Chapter 1029: The Time Has Come

For the past half year, Pan Yun had remained within the imperial palace, devoting herself entirely to the Ministry of Works, ignoring all worldly affairs—even ceasing her trips to Japan—completely unlike her earlier enthusiasm for reform.

Could it truly be that one intervenes when witnessing injustice, yet turns a blind eye once the sight is gone?

The ministers expressed skepticism, but the Emperor had already agreed: "Minister Chen, allocate funds to the Ministry of Works to produce a batch of thermometers for the Imperial Astronomical Bureau and each prefecture and province."

The Ministry of Works had produced several types of thermometers, mostly used in industry.

Pan Yun alone was limited; the thermometers were originally made to monitor smelting temperatures, but it was Seeing Miao Zhen who, upon seeing them, suggested creating instruments to measure ambient temperature.

Thus, the Ministry's craftsmen pooled their ideas and invented thermometers for various purposes, one of which was designed for measuring human body temperature.

Unfortunately, communication between departments was inefficient, or the Imperial Medical Bureau distrusted or showed no interest in them, so the human thermometers remained unused.

Pan Yun had tested them herself; the readings were quite accurate.

Since the Imperial Medical Bureau wouldn't use them, let them be deployed in civilian pharmacies and clinics instead—allow the common people to purchase them, and keep the price as low as possible.

Yet, even good inventions need promotion; Pan Yun turned to Minister of Works Hu Cheng: "Let our Ministry publish a newspaper."

Hu Cheng: "What?"

"Call it 'The Art of the Common People.' It can feature our Ministry's inventions and collected devices, along with their usage methods, and allow dialogue with the people on tools and arts that benefit the populace," Pan Yun hummed. "Research is expensive. The Ministry of Revenue constantly withholds our funding—let's earn our own. And the Imperial Medical Bureau? They don't believe in our thermometers. Soon, they'll beg us to make them."

Hu Cheng rubbed his temples: "National Master, our Ministry added sixty-eight people this year—twelve are official officers, fifty-six are craftsmen—and we're still stretched thin, each person doing two jobs. How can we spare time to run a newspaper?"

"Ask Yu Qian, the Minister of Personnel, for staff. Isn't he always complaining about bureaucratic bloat? Transfer surplus personnel here—those with learning ability and basic knowledge of devices and arithmetic."

Hu Cheng stared at her in silence: "We transferred them. Of the twelve who came, three were newly minted Metropolitan Graduate; the other nine were all surplus officials transferred from elsewhere."

Pan Yun raised an eyebrow. "Useless?"

Hu Cheng sighed. "Apart from two with powerful patrons who do nothing, the rest work hard—but hard work alone won't suffice for Ministry of Works tasks."

Pan Yun: "Make them learn! If they can't learn, fire them. This is a vital Ministry—positions must go to those who can serve the state. We're not a retirement home. And those two with patrons—don't tell me who they are. If they don't work, fire them outright. Say it was my order if anyone asks."

Pan Yun hummed: "When it comes to contributions to the state and the people, our artisans' contributions are no less than anyone's. Yet our status, reputation, and pay are pitifully low. Is that fair? Even if it's unfair, we still have the will and ability to serve the state—yet the path to service is blocked. This is outrageous."

Hu Cheng's heart surged—he understood. The National Master was telling him the time had come.

After Pan Yun left, he immediately marched off to the Ministry of Personnel with renewed vigor.

The Ministry of Personnel officials, furious but not daring to speak up, passed the document to the Grand Secretariat.

The Grand Secretariat closed its doors and conferred.

Some voiced strong opposition; others remained silent.

After deliberation, they all turned to Yu Qian: "Grand Secretary Yu, Minister Hu's petition clearly follows the National Master's instructions. If we abolish the artisan registry, will next come the abolition of salt-makers, musicians, or even military households?"

Yu Qian glanced at them, thinking: How could Pan Yun abolish military households?

She would only greatly improve their status and treatment, equalizing them with civilian households—or even elevate them above.

If she truly intended to abolish military households, last year, when the Guangdong military corruption scandal erupted, she would have seized the opportunity to place the military farmlands under the Ministry of War's control—then abolished the system.

But she didn't. She strongly supported the purge of military corruption, used most of the confiscated funds to comfort military households, redistributed farmland to those who lost theirs, stabilized them, and opened schools within the military, allowing sons and daughters of both garrison and farmland soldiers to enroll free of charge.

In the past half year, under her guidance, the Ministry of Works had even transferred certain military equipment designs to the Ministry of War for production.

He was the Minister of War.

Through him, Pan Yun enabled garrison units to establish military workshops. Do you think these workshops only produce arrowheads, spear shafts, spears, and gunpowder?

You're utterly wrong.

Pan Yun can have them produce cotton robes, cotton quilts, treadle looms, and various metal goods.

Of course, each regional workshop's output differs, determined by local resources.

In areas rich in iron ore, they focus on smelting and heavy weapons and metal goods.

In regions suitable for cotton cultivation, they focus on textile production.

This year, the Ministry of War authorized two garrison units in Henan to produce cotton robes and quilts.

Yes—authorized.

Because the Ministry of Works' technology isn't given away for free—it must be purchased.

After buying the technology, they must also spend money to acquire new spinning machines, looms, forging presses, and more from the Ministry of War.

Even borrowing Ministry of Works craftsmen for instruction costs money.

In just half a year, Yu Qian's Ministry of War had accumulated a staggering debt to the Ministry of Works.

Fortunately, Hu Cheng was understanding—he didn't demand immediate repayment, but accepted quarterly installments, giving Yu Qian breathing room.

Otherwise, such a massive debt would have made even Yu Qian hesitate before proceeding.

Yet in only half a year, Yu Qian saw the benefits brought by the regional military workshops.

When the Hongwu Emperor first established military farmland, he thought only of food and drink—but forgot soldiers needed clothing, and armor.

The Great Ming soldiers' uniforms were issued by the Ministry of War, which had to request funds from the Ministry of Revenue.

When the Ministry of Revenue had no money, it was like a clever wife unable to cook without rice; when it had money, it was stingy, listing ten or eight more urgent projects.

Aside from frontier troops, who sometimes received funding, most garrison soldiers lacked uniforms and armor.

As Minister of War, Yu Qian watched his soldiers shiver in winter and wear tattered clothes in summer—could he not feel pain?

With these workshops open, they could now be self-sufficient—and even sell to civilians.

All workers in the workshops were children of military households, male or female, each carrying a spirit beyond ordinary civilians.

Thus, their quilts were thick, stuffed with ample cotton; their robes were sturdy, dull gray, perfect for laborers.

So even though the first batch of products from the workshops arrived in February, sales exploded—and even as the weather warmed, orders remained high.

All in preparation for this year's autumn and winter.