Chapter 994: Chapter 994
Capítulo 994: Chapter 992: Filing a Lawsuit in the Capital
Though Shi Yin was old, he demonstrated astonishing comprehension and hands-on skills, rapidly replicating the memories in Ye Xinyan’s mind with logic and evidence.
Ye Xinyan suspected that someone like Shi Yin might have already designed many undisclosed mechanisms for various wealthy and powerful figures.
Things like playful gadgets, secret paths, and tomb designs were Shi Yin’s areas of expertise, and it was even possible that he manufactured weapons.
Therefore, Shi Yin could interact with Jinrong in the capacity of a craftsman and was respected by Jinrong.
Inspired by new things not belonging to this era, the original staff of the Mechanical Workshop and the craftsmen continuously brought in by Cheng Dahui were all in high spirits, devoting all their time to the manufacture of the blast furnace, apart from necessary meals and rest.
With repeated experiments and improvements, the production progress of the blast furnace was swift.
During this period, Cheng Dahui and Shi Yin went to Huaiyuan County for an on-site inspection at the smeltery workshop. They selected a smelting furnace with a relatively open location and adjusted its air intake according to the blast furnace’s shape and dimensions they designed.
Zhou Biyao’s childbirth was over two months earlier than Ye Xinyan’s.
One early April day, Zhou Biyao began to feel labor pains while resting at home, and it was only dawn then. The Wong family and the midwives they invited were in a flurry, and after three Shichens, Zhou Biyao successfully gave birth to a son.
Of course, Wong Qiao didn’t go to work at the Mechanical Workshop. Shortly after Zhou Biyao started feeling labor pains, two midwives and a mammy sent by the Zhou family invited him out.
During these three hours, Wong Qiao kept watch outside the delivery room, listening to the cries of pain from inside, his eyes almost turning red, and his pacing never stopped.
Even his mother-in-law’s repeated attempts to comfort him didn’t work, unable to suppress the panic inside him.
When the midwife came out to announce the good news of a son being born and both mother and child being safe, Wong Qiao, tense for most of the day, breathed a sigh of relief, almost collapsing and nearly kneeling to thank the heavens.
People say that childbirth is akin to walking through the Ghost Gate Pass for women, and it nearly scared him to death.
But now, mother and child are safe! Biyao was fine and even gave him a son. The Wong family now has an heir, and Biyao also holds more weight in front of the family.
Wong Qiao had long decided on a name for the child and immediately named the boy Wong Yueting.
When the little one was given a wash on the third day, it was a lively event, and all close families came to offer their congratulations. Pregnant Ye Xinyan naturally was not suitable for such an occasion. But Madam Yin always liked Zhou Biyao and wouldn’t miss such an event.
Seeing the delicate little baby, Madam Yin was overwhelmed with envy. Upon returning from the Zhou family, she immediately went to the Jiang Family. When Ye Xinyan returned from the workshop, Madam Yin had a lot to say to her, directly suggesting that she stay at home to rest.
However, Ye Xinyan had an imperial doctor accompanying her. The emperor had high hopes for improving iron smelting efficiency and output but was also aware of Ye Xinyan’s current state.
To ensure the progress of the development work without delaying it while also ensuring Ye Xinyan’s health, the emperor specifically assigned an imperial doctor specializing in gynecology to accompany her.
The imperial doctor said that Grandma Jiang’s pulse was steady, she was in good health, and the fetus was stable. Moreover, moving around more was beneficial for both the pregnant woman and the fetus.
The emperor’s intentions were so apparent and thoroughly considered that Madam Yin, despite her anxiety, couldn’t say much more.
Gradually, time moved into May, and Ye Xinyan’s body had grown noticeably heavier. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ 𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅✦𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾✦𝗇𝖾𝗍
Indeed, she felt fatigue but didn’t let it interfere with her work. After all, back in modern times, many female colleagues were still working a few days before their due dates, and they too had healthy mothers and children. Additionally, those who worked up to the birth had smoother deliveries compared to those who stayed home early on for rest.
She could feel that the fetus in her belly was healthy and active, and with an imperial doctor by her side, if she still insisted on bed rest at home, it would seem rather indulgent.
Thus, she continued to visit the Mechanical Workshop daily, though her stays were shorter, and she no longer ventured into the manufacturing site. Most of the time, she went early, organizing previous day’s schedules and progress, and verifying various materials.
Only when there were doubts did she sit down with Shi Yin, Wong Qiao, Cheng Dahui, and others to discuss and resolve issues.
As the casing and impellers of the blast furnace gradually took shape and the production of bearings neared completion, June arrived.
June was the expected delivery month given by the imperial doctor. As this era’s older first-time mother, Ye Xinyan finally returned home to await childbirth.
At this time, following the introduction of the patent law by the court in May, the first patent infringement case was brought to the Capital Prefecture Yamen in the capital.
Yet the emperor, with immense determination to strictly enforce the patent protection law, encountered a significant obstacle. Clearly an infringement case, it couldn’t be resolved.
As early as April, the court’s patent law, having overcome numerous obstacles, was finally announced.
With the announcement of the patent law, the data for five new types of agricultural tools that Zhou Biyao brought back from Peach Grove were immediately submitted to the court to apply for patents.
The person handling the application was Qiu Runsheng, the manager of the Mechanical Workshop.
Qiu Runsheng had strong negotiation skills, and since this was the first patent application received by the Patent Office, there were no complicated matters like checking old patents.
As long as it was confirmed by the Imperial Workshops Bureau and the Ministry of Works that there were no structural conflicts, and the agricultural officer affirmed the practicality of these tools, the court approved the first patent.
The five agricultural tools from the Qi Family Mechanical Workshop all obtained patent rights.
Upon receiving patent approval, the court’s patent laws were also sent to every prefecture and county in the Great Xia Dynasty, along with the five patents of the Qi Family Mechanical Workshop.
This meant that from now on, anyone manufacturing these tools for profit would be breaking the law. Depending on the severity of the crime, punishments could include compensation, confiscation of property, conscription, or even exile.
Simultaneously, the Mechanical Workshop’s marketing team also began promoting technology in various prefectures and counties. They not only sold the new-style tools but also sold their manufacturing technology.
The unfolding operations made many affluent merchants and noble families realize that the patent laws they had been opposing actually benefitted their large families, while craftsmen profited little.
Take agricultural tools, for instance. Even though the Qi Family Mechanical Workshop paid high wages to attract skilled artisans, the result was that the tools obtained patents and, after selling the technology, the long-term profits went to the workshop’s owner, not much related to the craftsmen.
As for the craftsmen’s wages, if it could generate substantial earnings for the owner, it would be equivalent to a merchant hiring a capable store manager or chief manager. Paying high wages to those who can earn money for the owner was not a problem at all.
Everyone set their sights on making money from craftsmen and patented apparatuses. Securing a good craftsman or a brilliant idea equated to silver, potentially an endless stream of silver.
These major families couldn’t help but sigh, seeing it as the court opening up a financial path for their prominent families.
In a very short time, the noble and gentry families and merchants fully embraced the patent law. Moreover, those noblemen who acted quickly were already recruiting imaginative craftsmen to develop new apparatuses.