Chapter 213: Volume 1, Chapter 213: That really is a grievance for you

Besides being used as utensils, it can also be made into beautiful small items, such as the colorful glass beads that Columbus could trade for gold, larger and more magnificent glass windows, and glass mirrors that beauty‑loving women absolutely cannot do without—whose clarity would drive beautiful people mad.

In this world, money from daughters and children is the easiest to earn, so glass mirrors and glass beads still have a market; besides that, the luxury items most loved by aristocratic families to show off are, for example, a full set of banquet‑usable glass bowls and cups, exquisitely shaped and absolutely gorgeous in appearance—who could resist making them?

The more Rong Luoge spoke, the more excited she became, gesturing with Han Xinglan about the vast market prospects, as if gold and silver were already pouring in.

Han Xinglan: ……

It seems it's not impossible.

'First, we still need to build a kiln and find an old artisan skilled at temperature control.' Han Xinglan muttered as he spoke—who would have thought that the lord of a country would now have to do a merchant's work? How difficult!

'Isn't Shi Yan of the Manufacture Bureau flirting with Marquis Ningyuan? If we could get evidence of his secret collusion, we could just topple him and put someone else in his seat at the Manufacture Bureau. That way, with a change in the Manufacture Bureau, His Majesty's plan to conscript some artisans wouldn't attract attention.'

'Although Shi Yan is slippery, he still has some ability; for now it's not easy to move against him, and we still need to use him to check the Ministry of War.' Han Xinglan mused as he spoke.

Hearing Han Xinglan say that, Rong Luoge didn't insist further; after thinking, she said, 'If that's the case, it's not easy to handle, because artisans all have artisan registrations.'

'Don't worry, I have a way.' Han Xinglan laughed—if he couldn't even handle this small matter, what kind of emperor would he be?

'What way?' Rong Luoge asked.

'Drafting artisans from the Manufacture Bureau into the Imperial Private Kiln isn't without precedent, and since we can't avoid suspicion, we might as well make things open and aboveboard; once the glassware appears, they'll understand.' Han Xinglan said with a light laugh.

Rong Luoge felt that her perspective was too narrow—she had only been thinking about how to conceal things, forgetting that Han Xinglan was ultimately an emperor, albeit a constrained one, but still the ruler of a state, and she didn't need to report everything to the officials.

'It's my narrow perspective.' Rong Luoge also laughed, looking at Han Xinglan's eyes as if they were glowing, 'Then it's easy—I'll write the recipe for you and have people test it. I'll start making preparations here, put out the word early for promotion, and we'll do a limited sale, since it's from His Majesty's private kiln—not just anyone can buy it.'

'How do you have so many wicked ideas?'

'It's all for a living.'

Han Xinglan: ……

That really is a grievance for you.

The two locked eyes and instantly burst into laughter.

Han Xinglan truly found what Rong Luoge said quite interesting; he pulled her into a discussion that lasted over an hour, and afterward he went to the Front Hall to arrange the private kiln.

After Han Xinglan left, Rong Luoge had nothing to do for a moment and felt terribly bored, so she went to the study and wrote out the glass‑making process; where she herself wasn't entirely clear, she marked it "to be tested." When she had finished, she checked it carefully, found no mistakes, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Nowadays, the emperor and the aristocratic families check each other on the court; in fact, since the Late Emperor's reign there has been an intentional effort to curb the families' power—for example, His Majesty is waiting, despite great pressure, to re‑measure the families' lands, and that upheaval has turned the court upside down.

The treasury is empty, the emperor's privy purse likewise not very wealthy; only after earning money and straightening one's backbone can one plan how to dismantle the aristocracy.

Rong Luoge thought they could first develop handicraft industry; the early stage of capitalist germination is precisely to vigorously develop handicraft industry, so that those with funds and materials can hire free‑labor workers.

But now many commoners have been taken under the aristocrats' wings as black‑household registrants; this group pays no taxes to the state, does not appear in the household registers, and belongs for life to the aristocrats' private property.

Wanting the aristocrats to voluntarily hand over these people is impossible; the only way is to let these people leave on their own.

Under what conditions would these people be willing to break away from the aristocracy?

Naturally, under the temptation of better living conditions, who would be willing to live well and serve the aristocracy as a black‑household?

Productivity is the cornerstone of societal development; agricultural productivity is the foundation, but now this foundation is split evenly between emperor and aristocracy, with absolute control not in the emperor's hands. In this situation, to increase the emperor's leverage, only another path can be taken.

For example, try to see if we can break through industrial productivity.

If we can help Han Xinglan continue to obtain a certain amount of money in a short time, we can then expand military strength—only when the weapons in hand are strong can we seize the initiative at the negotiating table.

By then, whether Han Xinglan wants to investigate the amount of land the aristocracy holds or the number of slaves under their name, even if the aristocracy tries to resist, he will have absolute power to suppress them.

The more Rong Luoge thought about it, the more she felt they should give it a try; although success isn't certain, there really isn't any better option at the moment, is there?

Now trying to implement the early‑stage capitalist handicraft model is impossible; society's overall productivity isn't up to it—it's like making a child run before he can walk, which will only end in a fall.

Rong Luoge pondered that they could take the Manufacture Bureau as the lead, gradually forming a small handicraft base, which would be equivalent to a large commercial base in later times.

No matter what, only by forming an industrial effect can large profits be brought in.

Glass can serve as a trial project; if it succeeds, once everyone sees the profit to be had, the next round of policy promotion will be much easier.

The more Rong Luoge thought, the more excited she became; the wisdom gathered by the seniors is not to be underestimated. She is now drawing on the seniors' experience, and although she has made adaptations, if her overall thinking stays on track, she feels the chance of success is extremely high.

As Rong Luoge thought and wrote, she kept feeling a slight discomfort in her stomach, so she got up to move a bit; looking back, she saw a thick stack of papers on the desk—her mind raced, thoughts flashed by in an instant, and the things she hastily jotted down were messy and disordered.

But she herself could understand it; she picked out the usable bits in front of her, copied a few items over again, and this time she wrote them carefully and meticulously.

'My lady, Steward Shi has arrived.' Rong Xin entered and reported.

Rong Luoge didn't even lift her head, 'Let him in.'

Shi An entered the study and saw the noble consort writing something; he stepped forward lightly, bowed, and said, 'My lady, the emperor is staying tonight in the Front Hall; I've come back to report to you—please rest early.'

Rong Luoge nodded; Han Xinglan is a workaholic, and now that he has a new plan, he naturally won't be lazy—she's long been used to it.

'Just right—I'll have you deliver this letter to His Majesty on my behalf.' Rong Luoge folded the dozen or so sheets in her hand into an envelope and handed it to Shi An.

Shi An hurried forward to take it, 'I'll go at once, my lady—please rest early.'

The noble consort's letter was never something that could be ignored at that time, and Shi An felt the weight in his hands.