The playboy county magistrate

Everyone held their breath, staring intently at the flames and ore inside the furnace, their eyes glued to the scene.

A roaring fire burned inside the furnace, with ample oxygen supplied through the air ducts. The furnace temperature steadily climbed, and the crimson flames illuminated the entire open space.

Half a day later, the furnace fire gradually stabilized, the ore liquefied, the waste slag floated, and the pure molten iron slowly settled at the bottom of the furnace.

"Open the furnace!"

At Li Xuanzhi's command, the craftsmen immediately stepped forward and carefully poured the molten iron down the groove into the mold to set its shape.

Once the iron material has cooled and solidified, a dense and shiny iron billet is revealed.

It has no honeycomb holes, no loose impurities, feels heavy and hard, and its quality far exceeds that of any other iron-smelting products they have ever seen!

The artisans in the room fell silent for a moment, then erupted in a deafening gasp of amazement.

"Such pure iron! This...this is far superior to any refined iron I've ever seen!"

"A miracle! Your method of iron smelting is truly miraculous!"

The artisans were all stunned and stepped forward to observe and touch the objects, their eyes filled with fervor and admiration.

At this moment, I was completely impressed by Li Xuanzhi's advanced skills.

Such exciting good news spread like wildfire in just half a day, as people on the streets told each other.

The Diao family.

The local gentry, who had been waiting to see the joke, turned pale upon hearing the news, as if struck by lightning.

"How is this possible! A simple earthen furnace can actually smelt high-quality iron?"

Diao Mao slumped in his chair, his body ice-cold, his last shred of hope shattered.

Finished!

It's all over!

The highly profitable business that his family had built up over generations through their monopoly on the North Metro had completely collapsed during his reign.

Ten days later.

The ironware, personally crafted under the guidance of Li Xuanzhi, was officially completed.

The iron plows, hoes, sickles, and kitchen knives were all made of hard material, meticulously polished, and of far superior quality to any other ironware sold on the market.

Li Xuanzhi even publicly set the rules—

"Ironware manufactured by the government shall be supplied to the people of this county at a fair price. Price gouging and profiteering are strictly prohibited, as is the resale and distribution of such products outside the county."

"Oh my goodness, such a fine hoe, only forty coins! All the men in my family have been mobilized by Lord Li to work and earn money. Now our family has a little spare cash, we must buy a few of these nice things to take back!"

"Our family has fewer able-bodied men, so we can't earn as much as yours. But my husband is very capable; he works as a blacksmith with Lord Li, and Lord Li really admires him! Lord Li even said that any skilled craftsman can get a discount on ironware. Although I don't have as much money as you, I can still buy the same things you have!"

Instantly, everyone who heard the news crowded around.

"Is that true or false? If it's true, my man won't need to mine iron ore anymore; he's a very good carpenter!"

"Get out of my way! What man can't do carpentry? My husband used to work in a paper mill; he's definitely better than yours!"

……

Li Xuanzhi saw the people scrambling for ironware from a great distance, never expecting that the fight between the women wasn't over the ironware quota, but rather because of their men's pride.

The scene felt unusually harmonious, which further solidified my belief that I hadn't made a mistake in leading people to forge iron.

Upon learning that Li Xuanzhi had led the creation of high-quality ironware, Diao Mao and the others were so angry that they had blisters in their mouths.

Then I heard that skilled craftsmen in Fuyu County could offer discounts on ironware, allowing me to buy ironware at even lower prices, and I couldn't sit still any longer.

Craftsmen held a lowly status, considered to be engaged in a menial and despicable profession. No one would do it if it weren't for the need to earn a living. Even if they did choose to do it, no one valued it, and no one trained them.

The owners and managers of those carpenters' food stalls just wanted to exploit labor and free up their hands to do more work.

They never improve their techniques, nor are they willing to invest in perfecting them. They certainly won't let others learn from them and ruin their livelihood.

Over time, countless ancestral skills either deteriorated or were kept secret and eventually died out with the passing of their masters.

As a result, whether it was iron smelting or other processes, they were always stuck in a primitive stage that relied on experience and luck.

This was also the fundamental reason why local gentry and powerful families like Diao Mao dared to monopolize ironware.

Everyone else is clumsy, but I alone am skillful.

But Li Xuanzhi forcefully tore open a hole in this highly profitable industry.

He not only tore open the breach, but he also broke the rules—

The technology, which had been monopolized and passed down from generation to generation, has been transformed into a system that is replicable, manageable, and upgradeable.

Diao Mao was so anxious that he was completely flustered, and his face looked noticeably thinner.

"Today, Li Xuanzhi can improve the furnace body and optimize the formula, driving down the price of ironware! Tomorrow, he can standardize the processes and unify the standards, taking over other industries! The day after tomorrow, he can train a group of loyal craftsmen exclusively for Li Xuanzhi, thoroughly mastering the core technologies of all industries. What will we do if that day really comes?"

If it were just a power struggle between officials or a battle of wits between the two Li brothers, they would naturally not be in a hurry.

In the end, it's just a matter of finding the most reliable person to offer tribute to, and changing your patron.

But if we touch their interests, what will they use to find a backer in the future?

Without power, status, or money, why should those in positions of authority grant their every request?

At this moment, they were all sighing and complaining, having given up any thought of causing trouble for Li Xuanzhi, and had also abandoned any other ambitions.

They were all dejected and racking their brains for a way to curry favor with Li Xuanzhi and preserve their wealth and glory.

Li Xuanzhi didn't care at all what these people were thinking.

At this moment, Li Xuanzhi had already gathered all the craftsmen in the workshop, which had been built and dried and ventilated, and gave them a speech.

Besides the blacksmith, several carpenters and ceramic artisans stood in neat rows, their former hunched and timid postures completely gone. Each of them stood upright, their eyes respectfully fixed on the young county magistrate before them.

Before yesterday, they were just lowly artisans, at the mercy of others, struggling to make ends meet for the sake of their families.

Today, they are registered artisans in government-run workshops, with a stable income, a respectable status, and a secure livelihood.

This earth-shaking change is all thanks to Li Xuanzhi.

Li Xuanzhi's gaze swept over the crowd, his voice calm yet extremely penetrating, each word clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"Over the years, you have suffered the most and gained the least. You possess skills, yet you have been exploited and looked down upon for so long. Do you have any complaints?"

Everyone lowered their heads, their eyes filled with tears, but no one dared to speak out.

Years of oppression had made them accustomed to enduring it. Even though they were full of resentment, they had long since become numb and resigned to their fate.

"From this day forward, there is no need for forbearance."

Li Xuanzhi spoke slowly and confidently.

"From now on, all workshops in Fuyu County will be supervised and managed by the government, which will only be responsible for inspection and collection of income tax. All of these profits will be used for the development of Fuyu County and the improvement of people's livelihoods."

"Craftsmen are paid the same way as blacksmiths, based on the number of pieces they produce that meet the requirements. The more they work, the more they earn. They are paid monthly and by the piece. There will be no delays or deductions."

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone present trembled, and their eyes instantly ignited with a burning light.

how many years?

Most of their achievements were plundered without compensation. The few remaining artifacts were exchanged for a meager income, barely enough to make ends meet.

They never imagined that one day their skills would be able to earn money honestly, or that their labor would be respected.