Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 315 Western Learning Spreading Eastward? Eastern Learning Will Spread Westward!

In fact, Zhang Yunxiu had no reason to lose; in fact, he was full of confidence about the "lecture" from the very beginning.

Others might think that Xu Jie was a seasoned veteran of the official and literary worlds, but in Zhang Yunxiu's view, he was just a shrewd and calculating ancient man.

While the ancients were not fools, under the rules of ancient times, even ten thousand Zhang Yunxius could not outmaneuver Xu Jie.

Clearly, Zhang Yunxiu is no longer the same Zhang Yunxiu he once was. From Renmin Medical Clinic to the briquettes business, and now to the booming Xishan, he has forged a path that transcends his era.

Such changes are inherently difficult to predict.

"Within these Western Hills, there is no reason for Zhang Zhangwei to lose."

Inside the private room, Shanxi merchant Wang Dengku looked at the overwhelming crowd of people from Xishan and couldn't help but sigh.

He is now gradually understanding why Zhang Yunxiu was able to act with such impunity.

The Western Hills provided livelihoods for countless refugees, and the people of the capital also benefited from it. Over the past few months, the lives of these people have quietly changed.

These people's earnest expectations became the voice of Zhang Yunxiu. The achievements of Xishan, and the fact that Renmin Medical Hall saved a life every time, were all testaments to the success of the Xishan system.

With Zhang Yunxiu backed by these achievements, even if Xu Jie were possessed by Zhuge Liang and could debate with a group of Confucian scholars, it would be of no use.

Wang Dengku's gaze fell on Xu Jie, who was leaving in a sorry state. The three figures that left looked somewhat lonely. Although many scholars were criticizing Zhang Yunxiu, they were actually hesitant to stand up and support Xu Jie on their own.

If one had to put it bluntly, Xu Jie was merely a temporary totem for them in their fight against new things and against Zhang Yunxiu.

Xu Jie used them, and they used Xu Jie in return.

But for some high-ranking officials and dignitaries, today's victory or defeat is far too important.

In the crowd, Xu Guo, the disguised Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, quickly pulled his steward aside and said in a low voice.

"Has the visiting card I asked you to deliver to Xu Zisheng's post station been sent out yet?"

The steward shrank back, looking quite shocked. Just now, Xu Guo had addressed Xu Jie as "Lord Xu," but now he was calling him by his full name.

He said cautiously, "Master, you just said to do it immediately, that it must be extremely urgent and there can be no delay. I suppose the servants who are to deliver the visiting cards and gifts have already arrived at the post station."

Xu Guo immediately became anxious: "How could you make such a decision on your own! Go and retrieve them immediately! Burn the visiting cards immediately, and take back all the gifts as well, leaving not a single one behind!"

The butler, looking rather aggrieved, said, "But you..."

"But what do you mean 'but'!" Xu Guo kicked the butler. "Hurry up and chase after them! If anything goes wrong, I'll hold you responsible!"

The steward dared not be negligent in the slightest, and scrambled away from the Xishan Theater, riding his horse towards the capital.

The same situation is playing out around many officials. For the officials in the court, there has never been any firm ideology. Most of them are more shrewd than those students and scholars.

Whether it's Confucius, Zhu Xi, or Wang Yangming, their ideas and propositions are there for all to see; interpreting them is simply a matter of contemporary needs.

Given the prevailing trend, what harm is there in acknowledging Zhang Yunxiu's "science"?

According to Zhang Yunxiu's description, "science" also originated from Confucius and Zhu Xi, and adheres to the principle of the unity of knowledge and action of Wang Yangming.

Most importantly, "science" can truly cure diseases and save lives, and can truly improve the lives of most people.

Minister of Revenue Zhang Xueyan and Minister of Works Zeng Shengwu looked at each other in bewilderment, clearly the development of the situation had exceeded their expectations.

"Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it." Zhang Xueyan looked at the overwhelming cheers of the people and said, "Shiyuan is the support of the people, so Xu Zisheng's defeat is not unjust."

Zeng Shengwu smiled slightly: "I predicted long ago that Zhang Zhangwei is a man of great talent, how could he possibly stumble here? The eyes of the world are ultimately discerning, and such petty tricks of distorting the truth are ultimately mere trifles."

