Chapter 1060: I Treat Craftsmen as State Ministers

"The foreigner workshops use quite a few of these. There are several down in the Southern Seas, and they keep them extremely secret, terrified someone might steal the techniques. After I got familiar with them, I snuck in for a look and laughed at once — isn't this just the same structure as the waterwheels in our mills? Only, our Great Ming waterwheels use water power to turn horizontally, while theirs have a gear added to make it turn vertically." Zhu Xingshu answered with a smile. Conversing with Zhao Jin made Zhu Xingshu feel very much at ease; he had never expected such a young hero to actually understand the principles of craftsmanship and be able to grasp his meaning. This made Zhu Xingshu utterly exhilarated.

Zhao Jin slapped the table and said in praise, "Countless people have seen a water-powered mill, but how many can achieve such mastery and synthesis as you? A true great talent!"

This word of praise made Zhu Xingshu's body tremble. His face first flushed bright red, but then turned awkward. In this world, the phrase "great talent" was reserved for those possessing civil and military genius — what did it have to do with a mere craftsman?

Zhao Jin's praise did not end there. Gently tapping the tabletop, he continued, "You can ponder other water-powered machinery more. If you can build a forging hammer, you can surely build other things. Our manpower is never enough. Create more machinery so our people can go do other tasks — that would be a good thing that brings joy to all."

Wang Zhaojing and Ruhui both found it strange, but it was merely curiosity over why Zhao Jin was so happy. They recalled the last time was when Yu Shan presented the improved gun carriage and cannon cart. Zhao Jin was always excited by innovations in craftsmanship, completely unlike his composure at all other times.

Xu Housheng, however, had been frowning in deep thought the whole time. Wang Zhaojing glanced at him discreetly, thinking to himself that this young brother-in-law had better know his place. If he grew jealous and resentful because his brother-in-law praised someone else, there would likely be plenty of trouble in the future. But such matters need not be spoken of plainly right now.

"Brother-in-law, for this water-powered machinery, I fear we have no water currents of that strength here in Xuzhou. If we were to dig earth and build a reservoir, the labor cost would simply be too great." Xu Housheng voiced his concern.

Hearing this, Wang Zhaojing and Ruhui exchanged a look. They did not understand how water-driven machinery worked, but they knew exactly how much labor building a new reservoir would cost. No matter the size of the reservoir, the labor required would be enormous.

Zhao Jin nodded. Xu Housheng's point was very reasonable. The terrain of Xuzhou and its surroundings was utterly flat, so even the Yellow River's current was very gentle. Those smaller rivers were even less worthy of mention when it came to water power. Under such circumstances, the only option was to consider artificially impounding water to create a forceful enough current to drive water-powered machinery.

"Masters, this is no obstacle. Where there is no usable water current, we can use oxen and horses. Enough livestock can drive it as well. Since this humble one arrived in Xuzhou, I have indeed seen quite a lot of oxen, horses, and other large livestock — this must be the finest supply south of the Yellow River!" Zhu Xingshu had long had a backup plan.

Smiles surfaced on the faces of everyone in the room. With the trade route selling liquor to the grasslands, Xuzhou would never lack the cattle and horses that were relatively scarce south of the Yellow River. The others did not quite understand, but Zhao Jin and Xu Housheng could already envision how animal power might drive machinery.

"Good, good. Master Zhu, you not only understand your craft, you also know innovation and improvement, and you can adapt measures to local conditions. This is extraordinary. You have only just arrived, but I dare boast of this: in all the world, from the Great Ming to Wa to the Southern Seas, even west to Europe where the white men dwell, you will find no place that values craftsmen more than my domain. So long as you work diligently, you will have food and clothing. So long as you possess your own skill, you can attain wealth and rank. If you can innovate and improve, I say your future prospects are boundless. Henceforth, whatever funds, materials, or support you need, speak directly to Housheng about it. We here will give you our full support!" Zhao Jin declared in a ringing voice. These words made everyone seated with him look over again, each thinking that this praise was far too weighty.

Everyone then looked toward Zhu Xingshu. Promotion within the Zhao Camp stressed merit and seniority, advancing step by step. Being rapidly promoted meant one had rendered great service. Yet this man, upon arriving, had merely crafted a few trinkets and presented them — and many of those were methods from the foreigners, at that — and was actually praised to this degree.

They had expected Zhu Xingshu to kneel, overwhelmed by the favor, or to be so deeply shaken that he would be at a loss. Yet Zhu Xingshu simply stood there, scratching his head, his face full of bewilderment. He even looked at Zhao Jin with a hint of impropriety — an expression everyone was quite familiar with, one that essentially meant, "This man is so young; is he reliable?"

In the end, Zhu Xingshu cupped his hands in salute and said very respectfully, "Master Jin, if this humble one may speak a presumptuous and discourteous word — these matters of mine are but petty arts. Are they truly worthy of such regard from you, Master Jin?"

"They are worthy. The things you create will decide victory on the battlefield. The things you create can save countless labor and bring in ten thousand taels of gold. Are these not worthy of regard? All these achievements come because you have invented and improved so many things. You are the source. Because of you, these things exist. How could they not be worthy!" Zhao Jin replied with utter solemnity.

Wang Zhaojing and Ruhui exchanged a glance. Both knew Zhao Jin valued matters of craftsmanship, but they had never imagined he valued them to this extent. This left them somewhat puzzled; after all, the education they had received since childhood still prioritized agriculture and warfare above all. However, since Zhao Jin's regard had brought all manner of benefits to the Zhao Camp, everyone naturally supported it.

