Ming Dynasty: Domination of the World from the Imperial Examination

Chapter 186 I’m back!
Just as Zhu Biao was about to go to court, an eunuch rushed in.

"Your Highness, Xia Zhibai is back."

Zhu Biao was still somewhat sleepy, but upon hearing this, he immediately perked up. He looked at the eunuch and asked, "When?"

"We just entered the city a moment ago, and now we should be at the salt shop in the city," said the eunuch.

Zhu Biao touched his chin, hesitated for a moment, and said, "In an hour, tell Xia Zhibai to come to the East Palace. I have something to ask him."

"promise."

After the eunuchs left, Zhu Biao shook his head and said, "This Xia Zhibai is really one thing after another. Yesterday he sent two memorials and came back directly today. This really doesn't leave Your Majesty any room for thought."

"It's a pity that the idea is too unrealistic."

Zhu Biao sneered and walked towards the Fengtian Hall.

in the city.

Xia Zhibai just arrived at Kyoto Salt Shop.

This journey lasted more than nine months, and even though he had a strong will, he felt a little tired. At present, the Kyoto Salt Shop had not yet opened as scheduled, and the door was still closed.

Xia Zhibai walked forward and knocked on the door.

boom!Boom!

"Who is it?!" A slightly dissatisfied voice sounded from inside the house: "The salt shop opens at 3:45 in the morning? You're early, come back later."

Xia Zhibai didn't stop and continued knocking on the door.

"Open the door."

"I am back."

After hearing these two sentences, the store suddenly became quiet.

Then there was a burst of noise, and soon the closed shop opened.

Several figures with eyes full of expectation and nervousness appeared in front of Xia Zhibai. Seeing that it was really Xia Zhibai, the current store owner Jing Man's eyes suddenly turned red, and he excitedly shouted to the store: "The boss is back."

"The commander is back."

Several people quickly removed the door panel and welcomed Xia Zhibai in.

Xia Zhibai entered the store.

The store is not much different from when I left, except that it has become more mature over the years.

Jing Man asked the waiter to pour Xia Zhibai a cup of tea. He felt like he had found a backbone and a patriarch. All the grievances in his heart were written all over his face, and he looked as if he was about to cry on the spot.

Xia Zhibai smiled and said, "Why are you crying like a real man?"

"You are a scholar."

Jing Man shook his head, and it was unclear whether he was laughing or crying. "I'm not crying. I'm just happy. I'm happy that you're finally back, sir. If you hadn't come back, our Kyoto Salt Shop would have really collapsed. A lot of things happened in Kyoto during your absence."

Xia Zhibai nodded.

He sat down, looked around with a smile, and said, "Then I'd like to listen carefully. What on earth could have made you so anxious?"

Jing Man nodded vigorously.

He did not waste any time and directly told everything that had happened in the Kyoto Salt Shop over the past six months.

What Jing Man resented the most was Li Sheng's betrayal, the departure of Chen Yan among the scholars, the suppression of Kyoto Salt Shop by the Salt Transport Bureau, and the continuous poaching of people from Jiangnan region to Kyoto Salt Shop.

Jing Man told all the events in one go.

Xia Zhibai listened quietly.

He had actually heard of what Jing Man said.

But after all, he was in the northern border, too far away from Kyoto, and the news he heard was fragmentary and mixed with many false rumors. Therefore, he did not have a very thorough understanding of what specifically happened in Kyoto.

After listening to Jing Man’s complaints, Xia Zhibai nodded.

To him, everything can be categorized into one category: interests are the driving force behind everything.

Although he didn't know the specific circumstances of Li Sheng and Chen Yan's betrayal, he basically guessed it. Especially in the Jiangnan region, various salt companies have sprung up like mushrooms after a rain. This in itself is not in line with common sense. It must be related to the betrayal of Li Sheng and Chen Yan. Most likely, Li Sheng and Chen Yan handed over the confidential information of Kyoto Salt Shop.

In exchange for the current prominent reputation.

As for the suppression by the Salt Transport Bureau, interests were also involved.

Live by the mountain, live by the mountain; live by the water, live by the water. The Salt Transport Bureau naturally relies on salt for its livelihood. However, when the imperial court was in turmoil, it suddenly intervened and took over Yingtian Prefecture, the most populous prefecture in Zhili Province, as well as the surrounding Chuzhou and Shouzhou. There were millions of people in the salt market, and so much silver was amassed. But now the officials of the Salt Transport Bureau can't even be seen.

Naturally, they won't be willing to accept this.

It is certain that Kyoto Salt Shop will be targeted and suppressed.

at this point.

Xia Zhibai had expected this.

It's not surprising.

As for the Jiangnan region poaching people from his factory, it was a bit unexpected, but after a quick thought, he understood it.

After all, the steam engine was a new thing, and few people had seen it, and even fewer could operate it normally. Although Li Sheng knew something about it, as an engineer, he obviously would not teach it himself. In the end, the most pleasing and realistic way was to poach people.

Water flows to lower place, man goes to higher position.

