Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 104 Even the radical Zhu Yuanzhang thought it was too radical
The temperature in the Navy Office for Preparing for Japanese Aggression seemed to drop several degrees as Wu Zhen spoke.

"My Lord, just wait and see, there is absolutely no problem with this matter.

It's all familiar stuff.

I have done this three times before, and there was no mistake at all.

The Longjiang Treasure Ship Factory is under the jurisdiction of the Grand Marquis, and the person in charge of the Treasure Ship Factory is also the Grand Marquis's confidant.

He had followed the Grand Marquis through thick and thin, and the Grand Marquis had never treated him unfairly, promoting him all the way to his current position.

There is no doubt about his loyalty.

He is cautious in his behavior and bold in his actions.

With him in charge there, there will definitely be no mistakes when the ships leave the Longjiang Treasure Shipyard and enter the river.

The Grand Marquis commands the Yangtze River defense forces, and the entire Yangtze River is under his jurisdiction and command.

My Lord, you are in charge of the navy preparing to attack the Japanese.

From the river to the sea, it is all the territory of the great marquis and the marquis.

The seagoing ships from the Baochuan Factory to here are all traveling on their own territory, so it is very safe.

As long as you are careful, nothing will go wrong."

When this man said this, he looked as if it was a matter of course, as if he shared the honor.

He spoke the truth, without a single falsehood.

The eldest marquis he mentioned was Wu Liang, Marquis of Jiangyin, who was also the elder brother of Wu Zhen, Marquis of Jinghai.

It is rare for the Wu family to have two marquises in one family.

The most important thing is that these two marquises are both marquises with real power.

They were deeply trusted by Zhu Yuanzhang, one was in charge of river defense and the other was in charge of coastal defense.

The capital, Yingtian, is located on the Yangtze River.

In other words, the water portal was directly controlled by these two brothers.

The emperor has the upper hand and the power to support her.

"The Emperor governs matters on land, and the dukes govern matters on water.

On this water, the words of the dukes are more powerful than those of the emperor."

he added.

Wu Zhen's expression had originally relaxed, but after hearing this, it instantly became serious again.

Bending over, he approached the man, staring intently at him: "Who told you that?"

This man was a captain in the navy preparing for war against Japan, and he had also rolled in a pile of dead bodies.

At this moment, he felt his whole body tense up, as if he was being stared at by a tiger.

"Reply... reply to the Marquis's words. This... this is not just what I said, but many of my brothers are saying..."

Liu Dabao swallowed his saliva and reported in a somewhat dry voice.

Wu Zhen stared at him for a while, stood up straight, and turned the two iron walnuts in his hands again, making a clicking sound.

Reaching out and patting him on the shoulder.

The tone also softened.

"Dabao, you have followed me for many years.

Over the years, there have been so many people working under me, why do I only value you?"

"This is the blessing of a fool, my subordinate, all thanks to your kindness, Lord Marquis."

Liu Dabao bent his body slightly and spoke with a smile on his face.

With full gratitude and caution.

Wu Zhen shook his head and said, "The moment I saw you, I immediately felt that you were pleasing to the eye, which was secondary.

The main thing is that you are loyal to me and dare to fight.

When it is time to fight hard, you can give it your all.

But she is also very meticulous and reliable in her work, and never gives me any trouble. "

"It's all thanks to your cultivation and promotion, Lord Marquis."

Liu Dabao bent his body even more.

"How could someone as smart and cautious as you say something so outrageous now?
What does it mean that everything on land is under the jurisdiction of the superiors, and everything on water is under the jurisdiction of our Wu family?

This world belongs to the superior, and my two brothers are also the superior's subjects.

You must know that all under heaven belongs to the king, and all the people in the world are the king's subjects.

No matter whether it is on land, in water, or even underground, it all belongs to the superior and is under the control of the superior.

My two brothers, as well as you, are just doing things for those above us.

These must be remembered!"

Wu Zhen's face was serious.

