The Ming Dynasty: The opening scene features Zhu Di angrily accusing him of illegitimate succession.

Zheng He straightened up, his tone as calm as the breeze on the river: "Remonstrance Official Lin, Your Majesty's move truly shows that you value the talent of scholars."

The Longjiang Shipyard, bordering the Yangtze River to the west and the Qinhuai River to the east, covers an area of ​​over 800 mu (approximately 53 hectares) and has seven dikes reaching a depth of five zhang (approximately 10 meters), dedicated to building treasure ships.

He pointed to the crowded area, "Now that the pond is being dug, there are more than 10,000 craftsmen and tens of thousands of laborers, divided into four sections and ten households, each with their own duties. Craftsmen of wood, iron, palm, and rope are all gathered here."

However, shipbuilding is a matter of national prestige; one wrong step could jeopardize overseas voyages. We must think thrice before acting, and each of us must fulfill our responsibilities to jointly safeguard the shipyard's stability.

Zheng He spoke very politely, simply because he feared that this arrogant minister, who had been imprisoned three times, would act recklessly in this crucial place.

The eunuch Sanbao did not consider Lin Yue to be a technically skilled person.

Lin Yue naturally understood the deeper meaning in Zheng He's words, but remained noncommittal, only glancing at the blueprints before speaking indifferently.

"What Eunuch Zheng said is absolutely right. The treasure shipyard is a matter of national prestige and is of no small importance."

I truly do not understand shipbuilding techniques such as mortise and tenon joints and sail construction, and I am completely ignorant of hull lines and ship materials. Naturally, I would not speak carelessly about areas I do not understand.

The Longjiang Shipyard in the first year of the Yongle reign can be described as a world-class shipbuilding base.

This ship boasts watertight compartment technology that is hundreds of years ahead of Europe. The fish-scale joints greatly increase the ship's bending strength. The treasure ship is 70 meters long and 15 meters wide, with a displacement of more than 2,500 tons. The ship has 16 watertight compartments, and the mortise and tenon joints can be connected without a single nail, making it a marvel of the world.

(Some say it is 136 meters long and has a displacement of over 10,000 tons, but this is actually a figure exaggerated by scholars during the Wanli period. It will not be used here, and the current research figure of 5000 tons will be used as the standard.)

However, beneath this brilliance, there are also many backward aspects, such as the fact that craftsmen rely on master-apprentice transmission of skills, and it is difficult to find skilled craftsmen.

Building a treasure ship takes a long time; even without considering material preparation, it would take more than eighteen months, which is inefficient.

Although there was a system of "marking the name of the craftsman on the object", the control was not strict, and the craftsmen were mostly trapped by the craftsman's registration, with meager treatment and passive work.

Zheng He breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this and was about to reply when Lin Yue spoke again.

"But I know very well that everything in this world is done by human beings."

Even with unparalleled skills, if the craftsmen are lazy and unmotivated, the process is chaotic and disorderly, and the quality is not controlled, even the best ship design will be difficult to become a masterpiece.

The saying goes, "It's all up to human effort," but in reality, it's all about human actions.

Choosing the right people and using the right management methods can achieve twice the result with half the effort; conversely, even with thousands of skilled craftsmen, it's just a waste of resources, and they'll never amount to anything.

Zheng He was slightly taken aback by these words.

He supervised the shipyard for many days and was well aware of the problems of craftsmen slacking off and inconsistent quality.

However, there was often no other way. The imperial court only allocated so much money, and in the corvée labor that was not for water conservancy projects, the people would often be passive and reluctant to work.

Lin Yue's words were broad, but he made it clear that he didn't understand shipbuilding technology and respected the profession, unlike those arrogant people who only talk big.

Zheng He decided to give him some face again and asked, "Judge Lin's words are quite insightful. I wonder, Scholar, what do you think is the proper approach to managing these artisans?"

Looking at the shipyard that was beginning to take shape in front of him, Lin Yue was filled with emotion.

Why did a super shipyard with tens of thousands of employees during the Yongle era degenerate into such a state by the end of the dynasty?

Was it the excessive natural disasters that had lasted for more than a decade, or had the Ming Dynasty court become so corrupt that it had lost the ability to solve the problem?

