The Ming Dynasty did not revolutionize

Chapter 211 Jiajing's unfinished project

After training Chen Weizhi, Zhu Jianxuan immediately arranged personnel and placed several orders for him to take back, mainly for materials and tools for engineering construction.

Taking into account the current situation in Jiangnan, Zhu Jianxuan directly paid the first deposit to give the factories and businesses in Zhejiang a break.

Chen Weizhi immediately returned to Hangzhou, Zhejiang, to explain the situation to the anxiously waiting chamber of commerce members.

Mainly to appease the emotions of the Chamber of Commerce members:

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince really does remember the old times. Our factory and business are able to survive."

"In fact, the fact that His Highness is willing to meet with the President means that His Highness is willing to give us a way out."

A businessman said with great distress:
"But President, we've lost 70% of our shares in one fell swoop..."

Chen Weizhi explained with a smile:

"No, not 70%. In our factories and businesses, 20% to 30% of the shares are in the hands of shopkeepers, managers, and craftsmen, right?
“Now we give 10% or 20% to ordinary workers, and the court wants 30%.

"The shares we hold are actually a little less than half, and we hold the same amount as the imperial court, which is 30%."

But no matter how you calculate it, reality is reality after all, and some businessmen still feel distressed:
"That's still a large portion missing out of thin air. It hurts just thinking about it..."

Chen Weizhi felt helpless about these businessmen who were reluctant to spend money, so he simply started to tell them the reality:

"Don't just look at the present. The government's actions to control orders this year have made us understand that the key to industrial development is still to have orders.

“The plan His Royal Highness gave us actually requires us to cooperate with His Royal Highness, or even to form a direct partnership with the court.

“If you give 30% of your shares to the imperial court, you will have priority in getting large orders from the imperial court in the future.

"Other factories and businesses have no way to get this opportunity.

“The key is that we still control the factories and businesses ourselves, and the court only supervises and audits them.

“We will also receive a large number of orders from the imperial court, more orders than in previous years.

“Because the court is not purchasing from other places now, the required materials will only be purchased from Wu and Zhejiang. Think about how large the quantity will be?
"In the past, manufacturers in Yingtian Prefecture were the first to get the upper hand, but now the opportunity belongs to us in Zhejiang.

“This advantage will be exclusive for at least the next year.

“With such a huge advantage now, can the industrial scale of our factories and businesses double in the next year?
“I think it’s possible that it will not only double, but quadruple.

"In other words, the value of the shares we handed over to the court now is equivalent to an investment, which can be earned back within a year at most, and in the future it will be pure profit.

“If anyone does not want to participate, they can refuse this proposal. Of course, the court will not give you this order.

"Your property will soon be worthless!"

After Chen Weizhi’s lecture, the Zhejiang businessmen present finally accepted the reality and saw a very good future.

The most crucial point is that during the period when the imperial court stopped purchasing materials from other places, these manufacturers in Zhejiang had the opportunity to serve as exclusive suppliers to the emperor for a period of time.

If we seize this opportunity, we can at least double the scale of the industry, and it will be a good deal overall.

Not only can you survive normally, but you can also get a chance to take off. Who wouldn't want to take this option? You are really not suitable for this circle.
-
Zhu Jianxuan from Shuntian Prefecture was busy for a few days and was then called over by his father to discuss the renovation of the old city of Shuntian Prefecture.

The old emperor sat on the kang and asked Zhu Jianxuan to sit opposite him. He took a simple diagram and placed it on the small table on the kang:

"I have an idea to finish the biggest unfinished project during the Jiajing period and complete the outer city of Shuntian Prefecture."

The term "unfinished project" was probably coined by Emperor Chongzhen.

As for the largest unfinished project during the Jiajing period, it must be the half of the city wall outside Shuntian Prefecture.

Jiajing's original plan was to add a complete circle of city wall outside the inner city of Shuntian Prefecture to form a double-layer city wall structure in the shape of a "U".

However, after completing the construction of the southern wall, it was found that the government could not provide more money to continue the construction.

In the end, the southern city wall was turned northward in advance and connected directly to the old city wall as soon as possible, forming a "convex" shaped structure.

