The Ming Dynasty started with caution

After returning from Li Mansion, Yan Chengjin sat in the sedan and thought.

The housekeeper of Li Mansion said that Li Dongyang made some preparations before going out.

He knew that Li Dongyang went to Qufu to offer sacrifices on purpose.

With Li Dongyang's wisdom, how could he not be able to refuse His Majesty's imperial edict?

He was just following the trend and did it on purpose!

The purpose of going to Qufu, Shandong Province, was to arrange a marriage with Li Qing'e. Yes, the person was none other than Kong Wenshao, Duke Yansheng.

Watertight, Lao Taishan is indeed Lao Yinbi.

But what Li Dongyang didn't know was that he had predicted his prediction.

The next morning, the rays of the morning sun slanted down, making me feel warm and refreshed.

Ministers in green and red robes stood in front of the left and right gates. Their official clothes were of distinct colors, holding fluorene tablets, waiting for the golden bell to ring.

"Your Majesty is going to discuss today. Regarding the fire prevention in the capital, the Imperial Palace has made a brief report."

Fang Xue was methodical, detailing the court discussions and repeating everything that was to be discussed yesterday.

Yan Chengjin knew that it was difficult to prevent fire in the capital because most of the buildings in the capital were wooden.

There were no fire trucks and no water nearby, so if it burned, the whole area would suffer.

Therefore, in addition to war, rulers attach great importance to fire prevention.

There are two ways to prevent fire in the imperial city. One is to spread water tanks with large water capacity, and the other is to wrap the wood with bricks and colored glaze so that the wood is not exposed to the outside.

But it doesn’t work in the market.

The water tank would be moved or broken, and there would be no way to wrap the house with concrete.

Emperor Hongzhi looked straight ahead, and his powerful voice echoed in the main hall: "I have been working hard and thinking long and hard about the fire prevention in the capital, but I can't come up with a good countermeasure. Is there anything you can do?"

Liu Jian pondered for a moment and stroked his beard: "There is a well every 100 steps in the capital, which can be used not only for the common people, but also to prevent fires. What do you think, Your Majesty?"

He also thought about it for a long time at home.

This is similar to the large-mouth vat in the palace.

A well can cover a radius of fifty steps, which is quite a lot.

All the officials nodded in agreement.

Han Wen thought for a while and asked: "Who will dig this deep well? Let the common people dig it, raise taxes and levies, let the court dig it, it will cost the Ministry of Industry a lot of money."

Drawing water from wells may seem feasible, but there are actually many loopholes.

For example, if a bucket of water is shaken up from the bottom of a well and sent to put out a fire, it only takes an hour to get a bucket of water (one hour is about 5 minutes), and the house may be burned down.

Fire prevention may seem trivial, but if it really catches fire, it can burn the entire capital to pieces.

Therefore, there was a curfew system in the Ming Dynasty. At what time at night, the lights should be turned off, and watchmen would patrol and be careful of the candles.

Taking preventive measures before they happen is more important than making up for them before they happen.

Yan Chengjin lowered his head, looked at the gold bricks on the ground, and fell into deep thought.

Emperor Hongzhi turned his attention to the Metropolitan Procuratorate: "What do the Yan Qing family think?"

Yan Chengjin said: "Placing lightning rods in the capital to prevent sky fire is one of them."

There were many fires in the Ming Dynasty Palace, sixteen of which were caused by thunder.

"What Liu Gong said about digging wells is good, and what Master Han said is also reasonable.

I think that the Five City Soldiers and Horses Division can drive water chariots and patrol the capital with watchmen to prevent fires. This is the second option. "

Liu Jian's eyes moved slightly.

Fire prevention is the responsibility of the Five Cities Soldiers and Horses Division. The waterwheels moving around the capital are like several large moving water tanks.

Having water to extinguish the fire at any time is a great idea.

Emperor Hongzhi thought of the key point: "But thunder from the sky is God's punishment. What is the lightning rod that Yan Chengjin mentioned? Can it avoid thunder and lightning?"

It was also the first time Baiguan heard about it.

"It's an iron needle that goes deep into the ground. It can absorb lightning and avoid catastrophe." Yan Chengjin said in words they could understand.

Fire prevention in the Ming Dynasty was extremely strict, so why did fires still break out? The eastern district even burned down. Sometimes it was struck by lightning.

