CHAPTER 995: CHAPTER 993: THE OLD, WEAK, SICK, DISABLED, AND PREGNANT

Those who plan to develop new projects have seen the benefits brought by handicrafts and craftsmen, and intend to comply with the court’s patent law to seek long-term benefits.

Handicrafts, and even the simplest pre-industrial era, seem to really have signs of opening.

Craftsmen promoting technology outside are also supervising various places to see if any businessmen or workshops are imitating their farm tools for profit.

Especially the disaster-affected Yuanzhou area, which has used new-style farm tools and is well aware of their great benefits.

Compared to other places, Yuanzhou’s farm tools sell well; although not many, there are still a few.

Nearly a year has passed, and there really are a few businesses that have bought farm tools and then imitated and sold them.

Ordinary families were sued by people from the Mechanical Workshop to the yamen, which presented the court’s legal provisions: regardless of who first developed it, the one who first applied for patent protection is protected by the court, without any exceptions. The court encourages everyone to report patents to receive its support and protection.

In addition to the Qi Family Mechanical Workshop as the plaintiff, the shareholders behind them are Prince Yu and the nobility in the capital, so these people accepted the punishment. Since the infringement has just occurred and hasn’t caused much loss to the patent holder, and the defendants have a good attitude in admitting guilt, according to the law, only a certain amount of compensation was made and the sale was concluded.

There are also two losing merchants who want to do this business and took the opportunity to negotiate with the Qi Family Construction Business, purchasing the patent technology.

Although Ye Xinyan wants to earn silver from the transfer of farm tool technology, she wants to promote the farm tools even more. Therefore, the patent price is not high, nor is the number and range of promotional clients restricted.

But this was ancient times, the laws were not perfect, and various nobles had many privileges.

In a large town in Xingzhou adjacent to Yuanzhou, there lived a powerful family—Marquis Xinyong.

The first generation Marquis of Xinyong was also titled at the founding, inheriting the title without exception. The first generation Marquis of Xinyong was not a great general who fought everywhere, but a capable guard beside the founding emperor, who protected the emperor many times by risking his life.

The last time he risked his life to protect the emperor, he almost exhausted his last breath. It was this fight that allowed the person he protected to conquer the world and become the founding sovereign of the Great Xia Dynasty.

Although the guard saved his life, he was disabled, losing a leg and an eye. His contributions were great, but in his condition, it was not suitable for him to be an official in the court.

When the emperor ascended the throne, he titled the guard as Marquis of Xinyong, allowing him to return to his hometown, along with a Death Exemption Token, following the guard back to his ancestral home in Xingzhou.

The descendants of Marquis Xinyong held onto this Death Exemption Token, ate the court’s official salary, and although they didn’t do anything harmful to the countryside, they relied on this token to open paths that ordinary folks couldn’t, thriving for over a hundred years.

Imitating and selling new-style farm tools, ignoring the patent law, was thriving from a shop under the name of Marquis Xinyong’s Residence.

After the Qi Family Mechanical Workshop sued this shop to the yamen, the person who appeared wasn’t a steward or servant, but the Marquis Xinyong’s Heir himself.

The Crown Prince was very magnanimous, without a single word of excuse, directly pulling out the Death Exemption Token.

Afterwards, the business continued, and silver kept rolling in. Moreover, that shop and its workshop happened to sell farm tools, with a large output of new-style farm tools.

The county government office was too low in rank, neither party could afford to offend, so they dared not try this case at all. Besides, the person holding a token of immunity from death—does the county magistrate even have the authority to convict?

In any case, they dared not make a ruling, so the magistrate simply gave up and forwarded the case to the prefectural yamen.

The prefect was of the same attitude, and the case was handed over layer by layer to the capital’s yamen.

You Chenghui held the file, frowning deeply.

Local officials can push up layer by layer until it reaches him, but he doesn’t have the authority to reprimand or dismiss local officials.

If he dares say he can’t judge, and pushes the case to the emperor, it would mean he doesn’t want to remain as the Intendant of the Capital Prefecture.

For the first time, he hoped Miss Ye could come to his yamen, to act domineering or arrogant, as long as she could appear and face the Marquis Xinyong’s Heir, maybe the case could be easier to handle.

Otherwise, if the person holds a Death Exemption Token, and hasn’t committed a capital crime, there’s truly nothing he can do as a mere fourth-grade official. But if he doesn’t judge Marquis Xinyong’s Heir, how can the freshly introduced, still hot patent law continue to be enforced and maintained?

The problem is, Grandma Jiang is famous, everyone knows Grandma Jiang is now pregnant, and the emperor even personally arranged an imperial doctor to care for Grandma Jiang who is about to give birth.

She’s already at this critical time, how can she appear in court?

Looking across the world, besides Grandma Jiang, who else would dare to challenge the Death Exemption Token?

At this time, Ye Xinyan was already at home waiting to give birth. Zhou Biyao had given birth to a son ten days early; she had reached her due date, yet there was no sign.

Many said she could only give birth to a daughter this time. Although family members fretted secretly, they avoided mentioning this topic in front of Ye Xinyan. But thinking of Jiang Yifan’s age, Ye Xinyan was still deeply troubled.

You say, Zhou Biyao, still so young, why rush? It’s good to first have a daughter, and then a son. At least she could have let her have the chance to bear a son first. She’s a mature mother, and Jiang Yifan is quite old; she’s anxious here.

Ye Xinyan was in all kinds of whimsical worries and then heard Qiu Runsheng report on the patent infringement case that had reached the capital.

"His family has already sold more than ten farm tools?" Ye Xinyan was shocked beyond measure, given the low productivity of this era, other families shouldn’t have been imitating for long, how could it be so quick?

"What does his family do? Selling more than ten units in such a short time, doesn’t that mean they’ve made even more farm tools?"

"Yes, I inquired, that shop under Marquis Xinyong’s Residence along with its workshop originally dealt in machinery and farm tools. It’s said the Marquis Residence found a way, keeping a court quota of ample iron materials, with many craftsmen under them, unmatched by ordinary small workshops."

Ye Xinyan frowned; this Marquis Xinyong’s Residence indeed had good foresight, knowing the potential of these farm tools. With his method and manufacturing scale, he could potentially capture most of the Great Xia Dynasty’s market, accumulating over time would yield considerable wealth.

The court’s first patent defeated under power. In the long years ahead, how can the rights of craftsmen and those investing in research and development be protected? How can innovation be stimulated and industrial development encouraged?

Qiu Runsheng continued: "I spent a bit of silver to ask the official in charge at the yamen. They said this case, even if taken to court, with Marquis Xinyong’s Heir holding the Death Exemption Token, wouldn’t result in conviction. He’ll continue making and selling farm tools, and no one can do anything about it."

This is just outright bullying, isn’t it? And bullying her, a pregnant woman at that. The elderly, the sick, the disabled, and pregnant—aren’t they supposed to be given seats on the subway and bus? But now, silver and the mechanics that should have belonged to her and the whole world were taken away lightly at such a time?

In a moment of righteous indignation, she stood up instantly, startling several household staff including Song Ping’s household, "Oh my dear grandma, your body, you can’t be like this."