In Jinmen, where the morning light first broke, a grand sailing ceremony was being held. Shengjia and his party set off from Tianjin on a dragon boat and headed south to their next stop, Cangzhou. The scenery along the way was spectacular, like a moving scroll, slowly unfolding.
before the eyes of the world.
The dragon boat is the only specially built royal canal boat for this trip to the south. It is a giant water beast that symbolizes the majesty and glory of the heavenly family. It is long and strong, with its head and tail high. The hull is painted with fine dragon patterns. It is resplendent and magnificent, as if a real dragon is leaping on it.
Above the waves.
On the bow of the ship at this moment, Emperor Zhu Yijun of the Ming Dynasty was dressed in military uniform, with a sense of dignity and elegance. He stood on the bow of the ship, looking far away, casually waving goodbye to the teams on both sides of the bank seeing off his chariot. On both sides of him
, the generals of the Han Dynasty were dressed in uniform golden armor, holding spears, and looked majestic. They protected the emperor's safety and also demonstrated the strength of the empire.
Even if everyone knew that they were just one of the ceremonial guards of honor of the emperor, and that the real escorts were either the Imperial Guard cavalry riding southward on both sides of the canal, or the imperial guards on the dragon boats and other accompanying ships, it would not matter.
These tall and burly Han generals with golden helmets and gold armor won cheers by showing off their appearance.
Following the emperor's order, the dragon boat started slowly, and the oars cut through the calm water, causing ripples. Along the canal, people had already gathered. They prostrated on the ground, holding incense and candles, watching the dragon boat go away, feeling in their hearts
Full of gratitude and reverence for the imperial power - according to the announcement issued by the Tianjin Governor's Yamen yesterday, the emperor has decreed: Tianjin officials, civilians, soldiers and soldiers who have performed meritoriously will be exempted from all taxes and miscellaneous donations this year, and half of the corvee service.
The emperor will be exempted from half of the taxes along the way. This was planned by Gao Jingjing before the ceremony, and even the financial budget for the current year after the exemption was prepared well in advance. For the emperor, as long as the emperor arrived at a place,
, he just announced it once.
This is also one of the characteristics of Gao Pragmatism that is particularly trusted by Zhu Yijun. For this reason, he once rewarded Han Bao: "Everything is planned for the world." For Emperor Wanli, who was used to being a hands-off shopkeeper, it was even unimaginable for him.
If we lose such a pragmatic Yuan Fu who is "prepared for everything", it will lead to a catastrophic disorder in the government.
On the other hand, it is really cool to have Gao Jingshi preside over the general affairs of the court. There are almost no worries that need to bother me. Even if they happen occasionally, just ask Gao Jingshi. He will definitely have a solution.
.
The scenery along the way changes as the dragon boat travels, from the bustling Jinmen, to the vast fields, to the winding rivers, every piece of land is bathed in the glory of the holy driver's journey.
At this time, Zhu Yijun had already returned to the boat to rest, and there was no doubt that the one who was summoned was Gao Pragmatic, the chief minister of the cabinet.
Zhu Yijun, who was tossing and tossing the "Nuremberg egg" in his hand, was smiling at the moment and said: "It's new. Although this thing is novel, after playing with it for a day, I have found that this thing is still not as accurate as a water clock or an hourglass."
, let alone a sundial. In just one day, the time difference has exceeded half an hour."
Gao Pragmatic smiled and said: "This thing was invented only a few decades ago, and there are still many things that need to be improved mechanically. The difference of half an hour in one day is actually quite remarkable. As far as I know, this 'pocket watch' came out
In the beginning, the error in one day could be as long as two or three hours."
Zhu Yijun laughed and said: "If the error reaches three hours a day, then what use can it have for timing? Even if you look up at the sky, it is more accurate than it."
Gao pragmatic smiled slightly and said: "But now the error of the pocket watch in the hands of the Holy Master has dropped to just over half an hour. You must know that it has only been about fifty years.
So can I speculate that in another fifty years, the timekeeping error of this object will be as small as that of a water clock? Your Majesty must not forget how big the water clock is, and how big is this pocket watch? How troublesome is it to use a water clock, and how big is this pocket watch to use?
How convenient?”
Zhu Yijun's smile gradually solidified, and after a while he couldn't help but ask: "If the army carries this thing, wouldn't it be far more convenient than a water clock or an hourglass? If our two armies make an appointment to attack the enemy together, and there is this thing, how can I not do it?"
