The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Yan Chengjin took three days' leave.

The desk space in the cabinet was empty. Seeing this, the clerk distributed the memorial to the other five bachelors. ,

Liu Jian said displeasedly: "Where has he gone again?"

"Foolish brother just came back from Wenhua Palace. Hearing the little eunuch's whispers, it seems that he went to Fangshan with the Crown Prince." Jiang Mian said.

Fangshan wanted to refine steel, and at first the princes were very concerned about it.

But several times in succession, after hearing reports from Jinyiwei that Yan Chengjin had destroyed five furnaces, he no longer had any illusions.

Fangshan, Nankang.

The craftsmen built a huge straw shed, and there were two large furnaces under the straw shed.

One furnace refines the ore into molten iron, and the other refines the molten iron into steel.

The laborers used bucket trucks to bring coal and ore, and stood by the stove. The hot air hit their faces, with a bit of the smell of rotten eggs.

Zhu Houzhao said in confusion: "Lao Gao, why didn't you report it to the emperor, because you were afraid that the imperial court would steal the business of the chamber of commerce?"

If the official furnace of the imperial court reopens, the civil servants will definitely order the shops to ban forging, and then refine the steel and sell it to the shops.

Monopolize the world's fine steel.

"Your Highness, please keep it secret for three years. This forging method still has many shortcomings. The air inlet pipe of the furnace will sometimes be blocked. It needs to be improved continuously and cannot be promoted to the world." Yan Chengjin said.

Zhu Houzhao pointed to a pile of fine steel on the ground: "Then what are these?"

On the ground is the steel tool that was just refined.

Just like a treasury, it is neatly arranged, with hoes, sickles, axes and other agricultural tools all available.

Is this bitch prince going to complain to His Majesty?

Yan Chengjin said: "The method of steelmaking cannot be introduced to the imperial court. If so, it will definitely attract the covetousness of civil servants."

Civil servants owned many iron smelting plants.

In the past, the gentry mainly engaged in door shop business and did business everywhere. The goods sold were mostly raw materials without any processing.

After the opening of overseas trade, workshops and factories were gradually built in Xueliang Township.

Just like the Westernization Movement in later generations, it sprung up like bamboo shoots after a rain.

There are about 500 informal iron smelting plants in the Ming Dynasty. If everyone makes steel, the raw materials will be robbed and become more expensive. As there is more steel, the selling price will become lower.

One high and one low, and profits will become thinner.

The handymen in the steel furnace are all trustworthy servants. The two furnaces are completely separated. The servants only control the smelting furnace and do not know what the raw materials are.

Forbidden City.

Emperor Hongzhi occasionally felt a dull pain in his lower abdomen and felt a little powerless: "Has there been any strange news in the capital recently? Tell me to relieve my boredom."

The princes looked around.

Mao Ji, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, stood up and said: "Uszang came to pay tribute, and a living Buddha appeared in the west, which can predict people's misfortunes and fortunes. It suggested that the court would spend extravagant money to welcome the living Buddha into the world."

The eyes of Liu Jian and others shone slightly. No wonder rosary beads and Buddhist ornaments are popular in the capital recently.

Emperor Hongzhi changed the topic: "I don't believe this. If the Living Buddha is really a Living Buddha, why don't you declare yourself the Son of Heaven? I am the only one who can reach heaven to listen."

The Son of Heaven is the son of Heaven and the messenger of Heaven.

This living Buddha is taking my job, I'm really tired of living.

The princes heard the mysterious meaning of Emperor Hongzhi and quickly bowed to apologize.

Zhang Fuhua said: "I will now order the Gansu border troops to enter Uzang to encircle and suppress the rebellious officials and traitors, and severely punish those who pretend to be angels, so that the court's favor can be extended to Uzang."

Speaking of sending troops, the princes thought of the military preparations on the nine sides.

Emperor Hongzhi looked directly at Mao Ji: "The Ministry of Industry has been pushing the envelope for more than ten days. When will the forging be started?"

Mao Ji was speechless.

At this time, Jin Yiwei walked into the main hall and reported: "Your Majesty, I have something important to report."

The princes were a little displeased, and Jin Yiwei usually reported the matter to Mou Bin first, and then Mou Bin reported the matter.

Now, he rushed in and interrupted the court meeting.

