Chapter 781 - 779: In My Last Life, How Many Wooden Fish Did I Knock
The Emperor, after listening to Han Yanhui’s words, felt a great sense of relief. This indicated that he was not possessed by self-centered delusions. If Ye Xinyan’s ideas could be successfully implemented, they would have profound significance for the country, the people, and his reign. It was possible that under his and his son’s leadership, the Great Xia could usher in a golden age, where the people would prosper, the national power would grow, and all nations would pay tribute.
The Emperor turned to You Chenghui and asked, "If this case were to be retried according to current laws, would the outcome remain the same?"
You Chenghui was utterly confounded by the events of the day. He could have never imagined that Ye Xinyan’s filing a lawsuit with the capital’s yamen was merely a formality, waiting for him, the Intendant of the Capital Prefecture, to rule against her so she could logically kneel outside of Wu Gate and have the opportunity to speak those astonishing words to His Majesty.
As an official who had toiled through ten years of hard study and passed the imperial examinations, he had also served in local positions and was promoted step by step, so he was not unfamiliar with people’s livelihoods and various industries.
Although in his heart, he did not think those craftsmen who did rough work could possess exceptional intelligence. However, if the court’s measures were appropriate, even if there were only one or two inventions or improvements in agricultural tools or industry equipment every few years, it would still be a remarkable achievement.
The case involved Wong Qiao, didn’t it? Wasn’t he just a common craftsman? With the financial support and guidance of the Qi family, he managed to lead his team to create many new tools.
For example, the Railway Carriage in the capital city and the railway constructed by the court last year had astounding efficiency. Or the tools sold by Prosperous Bank and Changlong Bank were widely praised by craftsmen of various works. Perhaps, under the condition of secured interests, many truly talented craftsmen would be willing to dedicate themselves to this path, and a time of great prosperity might be on the horizon.
But reality is reality, at least for now, it was still impossible to reverse the low status and poor treatment of craftsmen.
"Your Majesty, even if the case were retried, it would simply result in more compensation for Miss Ye, which would still be a change of course considering sentiment beyond the letter of the law. Even if the verdict against Miss Ye remained the same with no compensation, it would not be an exception," You Chenghui replied, bowing deeply.
The Emperor nodded, indeed that was the case. Just as Ye Xinyan had said, if everyone who developed new tools faced such consequences, naturally no one would be willing to put in the effort. With the status and income of a craftsman, one could barely maintain a family’s livelihood. Even if one had the interest, survival was ultimately the fundamental concern.