Jingnan Strategy

Chapter 441 A loving father and a filial son
"Boom boom boom——"

In early April, when the sound of artillery sounded outside Jiangdong Gate, the flag representing the Holy Spirit was placed on the dragon boat and it successfully docked.

"Long live, long live, long live your Majesty..."

On the pier, the officials knelt down on the cleaned cement floor and kowtowed five times and three times while pushing the golden mountains and jade pillars.

"Get up!"

When Zhu Di's voice sounded again after more than a year's absence, many civil servants felt a sore nose, thinking that this person was finally back.

Over the past year or so, they can't be said to be bad, but they're definitely not great either.

Zhu Gaoxu implemented the New Deal in the entire southern Zhili, cleaning up the already fragile Huaixi nobles and Jiangdong officialdom. While sweeping out millions of acres of hidden cultivated land, he also swept out many undercover officials, implicating two thousand people. The remaining people, together with their relatives, are nearly 30,000.

Thirty thousand people, this would be considered a major case in any dynasty or generation, not to mention Zhu Gaoxu's generous rewards to military generals and "mean" behavior towards civil servants.

Under Zhu Gaoxu's rule, the ministers only felt that they were living in prison. They could not do this or that. Although their salaries were generous, they were nothing compared to the rewards military attaches received for fighting.

"How did it happen?"

Now that Zhu Di is back, at least someone in the temple can speak out for them.

"These people looked at me wrong."

"It's bigger than the one in Nanjing, and the city is too, but it's drier. You were born in Nanjing, so you may not be able to adapt to it."

Although Ji Gang and Chen Ying escorted Xie Jin north, Zhu Di did not meet Xie Jin in the past few months and only asked the Third Division to investigate the case.

For example, if he was asked to appoint concubines and choose a queen, Zhu Di would get angry every time he thought about it.

Apart from anything else, the function of pumping water alone can greatly reduce the manpower required to mine mineral deposits. In the past, mining required constant manpower to pump water. Now with steam pumps, only one steam engine is needed to solve the pumping problem of a mine, saving money. Go to dozens or hundreds of manpower.

"Let's go, let's go to Taixue too."

Zhu Di took Zhu Zhanhe's hand and walked happily towards the palace.

The result of the three-division investigation and joint trial was that Xie Jin indeed violated the Ming Law. Since it was a repeated crime, the guilt could be large or small.

Ji Gang bowed and distorted the facts in just a few words.

"This, this, this..."

Thinking of what he saw and heard all the way from the north to the south, Zhu Di could naturally sympathize with Zhu Gaoxu.

Unexpectedly, the person who came to pick him up today was not Zhu Gaoxu, whom Zhu Di saw every time he returned to Nanjing, but his grandson Zhu Zhanhe.

Sure enough, Zhu Di heard what Ji Gang said. Although he didn't believe Ji Gang's words, he still showed displeasure. He probably remembered the memorials of Xie Jin that angered him.

Twelve-year-old Zhu Zhanhe bowed respectfully and looked very well-behaved. Zhu Di also nodded happily: "Why doesn't your father come?"

For the densely populated areas south of the Yangtze River, saving manpower means that many people are unemployed, so the steam engine has advantages and disadvantages.

Of course, Wang Yan would never think of such a thought and would never say it out loud.

The officials were frightened and angry, but all their anger was directed at Ji Gang.

"Grandpa, what is the difference between the Forbidden City in Beijing and the one in Nanjing?"

"Grandpa Emperor"

The maximum is exile and distribution, and the minimum is deposing for the people. How to judge it depends on how Zhu Di wants to judge.

Standing on the pier, Zhu Di cautiously communicated with Wang Yan beside him in a low voice, and Wang Yan felt ashamed.

If we really want to solve the problem, the scientific and technological progress that Zhu Gaoxu once mentioned to Zhu Di must be realized.

"The Jigang thief actually tortured Xie Jinshen like this..."

Thinking of these things, he didn't bother to care about Xie Jin, but just looked at the canopy in front of the ministers.

