Chapter 51: Yang Canli

"Is that plow truly so miraculous?"

Zhang Yunyi rose in astonishment from behind his desk, asking Peng Jin, the agricultural overseer.

Peng Jin nodded repeatedly, excitedly describing the scene of the test plowing to him.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yunyi's mind began to race.

Such a miraculous farming artifact was an achievement of monumental proportions!

Especially since the Yu family's foundation lay in agriculture, this achievement was of exceptional magnitude.

If he, as the estate master, could manage to claim even a ten percent share of this credit, it would practically serve as a life-saving talisman, wouldn't it?

The only problem was—this matter had nothing to do with him!

Just as Zhang Yunyi was feeling vexed, Peng Jin said, "Estate Master, the common folk are practically going wild. This year's spring plowing has just begun, and manufacturing these curved-shaft plows is not difficult. Although we won't be able to use this new plow across all our fields this year, if we rush production, we can still put it to use over a vast expanse of land."

These words instantly awakened Zhang Yunyi.

"Quickly, immediately gather all the carpenters and blacksmiths on our estate! Wait, go recruit more in Tianshui City, and borrow craftsmen from the other estates..."

Peng Jin said, "Estate Master, the people on our own estate are easy to handle, and spending money to recruit people in Tianshui City is also manageable. But borrowing people from other estates..."

The six major estates stood on equal footing, holding the same status. Borrowing people was not a matter of issuing commands, but of calling in favors. However, a competitive relationship also existed among the six major estates, so whether the others would be willing to lend their people was hard to say.

Peng Jin suggested, "Should we ask Steward Yang to issue an order? As long as he gives a single command..."

"Fool!"

Zhang Yunyi glared at him. "If he issues the command, how much credit will be left for this estate master? Just go ahead and handle it. Once those craftsmen are borrowed, they will also learn how to manufacture the new plows. Their own estates might be too late this year, but surely they won't want to go without them next year?"

Peng Jin suddenly understood, hastily muttered his assent, and rushed off in a flurry.

The news of the miraculous new plow spread with astonishing speed, sweeping through the entire Feng'an Estate like a gale.

In front of Blacksmith Li's shop, the commoners of the estate were already packed tightly together.

Those crowding the very front were all freemen and retainers. They had come to place orders for the new plow.

The tenant farmers did not need to buy one, nor could they afford to. They were hired laborers, and all means of production were provided by the landlord. Naturally, they were also the most ruthlessly exploited; the harvest of a whole year of grueling labor mostly belonged to the landlord, leaving them with barely enough to stay alive.

Even so, they were overjoyed.

For the landlord's oxen and plows were limited in number, and the time allotted for each family to use them was strictly restricted. They dared not overwork the landlord's livestock, yet feared failing to finish plowing their fields within the time limit, which would force them to make up the deficit with human labor.

As a result, not only were all the able-bodied laborers of the household tied up in the fields—leaving them completely no time to do anything else to supplement their household income—but every single one of them was worked to the point of illness.

Now, with this miraculous artifact, at least one strong laborer in the family would be liberated. Consequently, their future days might become a little easier.

"Don't push, don't rush! My master said these plows must first meet the estate master's requirements before it's your turn."

Li Yue's young apprentice stood at the doorway of the workshop, looking as imposing as a great general.

"Ah? Does that mean my family won't be able to use one this year?"

"Even if you can't use it this year, you'll definitely be able to next year. Isn't that still something to look forward to?"

Immediately, some of the onlookers among the tenant farmers smiled and coaxed him.

Originally, among these estate folk, tenant farmers held the lowest status. Yet these tenant farmers suddenly discovered that in certain matters, they actually held priority. At least regarding the use of the new plow, they were ranked ahead of the freemen and retainers whose status was higher than theirs.

We are beasts of burden, and we are proud of it.

At that very moment, a grand procession of people marched imposingly into Feng'an Estate.

Qingmei, accompanied by two stewards, two matrons, seven or eight large carts, and over a hundred people, entered Feng'an Estate. They swiftly took over Li's Blacksmith Shop.

"Don't be impatient. This miraculous artifact, the 'Yang Can Plow,' was researched and developed by Steward Yang of the Eldest Branch. Our Eldest Branch's Young Madam has said this is a divine artifact that will benefit thousands upon thousands of commoners. Look here..."

The speaker was Zhao Hongyu, the procurement officer of the Eldest Branch, who possessed a booming voice. With a single sentence, he established the name of the plow as the "Yang Can Plow" and clearly claimed the credit for the Eldest Branch.

Suo Chanzhi had dispatched Zhao Hongyu, the granary steward Ma Sanyuan, and others. These two were Suo family members whom she had brought from her maiden home, absolute confidants.

Zhao Hongyu made a magnanimous wave of his large hand, and the commoners crowding in front of the workshop, eagerly trying to buy the "Yang Can Plow," turned their heads to look.

Seven or eight large carts were parked by the roadside, filled to the brim with various blacksmithing and woodworking tools. Surrounding the carts were mostly the blacksmiths and carpenters who had traveled along with them.

Steward Zhao declared, "In order to manufacture the Yang Can Plow as quickly as possible and catch this year's spring plowing, our Young Madam has spared no effort! The Young Madam has hired numerous craftsmen, and they have all brought their tools with them. At the very least! At the very least, our Feng'an Estate will certainly be able to use the 'Yang Can Plow' in time. Everyone can rest assured!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the freemen, Yu family retainers, and tenant farmers present were all wild with joy.

The two stewards and two matrons who had arrived this time had been urgently transferred from the Eldest Branch. As for those craftsmen, they had been recruited by Suo Chanzhi through her second uncle, Suo Hong.

