Chapter 42: Fighting against the prominent families and the unruly people
When people ran over, Liu Zheng, with a black face, ran out of the blast furnace workshop, looking extremely embarrassed.
"Young Master!"
"Is the young master injured?"
"Quick, quick, call the doctor, quick!"
People are extremely anxious.
Liu Zheng's hair was disheveled, and his clothes were tattered. He kept coughing, but his face was filled with excitement and laughter: "It's done, it's done, I got it!"
"Quick, change the blast furnace for me!"
Everyone was shocked and tried to persuade Liu Zheng.
Liu Zheng didn't care about them and rushed in like a madman. He had been trying various relationships between hardness and brittleness these days!
He wanted to make a glass bottle that could hold perfume, be easy to transport, and have an eye-catching appearance - you know, Columbus used glass beads to exchange for an equal amount of gold in America!
How easy is it to achieve perfection in all three attributes?
so……
It is normal to explode once.
Next, Liu Zheng has truly mastered the proportions of various raw materials, as well as temperature, cooling, and annealing time.
then……
After another night of hard work, the first batch of crystal glass was finally successful!
"Young Master!"
"But was it successful?"
"Sir, you haven't rested for a few days..."
A group of people rushed in, but before they could finish their words, they were already deeply attracted by the glass bottles placed in front of Liu Zheng.
Four colorful glass bottles were quietly placed there.
Because next to the blast furnace, flames were flying everywhere, and the flickering light refracted through the crystal bottle, creating a dazzling brilliance.
"Oh My God!"
"What's this?"
"Hey, this, this, is this a gem?"
Wei Tiezhu was stunned.
Liu Zheng smiled, took the bottles and walked out of the workshop. It was early morning again, and the sun rose from the east. Liu Zheng picked up the bottles, and when the real sunlight shone on the glass bottles, they immediately emitted colorful light, just like real crystal!
"So beautiful!"
"Sir, this..."
Everyone exclaimed.
Liu Zheng was also very satisfied. He felt that his shock was worth it. He was a little exhausted after not sleeping for six days and seven nights. He planned to go back to sleep and teach them the glass-making process slowly when he had time.
Then as soon as he went out, he saw three carriages at the door, and he was stunned.
What's happening here?
"The Master is out!"
"Ah? Sir, what are you doing..."
"My lord, are you okay?"
The three officials had drunk several jars of Zuiyinzhou in the past few days, and they were shocked to see Liu Zheng like this.
Liu Zheng smiled bitterly and instantly understood why they came here.
"My dear friends, I haven't rested for six days. Let me go back and have a good sleep, and then we can discuss this sales matter. How about that?"
The three of them responded at the same time.
This sleep lasted for three days.
When Liu Zheng washed up and went out, he heard the laughter of Liu Dahao and the three officials chatting in the living room. Seeing Liu Zheng coming out, the three officials all showed expectant looks.
Liu Zheng looked around and said with a smile, "This time , the products of the Divine Workshop will be sold by the Wang family."
When Wang Zengming heard this, his eyes turned red. With his old arms and legs, he knelt on the ground and loudly praised the county marquis and the young master.
The other two families shook their heads in disappointment.
But he didn't say anything.
After all, among the only three remaining prominent families, the Zheng family gained the most benefits from Liu Zheng, followed by the Cao family, and only the Wang family had to watch helplessly. This time it was indeed the Wang family's turn.
This is where Liu Zheng’s cleverness lies.
After the Chen family's rebellion, he now seeks stability, people's minds, and vigorously develop Yinzhou. Moreover, after the Chen family was confiscated, the Wang family has actually been very honest.
Since you are honest, you have to give people some meat.
"Sir, this is fair and just. The Zheng family has no objection!"
The Cao family also expressed their agreement.
"Sir, can you let me see what kind of divine object this time?"
Liu Zheng chuckled and took out the glass bottles.
When this was placed on the table, the eyes of several people in the living room widened.
"This this……"
"This is?"
Liu Zheng smiled and explained, "This is called crystal glass, a bottle that can hold water-like substances. My initial idea is to put our perfume in it and sell it together. However, since the Wang family and the county magistrate's mansion are cooperating, we have to negotiate a price with the Zheng family for this glass."
Because there will be many glass products in the future, this perfume bottle is just one of them.
So Liu Zheng needs to make it clear first.
"What a waste! What a waste! Sir, how can you use such a dazzling thing to store things?"
Several people beat their chests and stamped their feet.
Liu Zheng also smiled.
He suddenly realized a problem. Since the crystal glass bottle was so beautiful, would the historical incident of buying the casket and returning the pearl happen again?
I guess there will be quite a few.
After sending the three officials away, Liu Zheng was about to go to the Shengong Workshop to teach the craftsmen how to make glass. At this time, Zheng Yueru came to visit unexpectedly.
"Brother Liu, do you still remember our bet?"
Zheng Yueru was wearing men's clothes again today, looking at Liu Zheng with burning eyes and asked.
"Miss Zheng means..."
Liu Zheng nodded.
