eldest son of Ming dynasty

Chapter 958: Technology and Industry in the th Year of Zhengde

Prince Qing's Palace.

The third prince was also discussing the most important issue in the court with his most trusted scholar.

This man's surname was Tu, and his given name was Sengdu. He claimed that he had learned the art of being an emperor. The third brother had always been known for his virtue, so he decided to become his disciple.

He was saying: "The emperor's decision to include science in the imperial examination is not a whim, but a well-thought-out decision. Since the beginning of the Zhengde era, the emperor has always regarded the "strange skills and tricks" that ordinary people disdain as an important means of strengthening the country. Today's prosperity is enough to prove that the emperor is indeed far-sighted.

The prince also knew that without the advantages of firearms and artillery, how could the navy and army of the Ming Dynasty be invincible? How could the territory that surpassed the previous Yuan Dynasty be obtained? Without three generations of cement, how could the difficult Shu Road become a thoroughfare, and how could the Western Frontier be reached in one month?
In order to promote science, Your Majesty established the Academy of Sciences, held the Three Departments Examination, granted official positions and money, and the so-called "what the superiors like, the subordinates will like even more". As a result, officials and businessmen all over the country opened various academies and cultivated many strange so-called talents. But in the current situation, this path has also encountered two major problems. "

The Third Prince Zai Yao always trusted his subordinate who was both his teacher and friend, and asked, "What are the two main issues?"

The man smiled slightly and raised a finger. "First, there is insufficient demand. There are at least 50 colleges and universities of all kinds in the world, if not 100. There are tens of thousands of people graduating from them every year, but the Three Departments Examination only requires 100 people every year. Add to that the students accumulated over the years, and the difficulty of the Three Departments Examination is no less than that of the imperial examination.

However, the Three-Division Examination is only a supplement to the Imperial Examination, and the priority between the two cannot be reversed, otherwise the country will be in chaos. Therefore, the number of people admitted to the Three-Division Examination cannot be increased, but most people want to be officials. Since it is difficult to make a name for themselves, it is bound to lead to a decrease in the enthusiasm of scholars for colleges and universities. From the perspective of the court, this is not conducive to the development of science. "

Come to think of it, isn't he one of them?

The third brother nodded, "So adding a science chapter to the imperial examination is to create a new way out."

"I also speculate that the emperor is even more reluctant to part with these talents, so he wants them to enter the officialdom through the imperial examination."

It also makes sense.

"What about the second question?"

"The second problem is that there is no plan. Everything is disorganized. We just start whatever we think of one day." The man pointed his finger in the air, and his words seemed to have some insight.
"In fact, this is also the reason behind the lack of demand. If schools are run according to demand, there will be no such problem. There is something fishy about this. I think that the emperor's reform this time should not be the end, but just the starting point. After all, as long as you realize this problem, you will know that simply adding items to the imperial examination cannot solve all problems, and you must plan from a higher perspective."

"How to plan?"

"First of all, we need to sort out the relationship between the imperial examination and the academies. I think we need to unify them. This is also the case according to the emperor's current practice. From now on, from the moment a baby is born, he will receive Confucian education as well as scientific education..."

……

……

Because Prince Yu reported that the Academy of Sciences had made important achievements, the emperor left the palace and brought the princes and major ministers with him.

The third prince Zai Yao followed the emperor closely and said, "Since father has added science to the imperial examination, there is no obvious difference between the imperial examination system and the three-division examination."

"You mean to combine the two into one?"

Zai Yao nodded, "That's right. After this reform, most people will flock to various colleges to study science. Prefecture and county schools will also need to increase the number of such teachers. With so many people having a livelihood, the colleges will not decline."

Zhu Houzhao nodded in appreciation. At least this guy grasped one of the deeper considerations.

"Prince Qing is still willing to use his brain."

When the emperor praised him, many people around him followed suit and flattered him. Zai Yao couldn't hide his joy on his face, but he still said modestly: "This is all because of my father's good teaching."

