Chongzhen's domineering

Chapter 27 A Dragon Appears in the Wild, Neglecting Its Duties
Around 7 a.m., as the sun was just rising, the woods south of Wanshou Palace were already bustling with activity, with countless craftsmen busy among the green trees and red walls.

Those enclosed houses and oddly shaped factories are rising up at a visible speed.

Zhu Jue, along with Wang Chengen, Fang Zhenghua, Liu Ruoyu, and others, conducted a thorough inspection before returning to the courtyard where steam engines were being researched, as usual.

At this point, the factory in the middle had only just begun construction, and he could only have the craftsmen build the steam engine in the surrounding enclosed buildings.

Wang Zheng had already arrived long ago. He didn't need to worry about the shipyard at all; the experienced craftsmen would build it themselves. He would come over early every morning to watch the craftsmen build the steam engine, afraid that something might go wrong.

This steam engine may seem simple, but the requirements for dimensions are extremely high. Many parts must be made to fit perfectly, with no gaps even as thin as a hair.

To be honest, it would be extremely difficult to build a steam engine back then.

Western countries had long known the principles of the steam engine and had been trying to develop it for many years, but their backward processing technology simply couldn't produce a true steam engine.

The Ming Dynasty was in a better position, after all, it still had the foundation laid over two hundred years ago, and its world-leading processing technology remained.

However, given the current capabilities of the Ming Dynasty, it would be extremely difficult to build a steam engine.

This was because at that time, the Ming Dynasty did not have any machine tools, and there was not even a foundry in the capital.

They could only disassemble the steam engine into simple parts, build them one by one by hand, and then do fine finishing.

Fortunately, the craftsmen of the Ming Dynasty had an exceptionally rich experience in processing. They had built a whole bunch of simple processing equipment, including hand-cranked, foot-operated, and even those that utilized the elasticity of tree branches, so processing simple parts was not a problem.

When Zhu Jue came in, Wang Zheng was testing the processed parts inside the specially assembled enclosed house.

The component he was testing was actually quite simple: a round copper plate about the size of a palm with a copper rod about three fingers thick standing in the middle. This was on the table. He was also holding another round copper plate about the size of a palm, with a hole in the middle.

The test method is very simple: put the round copper plate in his hand on the round copper rod standing in the middle, and then slide it up and down.

Zhu Jue, seeing that the sliding was working perfectly, asked, "Liangfu, how is it? Doesn't this make it much better?"

That's not the case.

Wang Zheng said with admiration, "Your Majesty, you are truly amazing. With this modification, there is no problem at all. Not even a hair can get in, and it slides very easily."

After saying that, he pulled out the round copper plate with the hole and pointed to the middle, saying, "Your Majesty, you see, I have specially put in the thinnest hair."

This part looks simple, but it's actually not simple at all.

This is because a small gold ring is embedded in the central hole.

This is the sealing ring he came up with. At this point, he didn't know where to buy rubber, so he could only use a gold sealing ring as a substitute.

This is because there were craftsmen who specialized in processing gold jewelry at that time, and these craftsmen also had simple processing equipment, which produced gold wires that were perfectly round and smooth, with very precise dimensions.

Emperor Wanli ordered people to make an exquisite crown out of gold thread, called the Gold Thread Winged Crown. Its exquisite craftsmanship was so great that it could not be replicated even after it was unearthed in later generations!

He then had a gold craftsman create a gold sealing ring, which naturally solved the problem without any issues.

He took the round copper plate and examined it carefully, then nodded slightly and said, "Hmm, that's good. Use this to replace the seals on all sliding parts."

This is made of real gold!
Upon hearing this, Wang Zheng couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache, saying, "Your Majesty, if all the seals were changed to this, a single steam engine would probably cost more than an ounce of gold."

what is this?
Zhu Jue replied without hesitation, "Just tell them to hurry up and make a prototype of the steam engine. This steam engine is worth more than ten thousand taels of gold."

makes sense.

The steam engine was priceless to them, because all subsequent machines would be powered by it.

Upon hearing this, Wang Zheng nodded repeatedly and said, "Your Majesty is wise, I understand."

After saying that, he excitedly took the round copper plate and ran off to other processing workshops.

Seeing this, Zhu Jue sat down at the large table and quickly began to read the memorials on it.

Liu Ruoyu quickly sat down next to him, picked up the red pen, and Wang Chengen swiftly took out the seal and stood next to Liu Ruoyu.

At this moment, they are processing memorials like an assembly line, it's incredibly fast.

In less than an hour, they had finished processing the memorials.

