lovenovelstory Chapter 023 Opening the Door, Welcoming Guests
Chapter 023 Opening the Door, Welcoming Guests
Chapter 023
"A strategic retreat?"
Chen Ying was slightly taken aback, but instantly understood what Song Xianze meant. The Yongcheng Construction Bureau was now a big piece of meat, which Zhou Jiechun, the former head of the Ma Mu Baihu Office, had his eye on.
Of course, he was just a small pawn. The people behind him used him to test not only Chen Ying's attitude, but also the attitude of the Yongcheng County Government and the Yongcheng gentry.
Although Chen Ying didn't know what was going on, Zhou Jiechun had already gone quiet, which meant that someone had made a move. Now that Xu Xianchun had come to Guide Prefecture, what did Chen Ying's thin arms and legs amount to in front of Xu Xianchun?
He could have easily withdrawn from the project. After all, the iron plow and the seeder were two agricultural tools that benefited the country and its people. Chen Ying had never intended to make money from these two devices anyway, and he had already basically achieved his goal of using them to generate income.
He now holds fifty taels of gold from Prince Xin, Zhu Youjian, eight hundred taels of silver from Zhang Zhengyu, the young master of the Zhang family, as well as silver harvested through the iron plow and seeder. Of the silver he collected in the early stages, he gave about 40% to Sun Jian and left 30% to the craftsmen.
He divided the remaining 30% into three parts: one part went to the six clerks of Yongcheng County led by Li Xiaojie, another part to the three shifts of yamen runners headed by Du Changshun, and the last part was Chen Ying's income.
He already had over 1,800 taels of silver, plus the 1,300 taels he had on hand, for a total of over 3,100 taels of silver. It could be said that he had more than enough capital to open a private carriage workshop.
"Does Bo'an mean I should now submit my resignation to Magistrate Song Jingyun?"
"That's right!"
Song Xianze analyzed: "Hou Zhipu, the head of the Hou family in Guide Prefecture, was originally the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices (a second-rank official). He offended Wei Zhongxian and was dismissed from office and returned to his hometown last autumn. His second son, Hou Ke, was a probationary official in the Hanlin Academy and was also dismissed from office and returned to his hometown at the same time. His eldest son, Hou Xun, is a disciple of Zou Yuanbiao, one of the three leaders of the Donglin Party, and is now an official serving as the Inspector of Guizhou..."
Without needing to spell it out, Chen Ying understood. Given the fierce infighting between the Donglin Party and the eunuch faction, Xu Xianchun, as the leader of Wei Zhongxian's Five Tigers, might be feared by other families in Guide Guard or Yongcheng, but not by the Hou family of Guide Prefecture.
The Hou family produced three Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), but Hou Zhipu and his son Hou Ke were both dismissed from their posts. Cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents, but cutting off their future is a fight to the death.
"Does Bo'an mean I should go and resign from my post with Lord Song?"
"This is another path!"
Song Xianze smiled faintly and said, "Why doesn't brother-in-law make a big fuss about this? The Hou family will definitely not sit idly by!"
"I know what to do!"
Chen Ying was actually blinded by his own involvement, but this can't be blamed on him. He wasn't a managerial talent, but a technical talent. Technical talents aren't good at intrigue or power struggles.
The Yongcheng Construction Bureau continued production as if nothing had happened, except that Chen Ying had intensified the initial selection of technical personnel for the bureau.
"Have you heard? Our construction supervision bureau is going to shut down!"
"Why stop?"
"I heard..."
"What do we do?"
Among the craftsmen in the supervising workshop, more than a hundred were military households from Guidewei. Actually, the military households were not in a bad situation. The Ma Mu Bai Hu Su had already completed the autumn grain planting, and they would be able to get a share of the grain when the autumn harvest came.
Moreover, in the past two months, they have accumulated a certain amount of grain, which is ninety liters a month, or nine dou of grain, and more than two shi of grain in two months.
Two shi (a unit of dry measure) weighing over 300 jin (a unit of weight) is enough for an adult to last a year if they are careful with their food. However, the problem is that it is still too little for a family, especially for those migrant workers. They have no land, so the autumn harvest is not relevant to them. If they lose this job, they will either become temporary laborers for landlords or beg for food.
Now, begging for food is a losing proposition, because everyone is poor, and the landlords and gentry are not charitable organizations. At this moment, there was a chorus of wails in the courtyard of the construction bureau.
In particular, there was the carpenter Lin Haisheng. Lin Haisheng was a carpenter from a family of carpenters. He was born at the hour of Hai (9-11 PM), and his name should actually be Haisheng, but it gradually became Haisheng.
Lin Haisheng's father worked hard all his life, relying on his skills to earn nine acres of land. At the beginning of the year, his mother fell ill with a common cold. As a result, the illness not only emptied the family's savings but also left them with a mountain of debt.
