Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 463 Old Zhu: We will never be ignorant and foolish!
Led by Jiang Huan, Zhu Yuanzhang arrived at a water collection point in Nanjing.

When he witnessed the clear water gushing out of the pipes, he finally understood what "tap water" meant.

Jiang Huan respectfully said from the side, "Your Majesty, the tap water is drawn from a reservoir built on a high mountain outside the city."

"The mountain spring water is clear and the rainwater is pure, all of which gather in the reservoir. People are assigned to guard it strictly to prevent any dirt from polluting the water source."

"Then, through sturdy pipes made of cement and steel bars, the water was continuously transported into the city to meet the daily needs of the people of Nanjing."

"The reservoir is located at a very high altitude, and the water in the pipes can flow out simply by turning on the tap, hence the name 'tap water'."

Jiang Huan explained in detail.

Most of the high-ranking officials and wealthy families in Nanjing have already invested in having tap water pipes directly installed in their homes.

In the early morning, the servants only needed to turn on the tap, and the clear spring water would flow into the courtyard, saving them the trouble of carrying water.

However, for ordinary people with limited funds, the cost of laying private pipelines is still a considerable expense.

They could only gather at various water collection points throughout the city, using wooden buckets or earthenware jars to collect this hard-won spring water.

Nevertheless, compared to the hardships of digging wells or scooping water from lakes in the past, they are now extremely grateful for the convenience.

"His Majesty once said that Nanjing is the capital of the Ming Dynasty, with a dense population that is far superior to the countryside."

"With a large population, filth in life follows closely. Without proper sewage disposal methods, sewage and excrement will seep into the ground or flow into urban lakes, causing endless trouble."

Nanjing is located in the Jiangnan region, a land of water and abundant rainfall, with numerous lakes scattered throughout the city.

Jiang Huan pointed to a lake not far away and said, "People often wash clothes and bathe by the lake, and even use the lake water directly to cook tea and rice. Sewage and domestic water are mixed together, and diseases lurk in the water."

"Only wealthy and powerful families would not come to such a place."

"But the majority of the people in the city are ordinary families."

"Every time the seasons change, malaria ravages the land like a ghost, claiming the lives of countless people."

"Moreover, the Ming Dynasty is now a prosperous commercial center, with merchants and travelers from all directions coming and going frequently."

"If an epidemic suddenly breaks out in a certain place, it is very likely to spread with the population, affect the whole country, and shake the foundation of the country."

"Your Majesty has great foresight and knows that to secure the foundation of the nation, one must first ensure the well-being of the people."

"The imperial court spared no expense in constructing a water supply and sewer system in Nanjing."

“Sewage is discharged through underground pipes, away from drinking water sources, and then properly treated to keep the city clean.”

"In addition, His Majesty ordered the placement of trash cans along the streets, strictly prohibiting people from littering, and taught the public to cultivate good hygiene habits in order to prevent disease."

"Such measures were not only implemented in Nanjing, but also in the newly built city of Shencheng in Songjiang Prefecture, as well as in Suzhou, Yangzhou and other places."

As Jiang Huan spoke eloquently, she led Lao Zhu through the streets and alleys, showing him the roadside trash cans and the carefully designed drainage holes on the ground.

In this era, the amount of waste that ordinary people discard on a daily basis is pitifully small.

The reason is not complicated.

The mountains of garbage that followed in later generations mostly originated from a variety of cardboard boxes, plastic packaging, and disposable items.

For example, opening a few packages will leave behind a pile of cardboard and wrapped tape.

When buying a snack or a cup of milk tea, you'll also buy all sorts of packaging bags, plastic cups, or bottles.

However, these things had not yet come into existence in this era.

Ordinary families regard paper as a treasure and would never easily discard it, let alone carelessly throw away old furniture.

What can be called "garbage" are nothing more than kitchen scraps or a few torn pieces of fabric.

Therefore, there is very little waste, and it is quite easy to dispose of.

Old Zhu bent down to examine the sewage outlet embedded in the ground.

Through the small hole, one can vaguely see the spacious pipes below, with water flowing gently and orderly in the dim light.

Because of its sealed design, very little odor is released.

Not far away, a sanitation worker held a broom, head down, focused on sweeping the street, his movements skillful and meticulous.

Sunlight shone on the sanitation worker's linen clothes, revealing a simple yet resilient spirit.

After looking around, Old Zhu finally believed Jiang Huan's introduction.

However, a lingering doubt remained in his mind.

He had spent some time in Shanghai back then.

Shanghai is also a newly built city.

But back then, Shanghai didn't have any running water.

The sewers were nothing more than open ditches on the street.