"Den!"

"Your Majesty, it's him who refuses to eat. He still criticizes your relationship with your Majesty in prison every day."

Although the prison uniform was brand new and his hair was combed, Jie Jin's body shape could not be restored to its original shape.

"My father went to study at Taipei University and said that steam engines have made progress." When Zhu Zhanhe talked about steam engines, his eyes showed a bit of excitement.

Zhu Di has not sentenced yet, nor has he urged Ji Gang, so Ji Gang does not dare to torture Jie Jin directly, but since Jie Jin falls into his hands, it will naturally be unbearable.

Under such mental torture, Xie Jin's weight dropped sharply, and his ribs were so thin that you could see the dents between the ribs.

Suddenly, the sound of heavy objects being disembarked was heard. The officials looked subconsciously and saw a scrawny guy wearing a plain white prison uniform.

Although the New Deal has made people's lives much better, this improvement is limited. After all, food production is still very small. The New Deal is nothing more than dividing the food that had been embezzled by subordinate officials equally between the court and the people.

However, for the sparsely populated areas of Bohai, Mobei, Hetao, and Hexi, steam engines can greatly improve production efficiency in the north and invest the saved manpower into other industries.

"Is that Jie Chunyu (number)?"

Before Zhu Di went south, Xie Jin barely saw the sun. If he wasn't worried that Xie Jin would go crazy, Ji Gang wouldn't even want anyone to chat with Xie Jin.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di understood why Zhu Gaoxu did not come. After all, Zhu Gaoxu had told him about the role of steam engines in the Ming Dynasty.

"By the way, I heard that your father arranged for you to go to middle school. How do you feel?"

The most you can do is fight, but the one in the East Palace wants them to move and the three tribes will be exiled. Let’s see if you can be satisfied...

Zhu Di frowned slightly. Although he was very angry before, he still didn't want Xie Jin to die. After all, Jie Jin was a sign.

"Shh... Grandpa, you have to whisper this, don't let anyone disturb my silence."

"Haha, okay, okay, grandpa, please keep your voice down..."

After asking and answering questions, the grandfather and grandson sat on the carriage after discussion, and then drove towards the Imperial Academy.

The officials did not follow, but looked at the prison car from a distance, feeling uneasy.

Xie Jin's fate cast a haze on everyone's minds, especially the emperor's delay in dealing with him, which made the officials don't know what to think.

Of course, there are smart people in the DPRK. Many people know that Xie Jin is targeting the beginning of the Jiangxi New Deal. After the Jiangxi New Deal ends, Zhejiang will be the next to implement the New Deal.

In the face of the rolling tide of history, personal power is really insignificant.

Of course, if one's personal power exceeds the times, then he can do things beyond the times, just like Zhu Gaoxu now.

"Woo-"

In Taixue, when the familiar yet unfamiliar whistle sounded, Zhu Gaoxu, standing on a huge playground, felt as if he was in another world.

Behind him, Yi Shiha, Hu Lun, Zhang Yu, Qiu Fu, Meng Shan and others opened their mouths unconsciously and were stunned.

Their surprise comes from their ignorance of the unknown thing, and this unknown thing is called a train...

"Woo-"

When the whistle sounded again, a huge object was slowly moving on the playground paved with railroad tracks.

Standing next to Zhu Gaoxu, Dr. Wang Fu put on thick glasses and held a booklet and a portable writing brush in his hand.

The writing brush has no ink, but when shaken, it can produce ink and write directly.

"There is a boiler in the Yongle locomotive, and a cylinder is installed in the boiler."

"The locomotive has two pairs of driving wheels, driven by gears, and the axle arrangement is..."

Wang Fu spoke some professional terms, but Zhu Gaoxu didn't pay attention to them. He just pointed at the slow-moving steam locomotive and asked: "How much does the locomotive weigh, what is its speed, how much weight can it pull, and how much does it cost?"

