The imperial cause at the end of the Han Dynasty was not one of partial peace.

Chapter 90 Recruiting Generals and Guests, Developing State-Run Handicraft Industries

With the establishment of the system of tax supervisors and salt and wine officials, merchants flocked to Changsha Prefecture, and all industries gradually prospered.

Sails dotted the Xiang River, and the markets on both the east and west sides were bustling with activity, a scene of vibrant life before the chaos of war.

However, commerce was considered the lowest of the four professions, and Liu Bei was most concerned with industry.

In feudal times, the world was in a terrible state, and it was actually the powerful landlords and tyrants, who were unambitious, greedy, and cruel, who represented the direction of advanced productive forces.

Since they were incompetent, Liu Bei decided to cultivate a class that truly represented advanced productive forces.

And what can represent advanced productive forces is naturally handicrafts.

After all, workers and peasants have power.

Even handicrafts still fall under the category of industry.

Moreover, the role of the spinning jenny in the so-called Industrial Revolution may not have been as significant as later generations have exaggerated.

During the First Industrial Revolution, what truly propelled productivity forward was not necessarily the so-called large machinery of the time.

Rather, it was an adjustment of the time concept and advanced production relations that emerged at that time.

Liu Bei felt that he had everything he needed.

If farmers' lax and lazy work habits can be changed and they can be trained into meticulous, time-conscious artisans who are paid by piecework, then the productivity of the Central Plains will inevitably increase significantly.

Even without the explosive growth of the Industrial Revolution, with just 500,000 hardworking and meticulous workers, the wealth of the Central Plains would far surpass that of previous generations.

If there were five million such meticulous assembly line workers who strictly followed the rules and regulations, and did not urinate or defecate anywhere near the assembly line or challenge production bans in a free and undisciplined manner, the resulting production capacity would be enough to make the world rich!

Although all of this may seem like the most basic requirements in the eyes of later generations, it may be surprising to the average person that such a requirement of not urinating or defecating on the assembly line and strictly adhering to uniform standards was only achieved after China's accession to the WTO and after several or even more than a decade of rectification, which transformed the vast human resources into a human advantage!

In Liu Bei's plan, the one who could take on this important task of transforming the farmers, who had been accustomed to a free and easy lifestyle for many years, into meticulous craftspeople was none other than Zhen Shi.

The Han dynasty inherited the legacy of the Warring States period, and its people were mostly cunning and unruly, with a long-standing tradition of boldness and unrestrainedness. Getting them to sit obediently beside the production machinery and strictly adhere to working hours and regulations was no easy task.

So after planning the industrial and commercial tax laws, Liu Bei took Zhao Yun and several personal guards and traveled lightly to the Zhen family residence in the east of Linxiang City.

According to the Han Dynasty system, the specifications of gates and the height of buildings were fixed, and violating the regulations was considered usurpation.

Although the Zhen family is one of the wealthiest families in Zhongshan, with assets worth hundreds of millions, their residence is far from being worthy of being called a "mansion".

Especially since the family moved south last year to separate their households, no one in the clan has yet worn an official seal of the imperial court, so only a wooden plaque reading "Zhen Residence" hangs in front of the gate.

Even the stone beasts in front of the gate and the cinnabar in front of the steps were all in accordance with the regulations for commoners, and no one dared to overstep them in the slightest.

Zhen Yuan, a cousin of Zhen Yao, was recently appointed by Liu Bei as the Salt Supervisor under the Salt and Wine Commissioner, with a rank of 300 shi (a unit of dry measure), in charge of the boiling and drying of salt fields in the lower reaches of the Xiang River. This is considered the first prefectural official position held by the Zhen family since their southward migration.

When Liu Bei arrived at the gate, Zhen Yao had already received the news and was waiting respectfully at the gate with several members of his clan.

Zhen Yao had not yet come of age, and according to ancient etiquette, he could not consider himself an adult. Therefore, he simply tied his hair into a bun on top of his head and bound it with a blue scarf, and wore a dark black robe.