Zhang Xueyan said somewhat awkwardly, "Minister Zeng didn't say that just now. He was thinking about how to balance the situation in Jiangnan if Xu Zisheng gained power. Why is he saying this now?"

"Cough cough cough~" Zeng Shengwu's old face turned red. "I'm also worried about Zhang Zhangwei's affairs. Xishan is now related to the livelihood of the world, and it can't withstand any setbacks."

Zhang Zhangwei is a prodigy; his charting techniques and economic analysis methods are quite ingenious. Naturally, I expect him to achieve a great victory.”

Zhang Xueyan narrowed his eyes: "This time it's not just a great victory, it's even a bit too much. I'm afraid none of the officials in the court expected that Zhang Shiyuan would have such a big voice."

The cheers of the masses were so overwhelming that they even seemed somewhat presumptuous.

His gaze fell on a private room, where it was easy to notice that there was no one inside.

"I'm afraid there will be more twists and turns in the future."

"This is not something we can worry about."

Zeng Shengwu, however, did not want to think about it that much, and he shook his head and said.

"I'm a blockhead, not good at those complicated things, but I'm good at drawing charts and analyzing data."

The things Xishan has come up with are truly fascinating. If these various agricultural tools could be promoted nationwide, they would surely benefit the people.

"I just need to do my job well."

"You old dog, you know how to protect yourself," Zhang Xueyan said with a smile, narrowing her eyes.

Zeng Shengwu said, "In this world, who doesn't want to protect themselves? As long as you do things well and have a clear conscience, that's enough."

Zhang Xueyan nodded slowly, looking deeply convinced.

“That makes sense. As the Minister of Revenue, I shouldn’t get too involved. It’s enough for me to settle the accounts of our Great Ming Dynasty.”

“Speaking of which,” Zeng Shengwu said, his hands behind his back, “Previously, Zhang Zhangwei sent over a series of strategies for the economic recovery of Jiangnan. I think the two of us need to discuss them further and propose a plan to the court. This matter is of utmost importance.”

Zhang Xueyan nodded: "That's very good. Let's go back to the ministry and discuss this matter."

Compared to the changing psychological reactions of these people, there was one person whose attitude remained consistent.

"Hurry up! Don't dawdle here!"

Li Zhi stared wide-eyed as he spoke.

"I will go with you to Xishan Village to see what kind of sorcery Zhang Shiyuan used to make so many people so devoted to him. I have a feeling that this contains the principle of great order in the world. Just as Zhang Shiyuan said, it is called 'unity of knowledge and action.' If you know it but do not act on it, what is the difference between you and not knowing it at all?"

The pageboy, Yuan Wenwei, looked at his master with a hint of helplessness.

"Sir, the principle here is very simple: it's just about ensuring that the people have enough to eat."

"That's all?" Li Zhi exclaimed, his eyes wide. "Do you know how much effort the sages of the past put in to realize this vision? If you didn't see it with your own eyes, how could you know if it was true or not?"

He examined his apprentice again.

“I know you have a problem with Zhang Shiyuan, but you need to know the purpose of studying and understanding principles. If it can help you govern the world, even if Zhang Shiyuan is my father’s killer, I would still be willing to take him as my teacher! If you study the classics only to gain official rank and title, then we can sever our teacher-student relationship!”

"gentlemen!"

Yuan Wenwei was startled, and the arrogant look on his face vanished instantly. He seemed to have suddenly realized something, and then nodded emphatically.

"Then I will follow you, sir, to take a good look!"

In winter, a peculiar scene appeared at the foot of the Western Hills: groups of gentry and scholars cautiously appeared there.

The Imperial Guards protecting the outer perimeter of Xishan and the village militia had already received the news, so their journey was naturally unimpeded.

Those who are here are basically people who want to investigate, and some of them are also holding back their desire to find evidence of Zhang Yunxiu's crimes in Xishan!

Following the road that had already been cleared of snow, the group made their way to the outskirts of Xishan Village. Rather than a village, Xishan Village, which housed tens of thousands of people, was more like a city without walls.

It was noon, and wisps of smoke rose from rows of houses of the same shape and style.

The orderly rows of houses, the crisscrossing paths, and the sounds of chickens and dogs were quite astonishing.