Liu Dabao nodded repeatedly, indicating that he had remembered it and would never say that again.

If anyone says this again, I will definitely correct them.

"A tall tree attracts the wind, and it's cold at the top. The higher you are in a position, the more you need to be careful about your words and actions.

The more humble you are, the more honest you should be.

Never become arrogant when you succeed.

This is not a long-term solution.

Especially those in higher positions, they can't stand this the most.

We must pay attention.

There is no need to take advantage of others' words.

A momentary verbal pleasure will not bring any benefit, but may easily lead to disaster.

Making a fortune quietly is the most practical thing to do."

He softened his tone, his words coming out with much earnestness.

Liu Dabao bowed solemnly again to thank the Marquis for his teachings.

He said that he would keep all these valuable advice in mind.

Wu Zhen nodded, picked up the teapot, shook his head to refuse Liu Dabao's help, and poured two cups of tea himself.

He picked up a cup and gave it to Liu Dabao, who quickly held it in both hands.

This brave warrior in the army was as obedient as a docile kitten in front of Wu Zhen.

Wu Zhen gestured to Liu Dabao to sit down and drink tea, and he also sat in the main seat and took a sip.

He sighed and said, "Alas, to be honest, this is something I shouldn't have done."

Liu Dabao hurriedly said: "My Lord, you are not doing this for yourself, but for the sake of the entire Ming Dynasty.

Who knows where those pirates in Chen's army got eight large ships of 2,000 tons each.

Huihui cannons are also installed on them.

Originally, Chen's pirates and Fang's pirates were evenly matched.

The two largest pirate groups on the sea are fighting each other, which leaves them no time to take care of other things.

Don't disturb the coast too much.

Now that Chen's pirates suddenly had so many large ships, the evenly matched situation was broken.

If the Marquis does not intervene, then within three to two years, the Fang pirates will be swallowed up by the Chen pirates.

Once this happens, Chen's pirates will be the only ones on the sea and will be difficult to contain.

Chen Youding was captured by the emperor and beheaded in the capital.

The chief of the Chen pirates is Chen Youding's biological son Chen Sili, who has an irreconcilable hatred for the emperor.

Once Chen Sili's family becomes the sole ruler, they will definitely plunder the coastal areas and seek revenge on the emperor.

Countless people will suffer, and Your Majesty will also lose glory.

My Lord, you sold the large ships to the pirates in order to balance the forces at sea and prevent such a situation from happening.

It’s all for the people and for the sake of Your Majesty.

There are not many people like you who are dedicated to serving the public good. "

Liu Dabao's words were sincere and heartfelt, and they fully expressed Wu Zhen's painstaking efforts and difficulties.

Or is Liu Dabao his confidant?
It can be said that this touched Wu Zhen's heart.

Upon hearing this, Wu Zhen sighed again and said, "It's just my duty. I have to repay the kindness of my superiors."

After that, he paused and said, “However, you and I both know what happened in this matter, but we still can’t let others know.

Otherwise, it will easily cause unnecessary misunderstandings, and it will not sound good if it is made public.

When we do things, we just need to do our job well and don't care too much about reputation."

"It's natural."

Upon hearing this, Liu Dabao immediately nodded.

"The Emperor is paying less and less attention to the Longjiang Treasure Ship.

In the past three years, I have never been there once, let alone sent anyone to investigate.

There are far fewer shipbuilding craftsmen than before, and the laborers who were summoned have all been dismissed long ago.

The Baochuan Factory has long lost its former bustle and prosperity.

It looks increasingly run-down.

The emperor originally ordered the large-scale construction of large ocean ships because the Japanese had killed the envoys of the Ming Dynasty.

We must attack Japan and avenge this.

Now that Japan has apologized and is far away from the Ming Dynasty, Your Majesty has already let this matter go.

We will not attack Japan again.

These ships themselves have no other use.

Rather than letting it rot slowly in the Baochuan Factory, it is better to let it play a greater value.

