People in the Ming Dynasty are lawless

Chapter 758 The whole world requests the establishment of a women's workshop
Pubu walked away angrily and wandered to the salt stall. The salt seller was a Sichuan merchant who was bragging to his customers: "I have a shop in Luzhou, specializing in the transportation of workshop cloth. Guess what? Shipping from Yunnan is half a month faster than from Hangzhou!"

"No wonder the price of salt has dropped recently." The craftsman who bought salt interrupted, "My wife is cooking in the workshop. She said that there are caravans from Sichuan every day to eat for free."

In the teahouse, several Guangxi jewelers were having a secret conversation. The leader, Mr. Huang, unfolded a map and said, "The Mu Palace has just posted a notice to build a new wharf on the east bank of Dianchi Lake. If you buy the land now, you can make at least three times the profit if you resell it."

The young man asked in confusion: "Master, aren't we here to collect jade?"

"Idiot!" Boss Huang knocked him on the forehead. "The workshop has attracted so many caravans. It's profitable just to provide them with clothing. Yesterday, a Burmese merchant asked me to buy a pearl-studded belt!"

As they were talking, the sound of a gong came from the street corner. The guards of Prince Mu's palace led the way, followed by ten fully loaded carriages. A sharp-eyed merchant exclaimed: "It's a new loom from Hangzhou!"

The crowd suddenly became agitated. Pubu squeezed to the front and stared at the wooden boxes on the cart, drooling. He grabbed a porter and asked, "Brother, is the workshop still hiring?"

The porter wiped his sweat and smiled: "Hiring! Hiring every day! For the dyeing and weaving workshops, I heard they are going to hire another 500 people."

In front of the Jinguo Workshop in the east of the city, Aunt Liu was registering the new female workers. She looked up and wiped her sweat, and suddenly found that there were a few men in the team.

"Why are you here to join in the fun?"

The man in shorts smiled and said, "Manager, please help us. We are dyers from Guizhou. We heard that the workshop was short of staff, so we came here to seek help."

Aunt Liu looked at them suspiciously: "The workshop rules only accept women."

"We understand!" The man hurriedly took out a piece of indigo cloth from his bag. "Look at this tie-dyeing skill. There is no other family like it in the whole of Southeast Guizhou. I brought my wife and children with me, and I am just waiting to settle down and teach my apprentice."

Chun Xing came over after hearing the sound and took the cloth for a closer look. In the sunlight, the ice cracks on the cloth were delicate and even, more refined than the current dyeing method in the workshop.

"Stay." Chun Xing made the decision, "But the dyeing workshop must be run by women, and you can only be assistants."

The men thanked them profusely. Behind them, more outsiders with their families were pouring into the workshop. Some were carrying looms, some were carrying dye baskets, and even an old scholar was holding a sign that said "Write a contract for me".

In the workshop accounting office, Mu Sheng was listening to Wang Yan's report.

"Sir, this month alone, we've added seven inns and four restaurants." Wang Yan's account book was filled with densely packed numbers. "The most outrageous thing is the pawnshop. In the past half month, they've received more than 60 pieces of collateral, all of which were from merchants from other places pawning their travel expenses."

Mu Sheng tapped the table thoughtfully. He remembered the request of the Burmese merchant caravan three days ago - they wanted to set up a permanent warehouse in Kunming. This was unthinkable before, as those foreign merchants always used Yunnan as a supply station.

"Go tell Aunt Liu to put up a notice board at the entrance of the workshop starting tomorrow." Mu Sheng suddenly said, "Specially post purchase information from caravans from all over the country."

Wang Yan's eyes lit up: "Great! This way the women workers can produce according to demand, so they don't have to over-weave and overstock."

As he was speaking, the guards led a man in official uniform in. The man bowed and said, "I am from the Guangxi Salt and Iron Bureau, and I have come to discuss cooperation with the prince."

Mu Sheng raised his eyebrows. Guangxi and Yunnan had always kept to themselves, but now they were taking the initiative to visit each other.

The official from the Salt and Iron Department unrolled the scroll and said: "Our Zhuang brocade has a long-standing reputation. If you can borrow the new looms from the workshop to improve it, I am willing to share 30% of the profits."

