The Ming Dynasty took an unconventional approach

Chapter 1051

The three families that Zhao Shizhu brought back all spoke Mandarin, and even a five-year-old child could communicate with them in Mandarin.

They were all taught by Zhao Shizhu and Hu Ning.

Zhao Shizhu said, "At first, we did have ulterior motives and wanted to train people, but after living with them for a long time, we found that learning Chinese would be very useful for them. If merchants from the Ming Dynasty come, they can work as translators to earn money."

Children learn languages ​​very quickly. They have been speaking Mandarin with Zhao Shizhu and others since they were young, so even if they are illiterate, they can communicate without any problems.

When Hu Ning brought them back, he told them that Pan Yun was a relative from their hometown and worked for a trading company. The company's caravans would be coming in droves, and they would be needed to work. They would not only sell the goods here, but also to the tribes on the grasslands, and even to the neighboring Chahar Khanate.

Upon hearing this, the three young men breathed a sigh of relief and patted their chests in agreement.

They said, "How can a pie fall from the sky?"
So they were planning to smuggle themselves across the border to do business; they're familiar with that.

They weren't afraid of Pan Yun setting conditions; they were afraid of her not setting any conditions.

The three young men were very close to Zhao Shizhu and called him their godfather. They trusted him a lot, after all, they had all been raised by their godfathers.

And so, Zhao Shizhu and Hu Ning would go out during the day to find their former adopted sons and daughters, and at night they would learn how to send and receive telegrams from Pan Yun.

The adopted sons and daughters who were found took the money given to them by Pan Yun and went out to buy things, decorating the entire house.

Pan Yun also had them buy a shop. Firstly, this would ensure they had a livelihood and could provide funding for the intelligence organization after she left; secondly, it would also serve as a cover for intelligence gathering.

Pan Yun also gave Zhao Shizhu and Hu Ning enough time to consider: "Do you want to go back to the Ming Dynasty, or stay here?"

Zhao Shizhu smiled wryly: "The Imperial Preceptor has been teaching us so diligently, he must hope that we will stay here. We are most familiar with this place, and those children only recognize us. It is best for the Ming Dynasty for us to stay."

Hu Ning was more direct, nodding and saying, "We'll stay."

Pan Jun's heart pounded. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I see that there will be heavy snow in the day after tomorrow, and the temperature will drop sharply. After the snow, everyone will stay indoors. You can set off with me. I will take you back to your hometown. Where is your military registration? Who are your family members?"

Their eyes were filled with confusion, and after a long silence, they finally said, "More than twenty years have passed, and we don't even know if they're still around..."

Whether they're there or not, you'll know once you go back and check.

Zhao Shizhu slowly shook his head: "This trip and return might take one or two years..."

“A day or two will do,” Pan Jun interrupted them, saying, “It just so happens that we discovered some problems with sending and receiving telegrams this time, and I also need to go back and prepare some things.”

Zhao Shizhu and Hu Ning were stunned.

Miaozhen rushed out and said, "Junior Uncle, I want to go back too!"

Pan Yun glanced at her and said, "What are you going back for? Haven't you been practicing medicine and fortune-telling in the city lately?"

Miaozhen: "My third senior brother and Miaohe treat patients and have some customers. I tell fortunes, but they don't believe me. They only believe in their own gods. But I know what's most lacking here. I'll go back and buy more goods. I can make a lot of money from buying and selling."

Pan Jun thought for a moment and then nodded: "Alright, I'll take you with me. Go and ask Miao He and Yan Bai whether they're leaving or staying?"

Miao He and Tao Yanbai decided to stay.

They felt that the physical condition of the people here was different from that of the people in the Central Plains, and they also discovered two rather strange diseases that they had never seen before, so they decided to stay and conduct research.

Pan Yun ignored them and left them there. That night, he took the three of them to the rooftop, pulled off the Three Treasures Cauldron from his waist, and threw it out.

Zhao Shizhu and Hu Ning watched as the Three Treasures Cauldron grew larger and then landed in front of them.

Their eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

I knew the Imperial Advisor and his group were extraordinary, but I never imagined they were this extraordinary.

Miaozhen was also very thoughtful; she took out a stool and helped them climb inside.

Pan Yun jumped into the Three Treasures Cauldron, activated the array inside to block out the cold wind, and with a turn of his Yuan energy, poured it into the array diagram of the Three Treasures Cauldron, which then warmed up. The three of them, sitting cross-legged at the bottom of the cauldron, no longer felt cold.

The Three Treasures Cauldron flew out with a whoosh. Zhao Shizhu shakily stood up, clinging to the cauldron, and peered out. His back slowly straightened, and the light in his eyes gradually became as dazzling as the stars in the sky.

