Emperor Ming Dynasty

After the incident, Zhu Yixi was full of regrets: "How am I like that stupid king?"

When the woman's conscience was touched, she sighed again in her heart: "Forget it, Tang Taizong used to accept his sister-in-law, so I don't think it's too much."

Seeing this, he turned the woman around and stared at the face that changed from a royal sister to a weak one:

"Today's incident is my fault. I drank a little too much wine and couldn't control myself. I can't even bear this womanishness. It's hard to be called the king of a country."

"Your Majesty, I don't blame you for this..."

Qi Qin was stunned. She originally thought it was a cold dismissal, or a sweet talk, but she never thought that it was a statement of regret.

For a moment, she felt ashamed: "The emperor rejuvenated the Ming Dynasty, and he was a first-class Ming army, but I seduced him. As for Daji, what's Baosi's intention?"

This thought made him feel confused: This matter between men and women is really mysterious. No wonder men enjoy it, and even women can't help it...

Seeing the peach blossoms on his face and his relaxed eyebrows, Zhu Yixi knew that there must be no complaints in his heart.

After all, he used half-force that trip just now.

Naturally, Zhu Yixi would not include this widow and chaste woman in the imperial court, as it would be an insult to his demeanor as a wise king.

"Although you have the status of a chaste woman, I can also accept you into the palace!"

Zhu Yixi said seriously.

"This..." Mrs. Qi Qin hesitated.

You must know that she came to sacrifice for the Qi family and the Qin family, not to enter the palace.

Otherwise, wouldn't the huge family business she has supported through years of hard work be at the expense of others?
"You want to be outside the palace?"

The emperor frowned.

"Your Majesty!" Qi Qin endured the pain of friction and knelt down, revealing her tender body:
"Entering the palace as a concubine may tarnish the reputation of the royal family and His Majesty. As long as I can be with Your Majesty, there is no difference between inside and outside the palace."

"Forget it!" Zhu Yixi embraced him, rubbed it in his arms, and kissed his forehead: "I heard that you are not good at doing business, so it's more convenient for you to be an imperial merchant."

"However, you have to accompany me to the south of the Yangtze River in the past few months, so you can't shirk it!"

"The concubine is the next one!" Qi Qinshi's face turned red, and his legs trembled unconsciously.

After getting Qi Qinshi done, Zhu Yixi felt a sense of novelty, and stayed in Jinan for several days.

It was not until the seventh day of May that the fleet continued to head south.

As far as Yangzhou.

Fireworks go down in Yangzhou in March, because the arrival of salt merchants makes this place flourish. Even though the salt merchants are declining now, there is still a lot of prosperity left.

……

At this time, the Northeast region has entered the summer, everything is recovering, and Liaodong Province has also entered the production stage.

Sun Jiaji, governor of Liaodong, arrived outside the city gate with little interest to welcome the angel.

Sun Jiaji was a Jinshi in Chongzhen for ten years. He was first appointed as the head of the Nanjing Ministry of Industry and then changed to the head of the Ministry of War.

Because of his integrity, he was falsely accused and imprisoned.

When King Fu was supervising the country, Ren Qi served as a soldier in Jiujiang, but he was annoyed by the troubled ministers in power and did not take up his post.

Later, the Manchu Qing conquered Nanjing and came to King Lu of Hangzhou. Only then did he raise the Anti-Qing Yi Banner for the first time in eastern Zhejiang, and jointly ruled the army with Xiong Rulin from the same county.

For a time, there was great momentum.

After King Yu defeated Nanjing and ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, he was conscripted into the court because of his performance in resisting the Qing Dynasty, and was awarded the title of doctor of the Ministry of War.

Later he was transferred to various prefectures, serving as inspector general and administrative envoy. It was precisely because of the comment that he knew military matters that he was able to take up the post of governor of Liaodong.

At this time, he was already sixty-three.

After all, although Liaodong was surrounded by Chahar and Jilin and changed from a border area to an inland area, there were many savages in the province. However, due to long-term development, it became the granary of the Northeast and the imperial court.

"This is a busy time. Why did the angel come to Liaodong?"

Sun Jiaji couldn't help muttering.

The chief envoy at the side laughed lightly and said, "Your Majesty naturally has deep meaning, and my subjects should not complain!"

Sun Jiaji shook his head and said nothing.

After standing there for a moment, a group of people came running over.

It really is an angel.

It's just that the team is huge, hauling something huge, and it's extremely conspicuous.

"Fengtian Chengyun Emperor, the imperial edict said: Since the restoration of Shaowu, the four peoples of Liaodong have lived in peace and well-being, and taxes have increased day by day. They have the inherent kindness of their ancestors, but the ministers have also made great contributions..."

"Therefore, from now on, Liaodong will be renamed Liaoning, and the whole province of Liao should be renamed as soon as possible..."

Sun Jiaji was stunned, kneeling on the ground and forgetting for a while.

What's the mess?How did the good Liaodong Province become Liaoning Province?

