The workshops in Ning'an County can be roughly divided into two types.
One is purely government-owned and belongs entirely to the Jingguo royal family and Ning'an County.
The second type is privately owned, including workshops built by aristocratic families, wealthy families, or workers and scholars.
Except for the particularly important workshops that cannot be sold, most of these workshops will either go bankrupt or be sold once they have difficulty making a profit.
The textile workshops where Fang Yun worked were all county-owned workshops. Any sale had to go through the county government and then the prefectural government for approval. If the largest workshops were to be sold, even the Minister of Works would need to decide.
The national strength of Jing State has declined in recent years, and those workers who hope to get more compensation have gone to other countries, resulting in the continuous loss of talents in Jing State. In order to retain talents, Jing State gives high salaries to outstanding workshop owners and gives them a certain official status. If the workshop is not well managed, these workshop owners are allowed to purchase the workshop.
"I will send you the drawings of the spinning machine tomorrow, and you guys can continue working." Fang Yun took Ao Huang away.
When I walked out of the tea room, I saw that Fang Yun's private soldiers were blocked outside by the Beimang Army and the Criminal Hall personnel who were protecting the workshop. Those private soldiers and staff stood quietly, with some servants standing behind them, and behind the servants were dismounted demon iron cavalry, more than two thousand people.
Fang Yun nodded and said, "Let them in."
"yes!"
The guard let them go, but those people didn't move. Fang Yun nodded again and said, "Let's get started!"
"Walk!"
Under the leadership of Fang Yun's staff, more than 2,000 people were divided into more than 200 teams and rushed towards more than 200 workshops like wolves and tigers.
Among those who went to the county workshop, there was at least one runner, and each runner held a document with the red seal of the county magistrate on it.
The people who went to the royal workshop were not servants, but Fang Yun's private soldiers. These private soldiers also held documents in their hands, but the documents did not have the seal of the county magistrate, but the seal of the empress dowager.
After these people rushed into the workshop, they directly controlled the owner and the accountant.
Many abbots struggled and cursed, but were easily subdued. Seven abbots even attempted to resist by using force or inciting workers, but were killed on the spot by Fang Yun's private soldiers.
Everyone was shocked when seven bloody corpses were dragged on the ground by horses and moved along Workshop Street.
No one knew what was going on. Fang Yun was chatting and laughing with the owner and the workers in the morning, but how come within two hours, they suddenly started a large-scale hunt, and even caused seven deaths
How come the day changes so suddenly
Soon, more than 600 people were taken to the open space in front of the cotton spinning workshop, and they blocked the workshop street together with the more than 2,000 people who were arresting them.
More and more people gathered on Workshop Street, and almost all those who were free came over, forming a large black crowd.
Fang Yingwu walked quickly to Fang Yun and said, "Your Excellency, a total of 632 people have been invited to the county government for a talk. In addition, there are seven people who intend to use force to resist. According to your order, kill them on the spot!"
"Invite them to the county government office. This county wants to hold a court for an interview, not a trial!"
Fang Yun said as he got on his carriage and drove towards the county government office.
Ao Huang tilted his head and rubbed the wall of the carriage with his dragon horn to relieve the itch. At the same time, he said worriedly: "Fang Yun, yesterday you said you wanted to arrest... No, ask them to go to the county government for a talk. I don't agree. Now it's such a big fuss, and people died on the spot. I'm afraid something big is going to happen."
"I'm just afraid that things won't get out of hand."
Ao Huang said loudly: "Since I came to Ning'an County and became a local emperor, I found that you are becoming more and more unscrupulous! What do you think, should I continue to learn from you?" Ao Huang's big eyes stared at Fang Yun, turning around.
"If this county can suppress me, how can I embark on the holy path?" Fang Yun asked back.
"But you are only a Jinshi acting as the county magistrate. There is no one else in the whole Mizhou except you and Cai He hiding in the Qingwu government office! You can't use the power of the cabinet councilors, the Duke of Zhenguo or the virtual saints. How can you deal with so many bureaucrats?"
Fang Yun smiled and said, "You have misunderstood one thing from the beginning to the end."
"What did you misunderstand? I seem to have heard you talking about it, but I don't know what you misunderstood?"
Fang Yun smiled and did not answer, but said: "We will need rain for sowing in the spring, don't forget to help."
"That's no problem, we'll just follow each other!" Ao Huang responded in the Ning'an County dialect.
Before he even reached the county government office, Cai He sent an urgent letter.
"Are you crazy? Why did you arrest all the workshop owners of government-owned workshops? And even beat seven of them to death? Don't you know the identities of those workshop owners? Some are childhood playmates of important figures in aristocratic families, some are descendants of the royal family with the surname Zhao, and some are relatives of local tyrants. Do you think those skilled craftsmen at the bottom who can snatch the fat meat of workshop owners are really those skilled craftsmen at the bottom? How could they get their turn! Tomorrow morning, people from aristocratic families, officials and royal families from all over the country will definitely go to the gate of the palace to file a complaint against you! Once this happens, the ratings of the two departments of people's livelihood and official administration will definitely be lowered!"
"They dare not." Fang Yun's response was understated.
"Impossible! They dare not target you directly, but they can hint at you and let those people warn you! They are not worried about those abbots, but they are worried that you will infringe on their interests when you have a higher status in the future! Do you understand what I mean?" Cai He's words were full of anxiety and concern.
If someone else had said so, Fang Yun would not have explained in detail, but Cai He and he were old acquaintances, and Cai He and his teacher, Minister of Literature Jiang Hechuan, had helped each other a lot, so he said, "Brother Cai, you worry too much. If it were before, I might have worried that they would collude to file a complaint with the emperor, but these days, they can't go."
"Oh? Do you have something hidden in your heart? Is it related to your actions in Ning'an County? Will the Legalists help you, or will the Medicalists help you? I heard that you are in a workshop recently, will the Workers help you too?"
"If nothing unexpected happens, people from the three families will restrain their disciples." Fang Yun said.
"Really? I'm overthinking. But even if the three families speak for you now, how can you settle this disturbance? What if you can't resolve it, and the conflict intensifies, causing all the officials in Ning'an County to abandon you? Your civil service department will inevitably be downgraded to the Ding grade, and become a stain!"
"Well, I have a way to keep them from leaving."
"Those officials and these monasteries rise and fall together. If you attack the monasteries, the next step will be to attack the officials. How can they tolerate you?"
Fang Yun smiled and replied: "After I hit them with a stick, I will give them a candied date. When they have tasted the sweetness, I will start the operation again!"
"You... It seems that we have underestimated you after all. You may have your own plans for the administration of Ning'an County. Since you are confident, I will not say anything. As long as I am in Qingwu Prefecture, all political affairs decided by me will be smooth sailing!"
"Thank you, Master!" Fang Yun replied half-jokingly. Master is the title for the examiner, but since the actual examiner in Shengyuan Continent is a semi-saint, few people use the title of Master.
"Stop teasing me! By the way, the price of grain has been rising recently. Once the danger comes, we will open the warehouse and sell grain at a fair price. If there is any problem, it will definitely cause riots! Especially in Ning'an County, there are many immigrants. Once someone spreads rumors, I'm afraid it will be out of control."
"Thank you, Governor Cai. I will be careful and check the granary carefully." (To be continued...)