Having experienced the setbacks of the southward migration, he, though young, already possessed a certain composure in his demeanor.

"Brother-in-law!" Zhen Yao stepped forward and bowed.

Liu Bei stepped down from the carriage, helped Zhen Yao up with both hands, and said gently, "A Yao, you've gotten even thinner. I've been busy with government affairs these past few months and haven't been able to visit you often. I hope you won't mind."

He then turned and instructed Zhao Yun to unload several boxes of medicinal herbs and a jar of honey from the carriage, saying, "I heard that the old lady is still ill, so I prepared some medicinal herbs as a token of my concern."

Zhen Yao quickly thanked him and welcomed Liu Bei into his home.

Although the Zhen family mansion could not be called a mansion in terms of scale, it was built in an extremely grand manner. This was also the norm at the time; merchant families had mansions standing side by side, with carriages and horses filling the alleys, their wealth rivaling that of kings and nobles.

The courtyard has three sections, with blue bricks and gray tiles. Several newly transplanted orange trees are planted in the courtyard, their branches and leaves still somewhat withered, clearly not yet adapted to the soil and water of Jingnan.

Dozens of unopened wooden crates, containing clan books and ancestral artifacts transported from Zhongshan, are still piled up under the eaves. They have not yet been sorted and put away.

Seeing the chests and boxes piled up in the corridor, Liu Bei couldn't help but sigh. The southward migration was no easy feat; they had trekked over two thousand li, and more than a hundred of the old, weak, sick, and dying had perished, along with over a thousand cattle and horses.

Although they have been in Changsha for several months now, they are still in a state of disarray and instability.

Zhen Yao led Liu Bei through the front yard and stopped in front of the inner hall. He said softly, "Brother-in-law, Mother is in the inner room."

Liu Bei straightened his clothes and followed Zhen Yao into the inner room.

The room was dimly lit, and a bronze Boshan incense burner sat beside the couch, burning mugwort and atractylodes, with wisps of smoke rising into the air.

Madam Zhen leaned against the couch, her face even thinner than when she went south. Her complexion was pale, her cheekbones were slightly prominent, and only her eyes still retained a bit of their former sparkle.

Zhen Jiang was by her side, holding a bowl of medicine and feeding her mother spoonful by spoonful.

"Mother, your brother-in-law has come to see you," Zhen Yao said softly as she stepped forward.

The old lady slowly opened her eyes and, seeing that it was Liu Bei himself, struggled to get up and pay her respects.

Liu Bei quickly stepped forward, gently pressed her shoulder, and said softly, "Mother, please don't move. You are the elder, and I am the son-in-law. How can an elder bow to a junior?"

According to the etiquette of the Han Dynasty, a son-in-law would call his wife's mother "waigu" or "mu". Liu Bei's way of addressing her was not only in accordance with ancient etiquette, but also showed his closeness to her.

The old lady coughed twice, her voice weak: "Your Excellency is busy with official duties, why bother to come and see this old woman in person—"

"Mother, just call me Xuande." Liu Bei sat down on the mat beside the couch, his tone earnest. "Mother's illness this time is entirely because of me. If I hadn't strongly urged Zhen Shi to move south, Mother wouldn't have had to travel two thousand miles. This journey, enduring wind and rain, sleeping in the open, and the arduous travel, would be difficult even for a strong man, let alone someone of Mother's age—"

The haggard old woman in front of me had been enjoying her old age in Zhongshan. The Zhen family's fortified village was sturdy, with many guests and a life of luxury. She had never suffered such hardship.

It was he who, with his grand ambition of "moving the gentry south and developing Jiangnan," persuaded the Zhen family to move south and divide their property.

It was he who solemnly promised that "Changsha has thousands of acres of fertile land, no less than the old land of Zhongshan."

