My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 338 Incheon's Visit to Korea
Su Ze opened the window and saw a fat pigeon fly in.

Su Ze opened the drawer, looked at the two bags of rice, and hesitated.

One bag contained premium rice for the fat pigeons, while the other bag contained fragrant rice that Su Ze had just cultivated.

This fragrant rice was specially cultivated by Su Ze for Liaodong.

The rice sold in the Ming Dynasty today is a hybrid of Champa rice and local late-season rice. This type of rice is harvested twice a year and is also known as "double-season rice." It is widely grown in rice-producing areas such as Southern Zhili, Jiangxi, and Huguang.

However, this type of rice is not suitable for cultivation in Liaodong.

At the beginning of the year, Li Chengliang wrote a letter to Su Ze, complaining about the low profits that Han Chinese were making from planting crops in Liaodong.

The reason is simple: the climate in Liaodong region means that no matter what kind of rice is grown, it can only be harvested once a year.

Nowadays, the climate in Liaodong is bitterly cold, and sometimes the land does not thaw until April or May. Only when the frozen soil thaws can grain crops be planted.

When it starts snowing in October, it becomes impossible to plant anything anymore.

Therefore, the cost-effectiveness of planting two rice crops is very low.

Su Ze then cultivated this fragrant rice for Liaodong.

Although it's called fragrant rice, it's actually a type of cold-resistant japonica rice.

This type of japonica rice is long and translucent, and when steamed or cooked, it fills the house with the aroma of rice. The cooked grains are oily and slightly sweet, making it ideal for cultivation in the black soil of Liaodong.

Since there is only one harvest per year, planting rice with higher yield and quality is the most economical choice.

Su Ze had completed the first round of breeding and was preparing to send someone to Liaodong when the fat pigeon flew over.

No one knew how the fat pigeon could tell the quality of the rice. It stared intently at the bag of fragrant rice, and Su Ze had no choice but to push the bag of rice away.

Anyway, we still have seeds at home, so let's feed them to this fat pigeon first.

After finishing the fragrant rice, the fat pigeon looked at Su Ze with lingering satisfaction, its eyes seeming to say that it wanted to eat this kind of fragrant rice from now on.

Su Ze never expected to be tricked by a pigeon, but the fat pigeon shook the letter cage on its leg, and Su Ze could only say:
"From now on, we'll eat this kind of fragrant rice."

Only after hearing Su Ze say that did the fat pigeon stretch out its leg.

Opening the letter box, one finds a letter from Shen Yiguan.

Shen Yiguan accompanied Grand Herald Wang Shizhen to Korea to discuss matters related to the Jeju Island naval port.

Judging by the days, they should have arrived in the capital of Joseon a few days ago.

Su Ze called Luo Wanhua over to read the letter together.

This time, the officials of the Court of State Ceremonial traveled directly on naval warships, departing from Zhigu Port and then docking at Incheon Port, a port near Seoul, the capital of Joseon.

Incheon Port is also a port that North Korea has just opened.

This port is very close to Seoul and is a natural deep-water harbor. When Feng Xueyan, the chief official of the Joseon State Administration, discovered this fishing village, he requested the Joseon king to build a port here to facilitate trade between the Ming Dynasty and Joseon.

In his letter, Shen Yiguan first complained about the chaotic management of Incheon Port and the various bizarre phenomena in North Korea.

The North Korean official in charge of managing Incheon Port, who came from a noble Yangban family, was an absolute good-for-nothing.

North Korea has a rule that "gentlemen do not associate with animals," so the entire Incheon port did not have a single horse-drawn or ox-drawn cart; all loading, unloading, and transport of goods had to be done manually.

Shen Yiguan also complained about the dietary habits of North Korea. The Yangban nobles were forbidden from eating rice sold in the market. Instead, they had to eat rice pounded by their own servants or rice products made into rice cakes.

These inconvenient systems were strictly enforced at Incheon Port, but this port official turned a blind eye to the port clerks extorting bribes and blackmailing merchant ships.

This surprised Shen Yiguan greatly, since Korea had also followed the Ming Dynasty's system by setting up port authorities in its ports to collect customs duties.

But Incheon Port is actually losing money after deducting the salaries of its officials!?
At this point, Shen Yiguan came to understand the King of Joseon. With such a bunch of scoundrels under his command, opening the port was indeed not worthwhile.

Shen Yiguan wrote in the letter:

"Such a corrupt and incompetent official would be impeached in less than a month in our Ming Dynasty, yet he can hold his position for a year in Korea without doing any work. How strange!"

Shen Yiguan then wrote about his observations in Seoul, the capital of Joseon.

On the road from Incheon Port to Seoul, Shen Yiguan witnessed a scene of division.

On one side were the vast estates of the two classes of nobles. These estates covered a huge area, and the houses were built in the style of the Han people. Their scale was no less than that of the mansions of the powerful and wealthy in the capital of the Ming Dynasty.

On the other side were the thatched huts of the poor, and the dead bodies of Korean people scattered everywhere.