The conditions offered by the gentry in Jiangnan were even higher. The stove-house refugees he recruited at the time were already in a precarious situation, so they were easily persuaded. Xia Zhibai asked, "Is there any problem with the production of the salt factory and the coal factory?"

Jing Man said: "Not yet, but too many people have left. At present, the salt companies in Jiangnan are still trying to find ways to deal with it. I have no choice but to discuss with Governor Zhou and build walls outside the salt factory and the coal factory. However, there are still people shouting outside from time to time, which disturbs people."

"Commander Xia, you have to think of a solution. If this continues, the salt factory and the coal factory will be ruined by these people."

Jing Man's face was full of resentment at this moment.

Xia Zhibai smiled and said, "If people are gone, we can always recruit new ones. These days, we are short of everything except people."

"As long as the salt plant and coal plant can operate normally, there will be no major problems."

"Just now you said that places like Lianghuai and Liangzhe, which used to produce salt, have now started to set up salt companies? Since you know something about this, what form do these salt companies take? Are they of the same standard as our Jingdu Salt Shop?"

Xia Zhibai looked at Jing Man.

Jing Man snorted coldly, nodded and said, "Of course it is. I don't know how Li Sheng got so fooled that he stole the blueprints of the steam engine. Now, all the salt companies in Jiangnan area that use steam machines to make salt use our blueprints without exception."

Xia Zhibai laughed and his expression completely relaxed.

Jing Man was stunned.

He looked at Xia Zhibai suspiciously, not understanding why Xia Zhibai could still laugh?
Li Sheng stole their things and then set them up somewhere else. Now he is making all kinds of eyes at them. Shouldn't they be angry?
Xia Zhibai smiled mysteriously and said, "Even if Li Sheng didn't steal it, I would have made the steam engine blueprint public when I came back this time. I never care about that kind of thin blueprint. Do you remember that I published the steam engine blueprint once before?"

Jing Man nodded.

Of course he knew this.

At that time, he and Fang Mo and others worked together to organize it.

Xia Zhibai picked up the teacup, took a sip with relish, and said calmly: "Do you remember why I distributed those pamphlets with drawings in Yingtian Prefecture?"

Jing Man was stunned for a moment, and said uncertainly: "The commander seemed to want to introduce that conversion unit?"

Xia Zhibai nodded.

He smiled and said, "At that time, I just wanted to announce this set of conversion units, but steam engines were not popular at the time, and not many people were qualified to know about steam engines. Now, with Li Sheng's betrayal, I have also spread this system."

"Li Sheng is not capable of starting over, and can hardly even make changes."

“He can only copy it.”

"Do you know what this means?"

"What does it mean?" Jing Man shook his head.

"Mathematics has been unified." Xia Zhibai said with a firm look.

"Mathematics?" Jing Man looked confused.

Xia Zhibai smiled and said, "Although the weights and measures were unified in the past, there were always differences between different places, especially in terms of weight, length and many other aspects. Even different counties in the same state have significant differences, and it is very difficult to force integration."

"Now, thanks to the steam engine, the Jiangnan region has gradually accepted the standards I set."

"I will manage the northern business in the future, and I will also unify the north."

"That means too."

"The north and the south will be unified in weights and measures and mathematics."

"This also means that we will no longer see the situation where one catty weighs sixteen taels in the north and half a catty weighs five or six taels in the south."

"1+1 can only equal 2 from now on."

“This will be of great benefit to the improvement of mathematics in the future.”

Jing Man was even more confused.

He didn't understand at all what Xia Zhibai was saying.

Xia Zhibai said: "If we want to make a breakthrough in the steam engine, it is destined not to be achieved by one person, but requires the concerted efforts of many people to promote it together. My goal is not only to make steam engines, but also to redefine the standards for the world through steam engines."

“I want to be the one who sets the standard.”

"Now that steam engines are recognized by the gentry in Jiangnan, they will naturally accept and recognize them. The standards I set are being recognized by more and more people."

"In the future, the use of units such as 'shi' and 'dou' will become less and less common. Scholars from all over the world will be able to receive and output information more intuitively, and it will be easier for others to understand."

"The threshold has been unified!"

"As for the rest, don't worry about temporary gains and losses."

"These gentry in Jiangnan will not do anything without profit. The salt enterprises in Jiangnan have been able to operate so quickly, most likely with the help of the imperial court."

"But these people always have their eyes on the sky. They are worried that I will expand my business to Jiangnan, so they took the initiative. When the salt companies really expand in Jiangnan in the future, they will also expand their business to these salt companies."

"Li Sheng has no idea of ​​the viciousness of it."

"He will be eaten up."

“Don’t worry about the gains and losses of the moment, look at the overall picture and the long-term.”

“If the old doesn’t go, the new won’t come.”

"The departure of those old salt workers and miners has saved us money, so we can consider it as providing talent to the world. However, Jiangnan has taken away so much of my profits, but it is still pressing on my salt enterprises step by step and not letting go. This is indeed a bit too much."

Xia Zhibai's eyes turned cold, and he had already made a plan in his mind.

(End of this chapter)