Chapter 728: Substitution

That night, several hundred commoners came to the Imperial City. These several hundred commoners came from various households, all of whom were bold enough to run out. The heads of the households didn't dare to stop them, but these commoners also couldn't find a place to go and could only come to the Imperial City to seek refuge with Li Qi.

Regarding these commoners, Yu Yu Yunqiu and Ao Ao Shuangqian didn't take them seriously.

"More than a dozen commoners ran away from my house last night. I didn't stop them. I told the rest, if you want to leave, leave, but they don't dare to leave!"

"My approach is the same as Brother Yu's. Just let them leave. I want to see what they eat after they go out!"

Yu Yu Yunqiu sneered: "Brother Ao, it's not that I, Yu, am boasting. In Xiaodu, as long as they are people from my house, no one dares to buy them, no one dares to use them, and no one dares to give them a bite to eat!"

Ao Ao Shuangqian said: "Brother Yu, I also have this confidence. The commoners who walk out of my house can only wait to starve to death. If they want to find Li Qi, let them find him. I want to see what Li Qi uses to support them."

Yu Yu Yunqiu sneered: "He said there would be no commoners within three days, so we won't call them commoners. We will change their names to slave-people, which sounds quite pleasant."

Ao Ao Shuangqian nodded: "It's all the same what you call them. Just treat it as coaxing him to play."

Yu Yu Yunqiu said: "The urgent matter is to get the Fire-Cage Colt back."

Ao Ao Shuangqian sighed: "This matter is indeed difficult to handle. The key is that Li Qi knows it well and may take revenge at any time. I sent the Fire-Cage Colt, so I estimate he will come to me first."

Yu Yu Yunqiu was not optimistic either: "The Fire-Cage Colt is a treasure passed down in my family. If Li Qi investigates, he will soon find out about me. Let's prepare early. If it really doesn't work, we will tear our faces apart!"

Ao Ao Shuangqian had the same idea: "While Li Qi is busy settling the commoners and is distracted, we should indeed take the initiative."

Yu Yu Yunqiu raised his wine glass, Ao Ao Shuangqian nodded slightly, and the two drank it in one gulp.

Li Li Banfeng looked at the several hundred people in front of him, his expression somewhat stern.

He wasn't worried about it being difficult to settle them; he was annoyed that too few people came.

"I gave them the courage to this point, and only a few hundred people came."

Zhao Zhao Xiao Wan was wearing men's clothing and lowered her voice to Li Li Banfeng: "It's fortunate that only a few hundred people came. There is no food in the Imperial City, and our remaining grain is only enough for them to eat for a few days."

"Food is not a problem."

"But we can't keep raising them, we have to find them a way to make a living!"

"Making a living is also not a problem," Li Li Banfeng's expression was solemn, "The only problem is that there are too few people."

That afternoon, Li Li Banfeng went to the First City.

The First City was all factories. It looked like no one was working, but in fact, there were a large number of commoners busy underneath.

Li Li Banfeng entered a shipyard. In the first workshop, a palm-sized ship model was placed in a water tank, and various colored pipes were inserted into the tank, injecting liquids of different colors into the tank.

Walking further in through two workshops, Li Li Banfeng saw connected pools, and in each pool, there was a small boat more than a meter long soaking.

It was hard to say whether this small boat had any practical value. The structure of the small boat was too complex, so much so that not even one person could sit in it.

But these small boats were very similar to the ship models outside. Could it be that these were changed from ship models?

Li Li Banfeng continued to walk forward. During this time, he saw many pieces of equipment in the workshop, some stirring liquids, some grinding powders. Walking to the end of the workshop, Li Li Banfeng saw a vast ocean with seven or eight ships of different sizes floating on it.

Thinking of the ship models in the water tank, the small boats in the pools, and then looking at these ships on the sea, Li Li Banfeng roughly understood the process of shipbuilding in the Inner Continent.

