My Pen Pal Zhu Yuanzhang

Chapter 339 Yang Siyi's Ambition

Liu Sanwu has another advantage, which is that he knows that professional matters should be done by professionals.

Especially in the field of ordnance, outsiders really can't do it. Just like the configuration of explosives, if you let someone who doesn't understand it do it, it will definitely result in death or injury.

Therefore, Liu Sanwu handed over the main trial production work of the artillery to the director of the Artillery Institute, Zhou Daoming. He, like Li Min, became a hands-off boss and was only responsible for coordinating the work among the various bureaus of the Industry Department.

Unlike Liu Sanwu, Zhou Daoming's family did not make cannons, but fireworks. Long before the Ming Dynasty carried out industrial reforms, he was recruited into the early military equipment bureau and became a gunpowder master because of his good skill in mixing gunpowder.

After the Ministry of Industry established the Industrial Bureau and set up various new departments, Zhou Daoming originally thought that he would be assigned to the Explosives Institute, but he was transferred to the Artillery Institute by Liu Sanwu, who also suggested to Li Min that he be promoted to the director of the institute.

Not only was he good at mixing explosives, but he also knew a lot about artillery. Before this, the Industry Department had also tried to improve artillery, and Zhou Daoming was the one doing the main work. After all, he was one of the first people in the Ordnance Bureau to come into contact with artillery, and he was responsible for mixing gunpowder for the artillery in the beginning.

However, before that, the Artillery Institute had always been a relatively deserted government office. Compared with other bureaus, the Firearms Institute was the most popular government office. After all, new guns needed to be trial-produced from time to time. It had the largest number of personnel and the highest funding.

The second is the Institute of Explosives, which is not only responsible for the development of new explosives, but also for the improvement and production of bullets. It is also a place that everyone wants to go.

On the other hand, although the Artillery Institute was established at the same time as the Firearms Institute, the Ming Dynasty did not attach much importance to artillery during that period. Moreover, compared with the heavy, bulky and impractical artillery, needle-fired guns and semi-automatic rifles were the favorites of His Majesty and the nobles and generals.

Therefore, since its establishment, the Artillery Institute has been in an awkward situation where it is neither loved nor cared for. It has no manpower and no funds, and has not achieved anything remarkable after being established for a long time.

This made the people from the Artillery Institute feel inferior in status within the Industrial Department. Even when they met people from other institutes, they kept their heads down and were too embarrassed to say hello to others.

But now, as soon as the task of developing a new type of artillery came down, the Artillery Institute suddenly became the most sought-after department in the Ordnance Bureau and even the Industry Department. It had both people and money, and it was like a liberated serf finally singing and feeling proud.

Even Zhou Daoming walked with his head held higher than before.

The Industry Department was busy as always, and other factories were also running at full capacity. As the shipyard in Songjiang Prefecture had not yet been officially put into use, the Fuxing Shipyard, the largest and most technologically advanced shipyard in Yingtian Prefecture, had to transfer all its current work to Shengxiang, Qingkou and other shipyards, and concentrate on building new warships and expanding a new dock.

Just when everyone was working hard for the new warships, what no one expected was that the first breakthrough was the power plant of the Dingyuan-class battleships, a horizontal three-cylinder reciprocating steam engine.

The Industrial Division was established because of steam engines, so it has the strongest strength in the research and development of steam engines. There are ready-made drawings, and the various process flows are also clear. It can be achieved as long as it follows the drawings step by step.

As the ship's power achieved a breakthrough, the various sub-components of the hull were built one by one, and the drive shaft and propellers were also built one by one.

Soon after, Fuxing Shipyard also began the construction of the Dingyuan-class ship, laying the keel and building the hull. In order to facilitate the transportation of various large parts, the Ministry of Industry decided to lay another railway directly between the machinery factory and the shipyard.

The distance between the factory sites was not very far, and the paving was completed in just over ten days. This greatly reduced the trouble of transportation, but it also brought another unexpected effect.

Since the railway track passed through the urban area of ​​Yingtian Prefecture, the railway line became a unique landscape. When the train carrying various large parts roared through Yingtian Prefecture, many people ran over to see this rare spectacle. Although there is a railway from Yingtian Prefecture to Maling, it is in the suburbs and is not as convenient as in the city.

Many small vendors smelled a business opportunity and set up stalls along the railway line, selling roasted sweet potatoes, roasted potatoes and other snacks. For a time, business was booming.

When Yang Siyi saw this scene, he couldn't help but sigh that railways can indeed drive the development of economy and trade.

However, this railway was built with funds allocated by the Ministry of Revenue, and we can't just give it to you for free. Should we submit a memorial to His Majesty and collect taxes from these small vendors?

After His Majesty implemented industrial reforms, fiscal revenues increased significantly. In order to increase the purchasing power of the people, His Majesty also issued an imperial decree:

Taxes on sundry items commonly used by the military and civilians, as well as taxes on weddings, funerals, seasonal gifts, dyed and woven fabrics, agricultural tools, non-traded goods carried by vehicles or boats, vegetables carried on the shoulders of ordinary people, fish sold by streams and rivers, bamboo, wooden, cattail and grass utensils, as well as commonly used utensils, copper and tin utensils, and daily food are all exempt from tax.

Of course, after His Majesty issued the tax exemption decree, he did win praise from many people. However, Yang Siyi could still guess his true thoughts.

How much can you collect from the small vendors? If you open a factory and make money, your majesty will naturally look down on it. It is better to do a favor and gain a good reputation as a benevolent monarch.

But now it seems that these small vendors are making a lot of money. No matter how small the profit is, it is still meat, right?

However, Yang Siyi was just thinking about it. He would not do such a thankless task that would offend people. Besides, the national treasury was not short of money. The income from a single maritime trade was much higher than the tax revenue of the previous year, not to mention the tax revenue generated by various industrial product trades.

However, if we talk about the most profitable business, it has to be white sugar. This thing is not only in short supply in China, but it is also selling like hot cakes overseas.

Now the plantations developed in Champa have been fully started, and the sugar factory has also started construction. After it goes into production, a lot of real money will flow into the Ming Dynasty's treasury.

Moreover, I heard that His Majesty has long been eyeing several gold and silver mines in Japan, and therefore specially sent Monk Daoyan as an envoy of the Ming Dynasty to Japan. No one knows when the gold and silver can be brought back.

It seems that Monk Daoyan needs to work harder.

Of course, compared to these actual commodity transactions, after the treasure notes enter the circulation of various countries, that is when real money can be made!

However, except for Goryeo and Annan, Baochao was only an international currency used in transactions with the Ming Dynasty in Ryukyu, Japan and other countries. Well, he learned the term "international currency" from His Majesty, and His Majesty probably heard it from a strange man.

When Baochao becomes the legal currency of these countries, the Ming Dynasty will be able to truly control these countries economically.

By then, I will not only be the God of Wealth of the Ming Dynasty, but also the God of Wealth of many foreign countries!
Of course, the realization of this simple and plain wish requires the Ming Dynasty to have a strong navy. Yang Siyi is more eager than anyone else to see the appearance of new warships.

(End of this chapter)