The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Ningxia, sandstorms swept in.

Climbing up the city wall, Yan Kesong looked through a monocular telescope and found no trace of the Tatars.

The personal soldiers strode up the city wall, and the waist knife and armor made a metallic collision sound: "Master General, a letter from Master Yan."

Yan Kesong opened it and saw:

"Dad, I investigated General Yang's family files. Except for her bad temper, lack of feminine charm, and inability to recite poems and compose couplets, everything else is good. If Dad is interested in her and wants to welcome her into the mansion, I will not say much. There is also a mansion in the east district..."

This rebellious son! He actually investigated secretly, which pissed me off!

Suddenly, an unexpected vibration came from the ground.

On the city wall, the soldiers staggered to the east and west, and several sentinels who were unable to stand steadily fell from the two-meter-high city wall.

With a bang!

The city wall fell down like a dead tree, stirring up a burst of yellow dust.

"Master General!"

"Master... Master?"

The wall collapsed, and the people disappeared in the blink of an eye. The soldiers below were at a loss.

Zuo Zongyi ran out of the tent and was stunned. The wall was gone, and the people were gone?

...

At this time, Nanchang Prefecture.

In the wide courtyard, Zhu Chenhao strolled leisurely, and suddenly his feet shook violently and he fell to the ground. ,

It was obviously flat ground, how could he fall?

The ground collapsed!

Looking up, he saw pieces of rubble falling down, the ground shook, and the servants fled in fear.

"Prince... The ground collapsed!"

Zhu Chenhao cursed inwardly. It collapsed in Nanchang. If it had collapsed in the capital, Zhu Youtang might have been killed.

It would cost money to repair it again! The gold and silver in the mansion were sent as bribes, and it was almost impossible to make ends meet.

"Let the craftsman go to Liangxiang tomorrow and buy a seismometer."

"Yes, sir."

...

Yan Mansion,

Li Qing'e was drying clothes in the mansion. Suddenly, she heard the sound of falling water and pointed to the center of the courtyard, "Is this a seismometer?"

"Yes, Madam." He Neng nodded.

"Look, did the beads fall off?"

He Neng's eyes almost popped out. Usually, he didn't make a fuss when beads fell off.

But this time, he was scared to death.

Six beads fell off!

He hurriedly ran to the study and rushed into the door and said, "Master, the beads fell off! There is another earthquake!"

Beijing is on the Pacific Ring of Fire, and it is normal to have several earthquakes a year.

But the natural disaster that the ancients feared most was the earthquake.

Yan Chengjin came to the courtyard and stood there in a daze. There were only eight beads in total, and six of them fell off!

"Broken?"

"I don't know. I'll go check it out."

He Neng hurriedly ran to the houses at the four corners of the courtyard and quickly ran back: "Master, six of the seismometers No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 have fallen off."

Taking into account outdoor factors such as wind and rain, the beads were accidentally dropped.

Seismometers were also installed at the four corners of the courtyard.

Yan Chengjin ordered: "Set up a wooden tent and sleep in the courtyard tonight."

Li Qing'e was slightly shocked: "Husband, Qing'e is a woman, sleeping in the courtyard?"

"Don't be afraid, listen to your husband."

"Yes."

After breakfast, Yan Chengjin took a sedan chair to Wumen and met Yan Song in front of the dismounting monument.

Yan Song bowed to Yan Chengjin: "Yan Song, meet you, Lord Yan."

He rented a dormitory in the dental shop next to Huimin Pharmacy.

After receiving his salary, he planned to rent a small courtyard in the East District.

Yan Chengjin did not plan to help him, as money could easily corrupt people.

"Well, good morning."

Yan Chengjin stepped into the moon cave of Wumen first and walked towards Zuoye Gate.

Wang Qiong stood behind Yan Chengjin and said with a smile: "Sir Yan, did the pearl in your house fall off?"

"Sir Wang's house also fell off?"

"It fell off."

Wang Qiong's house also had one. The seismometer was worthless and became a decoration in the rich family.

