Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne Chapter 1092 - 128: Water Mill

Having resolved the Divine Pill affairs and the Southern Wei people's issues, Zhao Yao turned his focus to setting up the water mill workshop. Earlier, he had invented the Water Wheel to tackle Lingnan’s irrigation woes. Subsequently, windmills were made to handle harvesting challenges, yet post-harvest, rice must be milled to make it suitable for eating.

For grain milling, not only Lingnan but the whole Great Zhou still depended on the outdated mortar and pestle from the prior dynasty. These methods were incredibly tedious, demanded huge labor, and produced scant grain, rendering them terribly wasteful.

At first, Zhao Yao overlooked this flaw. As all of Lingnan hustled through the second rice harvest, the problem came to light for him.

Memories from his dream world's Song Dynasty, where water mills processed grains, inspired him to replicate those ancient water mills entirely.

Water mills demand steady water flow, and Lingnan abounds in it. With its coastal location and plentiful rivers, he envisioned lining riverbanks with water mill workshops.

In recent times, Zhao Yao teamed up with Zheng Cheng and crew to erect a primary water mill for rice and flour grinding. They followed up with a water-driven spinning wheel for hemp yarn twisting and a Tea Grinding Workshop dedicated to tea pulverization.

Mentioning the Tea Grinding Workshop naturally leads to Zhao Yao’s fresh tea preparation technique. He revived the Song Dynasty’s tea whisking from his dream realm and launched "Tea Hundred Plays," which surprisingly exploded in popularity.

He had doubted the tea whisking would catch on, particularly after popularizing loose tea brewing years back, which captivated the Great Zhou and even distant lands like the Western Regions and Annan with its innovative flair.

Unlike the straightforward loose tea brewing, tea whisking demands more steps and uses powdered tea, potentially less enticing. Yet, it outshone loose tea brewing in appeal.

Witnessing the widespread adoption of tea whisking, Zhao Yao rolled out "Tea Hundred Plays," igniting a frenzy across Swamp Prefecture.

Teahouses have sprung up everywhere in Swamp Prefecture now, drawing crowds daily to witness "Tea Hundred Plays" shows. Tea contests centered on "Tea Hundred Plays" have also become common.

The water mill constructions brought not just ease and speed but also surging revenues.

Local authorities kicked off water mill builds at first. Soon, common folk began erecting their own varieties. In no time, countless civilian-run "small factories" dotted the landscape.

Lately, Zhao Yao and Zheng Cheng have focused on refining water mills. They pioneered the "Three-Wheel Technology," enabling one axle to handle grinding, husking, and pulverizing—vastly simpler, quicker, and user-friendly.

Further, they crafted the "Five Mills with Single Wheel" system, powering five millstones from one wheel. Picture the massive productivity leap!

Beyond grain work, Zhao Yao adapted water mills for iron smelting, dramatically boosting its output.

These days, the Ministry of Industry and Ministry of Revenue buzzed with activity. Folks seeking water mills applied locally, which forwarded requests to the Ministry of Industry. Once greenlit, experts arrived to aid construction.

Commoners covered only building costs, gaining full ownership for unrestricted use. Should issues crop up, government help was available via Ministry repairs—for a fee, of course.

The Ministry of Industry oversaw builds and fixes for water mills, whereas the Ministry of Revenue raked in taxes from the commercial operations they enabled.

Zhao Yao urges folks to erect water mills and launch businesses for profit. He shuns favoring farming over trade, actively spurring commerce among the people.

Today, water mills line the Lingnan River banks in Swamp Prefecture, most humming with activity. The riverbanks pulse with vibrant energy.

With countless water mills now lining the Lingnan River, Zhao Yao started erecting all sorts of shops along both riverbanks. Merchants, spotting the golden business chances by the water, snapped up shop rentals in a flash. Naturally, they could also lease land to put up their own stores.

The land along both sides of the Lingnan River is available only for rent, never for sale.

Lately, crowds have swarmed the Ministry of Industry to secure shop leases, burying the staff under mountains of work. The Chief of Staff is so swamped he hardly gets a moment to eat.