Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 352 The Pulse of the New Era
In late October, the Forbidden City enjoyed a rare bright and clear autumn day.

Zhu Youjian had just finished writing a comment on a memorial concerning border town land reclamation with his vermilion brush, his steady strokes mirroring his current state of mind.

He put down his vermilion brush, picked up the teacup on the imperial desk, and the rising steam blurred his young yet profound face.

Just then, a series of hurried yet deliberately suppressed footsteps approached from afar.

"Your Majesty, Minister Song of the Ministry of Works requests an audience," Wang Chengen's voice rang out from outside the hall.

"Xuan."

A moment later, the newly appointed Minister of Works, Song Yingxing, quickly entered.

This extraordinary talent, who was exceptionally promoted by the emperor to the position of one of the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers, was known for his composure and pragmatism.

However, at this moment, his weathered face was flushed with an unusual rosy hue, his eyes shone with the fervent light of a scholar discovering the truth, and even his steps were lighter than usual.

He carefully held an object, about a foot square, wrapped tightly in bright yellow tribute silk, as if he were holding the Imperial Seal of the State.

"Your subject, Song Yingxing, Minister of Works, pays his respects to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!" Song Yingxing's voice trembled slightly with excitement.

"Mr. Chang Geng, you may rise." Zhu Youjian's gaze fell on the yellow silk in his hand, and a knowing smile appeared on his lips. "Judging from your expression, is there good news from the Western Hills?"

"Your Majesty's wisdom shines forth, and even from ten thousand miles away, there is nowhere to hide!" Song Yingxing took a deep breath, his voice filled with barely suppressed joy and reverence. "Your Majesty, it's done! Your Majesty, I... no, it's the more than three hundred craftsmen of the Imperial Academy of Engineering's Construction Department who, after five months, consuming a thousand tons of coal, and undergoing hundreds of trial firings and adjustments, have finally lived up to Your Majesty's expectations and have completely mastered the method for mass-producing the 'divine soil' you spoke of!"

This wasn't the first time he'd said these words.

He was already this excited when the first qualified block of "divine soil" was presented to the emperor a month ago.

This wasn't the first time he'd said these words.

He was already this excited when the first qualified block of "divine soil" was presented to the emperor a month ago.

But that time it was just a strange stone that I happened to find on the table. I knew what it was, but I could not necessarily make it work.

But today's mass production is completely different.

This means that turning decay into magic is no longer an unpredictable destiny, but a method that can be deciphered, mastered, and replicated.

This is the true leap from a single outstanding tree on a table to a vast forest that will soon cover the earth; from the accident of one to the inevitability of all things!
Zhu Youjian smiled and nodded, signaling him to continue.

Song Yingxing carefully placed the yellow silk bundle on the ground, and then, as if unveiling a deity, slowly lifted the silk cloth.

There was no glittering jewelry, no rare and exotic items.

What was presented before them was just a roughly square "stone," grayish in color, with a rough surface, and completely unremarkable.

If Song Yingxing hadn't taken it so seriously, this thing, if left on the roadside, would probably have been too much for even a beggar to bother kicking.

“We, your humble servants, follow the new method of investigating things as instructed by Your Majesty. To obtain this item, we must overcome two major obstacles. The first is this seemingly ordinary quicklime.”

He presented a piece of snow-white quicklime, his tone becoming solemn: "Your Majesty, it is clear that limestone needs to be calcined at a thousand degrees Celsius to turn into quicklime. The flame of ordinary firewood is insufficient; even with coal, the smoke is strong but the flame is weak, making it difficult to succeed. This has been the bottleneck that has plagued craftsmen for hundreds and thousands of years, and it is also the root cause of why all kinds of 'clay' have ultimately failed to become great works."

The conversation abruptly shifted, and Song Yingxing's face instantly radiated boundless reverence. He bowed deeply to Emperor Chongzhen:
"Yet Your Majesty is a gift from Heaven! Not only did Your Majesty point out to us that there is 'refined coal' in Meishan, west of the capital, capable of producing intense flames, but Your Majesty also taught us the method of 'closed kiln dry distillation' to refine coke! We used coke as fuel, supplemented by the new-style vertical kiln built according to Your Majesty's own drawings, and by blowing air to ignite the fire, we were able to stably generate the thousand-degree flame that melts iron and stone, turning this stubborn rock into high-quality quicklime! Your Majesty, simply by overcoming this hurdle, you have made our Ming Dynasty's kiln industry the best in history!"