Mu Sheng looked at the exquisite patterns on the drawing and suddenly smiled. He remembered what Zhu Youwei said in the letter: Good craftsmanship should have no boundaries.

As dusk fell, the night market in the south of Kunming was brightly lit. Old Yang, who was selling bait, was busy all the time. Seven or eight foreign merchants gathered in front of his stall, gesturing to add more spiciness.

"Old Yang, bake twenty more!" The clerk from the silk shop next door came running over, "Our boss is treating us to a meal, entertaining our guests from Sichuan."

Old Yang wiped his sweat and asked, "Why are there so many outsiders recently?"

"You don't understand this?" The clerk lowered his voice, "It's the workshop that's driving the business! Yunnan's cloth is now selling faster than Hangzhou's, and caravans from all over the country are rushing here to grab the goods. With the sale of cloth, other businesses will naturally prosper as well."

Further away, a long queue formed in front of the newly opened silver bank. Merchants in various costumes were waiting to exchange their banknotes. A Miao girl was explaining the exchange rate in fluent Mandarin.

The lights of thousands of houses were reflected on the surface of Dianchi Lake. Mu Sheng stood in the corner tower of the palace, looking at this border town that suddenly came alive. Three months ago, who would have thought that a few looms would attract merchants from all over the world?

The guard hurried upstairs and said, "Sir, the Guizhou envoy sent a letter saying that a permanent post house will be set up in Kunming."

Mu Sheng took the letter and suddenly found that the date was three days ago. He looked towards the official road and saw countless torches moving towards Kunming in the darkness. Those tiny dots of light seemed to be weaving an invisible net, connecting the entire southwest.

As the night deepened, the sound of looms in the workshops continued. A new dyer from Guangxi was teaching a Bai woman how to mix colors, and an accountant from Sichuan was helping to check orders. In the distance, the sound of camel bells from the Burmese caravans and the shouts of the Guizhou horse caravans intertwined.

This small border town is becoming the most prosperous place in the southwest. And all this is due to the thin cotton thread in the hands of the women.

……

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, but the six government offices in Jinling City were already busy.

The Tongzhengsi runners hurried through the Fengtian Gate with a thick stack of memorials. On the cover of the top memorial, it was written "Yunnan Provincial Administration Office reports on the Women's Workshop".

In the Wenhua Hall, Crown Prince Zhu Biao was reviewing memorials.

When he opened the report from Yunnan, his eyebrows slightly raised. Seeing this, Chen Han, who was standing beside him, asked softly: "Your Highness, is there any good news from Yunnan?"

Zhu Biao handed him the memorial and said, "Look for yourself. Mu Sheng said that the workshop has boosted commercial tax revenue by 50%. Now even the chieftains of Guangxi and Guizhou have sent people to learn from it."

Chen Han took the memorial and his eyes wandered over the paper.

When he saw the words "the foreign merchant paid a deposit of 20,000 strings of cash in advance", the corners of his mouth rose unconsciously: "This amount is equivalent to the annual tax revenue of a superior prefecture."

As he was speaking, the Tongzhengshi came in hurriedly, holding more memorials in his hands: "Your Highness, the provincial governments of Jiangxi, Huguang, Sichuan and other places have submitted memorials, requesting to set up women's workshops in their local areas."

Zhu Biao took the memorial and flipped through it, then suddenly laughed out loud, "Interesting. Half a year ago, these people were still saying that women shouldn't show their faces in public, but now they are scrambling to set up workshops."

Chen Han took a closer look and said, "The governor of Zhejiang Province is even more amazing. He said that the women there are very clever and skillful. If we don't set up a workshop, it would be a waste of natural resources."

"Call the cabinet to discuss the matter." Zhu Biao put down the memorial and instructed his attendant, "Call the officials from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works."

Half an hour later, the side hall of Wenhua Hall was filled with officials. Fang Keqin, the Minister of Revenue, was reading Yunnan's tax bills, his fingers trembling slightly: "This amount... this amount..."

