After Marrying a Vegetative Princess, I Went Crazy With Joy! - Chapter 209:

Chapter 209

An accident occurred at the factory – the waterwheel collapsed, resulting in the deaths of more than ten workers.

To the eyes of the Lu Clan of Fanyang, this incident was not considered a significant matter. Similar incidents wouldn’t be considered substantial by any noble families. They had remained at the pinnacle for too long, to the point where they saw themselves as divine beings. To them, ordinary people were merely ants, livestock, or means to sustain their comfortable lives.

For Su Li, however, what might be considered trivial to others was a serious matter. He never underestimated human greed. In later times, it was commonly believed that capitalists had demonstrated the epitome of human grid. After all, they dared to trample on laws for a 300% profit – a group that disregarded legal and ethical boundaries. But remember, this assessment came from an era with relatively mature legal systems and a higher social awareness level than the Tang Dynasty.

The early capitalists sought maximum profit and didn’t hold much direct power. However, the noble families were different. They stood tall on this land for centuries, accumulating an unimaginable depth that surpassed ordinary imagination. Noble families could even directly influence a country’s political affairs, wielding a power that was almost unimaginable in later times.

In “Capital,” a line says, “Capital comes into the world dripping from head to toe, from every pore, with blood and dirt.” When noble families and capitalism combined, Su Li did not doubt that this union would give birth to the most malicious results imaginable.

Su Li had foreseen all of this, which was intentional on his part. Since establishing the Five Clans and Seven Surnames’ steel and salt factories, Su Li had noticed how ruthlessly these people were treated by the commoners. The modern-day “996” work culture, compared to the noble families’ methods, seemed almost merciful. The workers in the noble families’ factories had only one day of rest each month, and the daily workload was extremely heavy. There was a saying among the workers, “Wake up at the fifth watch, sleep in the middle of the night, and see stars at both ends.” Given such conditions, accidents were an inevitable outcome.

However, Su Li wasn’t a deity, and he didn’t anticipate that the consequences of an accident would be this severe. In the Lu Clan’s factories, fourteen people died all at once. The work in the forging factories was high-intensity physical labor, and the workers inside were typically strong laborers from ordinary families. Behind each person was a family that depended on them for support. Yet, after the incident, the response from Fanyang Lu Clan was a measurer compensation of 5000 coins for each person. Such an amount was the cost of only a few jugs of wine in a wealthy household. Surprisingly, no one criticized them for this, and even some scholars in Changan City who were attached to the Lu Clan were busy propagating that the Lu Clan was benevolent and righteous.

Instead of holding the workers accountable, the Lu Clan refrained from punishing them and compensated them. After the incident, a notice written by Su Li himself was posted at the entrances of many factories under the Princess’s Manor. The notice clearly stated that in the factories of the Princess’s Manor, workers were to work for four hours each day and have four days of rest each month. This would become a binding precedent as long as the lineage of Prince Yongle was unbroken. In all matters, the key was having a point of comparison. Working in the Princess’s Manor factories, the wages were already higher than those in other places.

Moreover, from the very beginning, these factories strictly adhered to the four-hour work system. Anyone with discerning eyes could see that Su Li’s action practically declared war against the Five Clans and Seven Surnames. The usually quiet imperial court of the Tang Dynasty was now filled with hidden currents. Everyone awaited how the Five Clans and Seven Surnames would retaliate. A dozen days later, within the palace, Emperor Li Er looked at Su Li before him, feeling a sense of emotion. Not long had passed since he had bestowed rewards upon Su Li, and he had expected that Su Li would become even better behaved with such honors. After all, Su Li wasn’t one to actively stir up trouble. However, Su Li had unexpectedly taken action.

His target was the Five Clans and Seven Surnames, a constant source of frustration even for Emperor Li Er. The Five Clans and Seven Surnames had been deeply rooted in China for centuries as aristocratic families. Emperor Li Er had always seen these noble families as a thorn in his side. After all, no one would want such a powerful presence on their turf. However, Emperor Li Er had no simple solution. The Five Clans and Seven Surnames were the top-tier aristocratic families in the Tang Dynasty, and each surname had a history spanning over a thousand years.

Over this long period, exceptional individuals emerged from every generation of these families. The accumulation of prestige over a millennium showcased their deep-rooted foundations. The Tang Dynasty established not too long ago, was like a younger sibling compared to these families in terms of heritage. And this wasn’t an exaggeration. When Emperor Li Er sought to marry a woman from the Clear River Cui Clan and bring her into the palace, he was rejected by the head of the Cui Clan. The implication was clear, the royal lineage’s heritage was too shallow. Even an emperor didn’t qualify to marry their daughters. Though the words were subtle, their implied insult had kept Li Er awake for many nights.

“Take a look. These are the documents submitted by those few families in the past few days,” Li Er pointed to the documents on the desk, speaking to Su Li with an impatient tone. Su Li sat down and perused them for a while. Then, his usually composed expression finally showed a hint of change. “Lifting me?” Su Li chuckled lightly. None of these documents were accumulating him. Instead, they all praised and glorified him. After all, these noble families had a long tradition of scholarly pursuits, making their literary skills exceptional. Many of the documents were eloquently written, filled with excessively flattering words about Su Li. To the extent that, even with Su Li’s current state of mind, he felt a bit embarrassed reading them.

“Minor talents are not worth mentioning,” Li Er dismissed with a sneer, rolling his eyes. Then, he asked, “The situation with the factories is getting more intense.” How do you plan to handle it?” “I anticipated this situation from the beginning. If we need to address it, it’s not that difficult,” Su Li replied with a smile. “Oh? What do you plan to do?” Li Er hurriedly asked. To be honest, the current state of the Tang Dynasty was unpredictable. Many situations arose that Li Er hadn’t been anticipated, and he was often feeling his way through things. If Su Li had a good solution, that would be a blessing. “Capitalism itself is insatiable, and now that aristocratic families have gained control over it, they’ve transformed into voracious beasts! It’s not an exaggeration to say that if we don’t stop them, the Tang Dynasty will soon face a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions!” Su Li spoke softly. Li Er was shocked to hear this, and then an inexplicable excitement surged within him. According to the implication… Was Su Li planning to take action against the Five Clans and Seven Surnames?