Zhu Houzhao said as he walked: "I have always said that the development of the Ming Dynasty will never end. Although this sentence is a bit absolute, if we have reached the top by ourselves, then going forward will be a decline from prosperity, so the current rulers must always think about how to do better. I don't know what you think, but I still feel that there are some shortcomings.

For example, Prince Rui told me that the number of registered households in the Ming Dynasty is growing. In the past, people thought that the growth of population was a sign of prosperity, which is true. But what will happen next? It is a prosperous era, and then what? Should I sit on the dragon throne with these words of praise? "

The fifth one stepped forward and said, "Please teach me, father."

"You only need to look at the Ming Dynasty in recent years to understand that one of the sources of national strength or wealth is industry. What is the source of industry?" Zhu Houzhao emphasized, "It is specialists! Talents who specialize in a certain field or industry. Although there are many influencing factors, it is still specialists at the root. Specialists are the reason why cement can be made, specialists are the reason why looms can be improved, and specialists are the reason why newer warships can be built. I dare to assert that if the Ming Dynasty wants to undergo another earth-shaking change like the past thirty years, the key lies in the specialists.

I advise God to shake himself up and send down talents regardless of their background. The question is how to do it? "

Prince Qing had discussed this in his palace, and now he felt confident, so he said, "Father, I think we should vigorously establish private schools. The current county and prefectural schools are still not enough. We should let a child learn both Confucianism and science from the moment he is born. In this way, the best among them can be used by you and the court."

Zhu Houzhao was a little surprised that the third brother also saw through it. It was indeed not easy.

Prince Qing felt that the emperor was willing to overthrow the prime minister to carry out the reform, which meant that this was not a trivial matter, and therefore a series of actions would follow.

Yes,

Zhu Houzhao wanted to insert scientific education content into all prefecture and county schools. How could he do this? He just asked if you would study this subject in the exam.

He also wanted the national treasury to invest more to build private schools and allow more children to enter private schools.

In addition, it must be organically combined with the imperial examination system.

Starting from the county, you take the exams one level at a time and if you pass, you will enter the next level of school and finally enter these universities.

In fact, it is just a shell of the modern education system.

In this way, the Ming Dynasty was educating its people in a systematic way.

If this can be achieved, it is really unimaginable, because countries in other parts of the world are full of illiterate people, including the Ming Dynasty now.

As for the idea of ​​"study hard and become an official", this concept is really difficult to change. The official-centered approach is ingrained in their bones. After graduation, children want to become officials and do not go into business or other fields. It is up to each individual to choose.

Life will force some people to move towards business.

Only by continuously absorbing these highly knowledgeable talents can the industry develop further.

This is what Zhu Houzhao is going to do this time. Compared with some big or small flaws in the tax law, he is confident that this matter is more important.

Zai Jian followed up and said, "Father, I think this is the case. In the future, when private schools are established from the central government to the local governments, students will take exams step by step until they graduate from the school. At this time, the court will give them two options. The first is to participate in the imperial examination, and the second is for the school to issue a certificate of completion, and they can enter the industry they studied. In this way, private schools, schools, imperial examinations and industries can be fully connected. As long as we persist for a few years, the shipbuilding industry can continue to have specialists, and the textile industry can also continue to have specialists. When all industries prosper, the world will naturally prosper."

Zai's words touched Zhu Houzhao's heart. "This is right and feasible. Write it down and try to implement it in the future reform."

After graduation, you can make your own choice. If you pass the imperial examination, you can become an official. If you fail, you can find a way to do it yourself. That's not bad.

In the present Ming Dynasty, there are two industries that have always been valued by the emperor: military industry and shipbuilding. These two major industries have state investment, so talent training has never been interrupted, and the outstanding ones do not have to worry about having no place to go.

Zai Yao felt a little helpless when he saw that his fifth brother was still favored as always. He had tried very hard, but this prince named "Rui" had a quick mind. He could speak to the emperor's heart with just a little thought on these issues.