He turned his head and saw Hu Ning standing beside him, gazing at the vast and bright world just like him.

The cold wind was kept out, but the sound of the Three Treasures Cauldron cutting through the wind could be heard as it flew by quickly.

The journey that had trapped them for over twenty years was nothing more than a flick of the wrist for Pan Jun.

Zhao Shizhu felt a sense of déjà vu; he had died in the cold night of that day, and all the experiences of the past few days had been a dream. At this moment, his dream reached its peak. Perhaps if he could return to the Ming Dynasty, return to his hometown, and see his family, his soul could find peace, and his spirit would disappear into the world.

Pan Yun had been observing their expressions and knew they were confused. After thinking for a moment, he decided not to go directly back to their hometown of Baoding Prefecture, but instead went to Datong Prefecture, where they had served before they left.

Datong Prefecture remained largely unchanged from when they left.

Both of them were somewhat incredulous and asked Pan Yun, "Imperial Preceptor, how come Datong hasn't changed at all?"

Pan Yun knew what they wanted to ask and said, "The army is practicing a new cultivation method, but it hasn't shown any results yet. In the past, cultivators could not appear in the mortal world, but now that restriction is gradually being lifted, that's why I'm revealing myself to you two."

After the two men had adapted to the Ming Dynasty in Datong, and found two old comrades in the army, confirming that they were still alive, Pan Yun took them back to Baoding Prefecture.

Oh, they rejoined the team. Pan Yun brought them back personally. Kuang Ye was very sensible and had their military pay for the past twenty years made up. Both of them received a large sum of money.

Upon arriving in Baoding Prefecture, Pan Yun left them behind, telling them to find their own way back, while she and Miao Zhen went to purchase goods.

Zhao Shizhu and Hu Ning first went to a clothing store and bought themselves two new outfits. Then they bought several bolts of cheap and nice fabric, as well as meat and candy. Finally, they hired an oxcart and carried their bags home.

The Zhao and Hu families were military households. The two men had not returned home for a long time, and there was no news of them or any military pay. The army did not acknowledge that they had died in battle, so the situation was dragged on indefinitely.

A few years later, when the imperial court ordered them to send another person to serve in the army, they began to demand that the court provide compensation for those who died in battle.

But because there was no news of their death, neither living nor dead, they could not receive any compensation.

Later, they made contact with the border army in Datong. The border army only relayed the news to the Ministry of War, which then notified the Zhao and Hu families. Only then did the two families realize that they were still alive.

But that was the only time; there was no further news after that, and any further inquiries were met with accusations of confidentiality.

After more than twenty years, both families had long since considered him dead.

Today, a bullock cart suddenly appeared at the entrance of the village, and two elderly people with gray hair and wrinkled faces got off. The villagers couldn't help but come up to them and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

Military households and civilian households generally lived separately. The places where military households lived were mostly called "tun" (屯), and their garrison was nearby.

"Are there any people at Zhao Ergang's or Hu Xiang's house?" A group of children exchanged glances, then blocked the oxcart tightly and asked, "We've never heard of them. Have you come to the wrong place?"

"There can't be a mistake, my home is right here." Zhao Shizhu frowned and asked, "Aren't there any Zhao family members in your village?"

"Of course I have one. My surname is Zhao, but I don't know anyone like that."

"Let's get a few older people to come out and talk."

The children ran to find their father, and soon several young men came out: "Who are you looking for?"

After Zhao Shizhu spoke, the young men looked at each other, and most of them said, "We don't recognize him. Did we come to the wrong place?"

One of the young men scratched his head, looking uncertain, and said, "Why does this sound a bit like my grandfather's name?"

Zhao Shizhu: "What's your father's name?"

"My father's name is Zhao Tiezhu."

Zhao Shizhu's eyes reddened instantly, and he choked up as he said, "It was my eldest brother. Back then, because my brother was weak, the family chose me to serve in the army."

The young man was taken aback: "You, you're my second uncle?"

Soon, the young men of the Hu family also recognized Hu Ning, and the whole village was in an uproar. The young men surrounded the two and walked towards the center of the village.

The parents of both the Zhao and Hu families have passed away; only their siblings remain.

When they came out to greet them and saw how old their brother had become, they all burst into tears.

Pan Yun gave them ample time to exchange pleasantries, and they didn't come to visit until the third day.

She returned to the capital, where she not only discussed the improvement of the telegraph machine with the Ministry of Works and raised many questions, but also met with Yu Qian, of course, in front of the emperor.

Yu Qian asserted: "Since the beginning of winter, Esen has been sending people to probe the border, and there have been constant frictions on the Datong border. I'm afraid they will take action before spring arrives."