Following the marriage between the two surnames, as one of the marriage conditions, the Yu family permitted the Suo family to engage in free commerce within the Yu family's territory, free from the Yu family's control. Currently, Second Master Suo had successively established several trading outposts within the Yu family's domain.

Trade was not merely about making money; in the process of establishing these outposts, the Suo family gained strongholds, social connections, and eyes and ears within the Yu family's territory. If not for this, how could the Suo family have managed to recruit so many craftsmen within the Yu family's territory in such a short span of time?

Suo Chanzhi intended to firmly anchor this monumental achievement—which benefited the entire Yu family and perhaps even the entire world—to the head of the Eldest Branch's lineage.

Glory was something people constantly vied to claim. But now that Suo Chanzhi had promptly dispatched a large contingent in her capacity as the Young Madam of the primary lineage of the Eldest Branch, no one else could snatch this credit away.

By the time Zhang Yunyi caught wind of the news and hurried with his men to the front of Li's Blacksmith Shop, Granary Steward Ma Sanyuan was radiantly proclaiming:

"The Young Madam has ordered that the 'Yang Can Plow' be swiftly promoted and distributed to all estates of the Yu family. 'Monuments urging agriculture' are to be established in every estate. The Young Madam wants this farming artifact, born within the Yu family, to be engraved upon them for generations to gaze upon and admire. The Young Madam has also ordered that from now on, every autumn harvest season, our Eldest Branch's primary lineage will fund the event. What for? To host a 'Gratitude Banquet for Agriculture' in each estate, rewarding all the people high and low on the estate."

As soon as these words fell, many of the commoners crowding at the front could not help but drop to their knees, bursting into yet another chorus of singing praises for their benefactors.

At this point, the achievement was accomplished, and the momentum was firmly established.

Zhang Yunyi halted his steps, his complexion as gloomy as the bottom of a cooking pot.

No matter how hard I try now, just how much of the credit will actually trickle down to me?

Even more irritating to the estate master was the fact that the Young Madam had even sent stonemasons.

These stonemasons proved quite diligent, carving four "Monuments Urging Agriculture" by the very next day. They then erected them by the roadside at the southeast, northwest, and north entrances of Feng'an Estate.

The "Monuments Urging Agriculture" began with the customary platitudes such as "Agriculture is the foundation; urge agriculture and toil diligently." This was followed by an elaborate, glowing account of the invention of the "Yang Can Plow."

This was no monument urging agriculture; it was clearly a monument of merits and achievements. Furthermore, this achievement had already been firmly grasped in the hands of the Eldest Branch's Young Madam and Steward Yang.

The Eldest Branch's primary lineage would fund and host a "Gratitude Banquet for Agriculture" every autumn harvest season? That naturally meant the head of the Eldest Branch's primary lineage would step forward to preside over it.

Many country folk never ventured beyond a ten-li radius of their homes for their entire lives; how vast a sky had they ever witnessed? That was why Zhang Yunyi, as the master of this estate, could say whatever he pleased and act as an absolute local emperor here.

Yet once the Eldest Branch could legitimately use the "Gratitude Banquet for Agriculture" to meddle in the estate's affairs and interact with the estate's commoners, those ignorant folk would realize that there was "a heaven beyond the heavens." From then on, they would clearly understand that above their estate master, there existed another entity capable of manipulating him.

Such things were not entirely unknown to them before, but previously they were like farmers living deep in mountain ravines. Those farmers knew there was an emperor and a county magistrate in the world, but what did that have to do with them? Their paths would never cross; the only ones who could truly wield deterrence over them were the local landlords and gentry.

Now, Zhang Yunyi's supreme authority was being fractured.

Yang Can had not even deliberately targeted Zhang Yunyi yet, and already his foundation was being shaken.

The blacksmiths and carpenters sent by the Eldest Branch's Young Madam swiftly became the main force in crafting the "Yang Can Plow." This technology was not difficult to master; the difficulty lay in the fact that no one had ever thought of it before.

By the time these craftsmen figured out the manufacturing process with the help of Blacksmith Li and his apprentice, the second batch of craftsmen sent by the Young Madam had already arrived. Thus, Li越 and his apprentices continued to serve as masters, instructing these newly arrived craftsmen on how to craft the "Yang Can Plow."

Meanwhile, the first batch of workers, who already knew how to manufacture it, had split up and were marching toward the other estates.

Although the "Yang Can Plow" could not be fully popularized across all of the Yu clan's lands this year, all of the Yu family estates—including but not limited to the six major estates managed by Yang Can—would witness its superiority, which far surpassed that of the straight-shaft plow.

By next year's spring plowing, this new plow would be in use across all the Yu clan's lands. By then, not only would grain production increase, but the massive amount of human and livestock labor saved would bring about earth-shaking changes in the Yu clan's sphere of control.

Zhang Yunyi was the "heaven" of Feng'an Estate, the "local emperor" of Feng'an Estate. But he discovered that his "heaven" was no longer able to cover this patch of yellow earth. His prestige as a local emperor was gradually losing its exclusivity.

This made Estate Master Zhang feel as though he were sitting on pins and needles, thorns pricking his back.

He felt he had to do something.

Yang Can was not targeting him at present, merely building up his own reputation. Yet objectively, Yang Can's actions were shaking his rule over Feng'an Estate.

And such actions shook more than just his governance of Feng'an Estate—what about the other estates?

Surely the Lord of the Clan would not wish to see the Eldest Branch's primary lineage showing signs of breaking away from his control?

Perhaps the old man can make an issue out of this very point!

Zhang Yunyi stroked his beard, his gaze gradually turning dark and cold.