Really helpless.

This matter has basically been discussed here, because the Academy of Sciences is coming.

Yan Song also came today. Although he did not interrupt in the previous matters, he listened very carefully because these were the issues that he had to focus on as the head of the cabinet.

As for Prince Yu, he said nothing and took the emperor to the Academy of Sciences. Their destination was not an elegant and exquisite place, but just a large factory building.

When you get closer, what comes into view is a locomotive, a steam locomotive!

This is a project that Zhu Houzhao requested and has been working on for twenty years.

When Zhu Houzhao saw it, he was stunned. Although it was just an iron barrel motorcycle on wheels, it was something he had been thinking about for a long time.

He even felt that this moment was a little unreal.

Although its appearance was not handsome, and even a bit ugly and very weird, the weirdest thing was that there was a long chimney-like pipe in front of the inverted cylindrical steam cylinder. Zhu Houzhao knew that it was used to release exhaust gas, but it looked really weird.

It's inserted in the front like a pig's nose.

But he still couldn't hide his excitement, and stepped forward to take a closer look. "These wheels are good, they are all made of iron? How were they forged?"

"Your Majesty, it was specially made by a special craftsman. The bearings and tie rods inside are all specially forged. In order to meet the craftsmanship requirements, I hired 500 craftsmen and compared them one by one to find the best one."

"Okay, it is indeed a major achievement as you said. Well, well... can the locomotive run?" The emperor seemed to be speaking unsteadily.

Prince Yu liked the emperor at this moment. He smiled, nodded and said, "You can run. We have tried it on the road. It only takes one and a half hours to travel a hundred miles. All you need is to burn coal."

Zhu Houzhao calculated in his mind that the speed was about 30 miles per hour.

In fact, the maximum sprint speed of a warhorse can reach more than 100 miles per hour, but horses are made of flesh, not iron, and cannot maintain a sprinting state all the time.

Speed ​​is secondary. Slow is better. The key is the capacity! The capacity is different! How much cargo can a horse carry?
"It has been tested. Does that mean the track has been built as well?"

"Yes, I have built a five-hundred-meter track in the Academy of Sciences."

This is the prototype of the train in Zhu Houzhao's mind.

The steam wheel is one of the simplest applications of steam power. A piston is connected to a wheel through a connecting rod. The steam pushes the piston to move, and the wheel naturally turns.

"If we are carrying cargo such as food, how much can we carry at most?"

Zhu Houzhao walked up with the help of people around him. The space in the driving position was still quite cramped.

Prince Yu replied, "I have observed the experiment. A locomotive can pull a maximum of five carriages. A coal carriage is also needed. It can pull about 120 dan of grain."

One stone is about 150 jin... After doing crazy calculations in his mind, Zhu Houzhao had an idea, it was about 10 tons.

"How are these iron parts forged?"

"The method of smelting does exist, just like forging a sword. There are blacksmiths in the folk who can do it, but it takes more effort to forge it into a special shape."

Zhu Houzhao understood, "So, these are all made by manpower, so they can't be produced quickly."

"Father, you are wise. That is exactly the case."

Knowing this, Zhu Houzhao would not be disappointed. The so-called industry and the so-called machine age are indeed a very complex system. The missing of any component may cause the entire machine to stop moving.

Of course, manual forging has production capacity limitations, but it’s good enough to be able to do it.

"It's all right, it's all right. The key is whether everything can meet the requirements. The machine will wear out when it is running. What is the degree of wear of each component?"

All the experts in the Academy of Sciences were amazed that the emperor had such a deep understanding of the subject.

The reason is very direct. Zhu Houzhao did not have high expectations for the current metal smelting technology.

Prince Yu looked at the white-haired technical director beside him. This question was too complicated. He bowed his head and saluted, "Your Majesty, wear and tear will occur, but the degree is difficult to generalize. Each component is different."

