Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 227 National Industrial University
Zhu Yuanzhang stood quietly at his desk, looking at the secret report in his hand. After a moment, he finished reading it and a smile appeared on his face.

But that smile seemed a bit cold.

Zhu Liangzu actually colluded with Hu Weiyong. Sure enough, some people just deserve to die.

In his past life, Zhu Liangzu was in charge of Guangzhou and did a series of infuriating things.

He was whipped to death in the golden palace.

So far in his life, he hasn't done anything too heinous, and Zhu Yuanzhang isn't planning to give him that kind of opportunity again.

They should lock him up in the capital and prevent him from taking up any post outside; he should just stay here obediently in the capital.

Who would have thought that in such a short time, this guy would get involved with Hu Weiyong.

Faced with this situation, Zhu Yuanzhang was almost amused and exasperated.

It's true, some people just insist on going down a dead-end path.

But this is for the best. When we deal with Hu Weiyong in the future, we can also use a legitimate reason to execute Zhu Liangzu as well.

Let him and Zhu Liangzu die together.

This can also be seen as a way to console Dao Tong, whom I wrongfully killed in my previous life, and to slightly alleviate my lingering resentment.

In his previous life, he established the Embroidered Uniform Guard late, and it wasn't until the fifteenth year of the Hongwu reign that it was officially established.

At that time, Hu Weiyong had already rebelled and was executed by himself, and the prime minister system had also been abolished by himself.

Under his instructions, the Imperial Guard Commandery had also gathered some information, but it was still far inferior to the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Therefore, at the beginning, we didn't know much about many of the things Hu Weiyong did.

Now that he had established the Embroidered Uniform Guard a few years ahead of schedule, he discovered more about Hu Weiyong.

That guy deserves to die.

They're really bold; they dare to do anything!
It's one thing to win over civil officials, but to also win over a group of marquises and extend their reach into the army.

As Li Shanchang transformed into a loyal subject of the Ming Dynasty, many members of the Huaixi clique were greatly shocked and left in a state of leaderlessness.

Under these circumstances, Hu Weiyong could be said to have brought Fei Ju, Lu Zhongheng, and others under his command.

He wanted to make these people, who only knew how to fight but had no brains, follow his lead.

Now there's another one, Zhu Liangzu.

This guy really spares no effort in developing his power.

But it's good this way. Without winning over more people, we don't have enough power, and our ambitions haven't swelled to a certain extent.

How could he possibly commit a rebellion in the future?

How could I possibly seize the opportunity to eliminate him and the people behind him in one fell swoop, so as to clean up the filth and make my Ming Dynasty cleaner and purer?

Now it seems that Zhu Liangzu is showing signs of joining Hu Weiyong's side, and Zhu Yuanzhang is actually quite happy after being angry.

Fish flock together, shrimp flock together; it's true that birds of a feather flock together.

A moment later, Zhu Yuanzhang stood up and went around to the back.

There are rows of iron cabinets here, with drawers on top, looking like the cabinets in a pharmacy where medicinal herbs are stored.

Zhu Yuanzhang took out the key, unlocked the door, and pulled open one of the drawers, making a teeth-grinding sound.

The noise was quite jarring and loud in the Wuying Hall.

Zhu Yuanzhang was used to such commotions.

The secret letter was placed inside, and the door was closed and locked, resulting in another loud noise.

Such commotion was deliberately created by Zhu Yuanzhang.

It's not that he can't have cabinets made without making any noise when they're pulled out.

Rather, he deliberately had someone do it.

This is because it effectively prevents anyone with ill intentions from secretly opening and reading the confidential messages inside.

This loud voice can deter many well-intentioned people.

Even if some people are still determined to find out the secrets inside the iron cabinet, such a commotion would alert the guards outside.

That's how they caught them.

Zhu Yuanzhang had a lot of experience in how to prevent his secrets from being spied on.

……

"Biao'er, come on, come with me for a walk."

Zhu Yuanzhang arrived at the Wenhua Hall and summoned Zhu Biao.

Zhu Biao glanced at the unfinished official business at hand and then at his father.

He decisively put aside his official duties, got up, and walked towards his father.

I had some strange feelings inside.

His own father, the emperor, seems to be increasingly neglecting his duties.

It's not that he wasn't diligent in his duties, but compared to before, he wasn't nearly as dedicated in these matters.

However, Zhu Biao had already gotten used to it.

The feeling of keeping a string constantly taut is definitely not good.

I still prefer this kind of balanced work and rest.

"Where to go?"

"Let's go for a stroll outside the palace."

"where?"

"Qinhuai River".

"what?"

Zhu Biao was surprised that his father actually wanted to take him to stroll along the Qinhuai River.

No way... In broad daylight, an emperor and a crown prince, just like that, went to the Qinhuai River in such a grand manner?

"This...this isn't quite right, is it?"

"Hahaha, you wish! We were just kidding you."

Where can I go to the Qinhuai River?

Even if we were to go, it would have to be after dark; that's when it's truly meaningful.

