Back to Ming Dynasty with Industrial Revolution System

Chapter 806 Sending Overseas Students (Part [-])
After Tanaka Chengyi of the Huaxia Society was frightened by the killers of the shogunate, the Huaxia Society, which was against the shogunate, temporarily fell into a downturn, and the Tokugawa shogunate gained a period of stability.The stimulated Matsudaira Nobuzuna became a staunch reformist, and the shogunate received the support of several major lineage retainers. Under the pressure brought by the Kyushu Army, the shogunate began to save the nation and strengthen itself.

"As early as a few years ago, the rebels on Kyushu Island and Shikoku Island sent several batches of envoys, in name they were envoys, but in fact they were apprentices studying at the Academy of Sciences established by the Kyushu Army. The reason why the rebels The army that defeated our shogunate successively in the early stage, until now we have not been able to eliminate them, it is because these people have established a lot of factories and schools after returning to the feudal domains, and also produced slightly inferior firearms by themselves. Many of my I also learned from these envoys." Sakai Tadakatsu, who knew the Kyushu Army the most, looked around at the crowd.

In this secret room, Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu sat on the top seat, and the two rows were important retainers of the Tokugawa family.Tokugawa Iemitsu, as the head of the Tokugawa family, summoned important ministers, and the daimyos came to Edo Castle from their fiefs to participate in the reform meeting chaired by Sakai Tadakatsu.

"In other words, talents are the key to change. Without talents, we cannot build factories. Without factories, we cannot produce new firearms. Another point is that many of our measures cannot be implemented without people implementing them. The most urgent task is to cultivate A group of innovative talents." Tadakatsu Sakai emphasized.

A lineage minister who was about the same age as Tadakatsu Sakai bowed slightly: "Mr. Sakai, how can we cultivate a group of revolutionary talents you mentioned?"

"The fastest way is to hire Huaxia's technical talents. As long as we can afford the money, it's not impossible. No one has trouble with money. But almost all Huaxia's technical talents are in the hands of their officials and big businessmen, completely relying on them In other words, all the technology of our shogunate is in the hands of the other party, once the other party recalls all the talents, our factories will come to a standstill."

"The safe and beneficial way is to send a group of people to study in Huaxia, just like the rebels, in the hope that these people who went to study abroad will come back to help us make changes. Their loyalty to the shogunate will definitely be stronger than that of the Chinese technology they hired. The number of workers is high. The disadvantage of this method is that the time is too long, ranging from a few years to decades.”

Tadakatsu Sakai talked about the most important talent demand for change

"The shortest is a few years, and the longest is decades?" Tokugawa Iemitsu sat on the main seat and repeated what Tadakatsu Sakai said, worrying from it.

If the Kyushu Army knew about their change plan, would they have been given such a long time?Moreover, the rebels in Kyushu Island, Shikoku Island, and Osaka Castle are also developing, and they have been exposed to the technology of the Kyushu Army earlier than the shogunate.If it weren't for the Kyushu Army to check and balance the shogunate and the rebels, the shogunate would still be unable to repel the offensive of the rebels.

"Sending people to the Academy of Sciences to study abroad is too long and full of variables. We need a more effective and quicker way to acquire talents!" Matsudaira Nobutsuna said.

"There is a saying in the ancient Chinese book "Guanzi", that a one-year plan is better than tree valleys; a ten-year plan is better than trees; a hundred-year plan is better than tree people... One tree with a hundred harvests is a human being. Only those who have our own talents , is the shogunate's century-old plan, so what if it takes longer?" Tadakatsu Sakai's attitude is obviously biased towards a more secure study abroad.

The lineage minister who asked Tadakatsu Sakai just now fell into deep thought, and said, "I have stayed in the Amagasaki domain for a long time due to illness, and I can't keep up with the changes in Edo Castle. But I have a suggestion after hearing what Mr. Sakai said."

"Aoyama-kun, please tell me." Sakai Tadakatsu said.

"If you choose young children to go to Huaxia to study, the effect is the best, but it will take more than ten years. If it is an adult man, it will take several years. If you send officials to observe their people's livelihood, system, and industry, it will only take a year or two. The above three can all be sent to the mainland. Officials inspect their systems, take the lead in returning home to reform, hire Chinese technicians, and lay the foundation stone. Adult men learn their techniques and expand industries. Young children learn their essence and make radical changes. After two generations of hard work, you can Realize catching up." Shogunate Minister Yukunari Aoyama said.

"Mr. Qingshan, it seems that your sword is not old, such a proposal is very good!" Sakai Tadakatsu's eyes lit up.

"Wait a minute, we have sent a large number of students to the mainland to study, will the Kyushu Army accept our people? With their cunning, they will never be happy to see our people learn their skills." Tokugawa Iemitsu did not see so optimistic.

"I have already understood that even if the Satsuma clan and other daimyos were at odds with the Kyushu Army, the envoys they sent to the Academy of Sciences were not affected. Now we are still in a state of cooperation, and they have no reason to reject our students." Sakai Zhongsheng said.

Tokugawa Iemitsu nodded: "How many foreign students do you think we should send?"

Tadakatsu Sakai said: "I personally think that 200 children, 100 civilians, and 100 young warriors will be selected from various places to go to the mainland. Go check out the system."

"What do you think?"

"can."

The shogunate ministers in the secret room didn't think much of the problem of sharing the expenses of studying abroad. It was not a difficult task to subsidize 400 people to study in a neighboring big country.

"While sending overseas students, we have to start an important change first, which may affect the interests of all of us." Tadakatsu Sakai observed everyone's expressions carefully.

"Sakai-kun, please tell me." Aoyama Yukunari said.

"If you want to catch up with the Kyushu Army, you have to learn everything from them. No matter China or Dongying, the land is the most important thing! As far as I know, the Kyushu Army collected all the land and made it state-owned, and then leased the land to ordinary people to collect rent from it. Only by controlling all the land can it be possible to gather all the resources that can be assembled and carry out reforms." Tadakatsu Sakai still said this thing that he didn't even think he wanted to do.

The ruling system of the shogunate is that the Tokugawa family, a big landowner, leads a group of small landowners to rule the land. If they want all the small landowners to hand over their land, isn’t this killing them!
"Mr. Sakai, you are a feudal lord who receives a salary of 12 shi. I, Aoyama, are lucky enough to receive a salary of 3 shi. Ask yourself, are you willing to hand over the territory of 12 shi?" Aoyama Xingcheng said.

"If I am willing to hand over my fief, can you also lead with me?" Said Tadakatsu Sakai.

(End of this chapter)