Chapter 816

Chen Wuji stayed in Hezhou for three days.

During these three days, he ran about especially hurriedly.

First day, he conducted a surprise inspection of local government offices and the garrison.

Chen Wuji examined everything that ought to be seen at breakneck speed.

The next day he went to inspect all his enterprises in Hezhou.

The output of paper and woolen clothing grew steadily each day; these two workshops had already expanded several times over, employing more than five thousand local residents.

These people have now become the undisputed high-income group in Hezhou City.

Although these two workshops are currently managed by Xiao Yuji, their management model is entirely based on Chen Wuji's modern corporate management model, adapted to the actual conditions of Da Yu.

This model is not only ahead of its time throughout Da Yu, it is epoch-making.

Xiao Yuji's talent for business is terrifyingly strong.

Although she holds two huge enterprises, her management is orderly; moreover, she now spends most of each day at home, only visiting the workshops every few days.

After personally observing the situation of these two workshops, Chen Wuji unhesitatingly entrusted the production and sales of the soap workshop to Xiao Yuji as well—those who are capable bear more work.

It isn't that Chen Wuji deliberately wanted to exploit his concubine; he simply couldn't find anyone more trustworthy than Xiao Yuji, so this task can only fall on her to bear again.

Once she brings her apprentice Shen Youwei out, she should be able to relax a bit.

Compared to that, the inkstone platform, fully managed by the Hezhou Prefecture Office, does not do especially badly, but it's not great either—it hovers right on the line where Chen Wuji would like to find fault but can't quite bring himself to do so.

After coming down from the mountain, Chen Wuji asked Qin Feng, "Do you have any opinions?"

Qin Feng had a stalk of weed in his mouth, sitting arrogantly on his horse; hearing this, he spat out the weed with a "pah," sat upright, and asked, "My lord, are you dissatisfied with the Qingyu Mountain Workshop?"

"Somewhat."

Qin Feng let out a slight sigh, his head aching a bit, "My lord, don't blame me—I actually noticed this long ago, but I truly couldn't think of a good solution, which is why I delayed until you saw it yourself."

"The Qingyu Mountain Workshop differs from the paper workshop; aside from the artisans, its managers are all drawn from the prefecture office, and they inevitably bring the office's ways with them."

"Nowadays, among officials in Hezhou, their greatest fear is making mistakes; they would rather slow their steps than dare to take radical actions."

"Hezhou is now the prefectural seat; under your lordship's watch, these people must think twice and then think again before acting. I have spoken several times with the workshop chief; I understand their worries, but there really is no good solution. According to the law, if problems truly arise, they will indeed face serious trouble."

When Qin Feng said that, Chen Wuji also felt a bit of a headache.

It seems that in any era, commercial activities within the system become complicated.

"Try to give them authority; for less important matters, we can handle them case by case without clinging to legal minutiae." Chen Wuji pondered for a while and said, "But we must carefully gauge the extent here; we cannot simply remove all boundaries at once."

If the Qingyu Mountain Workshop does not undergo some reform, Chen Wuji will have to consider arranging something else for this industry.

Right now it seems to be alive, but it lacks any vigor; it's quite dire.

Qin Feng answered, "When I go back, I will convene the prefecture office's superiors and subordinates for discussion."

Chen Wuji grunted, "The inkstone platform of Qingyu Mountain may not reach the exaggerated level of paper, but its quality and craftsmanship are evident; it absolutely has the potential to become a signature product of Hezhou."

"If you cannot come up with a good plan and enact change, I will only be able to remove it from the prefecture and make other arrangements. By then, you will have less silver in your pockets—don't blame me!"

"Yes!"

The revenue of the Qingyu Mountain Workshop is directly tied to the expenditures of the prefecture office's superiors and subordinates.

When Chen Wuji initially set up this workshop, he divided the profits into three parts: the prefectural government, the state treasury, and the prefecture office's expenditures, with the state treasury taking the largest share and the office's expenditures the smallest.

But this is a matter of proportion; if the workshop's profits are extremely high, the prefecture office's superiors and subordinates can also receive a substantial sum each quarter.

"You officials of Hezhou have the most clever ideas, yet when it comes to making money for yourselves, you all hit a wall. Speak plainly to them and pool your wisdom!" Chen Wuji said.

"Such blatant self-enrichment should be rare, right? Why are you all suddenly unenthusiastic? Sneaking gains feels thrilling, but taking it openly makes you embarrassed?"

Although these prefecture office expenditures are given to its superiors and subordinates under names like "cooling allowance," they are in fact just direct payments of silver, merely with a nicer-sounding title.

Qin Feng chuckled, "My lord, really don't say it—I now truly feel that's the case!"

"Taking it openly, those youngsters are all painfully restrained—there's a feeling… well, I can't quite describe it, but it's basically awkward! The prefecture office's superiors and subordinates are awkward, and so are the Qingyu Mountain Workshop's people—everything is fidgety and ill at ease."

Chen Wuji nodded, "After all, there has never been such a precedent in history."

People sometimes are strange; secretly taking a little bit can be worse than taking a lot.

But if you directly set up an enterprise and stuff silver into their hands, they end up feeling awkward about taking it.

It might even be described as shame.

After all, on the surface everyone pays homage to the sages, having read the classics, and considers themselves moral gentlemen who would not do such vulgar things.

"Let's lay this out plainly to them!" Chen Wuji said in a deep voice.

"Present the facts where facts are due, argue reason where reason is due; if I have said all this and it still cannot be accomplished, then let it be dropped!"

"Yes!"

Chen Wuji did not choose to intervene directly; he tossed this matter to Qin Feng to handle himself.

If they cannot figure it out, then we change the approach.

Monopolies on salt, iron, copper, tea, and the like have existed since antiquity; these things involving the court's interests have always been directly controlled by the court, and private individuals cannot handle them.

Whether it be the court or local officials, they have absolute experience in handling such matters.

In principle, the Qingyu Mountain Workshop should not become a problem.

But strangely, it has indeed become one.

Business is lukewarm, and the officials of Hezhou taking silver also feel awkward—it's truly odd.

Chen Wuji designated the Qingyu Mountain Mine as a prefectural industry, to be overseen by both the prefecture and the state, with profits split into three shares; furthermore, he directly allocated one share from the prefecture office's expenditures to be distributed to superiors and subordinates as cooling allowances, etc., intending this as an experiment to gauge the response.

All the rules and regulations have long been laid out; a second chance has also been given today. If they still cannot produce any results, then this matter will be dropped.