The playboy county magistrate

"Thank you for your kindness, sir!"

The artisans bowed in unison, their voices filled with sincere admiration.

After a lifetime of trials and tribulations, they finally met a county magistrate who was willing to establish rules for craftsmen and help them make a living.

Taking advantage of the people's enthusiasm, Li Xuanzhi immediately struck while the iron was hot and introduced three new regulations.

First, register and classify.

All artisans were registered in the county government's exclusive artisan register, which was directly managed by the government.

Based on skill level and the quality of the artifacts, they are divided into three grades: primary, intermediate, and advanced.

The higher the rank, the higher the salary and the greater the authority.

Secondly, standardize the work process.

Li Xuanzhi organized his improved ore beneficiation, washing, proportioning, stratified combustion, temperature-controlled smelting, and impurity removal and diversion processes into clear and easy-to-understand mnemonics and steps.

Discard all vague, experiential advice and transform it into a standardized process that is replicable, teachable, and mass-producible.

In the past, craftsmen relied on intuition, luck, and the experience of their ancestors to forge iron.

Nowadays, iron smelting in workshops is done according to steps, proportions, and standards.

Even a novice apprentice can produce high-quality iron by strictly following the procedures.

Thirdly, the master-apprentice system facilitates the transmission of skills and the mass cultivation of talent.

Senior craftsmen mentor intermediate craftsmen, and intermediate craftsmen mentor junior craftsmen.

Experienced craftsmen mentor new apprentices, using the workshop as their classroom and practical training as their course of study.

No restrictions on background or social standing. Anyone who wants to learn, wants to master a skill, is willing to work hard, and has good character is welcome. This program completely breaks away from the outdated practice of passing down skills privately and keeping them secret.

That's not enough, after all, Fuyu County doesn't have a large usable population.

There were also refugees in the nearby counties. They selected a few quick-witted and hardworking teenagers and recruited them into the workshop as apprentices. They provided free training, food, and lodging, and trained loyal people from scratch.

Only in this way can each workshop always have its own eyes and ears, so that it won't change its nature if it's out of their sight.

It's not good if something that's clearly a sharp weapon in your own hands becomes a dagger that stabs you in the back due to mismanagement.

Zhang Tieshan, an old craftsman, was once a man who served on the frontier.

However, he didn't fight on the battlefield; instead, he was locked in a cave and spent half his life forging iron.

Later, because of his age and lack of strength, he was kicked out and settled here.

It can be said that among all the blacksmiths in Fuyu County and even the surrounding areas, Zhang Tieshan was the most skilled.

Although he still couldn't forge iron here, he became the person in charge designated by Li Xuanzhi.

At this moment, Zhang Tieshan held the iron smelting process manual written by Li Xuanzhi in his hands, and was smiling as he looked at the simple diagrams that Li Xuanzhi had drawn specifically for illiterate people. His hands were trembling slightly.

The booklet is filled with straightforward and precise language.

They dissected their lifelong, vague experiences, built on trial and error and luck, into a clear and detailed understanding.

What is heat control? What is impurity removal? What is proportion? What is temperature control?

What was once a vague concept is now crystal clear.

"The methods of the adults have completely clarified the murky history of blacksmithing that has lasted for thousands of years!"

Zhang Tieshan was filled with excitement, his old eyes shining, and he bowed deeply to the young county magistrate.

Having lived most of his life, he finally understood the intricacies of iron smelting and forging today, and only now can he truly be considered a respectable craftsman.

Cao, the county magistrate, stood at the door and witnessed the whole thing, his shock growing ever stronger.

He originally thought that the adults' act of refining fine iron and selling it at a reasonable price was the most powerful act of benefiting the people.

But only now did he truly see that an adult's vision is never based on temporary gains or losses, or the advantages or disadvantages of a single city.

Li Xuanzhi appeared to be gathering artisans, but in reality, he was monopolizing the foundation of basic technology in the entire Fuyu County.

The ore was controlled by the government, the furnaces were controlled by the government, the processes were controlled by the government, the artisans were controlled by the government, and even the selection of apprentices was controlled by the government.

From now on, Fuyu County's iron smelting technology, forging capabilities, and artifact production will be enhanced.