Whose fault was the fall of the Ming Dynasty?

Lin Yue composed himself and said, "Shipyard management is actually quite simple; it boils down to a few points: standards, inspections, materials, and accountability."

He pointed to the shipyard blueprints in Zheng He's hand.

"Nowadays, shipbuilding relies entirely on the experience of craftsmen. If Zhang San makes a ship plank that is three-tenths thicker, and Li Si makes one that is two-tenths thinner, it will be difficult to fit them together perfectly."

Uniform standards must be established, including the thickness of the ship planks, the dimensions of the tenons and mortises, and the thickness of the ropes. In particular, tool standards must be standardized so that everything is measured precisely and construction is carried out according to the drawings. This will improve efficiency.

Zheng He nodded upon hearing this. Although Lin Yue was only saying what he already knew, his concise and insightful explanation was still commendable.

Seeing Zheng He's approval, Lin Yue continued, "We should also implement the three-inspection method... Every step of the process must be recorded, so that it is clear who did it and who inspected it, and this can prevent errors from being passed on to the next stage."

These are not the most important things. Only by assigning responsibility to specific individuals can we substantially improve workmanship issues.

Nowadays, the inscriptions on objects only include the craftsman's name, which is too brief.

It would be better to improve this method so that each component is not only engraved with the name of the maker, but also with the date of manufacture and the name of the inspector. Furthermore, a file should be created for each ship to record the materials used, the construction process, the inspection results, and also with the name of the official who supervised the construction and when.

If problems arise in the future, an investigation will quickly reveal whether the issue lies with the materials, the craftsman's mistake, the negligence in inspection, or the official's error. With clear evidence for accountability, naturally no one will dare to be perfunctory.

Lin Yue rattled off a long string of words, talking about standardization, assembly lines, triple material inspection, and a three-inspection process, without caring whether Zheng He would accept it or not.

Lin Yue's words were clear, concise, and full of insightful observations; they contained not a single falsehood and were all exquisite techniques of modern industrial management.

Zheng He was increasingly astonished as he listened, and his prejudice against Lin Yue was completely changed, replaced by a deep shock.

Many people can identify and raise problems, but very few can articulate feasible solutions in such a concise manner.

This is no ordinary outspoken madman; he is clearly a brilliant talent with profound knowledge and real skills!

Lin Yue is a truly great pillar of the nation.

Zheng He's attitude became much more serious, and he cupped his hands and said, "What Lin said is truly insightful!"

I have been overseeing various factories for many years, but I have never thought of such a method. If these four methods of yours can be implemented, they will surely solve the problem of the treasure shipyard!

"Does Censor Lin have any other insightful opinions? Why don't you share them all at once?"

In the first year of the Yongle reign, Zheng He was probably in his early thirties, in the prime of his life, but according to ancient age standards, it would be quite normal to call him an old man.

Lin Yue had no intention of keeping anything to himself; all he wanted was to share his knowledge.

Since we're already here, we should leave something behind. It would be nice to make a name for ourselves in history.

Lin Yue said, "Since you are willing to listen, I will offer my humble opinion."

The success of this shipyard ultimately depends on skilled craftsmen. However, these craftsmen are now bound by their official registers, born into servitude and passing it down to their sons after death. Their pay is meager, and there is no difference between good and bad skills or how much work they do. Who is willing to put in their best effort?

The Ming Dynasty's artisan registration system had many drawbacks, but it wasn't entirely without a grading system. It was just barely better than nothing, giving the impression of the government rewarding you with two hundred copper coins after you've achieved nuclear fusion technology.

According to Zhu Yuanzhang's plan, each craftsman should be employed as a servant, and the whole family should stop farming. However, the actual treatment was often reduced by officials, especially after the Hongwu period, when being a craftsman was no longer a good profession.

For example, during the Yongle reign, when the capital was moved, Nanjing artisans were forcibly conscripted to go north, which led to a series of artisans fleeing and choosing to become outlaws rather than follow the government to the north.

Zheng He nodded upon hearing this, and quickly asked, "Does Censor Lin have a solution?"

"The solution is simple: first, classify the students by level; second, provide preferential treatment."

Lin Yue said loudly, "In the past, the Eastern Wei and Northern Qi dynasties had the system of 'Master Craftsmen,' which allowed top craftsmen to enter the court to participate in construction matters."

