Chapter 1021 1016 [A Denglai Mansion will beat Goryeo]
The area east of Jiaoshui has been called Jiaodong since ancient times, and now it belongs to Denglai Prefecture of the Ming Dynasty.
The prefect of Denglai is a fat vacancy.
Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, three Denglai prefects have been executed, without exception, all because of corruption.
There have only been four prefects in total, and the current one was transferred last year.
In other words, from the founding of the Ming Dynasty to the end of last year, the mortality rate of Denglai Prefecture was 100%!
It's so rich here.
The group of Goryeo royal families and clans in front of us, and the prosperous market seen in Denglai Fucheng are just a reflection of the growing prosperity of Jiaodong area.
As the imperial court rectified the gold mines in Jiaodong, the gold output from Denglai Prefecture accounted for 45% of the local gold output of the Ming Dynasty (not counting overseas). It ranked first in the country!
Steel production ranks third in the country (ranking at the provincial level).
Salt production ranks third in the country (ranking at the prefectural level).
Cloth output ranks fifth in the country (ranking at the prefectural level).
At present, the most cotton-growing places in the Ming Dynasty are in Shandong, mainly concentrated in Jinan, Yanzhou, and Dongchang (Liaocheng, Linqing area). The climate and soil here are suitable for cotton growing, and the irrigation resources are abundant.
One-sixth of the cotton produced in Shandong is sold to Denglai Prefecture for weaving, because the textile industry has always been developed there.
In the past, it mainly produced silk and linen, but now it also produces cotton fabrics.
Goryeo's textile industry has been wiped out in recent years, and the main culprit is Deungrai linen. This place is rich in linen and is the closest to Goryeo. The shipping cost is extremely low, which has wiped out Goryeo's local linen to pieces, and with it the market that uses linen as currency.
Also reshuffle the cards.
A single Denglai Prefecture destroyed the Korean economy!
The current magistrate of Denglai is Hu Quan, the first number one scholar in the Ming Dynasty and a close disciple of the late cabinet minister Xiao Chu.
The first number one scholar in the founding of the People's Republic of China had been around for more than ten years, so it was naturally impossible for him to reach the level of prefect. He was transferred to Denglai, a high-ranking and low-ranking official, and was specially ordered to rectify the official atmosphere of Denglai. Last year, not only was the prefect of Denglai sentenced to death, but also others
More than ten subordinate officials were executed or exiled.
Hearing that Zheng Zhichang had returned from Goryeo, Hu Quan took the initiative to chat with Zheng Zhichang.
After some small talk and a general understanding of the situation, Hu Quan asked: "I heard from merchants traveling to and from Goryeo that farmers there mostly use wooden farm tools. Denglai is rich in iron tools, but iron farm tools are shipped to Goryeo, but farmers there generally cannot buy them.
Since Goryeo surrendered to the Ming Dynasty and changed its name to North Korea, it was natural to develop agriculture first. Does the imperial court have any plans?"
Zheng Zhichang laughed and said: "Prefect Hu actually came forward to open up sales for merchants."
"Ironware here is cheap, and North Korea is short of iron, so we can complement each other," Hu Quan encouraged. "After Zheng Shilang returns to Beijing, he can suggest to His Majesty that the imperial court allocate funds to purchase iron farm tools from Denglai on interest-free credit."
Sold to North Korean farmers for farming. In this way, the market for iron tools in Denglai was expanded, and North Korean farmers also had iron farm tools to use."
Zheng Zhichang nodded and said, "I will give advice to Your Majesty."
Hu Quan asked again: "Does North Korea produce salt? Dengrai is rich in salt."
Zheng Zhichang smiled and said: "I'm afraid this business won't work. Salt is also produced on the southwest coast of North Korea. There is a lot of fish salt production there, but the method of frying salt is behind that of Dengrai."
"Oh, forget it then." Hu Quan sighed.
Of course Hu Quan did not want to sell that little salt, but wanted to include the entire Korean Peninsula into the Shandong salt exclusive area.
Many provinces in China are not short of salt, but the salt monopoly system has restricted the development of major salt-producing areas. The purpose of this is not only to facilitate tax collection, but also to balance local areas.
The salt monopoly system was only officially abolished in 2016!
After chatting for a while, Zheng Zhichang asked: "Has the Denglai Telegraph Station been officially opened?"
Hu Quan said: "It won't be launched until New Year's Day next year, but the magistrate has already arrived. Moreover, the code books for the prefect and tongpan are also sealed in fire paint and delivered. I just received them a few days ago."
Zheng Zhichang said: "I'll borrow it."
The officials in the telegraph system were all technical officers and clerks, and Ju Ming also provided more positions for technical officials.
Due to the limited level of science and technology, large antennas and relay stations must be erected along the way to send electromagnetic signals over long distances. Currently, there are only two lines, one from Luoyang, Kaifeng, Shandong, Lushun to Liaoyang, and the other from Luoyang, Chang'an
,Lanzhou to Hexi Corridor.
Next year, we plan to add three more lines, one to Yue Fei, one to Han Shizhong, and one to southern Sichuan.
Existing lines will continue to be constructed, such as the line in Liaoyang, which extends eastward to Harbin and southward to Kaichengfu, North Korea. The line in the Hexi Corridor will also be connected to Yinchuan.
Within three years, telegraph covered every province in the country.
"Dudududu..."
In the telegraph office, the sound continued, and the punched paper tape finally turned into a sound signal.
Zhu Guoxiang originally thought it would be difficult, but he continued research and development for more than two months before he discovered that the original buzzer was very simple.
How simple is it?
The basic principle is similar to the electric bell used to start and end classes in school.
The director of the Denglai Telegraph Station personally helped send the telegram. He beeped for a while, then turned to Zheng Zhichang and said: "Secretary Zheng, the telegram has been received. Please wait patiently for a reply."