To be precise, these ships were not built; they were raised.

They first built palm-sized ship models, then raised them into meter-long small boats, and finally raised them into large ships of dozens or even hundreds of meters.

This shipyard was opened by Ban Hai Chi Ling. A pipe on a ship was connected incorrectly, and Ban Hai Chi Ling was reprimanding the commoner beside her on the ship: "How did you check this? So many mistakes, didn't you find them before?"

The commoner explained: "I asked people to check several times, but I didn't find these sets of pipes connected incorrectly before."

Tie Tie Baisheng was also there. He had shares in this shipyard. He took the blueprint and compared it carefully: "These few pipes were wrong from the root. They can't even be changed. This ship is finished. More than ten days of hard work were in vain."

Ban Hai Chi Ling roared at the commoner: "A perfectly good ship, just finished like this. I should have thrown you into the boiler and boiled you alive!"

Tie Tie Baisheng checked again. His professional ability was better than Ban Hai Chi Ling's: "If I'm not mistaken, this should have been connected incorrectly on purpose. It was wrong from the time of casting the mold. There might be quite a few ships with problems."

Ban Hai Chi Ling grabbed the commoner: "Do you think I really can't control you? How do you account for the ten days of construction period? You rework it for me now. If there is any more trouble, I want your life!"

The commoner didn't make a sound. He didn't defend himself, let alone beg.

He just walked away silently.

The commoner's attitude made Ban Hai Chi Ling very nervous.

It wasn't just this one commoner. Since the day Li Qi appeared, the attitudes of many commoners had changed, and the changes were becoming more obvious day by day.

Ban Hai Chi Ling picked up a whip and was about to call the commoner when she heard someone ask: "Building such a large ship, only using ten days?"

Ban Hai Chi Ling was startled and looked back at Li Qi.

To tell the truth, Li Qi was also startled. It wasn't that he was startled by Ban Hai Chi Ling, but by this ship.

At the Dark Star Bureau, he had performed missions on the sea and had seen many warships. Now, the ship under his feet was larger than most of the warships he had seen.

Not only large, but even if he was a layman, he could see that the workmanship of this ship was more refined than the military ships of the Outer Continent.

Li Qi appeared suddenly, and Ban Hai Chi Ling couldn't speak.

Tie Tie Baisheng quickly bowed: "I didn't know Your Highness was coming, we failed to welcome you."

Ban Hai Chi Ling also quickly followed and bowed.

Li Li Banfeng looked at Tie Tie Baisheng. He found that among a group of high-ranking officials, this person was somewhat special.

His reaction was faster than others, and he did things more intelligently than others. In front of Li Li Banfeng, he could always make the correct response.

Li Li Banfeng asked again: "Was this ship really built in ten days?"

Ban Hai Chi Ling looked at Li Li Banfeng, and her originally nervous mood gradually calmed down.

The rumors outside said Li Qi was unfathomable, but now it seemed that his coming and going without a trace was true, but when it came to knowledge, he was an ordinary person, and there were times when he showed ignorance. Just now, one sentence proved that he knew very little about industrial methods.

Tie Tie Baisheng explained: "Your Highness, this is just an ordinary cargo ship. A thirteen-day construction period is enough."

Li Li Banfeng said: "What about a warship?"

Tie Tie Baisheng said: "There are many types of warships. It depends on the size and purpose of the warship."

Li Li Banfeng touched the railing beside him: "A warship as large as this cargo ship."

Tie Tie Baisheng thought carefully: "There are also many types of warships of this size. The construction period varies from twenty to thirty-five days."

Li Li Banfeng was silent for a long time. His expression was very solemn.

He once had an idea that in the battle with the Inner Continent, as long as they were consumed, they would have scruples and would not dare to easily attack Puluo Continent again.

The ancient life of the Shang Kingdom sometimes creates an illusion, making people feel that their technological level is relatively backward.