The golden bell rang, and all officials walked into Fengtian Hall in order of seniority.

Cabinet Liu Jian first reported: "The talent selection ceremony has passed, and scholars should prepare for the imperial examination three years later.

I beg to set up a three-level book in the Imperial College to supervise the academic affairs of the students."

Among the students, those who fail the three-level assessment of upper, middle and lower will have their monthly allowance deducted and recorded in the policy.

Emperor Hongzhi nodded: "For nine years, there has been no champion in the Imperial College, and the court has lost face. This is as it should be."

When he arrived at the Ministry of War, Ma Wensheng reported: "Your Majesty, the currency issue has just calmed down. Millions of refugees in the northwest need to be resettled, and the canal is being built in the southeast, and the expenses are tight.

The old, weak and sick people in the palace and the army should be given money and dismissed from the palace."

The palace maids and eunuchs had a miserable life in their later years.

Once they were driven out of the palace, even the poor looked down on them. They could not find a livelihood and could only spend the rest of their lives with their savings.

Yan Chengjin knew that in order to save money, every dynasty had dismissals.

He stood aside and listened to Ma Wensheng's report.

Emperor Hongzhi nodded: "The old and weak in the army should be given money and dismissed back to their hometowns, and their families should be filled with able-bodied men to fill the vacancies."

Once a soldier, a soldier for generations.

If one person serves in the army, the whole family will suffer. If there are no able-bodied men to farm, all women and children will have to work in the fields.

Unless someone in the family passes the imperial examination.

Yan Chengjin lowered his head. Soon it was the turn of the Censorate. Emperor Hongzhi asked: "What does the Censorate want to report?"

"I have no official business to report, but I have a private matter to report. Six beads have fallen off the seismometer in my house."

All officials became serious. One bead represents a direction. If there are six beads, many places will collapse.

Last time, one pearl fell and was ignored, which caused a disaster. Emperor Hongzhi became serious: "Send it to Zhou Zheng of the Imperial Astronomical Observatory."

Soon, Zhou Zheng walked into the hall and bowed, saying: "Six pearls have indeed fallen. There may be a landslide, but it has not been reported to the capital."

Six pearls!

An ominous sign!

Wang Qiong hesitated and said: "Your Majesty, in this case, we can't waste money to dismiss the old and young in the palace. We need to keep the silver for relief."

Yan Chengjin added: "What Lord Wang said is very true. One of the pearls points directly to the northwest. I am afraid it is the three borders. We need to raise money to prepare for military disasters."

Although it is known that the earthquake zone in the Ming Dynasty was active and there would be an earthquake once every one or two years.

But this time, six pearls may cause the court to bleed heavily.

If the Tatars take advantage of the situation, the court's capital chain will be broken, and the food and grass supply will not be able to be supplied, and it is easy to lose the Hetao.

"If one pearl fell, it would not be surprising, but if six pearls fell, would they fall by mistake?

After all, the wind can also cause pearls to fall." Liu Jian asked.

Six of the eight directions, including the southeast, northwest, etc., have landslides? What a coincidence.

Yan Chengjin shook his head: "No, the No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 seismometers in my mansion are usually in the room, and no one disturbs them. But today they all fell down."

The officials were stunned. This guy has five seismometers...

Li Dongyang pulled his old face and lowered his head.

Chai Sheng stood up and said: "There are many prefectures in the northwest. How does Lord Yan know that it is the three borders?

The three borders are more than a thousand miles away from the capital, and the seismometer may not be able to sense it."

And in the middle, there is also Datong Prefecture.

Yan Chengjin looked at Chai Sheng: "I don't know, but I guess that if there are many landslides in the southeast, it will trigger a tsunami. The court will leave enough relief silver, which will not be wrong."

It is estimated that the price of commercial goods will rise soon.

If the landslide triggers a tsunami and overturns the merchant ships on the sea, the goods will sink, and the price of commercial goods on the ground will rise.

Maybe it has sunk now.

But the capital is far away from many places, so it is impossible to send people to report in time.

Emperor Hongzhi said: "Let's wait for ten days and see."