My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 303 The Emperor is overjoyed!

This term of military training actually only had a little over three hundred people, who were divided into three departments: infantry, cavalry, and artillery. If it were just three hundred people standing on the drill ground, there would actually be very few people.

Therefore, last month, Xu Wenbi suggested that the cavalry and artillery departments be abandoned, and that he, in his capacity as the commander of the five armies, transfer two thousand elite troops from the Beijing garrison to the infantry for training and formation.

It was called a formation, but it was actually just marching practice.

If it's just about formation training, you can actually see good results in a month, just look at the military training of college students in my previous life.

Within a month, these Beijing garrison soldiers were able to form neat square formations.

The clothing workshops naturally couldn't make military uniforms for them, so they were still wearing the old cotton armor from the Ming Dynasty.

However, in each formation, there was a military academy student dressed in a blue officer's uniform, and the neat formations caught the eye of the emperor and his ministers on the reviewing stand.

At Xu Wenbi's command, the infantry formations began to pass the reviewing stand.

Because of the time constraints, only the marching drill was practiced. Each formation had a military officer beside them blowing a whistle to direct the movement. When they passed the reviewing stand, the military officer would shout towards the stand:

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

The Longqing Emperor would greet him with a smile, and he would reply with "I am well."

The courtiers standing beside the emperor also smiled, while Su Ze, hiding in a corner, watched Xu Wenbi riding a horse and could only sigh that everyone indeed has their own talents.

This Duke of Dingguo, Xu Wenbi, may not be good at fighting, nor does he have much ability in administration, but he is really good at organizing such large-scale ceremonies.

Let's not even talk about their combat capabilities, just tell me if the parade was good or not!

No wonder he presided over the sacrificial rites during the Longqing and Wanli reigns in the original timeline, and actually rose to the position of one of the Three Dukes by virtue of his role in these rites.

In the Ming Dynasty, even among meritorious officials, very few could be granted the title of one of the Three Dukes during their lifetime.

After the infantry formations have passed, it will be the artillery's turn.

The artillery platoon had the fewest members, but that didn't matter. Xu Wenbi mobilized a large number of mules and horses, and a group of mules and horses were seen pulling various cannons into the drill ground.

Su Ze was extremely impressed with Xu Wenbi. In order to make up the numbers, Xu Wenbi not only brought in new cannons from the Beijing Cannon Factory, but also antique cannons such as the Frankish Cannon and the General Cannon.

But regardless of whether they were just there to make up the numbers, the sight of these mules pulling all sorts of cannons across the drill ground was quite intimidating.

The Longqing Emperor was delighted after watching the parade. Only a few ministers on the reviewing stand could recognize the models of the cannons. Anyway, they were the divine weapons of the Ming Dynasty. Just use them for the show. Isn't that impressive?
The Longqing Emperor then addressed his attendants:

"Even when Emperor Taizu inspected the Divine Machine Battalion, it was nothing more than this?"

At this moment, Su Ze, who was standing in the corner, reacted the fastest. He immediately said:
"Your Majesty, please follow the example of Emperor Taizu and bestow this military camp name upon it."

Minister of War Cao Bangfu looked at Su Ze. "The bestowal of a battalion name means the formation of a new army. Su Zilin, you've given yourself away! As expected, the Military Supervisory Commission is trying to bypass the Ministry of War!"
However, Cao Bangfu was helpless at this moment, as the emperor was in high spirits.

The Longqing Emperor thought for a moment and said:
"Let's call it Wuwei Camp."

Su Ze quickly said, "On behalf of all the students of the Artillery Department, I thank Your Majesty for your great kindness."

Cavalry and infantry can be used separately, but artillery cannot.

Su Ze had long had the idea of ​​establishing a dedicated artillery force, and he took advantage of the military parade to get the emperor to speak up.

After the artillery barrage, with its mules and horses, has passed, it will be the cavalry's turn.

The courtiers all looked toward the distance of the training ground, where two cavalry units stood in formation on either side.

At this moment, Li Fang, the chief eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, handed the emperor a telescope, and other eunuchs also presented telescopes to the other officials.

Li Rusong and Zhu Shikun also became nervous at this moment, but their nervousness disappeared as the military order was issued.

"Mount!"

The cavalrymen mounted their horses in perfect unison, drawing cheers of admiration from the reviewing stand.

The two cavalry squads lined up on either side, facing each other. Li Rusong and Zhu Shikun immediately stood at the front of the formation, and the two drew their swords at the same time.

"All units, charge!"

The two cavalry squads began to charge towards each other, both groups of cavalry marching in orderly steps, starting slowly forward.

"trot!"

At a command, the riders switched stances, and the cavalry began to increase their speed.

The cheers from the reviewing stand were mostly from laymen watching the spectacle.

But Cao Bangfu, the Minister of War, was knowledgeable in the field.

Cavalry charging and forming ranks is something only highly elite cavalry can do.

These martial arts students have only been in school for less than a year, yet they have achieved such a level.