Minister of Industry Zheng Yi snatched the tax bill and took a look at it, then immediately slammed the table and said, "Your Highness, this should be promoted immediately! If all provinces can do this, the annual revenue of the national treasury will at least double!"

Zhou Shen, the Minister of Rites, frowned: "Women working in groups is ultimately immoral. Yunnan is located in the border area, so it's fine. If it is promoted in Jiangnan..."

"Mr. Zhou is wrong." Chen Han interrupted him, "Has there ever been anything immoral since the Hangzhou workshop opened? On the contrary, it has provided support for many widows and orphans."

Minister of War Ru Hong interrupted and said, "I think this is a good thing. If women have decent jobs, who would want to go to prostitutes? This educational merit is better than building ten chastity arches."

The debate became more and more intense. Zhu Biao listened quietly, tapping his fingers on the table. When the noise gradually died down, he said, "Lord Fang, what do you think?" Fang Keqin stroked his beard and said, "I have done some calculations. If workshops are set up in ten provinces, based on the scale of Yunnan, the commercial tax can be increased by one million strings of cash each year. Now the court is sending troops to Liaodong and is short of military pay..."

"That's settled then." Zhu Biao made the final decision. "We will first pilot it in Jiangxi, Huguang, Sichuan, and Liangzhe. The Ministry of Industry will be responsible for allocating looms, the Ministry of Revenue will oversee the accounts, and the local provincial governments will be responsible for the specific matters."

After the court was dismissed, Chen Han was surrounded by several local officials.

The Jiangxi Provincial Governor pulled at his sleeve and said, "My Lord, when will the new looms arrive? I will choose a site when I return."

"Why rush?" Chen Han said with a smile, "We have to wait for Hangzhou to send craftsmen to give us guidance. By the way, the workshop manager must be a woman, this is an iron rule."

"Of course!" The Jiangxi Provincial Governor patted his chest, "I have even chosen the candidate. She is the daughter of retired Imperial Censor Wang, who is well-educated and knows how to do accounting."

As the sun set, Chen Han accompanied Zhu Yuanzhang fishing in the back garden.

The old emperor stared at the buoy on the water and suddenly asked, "I heard there was a big quarrel in the court today?"

Chen Han threw some bait into the water. "It's all about the Women's Workshop. Those who opposed it the most fiercely at the beginning are now fighting the most vigorously."

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted, "You are just greedy for money." He suddenly lifted up the fishing rod, and a carp drew a silver arc in the air. "Is Yunnan really so prosperous?"

"It's even more lively than what's written in the memorial." Chen Han helped to remove the fishhook. "Foreign merchants are rushing to use treasure notes to place orders, and the entire southwest trade route has become alive. Mu Sheng said that now on the Ancient Tea Horse Road, eight out of ten horses are carrying cloth from the workshops."

The old emperor threw the fish into the bucket, causing a splash of water. "Before, these stubborn old men stood up to obstruct the process, saying that hens crow at dawn, but now they are fighting to set it up. They are really driven by profit."

Chen Han couldn't help but laugh: "The old man is wise. But then again, as long as the people are well fed and clothed, it doesn't matter whether they are men or women."

Zhu Yuanzhang narrowed his eyes and said, "Biao'er did a good job. Now that women have a job, men can focus on farming and serving as soldiers." He suddenly lowered his voice and said, "I heard that the maids in the workshop earn more than the clerks in the county government?"

"That's right." Chen Han moved closer. "The best weavers in Yunnan can earn six taels of silver a month. Many families now have women supporting their families."

The old emperor nodded thoughtfully. He put on the bait again and threw the fishing line into the water: "Tomorrow, let the Ministry of Revenue draft a proposal to keep the tax silver of the workshop in a separate account."

At this time, in the study of the Eastern Palace, Zhu Biao was reading a letter from Zhu Youwei. The letter said that Hangzhou had improved the looms and the efficiency had increased by 30%. He wrote a reply, requiring that the new technology be promoted to various pilot projects immediately.

There was a drumbeat outside the window. Zhu Biao rubbed his sore wrist and suddenly remembered something. He said to his attendant, "Go tell Duke Chen to come with me to Hangzhou to inspect the workshop tomorrow."

