"No, no, no, no..."
They hurriedly waved their hands, their knees almost buckling as they nearly knelt before her: "Lord Zheng, we would never dare to have such thoughts. As long as they stop bullying us and are willing to work with us to build the royal palace and capital and benefit the people, we will be content."
Zheng Quchi was utterly dumbfounded after hearing their humble request; he was completely distraught.
"Can't you guys... have some ambition?" she said weakly.
Yeah, can't they have some ambition?
The adults in Hualin Garden looked ashamed and frustrated.
“Lord Zheng, it is our fault that we are useless. It is a fact that the craftsmen of Ye are far inferior to those of other countries. They are right. Apart from working hard from dawn to dusk and being diligent, we are good for nothing else.”
"Actually, we also want to arrogantly tell these people from Nanlin Garden to get out of our Ye Kingdom, but..." they gave a bitter smile: "We dare not, because if they leave, what will happen to the Cangling Dam, what will happen to the people of Cangling, and what will happen to the construction and repair of the camps in the future?"
"To be honest, we are only good at repairing palaces, temples, pavilions and towers. But when it comes to complex things like bridges, streets, water conservancy, boats and vehicles, we are far inferior to them. We sincerely want to learn from them and improve ourselves, but it's not that easy. They don't even bother to take us along. If they don't want to take us, so be it. As long as they are willing to work hard, there's nothing we can't overcome."
Hearing their heartfelt words, Zheng Quchi finally understood that they were not the cowards and weaklings she had initially thought, but rather very reasonable people who would rather endure humiliation themselves than compromise the greater good.
Zheng Quchi immediately reflected on himself: "I did not consider things thoroughly. I was only concerned with winning the moment and neglected the practical issues. Thank you for your guidance."
As she spoke, she cupped her hands and bowed slightly to them to express her gratitude.
However, the group from Hualin Garden were taken aback by her actions and hurriedly said, "No, no, Lord Zheng is too kind."
As a newly appointed manager, the first thing to establish upon taking office is the trust of one's subordinates, something Zheng Quchi naturally possesses through his social experience.
After a long and frank conversation with them, she found an opportunity to formally introduce herself to them and deliver her inaugural speech.
"From now on, we will be colleagues. You are not familiar with me, and I am not familiar with you, but I am confident that we can become partners who walk hand in hand on the road ahead. I will be strict with myself, and I will always prioritize fairness and integrity. I will not judge right or wrong based on personal relationships, nor will I determine promotion or demotion based on personal connections. I hope to build a relationship of mutual trust with you, to help each other succeed, and together we can achieve fruitful results for the Bureau of Works, and realize our ambition to bring well-being to Ye Kingdom, the Bureau of Works, and the people."
She looked at them with bright, clear eyes, exuding both sincerity and friendliness, as well as a calm and confident aura. The combination of these two qualities gave her an essential leadership charm.
They were stunned for a long time after hearing this.
"Ah, certainly, certainly. Lord Zheng's ambitions are far beyond our reach. We will study diligently under your guidance and strive to make progress."
This Grand Master Craftswoman seemed to be different from what everyone thought. Although they didn't have the same preconceived notions as Nan Linyuan, who believed that the Grand Master Craftswoman must be a scheming and seductive woman, they were still influenced by rumors and developed a bias against her due to their lack of understanding.
But right now, putting everything else aside, just listening to her insightful and meaningful conversation, one can tell that she is a very thoughtful and humble person who, although a woman, has the magnanimity and breadth of mind of a man.
Some of the worries and resistance they had been suppressing in their hearts had faded away in a short time, and the last remaining part was naturally the age-old gender barrier.
It's truly a headache and a dilemma for dignified men to be led by a petite woman. They are neither used to it nor know how to get along with a female boss.
But this matter was decided by His Highness the Crown Prince. Right now, the bloody atmosphere over the entire Ye Palace has not yet been dispelled. Who would dare to argue with His Highness the Crown Prince at this juncture? Would they not want their lives?
——
The group returned to Hualin Garden. On the way, the registrar Jiang Yuan introduced the surrounding environment to Zheng Quchi as they walked. She saw an office space similar to that of Nanlin Garden, with several tables and chairs, piled high with case files and books, some blueprints and maps hanging on the walls, and three rows of bookshelves filled with books and archives. Everything looked messy but had a strange sense of harmony.
They had a separate room reserved for the Grand Master Craftsman's office. After she pushed open the door and went in, she found that the single office was very clean. She wiped the table and saw no dust. She also saw that there were many books and documents on the bookshelf.
She first flipped through a book of professional insights, which was probably left behind by her predecessor in this position. The author listed was Da Jiang Feng Ji.
Only after studying this book did Zheng Quchi fully understand the relevant aspects of his current position.
Hualin Garden and Nanlin Garden were both subordinate departments of the Imperial Workshop.
The Directorate of Works was in charge of supplying the nation with civil engineering craftsmen and overseeing the officials of the four departments, two gardens, and all crafts. There were three Grand Masters in her position, but the Grand Master Minister was a single person. Currently, only Zheng Quchi holds the position, while the other two positions are vacant.
There are four junior craftsmen, three of whom are currently employed, leaving one vacancy.
The two gardens (Hualin Garden and Nanlin Garden) were responsible for the entire inner palace of Shengjing, including the Imperial Ancestral Temple, the altars of the suburbs and shrines, and the inner and outer walls, platforms, palaces, towers, pavilions and other buildings. The contents were so varied that it was like moving bricks, which were moved wherever needed.
The four departments are divided into left, right, central, and Zhen, which are respectively in charge of supplying construction workers, including those in rammed earth construction, plastering, cinnabar painting, boats and carts, weapons, stables and livestock, stone carving, and pottery.
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