If it were in the hands of the Fangbu pirates, it would be quite useful to balance the forces at sea."

The meaning of Liu Dabao's words was very clear.

That means the emperor no longer cares about the Longjiang Treasure Shipyard and will not attack Japan again.

Then there will be absolutely no problem if they secretly sell the large sea ships in the Longjiang Treasure Shipyard.

Wu Zhen nodded and said, "I am confident in your ability to handle this matter. You will monitor the entire process and leave for the Baochuan Factory tomorrow.

If you don't follow my lead, I'll always feel uneasy."

Liu Dabao drank the tea in the cup in two gulps, put it down, stood up and said:
"My Lord, the better for you to do this sooner rather than later, I will go right away.

This time, four ships were transported at once.

I should have gone and watched it sooner."

Wu Zhen heard this and nodded, "That's fine."

As he said that, he stood up and took out two boxes from the room.

"This contains some sake, which is said to be drunk by the emperor of Japan.

This thing doesn’t taste very good, it’s just for fun.”

Then he pointed to another small box and said:

“This contains half a pound of Shifeng Longjing tea, made from the first batch of young shoots picked at night while the dew is still there.

The yield is not high, only about 30 to 20 kilograms a year.

I have some here, I'll give you some to drink."

Liu Dabao looked flattered when he heard this.

"My Lord, this is too valuable. I am just a warrior. It would be a waste for me to drink this."

"It's like everyone is a fighter, so fighters can't use these things?

I think warriors are the ones who deserve to enjoy these the most.

We put our heads on our belts and fought with our enemies for our lives.

For what?
Does it mean becoming rich and powerful?

You worked so hard before, and now that life is getting better, it would be a shame if you don't enjoy it?"

"Then... I'll take the wine, Lord Cha, you keep it.

I am like a wild boar that cannot eat fine bran. No matter what kind of tea it is, it all tastes the same to me.

It's such a waste for me to drink it."

"It's a waste, it's a waste. No matter how precious it is, it's just some tea leaves, meant for people to eat.

Just drink this."

Seeing this, Liu Dabao accepted it and left with an uncontrollable smile on his face.

Wu Zhen watched Liu Dabao leave, and the two iron walnuts in his hands continued to slowly turn, making a crackling sound.

In this empty naval headquarters, it seemed particularly loud...

……

“…Except for iron pots, any other ironware may not be traded with the people of the grasslands, especially weapons.

This is a prohibition. Anyone who violates it will be killed without mercy!"

Inside the Huagai Hall, Zhu Yuanzhang's voice continued to ring out, telling these people some taboos regarding the trade.

“Salt can be traded, but it is not available in sufficient quantities.

Make them hungry so they can be sold at a high price.

The specific amount of salt to be sold to the grassland each year will be discussed by the Secretariat, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Works later, and an appropriate amount will be sent to us for review.

It needs to be in line with the actual conditions on the grasslands, and it can really strangle them."

“For some items that are also produced by the Northern Yuan Dynasty court and in large quantities, we should lower the price a bit and sell as much as possible.

There must be adequate supply.

For those items that the Northern Yuan Dynasty court cannot produce, we should set a higher price here..."

Dumping plus hunger marketing are common tactics in modern times.

He'd seen many companies burn through cash in price wars to seize market share, bringing down their competitors, and then, after users got used to their products, raising prices. This simple yet effective tactic could be used against Beiyuan.

Destroy its fragile economic system and weak handicraft production more thoroughly.

Zhu Yuanzhang always had great enthusiasm, care and meticulousness when it came to concocting the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

……

After the court was dismissed, not everyone left. Prime Minister Hu Weiyong, Left Vice Minister of Revenue Fan Min, Left Vice Minister of Works Zhao Jun, Liu Bowen, and Li Shanchang were left behind.

Obviously, the emperor had something else to say to them.

The other court officials were also accustomed to this.

Small meetings are held for big things, and big meetings are held for small things.

