Jinling.

The time is February 13th.

In the palace, after lunch, Lao Zhu went to the main hall to check on the students studying, and by the way, he found an excuse to scold his fourth son.

Because I'm in a bad mood.

There has been no good news these days.

In terms of the Northern Expedition, they thought that by taking Dongchang Road, they could occupy the entire territory of Shandong. Unexpectedly, Le'an surrendered and rebelled again, and Xu Da, who had already begun preparing to march westward, had to rush to suppress it himself.

In addition, Taishiyuan reported to the court early that a late spring cold has suddenly hit Huaidong. It is feared that there will be a severe drought this summer and autumn, and I hope the court will make arrangements in advance.

And that chapter overflows.

At the beginning, he promised that Zhang Cundao's rural soldiers could return home after conquering Fujian. However, he changed his mind temporarily in order to allow those people from eastern Zhejiang to have their own positions in the newly established navy. The old man did not understand him. painstaking efforts.

After spending all these days, I finally settled for the next best thing.

After returning the soldiers to their hometowns, they transferred them to Fujian prisoners of war and continued to march north under the leadership of Zhang Cundao.

As for convicts, they can only be used as coolies.

at last……

It's Zhu Yuan.

Lao Zhu regretted letting Zhu Yuan go to Mingzhou.

In recent months, Lao Zhu can feel the constant doubts from people around him about his favor for Zhu Yuan. However, even if he does not say that the child is his family, the most important thing is that they can understand what Zhu Yuan can bring to the world. What a benefit to come!

I shouldn't have agreed in the first place.

That sickly body... if something goes wrong...

Lao Zhu felt more and more that Zhu Yuan should be allowed to stay peacefully in the house on Houhu Island. All he had to do was tell his ancestor what he knew. Then, he... had thirty years , and can do enough things.

As for transporting food?

Relying only on canal transportation, the Northern Expedition army is indeed short of food and grass, but if it is used carefully, it will not be a big problem. What's more, even if a maritime food route is to be opened, Zhu Yuan does not need to go there in person. Even if it is the entire large-scale maritime strategy , the future is long, why should we start in a hurry now?

In the East Pavilion on the left side of Fengtian Gate.

Lao Zhu was just thinking about his precious twenty-third generation grandson, when the news about his precious twenty-third generation grandson arrived, a thick packet of paperwork, as well as other magnifying glasses, telescopes, star-pulling instruments and other items.

Not in a hurry to play with those gadgets, Lao Zhu personally opened the package of paperwork with a paper knife.

Find Zhu Yuan’s letter first.

It was a very simple two pages, indicating that we had arrived in Mingzhou and everything was safe, and also introduced the various things that came with it.

Just be safe.

Lao Zhu muttered something, noticed the work diary mentioned in the letter, flipped through it, and quickly found it.

Just one glance at it, comparing it with Zhu Yuan's handwriting of traditional and simplified characters, the neat traditional Chinese characters, and the clear punctuation, made Lao Zhu feel very comfortable, and he also understood that this was not written by his precious 23rd generation grandson. It was ghostwritten by people around me.

Read content.

After reading the first article, Lao Zhu felt uneasy again.

Compared with the following ministers who often wrote tens or hundreds of words in their memorials with thousands of words, this first diary, with more than a thousand words of content, allowed Lao Zhu to see too many things.

industrialization!

We have already known before that after the agricultural age, there is the industrial age. If you want to step into the industrial age, you probably need this 'industrialization'.

The basis of industrialization lies in ‘steel’ and ‘coal’.

There is also the "oil" that is scarce in the Ming Dynasty area. Fortunately, it is not urgently needed in the first stage.

Because of Zhu Yuan's original topic of minerals, Lao Zhu personally warned that the Zhongshu Province has recently issued relevant laws and regulations, strictly prohibiting private mining of any mineral deposits without authorization, and private mines have been opened or banned, or taken over by the government.

Just like graphite.

Many reports have been made from various places. Following the advice of his 23rd generation grandson, Lao Zhu only mined a small graphite deposit near Anqing in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and sealed all the others.