A lot of trouble."
Gao pragmatic nodded first, then shook his head and said: "What the emperor said is indeed useful, but this is only a very small part of the pocket watch industry."
Zhu Yijun was quite surprised. He picked up the "Nuremberg Egg" in his hand and looked at it. He frowned and said, "Apart from the exquisite carving of the shell, I don't see that it has any other functions besides timing."
Gao pragmatic smiled and pointed at the pocket watch in the emperor's hand and said: "Your Majesty, you know that the exquisiteness of this pocket watch lies not only in the measurement of hours, minutes and seconds, but also in the wave of scientific creation it has triggered. I studied its principle carefully and found out that it
Although an object is small, the more it strives for perfection, the more it can promote the leap forward in precision machinery.
At the same time, the refining of metals and the creation of new alloys can also be improved to meet the needs of bell making. Your Majesty, I am not just talking about it, but these skills are actually the cornerstone of our Ming Dynasty's mechanical industry."
Zhu Yijun seemed to understand what he was hearing. He pondered for a moment but still couldn't fully understand. He had to say: "I'm not good at this. Yuan Fu might as well explain it in more detail."
He began to change his self-identification from "I" to "I", and changed the name of Gao Pragmatic from "Rixin" to "Yuanfu", indicating that he had discovered that the conversation had upgraded from a chat between classmates and friends to a monarch-subject relationship.
The call is correct and must be taken seriously.
Gao Pragmatic explained: "Objects like this must be widely circulated before they can play a role, so that all people and all industries can benefit from them. As His Majesty just pointed out, if this object is used in the army, all battalions can cooperate.
It saves manpower and makes it more punctual. In fact, not just the military, but which other industries can’t benefit from this?
However, if you want to promote it, you must reduce the cost. For example, brass cannot be all brass. It may be made into some kind of brass alloy, such as bronze. Of course, this is just an example. The specific alloy needs to be made by craftsmen from all walks of life.
Only by careful consideration and countless trials and errors can you be sure.
And in this process of speculation, trial and error, you may be able to discover other uses for various alloys and use them in other fields. This is to promote the creation of alloys. As for metal refining, it is naturally also in this category, and the same can be done here
It is developed, refined, and used for other purposes in the process.”
"Oh...that's it." Zhu Yijun nodded and said with a smile: "Yuan Fu's words are right. There are always many flowers in the world that are deliberately planted but do not bloom, and unintentionally planted willows to create shade. I understand."
Gao Jingshi added: "Not only that, Your Majesty, I look at this pocket watch and understand the mysteries of physics. For example, the rhythm of a pendulum and the bite of gears all require a deep understanding of the principles of force, energy, and motion. Such research,
It is of great use to me in astronomy, navigation, and even daily measurement.
I heard that people in the West used clocks and watches to measure celestial phenomena and determine longitude and latitude, so that they could sail without hindrance. Therefore, the Portuguese and Spaniards were pioneers in crossing the five oceans, either doing business or dominating the territory, and they called themselves "the sun never sets"
.
Our country, China, has been no inferior to the West since ancient times. There was Rome there, and we had the Han Dynasty. Rome has been destroyed long ago, but we, the Han people, have passed down from generation to generation that this is China's victory over the West. Now that we, the Ming Dynasty, know that this way is emerging in the West, how can we be willing to follow others? Dare we follow others?
Please pay attention to it, your Majesty. Although the pocket watch is small, the related science is great, and it will be used by our Ming Dynasty to consolidate our national power, explore the four seas, and then trade with all countries to gather its strength."
Zhu Yijun listened with rapt attention, his eyes showing yearning for the unknown world, and he nodded repeatedly: "What Yuan Fu said is shocking and enlightening, I should take it seriously."
Unexpectedly, before Gao Pragmatic finished speaking, he actually continued: "Your Majesty, the study of mathematics may also be inspired by pocket watches. The ratio of its gears and the measurement of time require complicated calculations; the principles of calculus and geometry
This technique can be applied. I believe that the pocket watch is a fusion of science and art, and may even be used to gradually promote the method of education and add mathematical skills to the imperial examination."
"Well..." Zhu Yijun looked a little embarrassed: "Last time you added Cheng Wentong to the imperial examination and then counted the elective points. There was no controversy between the government and the public. Now if you want to add arithmetic, I think it may not be possible.