Just like that encampment that invaded the Bai Sun Commandery—a structure so meticulous, yet it could still be moved to Puluo Continent. Li Li Banfeng felt that constructing such an encampment must consume a massive amount of time; destroying one of their encampments would make the Shang Kingdom pay a heavy price.

Li Li Banfeng also believed that the maritime base destroyed by the navy would also make the Tu Fang Kingdom pay a heavy price.

But thinking about it carefully now, the real situation of the matter might be vastly different.

In Li Li Banfeng's view, the extremely powerful aerial camp and maritime fortress might not count for much to the Inner Continent.

The Outer Continent tries to avoid direct conflict with the Inner Continent. This choice is correct. In terms of technological level, there is a generational gap between the two.

Li Li Banfeng walked around the cabin: "Such a good ship, only a few pipes are broken, can't it be repaired?"

Ban Hai Chi Ling was quite proud: "If the skin is broken, it will leave a scar. If the ship is broken, even if it is repaired, it will leave old wounds. The ships made by our factory have a good reputation, and we can't smash our signboard for this kind of thing."

What a domineering woman.

Li Li Banfeng said: "As long as it is repaired carefully, it won't be smashing the signboard, right?"

Ban Hai Chi Ling shook her head: "Ships with flaws are directly returned to the furnace to be rebuilt. Repairing ships also takes a lot of manpower. My manpower is already not abundant, so it's not worth doing this kind of thankless work."

Li Li Banfeng looked back at Ban Hai Chi Ling: "You said manpower is not abundant?"

Ban Hai Chi Ling lowered her head: "City Lord, I was just about to tell you about this. You might not understand industrial methods too well. My shipyard looks like it doesn't need manpower, but in fact, there are a lot of people working there.

My family has more than 2,300 commoners in total, and even that is not enough. Everyone who can be used has been sent to the factory. I don't even have a maid to use beside me.

If you ask me to release all the commoners, my factory will be finished. If the factories in Xiaodu are all finished, this can also be considered your poor management. You will be laughed at when you go out. Do you think this is the truth?"

Li Li Banfeng really laughed. Ban Hai Chi Ling spoke very straightforwardly.

Seeing Li Li Banfeng laugh, Ban Hai Chi Ling spoke even more boldly: "Our Ban family are all honest people, and we don't have so many twists and turns when we speak. I will tell you clearly, I can't do without commoners here.

I can change their names, just like Tie Tie Baisheng said, first change them to workers, and they are free to come and go. I will never stop them. After I can free up manpower in the future, I will slowly change them completely. Do you think this is okay?"

Li Li Banfeng looked at Ban Hai Chi Ling: "Is this what everyone in Xiaodu is doing now? Change a name, and then the commoners are still commoners?"

Ban Hai Chi Ling was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Your Highness, I will tell you the truth! Everyone in Xiaodu is doing this! I'm not the only one. Don't force me!"

Li Li Banfeng shook his head: "I'm not here to force you, I'm here to help you. You are short of manpower, right? I will send you some."

Ban Hai Chi Ling was shocked and realized the severity of the problem: "Your Highness, who are you going to send?"

Li Li Banfeng smiled: "Commoners, commoners who have just gained their freedom."

Hearing this, Ban Hai Chi Ling's face turned pale. She knew Li Li Banfeng's meaning, and she had also heard that more than a hundred commoners arrived at the Imperial City last night: "Your Highness, I can't take these commoners!"

"Why can't you take them? Aren't you short of manpower? I will let them come to work for you. You must remember, they are commoners. They must be paid for their work, and their coming and going depends on their own wishes. I will send them over in a while." After speaking, Li Li Banfeng left the shipyard.

Ban Hai Chi Ling was dumbfounded. She stared at Tie Tie Baisheng: "Old Tie, why are you stunned? Say something!"

Tie Tie Baisheng woke up from a dream: "Ah, what do you want me to say?"