Many substantive policies, especially major ones, are basically determined by the emperor and others before they are brought up for discussion at court meetings.

Only a few people can enter the real core of power.

Even for many more important matters, the emperor would only discuss them with high-ranking officials after he had made up his mind, and then bring them up at the court meeting.

Fan Min, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was promoted again by Zhu Yuanzhang after the Empty Seal Case.

Fan Min has been in the Ministry of Revenue for less than three years, and now he has become the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

Zhu Yuanzhang had not yet decided on the candidate for the Minister of Revenue, which meant that Fan Min was the head of the Ministry of Revenue.

It is no wonder that during Zhu Yuanzhang's Hongwu period, officials were promoted very quickly.

Of course, there were other reasons why Fan Min was promoted so quickly by Zhu Yuanzhang.

This person has real talent and knowledge.

When Zhu Yuanzhang asked about matters such as land and population, he answered fluently.

Moreover, in his previous life, Zhu Yuanzhang discovered him and promoted him to the position of Minister of Revenue.

The work was done quite well.

It's just that life is a bit short.

He fell ill and died in the 13th year of Hongwu.

As for the Ministry of Works, why was it Zhao Jun, the Left Vice Minister, who came, instead of Shangshu Xue Xiang?

Of course it’s not because Xue Xiang, the Minister of Works, is gone.

But after receiving the emperor's words about repairing the Yellow River and approving a one-time payment of 500,000 strings of cash, Xue Xiang could no longer sit still in the capital.

He submitted a memorial directly to Zhu Yuanzhang, requesting to go to the Central Plains in person and conduct an on-site investigation along the Yellow River.

We must come up with a practical plan to ensure that the future management of the Yellow River does not waste any money or effort.

We must completely control the Yellow River so that people will no longer suffer from floods in the future.

Faced with such a sincere, pragmatic and ambitious request, how could Zhu Yuanzhang refuse?
He immediately agreed to Xue Xiang's request.

He also specially asked someone to call Xue Xiang over and personally encourage him.

When it comes to the management of the Yellow River, it is all entrusted to Xue Xiang.

He also said that managing the Yellow River will benefit future generations.

If Xue Xiang could really take the lead and manage the Yellow River well, he would build a temple at the place where Du Chong had dug the Yellow River before, and sculpt Xue Xiang's body in the temple.

He will be worshipped forever, and his achievements will be recorded on stone so that his deeds of managing the Yellow River will be passed down forever.

Xue Xiang had always been determined to control the Yellow River. When he learned that the emperor was determined to completely control the Yellow River within ten years, he was very grateful.

Now that he knew the emperor's promise, his face turned red instantly.

He immediately decided that even if it meant death, he must overcome all difficulties and manage the Yellow River well!
Engrave a stone to record your achievements, build a temple and erect a statue to enjoy eternal worship!

What a great honor this is!

But there are so many greater honors than simply leaving a name in history.

Li Bing and his son, who built the Dujiangyan Irrigation System during the Qin Dynasty, and the Erwang Temple that has existed to this day, are the best examples!

Zhu Yuanzhang still clearly remembered Xue Xiang's surprised and excited look after he heard his promise.

I also remember Xue Xiang's oath and curse.

Before saying this, Zhu Yuanzhang knew that this condition would be extremely tempting to those who were determined to control the Yellow River.

Is the best reward.

After seeing Xue Xiang's reaction, Zhu Yuanzhang realized that he was wrong and had seriously underestimated how motivating this reward was to people.

Looking at Xue Xiang who swore that he would never let the emperor down, and that he would die after the Yellow River was well managed, and that he would definitely be able to manage the Yellow River within ten years.

Zhu Yuanzhang, who also wanted to manage the Yellow River, couldn't help but start persuading Xue Xiang.

Don't let him feel too much pressure and don't push himself too hard.

Ten years is just a goal, there is no need to be limited by it.

It’s better to go slowly but do things thoroughly.

We cannot ignore quality just to increase progress.