Zhu Yuanzhang visited the Qinhuai River quite often, but he went there mainly for inspection purposes and didn't actually do anything.

The wars at the end of the Yuan Dynasty plunged the country into chaos, affecting all walks of life.

The Qinhuai River, a place that has long been famous in history, was also not spared from disaster.

Only after he conquered Nanjing did he discover that the Qinhuai River, which had been written about by countless literati, had long lost its former glory and was now in ruins.

It was only after he conquered Jinling and gradually stabilized that he was able to develop again.

Zhu Yuanzhang, a later emperor, also visited the Qinhuai River, marking his return to the place after several hundred years.

The area around Confucius Temple on the Qinhuai River was truly teeming with tourists, shoulder to shoulder.

Even though it's not a holiday, it's still as crowded as if it were Chinese New Year.

Boats used to come and go on the Qinhuai River, but these boats were different from those of today.

In modern times, the boats on the Qinhuai River are simply for tourists to enjoy the nighttime scenery of the Qinhuai River.

Unlike now, when there are so many projects.

"Let's go to our industrial university and see how it's doing."

Zhu Yuanzhang revealed his true destination.

The father and son exchanged some jokes, which immediately lightened the atmosphere considerably.

They also stepped out of that work mindset.

The Industrial University was another school that Zhu Yuanzhang officially established a little over a month ago.

Compared to the Imperial Academy, which added subjects like physics and arithmetic, the Industrial University was much more focused on its core subjects.

As the name suggests, an industrial university focuses on industry.

These are the essences I absorbed in modern times, and they are also a powerful support for the prosperity and strength of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Yuanzhang, naturally, would not leave it out.

Unlike the Imperial Academy, which is located in the bustling area of ​​Ningtian City, the Industrial University is located in a much more remote area.

This was a place specially chosen by Zhu Yuanzhang.

After all, a school must occupy a large area, so building it in a less populated area can minimize the impact on the local residents.

This can save you money when it comes to demolition compensation.

In addition, there was another important reason: in his later years, he knew that the academy could greatly boost the economic development of the surrounding area.

After all, so many people are gathered together and need to eat, drink, and relieve themselves.

Even if a university is built in the most desolate place, as long as the school is built and the student body is in place, there will be no shortage of snacks, restaurants, hotels, and small commodity shops in the vicinity.

It can generate income for those around them.

People in those bustling areas no longer need extra care for the time being.

It would be better to go to some more remote places to take care of them.

Although it may not benefit too many people, benefiting even a small number is better than nothing.

"The Industrial University has produced some results. I have some free time today, so I'll go take a look." Zhu Yuanzhang said to Zhu Biao as they walked out, explaining the purpose of their trip to the Industrial University.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao immediately became interested.

"Father, what results have been achieved?"

By now, Zhu Biao's influence from Zhu Yuanzhang has grown increasingly stronger.

He also developed an increasingly strong interest in the things his father had created.

Since receiving guidance from his father, Tao Chengdao and his men created more powerful cannons. After mounting them on the ships and blasting the pirates at sea with a single shot, Zhu Biao developed a deeper appreciation for the things his father had made.

We will no longer be misled into thinking that strange skills and tricks are useless to the country.

If this is useless to the country, then what can be useful to the country?
Is it the mouth of a scholar?
Therefore, when his father, the emperor, mentioned establishing an industrial university, Zhu Biao didn't say a single unnecessary word.

Not only that, he also directly turned away some people who privately approached him, hoping he would persuade his father to give up the idea.

Because of the artillery, it was a good start.

Therefore, he was looking forward to creating something even better to broaden his horizons and make the Ming Dynasty even better.

At this time, they heard that the industrial university, which had only been established for a little over a month, had already achieved results.

This news was an extremely pleasant surprise for Zhu Biao.

"Haha, I'll keep that a secret for now. You'll find out when you get there."

It will definitely surprise you, Biao'er.

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and said, keeping everyone in suspense.

Zhu Yuanzhang's reaction made Zhu Biao even more curious.

This further confirms that the Industrial University must have produced something truly remarkable.

Otherwise, Father would never have done this.

what is it?

Filled with curiosity, Zhu Biao followed Zhu Yuanzhang out of the palace.

Under the protection of soldiers, they headed towards the Industrial University.

Although he wasn't wearing a dragon robe or a full dragon robe, he was dressed in ordinary clothes.

But he was surrounded by a large number of guards.

The idea of ​​traveling incognito or disguised as a white dragon fish doesn't exist.

Thinking back to the TV shows I watched in later years, like "Incognito Visits," that was utter nonsense.

It can only be said that people deliberately made it up for the purpose of making a play, mainly to cater to the audience.

It's fine to just look at it for a laugh, but don't take it too seriously.

An emperor, traveling incognito with only a few people, is simply courting death.

Even Zhu Yuanzhang now lacks confidence that he can avoid being killed by traveling incognito at that level.

Under the protection of a group of guards, they arrived at the Industrial University.

The people at the university were extremely excited to see the emperor arrive in person with the crown prince.

