Old Zhao muttered, "In the past, these uncles would flee Yunnan, but now they have settled down here."

The tea-horse market in the west of the city was even more lively at this time. Pubu, a merchant from U-Tsang, squatted in front of his stall, bargaining with a Miao woman in stiff Mandarin.

"This silver bracelet costs five taels? Too expensive!"

The Miao woman deftly used the abacus and said, "Sir, you may not know that since the workshop opened, the price of silver in Kunming has dropped by 30%. If you think it's too expensive, you can save half a cent by paying with Baochao."

Pu Bu took out a stack of treasure notes and suddenly lowered his voice: "I heard that you can get inferior cloth from the workshop here?"

The old Bai man selling mushrooms nearby coughed immediately. The woman understood and smiled, changing the subject: "Why don't you take a look at the new batiks? They are cheaper than those in the workshop and the patterns are more unique."

……

(End of this chapter)