The old lady waved her hand and said slowly, "Master—Xuande, there's no need to blame yourself. This matter was decided by the entire Zhen clan; it's not your fault alone. Besides, if we hadn't gone south, wouldn't my daughter have been separated from you by the north and south, unable to see you for years?"

She looked at Zhen Jiang beside the bed, her eyes filled with affection: "Since Jiang'er married you, every letter she wrote has described how harmonious and loving the couple are. Over the years, she has been my biggest worry. Now that I can be by her side, even if I die, I can die in peace."

Upon hearing this, Zhen Jiang's eyes immediately reddened. She put down the medicine bowl, grasped her mother's hand, and choked out, "Mother, please don't say such ominous things. You've only caught a cold on the road; you'll be fine after some rest."

Liu Bei also straightened his clothes and said solemnly, "Mother, please don't worry. I have already sent someone with a visiting card to invite a famous doctor from Jingzhou to examine your pulse. He will surely cure your illness."

The old lady nodded slightly, thanked her, and then closed her eyes, as if those few words had exhausted her strength.

Zhen Jiang gestured to everyone not to disturb them any further, and Liu Bei then got up to take his leave, exiting the inner room with Zhen Yao.

The two walked through the corridor and arrived at the main hall.

Zhen Yao invited Liu Bei to take the seat of honor, and then sat down at the opposite table. A maidservant served two cups of warm rice porridge and then quietly withdrew.

"Brother-in-law's visit today must be more than just to inquire about Mother's illness." Although young, Zhen Yao was perceptive. "Is there something important he needs to discuss with me?"

Liu Bei put down his porcelain cup and looked up at Zhen Yao: "Ah Yao is indeed intelligent. In that case, I'll be frank. Since your Zhen family has migrated south, have you adapted well to the land and water of Jingnan? How are the guests of your clan being settled?"

"Ah Yao, I didn't come here to hear your good news." Liu Bei's tone was gentle. "The southward migration was not easy. It was a journey of more than two thousand li, which was comparable to a military campaign."

"Your Zhen family has over three thousand guests, including artisans, merchants, women, children, and the elderly. It's already a miracle that they arrived in Changsha safely. To say that everything went smoothly without any losses is impossible. We are one family, so there's no need for empty words. Just speak frankly."

"Since you say so, brother-in-law, then I will not hide anything." Zhen Yao took a deep breath and said frankly, "The hardships of the southward migration were indeed far beyond our expectations."

His voice carried a hint of sadness: "When we set out, there were more than three thousand families of guests, more than three thousand carriages of various sizes, and nearly ten thousand cattle, horses, donkeys, and mules. When we reached the prefecture, a torrential rain fell, the Yellow River overflowed, and the caravan was trapped in Chenliu for more than a month, and our food supplies were running low. When we reached Yuzhou, we were attacked by the remnants of the Yellow Turbans. Although our guards fought back desperately, we still lost dozens of guests."

"Along the way, no fewer than a hundred elderly, weak, sick, and disabled people died, many of whom were highly skilled old craftsmen who died with their family genealogy and tools in their arms. More than a thousand cattle and horses died, and countless auxiliary loads were discarded or damaged. By the time they arrived in Changsha, the entire clan was exhausted, their clothes were tattered, and their horses were worn out."

"My mother caught a cold from the wind and rain during this journey, and she has not recovered to this day."

Liu Bei listened silently, his heart heavy with emotion.

Every loss suffered by the Zhen family was a bloody footnote to his grand plan of "southerning the elite to the south".

The development of Jiangnan is just four words in history books, but behind those four words are the displacement of countless people and the burial of countless people in foreign lands.

But Zhen Yao quickly rallied and said with a heartfelt tone, "However, after arriving in Changsha, thanks to my brother-in-law's care, who allocated thousands of acres of fertile land and also had the State Land Office and the Cui Household Office provide strong assistance, the guests of the clan have gradually settled down."

"My brother-in-law allocated a large portion of the fertile land along the Xiang River, which my Zhen family has already cultivated into rice paddies. The tenant farmers brought from Zhongshan are skilled in farming, and although they are new to this foreign land, they have quickly adapted to the soil and water of Jingnan."