Therefore, you must first avoid the thunder, otherwise no matter how many watchmen you set up, it will be useless.

Secondly, there is enough water.

This is somewhat similar to the fire protection system installed in the room in later generations.

The Wucheng Soldiers and Horses drove the water truck, just like the spray truck in later generations.

Daming's facilities and equipment are limited, so Yan Chengjin can think of the best way, and this is the only way.

Hu Bu's eyes widened at Xu Honglu's face, his face full of disbelief: "Is there an object in the world that can absorb thunder? Who are you kidding!"

Thunder and lightning are believed to be the anger of God.

But Zhu Xi's explanation of it is that the yin and yang energy, which is extremely closed, suddenly bursts out.

Therefore, scholars’ understanding of thunder and lightning is very metaphysical.

But I can't explain it clearly.

Yan Chengjin thought for a while and then asked: "Master Xu, don't you believe it?"

"I don't believe it either!" the official said to Li Dingyi.

More and more people are questioning Yan Chengjin in the main hall. Wherever the thunder and fire hit, gold and stone melt, and there is nothing that can carry thunder and lightning.

This guy is obviously talking nonsense.

At least in their understanding, thunder and lightning are punishments sent by heaven. Only if you do something wrong will you be struck by five thunders.

Yan Chengjin is not very old, has he read more books than them?

But I also feel strange that this man is so stable, how could he say such a thing.

For a moment, these two ideas conflicted in their minds.

It is a fact that thunder and lightning are punishment from heaven, and it is a fact that Yan Chengjin is stable. Which one is true?

Emperor Hongzhi and Liu Jian also didn't believe that iron needles could absorb thunder and lightning. What's the truth?

Yan Chengjin was thinking, are Xu Honglu and Li Daoyi people from Prince Ning? Or are you jealous because he has been promoted too high?

"Master Xu and Master Li don't believe it. I have a way to prove it. I just hope that the two adults will cooperate."

Xu Honglu and Li Dingyi looked at each other, their eyes shining.

"If there is no evidence, it is deceiving the emperor, Lord Yan knows it, right?"

"If there is no evidence, what will you do?"

Yan Chengjin thought for a while and said, "I resigned as the Chief Censor, but I also ask the two adults to sign a warrant, regardless of life or death."

All the officials were shocked, how could someone die?

Emperor Hongzhi stepped forward to stop them and cleared his throat: "My dear ministers, why are you so bad?"

Xu Honglu and Li Dingyi retreated a little, who knows if Yan Chengjin deliberately hurt them.

Yan Chengjin said: "No one should die, the two adults dare not, in this case, then this official will not testify."

"Your Majesty, we two are willing."

This kid is just cheating, scaring them with the death of someone, so that there is no need to testify.

I wish, I almost fell for this kid's trick!

Xu Honglu and Li Dingyi suddenly realized.

Wang Shouren looked at Yan Chengjin, always feeling that it was Brother Gao's evil plan?

Yan Chengjin wrote a warrant in the court and asked Xu Honglu and Li Dingyi to sign it.

Emperor Hongzhi wanted to stop it, but he felt it was unnecessary. He would stop it when someone really died.

It would be a great blessing if mortals could resist the thunder.

"When will it start?" Xu Honglu raised his hand and asked disdainfully.

"To prove that it can absorb thunder, there must be thunder first. Please wait for the two adults."

That makes sense. How can there be evidence without thunder?

Emperor Hongzhi specially ordered someone to ask the director of the Imperial Observatory.

Zhou Zheng stood in the courtyard to observe the celestial phenomena, and observed the stars at night, and then reported: "There may be thunderstorms in three days."

This result is not much different from what Wang Shouren observed.

Yan Chengjin knew that it was spring, and spring thunder was inevitable, but it was a pity that it was not summer.

This experiment should have another two hundred years, but he couldn't wait to reveal the truth first.

Three days passed in a flash, but Yan Chengjin did not make any movement, and he went to court as usual.

Xu Honglu and Li Dingyi became more and more certain that Yan Chengjin was a liar.

"This guy is a liar, trying to scare us, let's see how he ends up!"

In the evening, the originally bright sky suddenly turned into night.

Black clouds covered the sky, lightning flashed, and the sky was like an angry and manic beast, with a roar that never stopped!

Yan Chengjin said to Emperor Hongzhi: "Your Majesty, you can start now."