Inside the Qianqing Palace.
Zhu Youtang was meeting his son Zhu Houzhao and was listening to his son talk about what he saw and heard at the artillery range.
"Father, you really should go and see it for yourself. It's so spectacular. I have never seen such a powerful artillery piece that shocked the heavens and made the gods cry."
Zhu Houzhao was chatting there. , there is no essential difference from what Xiao Jing and others reported to him before.
Zhu Youtang asked angrily, "Have you seen other artillery pieces and can't compare them?"
"Huh"
Zhu Houzhao was startled, and then hehehe He smiled and said, "Even if I haven't seen it before, I have heard of it. According to Erchen's estimate, wherever this thing is, there should be no Tatars within a few miles of it."
“The Ming Dynasty’s city passes will no longer have to worry about Tatar attacks. I’m just thinking that if I use this kind of artillery to attack the grasslands, will the grassland people cry like ghosts and wolves howl?”
< p>Zhu Youtang was frightened after hearing this.Father and son are originally different. I used to feel that my son was not like me in many ways, and I still thought that he was my own son.
But now I suddenly feel that father and son are not like me. It turned out that when they went to the grassland, even the imagined results were so similar.
Hmm.
It’s my biological son and he didn’t run away.
"It's outrageous. If you don't study hard and think about all kinds of messy things all day long, Bingkuan shouldn't let you leave the palace." Zhu Youtang seemed to be angry.
But I was very happy.
Even if I, as a father, cannot realize my dream of conquering the grassland, my son may be able to help him realize it.
Zhu Houzhao said, "Father, it was Mr. Zhang who asked Er Chen to leave the city. If you want to blame, blame him. But it has nothing to do with Er Chen. He came back immediately after watching the artillery show. Don't believe it." You are right to ask them about this matter."
"Prince, do you still have the responsibility?"
Zhu Youtang said sharply.
Only then did Zhu Houzhao realize that he might have said the wrong thing.
If it were anyone else, Zhu Houzhao would not be so quick to shirk responsibility, and would even take the responsibility proactively, but the problem is that it is Zhang Bingkuan
In name, he is Mr. Zhu Houzhao felt again that he was simply a demon who ate people without spitting out their bones. He was being plotted by Zhang Zhou all day long, so why couldn't he shirk the responsibility?
"Well, your mother is still waiting for you to come and have a meal. , go quickly, I have to deal with official business tonight, so I won’t go over.”
“Yes, Father”
“When will this prince really grow up?”< /p>
After his son left, Zhu Youtang sighed to Dai Yi and other eunuchs.
Xiao Jing smiled and said, "Your Majesty, the prince is very calm when he leaves the palace today. However, the prince can abide by everything Mr. Zhang reminds him. Your Majesty does not need to worry about this."
"Yes, only Bingkuan can control him now. The other officials may be in trouble in terms of words and deeds."Very decent, but I can't describe it even without Bingkuan's energy. ”
Zhu Youtang was still thinking about it.
Why did the prince listen to Zhang Zhou and not other officials?
Xiao Jing thought to himself, then But no, ordinary people don't have the evil nature in Zhang Zhou.
If anyone could be as evil as Zhang Zhou, I think you would be disgusted with it, but he is not an orthodox scholar. , so no matter what he does, it seems to be so reasonable
If Zhang Zhou is allowed to behave, His Majesty will still think that he has taken the wrong medicine
Kun In Ning Palace.
Zhu Houzhao is bragging to his sister.
After all, Zhu Xiurong has passed his fifth birthday. In the future, he will be in the kindergarten class and already talk and do things. A certain logic, she is about to enter elementary school.
But when her brother was talking about artillery and those crazy scenes, her eyes were blurred, like a little girl who was not yet sensible. .
It’s similar to listening to the book from heaven.
“Why is it like that when one shot passes?”
“If someone stands over there, will they die? ”
“Brother, why can you leave the palace?”
Xiao Nizi’s head was full of question marks, and she bluntly asked her elder brother.
Zhu Houzhao didn’t He said patiently, "Why are there so many problems at such a young age? I don't know what I'm thinking about all day long. "
Empress Zhang behind her said, "Prince, you have the nerve to tell your sister what you are thinking about all day long"
"Mother, my son is telling my sister the rules"< /p>
“Stop talking about the rules, and don’t go out of the palace in the future. If the artillery accidentally hurts you, the Ming Dynasty will be in trouble. ”
“How can it be so easy? My son is in good health, but it’s a bit cold today.”