Zhu Jue was pondering where to go for an inspection when a voice suddenly announced, "Xu Guangqi requests an audience."

It's finally here!
Xu Guangqi was from Songjiang Prefecture in Southern Zhili.

The Bi brothers were from Huizhou Prefecture in Southern Zhili.

The Song brothers' hometown was right next to Southern Zhili.

Xu Guangqi has arrived, and the Bi brothers and Song Yingxing brothers will arrive soon, so the inner court will be established very quickly.

He said with some excitement, "Announce."

Soon, Xu Guangqi strode in, cupped his hands and bowed, saying, "Your humble servant greets Your Majesty."

Uh, your hair and beard are all white; you're probably much older than Wang Zheng!
Zhu Jue was taken aback for a moment, then couldn't help but ask, "Zixian, how old are you?"

Xu Guangqi replied without hesitation, "Your Majesty, I am sixty-six years old."

Sixty-six?

This isn't half-buried!
Zhu Jue asked with concern, "How are you feeling?"

Is Lian Po, though old, still able to eat?

I can still contribute to the Ming Dynasty!
Xu Guangqi thought for a moment, then said with a slight exaggeration, "Your Majesty, I have been farming at home for the past few years, and I am in good health. I can still dig the ground, carry water, weed and fertilize, just like a strong laborer."

You, a retired Vice Minister of Rites, are now farming!
Zhu Jue took a closer look at Xu Guangqi's hands.

Believe it.

These don't look like the hands of a scholar; they look more like the hands of an old farmer, whose calluses are probably an inch thick!
I need someone like you who values ​​practical results.

As I said before, it doesn't matter if you're old; at worst, I'll let you take on a few more apprentices.

Zhu Jue nodded slightly, then asked, "I heard you are compiling the 'Complete Treatise on Agricultural Administration.' How is it going?"

His Majesty actually knew that I was compiling the "Complete Treatise on Agricultural Administration"!
Xu Guangqi nodded repeatedly and said, "Your Majesty, I have finished compiling it and am just preparing to find a place to print it."

This book will be convenient for professors and disciples.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jue asked again, "Did you bring the manuscript?"

That's the culmination of my life's work, so naturally I have to keep it with me at all times. Xu Guangqi replied without hesitation, "Your Majesty, I have brought it."

That'll do.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jue decisively said, "Then you should directly hand it over to the Imperial Archives for printing. Print 100,000 sets first."

The Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs and the Imperial Printing House were places specifically for printing Buddhist scriptures, historical texts, philosophical works, and other classics!

Should we print 100,000 sets first?
Won't my "Complete Treatise on Agricultural Administration" become a timeless classic?

The problem is, this will cost a lot of money.

Xu Guangqi suppressed his excitement and said cautiously, "Your Majesty, the Complete Treatise on Agriculture has sixty volumes and more than 500,000 words. It is too expensive to print. I originally thought that if I could print a thousand sets, I would be lucky. Ten thousand sets is really too expensive."

That little bit of money is nothing.

The value of the Complete Treatise on Agriculture cannot be measured in money.

Zhu Jue replied without hesitation, "You don't need to worry about the money. The imperial treasury still has some surplus. Printing 100,000 sets of books is nothing. The key is that if the 'Complete Treatise on Agriculture' is widely promoted, it can save at least tens of millions of people."

The current emperor actually attaches great importance to agricultural policies!
What a blessing for the Ming Dynasty!
Xu Guangqi was deeply moved and said, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."

Alright, let's leave that aside for now.

Sixty volumes, I don't know how many days it would take to type them all.

Zhu Jue nodded slightly, then asked, "Have you ever heard of sweet potatoes and potatoes?"

Sweet potatoes and potatoes?
Xu Guangqi pondered and said, "Your Majesty, the sweet potato you mentioned may be the sweet potato. The word 'sweet' is related to the color red. I have seen sweet potatoes before, and I have even tried to grow them."

As for potatoes, I have never heard of them nor seen them. I have only encountered a root vegetable called "Tuyu" in the book "Chang'an Kehua" written by Jiang Yikui, the commander of the Western City during the late Wanli period. I wonder if this is the potato Your Majesty is referring to.

Have you ever tried growing sweet potatoes?

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jue asked with great interest, "Are the sweet potatoes you tried growing dark red skin, round and plump, thick in the middle, pointed at both ends, sweet, and as big as an arm?"

Have you ever seen sweet potatoes?