As long as the Yellow River can be completely managed, even if it takes another three to five years, it will still be a great achievement and his promises will still count.

We must remember what happened in Zhongdu City and take it as a warning...

Contrary to what the officials who had just left the court had guessed, Zhu Yuanzhang did not have any major matters to order or discuss when he kept these people this time.

Instead, it's some trivial things.

For example, determine where in the north a market for trade would be established.

Which officials should be sent to manage the situation and collect taxes?

For example, making preparations in advance for the control of the Yellow River and immigration.

There is also tax reform, the establishment of transport offices in various places, and performance appraisal.

These things are trivial and involve all aspects, but at the same time they are extremely important.

It is something that must be done.

If he wanted the Ming Dynasty to become very different, then these institutional changes had to be made.

Moreover, changes in the system and the advancement of various matters cannot be ignored just by paying lip service.

If you want things to be accomplished, you need to put in a lot of effort and hard work.

We need to pay more attention, identify difficulties and solve them.

Even so, there is a high possibility that there will be many places where people say one thing and mean another, causing trouble.

When doing things, the difficult part is never making a plan, but how to implement the plan.

Zhu Yuanzhang knew this very well, so he paid close attention to these matters.

I would ask questions every now and then to urge people to do their work and to understand the latest progress.

This is to prevent many people from becoming lax and thinking that they are just talking casually and not doing their work seriously.

These people also knew the emperor's character and knew that the emperor would pay close attention to these things, so they all worked hard.

Nothing went wrong.

They also responded appropriately to Zhu Yuanzhang's inquiries.

It can be said that the work efficiency and integrity of all government agencies in the entire Ming Dynasty, on the whole, showed a decreasing trend with Zhu Yuanzhang as the center and moving away from him.

"The Chaohu navy is idle anyway, so let's have them transport some supplies north this time.

Anyway, they did this a few years ago and are quite skilled at it.”

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at them and said.

Hu Weiyong's heart moved slightly, and just as he was about to say something, Li Shanchang's voice sounded first.

"I think your consideration is a good one, and it would be a good idea to let the Chaohu Navy contribute to this matter.

Transporting goods to the north by sea is indeed what they are most familiar with.”

Upon hearing this, Hu Weiyong cursed Li Shanchang in his heart, saying that this old dog would not die a good death, and then he expressed his opinion on this matter.

Expressed agreement with the emperor's proposal.

But he also understood in his heart that the emperor had kept these people here and said so much, but he was afraid that these seemingly false words were the key to this matter!
……

"Up, what about the arithmetic enlightenment? Is there anything else after that?"

After finishing all the work that needed to be done and everyone was preparing to leave at the emperor's signal, Liu Bowen suddenly looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and asked this question.

"The first volume of elementary arithmetic is available, but the rest are not yet available.

What? Mr. Liu is ready to study it in depth?"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Liu Bowen and asked.

Zhu Yuanzhang was not surprised that Liu Bowen became interested in arithmetic, finished reading the introductory book on arithmetic, and was ready to read more advanced arithmetic knowledge.

Given Liu Bowen's identity, his attainments in arithmetic, and his intelligence, it is understandable that he would be attracted to arithmetic.

“Sir, it is not this minister who wants to read it, but my eldest son, after reading Arithmetic Enlightenment, found it profound and extensive.

I was deeply attracted by the subtleties of arithmetic.

I really want to see the rest and study it more.”

Was it not Liu Bowen who wanted to see it? Was it his son Liu Lian?
From the sound of this, does it seem like you have completely understood the arithmetic enlightenment?

“The way of arithmetic is indeed profound and extensive. The more you delve into it, the more you will discover the wonders of the world of arithmetic.

Don't underestimate arithmetic, it is not an easy subject.

The deeper the research, the greater the contribution to the world.

Many things are inseparable from it.

Since your son likes arithmetic and has some talent for it, you might as well put more effort into it."

Zhu Yuanzhang was particularly emotional when he said this.