But this is not the most important thing, because the same scene can be seen in some places in the Ming Dynasty, but there is something that cannot be seen anywhere.

That was a clean and tidy road and ground paved with stone slabs and some kind of clay!

Keep in mind that this is Beijing in December, where snow is falling heavily and the ground is covered in snow.
Even with sufficient personnel to clean up, the snow can seep into the soil, and even in the capital, the roads cleared of snow are often muddy.

But Xishan is completely different. Even though the ground is a bit damp, it doesn't feel muddy at all when you step on it. It's truly clean and tidy!

Drainage ditches were even designed along both sides of the road to drain snowmelt to lower levels.

It is such a simple design that it has attracted countless people to stop and watch.

Zhang Sishu did not rush to the garrison, but followed the crowd. When he saw the scholars' doubts, he immediately smiled and explained.

"You all may not know this, but this is cement invented by the Chief of the Guards. After improvements by the Xishan Workshop and research by the Mechanical Academy, this cement has now developed into its third generation. It has advantages such as fast molding, strong plasticity, and hardness comparable to stone."

Nowadays, the people of Xishan use these materials when building their houses; they are of high quality and inexpensive.

By the way, I've heard that the Ministry of Works is also considering using cement for water conservancy projects in the future. Perhaps in a few years, the capital city will also be able to use it, and you all will be able to see this convenience.

When Zhang Sishu said this, his expression was very gentle, and he appeared neither arrogant nor impatient.

But to outsiders, it seemed to have a hint of showing off.

Zhou Yingbin, along with a group of students, naturally wouldn't miss the chance to join in the fun. He stood in the crowd and said through gritted teeth.

"This is yet another wasteful and wasteful act. If we exchanged all this money for grain, how many people could we save? It's all show and no substance!"

Faced with these people's sarcasm, Zhang Sishu simply smiled and ignored it, not taking it to heart.

But the men under his command looked indignant.

"Elder, why waste your breath arguing with these people? They've become dull-witted from all their studying; how could they possibly appreciate the good things about our Xishan?"

Zhang Sishu's face remained gentle, as if he had everything under control.

"There will always be someone who can see that we at Xishan are doing something practical."

Zhang Sishu and the others did not linger and headed towards the garrison. As the days grew colder, the fruits and vegetables in the greenhouses needed more care.

With the continuous heavy snow these days and the approach of the New Year, workshops such as Xishan Coal Mine have gradually stopped operating. Many Xishan residents are staying at home, either with their children or preparing for the New Year.

The common people clearly didn't show much enthusiasm for the arrival of these scholars; many had just returned from the theater and were filled with hostility and wariness towards them. However, Zhang Yunxiu had spoken, and the people of Xishan were mostly kind-hearted and wouldn't make things difficult for the scholars.

The delegation, composed of gentry, scholars, and people from all walks of life in Beizhili, dispersed after entering the vast Xishan Village, each going off to seek out the "secrets" they wanted to explore.

In fact, because Xishan has no city walls, Xishan Village has always been in a semi-open state. However, Xishan is an important royal area, protected by the Imperial Guards and local militias, so there are far fewer petty thieves and hooligans here than in the capital.

"The students believe that Xishan is more about its production system."

Among the crowd, a young man wearing a turban bowed slightly to the Portuguese man with deep-set eyes and a high nose beside him.

"Xu, I don't quite understand what you mean by relations of production."

If Yu Xiangdou were present, he would be quite surprised, because the Portuguese man speaking at this moment is none other than the missionary Jean-Jacques d'Arc, who once bought the glass statue of Jesus Christ the Savior.

He spent a full 50,000 taels of silver, which surprised even the Wanli Emperor.

Xu Guangqi was not yet twenty years old. He came to the capital to visit relatives the month before last. Unfortunately, he met Jia Nailao, who was preaching everywhere. During their conversation, he was attracted by his doctrines. Although he did not intend to follow the religion of the Portuguese, he became friends with Jia Nailao.

He smiled slightly and said, "These are terms from the Wanli Xinbao newspaper. It's normal that Mr. Jia doesn't understand them. Simply put, Xishan has adopted a production model that is completely different from the outside world."

The people depended on Xishan, worked for Xishan, participated in various jobs in Xishan workshops, and reclaimed land for Xishan. The relationship between the two parties was one of employment.

