Late Ming Dynasty: Oops, I am surrounded by the Donglin Party

"My Lord, the new spinning machine has already been tested, but due to the lack of a suitable site, it has not yet been put into production." Song Yingxing replied.

At the beginning, Song Yingxing only took ten days to put the ideas provided by Zhang Shikang into practice.

It then took several more months to make several improvements, and by August last year, the new spinning machine had been finalized, which has a spinning efficiency eight times higher than the old spinning machine.

"Didn't Tang Ruowang see it?" Zhang Shikang said seriously.

As early as when he sent Johann Adam Schall von Bell to this workshop, Zhang Shikang had instructed Song Yingxing and others not to show or tell anyone outside the vassal state about what they were developing.

This seemed quite shameless. After all, Zhang Shikang still relied on Johann Adam Schall von Bell to help the Ming Dynasty improve its firearms, and he had to be on guard against him.

But Zhang Shikang believed that this was the way it should be. If Europeans had not learned the formula for gunpowder from China, they might not even be able to make gunpowder now.

But after the Europeans learned gunpowder technology from China, they relied on their strong ships and powerful cannons to plunder China.

Between countries, especially in technology, who cares about face?

If he could have stolen the French cannon-casting blueprints and the Dutch galleon blueprints, he would have done it long ago.

In short, as long as it can improve the technological level of Ming Dynasty in the most efficient way, everything can be done.

Fortunately, neither the Ming Dynasty nor the Europeans have much concept of technological monopoly.

Zhang Shikang wanted to take advantage of this difference, studying his own technology while studying the European technology, and thereby achieve overtaking.

The improvement of the spinning machine marked the beginning of the Industrial Revolution for Europeans, but that was in the middle of the eighteenth century, one hundred and twenty years after today.

But now, the spinning machine has been successfully improved in the Ming Dynasty. Before the Ming Dynasty can make enough profits from the spinning machine, confidentiality must be maintained.

"My Lord, he doesn't know."

As the three of them were talking, they walked to Song Yingxing's small workshop. Two soldiers were standing outside the workshop. No one else could enter the room without Song Yingxing's permission.

When I entered the house, I saw the new spinning machine that Song Yingxing had improved many times in the workshop.

Song Yingxing also demonstrated to Zhang Shikang how to use it, and Zhang Shikang was particularly satisfied with this new spinning machine.

"I will ask the Ministry of Industry to first build a workshop for the production of spinning machines, but the selection of craftsmen will have to be supervised by you, Mr. Song.

It doesn't need to be a lot, a hundred people will be enough, and the craftsmen can be deployed by the Ministry of Works. They must sign a document that they are not allowed to pass on the technology of the new spinning machine without the permission of the court.

The punishment might be heavier. For example, if the news spread outside, not only would the land allocated to their family by the court be taken back, but they would also be exiled three thousand miles away, and their descendants would never be allowed to take the imperial examinations.

In short, the salary can be slightly higher, but confidentiality must be maintained." Zhang Shikang warned.

If the Ministry of Industry were to build this spinning machine workshop first, it would only take two or three months, but there would be a lot to do in these two or three months.

In addition to recruiting craftsmen to teach them how to produce and assemble spinning machines, workers were also recruited to spin yarn.

Zhang Shikang did not intend to hand over the spinning machines produced in the workshop to a large number of private spinning workshops in Jiangnan.

Firstly, if that were done, the new spinning machine technology would most likely be spread to others very quickly. After all, the method of improving the spinning machine was not complicated, and at best Zhang Shikang was just breaking a layer of window paper for Song Yingxing.

Once it gets out, the early advantage will be gone.

Another very important point is that if Zhang Shikang sells the spinning machines he produces in large quantities to yarn manufacturers in Jiangnan.

This will inevitably cause a large number of spinning workers to lose their jobs. After all, the spinning efficiency of a new spinning machine is seven or eight times that of an old spinning machine.

The business of Ming Dynasty has just begun to recover, and the land distribution work in Jiangnan has not yet been completed. If a large number of workers become unemployed again, it will be bad for Ming Dynasty.