Zhu Houzhao was not interested in the details. He only asked: "If a dedicated track is built between Tianjin Port and the capital, how long can these steam locomotives run without any problems?"

The man replied: "I guarantee that it will be safe for two years, unless there are special circumstances or someone deliberately damages it."

okay.

enough.

The second brother said that it was a major achievement and it was true.

Then everyone noticed that the emperor, who was already fifty years old and never showed his emotions, clapped his hands excitedly. "If it can really be achieved! This is really a good thing. Second brother, you have done a great deed!"

Everyone was a little surprised. How could such a small person get so excited?

Zai was a little embarrassed himself. "Father, these were all done by Technician Xu and his team. I was just coordinating the process. As for some of its flaws, please rest assured that I will have the technicians follow the entire process and make continuous improvements to strive to make a second-generation steam locomotive."

Zhu Houzhao pinched his waist, calmed down a little, and then began to give orders, "Prince Rui."

"My son is here."

"Re-make this year's budget and add this project to it. You and the people at the Academy of Sciences should discuss how much it will cost to build a railway from the capital to Tianjin Port. Submit a memorial to me and I will approve it."

Then he excitedly announced to everyone, "My dear ministers, this thing is definitely a powerful weapon for our Ming Dynasty. Because our Ming Dynasty has a vast territory, some places are separated from the Central Plains by deserts and Gobi, but with this thing, it will be different. Now it can transport goods, and in the future it can also transport people. Moreover, it is a machine, not afraid of cold or heat, and does not know fatigue. It can run day or night. In this way, as long as the track can reach a place, people and goods can be transported uninterruptedly at the command of the court. In the future, if the Ming Dynasty wants to overcome the problem of remote areas that are out of reach of the central government, it will rely on this!"

Many people could not fully understand this, but since the emperor had announced it, they could only agree with it.

Yan Song was very perceptive. He flattered the emperor by saying, "I congratulate the emperor on getting another powerful weapon! Congratulations to Prince Yu for his great achievement!"

Others will naturally follow.

When they finished, Zhu Houzhao said, "Second brother, it doesn't matter if this locomotive can't actually run for the time being. I know what's going on when I saw it today. The track from the capital to Tianjin Port cannot be laid in a short time. You have to lead these people to continue to improve it. There are two directions for improvement: more power and faster speed!"

As for things like combustion efficiency, let's put them aside for now.

Now they can make steam locomotives, and they can mine as much coal as possible from all over the world!

"My son obeys the order!"

"When the track is built and the locomotive runs successfully, I will promote you to a higher rank!!"

Zhu Houzhao was full of heroism.

The eldest, the third and the fifth were all dumbfounded.

All of these princes are second-class princes. Even the fourth prince, who has fought in many battles, is still a second-class prince. Of course, this does not mean that the emperor did not express any opinion on the work of his brothers, but he just did not express this.

And because the emperor never gave up on the title, for a long time everyone thought that the first-class prince was probably just something hanging there to make people covetous, and would never be used.

I didn’t expect to say it on this occasion today.

Even Zaiyi himself was somewhat flattered. He paused for a moment and said, "Father, it is my duty to do this. With such a generous reward, I..."

"No, no, no." Zhu Houzhao was so happy that he didn't even let him finish his refusal. "I said before, this is a powerful weapon for the country. The contribution you made today is absolutely first-class. You absolutely deserve the title of first-class prince. I said so! And the contributions of these technicians behind you are not small either. When the road is opened, you report the names to me and I will reward them one by one!"

Yan Song and other civil officials, as well as several princes, all stood aside with a look of confusion.

He looked at the emperor for a while, and then at the iron lump next to him: So, this thing is so powerful?

Of course it is great. The so-called development of science and technology actually still needs industry. Science and technology without industry is nothing. But there are also differences between industries. Some industries exist naturally, such as food, drink, housing and transportation, while some industries are created, such as steam locomotives.

As for why Zhu Houzhao was so happy, it was because he had finally waited for this day.

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(End of this chapter)