People in the Ming Dynasty are lawless

Chapter 774 Rumors! More rumors!!
Chen Han didn't take it, but simply said, "Give the money to the clerk at the government office for registration, and do everything according to the rules."

The merchant sheepishly withdrew his hand, but secretly admired him... This Duke was indeed meticulous in his work.

In the afternoon, Chen Han led several foremen to inspect the newly built dock. The originally narrow dirt road had been widened into a three-zhang-wide bluestone avenue, leading directly to the canal. The workers were laying the last section of the road, and when they saw Chen Han coming, they all bowed.

"Your Excellency, this road will be completed in two more days." The foreman wiped his sweat and smiled, "Even the widest merchant carriages will be able to enter safely."

Chen Han nodded: "Once the road is repaired, merchants will be willing to come. Only when they come can Songjiang's goods be sold."

Just then, a commotion arose in the distance. Several children were chasing and playing, running across the newly paved road. One of them tripped and fell, but he got up with a grin, dusting off his pants: "This road is so smooth, it didn't even hurt when I fell!"

The adults nearby laughed and scolded, "You little brat, did the Duke build this road for you to slip and fall on?"

The child stuck out his tongue and ran away.

Chen Han watched their retreating figures, a slight smile playing on his lips.

In the evening, Zhu Youwei received foreign merchants at the trading post. The hall was spacious and bright, with samples of Songjiang cloth hanging on the walls and a sand table displaying future plans.

The Persian merchant Ali touched the water-patterned cloth and exclaimed, "The patterns on this cloth are like flowing water, it's amazing!"

Zhu Youwei smiled and said, "This is a unique weaving method from Songjiang; you can't buy it anywhere else."

Ali nodded repeatedly: "We Persians love such treasures the most, we want as many as you can!"

A Korean merchant, Kim, interjected, "Princess, the roads in Songgang Prefecture are really well-maintained. The carriages travel smoothly, and goods are transported quickly. We'd like to set up a warehouse by the dock, what do you think..."

“Okay.” Zhu Youwei nodded, “but the rules must be followed… rent must be paid monthly, goods must be declared through customs, and no market manipulation or monopolistic practices are allowed.”

The merchants readily agreed and signed the contract on the spot.

As they left the trading post, the sun was setting, and the newly paved road gleamed softly in the afterglow. Zhu Youwei stood on the steps, gazing at the bustling docks in the distance, and whispered, "Husband, they finally understand."

Chen Han stood beside her and said calmly, "The road is repaired, the trees are planted and they're thriving, merchants are coming, and the money will naturally follow."

Zhu Youwei laughed: "But at first they thought you were wasting money."

"now what?"

"Now?" Zhu Youwei looked at the pedestrians coming and going on the street. The shouts of vendors, the laughter of children, and the broken Chinese of foreign merchants mingled together, making the whole city much more lively than before. She said softly, "Now they know that all of this was not in vain."

As night deepens, the lights of Songjiang City gradually illuminate the city. Newly planted sycamore saplings sway gently in the evening breeze, as if witnessing the city's transformation.

The watchman's clapper sounded softly as Chen Han and Zhu Youwei walked side by side on their way back to the mansion. Moonlight shone on the bluestone pavement, illuminating the path ahead.

In the distance, the lanterns on the dock stretched out in a continuous line, like a galaxy fallen to earth.

……

As night deepened, the Songjiang Wharf remained brightly lit. Ali, a Persian merchant, stood on the newly paved cobblestone path, holding a bolt of freshly unpacked, flowing fabric. In the moonlight, the cloud-like patterns on the cloth flowed like water, shimmering with a pearly luster.

"God above!" Ali exclaimed in broken Chinese, "This is even more exquisite than the ones in Hangzhou!"

The interpreter quickly explained, "Mr. Ali said he wants to order an additional three hundred horses, to be paid in cash."

Wen Niang stood behind Zhu Youwei and opened the ledger upon hearing this: "The orders are currently booked for three months from now, and the earliest delivery will be next month."

Ali wrung his hands anxiously and took an embroidered cloth bag from his waist: "This is the deposit, fifty taels of Persian gold coins. If the goods can be delivered at the beginning of next month, the price can be increased by 30%."