It was a great honor for the emperor and the future crown prince to come here together.
At the same time, it makes the teachers and students here at the Industrial University feel even more that choosing to come to the Industrial University was an extremely correct choice.

Putting everything else aside, just looking at how much His Majesty values ​​them, we can tell that as long as we do our job well, things will definitely not go too badly.

The university now has very few students, less than three hundred.

Moreover, teachers make up about half of them.

These so-called teachers were students transferred from the Imperial Academy who had a certain level of expertise in arithmetic and physics and were willing to delve into these areas.

Let them learn while being teachers.

This was a compromise that had to be made due to the lack of qualified teachers in the early stages.

In the future, as there are more and more talented people and the rules and regulations become more and more complete, it will not be so easy to get promoted so easily.

It can be said that these people have benefited from the dividends of the times.

Besides a portion of such people, the majority are professionals recruited from various industries.

Let them come here to teach, impart the relevant skills, and conduct relevant research.

Apart from the principal, none of the people who came here to teach held any official positions.

Zhu Yuanzhang established certain professional titles, which were linked to their salaries and benefits.

Correspondingly, Zhu Yuanzhang will also establish state-owned enterprises and collaborate with schools in the future.

Combining research and production can better and faster promote the large-scale commercialization and civilian application of research results.

Then, we can use the actual problems and needs encountered in production to promote further technological development and create a positive interaction.

What kind of scientific research results have the strongest vitality?
Naturally, those things that can benefit the people, promote social development, be industrialized on a large scale, be used in civilian and commercial applications, be accepted by the majority of people, and drive social change and influence people's lives in the future are the ones that truly matter.

Of course, while doing these things, high-precision products are also indispensable.

However, at this time, the Ming Dynasty did not have much of a foundation and needed to proceed step by step.

Besides these teachers, there are also quite a few students, who can be roughly divided into two groups.

Some of them were sons of noble families.

It can be said that some nobles and officials have a very keen sense of smell.

After establishing their own industrial university, they quickly sent some of their children there.

However, none of those sent here were legitimate sons; they were all just scraps from the family.

Based on the principle of making use of waste, we brought them to the industrial university, hoping they would have a chance to try their luck, no matter what.

And by doing so, they can gain favor with others and show their support for their work.

The other group of students are children from ordinary families.

It wasn't easy for the industrial university to recruit students at first.

On the one hand, many people don't really believe it.

Heavily influenced by traditional ideas, they felt that the industrial university was like a makeshift institution, far inferior to traditional schools where students studied Confucian classics.

The other group consists of ordinary families who simply don't have the means to send their children to school.

Leaving aside tuition fees, the fact that a young boy who is capable of doing a lot for his family is sent to a college and not allowed to work is already a burden that many families cannot afford. The more you think about it, the more regrettable it becomes.

Therefore, it was very difficult for Zhu Yuanzhang to recruit children from ordinary families to attend school at the beginning.

He also made some changes in response.

For example, tuition fees could be waived for children from ordinary families.

In addition, one meal is provided every day at noon.

They can be given two eggs each week to take home.

If you study well and get excellent test scores, you can also receive some rewards.

The rewards are also quite substantial, such as a few kilograms of pork, a bag of rice, or a few feet of cloth.

After these regulations were introduced, many children from ordinary families enrolled in industrial universities.

Currently, the industrial university is in its early stages, so it doesn't have enough staff yet.

After operating for some time, we will further enroll students and expand the scale.

In future development, the disciplines will be divided into more detailed categories, and the research will become increasingly in-depth.

However, these are all things that need to be done gradually. You can't expect to achieve everything in a short time.

Today, the size of this industrial university's student body and the things they do are quite unbecoming of the name "National Industrial University."

Compared to its name, the university is still too small and weak; calling it a primary school would seem more appropriate.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang felt that it was only a matter of time.

Once everything gradually becomes more standardized and scaled up, that will happen.

Then this problem no longer exists.

It will become more and more in line with its status and position, and live up to its name.

Furthermore, it will undoubtedly leave a significant mark on the future development of the Ming Dynasty, becoming an indestructible force.

Going from zero to one is the hardest part, but once you get there, many things become much easier.

As for these people from the industrial universities, Zhu Yuanzhang has not yet given them any specific research directions.

However, there are three exceptions: one is the manufacture of steam engines, and later the manufacture of steam locomotives and the establishment of railways.

This is a long-term project that we must persist in and continue without wavering.

Another aspect is that it is a relatively concrete, easier to implement, and more closely related to people's livelihoods.

Zhu Yuanzhang originally thought that this project would take at least three months to complete.

Who would have thought that it would be completed in such a short time?

So, upon receiving the news, he couldn't help but come over, and he even brought Zhu Biao with him.

"Biao'er, come here and take a look. This is the good stuff we've been talking about."

Zhu Yuanzhang picked up something and said to Zhu Biao with joy and pride, as if he were presenting a treasure.

Zhu Biao was stunned when he saw what his father had shown him.

(End of this chapter)