After arriving in Seoul, Shen Yiguan visited Gyeongbokgung Palace, the royal palace of Joseon.

Now Shen Yiguan understood why the Korean nobles were so despicable.

In terms of rank, Joseon was a vassal state ruler appointed by the Ming Dynasty, and its status was roughly equivalent to that of a vassal king.

However, this Korean royal palace is enormous, even larger than the palace in Nanjing, and far exceeds the size of the residences of the Ming Dynasty princes!
Moreover, Shen Yiguan had heard from Feng Xueyan that the King of Joseon had more than one palace, Gyeongbokgung Palace.

The Joseon king also had two palaces, Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung, and a series of temporary palaces were built north of Seoul.

According to Feng Xueyan, the Joseon capital was frequently captured, and these northern palaces were specifically built to facilitate the Joseon king's northern capture.

Shen Yiguan was speechless. With the King of Joseon in such a state, it was no wonder that the Yangban nobles under his command were so corrupt and incompetent.

Shen Yiguan then brought up another "interesting story".

To show respect for Joseon, Grand Herald Wang Se-jeong learned a few phrases of Korean and spoke them at the welcoming banquet, which caused a change of expression among the Joseon king and his officials.

After the banquet, the Korean Envoy, Pung Hak-yeon, reminded Wang Se-jeong that he must speak Chinese to the Korean monarch and his officials.

Feng Xueyan told the two that the Korean court itself regarded speaking Chinese as a mark of nobility, and speaking Korean in formal occasions was actually considered impolite.

In addition, Feng Xueyan reminded the two that they should never be polite to North Koreans. If something happens, they should just yell at them in Chinese. This is much more effective than speaking nicely.

Moreover, when cursing, you should use authentic Beijing Mandarin for the best effect.

Shen Yiguan was utterly bewildered after hearing this; he couldn't believe such a country existed.

However, what happened next showed that Feng Xueyan did indeed understand the Koreans.

During negotiations with the North Korean leader regarding the Jeju Island naval base, they were unable to reach an agreement on military expenses.

The Ming Dynasty's stance was that it would fund the construction of the naval port, and once completed, it would be "rented" to the Ming navy for free.

At the same time, this naval port also serves to protect North Korea and prevent Japanese pirates from landing in North Korea, so North Korea has to bear a portion of the military expenses.

The Ministry of War of the Ming Dynasty did not have much ambition; it was enough if the Korean side could cover the food expenses of the stationed troops.

However, faced with the procrastination of the Joseon king and his ministers, even a literary master like Wang Shizhen lost his temper and directly followed Feng Xueyan's method, using the official language of the capital to hurl insults.

Unexpectedly, once the words were spoken, the Korean king and his ministers dared not hesitate any longer and quickly reached an agreement.

Moreover, Korea not only had to provide food supplies to the Ming garrison, but also had to bear the military expenses of ten silver dollars per garrison soldier per year.

Shen Yiguan expressed his utter bewilderment in the letter, wondering why the Koreans would do such a thing.
Su Ze and Luo Wanhua were speechless after reading it.

Actually, they originally had a fairly good impression of the Koreans. Xu Zi, the Korean envoy sent to the Ming Dynasty, was quite good. He was well-versed in Confucianism, humble and polite, and also a capable person.

It's surprising that there are so many corrupt officials in the Joseon court; no wonder a normal person like Heo Hye would be ostracized. Shen Yiguan also mentioned Heo Hye in his letter; this scholar of the Hongmungwan (equivalent to the Hanlin Academy) was dismissed from office for criticizing Joseon politics in the newspapers.

However, Xu Zi and Feng Xueyan had an excellent relationship. After he was dismissed from his post, he moved directly into the Tongzhengsi (Office of State Affairs) of Korea and published a newspaper there, continuing to criticize the Korean government.

Shen Yiguan will then accompany Wang Shizhen to Jeju Island to inspect the naval port under construction.

After putting away Shen Yiguan's letter, Su Ze and Luo Wanhua started chatting.

"Brother Yifu, has there been any major news from the capital recently?"

Luo Wanhua glanced at Su Ze. "Aren't all the big news in the capital today related to you?"

If it were Shen Yiguan, he would probably have already started complaining, but Luo Wanhua was an honest man, so he suppressed his urge to complain and said:
"The biggest news is that the Gyeonggi Railway has started construction."

"Is the land acquisition complete?"

Su Ze recalled that last month, he suggested that the Ministry of Works hand over the matter of railway land acquisition to the Railway Board of Directors.

To my surprise, they reached an agreement in less than a month.

Luo Wanhua said:
"Yes, I heard that the railway board of directors nominated a capable CEO, Fan Baoxian, the leader of Shanxi businessmen. I don't know what methods this big businessman used, but he completed the land acquisition in less than a month."

"Fan Baoxian? The patriarch of the Fan clan in Datong?"

"That's the one. I heard that everyone in the Ministry of Works is very happy. Vice Minister Pan of the Ministry of Works is even preparing to petition His Majesty to reward this Fan Baoxian."