Zhu Youwei took the cloth bag; the heavy gold coins felt warm in her palm. She turned to look at Chen Han, who nodded slightly.

"Okay, deliver it at the beginning of next month." Zhu Youwei handed the cloth bag to Wenniang, "Note it in the special order, and have Zhang Siniang personally lead people to rush to make it."

Ali was overjoyed and was about to express his gratitude when a commotion suddenly arose from the direction of the dock. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw more than a dozen foreign ships flying various flags docking one after another. As soon as the ships came to a stop, dozens of foreign merchants jumped off the deck, all of them in a hurry.

"What's going on?" Chen Han frowned.

A constable from the government office trotted over to report: "Your Excellency, these are all foreign merchants who transited through Hangzhou. They heard that orders from Hangzhou are booked up for the next six months, so they took a boat overnight to Songjiang."

Zhu Youwei and Chen Han exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes. These foreign merchants were originally going to Yunnan, which was even further away, to purchase goods, but now they had all gathered in Songjiang, which showed that the reputation of the "Living Water Pattern Cloth" had spread.

A Southeast Asian merchant dressed in a brocade robe squeezed to the front and said in broken Mandarin, "Princess, I want to order five hundred bolts of flowing water patterned cloth. The price is negotiable!"

The crowd behind him immediately stirred. The foreign merchants jostled and pushed forward, afraid of missing out on the goods if they were even a moment late. Some held up silver notes, others waved order slips, and the scene became chaotic.

Chen Han stepped forward, his voice not loud but clear enough to carry throughout the dock: "Please be patient, everyone. Songjiang Workshop has enough goods, but we need to follow the rules."

The merchants gradually quieted down. Chen Han continued, "All orders must be registered at the government office, first come, first served. Prices are uniform, and there will be no deception of the young or old."

Zhu Youwei added at the opportune moment: "The daily production of the water-patterned fabric is limited to 100 bolts, the gold-threaded fabric to 50 bolts, and the luminous fabric to 20 bolts. Orders received today will be given priority."

The foreign merchants looked at each other, then quickly reached a consensus. They spontaneously formed a long queue and registered one by one under the guidance of the government officials. Ali stood at the front of the line, proudly waving the contract in his hand to the foreign merchants who came later.

Wen Niang, along with several female accountants, set up a makeshift table at the dock and began registering orders. Zhu Youwei stood to the side, watching the eager expressions of the foreign merchants, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"I didn't expect the water-patterned fabric to be so sought after," she said softly.

Chen Han glanced at the foreign ships moored at the dock and said in a low voice, "This is just the beginning. Once Songjiang Cloud and Water Pattern Cloth is mass-produced, the foreign merchants will go even crazier."

As night deepened, the registration work continued until the wee hours of the morning. By the time the last merchant received his contract, the moon had already set. Wen Niang closed the ledger and rubbed her aching wrists.

"Today we received orders for 2,300 bolts of water-patterned cloth, 1,000 bolts of gold-threaded cloth, and 400 bolts of luminous cloth." Her voice was a little hoarse. "We received 8,000 taels of silver as a deposit, and also order vouchers worth 20,000 taels."

Zhu Youwei nodded: "Tomorrow morning, notify the workshop that all weavers should work in three shifts to ensure on-time delivery."

On the way back to the mansion, Chen Han suddenly said, "The foreign merchants are coming too fast; our production capacity probably can't keep up."

Zhu Youwei was prepared: "I have already asked Wenniang to recruit people from the surrounding villages. Songjiang has no shortage of weavers. As long as the wages are paid in full, manpower will not be a problem."

"We can increase wages, but we can't lower the quality," Chen Han reminded. "Our signature fabric is the 'Living Water Pattern Fabric,' and we absolutely cannot use inferior materials."

"Don't worry, Zhang Si Niang will personally oversee the selection," Zhu Youwei said with a smile. "She currently has over two hundred apprentices, all of whom are carefully chosen promising talents." As they spoke, they arrived at the entrance of the government office. The clerk, carrying a lantern, came forward to greet them: "Your Excellency, Princess, Old Master Zhou has been waiting for you in the flower hall for quite some time."