Sometimes Zhang Shikang also has a headache. A technological innovation will not only bring new opportunities to business, but it will also have a negative impact on many people.

And some of the impacts are a series of impacts that have to be considered.

According to his plan, the spinning machines produced in advance would be used by the workshops under the General Administration of Manufacturing.

Of course, production cannot be stopped. The excess spinning machines can be stored first. When the time is right in the future, for example, two or three years later, with the encouragement of the court, the business needs more workers, and then these spinning machines can be sold to the spinning mills in Jiangnan.

Of course, the confidentiality clause must be signed. Zhang Shikang does not expect this technology to be kept secret for long, but he will delay it as long as possible.

Fortunately, businessmen are undoubtedly the most savvy and they know that it will not be good for them if more people know about this thing.

"Yes, I understand. I also saw the potatoes, sweet potatoes and other seeds that the Marquis brought back from the Jiangnan coast.

They are all well preserved and can be planted in our own experimental fields in March this year.

My subordinates had grown potatoes and sweet potatoes themselves when they were officials in the south. They are a good crop that is relatively easy to grow.

I promise to complete the task assigned by the Marquis." Song Yingxing said seriously.

According to the plan given by Zhang Shikang, these seeds will be used to grow more potatoes and sweet potatoes this year, and in autumn, the promotion work will begin.

This matter will be handed over to the Ministry of Households for cooperation. The initial promotion work will be selected in Shuntian Prefecture, Shaanxi and Shanxi. The main work will be persuasion and training, including the habits of potatoes and sweet potatoes.

The drought situation in Shanxi and Shaanxi is more serious, and there are many mountains. However, potatoes and sweet potatoes have low soil requirements and can survive even in the mountains.

Corn and peanuts will also be promoted at the end of the year. As for crops such as peppers and tomatoes, they are not staple foods after all, so they can be put aside for the time being.

Unfortunately, when Zhang Shikang ordered his men to collect new crops along the southeast coast, they did not find any rubber trees.

Putting aside the food issue, Zhang Shikang felt that rubber was the most important cash crop. With rubber, there were so many things that could be done.

However, these things cannot be rushed. The rubber tree was introduced to China late. This sacred tree native to Brazil was not introduced to China until the early twentieth century.

"In addition to spinning machines and crop promotion, there are two other important things that need your help in research and development.

This may be Mr. Wang’s specialty.” Zhang Shikang said to Wang Zheng with a smile.

Wang Zheng was recommended by Bi Maokang, and Bi Maokang of course also told Zhang Shikang about Wang Zheng's strengths.

Song Yingxing's specialties are agriculture and handicrafts, which are basically in the category of light industry.

Wang Zheng, who is already 70 years old, focuses his research on hydraulic power, wind power, machinery and other fields.

Wang Zheng initially believed in Taoism, then converted to Catholicism, and learned a lot of knowledge from Western missionaries.

He also wrote "Illustrations of New Instruments" and "Illustrations of Strange Instruments from the Far West", which mainly talk about the statics knowledge of the Western Renaissance, such as the geocentric theory, center of gravity and its solution, calculation of water volume, specific gravity, etc.

In addition, Wang Zheng also studied technologies related to heavy industries such as smelting and machinery. He and Xu Guangqi were once known as the "Southern Xu and Northern Wang".

It’s no wonder that Europeans called the Ming Dynasty the Far East, so Wang Zheng called it the Far West, which is quite fitting.

Wang Zheng and Bi Maokang were not only born in the same year, but also died in the same year. In the 17th year of Chongzhen, after learning that the Ming Dynasty had fallen, Wang Zheng, who was in his seventies, committed suicide to end his loyalty.

"My Lord, please feel free to ask for anything you need. As long as it can help the court, I will do my best." Wang Zheng said very humbly.

His hair has turned gray, but his body seems not as strong as Bi Maokang of the same age, but his eyes are full of sincerity.

Zhang Shikang felt sorry for Wang Zheng when he saw him hunched over, but when he saw the old man insisted, he said:

"I hope you two can work together to develop glass and cement."

……