The chief envoy at the side hurriedly got involved, and then received the order to thank you.

"Don't leave in a hurry!"

At this time, the angel immediately shouted: "Your Majesty is aware of the predicament of Liao Province, so he specially sent good equipment to help Liao Province."

"Pull the Iron Bull over!"

For a while, the whole Liao Province was shocked.

Although Liaodong was renamed Liaodong, the characteristics of the Northeast remained unchanged. It was wild, bitter and cold, and difficult to open up.

In the past 20 years, despite the various plans of the imperial court, Liaoning's population has barely exceeded 400 million.

The land is also 5000 million mu.

However, this population is more than enough for the entire province, but it is somewhat insufficient for the positioning of a granary.

Even though corn, rye, etc. were promoted, their growth was limited.

The eunuch sat upright, even when facing a provincial official, he still had a calm expression on his face, and said:

"Nowadays, Liao grain accounts for half of the capital's surface grain. Millions of people in the capital rely on Liao grain, but there is still a lot of southern grain. The court is not very satisfied..."

"Liao Province must continue to develop! In the future, it will not only supply the capital, but also supply Chahar, Horqin and other places, making it another Huguang of Daming."

"Angels are gifted, but if I don't work hard, there is really nothing I can do!"

Sun Jiaji was immediately moved when he heard what he said. This eunuch actually came out of the study and knew a lot about Liao Province.

As he said that, he said seriously: "Nowadays, the suitable irrigated land in the province is basically used as arable land. The remaining barren mountains and ridges are really limited by the lack of manpower and are not worth cultivating."

"Inputting 400 million shi into the capital every year is already our best effort."

As he spoke, he began to complain.

It turns out that in the 300 years since the Ming Dynasty, the situation in Liaodong has been very special.

Because he is the military chief, the entire territory is under military control.

That is to say, the officers who manage the army and the civilians basically treat it as a fortress and castle, and never have any idea of ​​building bridges and paving roads.

After all, the army is all about fighting, and building rivers and bridges is something civil officials can do.

So for so many years, the development of Liaodong has been unsatisfactory, and the people are basically under high pressure.

The greed of the military officer class of the Ming Dynasty is hard to describe, so the Liao people were oppressed very hard, so when the old slaves rose up, all of them were willing to become slaves.

After the establishment of the province, the civil servants began to govern Liaodong. Just building bridges and paving roads, establishing yamen, and local organizations consumed most of their energy.

Land reclamation relies on the Construction Corps and private individuals.

But the land that is easy to reclaim has been developed long ago, and Liao Province is unable to continue to reclaim wasteland.

Unless millions of people are relocated on a large scale, Liaoning's grain production can be improved to a higher level. "Liao Ze, have you heard of it?"

The eunuch said suddenly.

"Liaoze, a swamp with a radius of hundreds of miles, is where the Liaohe Tao is located, and it is rough and difficult to walk."

Sun Jiaji said hurriedly.

"That's right, it's there!"

The eunuch said solemnly: "If that area is fully developed, wouldn't it be tens of thousands of hectares of fertile farmland?"

Liaoze, where Liaohetao is located, is the passage from the Liaoxi Corridor to Shenyang, and it must pass through here no matter what.

It can be said that the Liaohe River is more suitable for natural hazards than the Yellow River.

When Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty conquered Goguryeo, he claimed to have millions of troops, but before crossing the Liaoshui River, he suffered great losses because he could not go ashore, and several generals were killed one after another.

Tang Dynasty regained Liaodong after destroying Goguryeo, but its control over Liaodong was still not strong. This was due to the population and the blocking effect of Liaoze.

Later, the Bohai Sea rose in the northeast and confronted Yingzhou in the Tang Dynasty across Liaoze.

By the Ming Dynasty, Liaodong and Liaoxi were all under the control of the unified Central Plains civilization.Liaoze became a natural barrier to isolate the Mongols in the north and was placed outside the Great Wall.

Therefore, during the Tianqi and Chongzhen years, after losing Shenyang, if Guangning was in the hands of the Ming Dynasty, it would be equivalent to guarding the west exit of the southern passage of Liaoze. Later Jin wanted to enter the west of Liaoning unless he detoured through Mongolia.

But Nurhachi took Guangning in one go, Liaoze was no longer an obstacle, and the situation outside the pass was not conducive to the Ming Dynasty.

If we say that to defend the Yangtze River, we must defend the Huaihe River, then if we want to defend Shanhaiguan and the Liaoxi Corridor, we must defend Liaoze.

This Liaoze has become an important stumbling block hindering the imperial court's development of Liaodong.

"The angels are joking!" Sun Jiaji looked displeased: "Liaoze is hundreds of miles away, and it is difficult to navigate. It takes hundreds of thousands of people to turn the marsh into a field, otherwise it can only be realized in a dream."

"Even so, by then, more than half of these people will be killed or injured."

"By then, a large part of Liao Province will starve to death."

"The governor said, how many years will it take to reclaim Liaoze?"

The eunuch still said.

"It has to be three to fifty years."