Later, he had no choice but to sell the last nine and a half acres of land in his family to Liu, a wealthy man in the same village. Liu was fair enough to sell the nine acres for fifty-nine taels of silver, which he used to pay off his debts and then leave for his mother's medical treatment.
The problem was that they ran out of money and couldn't save anyone. Because he was a carpenter, his family had all kinds of furniture. When the flood came, he, his wife Fang, their eldest son, second daughter, and two daughters—a family of six—all survived.
If it weren't for the establishment of the Construction Supervision Bureau, his family would have starved to death. After finally getting into the Bureau, he relied on his carpentry skills to become a team leader and could receive five liters of grain every day.
With these five liters of grain, he was able to support his wife, Fang, and four children, but because he had so many children, he had virtually no grain left to save.
Once the construction bureau stops production, Lin Haisheng's family will run out of food in five days at most. At this moment, he was filled with despair. As the team leader and foreman in charge of fifty laborers, he knew to some extent why the construction bureau was going to stop production.
"There's no way out... what should we do?"
Lin Haisheng was on the verge of tears when Chen Yongren quietly approached him and whispered, "Uncle Lin..."
"Yongren, what is it?"
Lin Haisheng was very polite to Chen Yongren. Although Chen Yongren was only a fifteen-year-old boy, the problem was that his father was Chen Boying, the Consul General of Yongcheng Agricultural Implements Manufacturing Bureau.
"Uncle Lin, my godfather wants to open a workshop. Would you be willing to go?"
Chen Yongren said, "Chen's Workshop offers better benefits than the Imperial Workshop. They provide three meals a day and nine taels of silver a month!"
Nine qian of silver can now buy nine dou of miscellaneous grains. This wage is neither too high nor too low. If the Bureau of Construction could continue operating, Lin Haisheng certainly wouldn't leave. But the problem is, the Bureau of Construction can no longer continue operating.
Lin Haisheng answered almost without hesitation: "I'll do it..."
"If we're going to do it, then we need to sign a contract!"
Chen Yongren took out a contract from his pocket. It was a standard contract from the Ming Dynasty, copied entirely by Song Xianze.
"The person who made this employment contract is Chen Boying, a military officer registered in the Horse Pasture Hundred-Household Office of Guide Guard. Now, because Chen's workshop is short of craftsmen, we have specially relied on the intermediary to hire a carpenter from this county to come and do the work. Both parties have agreed and signed this contract as proof."
During the employment period, the carpenters must do their best and obey the employer Chen Boying's orders to carry out carpentry, construction and other tasks, and must not shirk or be lazy.
The employer, Chen Boying, provided the forestry worker with three meals a day, a mix of meat and vegetables, and gave him extra rewards during festivals. He also provided him with two sets of summer clothes and two sets of winter clothes every year, usually made of cotton and linen.
The monthly wage is nine mace, paid in pure silver, totaling ten taels and eight mace annually. The wages are settled at the end of the year. If the employee falls ill during the year, the employer will cover the medical expenses. If the illness lasts for more than five days, the monthly wage will be deducted.
During the employment period, the forestry worker shall not be absent from work without permission, nor shall he/she resign on any pretext; the employer shall not dismiss the worker without cause except in cases of serious misconduct or violation of the law. Any breach of contract shall be subject to a fine of five taels of silver and compensation for the other party's losses…
Lin Haisheng knew a little bit of reading, and through a combination of reading and guessing, he basically understood the contents of the contract. He even felt that Chen Ying's decision to sign a twenty-year contract for him at once was not a shackle, but a blessing.
After Chen Yongren signed a contract with Lin Haisheng, he went to another person. At this time, Chen Ying's eight adopted sons, as well as Chen Daniu, Wang Zhutie and others, acted separately.
Just as Chen Yongren, Chen Yongyi, and others were signing contracts with the craftsmen of the supervising bureau, Chen Ying also arrived at the Yongcheng County government office.
When they arrived at the county government office again, the person sitting in the main hall was now Song Jingyun.
After Song Jingyun sat down at his desk, he looked at Chen Ying bowing respectfully below, his heart filled with mixed emotions. This person, whom his classmate had specifically instructed him to take care of before leaving, had now become a hot potato.
"Bo Ying, please rise."
Song Jingyun gestured for a seat: "I heard that the Construction Bureau was harassed by the garrison the other day, and this county has already sent a letter to question the Guide Garrison. You can rest assured, the garrison has no right to overstep its authority in Yongcheng."
"I thank you for your protection, Magistrate. However... I have come today with a request."
"Please feel free to speak."
Chen Ying took out a letter of resignation from his sleeve and presented it with both hands: "This humble official is of limited talent and learning. Although I have achieved some success in managing the Construction Bureau, I am currently exhausted and fear I am no longer able to fulfill my duties. I humbly request Your Excellency to grant me permission to resign from my position as Consul General of the Construction Bureau."
