The Ming Dynasty took an unconventional approach

Chapter 1031 A Glimmer of Hope is Enough

Pan Xiaohei: "You and the Ministry of Works were almost able to build the steam engine, and now you're talking to me about inevitability and chance?"

"So what if it was made? It's just a steam engine. The steam engine that is historically recognized was made in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. At that time, China's technology was still the best in the world. The theory of the steam engine had already taken shape in the Yuan Dynasty. Wang Zhen's book on agriculture contains a diagram of the linkage between the water pump and the bellows. Therefore, with the technology of the Ming Dynasty, it is possible to make a steam engine. This is inevitable, not accidental."

Pan Xiaohei: "You could have achieved this with a magic array, so why bother with all those craftsmen in the Ministry of Works?"

“The Celestial Master’s Mansion’s techniques have been promoted among the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Imperial Guard, but so far, not a single one has been able to cultivate Yuan Qi. In other words, the magic array has not yet been widely used,” Pan Yun said. “You are in the Spirit Realm, haven’t you calculated the merit required to unseal all the Spirit Realm members?”

"Such a large amount of merit can only be obtained by benefiting all the people of the Great Ming Dynasty, or even more. Such a good thing can only be effective when it works on ordinary people, so that I can get more merit points."

Pan Yun said, "Therefore, if ordinary people make things for ordinary people, and Yuan Power and magic arrays can replace the power source, but there is no basis for widespread use, then it is all in vain."

Pan Xiaohei immediately fell silent. In the end, it was all for the sake of merit.

No, that's not right. It glanced at Pan Yun and didn't think she was doing it entirely for the sake of merit.

Perhaps, she also wanted the lives of ordinary people in this time and space to be better, even better.

Even without merit or spiritual power, if she had the ability, she would still do it, right?

Pan Xiaohei thought this, and asked it: "If there were no spiritual realm, no merit, would you do such a thing?"

Pan Jun lowered her eyes, meeting its dark, round eyes, and said softly, "A world of great harmony, where people live in peace and contentment, is my heart's desire."

The court was in dire need of capable officials, so the emperor could not possibly allow Cao Nai and Hu Ying to resign.

The emperor warmly comforted the two, especially patting Cao Nai repeatedly. Then, he adopted Hu Ying's suggestion to first reduce the service time and wages of the artisans, and to discuss the matter of abolishing their artisan status later.

Of course, it's not about reducing the service time of all the artisans in the country all at once. The Ming Dynasty is too big, and if a policy is not implemented carefully, it could easily cause chaos and even greater conflicts.

This is the new way of being a ruler that the emperor has learned.

Ever since he revealed his intention to reform, his ministers have warned him, either directly or indirectly, that the reforms should not be rushed.

Even Pan Yun reminded everyone that haste makes waste.

In addition, the reforms of the imperial court targeting the imperial family and lifting the sea ban showed initial success without causing a major wave of opposition, which made the emperor realize the importance of the pilot program.

Therefore, the emperor also chose to proceed gradually with this reform of the treatment of artisans. He drew several circles on the map and allowed several places to pilot the reform first.

The officials then realized that if the reforms to the artisan households were effective and would not cause any major accidents, the artisan households would definitely be abolished in the future.

Most officials were not opposed to abolishing the artisan households and allowing artisans to be incorporated into the private households, as long as the abolition of the artisan households would not cause the government's projects to stop or increase its burden.

For most officials, class status is simply a matter of different professions.

Of course, it cannot be denied that there are some people in this world who are self-important and look down on artisans.

But if the other party looks down on artisans, wouldn't they also look down on them for their low rank?
An arrogant person is also an insecure person.

The happiest people in this whole affair were none other than the artisans.

The artisans in the capital gathered together to celebrate on the day the imperial edict was issued, and placed Pan Yun's portrait and the portraits of their respective ancestral masters together for worship.

Carpenters, stonemasons, and bricklayers hung portraits of Pan Yun and Lu Ban;
The blacksmith hung up portraits of Pan Yun and Laozi;
The textile industry displayed portraits of Pan Yun and Huang Daopo;

The paper industry displayed portraits of Pan Yun and Cai Lun... In short, at this moment, Pan Yun was elevated to the same level as the patriarch of all industries.

Pan Yun was successfully awakened by the clanging and banging of countless merits.

Pan Yun opened her eyes and watched as the merit point progress bar visibly moved forward once again. She couldn't help but mutter, "If this really removes my craftsman status, have you broken another seal?"

Pan Xiaohei lay down at her feet, happily peering into her own body.

Since it was just a pilot program, the imperial court naturally couldn't publicize it extensively; it was only mentioned briefly in the official gazette.

However, the Ministry of Works' "Qimin Zhishu" newspaper, under Hu Cheng's instruction, was printed in large quantities and then distributed to various prefectures and counties.
Local tabloids also featured the anecdote of Hu Ying and Cao Nai vying to retire in major newspapers.

Of course, the focus is different.

Local tabloids aimed to gossip about the two Grand Secretaries and to highlight the Emperor's magnanimity and love for talent.

That's how the matter spread.

Craftsmen love to read gossip, but they can see even more clearly the hidden meanings within it.

In an instant, countless golden rays of merit flew towards Pan Yun from all directions across the country...

This time, Beijing is also included in the pilot program.

The emperor only drew five circles, one for each palace.

The Ming Dynasty, excluding directly governed prefectures and independent prefectures, had a total of 140 prefectures.

Currently, no more than one-thirtieth of the artisans have benefited, but the remaining twenty-nine people see hope in the one who has benefited, and even if they do not receive anything, they are willing to contribute their belief and blessings.

As Pan Yun received the golden light of merit flying in from all over the country, she murmured, "Even without the spiritual realm, this is still worthwhile."

That night, Pan Yun's mind cleared, and a golden light flashed. The first layer of the spiritual realm's restrictive array was broken, and the jade tablet of the spiritual realm opened and closed, changing its appearance drastically. Pan Yun's divine sense actually saw a world within one of the jade tablets.

Her consciousness swept across the world, seeing lush grass and birdsong, vibrant spring; seeing cicadas chirping under the blazing sun, water splashing against flowers; seeing clear skies and colorful forests; plum blossoms standing tall amidst pristine white snow…

It was a complete world with four distinct seasons.

Pan Yun suddenly opened her eyes, her mind racing.

She realized something and looked down at Pan Xiaohei lying at her feet.

Pan Xiaohei was left with only a sliver of life, the result of its many years of cultivation, which allowed the cat to retain a trace of life even after being separated from its body.

Its spirit had long since returned to its original body.

Pan Yun suppressed the almost overflowing Yuan Power in her Dantian, closed her eyes, and continued to sink into her consciousness.

The jade tablet of the spiritual realm opened and closed, slowly rotating in her Niwan Palace. That world seemed to be shrouded in a thin mist, allowing her consciousness to see it but not to sink into it.

[Congratulations, you have obtained the most perfect cultivation technique.] Pan Xiaohei's spirit appeared at some point, transforming into a jade-white cat on the jade tablet of the spirit realm, tilting its head to look at Pan Yun.

(End of this chapter)