Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 511 My Will! Nobody Cares!
Upon hearing this, the ministers in the hall were immediately in an uproar, and discussions arose everywhere.

Minister of State Affairs Zhan Hui hurriedly stepped forward and solemnly said, "Your Majesty's safety and well-being are tied to the fate of the nation. How can you lightly leave the capital and personally go to the flood-stricken area?"

"In my opinion, sending an envoy to investigate this matter is sufficient; why should Your Majesty personally go?"

Wang Zuo followed closely behind, his expression solemn: "When the Supreme Emperor was on the throne, even though the northern frontier was engulfed in war for years, he never personally left the capital to oversee the battle."

"Your Majesty is the supreme ruler, and although the Yellow River has breached its banks, it is not to the point that Your Majesty needs to personally come to the scene."

He paused slightly, his tone growing increasingly serious: "Moreover, after the floods, many diseases have broken out, and the victims are wandering around. If any unscrupulous individuals incite unrest, the situation will become difficult to control."

"Your Majesty is taking this risk; if anything happens to you, the consequences will be unimaginable."

"Your Majesty, I humbly beg you to reconsider and rescind your decree!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the assembled officials in the hall knelt down in unison, their voices rising like waves.

"Your Majesty, I implore you to reconsider, withdraw your decree, and refrain from the northern tour!"

"Your Majesty, I implore you to reconsider, withdraw your decree, and refrain from the northern tour!"

"Your Majesty, I implore you to reconsider, withdraw your decree, and refrain from the northern tour!"

……

Zhu Yunwen quietly looked down at the assembled officials in the hall, his expression calm, and said in a light tone:
"My mind is made up about the northern tour; you need not say any more."

Although the response was not loud, it struck the hearts of the ministers like a hammer blow, and no one dared to say another word.

In fact, even if the Yellow River had not breached its banks, Zhu Yunwen had already intended to go out on an inspection tour.

As an emperor who rules the world, how can one know the people's sentiments and understand the realities of governance if one has never even set foot in most of the territory he governs?

Even the most intelligent person can be misled by falsehoods while confined to the deep palace, spending their days reading memorials from ministers, reading newspaper reports, and listening to whispered rumors.

If future chairmen of large enterprises remain confined to high-rise offices and do not personally go down to the grassroots level and delve into workshops, they will eventually become detached from reality and have a limited perspective.

Some things, unless you see them with your own eyes and experience them firsthand, are ultimately just theoretical discussions.

Today, the Ming Dynasty boasts an unprecedentedly vast territory, thriving commerce, and a flourishing economy. The Industrial Revolution has just begun, and the country is undergoing rapid changes. The complexity of governing such a nation is far greater than it was in the past.

Zhu Yunwen knew that to truly govern the country well, relying solely on reports and memorials from the court was far from sufficient.

He had considered leaving Jin several times to travel around and observe the people's conditions.

But after much deliberation, I gave up on the idea.

The industrialization of the Ming Dynasty was still in its early stages, and Nanjing and Yingtian Prefecture were undoubtedly the core of the country's science, technology, trade and industry.

This place is not only the birthplace of new ideas, but also the testing ground for various reforms.

If Yingtian Prefecture is developed well and properly guided, it can radiate to all directions and drive the economic take-off of the entire empire.

Therefore, he always personally oversaw the project, planning and supervising it to ensure that this important town remained on the right track and did not deviate from its intended course.

Unlike previous emperors who lived in seclusion, Zhu Yunwen often traveled incognito to explore the lives of ordinary people in the capital.

In the early days, before the industrial system of the Ming Dynasty had taken shape, Yingtian Prefecture was more crucial than any other place, requiring his full attention to guard it.

Therefore, although Zhu Yunwen considered going on tours several times, he ultimately did not act rashly.

Today, the development of Yingtian Prefecture and Jinling City has stabilized, and various systems and plans are beginning to take shape.

He has also devoted himself to imparting the theories, methods, and technical approaches needed by the scholars of the Daming Academy of Sciences.

It's time to look further afield.

The Ming Dynasty was not just about Nanjing and Yingtian Prefecture.

The world is vast, with rivers and mountains stretching for thousands of miles, and the development of other places is also indispensable.

As the emperor, he needed to personally inspect the situation in order to understand the facts and implement sound policies.

The devastating collapse of the Yellow River has already occurred, providing Zhu Yunwen with a legitimate opportunity.

This time, he didn't hesitate.

Seeing that His Majesty was determined to go, Yang Shiqi pondered for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "If Your Majesty is determined to make a northern tour, please make thorough preparations and do not act rashly."

Zhu Yunwen nodded slightly and said, "That's very true. The Political Affairs Office and the Military Affairs Office should immediately begin preparations for the Northern Inspection Tour, ensuring that everything necessary is done without fail."

