usatvline Chapter 041 Demanding Justice
Chapter 041 Demanding Justice
Chapter 041
Chen Ying wanted to motivate the craftsmen to work hard by offering them promotions and wealth, but he was overthinking it. Even if they weren't given food, the craftsmen would be very happy just to have enough to eat and wear.
The temporary workers at the Shahe Garrison Command are now very envious of the military households. They not only have uniforms, but are also provided with shoes, gloves and other protective equipment. In particular, skilled craftsmen can not only eat rice, but also salted or cured meat, and occasionally even wine.
Zhang Changgeng had opened up channels. He not only bought grain from the official granaries in the capital, but also a large amount of pickles. The pickles were of two kinds: meat sauce and vegetable sauce. As for the taste, it was hard to describe. But for the refugees who were living hand to mouth and the artisans who had fled, the Shahe Garrison Thousand-Household Office was simply paradise.
When Chen Ying came out of the workshop, he found that the Ming Dynasty was simply a paradise for capitalists. The craftsmen in the Ming Dynasty were very diligent. If they were asked to work for four and a half hours, they would not be satisfied and would insist on working for an extra hour because they could have a midnight snack.
That's right. The canteen at Shahe Workshop originally didn't serve late-night snacks; there were only three meals a day. However, some skilled craftsmen were engaged in research and development or experiments and often forgot to eat.
After discovering this problem, Chen Ying decisively ordered the canteen to ensure the craftsmen were well-fed. They don't ask for overtime pay, so what's wrong with providing a meal?
The problem is that as soon as this policy was introduced, other craftsmen discovered that if they worked for an extra hour or so, they could have a midnight snack. The midnight snack was not plentiful; it was just ordinary mixed grain noodles, mixed grain steamed buns, or millet porridge.
But for the craftsmen, being able to eat an extra meal was better than staying idle at home; an extra full meal meant they could save their families some food.
Chen Ying noticed that the craftsmen, who weren't supposed to be working overtime, were all engrossed in their work. Puzzled, he asked, "What's going on?"
"Reporting back to Commander-in-Chief... this..."
"Old Xing, stop with the 'this' and 'that', just tell me what happened?"
Chen Ying actually disliked some managers who pushed people to the brink in order to meet deadlines, like the construction of the Grand Canal during the Sui Dynasty. Did Emperor Yang Guang order that it must be completed by a certain period of time?
The answer is no. The author checked and found no record of it in official history. Even if more than a million people died, it was the officials and foremen in charge who made the decision on their own. You should know that officials completely disregard the lives of ordinary people for the sake of their political achievements.
Yang Guang took the blame, but Chen Ying didn't want to take the blame himself and drive the craftsmen to their deaths. Besides, he had already calculated the working hours and knew he could easily complete the task; there was no need to push the craftsmen to their deaths.
Old Xing's full name is Xing Yixing. He was originally a military household member of Huzhuang Hundred Household Office, Right Thousand Household of Guide Guard. His father-in-law was a blacksmith who made excellent armor. He is now the Chief Consul of the Ordnance Army.
Xing Yixing said helplessly, "Commander, I have no choice. I've told them so many times to stop working, but they just won't. They even have a set schedule. They have to produce a batch of molten steel before they finish work each day, and that's all they can do to finish casting..."
"Was it voluntary?"
Chen Ying asked, puzzled, "Why don't I, the commander, believe it?"
"Lord Chiju, we volunteered!"
An old craftsman hurriedly knelt on the ground and explained to Chen Ying, "Commander, I only want to finish the work as soon as possible..."
"Hurry up my ass, Commander! They just want to work an extra hour, they want to wait until they have their midnight snack before they stop!"
"this……"
Chen Yingzhen hadn't expected things to turn out this way. He couldn't dampen the craftsmen's enthusiasm for work, so he could only instruct the canteen to prepare more food so that the craftsmen could eat and drink well.
He quoted Wei Zhongxian a price of ten taels of silver, which actually included the cost of infrastructure construction. Now, excluding infrastructure construction costs, the actual cost is even lower. He cast plate armor for Wei Zhongxian because he knew that plate armor was just for show.
The plate armor of later generations was actually made of fine steel, but the problem was that the plate armor in Europe at the same time was made of wrought iron, which could not protect against stabs or even arrows.
Arrows can easily pierce through wrought iron of the same thickness. The Mongols had long since made plate armor a laughing stock. Moreover, the plate armor that Chen Ying made was only intended for Wei Zhongxian's ceremonial guard.
In terms of defensive capabilities, the Ming dynasty lamellar armor, with its fish-scale-like arrangement of plates and the leather straps and padding behind them, provides effective cushioning. Moreover, the plates are stacked on top of each other, resulting in astonishing defensive power.
Chen Ying was already using the cold casting process for lamellar armor production. This technology was already fully mature in Shahe, so he didn't even need to worry about it. The craftsmen who made the molds would complete the molds for the lamellar armor plates, and they could replace the plate armor molds at any time to start production.