If a large merchant like the Fan family were involved, it would be normal for them to reach an agreement quickly.

After all, haggling is a businessman's job.

The Fan family of Datong traveled between the grasslands, Shanxi, and the capital, and had dealings with many powerful figures in the capital. It was much better for them to coordinate than for the Ministry of Works to intervene directly.

Luo Wanhua said, "The railway construction has already started. I heard that ten miles of track have been laid and a short-distance test run has been completed. It only takes three horses to pull four carriages fully loaded with ore. The Ministry of Industry and the Railway Board of Directors find it incredible."

"That Executive Director Fan even proposed to the Ministry of Works that the railway be built to Xuanfu!"

Xuanfu is the same place as Zhangjiakou in later times.

Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway?

Su Ze was taken aback; the Fan family's judgment was indeed very accurate.

In the original timeline, the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway was built under the supervision of Zhan Tianyou. It was China's first railway designed and operated entirely by Chinese people without the use of foreign funds or personnel.

Moreover, in the present-day Ming Dynasty, this road has both military and civilian value.

Xuanfu is a key town on the nine borders and an important node in the northern frontier defense. If a railway could be built from the capital to Xuanfu, the logistical supply pressure on the Ming Dynasty would be greatly reduced.

Supplies from the capital can be transported directly to Xuanfu, and if any disturbances occur on the grasslands, the new army of the capital garrison can quickly march out of Zhangjiakou.

This railway also has high civilian value.

Today, trade on the grasslands is booming, and the route from the capital to Xuanfu is the busiest.

If a railway could be built, supplies from the capital could be transported directly to the horse market in Xuanfu, which would greatly reduce transportation costs.

"What did the Ministry of Works say?"

"Fangshan is less than 100 li from the outskirts of Beijing, but it is 400 li from Xuanfu. The Ministry of Works thinks it is better to complete the Beijing-Tianjin Railway first."

Su Ze nodded. Now that the border is peaceful, there is indeed no rush to repair it.

Moreover, railway construction is only one part of railway technology.

Railway operation is also a highly technical field, requiring a great deal of technical expertise.

Railway gate systems, railway logistics systems, signal control systems, and railway train scheduling would all be considered separate disciplines in later generations.

Simply getting the horses to run is nothing; the real challenge is ensuring that each carriage arrives on time and avoiding collisions or derailments.

Let's first accumulate experience with the Jingji Railway, and wait until both the court and the people see the benefits of the railway before building a railway to Xuanfu.

"By the way, hasn't Brother Rumo come to see Brother Zilin recently?"

"Brother Rumo? Wasn't he just appointed as the Military Selection Officer and busy preparing for the Capital Garrison?"

Luo Wanhua looked at Su Ze. Ever since Shen Yiguan left the capital, Su Ze had been missing half a beat of information about the court.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. In the Imperial Household Department where Su Ze worked, no one dared to gossip about officialdom with him.

Luo Wanhua said:
"It's still a problem with the new Beijing garrison."

"What's wrong with the new Beijing garrison? Has the Ministry of Revenue's funding not arrived?"

Luo Wanhua shook his head and said:
"It's a matter of the size of the new army."

"Hasn't the imperial court set the tone for an elite force?"

The court naturally didn't want to take on a new burden after finally disbanding the Beijing Garrison.

Moreover, the victory of Qi Jiguang's army in Datong also demonstrated the principle that quality is more important than quantity in military affairs.

Luo Wanhua said:
"The strategy of building an elite force is recognized by everyone in the court, but there are disagreements among the officials about the exact size of the new Beijing garrison."

"The meritorious officials of the Five Military Commissions believed that at least 20,000 men were needed and suggested recruiting brave men from the provinces surrounding the capital."

"But the Ministry of War felt that 10,000 men were enough and was unwilling to train more new troops."

Su Ze immediately understood the point of contention.

To put it bluntly, this is still a personnel dispute.

Since the new army of the Beijing Garrison is not large, the Ministry of War can gradually extend its reach to the Beijing Garrison and gradually control its personnel.

This civil official is extremely skilled at it.

However, once the size of the new Beijing garrison army grew, it would inevitably require the appointment of a large number of new officers, and the Ministry of War worried that it would lose control over the new Beijing garrison army.

"The Ministry of War has a good reason. Now that the northern frontier is peaceful and there is no trouble at the border, there is no need to train so many new troops."

Su Ze frowned.

Although the northern border is peaceful, it is not undefended.

Moreover, the Ming Dynasty's borders were not limited to the north.

In the original timeline, the Bozhou Rebellion occurred during the Wanli era, involving a large number of chieftains from Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan.

Moreover, the Ming Dynasty was expanding its colonies overseas and also needed an army.

These elite troops can't be produced overnight. If we don't train them now, it will be too late when we need them later.

Just as the two were chatting, Shen Shixing walked into the newspaper office:

"Brother Zilin, I have a favor to ask!"

(End of this chapter)