I, Am a Living Yama; Empress Advises Me to Stay Calm

In a remote corner of the imperial city, an official from the Ministry of Works bowed respectfully.
“Greetings, Your Majesty, Prime Minister Yang…”
Wu Zhao gave a slight nod and motioned for the official to lead the way.
A moment later, they arrived at the furnace site.
“Your Majesty, this is the steel we refined today. Please take a look,” the official said, presenting the piece in his hands.
Yang Yi, Wu Zhao, and Shangguan Wan’er examined it carefully. The steel was flawless, without a trace of impurity.
The official gestured for the apprentices to test its strength.
Repeated strikes left almost no marks on the surface.
Wu Zhao nodded in satisfaction. “Yang Qing, your steel-smelting technique is truly exceptional. From now on, all of Great Zhou’s steel can be forged using this method.”
Yang Yi raised an eyebrow, pleased as well. Whether for cold weapons or firearms, steel was a necessity. It was the foundation of an era’s progress.
Wu Zhao pursed her lips. “I plan to establish steel mills across Great Zhou. What are your thoughts?”
Shangguan Wan’er blinked, watching them with a peculiar expression.
The Empress was relying on Prime Minister Yang for everything—even this?
Yang Yi saw nothing unusual and simply considered the question.
“Where does Your Majesty intend to build them?”
Wu Zhao hesitated. A rare flicker of uncertainty crossed her cold and noble face.
“Steel is an essential resource… perhaps in Luoyang?”
Yang Yi shook his head. “That won’t do. Steel mills create toxic pollution. If we place them in Luoyang, it will harm the people of Great Zhou.”
Wu Zhao’s brows furrowed. She hadn’t considered that.
“Then where do you suggest?”
Yang Yi’s expression was thoughtful. “I believe the best location is the former Qing territory.”
Wu Zhao’s eyes flickered. Shangguan Wan’er looked surprised as well.
“The Qing people may have submitted to our rule, but their loyalty is uncertain. Many remnants of their old order still exist. Their land is vast but lacks a strong industry.”
Wu Zhao’s gaze darkened.
“By developing the steel industry there, we can prevent pollution in Great Zhou while also strengthening their economy. In turn, this will benefit us.”
Wu Zhao and Shangguan Wan’er exchanged glances.
This man wanted to turn the former Qing lands into Great Zhou’s steel hub.
Wu Zhao was silent for a moment. “You make a compelling argument. However, as you said, these people may not be completely loyal. If we build the mills there, efficiency might suffer.”
Yang Yi smiled. The Empress still had a feudal ruler’s mindset—she hadn’t transitioned to modern governance.
“Your Majesty, appealing to a defeated people’s patriotism is unrealistic,” he said. “But there’s a way to make them work diligently for us.”
Wu Zhao’s eyes gleamed.
Whenever Yang Yi proposed a plan, it was always aimed at solving a problem.
She hesitated for a moment. “Does it cross moral lines?”
After all, the Qing people were now subjects of Great Zhou. If the plan was too ruthless, it could damage their reputation.
Yang Yi’s expression was calm. “Rest assured, Your Majesty. My method does not cross any ethical boundaries.”
Wu Zhao let out a quiet breath, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly. A faint smile appeared on her lips.
“Then tell me—what is your plan?”
Yang Yi’s smile deepened. “It’s simple. If we want high efficiency, we just need to use incentives.”
Wu Zhao listened attentively.
“We can increase wages or offer extra pay to encourage them to work harder. This additional payment, I call ‘overtime pay.’”
Wu Zhao frowned slightly, mulling over the term. It was quite descriptive.
“You mean to use financial rewards to increase productivity?”
“Exactly. However…” Yang Yi’s eyes glinted with amusement. “That doesn’t mean everyone gets it.”
Wu Zhao and Shangguan Wan’er stared at him, puzzled.
They understood his words individually, but together, they made little sense.
Wu Zhao bit her lip. “Explain.”
Yang Yi’s smile didn’t fade. “Once the steel mills are established, we’ll recruit a large number of workers from the Qing lands. To manage them efficiently, they’ll be divided into teams, working in shifts during the day and night.
“We can set a seven-day rotation, with specific work hours. For example, the morning shift ends at Si hour, and the night shift begins at Wei hour. Then, we introduce an incentive—the earliest group to start work receives a monetary reward. This is the ‘overtime pay.’”
Wu Zhao’s expression shifted as realization dawned. “So workers will compete to arrive earlier…”
Yang Yi nodded. “Exactly. Even though the morning shift ends at Si hour, those coming for the night shift will arrive before then. They’ll work extra hours in hopes of earning the bonus.
“The catch? Only the first group to arrive gets paid extra. The rest? They work those extra hours for free.”
Wu Zhao and Shangguan Wan’er inhaled sharply. They stared at Yang Yi as if looking at a ruthless merchant.
This was… devious.
Using a small reward to lure people into working longer, only for most of them to receive nothing?
Wu Zhao’s eyelids twitched. This plan wasn’t unethical, but it was certainly exploitative.
She should have known. Yang Yi never suggested “kind” policies.
He wasn’t just making the Qing people work—he was squeezing every last drop of labor from them.