Ban Hai Chi Ling was furious: "Who told you to talk to me? Go talk to the City Lord, you can't send these hundred-plus people to our factory!"

Tie Tie Baisheng said: "Why not? You say you are short of people every day. Sending us some manpower is just right, isn't it?"

"Are you really confused or pretending to be confused?" Ban Hai Chi Ling pointed to several commoners working on the ship and lowered her voice: "Do you know who the City Lord is going to send? They are all commoners like them.

But these commoners are now commoners. They have to be paid for their work, and they can come and go as they please. How do you want the commoners under my command to think?"

Tie Tie Baisheng's expression was blank: "How can they think?"

Ban Hai Chi Ling widened her eyes: "The commoners in the factory originally had unstable hearts, and now another group of people has come. Doing the same work, they live good lives. Won't the commoners under my command rebel?"

Tie Tie Baisheng nodded: "Yes, they must rebel!"

Ban Hai Chi Ling said: "So this matter must be told to the City Lord! He can't send commoners to me!"

Tie Tie Baisheng suddenly realized: "So that's what you're saying. Why didn't you say it?"

Ban Hai Chi Ling said: "I just told him, didn't you hear? He doesn't listen to me. You are eloquent, you go and talk to him. There are so many factories in the city, let him send them elsewhere first."

Tie Tie Baisheng nodded repeatedly: "Okay, I'll go find the City Lord now."

Arriving at the Imperial City, Tie Tie Baisheng met Li Li Banfeng. After exchanging pleasantries, Tie Tie Baisheng got to the point: "Your Highness, I came this time to discuss something with you. Can you not send commoners to Ban Hai Chi Ling's factory?"

Li Li Banfeng lowered his eyelids: "Why can't I send them?"

"She said it's not convenient there."

Li Li Banfeng sneered: "Then who do you say is convenient?"

Tie Tie Baisheng raised his head: "Prince, it's convenient here."

Li Li Banfeng suspected he had misheard.

The phonograph standing in the corner also felt he had misheard.

Li Li Banfeng's move was to let the commoners see how a normal person should live.

The commoners didn't dare to leave because they had forgotten how to live!

Ban Hai Chi Ling was right. This was equivalent to forcing the commoners to rebel. How could Tie Tie Baisheng dare to take in these hundred commoners?

Tie Tie Baisheng repeated it again: "Prince, it's not convenient at Ban Hai Chi Ling's, it's convenient here."

Li Li Banfeng frowned: "Are you playing the hero saving the beauty?"

Tie Tie Baisheng shook his head: "I am not a hero, and I don't think Ban Hai Chi Ling is a beauty. I really want these hundred-plus people."

Li Li Banfeng said with a dark face: "I'll remind you, they are workers, not commoners."

"I have been to the Outer Continent, I know what workers look like, I know the difference between them and commoners. I am willing to set the commoners free. I will sign a contract with them, not a deed of sale, but a contract from the Outer Continent. I will give them wages,

and guarantee that they can decide whether to stay or go." In order to prove that he had been to the Outer Continent, Tie Tie Baisheng's tone of voice changed.

Li Li Banfeng asked again: "Are you not afraid that the commoners under your command will rebel?"

Tie Tie Baisheng shook his head: "Not afraid! I will treat the commoners under my command the same way. As long as you promise to help me, I will burn all their deeds of sale when I go back. From now on, they are all workers."

Li Li Banfeng still didn't quite believe it: "Doing this, don't you feel you are at a loss?"

"Not at a loss," Tie Tie Baisheng shook his head, "Workers working and commoners working are different. Working for money and being forced by a whip are definitely different.

Workers work faster. A cargo ship built in thirteen days, if it were workers, I estimate it could be done in ten days. Three out of ten ships built by commoners would have errors. If it were workers, there might not be one error in ten ships.

I have made money in the Outer Continent, I know this can earn more, but in Xiaodu, I didn't dare to do this."

