Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

The establishment of the Datong Research Institute was part of Zhu Youjian's plan for sacrificial rites.

It will serve as a line of defense in the realm of thought, just like the Marxist Academy.

From now on, the City God's Office will focus on religion, while the Datong Academy will focus on ethnic and other aspects, resisting the spread of barbarian and decadent cultures.

On the surface, it uses whether or not it is conducive to achieving universal harmony as the criterion for judgment.

In fact, the first step was to exclude the barbarian cultures, which lacked the concept of universal harmony and were incapable of achieving it, from the public discourse of the Ming Dynasty, based on the distinction between Chinese and barbarians.

Decadent cultures such as pornography, gambling, and drugs, as well as local cultures such as dialects and variant characters that are detrimental to universal harmony, will also have their spread restricted, limiting their influence to a certain range.

After understanding the emperor's intentions, Qian Qianyi quickly decided to establish the Institute of Thought, specifically to assign a group of people to investigate this issue.

Then he established the Institute of History, intending to evaluate the history of various periods based on whether they were conducive to the Great Harmony and whether they conformed to the distinction between Chinese and barbarians.

He intends to integrate empirical history throughout this process, allowing practical learning to take root in Datong Academy.

He even planned to find fault with the concise history that Huang Lijie was writing, and try to snatch the writing job to the Institute of History of Datong Academy.

In that way, their practical knowledge would have the right to evaluate history, and it would no longer be considered an unimportant subject.

Zhu Youjian was also somewhat dissatisfied with Huang Lijie's dragging-out compilation of the concise history. After learning of Qian Qianyi's idea, he greatly appreciated it and, after some thought, offered the following advice:

"The study of epigraphy and archaeology began with Lü Dalin."

"In his 'Archaeological Illustrations,' he recorded many ancient bronze and jade artifacts."

“I think Datong Academy could also establish a museum or epigraphy hall to store these things.”

"Collect ancient artifacts, including stone tools, jade artifacts, pottery, porcelain, bronze artifacts, and iron artifacts, and preserve their original appearance to prove the division between the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age."

"Only in this way can we conform to the double evidence method that I proposed for empirical history, and distinguish ourselves from those schools of history that focus solely on textual evidence."

Qian Qianyi was inspired by this and secretly regretted that he hadn't thought of this before.

This was clearly a good opportunity to lay the foundation for practical learning, but unfortunately he forgot about it after writing the article and was only satisfied with replacing moralistic history with empirical history.

Little did he know that there was also the field of epigraphy and archaeology waiting for him to incorporate, and that practical learning could completely bring archaeology under his control.

The current emperor has offered him so much academic guidance, but unfortunately he didn't pay any attention before, which caused him to miss opportunities time and time again.

He decided that after the establishment of the Datong Academy, he would organize all the emperor's public words and actions, and strive to study them in depth and figure out the meaning of every word the emperor said.

The future renowned "Chongzhen Precious Instructions" began to take shape. It, along with other precepts such as the "Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty," served as the ancestral precepts of the Ming Dynasty.

Although these ancestral precepts cannot be called laws or rituals and have no binding force, many legal provisions are based on them.

For emperors who only needed to abide by etiquette, ancestral precepts were equally binding.

Since their imperial throne came from bloodline, they naturally had to treat their ancestors with reverence.
-
After arranging for Qian Qianyi to establish the Datong Research Institute, Zhu Youjian allocated him 10,000 taels of silver as start-up capital to see how he would perform.

If Qian Qianyi still doesn't appreciate it, then we can only give up on cultivating him and treat him merely as a figurehead official.

Fortunately, Qian Qianyi already knew he had disappointed the emperor, and this time he was determined not to miss the opportunity.

He kept his disciple Qu Shisi, who wanted to take a local post, in the imperial court.

"I am here by His Majesty's order to oversee propaganda and education and to promote the ideal of Great Harmony."

"This is a significant responsibility and requires capable personnel to assist us."

