I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 359 The Rice is Ripe

Chapter 359 The Rice is Ripe
Liu Miao's words made the blacksmith, who had spent his whole life forging iron, silently lower his head.

People are divided into different classes.

At least that's how this craftsman always thought.

The official must be the highest-ranking.

Then came the scholars.

Then came agriculture, industry, commerce...

And a "teacher," even if he is just a tutor who teaches children, is a remarkable person in the eyes of these craftsmen, a person with great ability.

Now that Emperor Liu Miao of the Han Dynasty has suddenly asked them to be his teachers, the old blacksmith felt no joy, only fear of being unworthy of the position.

However, since these old blacksmiths dared to "resign from their official positions" and find work outside, they were clearly not people who followed the rules.

He knew that if he missed this opportunity, he would never get another chance!

"If Your Majesty commands, I will gladly go through fire and water!"

When Liu Miao saw that the old craftsmen agreed, he laughed and said, "There's no need to go through fire and water. It's just a matter of training apprentices and doing some research. It's very easy!"

The old blacksmith looked puzzled, clearly not knowing what Liu Miao meant by "doing some research".

Liu Miao could only give the old blacksmith an example—

"It's like a knife. Why is a curved knife so much easier to use than a straight-bladed knife? And why does a knife harden after being quenched? That's all there is to it!"

What is the problem?
Isn't this something everyone already knows?

This is because...

The old blacksmith suddenly fell silent.

It wasn't until Liu Miao asked the question that the old blacksmith suddenly realized that even though he knew the specific steps, he really didn't understand why.

It's truly shameful to have spent a lifetime doing something and still not even grasp the basics!
This made the other person feel even more inferior.

He glanced sideways at Liu Miao, feeling a little guilty: "Can someone like me really be a teacher? I'm afraid it will attract criticism..."

Liu Miao laughed again.

The Hongdu Gate Academy, established by Emperor Ling of Han, was a place where students were truly destined for officialdom and competed for jobs with those recommended by aristocratic families as virtuous and talented individuals!
However, even now, no one under Liu Miao's command has ever had the slightest criticism of the Wenchangmen School in Xiangyang.

Firstly, the students there were really just craftsmen. After learning from the master craftsmen, they went straight to work instead of pursuing official careers and competing with scholars for jobs.

These artisans and scholars were not on the same track at all. As long as they posed no threat to the scholars, the scholars naturally had no reason to argue with them and would instead be more tolerant.

Secondly, it is different from the Hongdu School, which is a wealthy institution that supports a large number of scholars.

Artisan academies, exemplified by the Wenchangmen School, truly create value!
Today, the output value of Jingzhou's porcelain, textile, iron smelting, and fishing industries has reached an extremely alarming figure!

Not to mention the commercial tax revenue generated after the industry develops.

These now make up the bulk of the Han Dynasty's finances!
An institution and group that poses no threat to the scholar class, doesn't steal the jobs of bureaucrats, and can still create considerable value—it's practically a golden goose! How could anyone not like them?

at best,
It's just that some petty people in the academy make snide remarks, saying that nowadays any Tom, Dick, or Harry can be called a teacher. They think that the prestige of the title "teacher" has been diluted by these craftsmen, so they can't get any special privileges.

Liu Miao didn't care at all about people who couldn't cause any trouble!
At the same time, Liu Miao also made a promise to everyone—

"At that time, I will formally establish a system. As long as a craftsman improves his skills, he will receive a sum of money."

"Even if it doesn't reach a thousand gold pieces, it's at least a hundred."

The craftsmen's eyes reddened once again!

While Liu Miao's practice of distributing thousands of gold coins each time was commendable, it was not a formalized system and should only be considered an opportunity, not a pursuit.

But since the current emperor himself has admitted to wanting to establish a system, then it's obviously different!

In this way, craftsmen, especially those veteran craftsmen who have accumulated a wealth of experience, truly have something to look forward to!

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Faced with everyone's gratitude, Liu Miao smiled slightly.

Because spending money to develop technology is actually a last resort.

So-called technological progress is actually about saving manpower, thereby enabling greater production.

However, China faces a fatal obstacle in its technological advancement—

There are too many people!
If you don't do it, plenty of others will!
If ten people can't do this, then send a hundred! A thousand! Ten thousand! Emphasizing the power of numbers!

However, this leads to a ingrained mindset that as long as there are many people, things can definitely be accomplished when faced with difficulties. Instead of thinking about how to do the most with the least manpower, that is, developing skills.

It has a large population and abundant resources.

If all the trees in Guanzhong are cut down, then they should be brought in from the Central Plains or transported from Sichuan.

With so many people around, even if a few thousand or tens of thousands die, it's just a drop in the ocean. Why bother with all that technical stuff?

Therefore, while the sheer size of the human workforce may enable the creation of many miracles that transcend the technology of the time, it also means that rulers throughout history have not valued human resources. And as long as there is no real shortage of human resources, rulers will naturally not truly care for the common people, and thus will not drive technological innovation.

