Ye Xinyan’s concluding remarks: "Where there is one, there will be two; with simplicity as the foundation, precision and complexity will eventually follow. No matter the industry or the type of tools and equipment, they can evolve from simple to complex, from low to high efficiency, as long as there is enough time and the right environment, they can reach the pinnacle."
And patent law protection is one of those conditions. As long as practical new technologies are developed, they can be converted into silver. With profit in view, there is no fear of a lack of intelligent and talented individuals willing to put in the hard work.
Prime Minister Han, think about it, if this development continues, in the near future, the agricultural tools of ten households in the Great Xia Dynasty could match the efficiency of a hundred households’ tools in other nations or in the past. How much would the court’s grain reserves increase?
With advanced engineering tools, what used to require drafting a hundred thousand civilians for labor, now only needs ten thousand. How much food and lodging silver tael could this save for the court? And those civilians who do not have to serve labor, engaging in agriculture, handicrafts, and commerce in the countryside, how much wealth and circulation could they create?
Ye Xinyan spoke with enthusiasm, sharing everything she knew. As for whether there was excess or redundancy, that was for Han Yanhui to sift through and take what was useful, discarding what was not. Given his many years as an official and as Prime Minister, he certainly had the capacity to do so.
She had racked her brains for a way to lead a quieter life in the future, without being disturbed by court affairs.
Having arrived in this era, apart from the first two years of hardship and occasional endurance, Ye Xinyan’s time was mostly at her discretion.
But this did not cause Ye Xinyan to lose sight of her place—this was not a modern world a thousand years later with various securities, accommodating different attitudes towards life to the greatest extent. Not everyone could express themselves and earn a living based on their abilities.
In that world, standing out through one’s abilities was a way to gain recognition and approval, and thus, a path to promotion and a pay raise.
This era lacked such tolerance, especially towards women. Moreover, she had her own secrets that could not be made public, making it impractical to attract too much attention.
She would rather share these ideas with another person or a few others, letting them perfect these tasks, than reveal her edge in front of everyone.
The Ye Family’s dinner was delayed for quite some time, but Han Yanhui left satisfied.
After sending Han Yanhui off, Duke An scrutinized Ye Xinyan from every angle with a perplexed look. He was very curious—given how smoothly his granddaughter described the improvements to the weapons, what, in her imagination, would the ultimate weapon look like?
Duke An restrained himself over and again but finally ignored the old woman servant who was urging them to dine and returned to the drawing room with Ye Xinyan.
Once Ye Xinyan was seated, Duke An asked, "Xinyan, you have led the creation of many tools, and you just mentioned that weapon manufacturing can also gradually increase in power. In your imagination, what should the ultimate weapon be like?"
Ye Xinyan had already noticed the different way Duke An was looking at her and was puzzled at the time. Now she finally understood why the old man had such an expression and couldn’t help but feel bewildered.
Her mention of weapons had been based solely on ancient thinking, giving Han Yan and other officials of the Great Xia Dynasty another reason to implement the patent law.
In this era, with both transportation and communication underdeveloped, and as for what kind of people existed beyond the Great Ocean or on other continents, aside from ignorance, the Xia Dynasty had no reason for concern. The backwardness of transportation and the economy meant that no matter the strength of those regions, they could not pose a threat to the Great Xia Dynasty.
However, for the agricultural-based Great Xia Dynasty, the strong, nomadic tribes in the Northwest did pose a significant threat.
In the strictest sense, how the common people live their lives is actually not important to the elite. What matters is whether the court’s military strength is sufficient and whether the weapons are advanced in the event of conflict at the border pass. This is what truly concerns the nobility.
The patent development that Ye Xinyan spoke of is closely related to military strength and weapons.
As for military strength, only a wealthy nation and prosperous citizens can maintain elite and plentiful forces.
When it comes to weapons, the connection is much more direct. If patent law can encourage enough craftsmen to develop ingenious devices, it could also indirectly stimulate the development of weapons. At that time, wouldn’t enemy nations submit if one possesses powerful weapons of mass destruction?
Military strength and weaponry should be of utmost concern to the court and the Emperor.
That is why Ye Xinyan said so much to Han Yanhui. As for the effect her words had on Han Yanhui, a scholar-official, Ye Xinyan was somewhat uncertain. But she could guarantee that at least they were somewhat persuasive.
But now, it seemed that after all her lengthy explanations, whether Han Yanhui was convinced was still unknown, yet her grandfather, Duke An, was very intrigued.
If Duke An were to spread these views among his colleagues, would many military generals rush to support the implementation of patent law?
Thinking this, Ye Xinyan couldn’t help frowning. Elder sir, you are a military general with great achievements, it’s really not appropriate for you to get overly involved in these matters. And you definitely shouldn’t rally other generals to unify their stance, it’s very dangerous.
Ye Xinyan sighed and said to Duke An, "Those remarks were only to persuade Prime Minister Han so he could convey them to others, providing more reasons to implement the patent laws. Actually, as you know best, war still depends on people. If used properly, anything can become a weapon. For instance, setting camps ablaze, burning warships, inundating cities or swamping barracks can all serve as weapons, can’t they?"
Duke An was very dissatisfied with Ye Xinyan’s evasive behavior. He snorted coldly. As a military general who had fought wars for half his life, did he really need a green girl to remind him of such things?
"Girl, that’s not what you were talking about just now. You were eloquent, speaking of the speed, strength, and force of weapons—what was that referring to?"
Ah! Ye Xinyan rubbed her forehead in frustration. What I was talking about is firearms. But could she actually say that to her grandfather?
"Well, you know, I’m only interested in making devices to earn silver. I think... the velocity of a fired arrow has to do with its initial speed. The power with which we launch crossbow arrows is still limited by mechanisms and bowstrings. If we could find another kind of initial speed that’s much more powerful, wouldn’t the destructive force and effect be enhanced?" Ye Xinyan hesitated as she looked at Duke An, unsure whether the old man would understand.
"Like what?" Duke An asked.
Is he getting it or not? Ye Xinyan laughed nervously: "Well... for example... firecrackers? Or perhaps Sky-Piercing Monkeys?" Isn’t this like forcing a duck onto a perch?
"Grandfather, you must understand, I am just a woman, most adept at making silver. What you’re asking about, I really am not skilled in," Ye Xinyan protested.
Duke An’s eyes were deep. If you are not skilled in this, then there are really not many skilled people in this world.