After the incident, the empress and everyone quickly came to the Ministry of Works to misappropriate the money originally used to purchase the so-called Longquan spiritual stones and build a tent for a group of working people.
The workers' tents were still simple, with only a few changes of clothes and a large bedding for several people to share, and there were only long tables, benches, braziers and other items.
Basically, except for things related to food and clothing, there are no extra utensils.
Conditions were still quite crude.
After all, the imperial court conscripted labor to let the common people come to work, not to enjoy life. Naturally, it was impossible for their residences to be the same as the inns outside.
Even if Lu Chen wanted to help them, he would not put the cart before the horse, he would just make up for the treatment that the court should give them, and at least get something for their work.
So don't expect the tent to be that good.
But even so, the labor camp at this time is still a sky and a place compared to before.
If you look a little more carefully, you will find that the tents here are extremely strong. No matter how the biting cold wind howls outside, there is no sign of swaying. Compared with the previous wind, which was slightly stronger, it was blown down immediately, and there was air leakage everywhere. Compared with the tents, they are completely different.
Moreover, the inside of the tent was clean and tidy, and there was no rancid smell from previous tents that had been used for unknown lengths of time.
Clothes are washed every three days, and the bedding is no longer a thin layer. At least it is not like before. The only way to survive the cold night is to rely on these big men holding each other to keep warm.
After arriving at the camp, the empress walked directly to a bench. She didn't mind that this was a place where the working people usually eat and rest. She didn't care whether the surrounding area was dirty or not, and sat down directly holding the hem of her clothes.
"Lu Qing, everyone, please sit down too."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Lu Chen nodded and sat directly under the empress.
Naturally, no one dared to sit in the other place directly opposite the Empress, so Zhang Xuan and Wang Qi, along with Zhao Dahu and dozens of other people who were assigned to this tent, found some benches nearby and sat down one by one on the ground. Behind the morning.
Naturally, thousands of workers cannot all be crammed into one tent.
After paying homage to the empress, except for the workers in this tent, the other workers went to do their own things.
"Tell me, how did you do it?"
The empress looked at the people behind Lu Chen, with a gentle smile on her face.
"Why did it take several days to complete the work that had been done for nine hours a day according to the original schedule? However, Lu Qing's new regulations reduced the work hours by half. Logically speaking, the progress of the project should be greatly affected. It’s even overdue, why did you finish it ahead of schedule?”
Lu Chen also turned sideways and looked at Zhao Dahu and others, with obvious doubts and inquiries in his eyes.
He also couldn't figure it out.
With sufficient food and normal work and rest, after physical recovery and gratitude to him, work efficiency will definitely increase. However, based on their previous performance, or based on the previous human limit judgment of the working people, no matter how explosive it is, It shouldn't be so outrageous.
This was completed several days ahead of schedule.
Under the questioning gazes of Lu Chen and the Empress, the people did not speak immediately. Instead, they collectively looked at the worker closest to Lu Chen, Zhao Dahu from Taihe County, where Lu Chen's fiefdom was located.
Obviously, Zhao Dahu's status among them is not just an ordinary worker.
At least he is at the level of a group leader.
Being watched by so many people, Zhao Dahu suddenly became a little nervous.
After a while, he took a deep breath, and then said slowly: "To tell you your Majesty, the reason why we were able to complete the work so quickly is actually all the credit of Mr. Lu."
As he spoke, he, who was clearly illiterate, clearly spelled out the regulations in the new charter formulated by Lu Chen, one after another. While talking about the benefits of these regulations to them, his words were full of gratitude.
Ever since Lu Chen left Wuji Palace that day, almost all the workers had started working desperately. Even if the mediocre officials and evil officials did not supervise them, none of them was lazy, not even a trace of slack.
Everyone wanted to work hard to repay Lu Chen's kindness to them.
Even if Lu Chen hadn't strictly stipulated that working hours should not exceed four and a half hours, the clerks would have been inexplicably active in driving them out of the construction site and not letting them work. They didn't even want to leave the construction site until they couldn't move anymore.
No matter what, Xianggong Lu cannot be held accountable for not completing the project on time. A rare good official like Xianggong Lu deserves to be promoted to nobles for generations to come.
As long as Prime Minister Lu is promoted and remains in a high position, it will definitely benefit ordinary people like them.
All they could do for Mr. Lu was to work hard and finish the project as soon as possible.
Therefore, with this idea in mind, almost everyone can’t wait to go to work every day. Even if there is no supervision, they will arrive at the construction site in advance, shorten the time for eating and going to the toilet as much as possible, and cherish every minute and every second of work. time.
Their abundant physical strength supports their high-intensity work. Every time they go to work, almost everyone is pushing their limits.
Especially the craftsmen.
Lu Chen attaches great importance to skilled workers and treats craftsmen very well. In addition to the same basic treatment as ordinary farmers, he also pays extra wages to workers, and has also established a reward and punishment system and a performance system. The better the craftsmanship of the craftsmen, the better the workmanship. The more exquisite the products come out and the greater the quantity, the more money you get.
So the craftsmen soon became harder than ordinary laborers.
All kinds of things, all the people who were conscripted to work worked together, and the Wuji Palace project soon came to an end.
After listening to Zhao Dahu's narration, the empress thought for a moment, and then a look of understanding gradually appeared on her face.
And she finally understood how clever the new regulations formulated by Lu Chen, which many people regarded as extremely profligate and childish, were.
In fact, the reason is very simple.
If you want a horse to run, you cannot stop it from eating grass.
This truth is taken for granted by most monks. After all, if there is no benefit to them, why should these powerful beings work for your Jiang family?
But for the common people who were laborers, or who were essentially used as labor force by the imperial court, this was not necessarily the case.
In the minds of many Daxia courtiers, the common people should submit to labor and work for the court for free.
Through the system of labor service, the court was able to save a large amount of financial expenditure every year. Anyway, the laborers were allowed to work without paying them. They only needed to provide them with some rations.
However, the empress was keenly aware that on the surface, this would save expenses and have obvious benefits to the court, but in the long run, it would not necessarily be the case.
To achieve something, something must be given.
On the surface, the labor service system did save the court a lot of expenses, but in fact, it was overdrafting the people's power, which is the foundation of a country. And the money and food saved on the surface may not necessarily end up in the national treasury, but may even end up in the national treasury. It may be used to cause civil unrest due to over-squeezing the people's power, which will require more money and food to be sent to suppress it, and the gain outweighs the loss.
However, Lu Chen did the opposite to ordinary officials. He did not pay attention to superficial interests, but focused on the long term.
Be kind to the people, give them the treatment they deserve, eliminate the people's dissatisfaction and resentment, and stimulate their enthusiasm, so that they can spontaneously work for the court.
In this way, both the court and the people will benefit, while those whose interests will be harmed will become harmful to the country.
In an instant, the empress thought clearly about the powerful relationship between this, and her gaze towards Lu Chen became even more reverent.
Break the rules, have a long-term vision, and repeatedly achieve extraordinary results
This is the real talent for seeking the country.
The most valuable thing is that he is so loyal!
Lu Chen didn't pay much attention to the empress's increasingly strange look, and he didn't know what nonsense she was thinking about at this time.
Because the doubts in his heart have not been solved.
Lu Chen looked at Zhao Dahu and asked word by word: "Is that just like this?"
Being stared at by Lu Chen, Zhao Dahu was startled at first. After reacting, he hesitated for a moment and then smiled bitterly.
"Master Lu really knows everything. I can't hide anything from you."
After a pause, he suddenly sighed and said slowly: "As you expected, Mr. Lu, there is actually another reason why we completed the work so quickly."
(End of chapter)
