The most arrogant in history

Ye Kun was also moved and nodded, "I see you, and I know you look familiar, but I don't remember your name."

The person in charge wiped his tears and said, "Your Majesty, my name is Wei Jinde."

"Wei Jinde, I will remember this time."

Ye Kun smiled: "Lead the way, let's go to the quarry together."

Wei Jinde nodded and led Ye Kun along the way, while introducing the basic situation of the quarry.

There are two quarries here, one in the south and one in the north.

It is expected that after completion here, we will continue to move westward to open up new quarries.

There are 3,000 people in each quarry, including 2,000 foreign laborers.

The quarry's management, logistics, guards, and technical craftsmen, a total of one thousand people, are all of Chinese descent.

Some are stonemason farmers from nearby who work here to earn money.

The guards are serving soldiers who, after training, are responsible for guarding here and sometimes, they are also responsible for transportation and other projects.

As we were talking, we entered the quarry.

Wei Jinde was very proud and introduced: "Your Majesty, this was originally a hilltop, which we split with hammers and iron picks and lowered for 22 battles. In another six months, the entire hilltop will be gone."

Ye Kun nodded: "This is all bluestone sedimentary rock, which is relatively hard. It's great that you have achieved this result."

In the quarry, workers are busy.

The front-line workers were all from other ethnic groups, including natives of Jiaozhi, natives of Xiqiang, and natives of the Western Regions and Central Asia.

The different skin colors are like a conference of nations.

There were also yellow-skinned convicts who were short in stature, but they were Huns.

A very small number of laborers had iron chains on their feet.

There are lightly armored soldiers patrolling and supervising the work around the quarry and at the construction site, carrying knives.

Hanjia's technical workers measured and laid out lines on site and guided the workers' operations.

Ye Kun asked, "What's going on with those laborers wearing anklets?"

"Disobeying and making mistakes."

"Really?" Ye Kun was stunned for a moment and said to Wei Jinde:

"Remember that workers are also human beings and should not be abused. They should be provided with food and clothing. Those who are sick or injured should be treated promptly and allowed to rest."

"Your Majesty, rest assured. We work eight hours a day here, get three meals a day, and have meat. Any sick workers can take leave and receive treatment."

Wei Jinde grinned and said, "I often chat with them. They came here and it was a great success. In the past, they didn't have enough food or warm clothes in their hometown. Now they have fish, meat, and clothes to wear. They are so happy!"

Ye Kun frowned: "Is it true?"

"It is absolutely true. I dare not deceive the emperor." Wei Jinde said with a smile:

"They used to work hard and couldn't get enough food in their hometown. Life here is 10,000 times better than in their hometown!"

"You kid, just brag."

Ye Kun smiled, stopped asking questions, and checked the quality of the mined stones.

The slabs here are mined and used for paving roads. They are three inches thick and very strong.

There are also some huge stone beams and pillars used in bridge or house construction, weighing tens of thousands of pounds.

Judging from the finished products, the quality of the stone slabs is good and the surface is relatively smooth.

The transportation equipment is also relatively complete, reasonably and safely set up.

Ye Kun affirmed the quality of the stone and asked, "How does the current mining speed compare to ten years ago?"

An old stonemason smiled and said, "Your Majesty, the tools we use now are really useful. We can mine stones twice as fast as before. In the past, iron chisels had to be forged every time they were used; now, after a day's use, you only need to sharpen them."

Ye Kun nodded and asked again: "Are there enough tools?"

The old stonemason nodded: "There are enough tools. If they are broken, we can replace them. There is no limit."

Ye Kun smiled and said, "How much do you make per day working here, Master?"

The old stonemason was very proud: "I am a skilled worker, earning seven cents a day. Food is cheap now, and I can earn 100 kilograms of food for a day's work!"

"Master is amazing!"

Ye Kun nodded repeatedly and asked, "You are from a nearby village. How many of your fellow villagers work here?"

The old master shook his head and said, "We only need skilled workers here, not ordinary laborers. Therefore, many villagers who want to come to work cannot do so. They can only do some small business here, selling some wine, fruits, snacks, and game to the quarry."

Ye Kun smiled and said, "That's great. Our quarry has also boosted the economic development of nearby villages and provided employment opportunities for local people. This is called common development and common prosperity."

Wei Jinde said: "Your Majesty is right. The people in the nearby villages are now living comfortably and have money to spend."

Ye Kun nodded: "You have to remember that we are soldiers of the people, and we must maintain a good relationship with the people. The quarry can also recruit some smart and hardworking young people nearby to learn stonemasonry and blacksmithing skills, inherit the experience of the older generation of craftsmen, and learn new skills."

As a supporting facility for the quarry, there is also a blacksmith shop that is responsible for repairing and making tools.

There are also carpenters and wicker craftsmen.

Wei Jinde nodded: "Basically, all the skilled people nearby have come to work, and we try to recruit them. But the wages for apprentices are not high, and some young people are unwilling to do so and would rather hunt for money."

Ye Kun nodded and went to check the dormitory and cafeteria.

There are contiguous dormitory areas here, all at the foot of the mountain.

They lived in a stone house with decent conditions, much better than the tents used during marches and battles.

The food in the canteen can also ensure basic nutritional needs.

The accompanying small hospital has about ten people and is well-equipped with medicinal materials.

Wei Jinde followed Ye Kun and introduced:

"This quarry is used for both quarrying and road construction. We will finish our work by the end of the year when we have opened the mountain pass. According to the plan, there are still several small mountain passes ahead that need to be widened and flattened, and we will move there.

At the mountain pass ahead, they are still building a stone arch bridge, which is also a huge project.”

Ye Kun looked around and said:

“The living conditions of all quarry workers, including those of other ethnic groups, must be guaranteed. Workers are also our wealth and are building our homeland.

We should also strengthen cultural training for foreign workers, teach them to speak Chinese and write Chinese characters. We should promote foreign workers who work hard and study hard, focus on training them, and make them role models so that other workers can see hope. "

Wei Jinde nodded repeatedly: "Every month, we will select a few obedient ones to become team leaders and supervise the work. According to the regulations of the court, the local county government will select a few young people who have learned Chinese characters and Chinese every six months to become local sons-in-law and become free citizens from then on."

Ye Kun smiled and said, "How many sons-in-law from other ethnic groups settled down here last year?"

"About sixty or so, all of them were tall, strong and young, and were sent to local widows' families. There were also some ugly girls, disabled girls, and those who couldn't get married..."

"Nonsense, there are no ugly women in our Chinese race? There is no one who can't get married."

Ye Kun glared: "Any girl from the Huaxia clan who marries these foreign laborers is considered marrying down, do you understand?"

Wei Jinde grinned and said, "Marry down, marry down, the emperor is right. In fact, some women who are widowed and have no labor force at home can also apply to the government and come here to choose a son-in-law.

It would be nice to bring home a free son-in-law who can work and keep the bed warm. "