In the court.
The minister of household affairs, Zhou Jing, is reporting to various places Plague situation.
The period from winter to spring is generally the peak season for plague, and epidemics in various places generally cannot be reported specifically until the end of spring, and in many places. A detailed memorial was summarized.
It involves the spread of the smallpox epidemic around the capital last year.
"Based on the reports of the magic medicine for acne so far, However, among those who had taken this medicine before the acne spread, no one has shown signs of the disease so far. ”
“Originally, the magical medicine was only cultivated near the capital, and then more medicines were added to Liaodong, northwest and other places. And various places in the south of the Yangtze River had been promoted before the plague passed last year. Now in the north of the Yangtze River In various places, Henan, Shanxi and other places successively asked the imperial court to donate magical medicines. To the west of Jiangxi and Jiangxi, including Huguang, Sichuan and other places, there are still only one or two out of ten people who grow medicines. If acne occurs again, If the plague spreads, I'm afraid there will still be people who will suffer from it."
The verification of something takes time.
Zhang Zhou wants to promote cowpox, the best way, actually using the royal family as an introduction.
If even the royal family can grow it, why can’t the common people do it?
In the past, the court and the central government did not believe that this thing worked and were picky about it. However, as half a year passed, the court and the government began to Basically all of these ministers have planted it, or everyone around them has planted it.
Now if we talk about not planting, we are almost like fools.
The situation was completely different from when Zhang Zhou first arrived in the capital.
After listening to Zhou Jing's report, Zhu Youtang sighed, "If this medicine can cure acne, it would be a blessing to the Ming Dynasty. There is a medicine, but I don't know what to say." Don't let the people know where the medicine comes from. Let all the people of the Ming Dynasty plant it as much as possible this year." Tu Fu, the official minister, came out and asked, "Your Majesty, what is this medicine?" Why can it be used to resolve acne that has been unable to be cured since ancient times? Should we wait for verification and then promote it in a few years?"
According to Tu Yu's point of view, half a year is still too short. .
What if it is a chronic poison that relapses in ten or eight years? By then, everyone in the Ming Dynasty will be cultivating the drug, wouldn’t it mean that the population of the Ming Dynasty will be completely wiped out
Zhu Youtang frowned and said "This medicine was made by Bing Kuan. I have not even awarded him a reward for it. As for how to make it, do I need to tell you in detail? As for you who say that this medicine has not been verified, I ask you, who else has not grown it now? I have personally planted it. As I said before, even if it is the most poisonous poison, will a little bit of it kill someone?"
Tu Yu was speechless.
In fact, there are still ministers present who are ignorant. Of course, they will not publicize it to avoid being regarded as aliens.
To put it bluntly, they are still worried.
Since that little bit of medicine is not fatal, it doesn’t make sense why a little bit can make a person’s body resist smallpox.
"Recently, there have been significantly fewer reports of border troubles in various places in the northwest. Even the Yansui area has not had any reports for more than a month. The current border troubles are also due to Bingkuan's advice and threats. Thanks to the bravery and skill of Marquis Ning, Marquis Anbian and others, the Ming Dynasty's border areas have become much more stable. However, I would like to strengthen the border preparations this year, especially in terms of making artillery. I am planning to allocate another 100,000 taels of money to build cannons. Cannon."
Zhu Youtang is now asking the court for money.
Not for himself.
However, ministers always create some trouble when the emperor proposes to use money. The emperor usually has to discount how much money he wants, and Zhu Youtang usually does not argue too much with them. In other words, it's enough.
Zhou Jing, who had previously mentioned the smallpox plague, continued, "Your Majesty, last year the Second Huaian Prefecture in Fengyang and the Tenth Guards Station in Fengyang Youzhong suffered from floods. The local government requested that the autumn grain for the eleventh year of Hongzhi be exempted. There are two hundred and seventy-four thousand six hundred and forty-eight stones in total."
Your Majesty, don't you want money?
Let's talk about the Jianghuai flood last year.
Zhu Youtang said, “Isn’t this matter already reported? Why?We have to bring it to the court to report."
When Zhou Jing saw it, he felt that the emperor had some objections, and quickly returned to the court.