Zhu Gaoxu's question hit the nail on the head, and Wang Fu also wrote while hearing this: "The locomotive weighs five tons, has a top speed of thirty miles per hour, a fully loaded speed of six miles per hour, and can tow twelve tons of cargo."

"But the carriage weighs ten tons, and traveling another six miles requires one ton of coal and two tons of water."

"In other words, the current technology can only guarantee the ride of two alternate train drivers..."

"As for the cost, the cost of the Yongle is three thousand six hundred and forty-two thousand five cents and four cents."

Wang Fu pushed his glasses and looked very excited. He didn't think the locomotive was useless, because they had already got the steam locomotive moving, and the only remaining problem was how to improve efficiency.

"The thermal efficiency is insufficient. I estimate that the thermal efficiency of current locomotives is less than 3%, or even lower."

After Zhu Gaoxu listened to the data reported to him by Wang Fu, he decisively expressed his guess.

He did not know how to make a steam engine, but he remembered that the thermal efficiency of steam engines in the steam era was 6% to 15%, and reached 20% to 40% in the 5th century. Even the world's first steam locomotive seemed to have a thermal efficiency of 8% to %Degree.

Of course, the data of that locomotive is much better than that of the Ming Dynasty Yongle. After the weight is converted to the Ming system, the locomotive weighs about seven and a half tons, has a speed of 13 miles per hour, can pull 16 tons of cargo, and can carry five cars. Seventy passengers.

After the invention of this locomotive, eleven years later, the Voyager locomotive improved by George Stephenson was officially tested, towing more than 30 small carriages, carrying more than 400 passengers and 90 tons of cargo. He ran a distance of forty kilometers at a speed of twenty-four kilometers per hour.

Five years later, mankind began to enter the train era, and due to the continuous advancement of train technology, various countries continued to expand the territories they actually controlled.

Zhu Gaoxu, who is familiar with all this, like Wang Fu, does not think that the Yongle, which is currently advancing at a "turtle speed", is useless. Instead, he thinks it is a beginning.

Historically, George Stephenson was able to help Britain enter the train age in more than ten years with a small amount of funding. There is no reason why the Ming Dynasty, with millions of students, should be slower than him.

It took them ten years to invent something that would only appear four hundred years later. They could also use ten years to bring Ming Dynasty into the train era.

For thirty-two-year-old Zhu Gaoxu, he was sure that he still had twelve years left. After all, historically he lived to forty-six and died abnormally. "Ten years from now, I want to see its data multiply and be able to fly on the official road of the Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Gaoxu looked at Wang Fu, but Wang Fu bowed and said: "Your Highness, don't worry, I have already figured it out. It only takes three years for the data to double. It will take at most twenty years for the Yongle to meet your expectations." ”

As a doctorate in this field, Wang Fu has naturally seen the topic given by Zhu Gaoxu and the expected data in the topic.

In the second year of Yongle, Zhu Gaoxu gave the expected data for the steam locomotives needed by the Ming Dynasty, namely, a maximum speed of 150 miles per hour, a full load speed of 70 miles per hour, a load of 200 tons, and a capacity of 500 passengers.

As long as this standard can be met, many territories of the Ming Dynasty can be consolidated.

Including rest, Nanjing can deliver the troops from Jiangnan to Hami in at most seven days, and to the Ili Valley in ten days.

If we start from Beijing, the time can be even shorter, and more importantly, we can transport supplies from Jiangnan to the Mobei region, which is the guarantee for solving the problem of nomads.

With the strength of the Ming army, only 20,000 people were needed to control the entire Mobei, and with 20,000 people, only fifty-six train departures with this data were needed to meet the entire year's supply.

"Is this a train?"

"Long live your Majesty, long live long live..."

Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded behind Zhu Gaoxu, with a hint of surprise in the voice, followed by Zhang Yu and the others' singing.

Zhu Gaoxu and Wang Fu looked back and saw Zhu Di, Zhu Zhanhe and Wang Yan.

At this moment, the three of them were surprised by the speed of the train on the track, but Zhu Di was the first to return to normal and said a little critical: "This speed is too slow..."

