The Tang Dynasty started from saving Empress Changsun

Chapter 421 Cultivate Consumers

Chen Jingke took Li Shimin and his party for a detailed tour of the factory area, and the one that shocked them the most was undoubtedly the loom factory.

The machines in other factories are only auxiliary functions, and the steam loom is the one that truly replaces labor and operates purely with machines.

Chen Jingke introduced: "The speed of these looms is ten times that of an expert weaver, and it can actually be fifteen times or more."

"It's just that these machines are the first batch, and there may be design flaws. For safety reasons, the speed is set at ten times."

"The academy has made targeted improvements based on the operation of these machines, and the speed of the next batch of machines can be increased to more than fifteen times."

Many people showed disapproval of this speed.

Only ten times the speed, the price of this machine is enough for them to hire ten weavers to do ten years of work for a lifetime.

Changsun Wuji glanced around, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and said: "People get tired, machines don't."

"So on the whole, the efficiency of this machine is tens or hundreds of times that of humans. Jing Ke, am I right?"

Chen Jingke said with a smile: "What Zhao Guogong said is true, this machine can keep running at ten times the speed for a whole day without interruption."

"People can't weave cloth for a day without stopping, and few can last an hour without rest."

Those who didn't think so showed expressions of sudden realization, and they no longer dared to underestimate him.

Sure enough, expensive is expensive for a reason.

Many people have already thought about whether to open such a factory at home.

Immediately, someone tentatively asked: "Master Chen, how much does such a loom cost?"

Chen Jingke did not answer directly, but said: "These are experimental looms, and the price will not be determined until new products come out next year."

"However, even if the new product is finalized, I'm afraid it will not be sold out for a long time... It's not that I don't want to sell it, but the production is limited."

"Now there is a shortage of everything, such as skilled craftsmen and steel... The looms produced in our factory are not enough for our own use."

Everyone showed disappointment. It was really uncomfortable to see a lot of money under their noses, but they couldn't earn it.

Li Shimin said from the side: "It's not right for you to do this. I remember you often said that eating alone will not end well. How can you keep all such good machines for your own use?"

Chen Jingke smiled wryly: "It's not that I eat alone, it's that the output is limited... This weaving factory is not opened by me, but by Loudaoguan. I didn't make any money."

"It's just that everyone knows about the relationship between us and the Taoist Temple. There is really no way to get past them and sell the machine to outsiders."

Li Shimin said: "Well, didn't you say that there is a shortage of craftsmen and steel. You are allowed to go to the Ministry of Industry and the general supervisor to select a hundred craftsmen, and I will ask the Ministry of Industry to provide you with a batch of steel."

"When the steam engine and loom are produced, you will keep [-]% for your own use and [-]% for sale."

Chen Jingke hesitated for a moment and said, "[-]% is too little, how about [-]%?"

Li Shimin said without doubt: "Sanqi, if you don't agree, then forget it."

Chen Jingke said sullenly: "Hey, you can't take away the right to bargain because you are a saint."

Li Shimin glared at him and said, "What did you say?"

Chen Jingke shrank his neck and said quickly: "It's nothing, I agree, the saint is really wise and powerful."

Everyone smiled, but at the same time they couldn't help but feel that Chen Zhenren was really favored.

After making a small joke, Chen Jingke said seriously: "The machine needs people to operate it, and it also needs people to maintain it. We can help with training on these."

"But there is a condition. All people who buy the machine must abide by the manual. If anyone violates the regulations in the manual, we have the right to take back the machine."

Everyone couldn't help frowning. Although they hadn't read the specific employment manual, they had seen the treatment of these workers.

There is a minimum salary limit, a four-hour working system, and weekends and holidays are required for national statutory holidays.

It is also possible to work overtime, but the overtime pay is three times the salary.

In addition, there is a weekly overtime limit, which cannot exceed seven hours at most.

If you are injured during work, the factory will be responsible for the treatment, compensation and so on.

Coupled with some miscellaneous terms, it is simply not too generous.

This is not hiring any workers to work, it is simply hiring an uncle.