The attendant hesitated and asked, "Your Highness, aren't you going to meet the Korean envoy tomorrow?"

"Let Fang Keqin go." Zhu Biao waved his hand, "The workshop is more important."

At the same time, in the largest teahouse in Jinling City, a storyteller was telling the latest news in Yunnan.

"It is said that the women's workshop has been open for half a year and has attracted merchants from all over the world. The most amazing thing is that the King of Burma sent an envoy to exchange three ships of pepper for the loom blueprints!"

The tea drinkers burst into laughter. A few businessmen in the corner carefully wrote down the details. They planned to go to the government office at dawn to find out when the Jiangxi workshop would open.

As the night deepened, the light in Chen Han's study was still on. He was writing a letter to Mu Sheng, asking him to record the details of the workshop's operation as a model for promotion in various places.

At the end of writing, he suddenly stopped and looked at the starry sky outside the window.

Who could have imagined that the small workshop originally set up to save a few female workers would now change the entire business landscape of the Ming Dynasty?

The next morning, in the square in front of the Fengtian Temple, more than a dozen horses were ready to go.

Zhu Biao, dressed in casual clothes, said to the officials who saw him off, "I will go to Hangzhou to have a look and will be back in three to five days."

Chen Han walked over with his horse and whispered, "Your Highness, I just received news that the weavers in Songjiang Prefecture are making a fuss, saying that the workshop has taken away their business."

Zhu Biao got on his horse and said, "Then we must go and have a look. Tell the prefect of Songjiang not to block the establishment of the workshop, but also to properly resettle the original weavers."

The sound of horse hooves gradually faded away, leaving only a series of crisp bell sounds in the morning mist. In the rice fields on both sides of the official road, the peasant women straightened their backs and looked at this unusual team curiously.

No one noticed that the wheel of history was quietly turning in a new direction on this ordinary morning.

……

The morning mist in Hangzhou city has not yet dissipated, but the canal dock is already full of people.

Zhu Youwei was wearing a lake blue skirt, and the silver scissors on her waist gleamed in the morning sun. She stood on tiptoe and looked in the direction of the official road, twisting her handkerchief unconsciously with her fingers.

"Don't be impatient, Princess. The prince's procession always takes a long time." Xiao Tao handed over the lotus cake she had just bought, "Have some snacks first."

Zhu Youwei shook her head, and suddenly her eyes lit up. A group of people appeared at the end of the official road, and their apricot-yellow umbrellas swayed gently in the morning breeze.

"coming!"

She hurried forward and almost tripped over her skirt. Zhu Biao saw his daughter staggering from afar and couldn't help laughing. Chen Han, who was accompanying him, joked, "Your Highness, the princess has the same temper as you, both of you are impatient."

Zhu Biao got off his horse, and Zhu Youwei had already run up to him. Just as she was about to salute, she was held back by her father.

"No need to be polite outside the palace." Zhu Biao looked at his daughter and found that her chin was sharper than the last time he saw her. "You've lost weight."

Zhu Youwei's eyes sparkled: "Dad, I'll take you to see the workshop!"

The door of the Hangzhou Women's Workshop was open, and the women workers were dressed in the same green dresses and lined up on both sides. Seeing the arrival of the prince, they all bowed and saluted. Zhu Biao noticed that they all had calluses on their hands, but their eyes were particularly bright.

“Are these weavers?”

"There's more." Zhu Youwei led her father inside. "This side is the weaving room, that side is the dyeing workshop, and there's a cafeteria and a school in the back."

The sound of looms was as dense as raindrops. Zhu Biao stopped in front of a new loom and watched the shuttle flying back and forth. The woman operating the loom saw him stop and moved faster, and the cloth grew at a speed visible to the naked eye.

“How much faster is this than a traditional loom?”

"Almost three times faster." Zhu Youwei took a piece of cloth from the shelf, "Dad, look, this is the improved 'Arithmetic Cloth', the warp and weft density is higher than Songjiang Cloth."

……

(End of this chapter)