This unfinished project has remained in such a stale state until the present day.

Now the old emperor wants to repair the remaining city walls so that Shuntianfu City can form the established U-shaped structure.

Zhu Jianxuan looked at the old emperor's simple plan and frowned immediately. The plan was drawn based on the latest survey drawings. The route should not be exactly the same as the plan during the Jiajing period, but the general scope should not be far off.

Needless to say, the south side follows the outer city wall, and the scope of the later South Second Ring Road continues to expand to the east and west.

It extends eastward to between the East Third Ring Road and the East Fourth Ring Road, near Metro Line 14.

It extends westward to the vicinity of the West Third Ring Road.

It extends northward to the former site of the Yuan Dynasty capital city wall, which is the Beitucheng in later generations and near Metro Line 10.

The entire area surrounded by the city wall is approximately 170 square kilometers, which is three times the size of the original Shuntian Prefecture City.

The added area is twice the original size, and it seems to be enough to build new court offices.

These seem reasonable, but they are not all that the old emperor envisioned.

On this basis, the old emperor added a small circle of corner fortresses at each corner of the new city wall.

The northwest corner can just enclose Yuquan Mountain, the Summer Palace and the Old Summer Palace.

Zhu Jianxuan felt very divided when he saw this idea.

But in the old emperor's view, it should be very normal. He thinks this defensive structure is very useful.

Zhu Jianxuan smiled awkwardly and said:
“Father, we have new artillery and explosives, and the current city walls are of little use.

"Even if we bombard it forcefully, it will only take a few days to blow down the city wall."

The old emperor said seriously:
"The most important function of our Ming Dynasty's city walls is not defense, but to control the flow of people and materials in and out, as well as to collect taxes.

“This controls the entry and exit of people, including bandits, thieves, and spies. Otherwise, there would be no need to build complete city walls in inland cities.

"Or we can build a few military fortresses in suitable locations around residential areas, which can provide better defense than city walls.

“So in my opinion, the future government office area and technology center that you envision should still be controlled within the city walls.

“The new urban area enclosed by the outer city wall can be divided into three parts.

"The north can be used for the central government, the west for the science and technology center, and the east for the cultural center and other government offices.

"All future major ceremonies will be held in the rebuilt Forbidden City in the inner city.

“Different areas of the outer city can also be separated by walls, with patrols on the walls and sentries at the city gates to control the entry and exit of people and supplies.

“Protect the court secrets and scientific secrets, and they cannot be leaked out easily.

"The four outer fortresses can monitor the situation in the city and the surrounding areas, and conduct reconnaissance, vigilance and suppression at any time."

Zhu Jianxuan was a little worried after hearing this:
“Building a city wall can indeed control entry and exit, and can more conveniently control information and personnel, but will the population within the city wall be too large?

"But the north is different from the south of the Yangtze River. Urban water use is a big problem. Now the groundwater in Shuntian City is no longer usable, and we need to build special canals from the suburbs to supply it.

"After the outer city is built, the court officials, scientific researchers, university students, and cultural personnel will all be together in the future, and they will need more drinking water."

The old emperor said very seriously:
“I have considered this issue, but the central court’s offices and important scientific research institutions must be placed within special city walls for control.

“According to the plan you are implementing now, a court agency will be responsible for supplying daily necessities, and private agencies are prohibited from participating.

“If you are worried about overpopulation in the city, you can move those schools and cultural institutions you mentioned to other places.

“Only the imperial court and scientific research institutions will be kept within the city walls, and a few more reservoirs will be built around them.

"As long as ordinary residents are not allowed to gather in the city and all populations are directly controlled by the court, the number will not increase."

Zhu Jianxuan made a rough estimate in his mind that if Shuntian City only had court agencies and scientific research institutions, there should not be too much pressure on the surrounding water sources.

The main problem was that these were ideas and plans proposed by the old emperor, and he was still his crown prince, so he could not strongly oppose or reject them.

Zhu Jianxuan hesitated for a moment and decided to accept the old emperor's request first and prepare to make specific adjustments in the future depending on the situation.

The main storyline changes to a new stage, and the transition is difficult to write, so I’m a bit stuck.

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(End of this chapter)