"You can wait until the next term for your transfer."

"At that time, one could go directly to the three local government offices to serve as the chief official, or even serve as the governor."

Upon hearing this promise, Qu Shisi said:

"His Majesty decreed that teachers and students should avoid each other."

"It is impossible for a disciple and his teacher to work in the same government office."

"What does the master want his disciple to do in order to assist and help?"

Qian Qianyi stroked his beard and said:
"Go to Shaofu Temple and keep an eye on Wensi Academy for me."

"Although the Academy of Literature and Thought was not established by the Emperor, it is one of the most valued research institutes."

“In the past, under His Majesty’s guidance, I proposed practical learning, and His Majesty arranged for me to go to the Academy of Literature and Thought.”

"At that time, I also grasped some principles and wrote articles on investigating things and extending knowledge."

"It's a pity I didn't go back afterwards, as the Academy of Arts and Sciences became closer."

"Your trip to Shaofu Temple this time is to help your teacher win over Wensi Academy."

"The Emperor's request must have a profound meaning. In the future, the Datong Academy and the Academy of Sciences will compete, and the Wensi Academy may be needed."

This is something he discovered while reflecting on his interactions with the emperor over the past few years.

The emperor must have had a deeper meaning in sending him to the Academy of Literature and Thought back then. Unfortunately, he didn't understand it and only went once.

Looking back at the artifacts that the Academy of Arts and Sciences has been researching in recent years, they are mostly production tools, which have greatly improved productivity.

This aligns with the practical theory of production, and he felt that the Academy of Literature and Thought must be given due attention.

Qu Shisi previously served as an official in the Taifu Temple, and now he has been transferred to the Shaofu Temple. He is an official transferred between the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works, so he will not encounter much resistance.

Especially given that people from Suzhou, Songjiang, and Zhejiang were not allowed to serve as high-ranking officials in the Ministry of Revenue, Qu Shisi's transfer from the Ministry of Revenue to the Ministry of Works would pave a brighter future for him.

Qu Shisi had also considered this point, because although this reshuffle brought many changes to the official appointment system, it did not abolish the rule that people from Suzhou, Songjiang, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang were not allowed to serve as officials in the Ministry of Revenue. On the contrary, it made it even clearer that officials from wealthy provinces such as Jiangnan, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang were not allowed to serve as senior officials in the various departments of the Ministry of Revenue.

Qu Shisi previously served as the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, one of the court officials. In the past, he could use the fact that the Court of Imperial Sacrifices was not the Ministry of Revenue to circumvent relevant regulations.

Now that it's clear that all departments within the Ministry of Revenue are subject to this restriction and cannot hold high-ranking positions, his future in the Ministry of Revenue is over, and he has no chance of advancing further.

Now his teacher is asking him to switch to the Ministry of Works, which gives him the opportunity to build up his resume there. Perhaps when he returns to the capital after being transferred elsewhere, he can become a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Works.

Therefore, he was happy to accept this. In particular, the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works had many connections, and officials from the two ministries were usually considered to be in the same category. It wouldn't be difficult for him to transfer, as the Ministry of Works needed officials who were proficient in finance.

There is one problem that needs to be solved:
There are no vacant positions left in the court after the change of leadership. How can we get someone to vacate a position?
In response, Qian Qianyi confidently stated:

"The number of officials in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices has always been insufficient. His Majesty adheres to the principle of 'better to have none than to have bad ones,' and has always allowed officials from the Ministry of Works to hold these positions concurrently, thereby strengthening the connection between the Ministry and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and making it easier for the Court of Imperial Sacrifices to access the resources of the Ministry of Works."

“The Ministry of Works is very busy right now, and Lü Xiang, whom His Majesty favors, has also grown up. The situation of holding positions in two departments should be changed.”

“I will recommend you and Lü Xiang to His Majesty to serve as Left and Right Vice Ministers.”