Xishan signed a contract with them and, in accordance with its contents, provided the people with livelihood guarantees and protection.

“Employment relationship?” Janilao looked surprised. “I thought this kind of relationship only existed in Europe. I didn’t expect it to be used on a large scale in your country.”

Xu Guangqi's face showed a hint of embarrassment: "Originally there was none, but after this Zhang Zhangwei rose to prominence, everything changed completely."

"Would your emperor allow this to happen?" Jia Nailao asked with a puzzled look, clearly aware of the conservative political situation in the Ming Dynasty.

Xu Guangqi said with a wry smile, "If it were an emperor in the past, he certainly would not have allowed it, but the current emperor is very different."

He certainly wouldn't dare say the rumors that the Wanli Emperor was only interested in profit and would stop at nothing as long as he could make money.

"Among your intellectuals, there seems to be a great deal of dissatisfaction with this young high-ranking official named Zhang."

Jia Nailao looked at the groups of readers; he had just been in the theater and watched the whole farce.

Xu Guangqi nodded and said, "Mr. Jia is right. Zhang Shiyuan's actions are unorthodox and have been criticized by many scholars in the world."

To be honest, even Xu Guangqi himself, who came from Songjiang Prefecture and whose family was of the scholar class, harbored resentment towards Zhang Yunxiu because of what he had heard and seen.

"I don't think so."

Jia Nailao shook his head repeatedly.

“Your conservative thinking is somewhat stubborn. This young official named Zhang is similar to many scientists and thinkers in Europe.”

Xu Guangqi seemed to disagree, shaking his head with a smile.

"Mr. Jia doesn't quite understand the history of the Ming Dynasty, so his ideas are naturally different from ours."

Jia Nailao did not argue. He squinted and looked at the workshops scattered in the distance, as well as the various buildings on the mountainside.

To be honest, he didn't have a good impression of this young man selling Jesus Christ statues at first.

But after listening to the other person's many remarks in the theater, somewhat confused, he found himself resonating with him in a certain way.

"In fact, there are many conservative forces in Europe today, such as the conflict between science and religion. The Church has almost monopolized all knowledge, and ordinary people in Europe are more ignorant and miserable than the people of the Ming Dynasty."

The church leadership held contradictory views: on the one hand, they feared ordinary people possessing knowledge, yet on the other hand, they desired more people to become learned and faithful clergy—a clear contradiction.

Xu Guangqi, the "Mr. Jia," looked somewhat surprised. The man in front of him was a Western monk, and the significance of his words was no less than that of a monk criticizing the abbot of a temple for being pedantic.

Jia Nailao smiled and said, "Xu, do you think I came all this way to the Ming Dynasty? This place is as far away from my hometown as the ends of the earth."

Xu Guangqi nodded politely: "Understood."

Jia Nailao's gaze gradually became complicated, and he once again turned his eyes to the clean and tidy cement floor.

When he first came to the Ming Dynasty, he boasted that he was bringing with him a doctrine of civilization and progress.

After all, even the Ming Dynasty today needs to frequently purchase firearms from the Portuguese.

After years of conflict, Portugal and Spain became interdependent and considered themselves maritime superpowers.

But it was with this idea in mind that what he saw in Xishan shocked him even more.

His mind drifted back to the glass statue of Jesus' crucifixion still enshrined in his home, the constant stream of goods shipped to Europe, and the endless stream of inventions.

Most importantly, it was the ideas that the young official named Zhang Shiyuan presented to the ordinary people of the Ming Dynasty.

This pragmatic and scientific way of thinking, along with the people-oriented ideology that prioritizes ordinary people, resonated with Jia Nailao for a time.

This gave rise to the idea that this is the true direction for humanity to move forward.

In contrast, the Portuguese and Spanish people today appear outdated, evil, and solely driven by profit.

The Church remains the core force dominating politics, and in distant Europe, it is almost impossible for ordinary people to enjoy help and benefits.

Not to mention the officially run schools.

In comparison, this place seems more open and inclusive, a vibrant scene indeed!

Jia Nailao looked thoughtful.

At the same time, Xu Guangqi's thoughts were somewhat complicated, and he said with a smile on his face.

"Mr. Jia, we came here today precisely to investigate the reasons and the truth behind this, didn't we?"

