Chapter 903
suggests opening a textile workshop.
There are some things that are easier for the empress to do than for the emperor.
For example, he ordered an investigation into those who came to marry palace maids, or he searched for the families and relatives of the palace maids, or he set up textile workshops in the suburbs of Beijing to settle the destitute palace maids.
When Pan Yun followed the lady-in-waiting into Kunning Palace, Empress Wang was pulling Empress Qian to look at the spinning and weaving machines displayed in the courtyard.
Upon seeing Pan Yun, he immediately waved and said, "Grand Preceptor, come and see! These are spinning and weaving machines that the Ministry of Works just sent over. They say the blueprints were provided by the Grand Preceptor."
Pan Xiaohei nimbly jumped off the roof and deftly darted onto the nearby artificial hill, scoffing inwardly: "Clearly copied from my notes."
Pan Yun pretended not to hear, cupped her hands to the two empresses, and said with a smile, "What do you two think of it?"
Empress Wang reached out her hand, and immediately a palace maid presented three rolls of thread of different colors and sizes: "These are threads spun by the palace maids on a spinning machine. Because they were not skilled enough, it took them an hour to spin them."
A palace maid standing nearby said, "If you get used to it, I can spin this much thread in a quarter of an hour. This spinning machine has tripled the number of spindles, and the efficiency of the loom has also increased by nearly three times."
Empress Wang then had a palace maid bring up half a roll of cloth: "This is what we just wove on this loom. Everything else is fine, but it requires too much force. The palace maids have to slow down after weaving for a quarter of an hour, so it's not as good as the previous loom."
Pan Jun took a look at it, then looked at the loom and smiled slightly: "This loom can be modified. I will replace some materials to make it smoother and less strenuous. In addition, I can also build a loom that uses water power and wind power."
Empress Wang's eyes brightened slightly: "I heard from the Ministry of Works officials who came to deliver the textile machines that you recently built wind-powered waterwheels, which are very useful. Is the wind-powered loom the same? Wouldn't that mean weaving in the open air? What if it rains? Or what if there's a sandstorm and the thread and cloth get dirty?"
Empress Wang was only nineteen years old and had been married for less than a year. Her personality was still somewhat impulsive. She wrinkled her nose and said, "The Imperial Preceptor grew up in the capital. He should know, right? Every winter and spring, the capital is very dusty. At its worst, the sky is filled with yellow sand. If you go out for a while, you can scrape two pounds of mud off your face. How can you leave the loom outdoors like that?"
Pan Jun laughed heartily at her exaggerated words, saying, "If it's not outdoors, the windmill can be placed on the roof. With a little modification when building the roof, it can prevent sand and dust from flowing back in. When the female workers need to use the loom, they can simply tie the traction rope to it."
Pan Jun calculated for her that if the new looms and spinning machines could be used on a large scale, the efficiency could be three times higher than that of the current textile workshops.
“Spinners specialize in yarn, and weavers specialize in jacquard. If we can manage the industry by dividing labor, I think efficiency can be increased by two times.”
Empress Wang was skeptical: "Can simply dividing the work double the efficiency?"
Empress Qian, who had remained silent, seemed lost in thought, wanting to speak but then stopping herself.
When Empress Wang saw this, she immediately took her hand and asked, "Does my sister-in-law know something?"
Empress Qian blushed slightly and said in a soft voice, "I just remembered when I was a child, I went with my father to the military camp to watch the craftsmen make arrowheads. It was very hard for them to make and assemble them. Later, my father divided them into two groups: seventeen people were in charge of making arrowheads and three people were in charge of assembling them. Even though there were still twenty people, the efficiency increased by one-third after the division of labor, which was incredible."
Pan Yun: "Having someone specifically in charge not only saves time when switching hands, but also makes the movements more skillful."
Empress Wang immediately said, "Very well, then our textile workshops will also be divided into specialized departments, with each department having its own dedicated staff."
Seeing Empress Wang's excited expression, Empress Qian hesitated and said, "Our ancestors decreed that the royal family must not compete with the people for profit. If we do this, I'm afraid the officials will have objections."
Pan Yun nodded: "That's right, so we need to shut them up beforehand."
Empress Wang frowned: "How can we block this? We built the textile workshops to settle the palace maids who left the palace, not to compete for profit."
Empress Qian said, “Now that the workshop is open, it must make money, otherwise it would be a waste of the country’s money. Making money will inevitably involve competing for the people’s wealth.” Pan Yun clasped his hands and said, “A workshop that doesn’t want to make money is not a good workshop, and it is also detrimental to the workers in the workshop. But if the money made is used for the people, then the officials can no longer say that Your Majesty is competing with the people for profit.”
The two empresses exchanged a glance and both agreed that Pan Yun's words made sense.
"Then how should this money be used for the benefit of the people?"
Looking at the two young empresses, Pan Yun sighed.
None of them came from wealthy or powerful families, so they all cherished commoners and pitied the poor and weak. The empresses of the Ming Dynasty valued their reputation highly, and every girl had the heart to be a virtuous empress.
Because their predecessors did such a good job: Empress Ma, Empress Xu, and Empress Zhang, each of whom is a wise empress who can be remembered for all time.
However, they were also from wealthy families. Although they had seen the lives of ordinary people, they did not know how much suffering they endured.
No amount of money is ever enough for charitable causes that benefit the people.
Empress Wang had just become empress, and Empress Qian had only been empress for a few years. The only charitable work they knew was donating money, clothes, and food to orphanages. They didn't realize that good charity work is sustainable and teaches people how to fish.
Pan Yun said, "Since the money is earned from the female workers in the textile workshops, then let it be used for the women and children of the world."
Pan Yun made several suggestions, such as that after the textile workshops made money, the two empresses could set up a textile academy in the capital to teach poor girls how to weave.
“With a means of making a living, they will be able to survive no matter where they fall into misfortune in the future,” Pan Yun said. “The two empresses are the mothers of the nation, and there is no greater love than that of parents for their children.”
The two empresses were deeply moved by Pan Yun's words: "We are their mothers!"
Pan Yun nodded: "Yes, the empresses are the mothers of the nation."
Empress Wang's eyes shone brightly, and even Empress Qian's eyes glistened with tears, the grayness in her eyes dissipating considerably.
Empress Qian's lady-in-waiting saw this and was so excited that she clenched her hands tightly.
She originally intended to advise Empress Qian not to get too involved in Empress Wang's affairs.
After all, Empress Wang is now the Empress and the Mother of the Nation. But seeing the light return to Empress Qian's eyes and the vitality in her body, she couldn't bear to dissuade her.
Empress Wang also noticed the changes in Empress Qian and was overjoyed.
She readily agreed, then pressed Pan Yun for details: "Is there anything else besides that?"
Pan Jun smiled slightly and said, "Of course there are. In addition to the Textile Academy, the two ladies can also set up several more schools next to the Orphanage. In addition to the children in the Orphanage, children from poor families, regardless of whether they are boys or girls, can go to school."
He added, "We can also use money to redeem slaves, let them leave the profession, send them to schools or textile colleges to learn skills, and then have them work in textile workshops..."
This creates a virtuous cycle. (End of Chapter)