"This spring, over 400 hectares of early rice and over 200 hectares of spring wheat have been sown, along with over 200 hectares of mulberry and jujube trees."

If the weather is favorable, the summer harvest from trees such as oranges and tangerines can be self-sufficient.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei was greatly encouraged.

All the hard work and dedication of countless people along the way has been for this moment!

The thousand acres of land that Liu Bei allocated to the Zhen family were not wasteland, but fertile farmland along the Xiang River. However, it had been abandoned and neglected due to the chaos, and was thus confiscated as government land.

If the Zhen family were to cultivate and develop the land, they would surely be able to quickly acquire fertile fields, covering thousands of acres.

The Zhen family has only cultivated a few hundred hectares so far. By next year, or even before the end of the year, all of those thousand hectares of fertile land will be restored to good farmland.

After all, they really did have hundreds of oxen. In addition, Liu Bei specially ordered the officials of the county government to go to the Zhen family's fields to teach them the methods of soaking seeds and cultivating seedlings, and allocated official oxen and tools for them to rent.

With oxen, fine plows, and the strong support of the government, the so-called "deep plowing and easy weeding" was nothing more than a matter of a day or two for the Zhen family.

With these measures in place, the Zhen family will surely be able to quickly establish themselves here, restore their former glory, and revive the family tradition of Zhongshan.

Liu Bei then encouraged him, saying, "The Zhen family is a prominent clan in Hebei, with a tradition of farming and scholarship passed down through generations. The *Fan Shengzhi Book* states: 'The essence of farming lies in adapting to the seasons and the soil.' Your Zhen family was skilled in agriculture in the north; now that you've arrived in this fertile land of Jingnan, with just a little adaptation, you'll surely be able to make great strides."

"Changsha boasts fertile plains stretching for thousands of miles, abundant water and heat, allowing for two rice harvests a year—a bounty from heaven. During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, the Fan family of Nanyang managed their property, expanding their fields and houses, constructing dikes and canals," thus becoming one of the wealthiest families in the land, their names etched in the "Biographies of Merchants." Your Zhen family's current power far surpasses that of the Fan family; I expect you to reclaim wasteland and revitalize Jiangnan."

Zhen Yao, being young at heart, was immediately roused by Liu Bei's praise and said with his head held high, "Brother-in-law, rest assured! This year, my Zhen family will cultivate all those thousand acres of official land into fertile fields. Next year, we will respond to the prefectural government's call and cultivate no less than eight hundred acres of wasteland."

Eight hundred mu is equivalent to eight qing of reclaimed land. A growth rate of 0.8% is not high, but if all the counties in the country could maintain a growth rate of 0.8% year after year, the number of annexations would be greatly reduced, the people's hunger would be alleviated, and the dynastic cycle would be significantly delayed.

However, growth relying solely on agriculture is completely negligible.

With limited arable land and an ever-growing population, we will eventually face a situation where there is no more open land to cultivate.

To achieve long-term stability, national prosperity, and a strong people, we must develop industry and commerce.

So Liu Bei asked, "How are the Zhen family craftsmen being settled?"

Upon hearing this, Zhen Yao's eyes lit up, and he said with great enthusiasm, "This is exactly what I wanted to discuss with my brother-in-law! Our Zhen family has brought more than 3,000 guests on this trip south, of which artisans make up 60%."

"After arriving in Changsha, Yao and several clan elders discussed the matter repeatedly and decided to divide the nearly two thousand artisans into several workshops, each settling into their own profession. Now, in Linxiang City, my Zhen family workshop has begun to take shape."

Then he counted them off one by one on his fingers, as if reciting a familiar story.

"The brocade workshop is located outside the East Gate. It has more than fifty looms and more than two hundred weavers. The brocade weavers brought from Zhongshan are skilled in the Xiangyi brocade technique, and now they are using local Changsha silk as shuttles, incorporating Chu patterns. The first batch of Changsha Yun brocade will be available for sale this autumn."