In my opinion, our shipyard could also follow this model and establish a five-level skill system: apprentice, skilled worker, technician, master craftsman, and senior master craftsman.

Even if master craftsmen don't participate in court affairs, they can at least be involved in shipyard decision-making. This gives the craftsmen something to look forward to, naturally motivating them to work diligently.

Zheng He nodded repeatedly, agreeing that this was a good idea, explaining the benefits involved, which was not difficult to understand.

Lin Yue added, "We can also learn from the Song Dynasty's method of rewarding those with superior skills."

For example, a master craftsman's monthly salary is five shi of rice plus five hundred wen, and a skilled worker's salary is two shi of rice plus fifty wen. If the work is done well, there are also piece-rate bonuses. Making a standard part earns five wen, and making a high-quality part earns an additional two wen.

Thirty percent of the material savings will be distributed as a bonus to the craftsmen. With that in mind, who would be willing to cut corners?

The salary was actually quite high. After all, a county magistrate of the seventh rank only received 7.5 shi of rice per month, plus a large amount of paper money to make up the difference. His income was quite impressive.

If five shi of rice plus five hundred wen were actually paid, it would be roughly equivalent to a monthly income of 2000 wen, which would be considered a middle-class wealthy household in the first year of the Yongle reign. Many military craftsmen only received one shi of rice per month.

Zheng He nodded repeatedly upon hearing this.

Improving the treatment of master craftsmen may seem wasteful, but in reality, the expenditure is very small. Most of the tens of thousands of craftsmen are apprentices or skilled workers, and there are only a few master craftsmen, so it won't cost much money.

The eunuch Sanbao's pen flew across the paper as he jotted down notes, then pressed on, "Regarding working hours, the craftsmen often slack off these days. How should this be dealt with?"

Lin Yue shook his head and said, "Does Father-in-law know that people are not made of iron or stone? How can they work day and night without rest?"

Nowadays, craftsmen often work day and night, and with long hours of work each day, it's inevitable that they will get tired and make mistakes.

With improved compensation, stricter management will naturally increase the craftsmen's willingness to work. Shipyards should not simply urge craftsmen to rush their work, but should consciously limit working hours.

In my opinion, a maximum of six shichen (twelve hours) per day is sufficient.

The remaining time should be used by the craftsmen to learn.

A records department could be set up in the shipyard to specifically record the craftsmen's inventions, creations, and technical insights. Anyone who improved tools or optimized processes should be noted down, and this would serve as a basis for promotion.

Lin Yue looked thoughtful, and after thinking for a moment, he spoke.

"Furthermore, we should establish a treasure ship academy to teach arithmetic and physics, such as using mathematics to calculate the keel's load-bearing capacity, designing the hull's curvature, and using the principles of physics to figure out how to make the mast more wind-resistant."

We should also refer to the technical schools of the Song Dynasty to establish craft schools, and consciously cultivate artisans who are literate and have innovative abilities.

Only through such rigorous selection and strict technical control can shipyards continuously improve.

During the Song Dynasty, mathematics and crafts were already taught. In the Yuan Dynasty, the "General Administration of Various Craftsmen" was established to select bright young children to "learn calligraphy and arithmetic and be taught crafts".

It can be said that technical colleges existed in ancient China long ago, since the imperial examinations were quite difficult, and not everyone who studied wanted to become an official.

To put it another way, in the Ming Dynasty, one could become an official by being skilled in technology. During the Yongle period, there was a craftsman named Kuai Xiang who was promoted for designing the Forbidden City in Beijing and rose all the way to the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works.

There's also the well-known Grand Secretary and Regent Zhang Juzheng, who came from a poor military family and was so poor that he couldn't even afford to eat.

Zheng He was increasingly astonished as he listened, and he almost dropped the charcoal pencil in his hand.

(Charcoal pencils existed in ancient times as well; there was no need for time travelers to invent them.)

Creating a model has existed since ancient times, but a system as strict as Lin Yue's, with its rigorous selection process, multiple levels of selection, and even the large-scale establishment of artisan schools in an attempt to cultivate shipyard artisans and systematically develop the craft, is truly unprecedented.