Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 210 Hai Rui's Astonishment? The Ingenious Weaving Machine Has Miraculous Effects!

The back hall of the Nanjing Governor's Office was closed today, with all the clerks and servants having left.

Only a few people dressed in red and purple official robes remained, staring intently at the machine covered with a red cloth in front of them, their expressions complicated.

Yin Zhengmao's expression was rather unpleasant. He turned to look at the Jinyiwei official beside him, exhaled heavily, and said...

"Zhang Qianshi, as you instructed, all irrelevant people have been eliminated, and the transport has been kept discreet. Can you now present this item for your inspection?"

The one escorting the "Tiangong Textile Machine" was none other than Zhang Yunxiu's good fourth brother, Zhang Jianxiu, the Vice Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

He crossed his arms and looked at the people present. Apart from Yin Zhengmao and Hai Rui, there were only the two weavers he had brought with him.

Previously, weavers were mostly women, but in order to facilitate their travel to Southern Zhili, Zhang Yunxiu specially selected two skilled male weavers from Ruijin Silk Shop to provide "technical support" to the Jiangnan Textile Bureau.

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Jianxiu continued to emphasize.

"My lords, please remember that the news of the looms on the cargo ship must never be spread. This matter is of great importance. If word gets out, His Majesty will punish us all."

Hai Rui was getting impatient: "If it's good, then it's good. You can tell how good your loom is just by looking at it. Why are you dragging your feet like this?"

"Hey~ Hai Xiantai, don't be impatient~"

Zhang Jianxiu looked quite content, though it's unclear where he picked up this bad habit.

"This ingenious textile machine is extremely wondrous; how could it be shown to others so easily?"

"The disaster in Jiangnan is extremely urgent. If we delay even a moment, people will be displaced and lose their livelihoods. Yet you are still here dodging the issue!" Hai Rui shouted angrily.

Zhang Jianxiu didn't respond. Who could out-argue Hai Rui?

"That's all."

He sighed helplessly and looked at the two weavers.

"In that case, you two should demonstrate for the adults."

The two weavers looked rather uneasy. Seeing that Zhang Jianxiu had finally given the order, they carefully lifted the red cloth and then sat on the two machines to carry out the process.

The cotton wadding and other materials had already been prepared.

Yin Zhengmao couldn't help but feel puzzled upon seeing this.

"These two machines are different in appearance. Are they both the Tiangong Textile Machine?"

He looked at the machines on the left and right. He couldn't see the other details clearly, but the one that stood out was the one on the left. It was more refined and had a more complex structure. Many of its components were even made of fine iron, and it was equipped with a large wheel and a handle.

Before Zhang Jianxiu could answer, Hai Rui spoke first.

"It must be this one."

He pointed to a textile machine on the left.

"This is probably the Tiangong Textile Machine. Look at its strange design; the arrangement and composition of the spindles are very different from previous machines. The most crucial point is that it actually has ten spindles. Can this machine really operate?"

Upon seeing the machine, Hai Rui's anger dissipated. He was an expert in agriculture and could tell at a glance that the machine was quite sophisticated.

Zhang Jianxiu didn't answer. He moved a chair over and, imitating his younger brother's nonchalant manner, started cracking sunflower seeds.

Yin Zhengmao looked at Hai Rui with some confusion and said in surprise.

"Ruxian actually knows about textiles?"

Hai Rui replied casually, "Back in my hometown of Qiongzhou, I helped my elderly mother and wife repair looms and worked in agriculture, so I naturally have some understanding of it."

When it comes to understanding the lives of ordinary people, ten Yin Zhengmao's couldn't compare to one Hai Rui's.

Yin Zhengmao became increasingly curious, and he stepped forward to ask the weaver at the Tiangong Textile Machine, "May I ask how much this machine can produce?"

Just as the weaver was about to begin work, he saw the high-ranking official in scarlet robes asking a question, and he shrank back, answering timidly.

"It depends on the skill level. If someone is skilled, spinning seventy or eighty catties a day is not a problem."

He was rather embarrassed.

"My skills are a bit lacking; I can only spin about sixty catties a day."

He spoke very humbly, but Hai Rui didn't see it that way at all. He glared at him and said...

“This is absolutely impossible! I live in the countryside, farming and weaving, and I often see villagers raising silkworms and weaving cloth.”

Even the most skilled craftsman could not possibly eat sixty catties a day!

Needless to say, sixty pounds, even five or six pounds would be considered extremely heavy!

Seeing that Hai Rui was somewhat out of control, Zhang Jianxiu slowly began to explain.

"Hai Xiantai, please calm down. Didn't Shiyuan say that the efficiency of this machine far surpasses that of previous textile machines, reaching more than ten times the efficiency? Doesn't that match up?"

He pointed to two weavers.

"In this demonstration, one person used a Tiangong spinning machine and the other used an ordinary spinning machine. The two had similar skills, and the difference would be clear after an hour of spinning."

Please watch patiently, sir.

"You have never worked in the cotton and mulberry industry, how could you possibly know the hardships involved!"

Hai Rui was furious. He had witnessed too much hardship among the people, which was why he was so agitated.

"Do you know that farmers have to set out into the cotton and mulberry fields before dawn, and men plow and women weave for a year to earn some money to make a living?"

Even so, the yamen runners were still as fierce as wolves and tigers, and the people suffered from hunger and thirst, yet it was still difficult to fill the government's coffers!

The year has passed by in a flash.
If such an output truly exists... if such an output truly exists...

Hai Rui could no longer imagine what that scene would have been like.