There was silence in the hall.
Song Jingyun did not accept the resignation letter. Instead, he picked up his teacup, slowly blew on the foam, and said with a faint smile, "Boying, are you blaming this county for not being able to protect you?"
"This humble servant dares not. It's just that there have been constant disturbances lately, and the Construction Bureau has become a hotbed of trouble. As a mere soldier, I only wish to do my craft peacefully and have no intention of getting involved in the disputes. Besides..."
Chen Ying continued, "The blueprints and technology for the iron-shafted plow and seeder are already mature. Even if someone else takes charge, production can continue as usual. My staying or leaving will not affect the overall situation. I would like to open a carriage workshop to make a living. I humbly request Your Excellency's permission!"
Song Jingyun remained silent for a long time. He knew Chen Ying's concerns. With Sun Chuanting gone, the balance in Yongcheng had been broken. The Liu family's power, the Guide Guard's influence, the local gentry's covetousness, the sudden appearance of Prince Xin, Zhu Youjian, and the subsequent arrival of Xu Xianchun—all eyes were on the lucrative Construction Bureau.
It's understandable that Chen wanted to withdraw.
"This county will not accept my resignation."
Song Jingyun said, "You were the one who established the Bureau of Construction, you took in those refugees, and you trained the craftsmen. If you leave, the people's hearts will surely be scattered, and the efforts of County Magistrate Sun will be in vain. This is not what County Magistrate Sun wants to see, nor is it what this county wants to see."
Chen Ying's heart tightened.
"However, if you wish to open another workshop, the county will grant your request."
Song Jingyun also knew that for a capable person like Chen Boying, paying him only one shi and five dou of grain was too low. There would definitely be other wealthy families who wanted to hire him as a retainer.
He took out a blank document from under the table, dipped his pen in ink, and wrote: "Chen Boying, the chief supervisor of agricultural implements in Yongcheng, is highly skilled and has made great contributions to the people's livelihood. He is hereby permitted to open Chen's Carriage Workshop in the south of the city, specializing in the manufacture of carriages and chariots. All taxes shall be paid according to the regulations for miscellaneous craftsmen."
The calligraphy flowed like dragons and snakes, and the county seal was affixed.
"Keep this document safe. As for your position as Consul General of the Manufacturing Bureau, you can retain it. You can delegate daily affairs to your deputy, and make the decisions on important matters. In this way, you can focus on running your private workshop, and the Manufacturing Bureau will not fall into disrepair."
"Thank you for your kindness, Magistrate!"
Chen Ying understood that this was the best solution Song Jingyun could offer, both giving him a way out and binding him to the Yongcheng Agricultural Implements Manufacturing Bureau.
"Don't thank me yet, Boying. There are some things I need to make clear to you today. The Construction Bureau is no longer just a government-run workshop; it's also a pawn in a game."
Song Jingyun said, "This county will allow you to nominally retire but secretly advance, holding a position in the Bureau of Works while running your own workshop. If a major storm comes, you can resign and escape at any time; if things are calm, you can have both sides, able to advance or retreat as needed. As for those people... they want the Bureau of Works' profits, not your life. As long as you can still create new and ingenious items, they won't want to harm you. On the contrary, if you truly become an idle craftsman, then you will be at their mercy."
"Thank you for your guidance, Your Excellency. I will remember it."
"Go ahead. Take good care of your carriage workshop."
"This humble servant takes his leave!"
When Chen Ying returned to the Yongcheng Agricultural Implements Manufacturing Bureau, his eight adopted sons, Ren, Yi, Li, and Xin, were all waiting for him in the house with excited expressions.
"Greetings, Father!"
"Looks like you did a good job with the mission?"
Chen Yongren laughed excitedly, "Dad, I've secured fourteen!"
"I've secured eleven!"
"I've secured seven!"
"I've secured nine!"
……
Chen Ying looked at the sixty-three contracts in front of him, feeling very pleased. As the head of the Yongcheng Agricultural Implements Manufacturing Bureau, he was very clear about the skills of almost all the craftsmen in the bureau.
Although sixty-three people may not seem like a lot, accounting for less than one-twentieth of the total number of workers in the Manufacturing Bureau, the most ingenious thing is that the absence of these sixty-three people will not affect the production of the iron plow and seeder of the Manufacturing Bureau. However, the problem is that once a problem arises in production, without these sixty-three people, no one will be able to solve the problem, and production will eventually stop.
Five days later, the second carriage rolled off the production line at the Bureau of Manufacturing. This carriage was slightly smaller than the one owned by Prince Xin, Zhu Youjian. After all, Prince Xin was a prince, so it was normal for him to ride in a carriage that was slightly smaller than the Grand Prince's.
