The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan-Chapter 602 - 600 Time reveals a person’s heart (second update)

Although the clothing workshop was murky and unhealthy under Kewo’s supervision, there were indeed honest people getting real work done.

Only, these veterans of the clothing workshop were suppressed and pushed aside by Kewo time and again, forced to do the most tiring and burdensome tasks.

Li Xianyun learned quite a bit of information from those who had labored in the clothing workshop for many years.

In the beginning, the workshop operated normally under the official government’s management.

But ever since Kewo arrived, he colluded with local gentry, eliminated dissent, and his reach extended ever further.

The former, upright female workers of the workshop had all been dismissed for various reasons, replaced by female members of punished officials’ families and abducted women from the Han ethnic group.

They wantonly exploited the labor of these pitiful women without incurring any cost.

In just a short year, each of them made a fortune.

What shocked Li Xianyun even more was that the back courtyard of the workshop actually harbored numerous well-dressed women who, because of their good looks, were selected; they didn’t have to sell their labor, but were forced to sell their bodies.

Kewo used these women to entertain the gentry and secure his influence over the powerful.

The tricks Murong Ce had used on him, he learned thoroughly and applied with added severity onto others.

The entire clothing workshop was rotten to the core.

After understanding the situation, Li Xianyun had someone bring the list of these women to her, and, upon reviewing it, discovered even more issues.

The names of many women had been crossed out, amounting to dozens.

Feeling heavy-hearted, Li Xianyun questioned a young servant who knew the inside story, and it was indeed as she had suspected; these women had been persecuted to death, leaving the world in the most tragic circumstances.

In the chaos of the era, the lives of common folk were like weeds, turned into specks of dust in the long river of history, silently fading away, not even stirring a ripple.

Without a sound or a trace.

How sad and lamentable it was.

The oppressed women were wrapped in worn mats and thrown out, while new women were brought in as criminal slaves.

It was a never-ending cycle.

The clothing workshop had truly become a demonic cave that devoured people without spitting out bones, sinister and horrifying.

People always say that there are more good people in the world, but a few bad ones can ruin the lives of many good individuals, destroying countless families.

How could someone as wicked as Kewo, devoid of any sense of manners or shame, actually have a wife and children?

Li Xianyun tallied the women registered in the books and those unregistered in the back courtyard, a total of two hundred thirty-three—a significant number.

She had the names of these women diligently copied down anew.

She then led a group to inspect various workshops.

Because there was an urgent need for cotton garments, the weaving looms and cotton-spinning machines could only be updated gradually; most had to continue using the old ones.

After tallying the usable equipment, Li Xianyun brought people to count and classify the ready-made cotton garments and fabrics in the storehouse.

Only when everything was accounted for in her mind did she order the gathering of the female workers.

She informed everyone that Kewo and others had been arrested and announced that she would manage the clothing workshop from now on.

Upon hearing that Kewo and those evil young servants were detained, the female workers cried tears of joy, embracing one another and weeping bitterly.

After suffering for so many years, they had finally persevered, and those villains were finally subdued.

The women regarded Li Xianyun with immense respect; she was the one who had rescued them from dire straits.

However, they also didn’t dare to readily trust Li Xianyun—who knew whether she had ulterior motives?

Of course, Li Xianyun was aware of their thoughts.

People’s hearts are made of flesh; they can’t be changed with just a few words, as true intentions are revealed over time.

She knew she needed to proceed slowly.

Li Xianyun told the female workers that once the production of the twenty thousand cotton garments was completed, she would negotiate with the official government and do her best to secure a better future for them.

Upon hearing this, the once dimmed eyes of the female workers gradually began to regain some luster.

Despair slowly gave way to the enfolding sparks of hope.

If what the refined and scholarly Young Master Li said was true, they would be grateful to her in the next life, willing to tie grass around their wrists and serve as beasts of burden.

After this conversation, Li Xianyun reassigned the factory space for the female workers.

The previous workshops had been cramped, damp, and crowded, so Li Xianyun had several unused rooms cleared out to serve as workshops.

This allowed for much more space in each room.

Li Xianyun had the female workers clean the workshops first and, after they had been tidied up, resume their respective tasks: weaving, cotton spinning, and sewing—each according to her own duty, in an orderly manner.

By 11 AM, the female workers made their way to the dining hall.

Inside, the scent of food was fragrant, whetting the appetite.

In fact, their meals had improved since this morning.

Surprisingly, they were able to eat normal pancakes and vegetables, and there was even meat in the dishes.

Some women, having stayed in the clothing workshop for four or five years, ate such good food and felt full for the first time, not hearing the sound of whips lashing flesh.

When such good food reached their hands, these female workers couldn’t believe it.

Some even thought it was their last meal, suspecting someone considered them a burden and had poisoned their food.

After all, there had been a big commotion last night; that fair-faced young master had stood amidst the blazing flames, formidable and stern, nothing like his warmth and friendliness during the day.

Having stayed in the dark for too long, they had become accustomed to it, thinking the world was inherently dark and filthy.

They feared they had escaped one danger only to fall into another.

Not a single woman dared to eat until a Hidden Guard said, "Eat without worry, there is no poison in the food."

He took a bite himself.

Only then did the women hurriedly begin to eat.

Having had breakfast, they thought they would never receive such treatment again, but to their surprise, the meal at 11 AM was even more fragrant and delicious.

As the women ate, many shed tears.

They knew they had to work hard to repay Young Master Li’s great kindness.

Li Xianyun referred to herself as Young Master Li in public.

Li Xianyun had a light meal and then took people to contact cotton merchants.

With the onset of war, necessities like food and cotton had become particularly scarce.

Cotton prices had soared.

Khitan was originally a major producer of cotton, but last year’s snow disaster had far-reaching effects, leaving many farmers unable to afford even cotton seeds.

To ensure the farmers’ interests, Yelu Yan allocated funds from the national treasury to various regions, ensuring that the farmers received sufficient cotton seeds to plant cotton and maintain their livelihoods.

This policy, however, had not been implemented well in Yanzhou; there were not many farmers growing cotton, leading to an increasing scarcity.

Therefore, Yelu Yan’s order to arrest those Yanzhou officials overnight was more than justified.

Having captured the officials who had contact with Kewo last night, Li Xianyun had not concerned herself with the matter further.

This morning, she learned from Bater that, under the Khan’s direct instructions, a capable general from the Flame Army had been dispatched to directly take over the Yanzhou County Government Office.

The more arrogant these fools had been before, the more miserable their fates now.

As Li Xianyun’s carriage entered a street, she heard the sound of many women and children crying.

Others, in groups, spoke with faces full of sympathy.

Bater stopped someone and asked, "May I inquire what has happened?"