He calmed himself down before continuing to describe another breakthrough, his eyes shining even brighter:

"Ordinary clay is inert and weak. However, following Your Majesty's method, we placed carefully selected kaolin clay in another kiln and fired it at a medium temperature until it changed color but did not melt. After this process, the properties of the clay were completely transformed. We call it 'calcined clay,' and its activity is far superior to that of ordinary soil and stone!"

"Finally," his voice rose, filled with the supreme joy of accomplishment, yet tinged with a hint of lingering satisfaction from the arduous exploration, "Although Your Majesty has clarified the principle of the three elements in one, the subtlety of their proportions lies hidden in the smallest detail, impossible to achieve without exhausting human effort. We dared not fail Your Majesty's grace, so we erected a hundred small furnaces, working day and night for three months. Using coins, taels, and fen as our measure, we explored every possible variation, creating hundreds of samples, meticulously noting the speed of their setting and the hardness or brittleness of the resulting stone. Finally, with sample number three hundred and eighty-one, we obtained the perfect proportion—not a fraction more and it would be too soft, not a fraction less and it would be too brittle!"

He held the earthenware pot he had brought with him high, as if he were holding up the fruits of countless craftsmen's labor and wisdom:
"This hard-won quicklime, calcined clay, and a small amount of gypsum are combined in a meticulously crafted ratio and then ground together in a water-powered mill until they are extremely fine, thus obtaining this 'divine clay.' It may not look impressive, but its properties... are almost miraculous!"

Song Yingxing, like a scholar who had finally verified a great conjecture, eagerly presented his findings to the world's only true confidant, his speech quickening involuntarily:
"This powder turns into mud when it comes into contact with water, and can be shaped at will. After just one day of resting, its hardness surpasses that of ordinary blue rock! After seven days of resting, when chiseled with a steel chisel, sparks fly but it is difficult to penetrate even a fraction! What is even more amazing is that this substance is not afraid of water immersion; on the contrary, it becomes harder the more it is immersed in water, and it is indestructible by rivers and lakes!"
"Your Majesty, this is the fruitful result of the pursuit of knowledge through investigation! With this 'divine soil,' the construction methods of our Great Ming Dynasty will be completely overturned! The Great Wall can become a wall of steel, and river embankments can transform into mountains in the water!"

Zhu Youjian listened quietly, his expression calm as still water, as if all this earth-shattering event was merely confirming the script he had already written.

He slowly walked to the "stone," bent down, and stretched out his slender fingers, gently tapping the rough surface with his knuckles.

The sound was deep and heavy, with a dense, airtight texture.

This sound is the pulse of the new era.

"good."

Zhu Youjian said only one word, but it made Song Yingxing feel more excited than any reward.

He straightened up, his gaze sweeping over Song Yingxing's excited face, and slowly said, "The way of Heaven turns without ceasing, day and night. But human effort can also urge it on and make it change course. Mr. Chang Geng, you and the craftsmen of the Gezhi Academy are the ones who will change the world for our Great Ming."

This assessment carries immense weight!
Song Yingxing's eyes welled up with tears, and he bowed down again: "Your subject is willing to die ten thousand times over!"

“Death is unnecessary.” Zhu Youjian waved his hand. “I want you to live, to live and create more miracles like this for the Ming Dynasty.”

He turned and walked back to the imperial desk, saying in a deep voice, "Wang Chengen."

"The slave is here!"

"By imperial decree, summon Duke Zhang Weixian, Minister of Revenue Bi Ziyan, and Grand Secretary Wen Tiren to wait outside the Qianqing Gate immediately."

Wang Chengen nodded in agreement.

Zhu Youjian's voice rang out again:
"I wish to take a few of my beloved ministers to see for themselves the true 'foundation of our Great Ming Dynasty'!"

……

Half an hour later, outside the Qianqing Gate.

Beneath the majestic palace gates, three influential figures from the Ming Dynasty court stood solemnly awaiting their arrival.

Duke Zhang Weixian of England, dressed in a python robe, was as tall and imposing as a mountain.

This veteran general, a man of many years in the military, possessed an innate air of iron-blooded ruthlessness. He stood with his hands behind his back, his brow slightly furrowed, his gaze occasionally sweeping into the distance, his heart filled with curiosity and a hint of skepticism unique to soldiers.

"The cornerstone of the nation? Divine soil?" He pondered to himself. "Song Yingxing, that bookworm, talks about it so eloquently, saying it's as solid as rock? How solid is it? Can it withstand the Jurchen's cannons? If it's just for building a house or a bridge, what does it have to do with the military affairs of the capital? Is His Majesty going to make such a fuss to build the nine border fortresses with this? If it's really as he says, that steel rods can't even penetrate it, then... it's worth a look."