"There is also a silk reeling workshop and a dyeing workshop, which collect cocoons, reel silk, and dye threads, all for the purpose of brocade weaving. The three workshops together employ no fewer than four hundred craftsmen."

"The celadon kiln is located in Tongguan Mountain. This is the most important part of our Zhen family's trip south. Twelve kilns have been built, with more than four hundred craftsmen. The soil in Tongguan Mountain is fine and smooth, and the glaze is green and bright, but the kiln temperature and firing temperature are still being adjusted."

"Yao has ordered the old kiln master to conduct trial firings day and night, hoping to produce the first batch of finished pieces this year. I still remember my brother-in-law telling us when he was in Zhongshan that the profits from celadon are a hundred times greater than those from salt and iron. In the future, celadon will surely be the key to making the whole country rich. Therefore, Yao attaches great importance to this industry. If the Tongguan kiln is completed, the porcelain from Changsha can be transported down the Xiang River, reaching Jiangling in the north and Wuhui in the east."

"The iron smelting workshop has the most people and is where the most effort is put in." Zhen Yao's tone became serious as he spoke. "When we went south, about three hundred blacksmiths came with us. Now they are divided into two parts: one part specializes in casting iron molds, plowshares, hoes, sickles and other farm tools; the other part specializes in forging swords, spears, armor plates and iron plates."

"As my brother-in-law and the Kou family discussed before, each family would use their strengths. The Kou family would specialize in agricultural tools and daily necessities using the coal method, while my Zhen family would specialize in weapons and armor using the charcoal method."

"The charter has been finalized, and we are currently discussing the details of the collaboration with the Kou family. Yao is thinking that by combining the two ironworks, we can establish a large ironworks, with no less than a thousand craftsmen and laborers, dozens of blast furnaces and forging furnaces, and an annual output of tens of thousands of armor and weapons."

"The paper mill is located on the banks of the Wei River. My family is not very skilled in papermaking, but the prefectural government has sponsored several of us papermakers from Donglai to make Zuo Bo paper using bamboo and hemp as raw materials. Now we have built a paper mill by the river, drawing mountain spring water to wash the pulp, and using bamboo screens to make paper. We have produced several batches, and the quality is whiter and more flexible than hemp paper, which is already suitable for writing."

"The lacquerware workshop and the woodworking workshop were located outside the West Gate. The raw lacquer used in the lacquerware workshop was all sourced from the lacquer forests of southern Hunan. The woodworking workshop was dedicated to crafting spinning wheels, looms, windlasses, and other machinery for the various workshops, serving as an auxiliary to all other crafts."

"In addition, there were small workshops for daily necessities such as breweries and oil presses, which provided employment for many artisans."

Zhen Yao finished speaking in one breath, picked up the rice porridge and took a big gulp. The young man's face was full of high spirits: "In total, my Zhen family now has more than ten weaving workshops, more than twenty workshops, thirty or forty kilns, and employs 1,800 craftsmen in Linxiang. When all the workshops are open next year, the annual output will be no less than that of the old Zhongshan area!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei was overjoyed, and the Zhen family then owned nearly a hundred workshops and kilns of various sizes!

His plan to develop Changsha's industry and commerce has already begun to take shape.

However, Liu Bei was not so petty; the workshops and families were just beginning to emerge.

Because he had seen later records, it is said that at its peak, Jingdezhen had no fewer than a million people, including artisans, kiln workers, painters, porters, boatmen, and their families.

Along both banks of the Changjiang River, kilns are densely packed like a honeycomb, with smoke rising day and night. Historical records indicate that during the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods, there were over three thousand kilns in the town, with large kilns capable of holding a thousand pieces and smaller kilns capable of holding several hundred.