The students wanted to visit the workshops in Xishan, but they didn't know if they would have the opportunity.

He had some opinions about Zhang Yunxiu, but he was extremely interested in Xishan's miscellaneous academic achievements!
Xishan Weapon Workshop.

The Wanli Emperor raised a brand-new matchlock musket, aimed it at the dummy not far away, and pulled the trigger.

With a loud bang, the bullet flew out and left a bullet hole in the wall behind the dummy.

Zhao Shizhen reacted quickly and immediately supported the Wanli Emperor from behind. Fortunately, he had been exercising recently, otherwise the emperor's huge body would not have been able to support him.

Emperor Wanli nearly stumbled, but his face showed great pleasure, his small eyes shining as he held the matchlock gun with obvious delight.

"The matchlock gun has indeed developed rapidly. Zhao Changji, what methods did you use to greatly increase the power of this divine weapon!"

The Wanli Emperor looked very excited.

Zhao Shizhen quickly cupped his hands and explained, "Your Majesty, the development of this gun was not the work of this humble official alone, but was guided by Zhang Zhangwei."

He pointed to each part of the musket and explained them one by one.

"The matchlock gun has been in our Great Ming for decades, and has undergone many improvements, but none of them have been as powerful as this one."

One purpose was to install a fire door protective cover to prevent the gunpowder and fire rope from getting wet from wind and rain.

Secondly, to improve the material for fire rope, a mixture of flax, sulfur, and asphalt was used for soaking.
Thirdly, it is made of wrought iron to enhance its toughness. The boreholes in the gun barrel are smoothed with an iron drill.
Fourthly, a special quick-loading ammunition spoon is used for fixed-load paper tube ammunition.

Zhao Shizhen rattled off a long list, recounting everything with remarkable familiarity.

The most important part is that, compared to the small workshops of the Ming Dynasty that produced firearms in the past, Xishan adopted a more unified and large-scale approach, and the firearms produced were naturally very different.

The Wanli Emperor was somewhat confused, but he understood one piece of information.

That means this musket is awesome!
He couldn't help but exclaim, "Minister Zhao is a pillar of our Great Ming! If we had this divine weapon, the troubles on our northern borders could be greatly alleviated!"

Even the Wanli Emperor knew that firearms were a true game-changer for nomadic peoples who relied on horseback archery!
The northern Anda tribes were suppressed, but the Jurchen tribes in the northeast gradually rose again, and the court spent a lot of money and grain on them every year!

Even though Li Chengliang, the commander-in-chief of Liaodong, governed Liaodong "in an orderly manner," Emperor Wanli could not ignore the north, which had always been the enemy of the Ming Dynasty.

"Your Majesty is so complimentary."

Although Zhao Shizhen said this, a look of joy still appeared on his face.

"The credit for this is all thanks to the guidance of Zhang Zhangwei; I dare not take any credit for it!"

Zhao Shizhen was telling the truth. The development of muskets was inherently slow. Every improvement required countless attempts at crafting and refinement, and it was necessary to conduct live-fire tests before a conclusion could be reached.

Countless times, when Zhao Shizhen was stuck in a bottleneck, it was Zhang Yunxiu who helped him come up with ideas.

Zhang Yunxiu may seem ignorant about machinery, but he always manages to hit the nail on the head, just as he did during the development of the steam engine.

Emperor Wanli was in a very good mood and nodded slightly.

"Shiyuan also made great contributions."

He strolled leisurely with his hands behind his back.

"It seems like they've had a successful start, haven't they?"

Zhao Shizhen, his face still greasy, smiled and cupped his hands in greeting.

"When you take action, it will naturally be twice as effective with half the effort, all for the sake of the Ming Dynasty."

Emperor Wanli nodded slightly, then summoned the eunuch Zhang Cheng and spoke to him in a seemingly casual manner.

"How did the debate between Grand Secretary Xu and Shi Yuanzhi go at the Xishan Theater? Who won and who lost?"

Zhang Cheng did send people to investigate, but they were somewhat evasive when questioned by the emperor.

The Wanli Emperor said displeasedly, "Why are you so hesitant? If you win, you win; if you lose, you lose. Speak the truth!"

Zhang Cheng then sighed and said.

"Zhang Zhangwei's operation was indeed a great victory."

(End of this chapter)