The mined graphite was transported down the river to Jinling, where the general made charcoal. In recent days, it has been supplied to the imperial city, various ministries and Guozixue. The "Sketch Techniques" has been revised, and the portion that can be printed is taken.

Engraving has also begun, and the plan is to make it a compulsory course for Baiguan and Guozixue.

At the moment...

This industrialization, ‘steel’ and ‘coal’.

Lao Zhu didn't know how to implement it yet, but he was sure that his precious twenty-third generation grandson would not talk nonsense, so he quickly made up his mind and made arrangements as soon as possible.

And gunpowder.

Hot weapons versus cold weapons, like heavy armored cavalry versus a three-year-old child!

This is consistent with one of the three strategies Zhu Yuan gave on the night he broke into Houhu. If firearms are popular, China will no longer have northern frontier troubles.

Unknowingly, Lao Zhu had stood up from behind the desk, holding the pile of diaries, and was pacing in the room. After pacing for a while, he suddenly called the courtiers and asked them to summon the commanders of the Jinling guards and plan to

A firearms demonstration will be arranged at the South Campus tomorrow.

I want to see the current level of development of Daming firearms.

In fact, Lao Zhu attached great importance to firearms very early on. In the battle at Poyang Lake that determined the pattern of the world, he might not have been able to win if he had not had many firearms on his side.

However, I understand.

It's still a long way from the heavy armored cavalry crushing a three-year-old child.

Anyway, take another look.

In addition, there is a strict ban on gunpowder. According to the suggestion of my beloved twenty-third generation grandson, charcoal cannot be restricted, but for sulfur and saltpeter, another law must be made as soon as possible to strictly regulate them. Those who exploit and trafficker without authorization will be punished by death.

Then there was the passage that deeply touched him.

The foundation of national strength lies in productivity and execution ability, rather than cherishing ingenuity and knowledge.

Lao Zhu also reflected on it.

Let's talk about "Fundamentals of Mathematics". Before Zhu Yuan set off, he discussed with Sun Shouzhen, the envoy of Taiyuan Hospital, that it should be used as a textbook for the primary school affiliated with Houhu Medical College.

After Lao Zhu found out, he rejected it.

Lao Zhu felt that this knowledge could only be learned by princes, only by Imperial College students, and could only be circulated to the court officials. In any case, how could it be taught to a group of children?

Now that I think about it, it’s just a ‘basic’, and there’s really no need to be self-conscious about it.

After clarifying these things, Lao Zhu didn't rush to turn to the second article, and read Zhu Yuan's first work diary several times, and then noticed the last sentence "Qingqiu ghostwriting, freehand, blank, Luoshui transcribed"

, frowned at first, then relaxed.

Zhu Yuan's body really deserves someone to do this for him.

Moreover, the woman around me cannot leave the back house or make decisions, so she can be trusted more than just any scribe or bookkeeper.

It’s...a woman...

Lao Zhu recalled the pretty faces he had passed by earlier. Looking at the last few sentences in the diary, he suddenly smiled.

This child... can look down upon fertile land and wealth, but this woman must be a preference. Thinking about it again, I don’t think it’s a big deal. If a person really has no desires and desires, then it has nothing to do with the wooden statues in the temple.

What a difference.

Lao Zhu still likes people who are more friendly.

Um.

Even his body... must be tempered. Come to think of it, he has lived two lifetimes and knows the importance.

After combing through it, Lao Zhu opened the next diary.

Reading and savoring like this, Lao Zhu once again felt a little more regretful. He really shouldn't let the child go out. However, it wasn't appropriate to call him back right away.

How can I bear this bumping back and forth?

Let’s talk about the content.

If the longitude and latitude can be determined, the direction and distance of any place in the world can be determined. Ordinary people may not notice anything, but as an emperor, Lao Zhu understands its significance.

only……

There is still no rush right now.

Another example is the profit of maritime trade. The goods worth 17,000 taels of silver went out and turned into 150,000 when they came back. Lao Zhu was really excited. However, he also noticed the faint admonishment of his treasured 23rd generation Sun Wenzhong and thought. After thinking about it, I decided to leave it to him with confidence.

After reading it back and forth several times, Lao Zhu finally returned to the desk.