Chen Ying also discovered that the boiler room in the public bathhouse was being used by refugees. An investigation revealed that the Shahe garrison had over one boiler that produced large quantities of hot water daily for the soldiers and craftsmen to bathe in. While tending the boiler was tiring, the warmth of being around it was far better than freezing outside. Thus, the boiler room was also taken over by the refugees.
They worked in the workshop during the day, and after finishing their work, they would go to the boiler room. The boiler room was not only a place to sleep, but also a place to boil water and cook food. It was simply an ideal paradise.
In the Ming Dynasty, unlike bosses in later generations who guard against their employees' laziness as if they were thieves, the craftsmen of the Ming Dynasty were not only diligent, but they also found work for themselves.
In the Ming Dynasty, not only did craftsmen find work for themselves, but even teachers did. The Dabentang Hall was the rear hall of the Wenhua Hall. Originally, it was a place for the imperial library, but later it became a place for the crown prince and princes to study. It was the earliest royal academy, and all the lecturers were attendant scholars, who were also the future prime ministers.
During the Tianqi reign, Zhu Youxiao was not yet an emperor. Apart from Prince Xin, there were no other princes, such as Prince Zhou and Prince Fu, who were all in their fiefdoms in various places.
Zhu Youjian was the only student of the Grand Hall. Recently, the Grand Hall's scholars have also been involved in politics, impeaching Wei Zhongxian for persecuting loyal officials. The Minister of Works, Wang Shunding, died suddenly at home, which was clearly caused by Wei Zhongxian.
In fact, Wei Zhongxian did not force Wang Shunding to his death. Although Wang Shunding was from Kuaiji, he was not a member of the Donglin Party. He was a confidant of Fang Congzhe, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet from the 47th year of the Wanli reign to the first year of the Tianqi reign. Fang Congzhe was a sworn enemy of the Donglin Party. Judging from his attack on Fang Congzhe, Wei Zhongxian actually lacked political vision.
With Fang Congzhe, the Grand Secretary, keeping them in check, neither Zuo Guangdou nor Wei Zhongxian were worth a damn in front of him. They had no seniority, and in terms of eloquence, Fang Congzhe could verbally spar with them. But the problem was that Fang Congzhe was driven out by Wei Zhongxian, and Fang Congzhe's confidants were naturally also killed by Wei Zhongxian.
Wei Zhongxian, the eunuch, is now unable to explain himself clearly. Of course, he is not afraid to take the blame. At this time, the Donglin Party is going all out to impeach Wei Zhongxian, and even Hanlin scholars and Attendant Scholars are joining the attack on the eunuch party.
However, there are exceptions to every group. For example, Chen Wanyan, a scholar-in-waiting, was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the 47th year of the Wanli reign. He ranked third in the second class and sixth in the examination. He was a probationary official in the Hanlin Academy and was skilled in poetry, prose, calligraphy, and painting. After becoming a scholar-in-waiting, he dutifully served as Zhu Youjian's teacher and did not participate in court politics.
However, because there were too many attendants, he only gave a lecture once every six days. When he found that Zhu Youjian was not there that day, he did not pay much attention to it. After all, in his eyes, although Zhu Youjian was a bit stupid, he was still an obedient and good child.
When Zhu Youjian was not found in the school again in the second round, Chen Wanyan was furious. He went directly to the Tianqi Emperor and told him that the Prince of Xin had skipped class and that he was not doing anything about it.
Zhu Youxiao then realized that he hadn't seen Zhu Youjian for a while. He asked Wang Tiqian, who was standing beside him, "What has Prince Xin been busy with these past few days? It seems like it's been a while since I've seen him come to pay his respects."
Wang Tiqian hurriedly bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, His Highness Prince Xin has been in the school at the Shahe Garrison these past few days."
"A school?"
Zhu Youxiao looked slightly surprised: "What's he going to Shahe for? What good teachers could Chen Boying possibly have?"
"I've inquired and learned that His Highness Prince Xin travels to Gonghua City by carriage every morning and returns at sunset. It's said that... he studies there and also practices martial arts. The teaching methods at Shahe Academy seem to be different from others, and His Highness... seems to enjoy it quite a bit."
Zhu Youxiao raised an eyebrow, a playful smile appearing on his face: "Oh? That's strange. My younger brother always looks gloomy when listening to those scholars lecture in the Grand Hall, but he seems to enjoy himself at Boying's unorthodox school?"
Zhu Youxiao was well aware that studying actually depended heavily on talent. He and Zhu Youjian were kind of like brothers in misfortune. He also disliked studying, but as a former crown prince, he was taught by dozens of teachers, which was very painful for him.
Having finally escaped his misery and become emperor, he could use this as an excuse not to go, but the scholars wouldn't let him off the hook. Left with no other choice, he had to sacrifice his fellow scholars rather than himself, and made Prince Xin go to the Great Hall to study every day.
Zhu Youxiao didn't think much of it. He said, "Fine, let him be. It's not a bad thing if it makes Prince Xin take the initiative to study and practice martial arts!"