"Then please disguise yourself, Brother Liu, and go somewhere with me!"
Liu Zheng was shocked. Could it be that Zheng Yueru had really predicted the situation of the production team? There was no need to dress up. Liu Zheng picked up a hat that could cover half of his face, got on his horse, and followed Zheng Yueru.
At this time, there are only a few days left before the Spring Festival, and the heavy snow begins to melt. In Yinzhou, usually after the Spring Festival, when the dragon raises its head on February 2nd, it is considered the beginning of spring and the real spring plowing begins.
Therefore, this production team has been causing a lot of buzz in Yinzhou these days.
The people were very happy, as if they could finally turn the tables and become the masters, no longer having to look at the faces of the prominent landlords. The atmosphere was very good along the way.
This made Liu Zheng feel relieved.
However, Zheng Yueru kept walking, and about an hour later, the two arrived at a small village called Majiazhuang in the southwest of Yinzhou .
"Miss Zheng, this is..."
Liu Zheng was a little surprised.
Zheng Yuru made a hushing gesture and asked Liu Zheng to do the same as her and hide the horse in a temple halfway, and then the two of them continued on foot.
Majiazhuang is a fairly large village, with about a thousand households and five thousand people.
"Brother Liu, please don't talk for a while!"
Zheng Yueru whispered.
Liu Zheng was just about to ask what this was all about.
Who would have thought that at this moment, a scream rang out, and then a dishevelled young woman ran while crying, followed by a group of strong men.
"Catch her!"
"Don't let her get away!"
“Hahahaha, it’s your good fortune that our Captain Wu has taken a liking to you. You still want to run away, you thief bitch!”
The woman couldn't run away as she was chased by a group of men. She was soon kicked to the ground. The woman looked panicked: "No, no, Captain Wu, please, I'm already a mother , please don't..."
Surrounded by the crowd, a dark-skinned man came out laughing, his eyes full of lust. Looking at the graceful figure of the woman, his saliva was about to flow out.
"I know you have two children, and they are from the landlord Tao family. So what?"
Everyone laughed.
"My lady, the world has changed now, do you know?"
"Mr. County Hou, push the production team. Now in Majiazhuang, our Captain Wu has the final say!"
At this time, a fat man wearing brocade clothes, with disheveled hair, a bruised face and a swollen nose ran over, knelt on the ground with a thud, and begged: "Captain Wu, please, let my wife go, please..."
Snapped!
Captain Wu slapped the fat man in the face and sneered, "Tao Chenggong, I didn't expect that you would end up like this. Years ago, when I was a tenant farmer in your house, did you ever think about this day?"
"Kneel down!"
"Old man Tao, to be honest, the spring ploughing depends on me, Captain Wu! You said you don't know how to show respect, but what is there for a woman to be reluctant about?"
"That's right! Yesterday, old man Cui sent his daughter to Captain Wu's bed, just so that they could use the Yinzhou plow for three days in the spring!"
A group of people laughed loudly.
Tao Chenggong kowtowed and begged for mercy, with blood all over his forehead.
Liu Zheng was so angry that his eyes were about to burst. He was furious and wanted to rush out, but was held back by Zheng Yueru. If he went out now and angered this group of people, would he still be able to survive?
"How can this be possible? How can this be possible!"
Liu Zheng was extremely angry.
Zheng Yueru smiled bitterly and said, "Brother Liu, this is not just happening in Majiazhuang. Now it has spread all over Yinzhou. The county lord has made decisions for the peasants and given you the name of 'benevolence and righteousness', but 'benevolence and righteousness' sometimes means weakness... The weaker you are, the more arrogant they will be for you..."
Liu Zheng clenched his fists and his eyes turned red when he heard this.
He really didn't expect that something like this would happen. What is this called? Overcorrection?
These peasants had been oppressed by prominent landlords for a long time, and now that they had suddenly become masters, their mentality naturally swelled. They thought it was time to take revenge and to avenge their grievances.
Although the county government's decree states that the order of using production tools is determined by drawing lots every year, but in a village like Majiazhuang, drawing lots? Isn't it the captain who has the final say?
During spring ploughing, who uses it first and who uses it later may even directly affect the year's harvest.
So, for a time, these former farmers became the people in power.
This is an extremely terrible thing.
Just like the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom back then... The peasant uprising started like a prairie fire, but what happened later? Because they were all peasants, there were no elites or intellectuals, and there were not even management talents. In the end, internal corruption even exceeded that of the Qing Dynasty. And it was not just corruption, it directly turned into a cruel country.
Sudden.
Liu Zheng realized that he was really wrong.
Whether it is a noble family or a peasant, humans all have bad natures. They are hypocritical, greedy, fickle, irritable, and profit-seeking. This has been the case since ancient times. No matter which side his rule depends on, the same problems will arise.
Just because he is a farmer doesn't mean he will be simple.
Not only are they not honest, they are also unruly people.
As a ruler.
Is kindness more important, or is cruelty more important?
Is it more important to be loved or to be feared?
These two questions filled Liu Zheng's mind for a while.