Standing beside him was Bi Ziyan, the Minister of Revenue.

This god of wealth from the Ming Dynasty had graying temples, and every wrinkle on his face seemed to say, "The national treasury is empty."

He squinted, his expression filled with worry.

"Sigh, another new trick from His Majesty." His mind was already racing with calculations. "Divine Power Soil... it sounds magical, but the cost of calcining the stone, building workshops, and hiring craftsmen is astronomical. The national treasury has only managed to catch its breath these past two years thanks to the new maritime trade policies and the investigation of hidden lands. It can't withstand His Majesty's extravagance. A cornerstone of the nation? I hope, I hope it's not just another ingenious contraption that drains the imperial treasury but proves to be of little use."

Unlike the previous two, the most complex expression came from the cabinet chief Wen Tiren, who stood at the very front.

This former representative of traditional civil officials is now the emperor's most steadfast supporter.

He no longer held the same wariness as before, regarding any "strange skills and tricks" as "not in accordance with the way of the sages".

The emperor proved time and again that his so-called "extraordinary skills and ingenious tricks" all concealed profound and far-reaching meanings.

“Divine Earth…” Wen Tiren murmured the name, and what welled up in his heart was no longer rejection, but a deep thought mixed with awe and unease.

"Your Majesty's actions are often unexpected, yet ultimately reasonable. This 'Divine Power Soil' has been given the name 'Foundation Stone of the Nation' by Your Majesty, so its use is far more than just building houses. But... how can something made from stone and clay, fired together, turn the tide?"
The way of 'investigating things' truly possesses such power? This power originates from the hands of craftsmen, not from the words of sages. If this way flourishes, how will scholars of the world conduct themselves? How will the traditional order of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants continue?

He sensed a breath of change, a breath completely different from the Confucian classics he had studied all his life.

This aura felt unfamiliar to him, and even... a faint sense of fear.

But he trusted the emperor more, and believed in everything this young emperor had done.

Just as the three were lost in their own thoughts, a steady yet light sound of hooves approached.

A strange carriage they had never seen before slowly drove out of the palace gate.

This carriage was much larger than ordinary official sedan chairs, and had four huge wooden wheels covered with iron. Most peculiarly, there seemed to be some kind of intricate steel structure connecting the carriage to the wheels.

Four magnificent imperial horses pulled it along the stone road, and surprisingly, it was incredibly smooth, without the violent jolting of an ordinary carriage. The curtain was lifted, revealing Zhu Youjian's young face.

"My three beloved ministers, please get in the carriage."

The three men dared not be negligent. After bowing respectfully, they boarded the four-wheeled, shock-absorbing carriage that Zhu Youjian had named "Dragon Soaring No. 1".

The carriage is spacious with thick carpets and leather-wrapped seats that are soft and comfortable.

As the carriage started moving, the three of them immediately sensed the difference.

"Huh?" Zhang Weixian was the first to exclaim in surprise, "How can this car... be so stable?"

Bi Ziyan stroked his beard and nodded repeatedly: "It is indeed wonderful, as if walking on flat ground, even more stable than my sedan chair."

Wen Tiren carefully observed the structure of the carriage, and as he watched the street scene rushing past the window, his unease and shock deepened.

Even a simple carriage contained principles of physics that he could not comprehend.

What will this so-called "divine soil" look like?
Zhu Youjian looked at the surprise on the faces of the three senior officials, smiled faintly, and offered no explanation.

The wheels rolled on, traversing the streets of the capital, speeding towards the Western Hills.

……

The carriage caravan traveled westward, leaving behind the bustling capital, and the roads gradually became rugged.

More than an hour later, as the outline of the continuous Western Mountains became clear in front of them, a strange rhythm traveled along the wheels, through the floor of the carriage, and faintly reached the soles of everyone's feet.

It was a deep, continuous vibration, as if an ancient behemoth was breathing in its slumber deep within the earth.

"Your Majesty, we're almost there," Song Yingxing's voice came from another carriage ahead.

Zhu Youjian opened his eyes, a glint of shrewdness flashing in them.

He pushed open the car window, and a unique aroma, a mixture of the fresh scent of grass and trees and the acrid smell of coal, wafted towards him.

When the three ministers followed his gaze to the window, their expressions froze instantly.

What came into view was a scene they had never imagined in their lives.