That's why Lao Tzu said: "A small country with few people makes the people value life and not migrate far away."

When there are too many people, they naturally become worthless. When there are too few people, they naturally become more precious.

But the good thing is...

Liu Miao believed that as long as this hurdle was overcome, the large population would not become a disadvantage, but rather an advantage that any other force would covet!

Because the world is still very big!

Not to mention that there are still many undeveloped areas in Jiangdong.

Southwestern Yi, Liaodong, south of Jiaozhi, west of the Western Regions...

These places will need to be explored and developed sooner or later.

Therefore, Liu Miao needed to continuously create demand, invest heavily in promoting technological development, and wait for the right time to make that crucial leap.

For example, during this trip to Yecheng, breakthroughs were made in technologies such as stirrups, saddles, and scimitars.

If Liu Miao had stubbornly insisted on recruiting more heavily armored cavalry, the only result would have been more ships transporting elephant hides and more craftsmen making armor, but it would have been impossible to produce stirrups, saddles, and scimitars suitable for mounted archers...

Therefore, demand is the prerequisite for everything. Without demand, even if Liu Miao were to create something extraordinary, it would be completely useless!
In particular, Liu Miao knew that with the promotion of double-cropping rice in the future, the income of the people of the Han Dynasty would experience a leap!
As income increases, demand will inevitably increase as well. After all, as our ancestors said: "Warmth makes you think of other things!"

When demand increases, production will inevitably fall into a predicament where demand exceeds supply!

This is when these artisans with a wealth of experience come into play.

With the accumulation of technology and Liu Miao's substantial investment, someone will eventually be able to see, summarize, and apply the underlying principles, thereby promoting the birth of new technologies that meet current needs.

Subsequently, the emergence of new technologies raised people's living standards, creating more demand, which in turn spurred the development of even newer technologies...

Therefore, Liu Miao had to build a solid foundation and overcome this initial hurdle no matter what. What followed was to allow it to continue its momentum, creating one miracle after another!

of course.

For now, it's best to enjoy music in the brothel! Why think about so many things?
Liu Miao and the group of craftsmen raised their glasses again, exchanging toasts and boasting wildly.

"Your Majesty, did you really create the waters of Kunyang?"

"I did exactly what Emperor Shizu did!"

"Good heavens! I heard that when Emperor Shizu threw his sword into the river, the water would boil! It scalded Wang Mang's rebel army, making them scream in agony! Will Your Majesty do the same thing now?"

"..."

When curfew arrived, Liu Miao, reeking of alcohol, emerged from the marketplace and rode his horse toward the palace.

However, when Liu Miao saw the person in front of the palace gate, he broke out in a cold sweat, and much of the wine in his stomach was swallowed up.

"Hehe, why isn't Master Zhang sleeping at this hour? Who is he waiting for at the palace gate?"

Liu Miao dismounted and, without hesitation, pushed Zhou Tai and Chen Wu forward: "Lord Zhang must have come to see them! Lord Zhang, if you're angry, take it out on them! I'm a little tired today from managing state affairs..."

Wearing a tall crown, a sash, and a crimson official robe, Zhang Zhao, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, was even more imposing at this moment!

He glared at Liu Miao: "You've been working so hard for the country, and now you're even working in the brothel?"

"No……"

Liu Miao wanted to remain stubborn, but the smell of alcohol on him was too strong, so he couldn't just lie through his teeth. He could only spread his hands and say, "It's not a big deal to treat someone to a drink after you've done a favor, is it?"

Zhang Zhao was furious when he saw Liu Miao still trying to argue!

"Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven! How can you ask for favors?"

"Zhang Gong is mistaken. I am the emperor because of the people. How can I not rely on the people to do things? Haha!"

Liu Miao, in a fawning manner, pulled Zhou Tai's cloak off and draped it over Zhang Zhao, even massaging Zhang Zhao's shoulders: "Lord Zhang, if you need anything, just call me! Why keep waiting here? What if you catch a chill from the wind? Don't you agree?"

Zhang Zhao said with a helpless expression, "Does Your Majesty think that this old minister is so frail?"

But considering Liu Miao's gesture of massaging his shoulders, Zhang Zhao sighed, "Your Majesty has been busy with important matters in Yecheng these past two days!"

"Oh? You knew?"

Liu Miao straightened his back instantly!

What I'm doing is important! Important!
In that case, even Zhang Zhao wouldn't dare to berate himself, right?

Zhang Zhao pulled something from his sleeve: "I have been waiting here to deliver this to Your Majesty!"

"What?"

Liu Miao curiously took the item, but couldn't understand what it was that could make Zhang Zhao go to such lengths.

Unwrapping the outer silk, the contents were revealed to Liu Miao.

A stalk of... rice?
Liu Miao was puzzled at first, but he quickly realized something!

"Is the rice ripe?"

Zhang Zhao's voice trembled slightly: "It's cooked!"

Although Liu Miao had anticipated this, he still held onto the rice stalk tightly.

"God bless the Han!"