As night fell, the kilns along the banks of the Changjiang River blazed into the sky, their flames obscuring the moon. The firelight reflected in the river, turning everything a fiery red, as if it were daytime. Hundreds of thousands of craftsmen moved about like a woven tapestry, the sounds of windmills, pounding earth, and turning windlasses booming like thunder, their faint echoes audible even a hundred miles away.

The scene was comparable to that of the Industrial Revolution, with thousands of chimneys standing tall, billowing black smoke, and workers as numerous as ants, creating wealth that shocked the world.

Coincidentally, Jingdezhen is now located on the border of Changsha County, which is within the territory of Yuzhang County.

Tongguanshan is also near the border of Yuzhang County.

At that time, the Yue kiln in Jiangdong was already a world-renowned porcelain. It had been famous throughout the world since the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.

The Classic of Tea states: "Yue porcelain is like jade, Yue porcelain is like ice."

Its glaze is a warm, lustrous blue-green, and when struck, it produces a resonant sound, making it a prized possession on the desks of noble families and officials.

Therefore, Liu Bei had great ambitions and made Changsha's industry and commerce flourish, and built thousands of kilns and workshops!

Liu Bei then said with great enthusiasm, "What A Yao has done is excellent, and the strategist in your clan is also worthy of being given important responsibilities."

"But that's far from enough. What I've come to discuss with you today is the matter of vigorously developing government-run industries."

The *Guanzi* states: "If industry does not flourish, agriculture will suffer; if commerce does not flourish, the three treasures (material, spiritual, and economic resources) will cease to exist." While commercial taxes can temporarily enrich the treasury, only industry can truly make a region the wealthiest in the land.

"Your Zhen family has been in business for generations, traveling all over the country. You know best that although the profits from trading can be considerable, it is ultimately the end of the trade. Only by creating things in workshops, turning rough stones into utensils, silk into brocade, and clay into porcelain, can wealth be found."

Liu Bei emphasized the word "industry."

At that time, there was no established word for "industry".

When Han Chinese people talk about handicrafts, they either use the term "hundred crafts" to refer to them, or they refer to them separately as "iron smelting," "brocade weaving," "pottery making," and "lacquerware making."

However, the "industry" in Liu Bei's mind was far more than just the simple addition of various crafts. It was the true foundation for his development of Jiangnan, his enrichment and strengthening of the kingdom, and even his lasting fame and benefit for generations to come!

Upon hearing these two words, Zhen Yao unconsciously leaned forward slightly and asked, "How does brother-in-law intend to develop government-run industries?"

Today's state-run industries are clearly still mainly state-run handicraft industries, which are only briefly mentioned in textbooks. They are the artistic crystallization created by countless heroes throughout history.

Liu Bei calmly replied, "In matters of industry, the most important thing is scale."

"Have you ever wondered why Shu brocade is so famous throughout the world?" Before Zhen Yao could answer, he counted on his fingers, "The *Discourses on Salt and Iron* records that during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, Shu Prefecture established a brocade official to oversee brocade weaving. In Chengdu's 'Brocade Official City,' there were no fewer than ten thousand government-run weavers, and the sound of looms never ceased day and night."

"A single piece of Shu brocade, from planting mulberry trees and raising silkworms to reeling and weaving silk, and then dyeing it with cinnabar and madder to create intricate patterns—such a complex and difficult material could not have been produced in tens of thousands of bolts annually and exported to the Western Regions without the combined efforts of ten thousand people, each specializing in their own skills."

"The same is true of Yue ware. The Yue kilns of Kuaiji and Wujun flourished as early as the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, and remain renowned for their exquisite craftsmanship to this day. Their kilns were densely distributed along the banks of the Cao'e and Yuyao Rivers, with kiln workers passing down their skills from generation to generation, accumulating centuries of dedication to achieve the reputation of Yue ware as 'like jade.'"

"The Classic of Tea states that greenness enhances the tea's flavor," and a single cup of Yue ware celadon could be worth ten taels of gold. Behind this lies the legacy of hundreds of kilns...