He then changed the subject, saying, "The Yellow River has breached its banks, causing immense suffering and death. Disaster relief is of utmost urgency."

"The administrative office must maintain close contact with local government offices in Henan and Shandong at all times to coordinate the allocation of resources and direct disaster relief efforts."

"If necessary, the military affairs department may send troops to assist in maintaining order and providing relief."

At this point, his tone changed again, and he said, "In this flood, the telegraph machine played a huge role and saved the lives of countless disaster victims."

"This is a powerful tool for the nation and should not be ignored. We must further promote it."

"I want every county within the territory of the Great Ming to be connected by cable and equipped with a telegraph machine, so that it can communicate with the surrounding county governments, higher-level government offices, and even the central government at any time."

"This matter cannot be delayed; it must be completed by the deadline!"

In fact, it is not difficult to extend the cable lines to every prefecture and county.

Many inter-provincial trunk lines inevitably pass through numerous prefectures and counties during their construction.

By simply setting up branch lines and terminals at these nodes, telegraph machines can be installed without requiring much additional manpower or resources.

It is indeed extremely difficult to connect every county with a paved road. The project is massive, and the manpower, material resources, and time required are staggering.

However, if it is just a matter of laying a single cable through, it is much easier and much faster.

It is also very convenient to navigate through difficult terrains such as rivers and mountains.

The Ming Dynasty of today is vastly different from what it once was.

Whether in terms of productivity, technology, processes, or even construction capabilities, there has been a qualitative leap.

If there are any difficulties, they are only in some remote areas where the location is far away and transportation is difficult, making the installation a little more challenging.

One of the important reasons why Zhu Yunwen resolutely decided to personally go on the inspection was that the widespread use of telegraph machines after the laying of cables made it possible to coordinate and command remotely.

Wherever he was, he could use the telegraph machine to maintain close contact with the central government in Nanjing, provincial administrative organs, and the military affairs department at any time to handle important military and political matters.

It's a world of difference compared to the past.

In the past, once the emperor left the capital, the delivery of memorials and urgent reports alone would take a great deal of time. Even the slightest delay would cause military operations to be missed and have a huge impact.

It was usually necessary to have the crown prince or a prince oversee the country to stabilize the court.

The situation is different now.

Centralized dispatching can be carried out in real time, eliminating the need to establish a regent in the capital.

The minister in charge of the telegraph department stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your subject obeys the decree."

"Your Majesty, please rest assured that there is already quite a lot of mature construction experience in cable laying in various places."

"As for the supply of cables and telegraph machines, the factory has sufficient production capacity to provide a full supply."

"Your Majesty, I hereby assure you that, except for a very few remote and difficult-to-reach areas, all prefectures and counties in the heart of the Central Plains will be connected to cables and equipped with telegraph machines by the end of this year."

"At that time, wherever His Majesty goes, he can send a telegram directly to Nanjing to maintain real-time contact with the various ministries of the court, the government offices of the provinces, and the garrison troops, so as to coordinate the overall situation without any hindrance."

He understands the meaning behind a string.

As early as when Zhu Yunwen mentioned that "every prefecture and county must have cables installed," it was clear that His Majesty's key demand was to ensure uninterrupted communication during the northern tour.

Therefore, he immediately made a guarantee.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yunwen nodded slightly, a look of satisfaction flashing in his eyes, and said nothing more.

He then discussed with the ministers the matter of urgently allocating disaster relief funds and grain.

The amount of disaster relief funds to be allocated to Henan, Shandong, and other areas, the amount of grain to be transported to the disaster areas, the source of the grain, the person in charge of coordination, and the guarantee along the way, etc., should all be agreed upon one by one.

Once everything was in order, he announced the end of the court session.

A few days later, Zhu Yunwen boarded a ship in Nanjing, crossed the Yangtze River, and headed north.

The Northern Inspection Tour has officially begun!

As the boat sailed on the river, Zhu Yunwen stood on the deck and gazed into the distance. He saw a ring of "stakes" erected on the river surface in the distance.

That was the Ming Academy of Sciences leading its craftsmen in building the first Yangtze River Bridge.

In this day and age, building a modern bridge across the mighty Yangtze River sounds almost like a fantasy, an absurd idea.

But in Zhu Yunwen's eyes, this was just a hurdle that he had to overcome sooner or later.

The Ming Dynasty now possesses high-quality steel with considerable production capacity, steam engines for pumping water, and its technology for pouring reinforced concrete has become increasingly mature and its level is constantly improving. It is not a problem to stably construct buildings with a certain structural strength, so why not give it a try?

Even if the road ahead is difficult, even if it is costly and time-consuming, we must take the first step.

Technology is refined through continuous trial and error.