Pan Jun: "If you're going to fight, why not do it now when it's freezing cold? If you start fighting in the spring, won't that delay spring planting?"

Yu Qian: "Esen is now out of popular support, and there are constant conflicts between him and various tribes. How can he send troops to suppress the tribes while still having the time to harass the border?"

Pan Yun: "Shifting the blame?"

"Spring plowing is of great importance to our Great Ming, and it has a different meaning for the grasslands. But the premise is that Esen can control the overall situation. If not, it would be better to launch an attack on the Great Ming and send all those voices of opposition in secret to the front line to be directly worn down."

Pan Yun sat up straight: "So, the imperial court is prepared to fight?"

The Emperor said, "The various ministries began preparations after the Imperial Preceptor left the capital."

His eyes gleamed as he said, "Once the Grand Preceptor's intelligence network is established, we'll know exactly how they march!"

Pan Jun chuckled: "Your Majesty, do you know how vast the grasslands are occupied by the Oirats? How could a few intelligence points possibly know the Oirats' marching routes?"

Yu Qian said, "The Ministry of War has already sent out scouts who will infiltrate the grasslands with portable telegraph machines. However, the Ministry of Works said that whether the message can be safely transmitted back depends on your high-power signal receiving station. After all, their portable telegraph machines have very low power and can only transmit over short distances."

Pan Jun seemed to understand something: "Now that you mention it, it's not entirely impossible."

Pan Yun also wanted to give it a try.

Esen's ambitions are too great; he will not give the Ming Dynasty any breathing room.

How can one tolerate someone else snoring beside one's bed? If Esen is not eliminated, he will surely hinder the technological and economic development of the Ming Dynasty.

If the northern threat can be resolved once and for all, the Ming Dynasty can then focus its attention on the economy, technology, and education.

Honestly, in the last few decades, apart from some advancements in civilian technology, the Ming Dynasty has been almost identical to the Hongwu era...

Oh, it's just that the population has increased, and so has the amount of arable land.

Of course, there haven't been many changes on paper. Since the late Hongwu period, the increase in population and arable land has been largely hidden.

Pan Yun couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt when she thought about how so many people were making money behind her back without paying a single penny of tax to the country, instead shifting the taxes that should have been theirs onto poor people like them.

She couldn't help but want to find those people and make them pay taxes and contribute to the country just like her.

Only in this way could Pan Yun release the pent-up anger in her chest.

Pan Jun nodded and said, "Okay, I'll speed things up."

Before leaving, Pan Yun went to the Ministry of Works again and said to Minister Hu, "Select two skilled papermakers to study papermaking. These are some formulas I copied down. You must develop them. I want a new papermaking formula that is cheap, less polluting, and more efficient."

Hu Cheng took it with a bewildered look and said, "Papermaking technology is already very advanced, why do we still need to study this?"

“Because it’s not cheap enough,” Pan Yun said. “Do you know how much a ream of the cheapest white paper costs right now?”

Hu Cheng actually knew, and said, "The blank paper from Guangxin Prefecture costs four hundred and thirty-five coins."

"Do you know how much a bundle of official white paper costs?"

Hu Cheng said, "One to one ounce and forty centimeters."

He paused for a moment and then said, "The reason why the government's price is higher than the people's price is so as not to harm the people's interests."

Pan Yun nodded and said, "That makes sense, but it's too expensive. This is not only because the official price is high, but also because the price is high for ordinary people. I want the paper you make to cost no more than ten coins per ream."

"What—" Hu Cheng's voice cracked as he asked incredulously, "What did you say?"

“I said, I want new blank paper that costs no more than ten copper coins!” Pan Yun said, “Do you know how much blank paper is needed for a national census of population and land? Do you know why local policies for recording new population and arable land have become lax? Do you know why local government affairs are not being carried out effectively?”

"Do you know why Emperor Taizu Gaozong, despite his extensive efforts to establish community schools, eventually closed them one after another, failing to effectively implement his educational policies?"

Pan Yun said, "Because of paper! Because paper is not cheap enough, local governments spend a lot on paper every year. So the policy that should have been recorded for newborns and new cultivated land has become just a policy. Except for a very few wealthy counties, the rest of the counties cannot implement it."

Hu Cheng swallowed hard and said, "But reducing the cost of papermaking to ten coins? How is that possible?"

“Why not?” Pan Jun said, “I’m not asking you to lower the price so much right away. You can start by lowering it to one hundred coins, eighty coins, fifty coins, and then to ten coins. There are many materials for papermaking; choosing the cheaper ones will reduce costs.”

(End of this chapter)