Moreover, no one knows what kind of training manual they used, but these cavalrymen were all in perfect harmony with their horses and could advance at the same pace!

Cao Bangfu once served as the Governor-General of Ji-Liao, and he had never seen such cavalry in Ji-Liao!
The sound of warhorses pounding the ground was like muffled thunder, and as the two cavalry forces drew closer, everyone on the reviewing stand tensed up.

"running!"

The two cavalry units actually accelerated at this moment, which made even Cao Bangfu nervous. A collision between cavalry moving at such a high speed would result in serious injury or death.

"change!"

With a command from the two squad leaders, the two squads of cavalry began to turn right, and the two cavalry units passed each other.

Thunderous cheers erupted from the reviewing stand.

Even someone who knows nothing about the subject can tell how difficult that charge was.

The nobles who were attending the ceremony were so excited to see their sons in such a heroic manner that they stroked their beards frequently.

The Longqing Emperor, dressed in military uniform, was so excited that his face flushed.

When he was still the crown prince, the Ming Dynasty was beset by internal and external troubles, with Japanese pirates raiding the southeast and chaos erupting in the northwest.

In the four years since he ascended the throne, he has quelled foreign threats and trained such a strong army.

At this moment, several cabinet ministers stepped forward and addressed the emperor:

"Congratulations, Your Majesty, on acquiring such a powerful army!"

The Longqing Emperor immediately issued an edict: "The student of the Imperial Academy shall be awarded ten gold coins!"

Then another eunuch informed the students of the Imperial Academy of Military Studies of the emperor's reward, and everyone shouted in unison, "Your Majesty's great favor!"

The Longqing Emperor looked at the drill ground again and gave another order:

"All martial arts instructors will be promoted by half a rank and awarded ten gold coins!"

"Duke Xu Wenbi of Dingguo is loyal to the country and his stipend is increased by 500 shi!"

The stipend of Duke Dingguo, Xu Wenbi, was originally 2,500 shi, second only to the 3,000 shi of Duke Chengguo, so he was nominally ranked second among the meritorious officials.

The increase in stipends was merely symbolic; these nobles did not actually receive their stipends.

However, increasing the stipend of the Duke of Dingguo elevated the status of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, making the Duke of Dingguo the first among the meritorious officials of the Ming Dynasty.

Duke Zhu Shitai, standing to the side, had a complicated expression.

He had just inherited the title, so naturally he couldn't compare to Duke Dingguo, Xu Wenbi.

However, his younger brother's outstanding performance in the martial arts demonstration meant that the family might have another path to follow. This wasn't just the Duke of Cheng's thought; all the meritorious officials present, whose sons were in the military academy, shared this view.

Marquis Chengyi Liu Shiyan was all smiles, but he was the only one who sent his heir to the Military Academy.

Liu Shiyan had finally regained his family's title, and unlike other nobles, he needed to ensure the stable inheritance of his family's title.

As long as his son continues to make progress, his family's title will be secure.

"Dean of Academic Affairs Su Ze is hereby awarded one hundred gold coins."

Emperor Longqing paused for a moment. Due to the unspoken rules of the imperial examinations, the previous year's Jinshi graduates were all stuck at the fifth rank, so it was no longer appropriate to promote Su Ze.

"His parents were posthumously granted titles, and his son was granted the title of Shangbao Cheng."

The assembled officials were all taken aback, looking at Su Ze, who was expressing his gratitude, with strange expressions.

The posthumous conferment of honors on parents is a normal reward. This kind of honorary award is given to officials to celebrate their return home in glory. Since Su Ze's parents have already passed away, this posthumous conferment is simply a matter of increasing the scale of sacrifices in the family temple.

However, the phrase "yin qi zi shang bao cheng" is quite particular.

Hereditary privilege also has different ranks. The position of Shangbaocheng is a sixth-rank official, which is a very high starting point among hereditary officials.

In other words, even without taking the imperial examination, Su Ze's son could become a sixth-rank official in the capital.

What puzzled the officials even more was that the positions in the Imperial Seal Office had always been reserved for the sons of high-ranking officials.

For example, Xu Jie's sons, Xu Kun and Xu Ying, were granted the title of Shangbaoqing by imperial decree.

Immediately afterwards, the Longqing Emperor ordered the Ministry of War to list the outstanding personnel in this military exercise, and the Emperor would personally meet with them in the palace to reward them.

The military parade held at the end of the fourth year of the Longqing reign has finally come to a close.
-
After the martial arts demonstration, the Imperial Household Department also began its holiday.

However, Su Ze was not idle either. He was taken away by the Ministry of War to discuss the matter of sending trainee officers to the Beijing Garrison after the New Year.

However, since this matter was originally initiated by Su Ze, he could not shirk his responsibility and could only go to the Ministry of War to report every day, despite the strange looks from the officials.

As the year draws to a close, all the major government offices are busy with year-end summaries and assessments, and officials from other regions will return to the capital to report for duty.