In the main hall, Old Master Zhou paced back and forth, leaning on his cane. Seeing Chen Han and Zhu Youwei enter, he rushed forward: "Your Excellency, Princess, something terrible has happened!"

"What is it?" Chen Han gestured for him to sit down.

Old Master Zhou couldn't sit still and said urgently, "Shen Wansan's nephew, Shen Rong, has set up workshops outside the city with cloth merchants from Suzhou and is poaching our weavers with high prices!"

Zhu Youwei frowned: "When did this happen?"

"This very afternoon!" Old Master Zhou's beard trembled with anger. "They offered double wages and have already poached more than thirty skilled workers. If it weren't for the loyalty of my Zhou family's weavers, probably even more would have left."

Chen sneered, "Shen Rong is desperate."

Zhu Youwei pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Of the weavers who were poached, how many knew the 'living water pattern' weaving technique?"

Old Master Zhou shook his head: "Not a single one. The people Zhang Si Niang taught all signed a death contract; they can't escape."

"That's good." Zhu Youwei breathed a sigh of relief. "As long as the technique of the Living Water Pattern is not leaked, Shen Rong won't be able to cause any trouble."

Chen Han thought further ahead: "Shen Rong dares to poach people so blatantly, there must be someone backing him up."

“Li Chongyi,” Old Master Zhou gritted his teeth, “this scoundrel has held a grudge ever since he was stripped of his official rank. Now he’s siding with the Shen family and is full of despicable schemes.”

Zhu Youwei walked to the window and gazed at the lights of the distant dock. The merchant ships looked like a forest, and the lanterns on their masts shone brightly in the night.

“Since Shen Rong wants to play, we’ll play big with him.” She turned around, her eyes shining with determination. “Starting tomorrow, all weavers will get a 50% pay raise, and their children who attend free schools will receive an additional two taels of silver per month as a subsidy.”

Grandpa Zhou gasped, "This...this expense is too high!"

“The money comes from the sheep.” Zhu Youwei pointed in the direction of the dock. “The orders from the foreign merchants are enough for us to make back our costs. Isn’t Shen Rong trying to poach people? I’d like to see if he can offer better terms than us.”

Chen Han nodded in agreement: "Not only that, tomorrow I will have the government post a notice that any out-of-town merchants who dare to poach weavers from Songjiang workshops will be subject to an additional 30% commercial tax."

Grandpa Zhou then smiled and said, "Brilliant! In this way, even if Shen Rong manages to recruit someone, the cost will be frighteningly high."

With the matter settled, Old Master Zhou took his leave. Zhu Youwei stood under the eaves, the night breeze ruffling the hem of her dress. Chen Han walked over and draped a cloak over her shoulders.

"Are you tired?" he asked.

Zhu Youwei shook her head: "I was just wondering why Shen Rong suddenly made trouble."

“The water-patterned fabric is so profitable, he’s envious,” Chen Han said calmly. “But it doesn’t matter, our foundation lies in our technology and reputation, which he can’t take away.”

The sound of the night watchman's clapper could be heard in the distance; it was already past midnight. Zhu Youwei pulled her cloak tighter and said softly, "Go to sleep. There's still a tough battle to fight tomorrow."

As dawn broke, the gates of the Songjiang workshop were already open. Zhang Siniang led the weavers in a line in the courtyard, listening to Zhu Youwei announce the new wage standards.

"From today onwards, all weavers' wages will increase by 50%!" Zhu Youwei's voice was clear and bright. "Those whose children attend free schools will receive an additional two taels of silver per month as a subsidy!"

The weavers were taken aback at first, then burst into cheers. Some wept with joy, while others shouted "Long live the Princess!" The scene was incredibly lively.

Zhu Youwei raised her hand to signal everyone to be quiet: "In addition, all weavers who have mastered the water-pattern weaving technique will receive an extra five taels of silver per month as a technical allowance."

Even Zhang Si Niang was stunned. She could earn nearly twenty taels of silver a month, something she never dared to dream of before.