But Nanjing is completely different now.

However, what Lao Zhu didn't know was that Shanghai didn't have a running water system at that time, mainly due to the terrain.

The terrain around Shanghai is flat with few towering mountains, making it impossible to build reservoirs at high altitudes to store water.

At that time, the steam engine had not yet been invented, and there was no power to pump water to higher places, so it was naturally difficult to lay water pipes throughout the city.

Relying solely on open ditches on the ground for water diversion is not only inefficient but also prone to accumulating filth, making it unsuitable for practical use.

Zhu Yunwen believed that instead of building temporary ditches, which would only address the symptoms and not the root cause, it would be better to patiently wait for the right opportunity.

After all, the prototype of the steam engine had already appeared at that time, and once it was introduced, it would completely change the situation.

Therefore, he ordered the layout of pipelines in the city to be reserved, so that he could make full use of the steam engine once it was ready.

Although the steam engine could not compare to the intelligent electric motor of later generations, which could directly pressurize water flow and automatically adjust the pressure to continuously deliver tap water to thousands of households.

But with a steam engine, the problem of pressurizing tap water could be solved.

By building towering water towers, steam engines were used to pump water to the top of the towers, and the water flowed smoothly to every resident's home thanks to the pressure of the towers' own gravity.

In this way, even in plains areas far from mountains, tap water supply can be achieved.

The construction of sewer systems follows a similar principle.

Underground pipes are naturally located in low-lying areas, and the area where sewage eventually collects is even lower. By relying solely on natural flow, sewage cannot be discharged on its own.

Therefore, it is necessary to rely on mechanical force to pump out the accumulated sewage, and it can only be discharged after proper treatment.

Without steam engines or similar mechanical power, it would be a pipe dream for a city to build a comprehensive underground sewage network.

Old Zhu was not familiar with these technical details, so he couldn't help but have doubts.

But he didn't dwell on it too much. Instead, he asked for more information to gradually understand the situation.

At the same time, they boarded the carriage again and continued to tour the ever-changing city of Jinling.

The changes in Nanjing were far greater than Zhu Yuanzhang had imagined.

Every street and every building silently tells the story of the progress of the times.

Old Zhu increasingly felt that he was turning into an "ignorant and ignorant country bumpkin".

But the more this is the case, the more he wants to figure it out.

He was the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and he should have been well-versed in the affairs of the world. How could he be a "foolish and ignorant person"?

……

Qinzheng Hall.

This newly completed magnificent palace will not be used solely for holding grand court assemblies. Behind it lies another world.

This is the "Imperial Study" where Emperor Zhu Yunwen routinely reviewed memorials and handled state affairs.

On the left and right sides of the study were the military affairs office and the political affairs office, respectively, like the wings of the empire, protecting the central government.

Two wide avenues extend outwards from each other, one to the east and one to the west.

Along both sides of the avenue, numerous important departments of the imperial court were arranged in close succession, each performing its duties in an orderly manner.

In an era without the internet, telephones, or even cars, where information could only be transmitted by horses or on foot, the benefits of centralized government offices were obvious.

Information transmission no longer requires long journeys, and the efficiency of official document exchange is greatly increased.

For example, when Zhu Yunwen issued an imperial edict, the Ministry of State Affairs quickly drafted the document, transferred it to the Ministry of Justice, and completed the process within hours in accordance with regulations.

In case of emergencies, the speed can be increased several times, arriving in an instant.

Conversely, if the Ministry of Justice had important matters to report, they could be delivered to the Emperor immediately.

If the emperor wished to summon a certain minister, he would simply give the order, and the person would be standing at the foot of the steps within moments.

If they are scattered throughout the city, it would take a long time just to deliver information and summon people.

Zhu Yunwen placed great importance on office efficiency.

Many matters in the imperial court cannot be delayed for even a moment.

At this moment, a group of officials dressed in court robes gathered in the corridor outside the Imperial Study.

They either spoke in hushed tones or stood solemnly attentively, each harboring their own matters to report, awaiting the emperor's summons.

The saying goes, "Hold large meetings to handle small matters, hold small meetings to handle big matters, and don't hold meetings for particularly important matters."

The grand court assembly, attended by thousands of people, was mostly a ceremonial event, intended to demonstrate the emperor's authority and, incidentally, to announce important decisions to the officials or convey the emperor's direct decrees.

Even for a regular court session with hundreds of people, this was the case.

The occasions for truly discussing national affairs were usually when important military or political officials were summoned, accompanied by key officials from various ministries closely related to the meeting's content, or local governors and imperial inspectors, to conduct in-depth discussions on important matters.

Such meetings are usually small meetings with only a few people or a dozen people.