This place was nothing like the noisy, dusty artisan workshop they had imagined.

The visual impact is overwhelming.

In a vast valley at the foot of the mountain, five towering buildings made of blue bricks and iron frames stand out like five giants reaching to the sky.

This is the "standing kiln" that Song Yingxing mentioned.

At this moment, they are exhaling thick, gray-black smoke towards the azure sky. The smoke rises straight up, like smoke signals connecting heaven and earth, symbolizing the determination of man to conquer nature.

A stream flowing from the western mountains was blocked by a sturdy dam, forming a small lake.

The lake water was guided and crashed against a gigantic waterwheel.

The waterwheel was over three zhang in diameter and made of sturdy ironwood. Driven by the water flow, it slowly rotated in a continuous cycle.

The waterwheel's central axis extends into a huge factory building, where a series of dazzling iron gears and transmission rods of varying sizes transform the power of water into mechanical power, driving the distant workshop with a series of loud "rumbling" sounds.

The auditory impact was deafening.

The closer the carriage got, the clearer the sound became.

First, the sound of rocks being quarried and broken came from the distant mountainside.

Immediately following was the sound of the giant watermill being lifted by the connecting rod driven by the waterwheel and then slamming down heavily, each impact causing the earth to tremble, like the heartbeat of a giant.

Then, countless millstones, driven by gears, emitted a heavy and continuous rumbling sound as they turned.

The disruption of order is mind-blowing.

Hundreds of workers, with short hair and wearing uniform blue short-sleeved uniforms, were working hard at their posts.

Some of them were operating the kiln, some were moving stones, and some were maintaining the equipment.

The entire massive base was completely free of chaos and noise. Only the foremen gave short, powerful commands, and everyone worked efficiently, precisely, and silently, like a cog in a giant machine.

Along the road, one side was piled high with limestone, clay, and black coal, while the other side was neatly stacked with rows of finished products sealed in oil paper and wooden barrels, with the date and kiln number clearly marked on them in ink.

Everything was in perfect order, exuding the solemnity and discipline of a military camp.

The carriage slowly stopped.

When the car door opened, Zhang Weixian, Bi Ziyan, and Wen Tiren stepped onto this land that was still shaking, they were completely speechless.

Bi Ziyan's face turned somewhat pale.

He wasn't frightened, but rather astonished by the sheer scale and the visible investment.

Looking at the towering vertical kiln, the enormous waterwheel, the countless workers, and the mountains of raw materials, his heart skipped a beat, and only one thought raced through his mind:

"How much of the imperial treasury must have been spent! This is simply burning through silver! No, it's burning through a mountain of silver!"

Duke Zhang Weixian of England, on the other hand, had his eyes wide open, his gaze sharp as an eagle's.

He was amazed by the tight organization and the immense mechanical power.

Zhang Weixian, who spent his life in the military, understood best what discipline and efficiency meant.

The coordination of these hundreds of workers was so precise that it rivaled that of his elite Beijing garrison!

This was something he had never seen before: the discipline and strength of the military being applied to production.

At that moment, Wen Tiren, the Grand Secretary, involuntarily took a half step back.

His wide official robes seemed somewhat out of place amidst this powerful aura.

He sensed something completely different from the Confucian order he was familiar with, which was built upon poetry, literature, etiquette, and virtue.

"On the left is a furnace, on the right a waterwheel; above is thick smoke, below is mud and dust. This scene is not found in the classics, this principle is not recorded in history." He muttered to himself, his face pale. "This is not human work, but almost the work of ghosts and gods. But, is the work of ghosts and gods beneficial or harmful?"

This force felt foreign to him.

And the unfamiliar is often the source of fear.

Only Zhu Youjian stood with his hands behind his back at the center of this clamor and power.

His dragon robe fluttered slightly in the rising air currents caused by the heat, and his face showed a hint of appreciation and pride.

This is his world.

A prologue that he himself began.

At this moment, Song Yingxing strode forward, his face flushed, and bowed deeply, his voice booming, drowning out the surrounding roar:

"Your Majesty, esteemed officials, we have arrived at the Construction Bureau's base!"

He pointed to the massive factory where core operations were underway, his eyes gleaming with fanaticism.

"Please come with me and witness the miracle of divine earth... turning mud into stone and soil into gold!"

Zhang Weixian, Bi Ziyan, and Wen Tiren exchanged glances, all seeing the same immense confusion and shock in each other's eyes.

They took a deep breath, suppressed the turmoil in their hearts, and began to walk.

(End of this chapter)