The news spread like wildfire, reaching all of Songjiang by noon. The long line of weavers that had been waiting outside Shen Rong's workshop dispersed. Some muttered as they walked away, "The Shen family only gives ten taels, and they don't even care about the children's education. Only a fool would go!"

Shen Rong stood at the workshop entrance, his face ashen. Behind him, Li Chongyi waved his folding fan and said in a sinister tone, "Don't worry, I have a backup plan."

That afternoon, the government office posted a notice: any out-of-town businesses that poach weavers from Songjiang workshops would be subject to an additional 30% business tax.

Upon seeing the notice, Shen Rong was so angry that he tore it to shreds on the spot.

As dusk settled, Zhu Youwei stood on the watchtower of the workshop, watching the weavers head home after work. Each face wore a smile, and some were even humming tunes.

Wenniang came over and reported: "Princess, more than eighty people have signed up to learn how to weave water-patterned cloth today."

Zhu Youwei nodded: "Teach them well, but the contract must be signed firmly."

In the distance, a cargo ship slowly departed from the dock, its blue flag fluttering in the wind. The two characters "Songjiang" on the flag shone brightly in the setting sun, as if announcing the rise of this textile city.

As dusk settled, a crowd gathered in front of the notice board in front of the Songjiang Prefectural Government Office. A soldier from the prefecture banged a gong and loudly proclaimed the new decree: "Any out-of-town merchants who poach Songjiang weavers will be subject to an additional 30% commercial tax! The monthly wages of weavers in the Jin Guo Workshop will be increased by 50%, and their children who attend charitable schools will receive a monthly subsidy of two taels of silver. Skilled weavers in the live-wash weaving technique will receive an additional five taels of silver!" The crowd erupted in commotion, and several weavers who had been squatting outside Shen Rong's workshop turned and ran towards the Jin Guo Workshop.

Shen Rong kicked over the tea table, shards of porcelain splashing all over Li Chongyi. "That Chen fellow is trying to cut off my livelihood!" he yelled, clutching the torn notice, his eyes flashing with malice. "Tax increases? I'll see how long they can keep up this act!"

Li Chongyi slowly brushed the tea leaves off his clothes and said in a sinister tone, "What's the rush? No matter how famous Songjiang cloth is, it still depends on people to weave it. As long as we control the artisans, they will have to bow their heads sooner or later." He dipped his tea in his cup and drew a circle on the table. "Tomorrow, send someone to the countryside to spread the word that the women's workshops mistreat the weavers and that the dyeing workshops use chemicals that cause their hands to rot."

Shen Rong narrowed his eyes: "Let the idlers spread a few more rumors in the teahouse?"

“Not enough.” Li Chongyi sneered. “Find a few old women to go to the workshop entrance and wail, saying that your daughter died from overwork. If this gets out of hand, the government can’t just turn a blind eye.”

……

Inside the Women's Workshop, Zhu Youwei was listening to Wen Niang report on the recruitment progress. "Thirty households from the south of the city have signed up, but the Shen family is spreading rumors in the village that our workshop's glow-in-the-dark cloth is absorbing people's yang energy." Wen Niang trembled with anger. "One widow believed it and locked her daughter in her room this morning."

Chen Han looked up from the ledger: "Shen Rong is going to ruin the whole game." He closed the ledger. "Raising taxes is just a temporary measure. If we really want to crush them, we have to make the craftsmen understand that... following the Shen family will only lead to a narrower and narrower way to make a living."

“But ordinary people are easily swayed by rumors,” Zhu Youwei frowned.

“Then let’s pave the way for them.” Chen Han dipped his brush in ink and drew a few lines on the paper. “Open a big market in three days and have the foreign merchants sign long-term contracts with the weavers on the spot. The wages, dividends, and compensation for injuries and illnesses should all be clearly written down in black and white. Also, ask Old Master Zhou to take the account books of the affiliated workshops to tour the villages and let the villagers see what kind of food the people who follow the Women’s Workshop are eating and what kind of clothes they are wearing now.”

Zhu Youwei's eyes lit up: "Let Zhang Si Niang lead the water-pattern weavers through the streets again! Craftsmanship is the money bag, let's see who dares to believe the 'rotten hands' nonsense!"

……

(End of this chapter)