After Marrying a Vegetative Princess, I went crazy with joy! - Chapter 213

Chapter 213

Inside the room, a pleasant aroma wafted through the air. Lu Chengqing placed his teacup down and calmly stated, “I believe you all grasp the purpose for which I’ve gathered you here today.”

Cui Shu sneered, “Su Li’s decree only limits us. However, if the laborers willingly come to work, what concern is it of ours?”

Lu Chengtai added, “Indeed! Gentlemen, the Lu family of Fanyang has already given the order to inform the overseers that any worker unwilling to work overtime will be let go.”

The others nodded with satisfied smiles.

“Prince Yongle’s youthful arrogance has led him astray since taking power. He does not understand the people’s sentiments, so he’s bound to fail!” Lu Chengqing declared triumphantly.

Having been disregarded by Su Li earlier that day, Lu Chengqing’s suppressed anger was hard to contain. He had anticipated Su Li to respond more remarkably and more potently.

But it had turned out to be… this?

If Su Li’s methods were limited to this, their esteemed families would undoubtedly achieve a great victory during this period! Lu Chengqing’s notion of public sentiment wasn’t that entirely complex what he referred to as public sentiment essentially boiled down to the people’s desire for a good life.

Out of all the factories in the world, how many could strictly adhere to Su Li’s decrees?

The Princess’s Manor might manage it, but how many workers could the Princess’s Manor accommodate?

The factories directly owned by the Five Surnames and Seven Clans accounted for over fifty percent of all factories in the Tang Dynasty. Furthermore, there were other clans with slightly lower standing but still closely associated with the Five Surnames and Seven Clans.

When they added it all up, it was another thirty percent. After Su Li’s decrees were issued, if more than eighty percent of the factories in the world secretly resisted, what could he do?

The common people had limited avenues to earn money. They must work in the factories to make money in their spare time.

The Five Surnames and Seven Clans might not openly violate the law, but if the workers willingly work overtime, they couldn’t do anything about it, could they?

People were willing to work more for the same pay. Were they supposed to pay extra money?

It was a situation where both sides consented, a classic case of the people not reporting and the officers not investigating. On the surface, they had a point!

As expected, the situation unfolded just as Lu Chengqing had predicted. After the decrees were issued, the major factories in Changan dutifully displayed the decrees in the most prominent locations. However, a peculiar phenomenon ensued.

Every night, the factories owned by the aristocratic families continued to reverberate with the hum of machinery. The overseers, visible everywhere during the day, were nowhere to be found at night. Yet, the workers quietly remained at their posts, with no one departing.

It wasn’t that they didn’t want to leave…

Indeed, in the initial days, some naive young workers did depart as soon as their work hours ended. However, within a few days, all of them were let go by the overseers. Throughout history, the people living on this land had gradually developed a survival instinct of enduring hardship.

They were well aware that Prince Yongle was acting for their benefit. But they needed to earn money, which meant they had to work in the factories.

Working in a factory might be exhausting, but it brought a steady monthly income. When calculated, it was much better than toiling in the fields throughout the year. Most of those who came to work in the factories had large families and limited land, and they didn’t want to waste their labor.

Working in the factories helped supplement their household income. They didn’t know what else they could do if they lost these jobs. The work might be demanding, but the money they earned was tangible. It was better than being cast out and continuing to idle with no prospects.

…

Inside the imperial palace, in the queen’s chamber. Li Er strolled in leisurely and saw Zhangsun Wu Fei sitting somewhat agitated at the desk.

“Shi Min, you’ve come?” Zhangsun Wu Fei put the paper in his hand, massaged his forehead, and forced a smile.

Observing Zhangsun Wu Fei’s troubled demeanor, Li Er couldn’t help but furrow his brow.

“What troubles you so much that you’re this anxious?”

With a bitter laugh, Zhangsun Wu Fei replied, “A few days ago, Changle asked me to help persuade our elder brother to make the Zhangsun family’s factories comply with Su Li’s laws, for example…”

“But today, our elder brother came to the palace to find me. He said that the Zhangsun family doesn’t need to worry, yet very few factories in Changan follow the law.”

Upon hearing this, Li Er couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Is this what’s bothering you?” Li Er asked with a smile.

“Su Li is working for the benefit of the people, but those influential families are secretly going against it, continuing to exploit the commoners. This matter is of great significance. Aren’t you worried at all, people?” Zhangsun Wu Fei asked incredulously.

Since Su Li attended the court session, Zhangsun Wu Fei had also taken his words to heart.

The Empress held sway over the world, and this matter was also related to her. After all, most workers in the new-style textile factories were women.

Zhangsun Wu Fei immediately ordered an investigation into all the textile factories. What they found was startling. The conditions in the textile factories were not much better than those in forging and steel mills.

The women workers in the textile factories worked for more than eight hours a day. Considering that women were naturally delicate, quite a few fell ill or even died from exhaustion during this period.

Zhangsun Wu Fei had originally thought that the situation would improve after Su Li’s laws were enacted. However, to her dismay, the influential families and clans still acted as they pleased. This state of affairs filled her with intense anger.

She hadn’t conducted further investigations into the textile factories but assumed the situation was similar. After her anger subsided, Zhangsun Wu Fei was overwhelmed with worry.

From Zhangsun Wu Fei’s account, she learned that the influential families, indeed, hadn’t violated the laws. The workers were working overtime voluntarily.

However, it was precisely this aspect that left her extremely agitated. It was a deadlock. The reason for the ineffectiveness of the policies was actually due to resistance from the beneficiaries themselves. Even with Zhangsun Wu Fei’s intelligence, she couldn’t understand how to deal with such a situation.

“Empress, haven’t you seen it yet? If not for the ability to seize opportunities and exploit loopholes, the influential families would have vanished long ago. This time, they’ll naturally resort to their old tricks,” said Li Er smilingly, speaking calmly and unhurriedly.

“But they’ve forgotten that Su Li isn’t like the enemies they’ve faced before. Su Li doesn’t need to care about what they say!”

Li Er’s gaze was complex as he spoke, revealing a touch of envy. Yes, at this moment, he was immensely envious of Su Li.

Su Li’s strength lay in the fact that he didn’t need to worry about anyone’s opinions or reactions. Facing off against the influential families was a mismatched game for them.

When all the power resided within oneself, the authority to upset the table at any time and place was gained. This power was something Li Er didn’t possess.

Not to mention just the Great Tang, throughout history spanning thousands of years, there had been only one person with this ability. And that person was Su Li!