Tens of thousands of artisans, passing on their skills for centuries.

"The exquisite craftsmanship of Shu brocade and the lustrous finish of Yue porcelain lie not only in their artistry but also in their scale. Only when thousands gather in one profession, learning from and refining each other, can they achieve true excellence. This principle was already outlined in Xunzi's 'Encouraging Learning': 'Hemp growing among reeds will naturally grow straight without support.' When artisans gather, their skills naturally improve; when their skills improve, their products naturally become exquisite—this is the unavoidable truth of industry, and it is the grand plan I wish to discuss with Ayao today."

Zhen Yao listened intently, his youthful spirit roused by these words, and blurted out, "Brother-in-law, do you mean to set up an official brocade weaving camp in Changsha?"

"Exactly," Liu Bei said decisively. "Changsha's sericulture industry is no less lucrative than that of Shu, and it also benefits from the Xiang River's waterways, making it easily accessible by boat. I intend to establish a brocade bureau in Changsha," recruiting weavers from all over the country to specialize in brocade weaving. The bureau will employ government-run weavers, initially with a scale of three thousand.

"Three thousand people?" Zhen Yao was shocked.

"This is just the beginning," Liu Bei waved his hand and said. "I intend to establish an official office to oversee the production, gathering the resources of an entire prefecture and skilled craftsmen from across the land to push the craft to its pinnacle. Now, I wish to make Changsha brocade compete with Shu brocade; how can the Zhen family alone, with only a few dozen looms, possibly achieve this?"

"And this is the true purpose of my visit today." Liu Bei looked directly at Zhen Yao. "The Zhen family has been merchants for generations, traveling far and wide, and are well-versed in the essentials of business. There are dozens of accountants in the clan, each skilled in management and accounting. Yao, I wish to recruit accountants from your clan to oversee the Changsha Brocade Weaving Bureau, and establish a government-run weaving workshop with three thousand workers!"

Liu Bei was very confident about this. At this time, the world was not yet in great chaos, but once chaos came, the silk reeling and brocade weaving industries in the Central Plains would be severely damaged, and countless weavers would be displaced.

If Changsha can take the lead in establishing this brocade weaving bureau, then in the chaos of the future, it will be easy to rally the weavers of the world to its side. This is the true meaning of "networking weavers across the world".

The formation of Nanjing brocade in history was due to Liu Yu's northern expedition during the Southern Dynasties. After he recaptured Luoyang, he gathered all the weavers from the Central Plains and moved them all south. He established the Brocade Bureau in Jiankang, bringing together the most skilled craftsmen in the country.

Over the decades, Yun brocade became known alongside Shu brocade, eventually becoming one of the four famous brocades of China.

The reason for this success is simply that it combined the weaving techniques of the north with the benefits of sericulture in the south, and with the government's overall coordination and management, once the scale was established, its reputation naturally followed.

Today, Liu Bei is setting up the Jinshu in Changsha to demonstrate the path of "great strength leading to miracles" in advance.

In the decades or even centuries to come, Shu brocade will be in Sichuan, Yun brocade in Jingzhou, and Song brocade in Yangzhou—these three famous brocades will each occupy a place in three different prefectures, each with its own strengths, together weaving a magnificent tapestry of landscape.

This was also Liu Bei's reason for visiting Zhen's family; he was going to recruit guests and retainers from among the civil and military officials.

The Zhen family was a prominent clan, and its accountants and guests were mostly skilled business people.

Liu Bei desired to revitalize industry and commerce, and needed the assistance of such talents. Their role might even surpass that of the famous ministers who have left their mark on history.

Liu Bei said with great enthusiasm, "I intend to establish an official weaving bureau with three thousand workers, each responsible for different tasks such as spinning, binding, weaving, and dyeing. I will appoint one supervisor to oversee the entire operation, with several clerks in charge of different tasks. You will be the first supervisor of this weaving bureau. Your clan's accountant will also serve as a clerk."