Sun Jiaji said earnestly: "If generations of people persevere and do not hesitate to pay the price, tens of thousands of hectares of fertile land will be obtained. Even if we harvest once a year in the Northeast, and the bitter cold is unbearable, it will still become the Northeast Jiangnan."

"Hahaha!" The eunuch stood up and said, "What towering trees and beasts are vulnerable to the Iron Ox."

"As long as there are ten thousand, no, one thousand iron cattle, Liaoze can be reclaimed in a few years."

“By then, all large and small swamps in Liao Province will be developed.”

"Liaoning Province will then become Beijing's real breadbasket."

The crowd was shocked.

What a lie.

However, when they saw Tieniu easily knocking down the tree several feet high, they were immediately shocked.

That scary ravine feels like flat ground.

Not to mention draining the ditches of the entire swamp, several miles of land can be dug in half a day.

Sun Jiaji was overjoyed: "So why don't you worry about it?"

In this way, the whole Liao Province began to imitate this firewood-eating iron cow, preparing for a big fight.

The provincial government even spent 10 yuan in silver coins and asked the iron yard in Fushun to imitate the Thousand-Headed Iron Ox.

Suddenly, there was a big earthquake in Fushun Railway Station.

"I didn't expect what my son said was true. Zunhua's iron field has reached a bottleneck, and Fushun iron field is a good opportunity!"

Wan Ziliang muttered, studying the iron bull with many ironworks craftsmen.

The firewood and coal they eat can actually be moved, which is simply a wonder in the world.

"I said, this iron ox eats wood and releases gas. My ancestors never said that."

A blacksmith shook his head, his face full of shock: "I'm afraid it's the same with Zhuge Liang's wooden cows and horses in the past."

"Nonsense, Zhuge Liang's wooden ox and horse don't eat anything, they can walk easily, and they can't carry as many things as this iron ox."

Another blacksmith yelled, his face full of excitement.

The same goes for other artisans.

Because since ancient times, it has always been the case that the broom is cherished by oneself, and now the court has announced it generously, which is strange.

At this time, the craftsman in charge of the iron ox raised his head and said: "Don't underestimate this iron ox. The iron ox will drive the running on the rails in the future, and there is no need for horses to pull it."

Now, everyone gasped.

Wan Ziliang asked the craftsmen under him in a low voice, and he was relieved when he learned that it could be imitated.

"I, Wan's Iron Works, can do it."

As soon as this was said, other iron yards also responded.

Although Fushun's iron field is not as good as Zunhua's, it is a land of iron mines with a long history, and there are dozens of large and small iron fields.

The civil servant in charge of this matter showed a smile: "It's easy for you to answer, but the time is only three months."

"Before September, you must get it."

At these words, the expressions of the craftsmen changed drastically.

Although the structure of the iron ox is complicated, a few craftsmen can still make it in a few months, but in three months, a thousand iron oxen, isn't it terrible?
At this time, a beautiful eunuch came over, facing the noisy environment, he frowned:
"What's the fuss about? The governor's request is certainly reasonable."

"This internal official, it's really not me who is making noise, it's really hard to finish this matter!"

Wan Ziliang was born in an imperial merchant, so he was not afraid of eunuchs, so he stepped forward immediately.

"An ordinary craftsman with two or three apprentices can build one iron bull in a month. For us, a thousand sets in three months is simply impossible."

Zheng Ruyi stared at Tieniu, then patted it, making a loud noise.

He turned around a few times, thinking in his heart.

He arrived in Liaodong to supervise the development of Liaoze, and this matter cannot be delayed.

"Do you understand how to assemble it?"

Zheng Ruyi said proudly: "Write down the dimensions of these iron oxen, and then distribute them among you. Some will sit on the wheel axle, some will make rakes, and some will be divided into iron casings..."

"Using a mold like this, if the size is the same, wouldn't it be a piece to put together?"

All the craftsmen were stunned, and then admired.

But Wan Ziliang saw clearly that this eunuch came from the inner study hall and his knowledge was beyond ordinary people.

The inner study hall is extremely strict, no less strict than the Jinshi who study hard, and even the emperor himself sets the topic. For example, Chongzhen used the topic "Serving the king can bring harm to the body", and the eunuchs Zheng Zhihui and Cao Huachun used Chinese style.

Just as civil servants are not Hanlin and have no access to the cabinet, but eunuchs are no internal book halls but no supervisor of ceremonies.

Eunuch's way to reach the heavens: the clerk in the study room in the Silijian, the eunuch in the hall, the eunuch who holds the pen, and the eunuch who prints the palm, just like the Hanlin, as long as you survive step by step, you can expect power.

In the last Ming Dynasty, most of the power eunuchs came from the Neishutang, and Feng Bao, Wang Yue, Xu Zhi, Fan Heng, Huai En, Qin Chang, Cao Huachun, etc. had more virtuous names.

Even Wei Zhongxian came from Neishutang.

Eunuchs who have read books are sensible and not extreme.

(End of this chapter)