After returning to the Ministry of Works, Tang Hongwen immediately summoned all the craftsmen and rewarded them accordingly based on their achievements. He knew that he had now assumed the position of Shangshu and become a top figure in the officialdom.

Therefore, Your Majesty will not promote him to a higher position, but will compensate him in other ways, such as providing new steelmaking technology, papermaking formulas and other valuable resources.

As the Minister of Works, Tang Hongwen was himself a highly skilled craftsman. He knew that every skill bestowed upon him by His Majesty was a priceless treasure in the eyes of the craftsmen. If they were left to explore on their own, they might never discover the secrets of these skills.

Therefore, in Tang Hongwen's view, the technology bestowed by His Majesty was more precious than any gold or silver treasure. In addition, His Majesty also instructed the establishment of the Divine Weapon Pavilion at the Royal Yuya Villa. Every weapon sold would bring a huge profit to the Ministry of Industry, and as the Minister of the Interior, he would naturally reap the majority of the benefits.

Tang Hongwen himself had reached the limit of his official rank, with no room for further advancement. However, the craftsmen in the Ministry of Works still had room for advancement. They served the court wholeheartedly, participating in the construction of steel mills and the forging of weapons. Without appropriate rewards, it would be difficult to maintain their enthusiasm and creativity.

After gathering most of the craftsmen, Tang Hongwen announced His Majesty's approval of the long sword forged by the Ministry of Industry with newly smelted steel. Since the steelmaking furnace was still running, some craftsmen were needed to be on duty there to ensure the smooth progress of the steelmaking process.

Standing on the podium, Tang Hongwen passionately addressed the craftsmen, "Fellow craftsmen, His Majesty is very pleased with your hard work and outstanding achievements. His Majesty hopes that you will continue to carry forward the spirit of craftsmanship, strive for excellence, and ensure that every weapon meets the highest standards. His Majesty has witnessed all your efforts over the past period of time."

"Your Majesty has issued an order, and the princes of the Royal Government Affairs Office will make the decision to reward each artisan in recognition of their outstanding contributions. The rewards include silver, land, and opportunities for promotion. I hope that each artisan will continue to work hard and create brilliance together."

In front of the steel furnace, the flames illuminated the excited faces of the craftsmen. They knew that this honor was not only a recognition of their skills, but also an expectation for a better life in the future.

The craftsmen in the Ministry of Works were thrilled to hear Tang Hongwen's words. Knowing their efforts had been recognized and rewarded by the imperial court was undoubtedly a tremendous honor. Furthermore, the emperor also promised to grant them silver and land to improve their families' living conditions. Deeply impressed by the emperor's grace, the craftsmen expressed their willingness to repay the court with even more refined skills.

Tang Hongwen looked at the Xiongnu and Gan State captives who were still working and said, "Your Majesty has shown special grace. For the next two weeks, all the captives will have one meal containing meat every day to commend them for their obedience and hard work during this period."

The Xiongnu showed little interest in the arrival of meat, but the Gan people were thrilled. While in Gan, they rarely had access to meat, and even after becoming captives of the Wei, they were offered meat as long as they behaved themselves and worked hard. This made them grateful for Wei's generosity and motivated them to work even harder.

An elderly blacksmith among the captives from the State of Gan, while forging weapons, lamented, "When I was in the State of Gan, I never dreamed I would have such a comfortable life today. Now in the State of Wei, even though I'm a captive, I'm being treated so well. It's truly fate's will."

The emperor and ministers of Gan State treated their own people even less leniently than Wei State treated its captives. If he had known that Wei State would treat them so kindly, why would he have struggled so hard in the first place? Now he could only do his best to repay the Wei Emperor's kindness.

A young captive nearby echoed, "Yes. Wei's tolerance and kindness give us hope. From now on, we will do our utmost to live up to their trust."

In reality, the princes of the Imperial Government Affairs Office rewarded these craftsmen based on the importance of the steel produced by the Ministry of Industry to the State of Wei. However, the order issued by His Majesty was not entirely true, and there was a deeper reason behind it.

Chu Fan, after accepting the longsword from Tang Hongwen, carefully fiddled with it. After practicing the Jade Maiden Heart Method with Mu Xi and other women, he had officially become a warrior. The longsword Tang Hongwen presented was perfect for him, thus becoming a swordsman.

Therefore, after Chu Fan instructed Tang Hongwen to expand the scale of steelmaking, he did not give any further instructions. After all, Chu Fan was not familiar with the craftsmen in the Ministry of Industry. As for the internal rewards of the Ministry of Industry, that was the responsibility of the Ministry of Industry and the Imperial Government Affairs Office, and they would handle it properly.

However, Tang Hongwen had to say it was His Majesty's instructions, because the current Wei State was controlled by His Majesty, and all political orders needed to be issued in His Majesty's name to stabilize people's hearts. If it was just an internal decision of the Ministry of Works, then the craftsmen of the Ministry of Works would not have such a strong sense of honor and belonging.

When Tang Hongwen returned to the Ministry of Works, one thing puzzled him. After he announced that the captives would receive a daily meal of meat, the Qian captives worked noticeably harder, even outdoing the Wei craftsmen. Meanwhile, the Xiongnu became somewhat lazy, seemingly uninterested in meat.

At this time, a minister of the Ministry of Works beside Tang Hongwen asked quietly, "Sir Shangshu, is there anything bothering you?"

Tang Hongwen sighed and replied in a low voice: "The captives from the Qian Kingdom are grateful for the meat, but the Xiongnu are indifferent. This difference is really puzzling."

The Minister of Works pretended to ponder for a moment before saying softly, "Perhaps it's because the Xiongnu's eating habits differ from ours. They used to live on the grasslands, relying on beef and mutton as their staples, and they've long been accustomed to meat. Meanwhile, the people of Gan have always struggled to get enough food, so they cherish meat with a special appreciation. This is all due to custom, and it's not something that changes overnight. Your Excellency shouldn't worry too much. Just prescribe the right remedies and we'll be able to appease the people."

After hearing this, Tang Hongwen's eyes flashed with understanding, and he nodded, "You're right. Customs vary, and we really need to treat each person differently. I was inconsiderate. Then, after work every day, give them each a sip of wine as a token of comfort. This may inspire the Xiongnu to work harder, and also make the captives feel more at ease. Once people's hearts are stable, production will naturally flourish."

The Minister of Works said respectfully to Tang Hongwen, "Your Excellency is wise. This strategy will surely be effective."

In fact, when Tang Hongwen announced the one-meal-a-day incentive, the Minister of Works had already anticipated that such an incentive might not work for the Xiongnu. However, Tang Hongwen was so excited about the announcement that he thought interrupting would undoubtedly be asking for trouble, and he didn't want to continue working in the Ministry of Works.