Li Li Banfeng said: "What if I lend you some courage?"

Tie Tie Baisheng took a deep breath: "Forgive me for being bold, one bit of courage is not enough, you have to lend me a few more."

Li Li Banfeng said: "How many do you want?"

"Three!"

"Which three bits of courage, tell me."

Tie Tie Baisheng said: "I have always wanted more manpower to run the factory, but according to status, the number of commoners under my command cannot exceed the Ao family and the Yu family. Now I don't want commoners, I am hiring workers. I think they shouldn't be able to limit the number of workers I hire anymore."

Li Li Banfeng nodded: "They can't limit you, I said so."

Tie Tie Baisheng had three-tenths of courage, raised his head, and continued: "I want more land to build a larger factory, but I can't use some land, I must listen to the allocation of the Ao family and the Yu family."

Li Li Banfeng shook his head: "No need to listen to their allocation. As long as I allocate it, you can use this land, I said so."

Tie Tie Baisheng had another three-tenths of courage, straightened his waist, and continued: "Some raw materials, if the Ao family and the Yu family don't nod, I can't buy them."

Li Li Banfeng said: "It doesn't matter whether they nod or not. As long as I nod, you can buy them, I said so."

Tie Tie Baisheng stood up and kowtowed to Li Li Banfeng: "Thank you, Prince!"

Li Li Banfeng pulled Tie Tie Baisheng up: "Stand straight when you talk, I said so."

Tie Tie Baisheng really didn't do it in vain. He soon brought all the deeds of sale of the commoners.

Li Li Banfeng called a man to verify on the spot. This man was named Ba Ba Suan.

Ba Ba Suan took less than ten minutes to compare. The names of more than 2,300 commoners were verified correctly, exactly the same as the roster provided by Tie Tie Baisheng before.

Tie Tie Baisheng brought these 2,300 commoners to the gate of the Imperial City. Under Li Qi's gaze, he and the commoners lit a fire together and burned the deeds of sale.

When the commoners lit the fire, the torches kept trembling because they couldn't hold them steady.

Shun stood behind Li Li Banfeng, also trembling.

The deeds of sale were burning, the commoners shed tears, and Shun also shed tears.

"City Lord, our deeds of sale haven't been burned—"

Li Li Banfeng said: "You are no longer commoners. I will help you burn the deeds of sale."

A group of high-ranking officials watched Tie Tie Baisheng coldly. There was a hint of chill in their eyes.

Tie Tie Baisheng was a little scared, but after a while, the high-ranking officials watching him all lowered their heads.

These high-ranking officials found that someone was also watching them. In the firelight, Li Li Banfeng scanned every high-ranking official, his gaze making everyone shudder.

Ba Ba Suan looked at the fire, calculated the position, and fanned the fire pile.

The flames soared high, and the paper ash flew into the air.

The commoners shouted loudly. Li Li Banfeng couldn't hear clearly what they were shouting, and they didn't know what they were shouting. They were shouting with all their might.

The Lady used the sound-cultivation technique to help them shout, and the whole city could hear it.

Returning to the Imperial City, the Lady sighed softly: "Husband was right, Yu Yu Yunqiu and Ao Ao Shuangqian are indeed not the key."

Li Li Banfeng said: "Because there are too many people who can replace them."

"Husband, don't you want to go to Tie Tie Baisheng's factory to see?"

"I definitely have to see. Having reached this step, I must not be deceived," Li Li Banfeng held the Lady's hand, "Let's go together and see their industrial methods by the way."

Arriving at the shipyard, Tie Tie Baisheng paid the workers their wages for the day first.

The wages for one day were not much. Skilled workers were given thirty big coins, and unskilled workers were given ten.

Many commoners saw wages for the first time and didn't know what to do with the money after taking it.