"His Majesty should be very pleased that a craftsman can sit in this position."

They believed the emperor would definitely agree, because the emperor had always wanted to elevate the status of artisans.

Qu Shisi nodded repeatedly, having no objection to himself and Lü Xiang being appointed to the same rank.

Because Lü Xiang is now the Marquis of Shenwei, appointed by the emperor, no longer holding the same position as he did a few years ago.

It is an honor for him to be appointed to a position of equal rank as a marquis; how could he possibly be dissatisfied?
Thinking of the craftsmen who were granted titles of nobility and earldom for inventing and improving weapons, Qu Shisi even harbored ambitions, feeling that he might have that opportunity.
-
As Qian Qianyi had predicted, after he made this suggestion, the emperor quickly reassigned officials to the Shaofu Temple.

Lü Xiang was promoted to Vice Minister, and Bo Jue and others were also promoted. The Shaofu Temple was completely transformed into an office dominated by artisan officials.

As a result, Lü Xiang and others treated Qu Shisi very well. After Qu Shisi improved his confidentiality level through training, they took him to visit the Wensi Institute.

However, after visiting the Wensi Academy, Qu Shisi quickly abandoned his idea of ​​gaining merit and a title there.

Because the research conducted by the Institute of Arts and Sciences is so highly specialized that he, as an outsider, simply cannot understand it. The Institute also implements a chief engineer responsibility system, clearly assigning credit to everyone.

He was a civil servant who wasn't an engineer, yet he was able to make contributions during the research and development process and even share in the profits.

But he can forget about being granted a title based on this; everyone knows he's not the most crucial person.

Even if the emperor is generous with titles, he will not casually bestow them upon those who hitch a ride.

Looking at the Lü Gong cannon that Lü Xiang was improving, especially the lower-cost shrapnel shells, Qu Shisi said enviously:
"If this cannon is successful, future wars will truly be artillery battles."

"With this, Lord Lü can make another contribution and be promoted to another rank."

His words were full of envy, and he even expressed a desire to learn the trade and become an engineer.

But the thought of being ridiculed made him too ashamed to admit it. Even if he could learn the skill, he couldn't bear to be called a craftsman.

Lu Xiang responded to his compliments with a helpless smile:

"It's too early to talk about these things now; these weapons can only be used for testing here."

"The only way to equip it is to wait until the quality of steel improves so that it can be produced on a large scale."

This is what frustrates him the most: he designs something but struggles to produce it.

In his design, the new Lügong cannon, specifically designed to fire shrapnel shells, was intended to be a rifled cannon.

However, the quality of steel in the Ming Dynasty was not high enough, and the rifling technology was not mature, making it difficult to manufacture qualified cannon barrels.

Even when successfully manufactured, the shells only last for a few dozen rounds. Each shell fired costs a large sum of money.

Neither the navy nor the army can afford to equip themselves with this kind of equipment right now. It can only be kept at the Academy of Arts and Sciences for further improvement and refinement.

Qu Shisi listened and asked:

"Weren't trapdoor guns difficult to manufacture before?"

"But now the problem has been solved."

"Why not simplify it, just like the breech-loading cannon?"

Lü Xiang shook his head and said:
"Naval guns require performance, which is different from the requirement for quantity of breech-loading guns."

"Even if the rifled gun is simplified to a smoothbore gun, it can still outperform the Jurchens' bows and arrows."

"However, the Ming Dynasty was already somewhat behind in the field of naval guns, and now it must use advanced technology to regain its advantage."

"A rifled cannon paired with shrapnel shells provides both range and power."

“Simplified to a smoothbore cannon, the range of shrapnel shells is too short and the accuracy is not accurate enough.”

"In addition, shrapnel shells are still very expensive. Rather than letting gunners fire shells randomly, it is better to use rifled guns with better accuracy."

"Unfortunately, the steel quality is too poor, and it only has a lifespan of a few dozen rounds now."