I originally wanted to read the 'meeting minutes', but I noticed Hua Gao's letter, so I opened it first.

Hua Gao also reported that he was safe and then reflected.

It turned out that when Zhu Yuan arrived in Mingzhou, he collapsed from exhaustion and was carried into the city.

After Lao Zhu finished reading, he suddenly became uneasy again.

He stood up again and walked around for a while, thought about it, and asked someone to call the emissary and supervisor, He Shou.

Lao Zhu planned to select a few chamberlains and send them there to take care of the daily life of his precious twenty-third generation grandson. He should not be tired during the day. At night, Hua Gao should not interfere with the affairs of the chamber, so he just let the chamberlains watch them. He liked it. The woman likes it, but if it hurts her body, that's not okay.

As for the taboo that non-royal people are not allowed to use eunuchs.

He is his own child, so he is no longer a royal family?

After giving the instructions, he sat back at the desk again. Lao Zhu dropped Hua Gao's letter and picked up the stack of "meeting minutes." As soon as he opened it, a guard came to report that Fang Guozhen asked to see him.

This is already the second time.

The first time was the day after Zhu Yuan left.

Fang Guozhen came to see him, saying that he had heard that His Majesty the Emperor wanted to transport grain by sea, so he took the initiative to offer advice and told him about the affairs at sea during the two cups of tea.

Lao Zhu was very happy at that time.

Fang Guozhen finally found the right direction. Instead of rushing into the houses of various ministers, he came to beg his Majesty the Emperor.

That's right.

As for the rest...what's going on?

Therefore, Lao Zhu comforted Fang Guozhen at that time, and secretly hoped to set an example. When others arrived in Jinling City, they would first pay homage to the leftist prime minister.

Feeling good at the moment, Lao Zhu nodded: "Bring him here."

Fang Guozhen quickly arrived at the East Pavilion, and after a big ceremony, he presented two things.

The first one is to write down the things he said about the sea into a memorial in accordance with the instructions of His Majesty the Emperor last time. The other is a maritime travel diary that was just collected recently from a scholar named Wang Dayuan in Jiangxi. The book is called " "Dao Yi Zhi" tells the various experiences of Wang Dayuan during his two voyages.

Lao Zhu briefly flipped through the book "Dao Yi Zhi" and listened to Fang Guozhen's brief narration. He nodded with satisfaction, and suddenly looked over with a smile: "Old Fang, you have been so eager recently. Could it be that you have some thoughts and want to get back together?" Come on, find an official position?"

Fang Guozhen realized that the critical moment had come, and immediately knelt down again and said: "Your Majesty, I was stupid and stubborn in the past, and I wasted the imperial army, and now I feel guilty in my heart. Today, I have completely let go of the past, and I just want to be a peaceful person for the rest of my life. A rich man would never dare to ask for anything else."

Lao Zhu caught the word 'villain' in Fang Guozhen's words, paused, and said: "In that case, you were once a hero, and it is always inappropriate to be naked. I have captured Fujian, so I will give you the province of Fujian

Zuo Cheng, how is it that he lives a salary but does not know his official position?"

When Fang Guozhen heard what Lao Zhu said, the stone that had been weighing on her heart for months finally fell, and she nodded repeatedly: "I thank you, Your Majesty, I... I..."

"Get up," Lao Zhu waved his hand and said: "If you feel grateful, write a letter to your eldest son so that he can do things with peace of mind. Once the errands in Mingzhou are done, your Fang family will also have a descendant who will continue to be rich and prosperous for generations to come.

.”

Fang Guozhen did not stand up, but bowed his head again: "I will tell you clearly that I will live up to your majesty's trust."

Saying this, Fang Guozhen, who was lying on the ground, also thought of the 'outside world master' whom he had never met before.

What a master!

With this little trick, the Fang family, who had been frightened for a long time, finally found peace.

It's a pity that the master refused to accept the generous gift from the Fang family and had no way of repaying it. He could only give a few more words to his eldest son in the letter later, asking him to do his best for him.

even……

Fang Guozhen quickly thought of more.

It can't stop there.

After all, the Fang family is different from the past. From now on, the court should always have a backer.

Who could this backer be?

Li Shanchang?
Chapter completed!