For the most important matters, the emperor would personally summon his ministers for a private meeting to listen to their reports, inquire about the details, and, if necessary, make a decision on the spot.

This is why we don't hold meetings for things that are particularly important.

That's how it is today.

Zhu Yunwen sat upright in the imperial study, with memorials from various ministries piled up on his desk.

At the same time, he summoned the heads of each department one by one.

Today, he has become increasingly integrated into the supreme identity of the emperor.

They were no longer satisfied with making decisions about national affairs based on just a few pages of briefings.

Although reading the briefings saves him a lot of time, allowing him to focus on the overall situation.

However, sometimes it is difficult to see the truth from a briefing alone.

Many political affairs can only be clearly distinguished from right to wrong and not be misled by superficial observations through in-depth investigation.

Therefore, Zhu Yunwen would frequently conduct random checks on the details in the reports, verify the memorials, and summon ministers to see if the reports matched the facts and whether they contained any hidden meanings.

More importantly, Zhu Yunwen was well aware that ministers could not write everything directly in their memorials.

Some secrets, either because they involve the private interests of powerful officials or touch upon the undercurrents of the court, are difficult to put into writing.

Seeking a direct audience with the emperor might be too ostentatious and attract criticism.

Only when the emperor personally summons them for a private audience can their concerns be dispelled and they be given an opportunity to speak freely.

This not only helps to understand the truth, but also allows Zhu Yunwen to firmly grasp power and strategize.

"Your Majesty, the promotion of cotton cultivation has been underway for many years, but resistance remains."

"Most farmers were unwilling to switch to growing cotton, and local officials were also resistant to it. They obeyed orders on the surface, but in reality they just went through the motions."

"Fortunately, nowadays, due to the establishment of the stock market, a large amount of land has been nationalized and included in the company's shares, and is managed by the government's rental management agency."

"The imperial court has far greater control over agricultural affairs than before."

"It is now much easier to promote any crop than before."

"However, I humbly believe that it is not appropriate for the Ming Dynasty to use so much land to grow cotton."

Gu Qizhang, the Vice Minister of Revenue, was standing in the Imperial Study, reporting the situation to Zhu Yunwen and frankly expressing his opinions.

The national economy and people's livelihood, in the final analysis, are nothing more than the five words: "clothing, food, housing, transportation".

With the food problem largely solved, the issue of clothing has become the top priority.

However, many court officials had differing opinions on promoting cotton cultivation.

As early as when Zhu Yuanzhang was in power, the Ming Dynasty court vigorously promoted cotton planting and issued a decree that all farmers with five to ten mu of land must plant half a mu of cotton, and those with more than ten mu must double that amount.

However, while the laws of the imperial court are laws, their actual implementation is another matter.

Farmers cherish their land like gold, preferring to grow more grains to ensure their own survival rather than risk switching to cotton.

Local officials mostly tacitly understood this and turned a blind eye, only hoping for peace and freedom from famine within their jurisdiction, and were unwilling to create any complications for cotton planting.

After all, that is their primary responsibility.

As for how the common people dressed...

In this era, being dressed in rags was almost the norm for ordinary people.

Apart from the wealthy and powerful, who doesn't wear coarse cloth clothes patched upon patched?

Even some upright county magistrates and prefects, along with their families, wore clothes covered in patches.

The county magistrate and the prefect themselves might only dress better when meeting guests.

Eating is the most important thing in the world.

What does it matter if clothes are new, old, or tattered?

Therefore, cotton cultivation should not be overemphasized; ensuring sufficient domestic food supplies is the fundamental priority.

As for the cotton planting directives issued by the imperial court, local authorities often dealt with them perfunctorily, trying to get away with it as much as possible.

They are capable of planting, but the scale is far from what the imperial court expects.

The imperial court was fully aware of this situation, but it tacitly accepted it.

After all, if the standards are set high, even if local implementation is significantly compromised, the actual cotton yield can still be maintained at a certain level.

If the standards are set too low from the beginning, and then repeatedly reduced by local authorities, even the most basic results may be difficult to guarantee.

In this era, the per capita arable land was quite abundant, with an average of about ten acres of land per person, far exceeding that of later generations.

Although the yield of cotton per mu was not as high as that under the advanced technology of later generations, it could still yield about 150 to 200 jin per mu.

Compared to other crops, cotton is drought-resistant and highly adaptable, and is less affected by natural disasters.

If each household could truly set aside half an acre or a acre from their ten acres of land specifically for cotton cultivation, the clothing of the people of the Ming Dynasty would probably already be piled up like mountains, more than they could wear.

……

(End of this chapter)