Su Ze's good friend, Fu Shun, a senior official in the Ministry of Works, was ordered to build a fort in Zhigu in May. The fort was completed that month, and Fu Shun returned to the capital.

Wan Jing, a fellow friend of Su Ze and a senior official in the Ministry of Works, was ordered to assist in the construction of new-style earthen buildings. He supervised the construction of two cement plants in the suburbs of Beijing and only recently returned to the city.

As soon as the two returned to Beijing, Su Ze hosted a banquet at his home to welcome them back.

"Brother Yinghe (Fu Shun's courtesy name), and Brother Qinzhi (Wan Jing's courtesy name)!"

Su Ze greeted the two at the gate of the mansion. Both of them brought their families with them. The women and children were taken to the back of the mansion by his wife, and the three of them went to the back garden first.

The two of them helped repair Su Ze's house, Fu Shun said, pointing to the back courtyard:

“Back then, Mr. Fu used to move bricks here.”

The three laughed heartily, and Su Ze then led the two to the pavilion atop the artificial hill.

The pavilion offers a great view, and Su Ze enjoys reading and drinking tea here in his spare time, but the wind on the top of the artificial hill is really too strong in winter.

Zhao Lingxian, having heard about it from somewhere, bought some glass panels to seal the pavilion, so that she could enjoy the view while still having tea in the pavilion.

Isn't this just a glass greenhouse?
Su Ze had originally considered a greenhouse project, but the cost of glass was still too high. He originally planned to wait until the price of glass dropped in a few years before promoting it.

But to his surprise, his wife walked ahead of him.

Fu Shun and Wan Jing both admired the warm pavilion very much, and they both thought about building one when they got back.

After drinking tea, the three of them started talking about official business.

Wan Jing said:

"Both cement plants have started operation, and the cement they produce is of good quality."

The news Su Ze saw in the newspaper was that two cement plants had started construction, and with the cement from these two plants, two new earthen buildings would be delivered before the end of the year.

The newspapers portrayed the situation as very positive, but Wan Jing felt it wasn't enough:
"However, production capacity is still limited by fuel availability."

Su Ze asked:

"Is there not enough fuel in the capital region?"

The cement we use today is made from lime, slag, and gypsum, which are calcined at high temperatures.

High-temperature calcining furnaces use coal, so the capital city shouldn't be short of coal.

Fu Shun also asked curiously:
"I heard that the coal mines in Fangshan have expanded their production and the output is quite good. There shouldn't be a shortage of fuel, right?"

Wan Jing sighed and said:
"In order to provide heating for the capital, the Ministry of Works ordered that coal yards around the capital should be prioritized for civilian use, leaving little coal available for cement plants."

"I also visited the Fangshan coal and iron mines. The output is good, but these things can't be transported to the capital."

After Wan Jing finished speaking, Su Ze finally understood.

There is no shortage of coal, but there is a shortage of transportation capacity.

The development of the Gyeonggi region has exceeded everyone's expectations. Thanks to Su Ze's efforts, the capital has begun to show signs of an industrial revolution.

Such enormous demand has overwhelmed the transportation system around Gyeonggi Province.

The only roads passable by carriage are the official roads. Nowadays, the official roads near the capital are very congested. Fangshan County is not far from the capital, but these coals need to be transported to coal yards near the capital and then distributed to various departments.

The first priority was to ensure the supply of coal to the people's livelihood. The vast majority of the coal was processed into honeycomb briquettes and sold to the people of the capital.

For the remaining industrial sectors, the boilers in the ironworks could not be shut down, so they naturally had to be given priority in supply.

The remaining factories—glass kilns, alkali plants, traditional porcelain and pottery workshops, and blacksmith shops—all required coal.

With coal demand surging in winter, cement plants were naturally relegated to the back of the queue.

Wan Jing also complained, "Fangshan is only a hundred miles from the capital, but we just can't get this coal here."

"Now the Ministry of Works is also discussing the possibility of widening the official road, but I heard that next year's budget is reserved for river works, and they really can't afford to allocate that money."

After Wan Jing finished speaking, Su Ze also began to worry.

Industrial development also requires favorable geographical conditions.

In the original timeline, the reason why Britain was the first to experience the Industrial Revolution was not only due to technological reasons, but also because Britain's well-developed water transport network facilitated the transportation of various raw materials, allowing factories to integrate resources and produce goods at a lower cost.

The same reason why the Jiangnan region is suitable for industrial development is that its well-developed inland canal network is the lifeblood of industry.

The water network in the Gyeonggi region is actually quite good, but it's located in the southeast.

The biggest problem for the capital was how to transport coal from the northwest, specifically from Shanxi, to the capital.

Land transportation costs are too high, and priority should be given to ensuring urban heating.

If this problem is not resolved, Su Ze's plan to transform Gyeonggi into an industrial center will fail.

This will also affect Su Ze's industrial policy of prioritizing the north over the south, leading to a further imbalance in political power between the north and south.

Su Ze looked at Wan Jing and asked:

"Brother Qin, have you ever heard of railways?"

(End of this chapter)