Tie Tie Baisheng was also paying wages in Xiaodu for the first time. His subordinates had no experience, and counting money and keeping accounts had to be done by Tie Tie Baisheng himself. After the money was paid out, Tie Tie Baisheng looked at his pocket watch; it was already time to finish work.

According to the old rules, when commoners finished work, they would eat some mud coal and then sleep. Now it was still early, and they didn't know what to do.

If Tie Tie Baisheng ordered them to continue working, they wouldn't object.

But Tie Tie Baisheng was a smart person. Since he had agreed with Li Qi, things had to be done according to the rules of the Outer Continent. Finishing work meant getting off work. No need to work today.

He prepared a new contract. Those who were willing to work for a full year would get 1,500 coins a month for skilled workers and 500 coins for unskilled workers.

This was much more than calculating wages by the day. Many workers signed the contract, and Shun was one of them.

But there were also many people who didn't want the contract. They were worried that this thing would turn into a deed of sale.

Regardless of whether they signed or not, it didn't delay getting off work. The commoners who had gained their freedom walked out of the shipyard and looked around,

not knowing where to go.

Commoner Zhao Ai Yeqing, carrying a lantern, brought more than a dozen partners over and shouted at the crowd: "Everyone, want to eat? My restaurant just opened. Three coins for all you can eat, five coins for a good meal, ten coins to feel light on your feet. Do you want to try it?"

Go to a restaurant to eat?

Everyone looked at each other, not knowing if they were qualified. In Great Shang, commoners were not allowed to enter restaurants.

Zhao Ai Yeqing understood their concerns and smiled at the crowd: "I've come to invite you, it just depends on whether you give me face."

Shun touched the copper coins in his hand. He originally made porcelain, and could only be an unskilled worker at the shipyard. He earned ten coins today.

He couldn't bear to spend it all, so he didn't think about feeling light on his feet, but eating a good meal was still possible.

A woman named Da Huan, who was also originally from the porcelain shop and knew Shun, walked to Shun's side and asked in a low voice: "Go to the restaurant?"

"Okay!" Shun made up his mind, accompanied Da Huan, and followed Zhao Ai Yeqing to the restaurant.

Many other commoners also followed.

Li Li Banfeng looked at Zhao Ai Yeqing and said in a low voice: "This restaurant owner is a smart person, someone who can make big money,

and also someone who can do big things."

The Lady smiled: "Zhao Ai Yeqing, firefly, clear-hearted and bright-eyed, doing business thoroughly, but there are also those who are not thorough. This cow-headed girl is quite a bit worse."

A quarrel broke out in the factory, and Li Li Banfeng took the Lady to watch the fun.

Ban Hai Chi Ling pointed at Tie Tie Baisheng's nose and scolded: "What do you want to do, you bird-man? I asked you to beg the City Lord for a few days of grace, but you released all the commoners in your factory. What do you mean?"

Tie Tie Baisheng laughed: "It doesn't mean anything. Doing things according to the City Lord's instructions is never wrong."

Ban Hai Chi Ling spat: "You really know how to gild yourself. Are you doing things according to instructions? You are clearly fishing in troubled waters, wanting to earn a sum from it."

Tie Tie Baisheng's smile didn't change: "It's not wrong to say that. Isn't doing business for the sake of making money?"

Ban Hai Chi Ling gritted her teeth: "You remember this for me, don't you dare think about the commoners in my house. If any of them dare to run to you, I will kill one for every one I see!"

Tie Tie Baisheng stopped smiling: "Lingzi, for the sake of our past friendship, let me remind you, there are no more commoners in Xiaodu. This matter is a foregone conclusion, and no one can stop it.

You can't kill people casually. What are the consequences of killing people like grass? It's all laid out at the gate of the Imperial City. You should think clearly for yourself."

PS: Li Banfeng hugged the Lady and said: "Take care of those who are enlightened early, be patient with those who are enlightened late, and for those who are not enlightened, we should send them on their way." ===== CHAPTER 729 =====