As he spoke, he brought up the bolt-action repeating musket he was developing, which had encountered the same problem:

"Repeating muskets are best made of rifled barrels; otherwise, they are just a waste of bullets."

"Rifled guns now only last for a few hundred rounds, and they are too expensive to use for both training and combat."

"The army still mostly uses smoothbore breech-loading guns, and rifled guns are only used by elite troops."

Both projects were stalled due to issues with steel quality, which made Qu Shisi realize more deeply why the emperor said the future would be the steel age.

Only by smelting steel of sufficient quality can the Ming Dynasty improve its equipment and use better weapons to suppress the surrounding barbarians.

Thinking of the Coal and Steel Administration established by the Ministry of Works at the emperor's behest, Qu Shisi said:

"Doesn't the Ministry of Industry have the Coal and Steel Administration? We can urge them to smelt steel of sufficient quality."

“Our Wensi Institute can also conduct research and establish a steel research institute.”

Lü Xiang explained:
"The Coal and Steel Administration has a Coal and Steel Research Institute, which specializes in the research of coal, charcoal, and petroleum used in steelmaking."

"Our Wensi Institute also has a steel research lab, which is under the Materials Research Institute."

"The most important task of the Materials Research Institute now is to determine the density and melting point of various elements based on the periodic table written by His Majesty."

"Further explore methods for measuring the content of various elements in steel, and incorporate different elements into steel to create alloy steel."

"If suitable steel for guns becomes available, the current problem will be solved."

"Unfortunately, there are too many difficulties involved, and there haven't been many results so far."

In this day and age, measurement methods are too outdated.

Zhu Youjian was not a person in the steel industry and did not know how to measure the composition of steel.

He could only point out the direction, letting the Materials Research Institute of the Academy of Arts and Sciences explore material formulations through exhaustive methods.

Whether you succeed or fail, you can gain experience.

To this end, he also arranged for the Academy of Sciences to send personnel to assist in exploring computational materials science, establishing mathematical models, and estimating the properties of materials.

There hasn't been much progress in this area yet, as it's theoretically too advanced.

However, when Qu Shisi heard that the Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Liberal Arts were collaborating on research in computational materials science, he was surprised and realized the reach of the Academy of Sciences.

Qian Qianyi arranged for him to come to Shaofu Temple to strengthen cooperation with the Academy of Arts and Sciences and suppress the Academy of Sciences.

Given the deep collaboration between the Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Arts and Sciences, how did he come up with this suggestion?
Especially after watching the progress of the various projects at the Academy of Arts and Sciences, his heart felt even colder—

The collaboration between the Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Literature and Art was far more in-depth than he had anticipated.

Many engineers at the Academy of Sciences are studying geometry taught by professors at the Academy.

They need these when drawing and designing.

If Datong Academy cannot offer something sufficiently attractive, it will be impossible to prevent Wensi Academy from aligning with the Academy of Sciences.

Qu Shisi reported to his teacher with great concern, asking for advice.

What ideas could Qian Qianyi possibly have? He was simply not a quick-witted person.

But now he has come to his senses and knows to consult the emperor about things he doesn't understand.

Upon receiving the emperor's instruction to "practice what is useful and develop production," he immediately understood and instructed Qu Shisi to do so:

"We need to organize the patents of the Institute of Science and Technology to see what can be applied and what can be used to develop production."

"Our practical learning is a discipline that involves hands-on experience; we must personally put it into practice to guide production."

"The Institute of Arts and Sciences has researched many things, but its application is insufficient."

"We should help them so that they can collect more patent fees."

"With patent fees increasing in the future, there's no need to worry about Wensi Institute not siding with Datong Institute."

He instructed Qu Shisi to organize the technical data, while he invited familiar business owners to a gathering, asking them to select usable patented technologies and purchase the corresponding licenses.

Incidentally, invite these people to join the Datong Association and provide funding for the Datong Society and Datong Academy. (End of Chapter)