Immediately, someone raised doubts.

Chen Jingke knew this would happen a long time ago, and said: "You are all successful and famous people. If you open a factory just for money, it will be too inferior."

"As the saying goes, if you are poor, you will be good for yourself, and if you are rich, you will benefit the world... Let me say something arrogant. When we are in our position, what we should pursue is to help the world and the people, and to be famous before and after our lives."

"By enslaving and exploiting workers to obtain more money, but being stabbed in the back by everyone, it is recorded in the history books as rich and unkind."

"Open a factory to benefit the people, change the fate of hundreds or even thousands of poor families, and become a well-known benevolent person. Which of these two options do you want?"

Many people expressed thoughtfulness, but more people still didn't take it seriously.

Chen Jingke also saw their thoughts, and said instead: "Then, have you ever thought about who the products produced by the factory are sold to?"

"The self-sufficient people in the countryside? They can't even guarantee food and clothing. How could they buy these commodities? Sell them to people in the city? How much can they digest?"

"So we have to make some people rich, and then sell the goods to these rich people."

"Workers get a good salary, what will they do with the money in their pockets? Digging holes to sell the money?"

"No, they're going to find ways to change their lives and they're going to buy all kinds of stuff."

"In this way, the money will return to your pockets after a round, and it will also earn you a good reputation."

"During this process, the imperial court can also receive taxes... It can be said that this is a win-win situation."

Many people were even more confused by his explanation.

Wouldn't it be enough to just offer a low salary and put all the money in your own pocket?Why do you go around like this?

Li Shimin often chatted with Chen Jingke, and he was the first to react, and praised: "Okay, Jingke's method is very good, and the employment manual you edited should be promoted to the world."

"When I go back, I will ask the queen to implement this method in all the royal workshops, and I will spread this method to the world in the future."

Chen Jingke said from the bottom of his heart: "Your Majesty is wise."

The others opened their mouths when they saw the emperor, so they couldn't say anything more.

At present, the largest commercial groups in Datang are the royal workshops controlled by the empress, with tens of thousands of people working here.

If the Royal Workshop uses the "Employment Manual", the influence will be too great, and it will indeed be able to form a rule system throughout the country.

What's more, even the Queen's workshop uses this manual. Do others dare to follow suit?

Coming out of the factory, everyone boarded the train again to complete the last section.

The last section is about five miles from the factory to the Water Transport Wharf.

Usually, the factory purchases raw materials and sells goods out, all of which come from this pier.

When the train was halfway, it happened to see a convoy of cattle and horses transporting goods.

The line was very long, more than a mile long.

Chen Jingke said: "These people are poor people around them, and they survive by transporting goods to factories."

Li Shimin nodded, and thoughtfully said: "Having a train is probably a disaster for them, right?"

Chen Jingke said with a heavy tone, "Yes, these porters make a living by helping factories transport goods. With trains, they will lose their jobs."

"In fact, it's not just them. When trains are built all over the world, porters who rely on freight for a living will probably lose their jobs."

Li Shimin was stunned, he really hadn't considered this question.But the matter was not complicated, he could understand what Chen Jingke said with just a little thought.

Yes, what about these porters?
Thinking of this, his mood suddenly became heavy, and he said: "You asked this question well, the court must make preparations in advance, otherwise there will be big troubles."

Chen Jingke also said cautiously: "The best way is to open more factories and provide new jobs for these people. In this way, it will not only solve the survival problem of these people, but also benefit the world."

"Our factory is about to expand. Some of these porters will be recruited, and the rest will be able to work as coolies loading and unloading goods at the dock."

"And once the railway station is built, a small town will be formed here. When there are more people, various needs will arise, and people will come to open various shops."

"It won't be long before a commercial town will be formed here to support more people."

Li Shimin can understand this point. A Grand Canal has nurtured several large cities, and countless people have benefited from it. The railway station must have a similar effect.

"So the opening of the train will cause some people to lose their jobs, but it will create more job opportunities."

"The difference lies in how the imperial court arranges these new job opportunities to benefit more people."