Both the quantity and the price were entirely controlled by the county government, and had nothing to do with the local gentry.

Even if the imperial court doesn't care about them, so what?

As long as this stagnant pool comes back to life on its own, it can immediately revitalize the entire Fuyu County!

The Diao family.

The atmosphere inside the tightly closed lobby was oppressive and suffocating.

The servants kept bringing back news about the workshops in Fuyu County—

The county magistrate has set new regulations, established a register of artisans, and trained apprentices to teach new technologies!

The production of government-made ironware has accelerated, and now every household in Fuyu County has ironware.

That's not all. After people from the surrounding counties learned that the ironware from Fuyu County was of good quality, they also made temporary friends with people from Fuyu County, started to get closer to each other, and began to buy ironware from Fuyu County.

In just a few days, the Diao family's ironware business was completely wiped out.

In the past, the shop was always bustling with customers, and buyers even had to choose which storefront to purchase. Now, no one is interested.

Diao Mao sat in the main seat, his face ashen. The last trace of arrogance in his eyes had vanished, leaving only endless panic.

He originally thought that Li Xuanzhi was just showing off for a while and would run out of steam after a few days.

But to his utter surprise, the other party not only knew how to smelt iron, but also understood how to standardize processes, gather craftsmen, cultivate techniques, and build systems.

This is hardly a whim of a young playboy.

This is clearly a top-tier strategy, meticulously planned and deadly at every turn!

"It's over..."

An elderly country gentleman slumped in a chair, his voice hoarse and desperate.

"He took the ore and made the iron. Now he wants to take all the craftsmen's skills... The goods he sells are no longer limited to Fuyu County. We have offended him so badly that we will have no place to stand in the northern states in the future."

The crowd was ashen-faced and filled with sorrow, yet they no longer had the courage to oppose them.

They finally realized that they were not facing a simple county magistrate who had bought his position, but a peerless talent with extraordinary knowledge, a deep and meticulous mind, and ruthless methods.

The leaders of the minor clans who were dependent on the Diao family gathered together, all of them looking listless and uneasy.

In the past, relying on the power of the Diao family, they ran rampant in various counties and made countless profits.

Now that the tree has fallen and its roots are swaying, their respective industries will likely suffer setbacks in succession.

"Brother Diao, we can't afford to waste any more time like this! If Magistrate Li succeeds, other industries will follow the same path!"

A round-faced local gentryman, his brow furrowed and his tone anxious, said, "If we don't find a solution soon, within six months, our businesses will suffer successive setbacks. We'll then be left with nothing but depleted resources and utterly ruined!"

If the powerful Diao family could be so severely damaged, then smaller, declining families like theirs simply don't have the same resilience.

The other person echoed, his face full of bitterness:

"That Lord Li is too ruthless. He not only cut off our source of income, but also uprooted us completely. He has the artisans, mines, technology, and the hearts of the people all in his hands. We have absolutely no power to resist him on the surface."

Everyone was talking at once, filled with anxiety and panic.

Diao Mao sat quietly in the main seat for a long time, his face gloomy and dark.

The arrogance and hostility in his eyes had long been worn down by the setbacks of the past few days, leaving only a deep gloom.

He finally understood.

If they were to confront each other head-on, they would have no chance of winning.

"A direct confrontation is a dead end."

Diao Mao spoke slowly, his voice hoarse and low, carrying a hint of resentment at being forced to submit.

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent and turned to look at him.

"We underestimated Lord Li's shrewdness and ability. Our reckless provocation has led to this humiliating situation."

Diao Mao let out a long breath, a hint of restraint flashing in his eyes:

"From this day forward, everyone must put away their hostility, refrain from opposing the Fuyu County government, and refrain from spreading any rumors."

Someone asked urgently, "Brother Diao, are we just going to admit defeat like this? Let Lord Li manipulate us and hand over our family's legacy?"

"Of course not." Diao Mao raised his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them, revealing the cunning and ruthlessness of an old fox.

"On the surface, we softened our stance, admitted our mistakes, and made concessions, so that he would lower his guard and think that we had already submitted to our fate."

"But behind the scenes, there are plenty of other ways."