The two of them felt no great emotion, but Xu Housheng, seated at the lower end, was visibly stirred. As for Zhu Xingshu, standing there, he was first stunned, then shocked. Complex emotions surfaced on his face. He remained silent for a moment, then clasped his fists and said, "Master Jin, honored masters, I have been poor and wretched since childhood, so I never remembered my ancestors, never thought of bringing glory to the family name. Yet after learning a craft to support myself, I always felt it was shameful, that I could not hold my head high before others, that speaking of it brought no honor. For this reason, I dared not even start a family. Hearing Master Jin's words today, only now do I understand that a craftsman can also have such dignity, can also establish a legacy and a household. I do not remember my ancestors, but I can let my descendants take pride in me..."

After these few incoherent sentences, Zhu Xingshu once again solemnly clasped his fists, bowed deeply, and with the utmost gravity said, "Originally, I even resented that Li Laohai for forcing me to come to Xuzhou to work. Now I see that Li Laohai sent me to a blessed land. Henceforth, I shall serve Master Jin with all my loyalty!"

Only a craftsman himself could be so moved by Zhao Jin's regard, only he would have the thought: "As the lord treats me as a state minister, so shall I serve the lord as a state minister." Even Xu Housheng, who had embarked on the path of craftsmanship, was stirred to emotion by the words; his thoughts surely bore some resemblance to Zhu Xingshu's.

With this layer made clear, the atmosphere in the room relaxed considerably. Zhao Jin directly arranged a seat for Zhu Xingshu — a gesture that let everyone know the depth of Zhao Jin's regard. What followed was meant to be idle chat, but Xu Housheng picked up the thread of Zhu Xingshu's words and continued.

One in a position must attend to its duties. Xu Housheng's temperament was very gentle and mild, but as the head of the Crafts Hall, he had to fight for resources and support for his own domain. If he did not do this, he could not control his subordinates, nor would his superiors think well of him. Whether willing or not, he was pushed forward to act.

"Elder Brother, this puddling and refining method consumes enormous amounts of coal and iron. Forging weapons and armor is one thing, but the fire lances absolutely require wrought iron. From over twenty catties of pig iron, producing two catties of wrought iron is already considered decent, and it also demands a vast amount of labor. The Xu family ironworks still has to manage the farming tool business, so the supply of iron stock is constantly contested. We are also short of apprentices here. If we do not arrange for people to learn now, relying solely on those in the academy, in another ten or twenty years, I fear it will no longer suffice."

After hearing Xu Housheng out, Zhao Jin could not help but laugh and said, "So this is about competing with the Agriculture and Reclamation Office for iron and men!"

Farming tool demand, labor and apprentices — these naturally were all needed by the farming estates under the Agriculture and Reclamation Office. Moreover, with each field estate newly established, the demand for farming tools was also massive, and the same went for manpower. Though the Zhao Camp commanded tens or hundreds of thousands of people, every single person had an assignment. Spread evenly across the territory of three prefectures and one department, there really were not that many people.

Ruhui laughed along, and his tone was also quite gentle: "Young Master Xu indeed faces difficulties. However, our Zhao Camp's newly built field estates still lack sufficient farming tools. If they are not fully equipped soon, next year's spring plowing will be delayed. As for manpower, I think Young Master Xu can go recruit from various places. The tenant households within our field estates are actually not that numerous."

Yet the content of his words conceded nothing. His own subordinate resources were already tight — on what grounds should he yield? And since Xu Housheng was not using his status as a brother-in-law to pressure anyone, but was adopting a businesslike attitude, then everyone would follow official protocol.

"For the Xu family at present, the best course is to focus entirely on manufacturing farming tools. As for the number of apprentice craftsmen, I think Secretary Cao's suggestion is a good one. We can go recruit in Shandong, Henan, and the other prefectures of South Zhili. Whether in regard and preferential treatment, or in wages and benefits, who else can compare?" Wang Zhaojing said with a furrowed brow.

After Xu Housheng transferred to the Crafts Hall, he had essentially detached himself from the Xu family's ironware operations. Moreover, the firearms workshop had already absorbed the Xu family's core skilled workers; there was no reason to cut off the Xu family's other crafting forces. Although Xu Zhenzhen consistently advised Zhao Jin to swallow the Xu family entirely and seize all usable resources, Zhao Jin for now did not wish to go that far. The Xu family still had its various branches and households, still had its enormous coal and iron business, and had spared no effort in aiding the Zhao Camp. Swallowing it in one gulp would sound terrible for his reputation.

Furthermore, Zhao Jin had other considerations. Maintaining the existence of another entity outside the Zhao Camp's manufacturing system was not a bad thing. In a certain sense, the present Jingshan Xu family was in fact another manufacturing force in Zhao Jin's hands. Merging the two into one would certainly yield good results, but it would also bring drawbacks. As things stood, the drawbacks of merging were greater.

Of course, now that Xu Housheng had his own domain under his command, he was bound to wish for that domain to grow ever stronger — swallowing competitors and strengthening himself. That was his own consideration.

"Third Brother, Secretary Cao, calling me Little Xu will do. Before the two of you, I dare not accept the title of Young Master Xu..." Xu Housheng rose and first offered a polite word. Just as he was about to argue, Zhao Jin cut him off.

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