Chapter 373: Volume 1, Chapter 373: Large Industrial Base

First the Song family, then the Kang family; the capital's political winds have already begun to shift slowly.

At this moment, Han Xinglan is preparing to conduct another drill, the military exercise that Rong Luoge mentioned.

The aristocratic houses are already fracturing, public sentiment is stirring, so he will add another spark.

The drill requires Xiao Shen to return and oversee the overall situation; before Xiao Shen comes back, Han Xinglan temporarily orders Rong Yan to halt his departure from the capital and lead the troops to prepare the drill.

Such a large‑scale military activity mobilizes almost all the capital's forces; being so high‑profile, it cannot be concealed from anyone.

Therefore, from the start Han Xinglan never intended to hide it; not only did he not conceal it, he prepared it in a very overt manner.

Thus, Rong Yan appeared once again in the eyes of the capital's people.

Seeing Rong Yan inevitably brings to mind the Zhen Guo Gong Fu, and thinking of the Zhen Guo Gong Fu brings to mind the current Empress; the saga of this family seems even more fascinating than the drill.

The Protector Duke is a very interesting figure: the legitimate eldest daughter he first abandoned became the Empress; the legitimate eldest son he discarded is now heavily favored by His Majesty. In contrast, the child he cherishes, Rong Dai, was sent to Zhuangzi for convalescence, reportedly suffering a serious illness that requires long‑term recuperation.

The son he favors is now accomplished nothing; even though he once had some talent, because his mother is a princess of the Qingxuan Kingdom, that single status essentially cuts off his prospects, leaving him only to become a wealthy idler.

However, at present it's hard to say whether this wealthy idler can actually get anything done.

After all, neither the current Empress nor the risen Rong Yan harbors any goodwill toward him.

Seizing the opportunity, Rong Luoge met Rong Yan again, asking about his marriage to Kang Shufei and urging him to think seriously and give an answer.

Rong Yan didn't know what to say; his mind was like mush, so he could only say he would think about it.

Rong Yan became busy with the drill and had no time to consider the matter; it was because he went to the Glazed Tile Workshop market to fetch something that he inadvertently ran into Kang Shufei, and to avoid any suspicion he kept his distance from afar.

Whether the marriage proceeds or not, Kang Shufei is still His Majesty's consort, so he naturally must keep away.

Behind a curtain, Kang Shufei saw Rong Yan standing by the roadside from a distance; their gazes unintentionally met, and she saw him bow to her before stepping aside.

Kang Shufei lowered the carriage curtain, a slight smile tugging at her mouth; the gently swaying carriage mirrored the undulating mood of her heart.

If she could leave the palace, and after leaving still be able to do what she now enjoys, that would be simply perfect.

She is now busy with the investment promotion conference that Madam is preparing; although she didn't understand what it was at first, after Madam explained it, she thought the matter was truly wonderful.

She is truly swamped in the workshop; she plans to have Madam bring Liu Grand Consort over to help, as Liu Grand Consort's sharp tongue is formidable, and her presence would save her many tasks.

She also thought of Princess Consort Qi; although she didn't like Yun Shizhuang at first, after spending time together she finds her better than expected and indeed capable.

Madam said that she employs talent without regard to convention; only someone as broad‑minded as Madam could make use of former enemies.

Kang Shufei, contemplating her plan, decided that after returning she would report these matters to Madam and let Madam decide.

Rong Luoge reviewed the investment promotion details again; there should be no major issues, after all this isn't a later era, and the regulations still need to be taken more seriously.

She wants to benefit the people, but cannot act blindly; not every merchant is good, many are profit‑driven and forget righteousness, and only rules and laws can curb everyone's nature.

"Madam, Kang Shufei has arrived."

Rong Luoge stood up, smiling, "She arrives just in time; even if she didn't, we'd have to send someone to invite her."

As he spoke, Rong Luoge walked out, looked at Kang Shufei with a smile and asked, "Back so quickly? Are things going smoothly?"

Kang Shufei stepped forward, bowed, then said, "Thanks to Madam's blessing, everything is proceeding smoothly. As you said, all the workshops have been renumbered, and the plaques will be hung in two days."

The Imperial Manufacturing Bureau has countless artisans, broadly divided into several major categories: wood‑working, metal‑working, leather‑working, painting, polishing, and stone‑carving; each major category contains innumerable sub‑specialties, and essentially all the world's recognized craftsmen are recorded in the bureau.

She classifies the major trades by type, region, and function, then arranges the workshops' locations according to their sequence.

It's like an assembly line; the sequence must be organized well, so future inbound and outbound logistics will be convenient.

A large industrial base—these considerations are fundamental, but placing them in ancient times would be refreshing.

Especially, to spark enthusiasm for building a large industrial base, she deliberately gave each trade a distinct archway and used regions as divisions; moreover, she plans to create a Red Flower List, believing that competition fuels creativity.

Precisely because of this, there are countless trivial matters, and Kang Shufei is swamped.

Upon hearing Kang Shufei's request for assistance, Rong Luoge was unsurprised, nodded and said, "Liu Grand Consort won't go for now; her status as Grand Consort is a bit inconvenient. How about sending Madam Qiongzhang with you? I know you two have always gotten along well, so you can guide her."

Kang Shufei was delighted and readily replied, "Thank you, Madam."

Rong Luoge smiled, looked at Kang Shufei and added, "As for Gou Shuyi and Ruan Shurong, I think you could give it a try, see whether they're willing to assist you."

Gou Shuyi seems fine, but she's not sure about Ruan Shurong; nevertheless, these minor matters can be left to Kang Shufei.

After finishing, Rong Luoge let out a long sigh, "The first batch of merchants will surely rush to the capital soon; I want the workshops ready before they arrive."

Kang Shufei hurriedly replied, "We're already wrapping up; there should be no major issues. Even if a few details remain unfinished, when the merchants arrive and see such tidy, grand workshops, I think anyone who isn't deliberately causing trouble will like them."

Although Kang Shufei doesn't know much about commerce, she does understand why a certain street in the capital is especially famous and commands the highest rents: that street is filled with all kinds of shops.

Because the shops are all on that street, everyone goes there to shop, making the stalls even more in demand.

Now that they have clustered the workshops together, the more workshops there are, the more merchants from across the world they can attract; with more merchants, the workshops earn more profit—who wouldn't like such a market?