Li Shimin nodded and said, "Go back and write a memorial for me."

Chen Jingke said: "Here."

This incident also made Li Shimin wake up from the excitement brought by the train and began to think more.

He knew very well what the people would do if the court made it impossible for the people to survive.

Although it is now an agricultural society, most people are tied to the land.

But there are many people without land, and there are not a few people who live by doing business, goods, and coolies.

For example, for the hundreds of thousands of water workers, water transport is the most affected by train traffic.

Those water workers must settle down, otherwise they will be in great trouble.

No railways?

Impossible, he knew how much the train helped Datang, so he couldn't give up eating because of choking.

Then we can only find a way to accommodate those who lost their jobs because of the train.

And we can't wait until the train is repaired before starting to resettle. By then, it will be too late for everything, and we must make preparations in advance.

When the train arrived at its destination, Li Shimin got down and turned around, and found that the prototype of a town already existed here.

Tea shops, restaurants, inns, all kinds of snacks and other items are available.

Soon he noticed the abnormality, and said: "The order here is in order, who made the plan? Who is usually in charge?"

Chen Jingke said: "I did the planning, and the management is the local stingy man, but the academy and the factory area have sent people to assist in the management."

Li Shimin nodded slightly. This stingy man was probably a puppet, but Chen Jingke didn't directly send his own people to manage it. Instead, he found a court official as a puppet, at least respecting the court in face.

He has decided to bring some officials over later, not only to supervise the factory, but also to let these people learn how to manage a new thing like a railway station.

After turning around, he took people on the return journey.

This time the train did not stop along the way, and drove all the way to Yanping Gate.

To Chen Jingke's surprise, there were tens of thousands of people guarding here, and they cheered loudly when the train returned.

Obviously, curiosity about new things made many people choose to wait for the train to return.

The matter of the train has already spread throughout the capital, becoming the hottest topic at the moment.Wherever there are crowds, someone is sure to be talking about it.

It's just that most people don't know much about the train, why it runs, let alone what it will bring.

Why Many people don't know the name of the train, but they call it the Iron Bull, but this does not affect everyone's enthusiasm in the slightest.

The same rice feeds all kinds of people. Some people think that trains are good, while others think that they are not.

There are many reasons for people who think it is bad, one of which is to affect Feng Shui.

Moreover, the train ran loudly and made a huge vibration, which would shake the fate of the country.

Although there are not many people who hold this idea, since it is not a trivial matter when it is related to feng shui and luck, someone stabbed it into the court.

Most people in the court were surprised by this. It is not surprising that there are such rumors among the people. What is strange is that some people dare to bring this rumor to the court.

Do you doubt Zixiao Temple's status as a Taoist holy place, or do you doubt Sun Yisheng's status as a living god?

Moreover, the emperor personally commanded ministers of civil and military affairs and celebrities to take the train in person. Isn't it obvious enough what this means?
You are objecting under the guise of Feng Shui at this time, because the real old birthday star eats arsenic and is impatient to live.

Li Shimin also admired such a daring courtier very much, and praised him severely.

And think that such capable officials should be reused. It just so happens that the imperial court is going to develop Lingnan in the next step, so you can go there to make contributions.

So no one dared to talk about Feng Shui luck anymore.

But since someone put forward this statement, the court had to give an explanation, and Taishi Ling Li Chunfeng was pulled out to make some calculations.

The result is naturally that the train is a miracle that benefits Datang, and it will only increase luck.

And Taoism also mobilized collectively, advocating that trains are auspicious rather than scourges.

After a bit of manipulation, the matter passed like this, and the train was officially accepted by everyone.

Every day, many people stand by the railway to watch the train.

Even for a long time in the future, going to the west of the city to watch the train will be a scene of Chang'an.

As Chen Jingke said, the train brought unprecedented spiritual impact to the people of Datang.

Gewuxue has never been taken seriously at first, and one sentence has become the most profound and mysterious knowledge.

Studying in the academy has become a place that many people yearn for.

(End of this chapter)