It's simply that we don't view the Yangtze River Bridge as a project that must be completed, but rather as a scientific research breakthrough with far-reaching significance!

Experience must always be accumulated from scratch.

Problems are encountered, but they are resolved one by one.

If we remain stagnant, how can we talk about progress?
It was with this belief and determination that Zhu Yunwen made the decision.

Construction begins on the Yangtze River Bridge!
He concisely relayed some bridge construction principles and construction plans that he had seen in popular science documentaries in his previous life to the scientists and engineers in charge of the project for their reference.

As for how to translate this into reality and how to overcome the numerous challenges such as the rapid currents and complex geology, those are the hurdles they need to study and overcome.

Surprisingly, despite numerous difficulties in the early stages of construction, the construction team successfully erected the first retaining pile and completely drained the river water inside the pile, stabilizing the construction platform.

This marks a solid first step they have taken on the road to building the bridge.

Perhaps, in a few years, they will be able to build a magnificent Yangtze River Bridge across this mighty river.

Zhu Yunwen did not feel that it was out of reach.

Although in actual history, the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge was not completed until the founding of the People's Republic of China.

But when you look at the world, things are different.

The famous Brooklyn Bridge was built much earlier than the later Yangtze River Bridge.

It was way too early, more than eighty years ago.

In modern China, as early as when Zhang Zhidong was in charge of the two lakes and the Yangtze River, there was already a plan to build a bridge across the Yangtze River.

Zhang also personally planned the bridge construction.

Of course, back then, building bridges still relied on foreigners.

But as long as there is sufficient funding, there are no technical problems.

The construction was delayed for fifty years due to the corruption and incompetence of the Qing Dynasty, as well as the various difficulties that China later faced, such as warlord conflicts and the invasion of Japanese pirates.

If there had been a unified and powerful China at that time, the Yangtze River Bridge would have been built fifty years earlier, or even more.

The Ming Dynasty today is undoubtedly powerful, capable of investing a large amount of money, manpower, and resources in technological breakthroughs, making the construction of the Yangtze River Bridge not entirely impossible.

There was no need to rely on foreigners anymore; the task could be accomplished by the Ming Dynasty alone.

After all, the technological strength of the Ming Dynasty is now unparalleled in the world!
The Yangtze River was crossed quickly.

This imperial tour by Zhu Yunwen was unlike any of the previous imperial tours.

It was neither an incognito visit nor a grand affair.

They did notify officials at all levels, but strictly forbade them from disturbing the people at will.

They mobilized several thousand people for reconnaissance and security, but that was all.

Unlike previous emperors who would send out large armies to clear the way and accompany them on their inspection tours, this emperor did not do so.

The security measures are quite thorough.

People were sent ahead to investigate the route, and all intersections within a hundred miles were thoroughly searched.

However, they did not prohibit ordinary people from coming and going; they simply stood guard at the intersections to conduct necessary surveillance.

And so they marched on in a grand procession, heading straight for the Yellow River floodplains.

……

Western Regions, Beshbaliq.

Zhu Su sat quietly in the secluded courtyard behind the clinic, his gaze blank and his expression as somber as withered lotus leaves in autumn water.

He originally thought that with his silver tongue, he had successfully persuaded Huda, and with his help, he could eliminate the Ming delegation in one fell swoop, so as to provoke enmity between the two countries and make the Ming Dynasty and Beshbali irreconcilable enemies.

He, on the other hand, could quietly disappear amidst this chaos, hiding in Beshbali and surviving peacefully without a care in the world.

But to everyone's surprise, the situation suddenly reversed.

Mahama, who attacked the delegation, was killed by the Ming delegation in a hail of bullets.

The Ming Dynasty delegation and Shami Chagan secretly allied and seized control of Beshbali in one fell swoop.

Their movements were swift and decisive, giving their opponents almost no chance to catch their breath.

Immediately afterwards, Zhu Yuanzhang personally led a large army to arrive.

Subsequently, Huda also died suddenly for unknown reasons, without any warning.

However, although Beshbali fell into the hands of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Su's identity was still not exposed.

His disguise skills were quite sophisticated, almost completely altering his facial features.

Although he was once a prince, there was no television or internet in this era, and very few people have actually seen his face.

More importantly, Zhu Yunwen did not seem to care much about hunting down his "royal uncle".

They ran away, that's it.

How could the vast and mighty Ming Dynasty not have a few members of the imperial family who fled or rebels?
As long as the world remains generally stable, this little disturbance won't cause any real waves.

It was already a miracle that the imperial court's approval rating reached 90%.

There is no perfect regime in the world. No matter how enlightened the government is, there will always be people who harbor resentment.

Just like a person, no matter how kind and intelligent they are, or how sincere they are in their treatment of others, they cannot make everyone like them.

……

(End of this chapter)