Emperor Hongzhi recognized that this was Qian Hu, the Jin Yiwei who followed Yan Chengjin: "Did Yan Qing's family refine steel?"

It was only possible that Jin Yiwei could rush in in such a panic.

Ye Zhun bowed and said: "Your Majesty, the Holy Ming, tried out the fine steel five days ago, and today it was made in the furnace. Thousands of kilograms of fine steel was refined in an hour."

After monitoring Yan Chengjin for a long time, he gradually became more stable and cautious.

Five days ago, although the refining was successful in a small furnace, can this be repaid?

If it fails to be refined in a large furnace, wouldn't it be a false report of good luck? Therefore, he suppressed the matter.

Today, I saw that a large furnace of fine steel was successfully refined, so I hurriedly entered the palace.

Emperor Hongzhi was stunned.

A thousand kilograms was produced in a furnace?

Mao Ji was dumbfounded. Forging a steel sword requires constant tempering from collecting materials to shaping it, which takes at least two days.

Yan Chengjin could refine a thousand kilograms in one hour?

Emperor Hongzhi was excited and said sternly: "This is the imperial court. You can't randomly report good fortune. Did you just say it weighs a thousand catties?"

"I saw it with my own eyes."

"Why didn't Yan Chengjin come to report such a big event in person?" Emperor Hongzhi asked.

After hesitating for a moment, Ye Zhunzhan said tremblingly: "Sir Yan said that if the civil servants knew about this, they would definitely covet the method of steel-making, and there are still flaws in the steel-making method. Three years later, the method will be improved and then reported to the court."

Three years?

The corners of Emperor Hongzhi's mouth twitched violently, and he chuckled while snorting: "He is reminding me on purpose."

The faces of all the gentlemen turned red. This child is really disgusting. He did not share it with us.

Having said this, they are embarrassed to ask for promotion to the world.

This dog officer is so stingy!

The next day, morning.

Emperor Hongzhi sat on the throne with a straight face and glanced at the ministers in the palace.

In the center of the hall, there is a pile of fine steel, hoes, sickles, hatchets and other agricultural tools.

Fine steel is rare and precious, usually only used to make precious weapons, but Yan Chengjin was so wasteful that he used it to make farm tools.

Mao Ji cried out in pain: "What a waste, what a waste. How long does it take to forge one pound of fine steel? It should be sent to the nine borders to be used as weapons for generals, not farm tools!"

"Mr. Yan, how long do you want to hide it?"

"Fangshan has just been tested, and there are still many shortcomings, so it is not reported to the court."

I don't believe you, there is a flaw that can make so much fine steel!

Mao Ji's face was solemn: "The Ministry of Works has been delayed for many days, please allow your majesty to hand over this method to the court to refine fine steel."

"This furnace is not forged in Liangxiang, and it is useless for Mr. Mao to ask me for it." Yan Chengjin shook his head.

Emperor Hongzhi naturally wanted to receive this method to forge weapons, "Except Song Jing and Xie Pi, who else can forge a furnace?"

"It's Mao Qu."

Emperor Hongzhi looked at Liu Jian blankly, and Liu Jian had never heard of this person.

Mao Ji's pupils trembled slightly.

Yan Chengjin continued: "I want to build a steelmaking bureau in Fangshan. This factory is a joint venture between the public and private sectors, supervised by the Ministry of Industry, and forged in Liangxiang. In addition to supervising the manufacture of weapons for the court, it can also earn money."

The officials were stunned. It is not difficult to understand the joint venture between the public and private sectors. Isn't Huimin Pharmacy managed by the court and run by doctors in the market?

Emperor Hongzhi frowned: "Why is it so?"

"The court does not need to forge weapons all the time, and it needs to recruit and dismiss many laborers.

If it is jointly managed by the public and private sectors, when it is not supervised to make weapons, it can cast farm tools without dismissing laborers." Yan Chengjin said.

It takes a lot of people to open an iron smelting plant.

Just like recruiting workers at the beginning of the year and dismissing them at the end of the year in later generations, the work of laborers is extremely unstable.

After the court and Liangxiang jointly operated it, it became a court enterprise, an iron rice bowl, and the social status of laborers gradually improved.

The social class structure of the Ming Dynasty will change.