Xu Guangqi nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, you are talking about sweet potatoes. This plant is not only easy to grow but also has a high yield. As long as the seedlings are good and the fertilizer is applied properly, the yield per mu can reach several thousand jin or even tens of thousands of jin."

Not only did I try to grow it, but I also published a book called "Treatise on Sweet Potatoes" in the thirty-fifth year of the Wanli reign, hoping to promote it in the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty. However, none of the three late emperors had any interest in this.

Nowadays, it's mostly grown in Zhejiang and Fujian provinces; few people in other areas cultivate it specifically.

Wanli, Taichang, and Tianqi Emperors, you all missed a chance to save the Ming Dynasty!

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jue decisively said, "Your book 'Treatise on Sweet Potatoes' has been printed in 100,000 copies. We must vigorously promote the cultivation of sweet potatoes. We will strive to extend the cultivation of sweet potatoes to the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty within three years."

The current emperor truly values ​​agricultural policies!

However, sweet potatoes are not so easy to promote.

Xu Guangqi quickly explained in detail: "Your Majesty, the sweet potatoes that I have tried to plant all prefer warm temperatures and are not resistant to cold. If they encounter frost, not to mention planting them, even the seeds will be damaged by the frost."

I have also come up with a solution to the problem of preserving sweet potato seeds. We need to dig a cellar at least two zhang deep and store them separately with sand to ensure they don't spoil for six months.

This is the fundamental reason why sweet potatoes are mainly grown in Zhejiang and Fujian, because there is basically no frost in Zhejiang and Fujian, while there is frost in the north.

I have tried it in the Three Garrisons of Tianjin. The garrison soldiers there had a hard time digging cellars. If ordinary people were to dig them, I'm afraid not many would be willing to dig such deep cellars.

Furthermore, to achieve high sweet potato yields, not only are high-yielding seedlings needed, but also sufficient fertilizer, especially fertilizer that strengthens the root system. This type of fertilizer is generally not homemade by ordinary people.

I have some experience with fertilizers. In my previous life, I even invested in a fertilizer factory. I did a lot of research on it, so building another fertilizer factory in this life is no problem.

The cellar isn't a big problem; at worst, we can organize artisans to dig it for people.

The problem is that sweet potatoes are not cold-resistant, so it seems unlikely that they can be planted in Beijing this year.

Zhu Jue thought for a moment and then asked, "What about taro? Is it yellowish in color, about the size of a fist, irregularly round, and some are shaped like horse bells?"

You've seen this before!
Xu Guangqi nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, according to the description in Jiang Yikui's 'Chang'an Kehua', the taro should be about like this."

That's a potato.

Zhu Jue pressed further, "Did Jiang Yikui say where the potatoes were found?"

He was discovered in the Gyeonggi region.

Xu Guangqi explained in detail: "Your Majesty, the 'Chang'an Kehua' was compiled by Jiang Yikui when he served as the commander of the West City. Chang'an refers to the capital, and the 'Chang'an Kehua' is about what he saw and heard in the area around the capital."

That would be great.

Zhu Jue thought for a moment and then asked, "Potatoes should be more cold-resistant than sweet potatoes, right?"

This is natural.

Xu Guangqi nodded repeatedly and said, "People in the capital area grow this plant, so potatoes are definitely more cold-resistant than sweet potatoes."

That's no problem.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jue decisively said, "Cheng'en, order someone to convey my decree that all garrisons in the capital should immediately offer tribute of taro. For every ten catties offered, one tael of silver will be awarded. I want 100,000 catties. First come, first served."

This caused an uproar among all the garrisons and outposts of the Beijing Garrison.

Taro can easily yield over a thousand catties per mu (a Chinese unit of area, approximately 0.165 acres), which is more than a hundred taels!

Upon receiving the imperial decree, people immediately arrived in horse-drawn carts to deliver tribute of taro.

This thing is just a potato.

Zhu Jue also kept the Jingying garrison troops who were supposed to be paying tribute with potatoes, and asked them to help Xu Guangqi cultivate seedlings.

Xu Guangqi immediately cleared an acre of land near Taiye Pond next to the woods and began cultivating potato seedlings in preparation for trial planting.

This plant is indeed more cold-resistant than sweet potatoes, and it grows so fast that it can be harvested in three months. If you plant it now, you're sure to get a harvest before it freezes over; it's just a matter of how much you'll get.

Zhu Juena now has another place to patrol, and he has to make several trips to the fields next to Taiye Pond every day.

Those who were secretly investigating from across Taiye Pond were all dumbfounded when they saw this.

This young emperor actually enjoys farming!
(End of this chapter)