"Your Majesty, how can we let this go?"
Zhu Youxiao said calmly, "Master Chen, why don't you go to Shahe? The teaching staff at Shahe School is probably not good enough. You should become the headmaster, so that Chen Boying won't mislead the students!"
"Chen Boying?"
Mr. Chen Wanyan really didn't know who Chen Boying was. He thought he was some great Confucian scholar. After all, in his mind, how bad could a school that could teach Prince Xin be?
Chen Wanyan, the Imperial Reader, rode in a carriage all the way to Shahe. Shahe was not far from the capital, less than fifty kilometers away. When it was almost dark, he finally arrived at Shahe School.
A clear, crisp sound of a copper bell rang out in the courtyard of Shahe Academy.
Immediately afterwards, the wooden door of the classroom slammed open, and three or four hundred children and teenagers of varying ages poured out like a flood.
Unlike the students of the Imperial College or the Grand Hall, who walked with steady steps and kept their eyes straight ahead, they called out to their friends, played around, and made a mess of things.
Chen Wanyan's carriage was parked not far from the school gate. He lifted the curtain and saw this scene. His brows immediately furrowed: "What kind of behavior is this? It's like something out of a marketplace..."
Soon, he saw that familiar figure, Prince Xin, Zhu Youjian. At this moment, Zhu Youjian was like a child playing, successfully gathering a group of followers with the help of silver and pastries.
At this point, Zhu Youjian had finally become the leader of Shahe School. He led more than a dozen boys and had already arranged to duel with another boy leader outside the school.
After all, Shahe School is located within the residence of a thousand households. If Commander Chen Boying were to see them, they would be in serious trouble. These days, parents educate their children in a simple and brutal way. Reasoning is out of the question; they just resort to physical punishment.
"Liu Ergou, you're dead today! You dared to bully my little brother? I'll kill you!"
At the command of Prince Xin, Zhu Youjian, more than a dozen of his men charged toward Liu Ergou and his men like tigers released from their cages. This scene left Chen Wanyan, the Imperial Reader, dumbfounded.
Zhu Youjian grabbed Liu Ergou's shoulder, tripped, and Liu Ergou headbutted Zhu Youjian, hitting his nose and drawing blood. Liu Ergou then grabbed Zhu Youjian's hair. Zhu Youjian's face was covered in blood, and his hair was disheveled. He was furious and said to the stone pillar beside him, "Pillar, get him out of there, and I'll give you five fried cakes tomorrow..."
"No problem!"
Shi Zhu joined the battle from outside, and with one move, Liu Ergou burst into tears.
"Outrageous! Absolutely... utterly disgraceful! Completely unbecoming!"
Chen Wanyan was so angry that his beard trembled, and a tightness gripped his chest. He shakily stepped down from the carriage and shouted at his attendants, "Go! Bring that Chen Qianhu here! Immediately! Right now!"
Zhu Youjian then saw Chen Xueshi, who was the most troublesome person to him, and was so frightened that he shrank into the crowd.
"Stop right there!"
Zhu Youjian stood obediently to the side. Cao Huachun and the guards had just arrived when Chen Wanyan raised his hand and slapped him: "You dog slave, look what you've done! Is this how you serve as a study companion?"
Cao Huachun was also very aggrieved. He was a eunuch, so what was wrong with coaxing Prince Xin to play? Prince Xin was only thirteen years old. He was willing to fight with the scholar and was strictly forbidden to interfere. What could he do?
The attendants dared not delay and hurriedly went to find the person.
Chen Wanyan, his face ashen, glared at the unruly students and roared, "Who is your teacher? Show him to me!"
Before long, Chen Ying arrived in a hurry upon hearing the news.
He had just come out of the workshop when he saw an old man in a scarlet official robe, with a thin face and an angry expression, standing at the school gate reprimanding Prince Xin.
"The student knows he was wrong, Master Chen!"
"You still know you're wrong?"
Chen Ying stepped forward a few paces, gave the children a wink, and they dispersed in a flurry. He then bowed respectfully and said, "Chen Ying, the garrison commander of Shahe, greets Scholar Chen. I was unaware of your arrival and have failed to greet you properly."
"Hmph! Commander Chen! Is this how you teach Prince Xin... this is how you run a school? After class, there's no order at all, just noise and frolicking like unruly children in the marketplace. What kind of person is Prince Xin? How can he mingle with these boorish kids? What kind of behavior is this! Isn't this misleading the students?"
Chen Wanyan also had a stubborn temper. When he got angry, he would dare to criticize Ye Xianggao, including the Donglin Party and the eunuch party. The problem was that he usually didn't care about these power struggles in the court.
On the contrary, Wei Zhongxian was very happy when he sprayed Ye Xianggao; otherwise, his mouth would have been killed long ago.
Chen Ying was essentially sitting on thin ice, caught in a bind. "Scholar Chen, you flatter me. This humble officer is rather dull-witted; I would like to ask, how have I misled the students?"