"No one in the world will freeze to death."

Yin Zhengmao focused his attention and added a sentence.

He then squinted and focused his gaze on the loom that had come into operation. He saw the weaver grasp the wooden handle and gently press down.

The ten spindles then emitted a buzzing sound, and the spindles spun rapidly on the wooden rods, drawing out the loose cotton fibers into fine yarn like spider silk!

For a moment, cotton wool floated in the air, making it a bit pungent.

Zhang Jianxiu had already hidden far away, but Yin Zhengmao and Hai Rui didn't care at all. They kept a close eye on the weaver's movements, afraid that there might be the slightest mistake.

After half an hour, the weavers would take a break as usual.

Seeing the two still standing there, Zhang Jianxiu couldn't help but call out, "Gentlemen, would you like to come and rest?"

However, Yin Zhengmao and Hai Rui ignored them and took advantage of the moment when the loom stopped to immediately go forward and check.

"There's a smell of kerosene. Did Zhang Shiyuan use gunpowder?" Hai Rui sniffed at the mechanical connection point, frowning deeply.

“Perhaps it’s machine oil,” Yin Zhengmao explained succinctly. “I saw it in the newspaper. This oil is extracted from lacquer and has lubricating, insect-repellent, and anti-corrosion properties. I suppose it’s used to maintain this kind of machinery.”

"This thing can actually work?" Hai Rui looked at it again and again, feeling that his understanding had been shaken.

After a long while, seeing the two gentlemen, she seemed somewhat reluctant to part with them.

The weaver, who had finished resting to the side, couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed and spoke cautiously.

"My lords, shall I continue with the work?"

The two then came to their senses. Yin Zhengmao quickly stood up, gave an awkward smile, and said, "Please continue, sir."

He cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, showing no sign of looking down on him.

The weaver was a little flustered, but became calm once she sat down at the loom.

At the same time, the ordinary loom on the other side also started up.

"Clang clang"

"Clang clang"

The sounds continued unabated. The weavers were clearly used to their daily work, and an hour was nothing to them. However, the expressions of the two local officials standing beside them grew increasingly solemn.

It wasn't very obvious before, but now, the two of them could clearly see that the output of the Tiangong textile machine in the basket at the weaver's feet was significantly higher!

Although they couldn't tell the exact weight with the naked eye, the two already had the answer in their hearts.

Hai Rui was truly awestruck by the ever-growing pile of cotton fibers beneath the Tiangong Textile Machine.

His voice grew increasingly low as he asked Yin Zhengmao beside him.

"Governor Yin, you often read that Wanli Newspaper, do you know what kind of impact this machine would have on the people of Jiangnan if it could be popularized?"

Yin Zhengmao paused for a moment, then thought it over carefully and said...

"Clothing, food, housing and transportation are the foundation of people's lives. Clothing is the most important. People need clothes to cover their bodies and cotton clothes to keep warm in cold weather."

Since ancient times, cotton cloth and silk have been rare and precious items, comparable to silver and gold.

Winters in the Jiangnan region are mild, but how many places in China are actually like Jiangnan?

Every winter, enduring hunger is one hurdle, but the freezing cold is another.

If this method could benefit the whole world, countless ordinary people would benefit!

Hai Rui then asked with a question: "However, if grain prices are low, farmers will suffer. According to that economic method, wouldn't the market price of cotton and silk plummet?"

"This"

This does touch upon Yin Zhengmao's area of ​​ignorance, since he has only studied a very basic aspect of economics.

Zhang Jianxiu had overheard their conversation and found it rather amusing.

"Extremely naive! Low grain prices hurt farmers, but that's a problem of grain circulation. Local grain surpluses naturally lead to low prices."

However, if the surplus grain and cotton were sold via canal and sea transport, the problem could be greatly alleviated.

He spat out a few sunflower seed shells.

"Overall, the price of cotton silk will naturally decrease, but ordinary people in the textile industry will benefit, as they will be able to afford more cotton silk and cotton fabric. At the same time, small workshops involved in textile production will also benefit!"

Economics itself isn't scary; the most important thing is to have proper guidance.

After giving the two local officials a lecture, Zhang Jianxiu felt very pleased.

Yin Zhengmao and Hai Rui exchanged glances, but no longer showed any contempt, carefully pondering these words in their hearts.

Soon, an hour passed, and the moment the looms stopped simultaneously, everyone's eyes turned to the basket.

The mountain of cotton fibers piled up in the baskets of the Tiangong textile machine had practically sealed the deal, leaving the outcome of the competition without any suspense.

But the group still brought out a steelyard and weighed each basket on it.

Everyone needs a clear answer.

The weavers carefully hung the baskets on the steelyard, and soon the answer was found.

"Reporting to the three gentlemen, the textile machine produces one pound and two ounces of cotton thread."

The weaver was operating an ordinary spinning machine; there wasn't much cotton in the basket.

“That’s already quite good,” Hai Rui nodded and said. “Such skill surpasses that of most farmers.”

Based on his experience, the weaver in front of him was not cheating or shirking his duties; on the contrary, he worked very hard and, with his superb skills, spun twice as much silk thread as ordinary people.

"Reporting to the three lords, I use the Heavenly Craftsmanship Spinning Machine to spin nine catties and eight taels of silk in one hour."

Holding the basket of the Tiangong weaving machine, the weaver looked rather ashamed, scratching his head as he spoke.

"Please forgive me, gentlemen, I am not feeling well and my skills have become a bit rusty."

(End of this chapter)