Hu Changan walked a few more steps along the path.
Without the obstruction of the stove, a brain-congesting scene suddenly came into view.
I saw a few craftsmen sitting together, playing mahjong in full swing!
Compared to the blacksmithing scene just now, this place is obviously much more lively.
There are people playing cards, people placing bets, and people watching. It’s almost like a casino.
Seeing this, Manager Jiang shouted angrily: "You all get up and work! Today the Minister of the Ministry of Works came with the newly promoted Minister of the Ministry of Works for an inspection! Are you embarrassed?"
The craftsmen were obviously shocked by the loud shout, and they all turned to look at Manager Jiang.
However, after a moment of silence, these craftsmen started bustling again.
"Manager Jiang, have you eaten gunpowder today? Are you so angry? Aren't the brothers here playing mahjong all the time? It's not like you don't know."
"It's not like we haven't worked. We've shot sixty knives this month, so why don't we just do it honestly?"
Some shameless craftsmen even whistled at Hu Changan.
"You're quite young, the newly appointed Minister of Works? Come on, do you want to come with us for a few laps?"
When Manager Jiang saw how carefree these craftsmen were, his face turned red with anger: "You really can't control them! It's so shameful! I, the manager, am so disgraceful!"
Even Xue Xiang, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, looked embarrassed: "Shilang Hu, just pretend you didn't see this. This is already an old problem of our Ministry of Industry, and it won't be solved for a while."
However, Hu Changan didn't think so.
The decline in the quality of official workshops in the Ming Dynasty was a major event related to the national destiny of the Ming Dynasty!
Historically, government-run handicrafts have always occupied a mainstream position.
After all, they are directly operated by the government and can use state power to recruit the best craftsmen without having to worry about costs.
Use whatever material is good.
Use it boldly, no restrictions!
Therefore, in the early years of Hongwu, the quality of products produced by government-run workshops far exceeded that of private workshops.
However, in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, this situation reversed.
Since the government-run handicraft industry is under the jurisdiction of the government, there are no effective incentives, and the enthusiasm of craftsmen continues to decrease.
Moreover, since the government-run handicraft industry is not connected with the market, it has no motivation for development. It will always produce according to the ancestral system and there will be no progress.
Over time, the government-run handicraft industry was overtaken by the private handicraft industry.
This brought two major disasters to the Ming Dynasty.
First, smuggling at sea is rampant.
After all, formal trade can only purchase things produced by the government from the Shipping Department.
These things are expensive and bad, so foreign traders are naturally tempted to buy things from private workshops.
The products produced by these private workshops are not only high-quality and low-priced, but also tax-free, which is perfect.
Therefore, maritime smuggling became more and more rampant and gradually became a major scourge of the Ming Dynasty.
Second, the military weapons are outdated.
Those silk fabrics and porcelain are not a big problem. After all, even if the things produced by the government-run workshops are not good, they can still be used.
But the weapons are so sloppy!
In the early Ming Dynasty, China's weapons were still at the forefront of the world.
However, with the decline of the government-run handicraft industry, the Ming Dynasty's weapons have remained the same for hundreds of years, with no progress at all.
Even due to the negligence of the craftsmen, the quality of the weapons is getting worse and worse!
It is said that soldiers preferred to use the blunderbuss (a type of rifle) produced in the early Ming Dynasty, but did not like to use the blunderbuss produced in the middle Ming Dynasty.
The reason is none other than quality.
Bird guns produced in the mid-Ming Dynasty not only often jammed, but also exploded from time to time, endangering the lives of officers and soldiers.
Since the weapons are so stretched, it is normal for the Chinese people in the late Ming Dynasty to be unable to defeat the cavalry of the Qing Dynasty.
Hu Changan never expected that crotch pulling would already appear in government-run workshops during the Hongwu period!
This is still a workshop under the Ministry of Industry, but the atmosphere is already so lax!
Hu Changan didn't dare to think about what the workshops in other prefectures and counties were like.
No, we must take precautions to prevent the government-run workshops from continuing to decline!
However, Hu Changan currently does not have the authority to handle this matter, so he can only use inducements first.
Hu Changan frowned, strode towards the craftsmen, and overturned the mahjong table with a bang!
Suddenly, all the craftsmen froze on the spot.
They never expected that the young minister who had just taken office would have such courage and would directly give them a blow?!
However, these craftsmen did not dare to show Hu Changan any shame.
After all, Hu Changan was still an official of the imperial court.
In the Ming Dynasty, beating a court official was a serious crime!
They don't have to commit crimes just for something as big as sesame seeds and mung beans.
Some grumpy craftsmen just snorted from their noses and stood there with their arms folded.
Seeing this, Xue Xiang felt relieved.
Oh, he has been dissatisfied with these free and undisciplined workers for a long time, and now someone finally takes justice for God!
However, Xue Xiang does not have much hope for the next situation.
After all, these craftsmen are all experienced!
Lifting the table is fine, but you want them to do the work?
I’m afraid it’s unlikely!
Sure enough, these craftsmen watched the table being lifted, and each of them still folded their arms and remained indifferent, with no intention of getting up to work at all.
The atmosphere became tense for a while.
But Hu Changan smiled slightly and said generously: "Everyone, I wonder how much your monthly salary is?"
The craftsmen were silent.
In the end, it was Manager Jiang who took over Hu Changan's words: "Servant Hu, the monthly salary of these craftsmen is one tael of silver per month."
Hu Changan nodded.
Sure enough, Zhu Yuanzhang was quite generous to the working people.
This monthly salary is much higher than that of craftsmen in private workshops in Yingtian City.
Hu Changan smiled slightly and said, "Do you want to make some extra money?"
"As long as you make an extra knife, I will give you an extra 250 copper coins!"
What?
Everyone's breathing couldn't help but become rapid.
As long as you make four knives a month, you can earn an extra month's wages!
Just when everyone was excited, Xue Xiang pulled Hu Changan over and whispered: "Shilang Hu, you can't do this!"
"I know you want to do good for the Ministry of Industry, but how can you throw money around like this?"
"In my opinion, it's better to keep it as is!"
"Anyway, with sixty knives a month, I can barely keep up with the job, so please stop meddling in my own business!"
"I know the Hu family has a lot of money, but this is not the way to use it!"
After hearing this, Hu Changan just smiled slightly and replied to Xue Xiang: "It's okay, I spent the money happily."
"Anyway, if you have a lot of money, it's okay to just leave it. It's better to use it to do something practical."
"And now the production of Hu's soap has increased again, and the monthly income is more than 20,000 taels!"