Zhu Youtang asked, "Is this the case for your family members?" Do you think I should spend more money on making cannons?"
Liu Jiandao, "Your Majesty, you should do your best. If the Tatars have withdrawn now, you might as well cast hundreds of cannons first. as a backup. It seems that the Ming Dynasty's border reserves did not need to be replenished within one year. "
"One hundred doors" Zhu Youtang frowned. This number obviously could not meet his expectations, but in fact he didn't know much about it. After all, he had agreed to let Zhang Zhou build the cannon. Of course, the rules are set by the court, which is that the cannon must be made under the supervision of the court, and if there is no order from the court, Zhang Zhou is not allowed to build the cannon privately.
"Necessary. How much money?" Zhu Youtang looked at Xiao Jing aside.
Xiao Jing has always been responsible for the intermediary matters.
Xiao Jing replied, "Your Majesty, based on the previous Zhang As the gentleman mentioned, a cannon requires about 200 to 300 kilograms of iron. The price of ordinary pig iron generally costs more than ten yuan per kilogram. If it is used to cast a cannon, it will cost about thirty yuan, plus labor. , shells and other costs, a fully equipped cannon requires up to twenty taels of silver. One hundred cannons cost about two thousand taels of silver. "
"Two thousand taels" Zhu Youtang was a little surprised when he heard this number. He frowned and said, "Is it only two thousand taels for one hundred guns?"
Xiao Jing said, "If it is nine In a border area, even if a hundred gates were given to one place, it would cost nearly 20,000 taels. "
Zhu Youtang nodded and asked Liu Jian, "Mr. Liu Ge, there are only a hundred cannons in each place on the nine sides. It is a little less."
Liu Jian was also stunned.
The emperor came up and asked for 100,000 taels to build the cannon. They thought it was Zhang Zhou who wanted to make a big deal. After hearing Xiao Jing’s calculations, they realized that the price of the cannon that could change the era. It's quite "affordable".
A thousand cannons, including cannonballs, only cost 20,000 taels.
Thinking about it this way, Zhang Zhou is more noble than those who purchased for the imperial court in the past. But he is more conscientious. In the past, whenever the imperial court wanted to purchase something, the price offered was simply outrageous.
After careful consideration, Liu Jian said, "Your Majesty, I wonder how the cannon construction is going."
< p>Zhu Youtang pointed at Xiao Jing again, and the meaning is still yours.Xiao Jing said, "The furnace has been opened. In a month, we can probably make sixty or seventy cannons." It looks like this is just a furnace, but Mr. Zhang said that the coal mines in Xishan have produced a large amount of high-quality coal, so that pig iron can be refined and even directly smelted into steel to make cannons. Mr. Zhang did not use it to make cannons. Seek any personal gain. Everything is accounted for. "
Zhu Youtang sighed, "No wonder a cannon only costs twenty taels. It turns out that Bingkuan was dedicated to saving money for the court. This is not okay, what should be given to him must be given to him."
When the ministers heard this, something was wrong.
Zhang Zhou was not seeking personal gain, and the emperor wanted to help him find something.
Your Majesty, what was spent was the court’s money, your own money
I don’t feel bad
“My lords, do you also feel that it should not be allowed? Is Bingkuan suffering a loss?" Zhu Youtang asked seriously.
Liu Jiandao, "Your Majesty, it is your duty to build cannons for the imperial court. Your Majesty gives high-ranking officials generous salaries. If you don't serve the imperial court attentively, you really shouldn't."
"Okay, I want a reward. , I will give the reward myself. As for the money for making the cannon, the imperial court will allocate it. Then according to the progress of the cannon building, one can be built, and the Ministry of Revenue will allocate the money for one cannon. Is there any problem?"
"This"
Liu Jian hesitated.
From what I said before, the progress of the cannon building is indeed not fast.
Sixty or seventy gates can be built in a month, and the total amount of silver is only more than a thousand taels.
But I also said that there are new furnaces ready to be put on the shelves. They will be built quickly in case the emperor needs 10,000 cannons.
Li Dongyang came out and said, "Your Majesty, we will build cannons here." The method should be strictly kept secret and should not be known to too many people. Even the craftsmen of the Ming Dynasty should keep the secret strictly. Otherwise, if the outsiders find out, it will probably cause harm to the Ming border areas."