In the past, he was influenced by traditional views and had a particularly deep prejudice against arithmetic.

I think arithmetic is enough to do some calculations and compute the area of ​​a field.

There is absolutely no need to study in any deeper depth.

Therefore, in his previous life, although he vigorously promoted mathematics in the Imperial College, it was only some simple arithmetic.

There is nothing more profound at all.

After living in modern times for fifteen years, I was exposed to mathematics and gained a deeper understanding of the history of scientific and technological development.

His ideas were completely reversed.

The knowledge of arithmetic is not just about knowing simple addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, and being able to do the math when buying groceries.

It is a subject that cannot be more important.

It can be said that in the modern world where science and technology have taken off and reached a level that is completely unimaginable to me and others, arithmetic plays an irreplaceable and fundamental role.

After returning to the Ming Dynasty, he wrote "Arithmetic Enlightenment" and promoted it in the Imperial Academy. The immediate reason was of course to urgently train a group of students with a certain level of arithmetic.

So that they can quickly go to the local areas to serve as tax officials and maintain stable tax collection.

But the deeper reason is that we are preparing to vigorously develop arithmetic and make it more popular.

This will select and train a group of people who are interested in, talented in, and willing to delve into arithmetic.

Prepare for the future industrial Ming Dynasty.

A tall building is not built from the ground up; it requires laying the foundation bit by bit.

“Sir, my son is also very interested in arithmetic.

I also want a copy of this elementary arithmetic book, so that my son can study it more deeply."

Just as Zhu Yuanzhang agreed to Liu Bowen's request and was about to send someone to get the first volume of elementary arithmetic.

Li Shanchang's voice rang out.

Does your son also like arithmetic? And has he reached the level of learning elementary arithmetic?
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Li Shanchang and his eyes changed slightly.

Why don’t I believe this?
Li Shanchang's eldest son, Li Qi, married his own eldest daughter in his previous life, making him his son-in-law.

I know my own worth very well.

He had more military generals than civil officials, and in terms of culture, he was far inferior to his father Li Shanchang.

At this time, Li Shanchang said that his son liked arithmetic?
“My Lord, I, as well as my sons and nephews, are also very interested in arithmetic enlightenment.

If there are more of these elementary arithmetic books, I would also like to ask for one."

Prime Minister Hu Weiyong immediately spoke up and expressed the same idea.

Fan Min, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, also said, “Your Majesty, I have recently been studying arithmetic and double-entry bookkeeping, and have gained a lot of inspiration.

Benefited a lot.

If there are more, I would like to ask for one too."

Zhao Jun, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, blinked his eyes, full of confusion.

No...what's going on?
How come this arithmetic book suddenly became so popular?

Why are you all rushing to get it?

Isn’t it said that the arithmetic enlightenment quoted a lot of foreign characters and symbols, which was very strange and despised by many people, and when it was mentioned privately, many people were critical of it?

How come it seems that among all the people present here, I am the only one who has not seen the arithmetic enlightenment?

No...how did it become like this?
"Your Majesty, I want it too. I also think this arithmetic is particularly good!"

After being stunned for a moment, he quickly asked to follow the formation.

"Then take five portions, one for each person."

Zhu Yuanzhang spoke to Eunuch Wang.

The saying "what the superiors like, the subordinates will like even more" has been concretized at this moment.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Liu Bowen a few more times.

Liu Bowen was smart enough to see that he was interested in developing arithmetic, which led to what happened today.

After what happened today, I believe that there will be more people willing to watch Arithmetic Enlightenment and study arithmetic.

It helps to promote and develop arithmetic.

Facing Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze, Liu Bowen's expression did not change at all.

It was as if he chose this time to ask the emperor for a more advanced arithmetic book in public just to allow his son to further delve into this field, without any other intention.

……

Liu Ying, commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, came to Zhu Yuanzhang, bent down and said something.

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression instantly became fierce...

(End of this chapter)