However, Zhang Zhengyu was only the grandson of the Earl of Pengcheng. This carriage had an added rooftop design, which allowed people to climb up to the roof using a ladder inside the carriage. The handrails on the roof were lowered when the carriage was in motion.
Once raised, it will form a three-foot-high handrail, ensuring safety and not obstructing the wind from the roof.
Zhang Zhengyu looked at the carriage with great delight: "Boying, you've really done a great job! This is excellent... I'm very satisfied..."
Zhang Zhengyu couldn't wait any longer and had two blue horses harnessed to the carriage. He said to the maid beside him, "Hongxiu, get in the carriage..."
"Wait a minute!"
Chen Ying smiled and said, "Young Master Zhang, I have a business opportunity. I wonder if you would be interested?"
"What kind of business?"
"How about we set up a carriage workshop? You provide the land and money, I'll provide the technology and craftsmen, and we'll split the profits 50/50?"
Zhang Zhengyu's eyes lit up. After he bought this carriage, he would definitely show it off in his circle. At that time, whether it was the Wang family, the Li family, or the Xie family, they would definitely buy it too.
"Uncle Fu, do we have a manor near Zhangqiao in the east of the city?"
"Yes, it's sixteen li from the county seat, with 360 mu of arable land, 64 mu of dry land, 95 mu of wasteland, and over 700 willow trees!"
Zhang Zhengyu said calmly, "Go and make arrangements. Use that wasteland near the river to build a carriage workshop for Boying!"
The Yongcheng Construction Bureau was under the jurisdiction of the Yongcheng County Government, and it was a lucrative opportunity. Chen's Carriage Workshop was a workshop jointly owned by Chen Ying and the Earl of Pengcheng, and it was his private property. Even if it was a lucrative opportunity, one had to think twice before offending the Zhang family.
The Zhang surname is the largest surname in Yongcheng, even more than the Liu surname. In the eighth year of the Chongzhen reign, Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong jointly attacked Yongcheng, a small county town, but were defeated. This was because the Liu and Zhang families stood up. The two families raised their arms and more than 6,000 civilians and soldiers to defend the city.
Yongcheng, located in the heart of Huaihai Province, a region known for its fierce and warlike people, was the site of Li Zicheng's first major defeat since his uprising. He first attacked Suizhou, where Yuan Shu, the son of Yuan Keli, raised more than 2,000 militiamen and fought against Li Zicheng for more than a month.
He moved to Guide Prefecture, where he lost more than 10,000 men. He then joined forces with Zhang Xianzhong to attack Yongcheng, but suffered a crushing defeat. This defeat made Gao Jie realize Li Zicheng's true strength and weakness. He took Li Zicheng's wife, Xing Qiao'er, and left Li Zicheng's troops, along with more than 4,000 of Li Zicheng's old camp soldiers.
It can be said that Guide Prefecture was the heaviest blow to Li Zicheng, and he truly lost both his wife and his army.
Three days later, on a construction site south of Zhangzhuang in the east of Yongcheng, near the Tuo River, sixty-three craftsmen who had signed contracts with the Yongcheng Construction Bureau began clearing the site.
Chen Ying personally designed the layout of Chen's Workshop. The entire workshop was located on the south bank of the Tuo River and consisted of three parts. The front yard was a woodworking workshop, specializing in making carriages and interior furniture. The middle yard was an assembly workshop and warehouse. The back yard was an ironworks workshop, responsible for processing metal parts such as axles and springs. Behind the back yard was the dock.
The location here is even better than that of the Imperial Workshop. The Tuo River facilitates the transportation of goods, and the workshops are separated by brick walls, which not only prevent fires but also facilitate management. The entire carriage workshop covers an area of about ninety acres, and it is expected that the workshop sheds will be completed before winter, allowing for simultaneous production and expansion.
In addition to the 63 skilled craftsmen from the Bureau of Construction, Chen Ying recruited more than 100 refugees to start firing bricks and tiles. The entire workshop needed a large number of bricks and tiles. If they were to buy them directly, it would not only cost money, but more importantly, it would also provide a way for the refugees to make a living while firing the kiln.
At the Yongcheng Construction Bureau, the sound of the night watchman's drum came from outside the window; it was past midnight.
Xu Xianchun had been in Guide Prefecture for half a month, but had yet to take any action. Chen Ying was also uncertain about the situation. He rewrapped the blueprints and said, "Add two guards tonight. Hide all important blueprints and tools in the cellar. Chen Jide, take ten capable craftsmen and have them pack their belongings now, ready to be deployed at any time..."
Before he could finish speaking, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from outside.
There was more than one horse; there were at least fifty or sixty riders.
"They're here. They've finally arrived!"
Chen Ying took a deep breath and straightened his clothes: "Open the door and welcome the guests."