About two quarters of an hour later, the beep sounded again.
After some exchanges over the air, the director of the telegraph office translated it into Chinese characters: "kindness."
The text of the telegram only contained this one word, but Zheng Zhichang was very emotional. It seemed that the emperor was extremely satisfied with the Korean affairs.
…
After a few days of no sunshine, heavy snow fell again.
This year's average temperature is actually warming up, and there will be a warming period that lasts for more than a hundred years.
The emerging Ming Empire is about to emerge from years of frequent disasters, the pressure on food security will gradually ease, and it will officially enter a stage of rapid development.
The winter solstice is celebrated by everyone.
Every household inside and outside the city became beaming with joy.
Since members of the Goryeo royal family and clan stayed in Denglai City, Hu Quan specially allocated funds to host a banquet.
He did not dare to make the banquet too grand, after all, three consecutive Denglai prefects had been beheaded, and Hu Quan, the new prefect, was specially here to correct the atmosphere.
"Today is the winter solstice. Let's prepare some drinks," Hu Quan said. "If there is any negligence, please forgive me."
Wang Gou quickly said: "It's extremely rich. The prefect is very interested."
The officials of the government office also came, and each brought their female relatives to accompany the Korean female relatives to eat at the same table.
There was no singing and dancing, which was also a reflection of frugality.
But for these Koreans, the banquet was indeed very sumptuous. The table was filled with mutton, pork, and fish, and there were also many spices.
Spices are rarer than meat in Korea!
At the beginning of the banquet, Hu Quan took the lead in raising his glass to Luoyang: "With this glass, I wish your Majesty and the Supreme Emperor good health and long life."
Everyone quickly raised their glasses and all faced Luoyang.
After drinking a glass of wine, Hu Quan said: "The Ming Dynasty is as strong as it is today because of two generations of holy emperors. As for the spices used in today's dishes, we rely on the emperor to set up agricultural officials. Many spices from overseas were used in the past.
have been successfully introduced into the country. For those that have been introduced but are not popular, agricultural officials are advised to study their habits and expand the planting area of these spices."
Zheng Zhichang said with a smile: "In the old days, Wang Xietang's swallows flew into the homes of ordinary people. The overseas spices that were exclusive to the rich in the Song Dynasty are now affordable even to well-off families. I heard officials from the Department of Agriculture say that there are still not enough types of spices today.
They will continue to introduce species for research."
Many officials of Denglai Mansion also praised the prosperous times.
In fact, the price of overseas spices is still on the high side, and the people at the bottom cannot afford it.
Those roadside stalls still use common local spices.
Wang Gou's three monk brothers sat at the same table with several Dengzhou monks. They were eating vegetarian dishes. At this moment, smelling the aroma of meat from the next table, they all couldn't help but swallow their saliva.
Damn it, Emperor Zhu not only banned redundant temples, but also banned monks from eating meat.
Monks in the Song Dynasty were allowed to eat meat, as long as they followed the "three purity" principles. That is, if the meat was not something they saw, killed with their own hands, or died because of themselves, monks could eat this kind of meat.
Ju Ming believed that monks should keep their six roots pure, so he issued an edict a few years ago banning monks across the country from eating meat...
At this time, the Dengzhou monks who accompanied the Korean monks had only given up meat for a few years, and they still ate it secretly in private. But now that the government was hosting a banquet, they did not dare to disobey the order, and the smell of meat made them greedy.
Wang Gou's younger brother, the monk of Xuanhua Temple in Goryeo, the monk named Jueguan, couldn't bear the temptation of greedy insects. He suddenly stood up and said: "Angel, prefect, I am a member of the royal family of Goryeo, and I was forced to do so by the traitor.
I am forced to become a monk. Now that Korea is surrounded by the Ming Dynasty, it is not my intention to become a monk and practice Zen. Can I just return to secular life and live my life?"
Zheng Zhichang immediately translated it to Denglai officials.
Many Ming officials were suppressing laughter, and Hu Quan also lowered his head and pursed his lips.
Zheng Zhichang said: "If you don't really want to become a monk, you can naturally return to secular life. However, you must ask Your Majesty for instructions on this matter. This Zen Master Jueguan, please come and eat meat. One or two meals of meat will not be a problem."
As soon as these words came out, the other two eminent monks, Wang's brother, also left the table and gave up their meals.
There were only a few local monks left in Denglai, sitting there staring at each other.
A group of Goryeo royal family members and clans were a little reserved at first, but gradually started to eat heartily.
Wang Gou, the fat little king, stuffed a few pieces of mutton into his mouth: "It's the best delicacy in the world, it tastes like this, Denglai Mansion is really a place where things are abundant and people are plentiful."
Zheng Zhichang was still showing off: "Do you know that Denglai alone produces more iron than the entire Goryeo? Denglai also produces more cloth than the entire Goryeo. The gold mined in Dengrai in a year is more than that of Goryeo."
It’s more than the sum total of the two hundred years since the founding of the People’s Republic of China!”
As soon as these words came out, the Korean people present were dumbfounded.
The Duke of Taiyuan sighed with emotion: "No wonder the world is invincible. One place is so rich that the whole country combined is simply unimaginable. I, the Duke of Taiyuan of Goryeo, am afraid that my life is not as good as that of the Denglai gentry. Goryeo should have long ago
It contains the Ming Dynasty, which is a matter of complying with God’s will.”
Wang Gou took the opportunity to show his loyalty and looked angry: "It's all because of those traitorous ministers who obstructed me. I wanted to sacrifice my country ten years ago. Long live the Emperor of Heaven!"
"Long live the Great Tomorrow!"
All the people of Goryeo shouted in unison and immediately denounced the powerful officials of Goryeo.