All goes well. It’s better to let this matter go for a while. After a few years, all the scholars in the world will get used to the test of mathematics, and then it won’t be too late to promote it.”
The emperor's statement was pragmatic and he did not object to it. After all, conducting imperial examinations was not a trivial matter, and this was not a period of great turmoil. Everything could be cut through quickly, and step by step was the safest approach.
"Finally, I would like to talk about the importance of standardization and metrology. The accuracy of clocks and watches requires the unification of standards. When applied to industry, this principle is actually the gospel of our manufacturing industry in the Ming Dynasty.
In the past many years, I have implemented more precise measurements such as 'meter', 'decimeter', 'centimeter', 'millimetre' and 'ton' within Jinghua. Now, with the expansion of Jinghua, it has affected many cooperations.
However, it is also popular among common people.
I think that if we can generalize this theory, the quality of our Ming Dynasty utensils will be even better. In this way, in the future, in addition to silk, porcelain, tea and other new types of goods will be exported overseas, the national strength will also increase.
So powerful."
Zhu Yijun pondered for a long time, and finally said: "Yuan Fu really sees the subtle things! What you say makes sense. The small clocks can actually lead to the great science and technology. It is really a blessing for the Ming Dynasty to have such ministers to assist the government. I will
Think carefully about it in order to make the country strong and prosperous."
The two chatted on this topic for a long time, and finally it was time to eat. Zhu Yijun naturally wanted to keep Gao Yingshi to accompany him to the meal. Gao Yingshi didn't make any excuses, and stayed after saying a few polite words.
.
During the dinner, Zhu Yijun suddenly saw that the light outside the window had become brighter. He subconsciously looked to the left and saw that the lush trees on the east side of the canal had turned into patches of white land - "white" land in the physical sense. He couldn't help but be startled and asked.
Said: "Rixin, what's the scenery in the distance? Why does it seem like it's snowing?"
Gao Pangshi took a closer look and saw that the scenery was really similar in his memory. He couldn't help but smile and said: "The good Pope knows that it is a salt field. I think the holy driver is approaching Cangzhou, and it is one of the northern sections of Changlu Salt Field.
Already."
Zhu Yijun suddenly realized and said: "I said it looks like it's snowing, but it turns out the ground is not snow, it's all salt."
He paused, looked at it carefully, and then sighed: "It's really endless... I've seen Changlu Saltworks mentioned thousands of times in memorials, and every time I describe its size, I can only describe it in general terms. Now I see it with my own eyes.
After seeing this, I remembered Lu Fangweng's poem: What you read on paper will eventually become shallow, and you will definitely know that you have to do it in earnest. You are really honest and don't deceive me."
Gao Pingshi smiled and said: "If more of you feel this way during your emperor's trip, it will surely be a blessing to the people."
Zhu Yijun became interested and asked: "Rixin, I have benefited a lot from my trip to Tianjin. Do you expect there will be some good news about the Changlu Salt Farm?"
Gao Pragmatic looked solemn, shook his head and said: "I am ashamed, I am afraid I will disappoint the emperor - when I arrived in Cangzhou, I wanted to report something: In the early years of our dynasty, there were 24 salt fields in Changlu Salt Fields. By the Longqing period, there were even
After the merger, Haifu, Runguo, Sanchagu and four salt fields were merged to benefit the people, leaving twenty. Since the Wanli era, Changlu Salt Fields have been merged into four more salt fields, leaving only sixteen salt fields left."
Zhu Yijun was very surprised and asked: "Why is this?" After a pause, he suddenly remembered something very important and asked in a low voice: "If what I remember is correct, your uncle's Zhang family in Puzhou is growing up."
Lu Salt Farm has a large shareholding... This salt farm is like a cornucopia of business, how come there are more and more cuts?"
Gao pragmatic sighed and said: "It's a long story."
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Thanks to book friends "Badger", "Book friend 20161221164832888", and "I need poi" for their monthly ticket support, thank you!
PS: It’s a long story, let’s talk about it in the next chapter. By the way, readers can also see from the Tianjin chapter that the process of Shengjia’s journey south was to summarize some of the reform achievements of the Practical School over the past thirty years. Although
Because of the relationship "along the way", I can't write everything, but I can try to write some. This is also what you should do in the later stage of the novel, there is a beginning and an end.