"Oh, really?" Zhu Youtang seemed to have no idea.
Xiao Jing came out and said with a smile, "Master Li, you are too worried. We have asked Mr. Zhang before, and he said that steel is required to make cannons, and the conditions are very harsh. Only the Ming Dynasty has a vast land and abundant resources." Produce enough materials. As for the craftsmanship, it is also very complicated, and he will not teach the craftsmen personally about many things."
Li Dongyang disagreed.
How confident is Zhang Zhou that he feels everything is under his control?
"Mr. Zhang also said that this is not the best cannon he can develop." Xiao Jing said another piece of news that shocked the ministers present, "He said that he could make something better when he turned around."
"Ah"
The ministers present were really Was shocked.
He smiled and said, “Mr. , there is also a need for one that can launch two miles, what do you think?"
"False" Xie Qian refuted unceremoniously, "If one can launch ten miles, why can't one launch two miles? Why bother?"
"Yes"
Many ministers present agreed.
Since something that can shoot ten miles can also shoot two miles, why do you need to build one that can shoot two miles?
Xiao Jing continued to smile and said, "Mr. Xie Ge, think about it. How much steel is needed for a gun that fires ten miles? Can the cost of the gun body and shells be the same as that of a gun that fires two miles? These artillery have a lifespan. Once a gun is built, it cannot be used all the time. , then the cost of maintenance is the same as that of Faerli."
"This"
This is how Xie Qian realized that he was the one who talked on paper.
Xie Qian was also upset.
Why didn’t you think of this level?
It seems that because of the presence of the sharp-tongued Zhang Bingkuan, even these eunuchs who usually seem very gentle like to argue
Those who are close to Zhu are red, those who are close to Mo are black
Zhu Youtang couldn't stand listening anymore. He found that everything had to be brought to the court. It was really not as good as listening to Zhang Zhou alone, at least in the decision-making process. At this level, there is not so much nonsense.
"Dear gentlemen, I don't want to hear any more, so I give this order. After that, the Ministry of Household Affairs will fully cooperate with Zhang Zhou on building cannons. If the number of cannons exceeds a thousand, it will be brought to the court for discussion. In the future, if there are new cannons or new firearms, you can bring them to the court and say that, that's all."
The ministers present lost their temper this time.
It seems pointless to set up a barrier between the emperor and Zhang Zhou and save money for the court.
After the meeting.
Zhu Youtang returned to Qianqing Palace, sat down angrily, slapped the table and said, "I don't know what they are talking about."
Dai Yi and others immediately heard that this was not the case. Not a question.
There is no need for them to repeat what those ministers said.
It's better like the emperor is complaining.
"Where's Bingkuan?" At the critical moment, Zhu Youtang thought of his loyal minister again.
Dai Yi reminded, "Your Majesty, today is the wedding day between Mr. Zhang and Lin Shilang's daughter, the day of Nacai."
"Isn't Nacai a concubine?" Zhu Youtang frowned.
This is also because Zhang Zhou took a concubine, which delayed him from asking Zhang Zhou.
Dai Yidao said, "Your Majesty, this is the matchmaker given by the Empress Dowager. Your Majesty. Even if it's just a concubine, the marriage may be more formal than the marriage with the matchmaker."
"Oh."
Only then did Zhu Youtang realize that he was the culprit.
"What is Bingkuan doing recently? I haven't seen him for several days," Zhu Youtang said.
Dai Yi thought to himself, they haven’t seen each other for a few days, so this is what they thought
Dai Yi looked at Xiao Jing, meaning that Xiao Jing often follows up with Zhang Zhou Yes, you know what he does better than I do.
Xiao Jing said, "Your Majesty, Mr. Zhang, seems to be repairing a book."
"What book are you repairing?" Zhu Youtang was puzzled.
Xiao Jing tentatively said, "It seems to be the Great Ming Dynasty Ceremony. Mr. Zhang said that he has almost completed it, and he plans to find someone to review it recently. It has been initially decided to find the Minister of the Imperial Academy's Jiujiu Lin, As well as Cheng Minzheng, a former Hanlin scholar who lives in the capital, they asked them to provide some details. "
"Why is this his business alone?" Zhu Youtang was even more puzzled.
Xiao Jing said, "I don't know the specific slave." Please remember to bookmark it, the latest and fastest website without anti-theft and free reading