"It is indeed not fast at the beginning, but it will only take more than ten years to reach the speed of traveling seven or eight hundred miles a day. By then, no matter whether troops are sent from Nanjing or Beijing, whether they go to Mobei or the southwest, the time can be controlled within Within half a month.”

"Even to the Western Region, tens of thousands of soldiers and horses can be transported within half a month. The only problem is track laying."

Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Di explained, and when they talked about the railway tracks, Zhu Gaoxu couldn't help but get a headache.

Although the people of this era were not as poor as in the late Qing Dynasty, they were not much richer. They could only say that they had enough to eat and live comfortably, and it was impossible not to be tempted by the iron price of more than ten cents per catty.

You must know that according to the weight of Taixue's rails, a rail weighs at least one hundred kilograms, and a hundred kilograms of rails is worth thousands of yuan.

If you want to run trains, you need to set up enough railway troops to maintain them, which is another huge expense.

"Seven or eight hundred miles?"

Zhu Di was speechless. He didn't expect this thing to run so fast, but as the second child just said, this train can now travel seventy-two miles a day, which is as fast as the Ming army's march.

"Don't say seven or eight hundred miles, even if you travel three hundred miles a day, I will make you Wang Fu my uncle!"

Zhu Di looked at Wang Fu and spoke very seriously, causing Wang Fu to bow quickly: "I will do my best!"

Wang Fu stopped singing, and before Zhu Di could speak, Zhu Gaoxu took the lead and said: "Everyone who participated in the research this time will be promoted to the first hereditary casual rank, and those who do not have a casual rank will be awarded the rank of seven-rank official minister."

"Besides that, you will be rewarded with a thousand guan, a top scholar will be rewarded with 300 guan, and an ordinary student will be rewarded with a hundred guan!"

"Thank you for the reward, Your Highness!" Wang Fu bowed again, with a smile as bright as a chrysanthemum.

"Can this train stop?"

Zhu Di kept his eyes on the train, wanting to see if this thing was fooling people. After all, it seemed that such a slow speed could be achieved by loading a few horses in the train.

"Yes, I will stop the train right now."

Seeing the emperor's interest, Wang Fu immediately signaled the flag bearer not far away to wave the flag.

With the flag waving, the steam of the train gradually decreased and the speed slowed down.

Of course, this speed is so slow that it is almost imperceptible. After all, a person's jogging speed can reach 20 miles per hour, so the speed of Yongle at 6 miles per hour is indeed a bit slow.

Zhu Gaoxu walked down to the playground with Zhu Di, and said to Zhu Di at the same time: "This train is only so slow when it pulls the fuel carriage. If it is filled with fuel and allowed to run quickly on its own, it can almost run faster than a person."

"I'll take a look first before talking." Zhu Di still didn't quite believe that this thing really didn't need people to pull it, let alone that it could travel seven or eight hundred miles a day.

As the people in the cab got off the locomotive, Zhu Di, led by Zhu Gaoxu, walked onto the cab of the locomotive with Zhu Zhanhe.

Here, the two sides of clear and transparent glass are eye-catching, but since glass technology has changed a long time ago, Zhu Di was not too curious. He just took a look at the structure inside the train, and then went to the boiler room to take a look.

It was very hot inside. Zhu Di just looked at how the driver was filling up the fuel, and knew that it was impossible to hide manpower and animal power in such a place, so he got off the car and looked at the whole view of the locomotive before sighing:
"If this thing can travel three hundred miles a day, it will be much easier for me to conquer Mobei."

"Three hundred miles is nothing?" Zhu Gaoxu couldn't help but laugh: "In your lifetime, you will definitely see it traveling seven or eight hundred miles a day."

Zhu Gaoxu has no confidence in Zhu Di's other people, but he has absolute confidence in Zhu Di's war and life span. Especially considering that he has been living a relatively leisurely life in recent years except for fighting, which means that even if Zhu Di lives to be seventy-five in the future, Zhu Gaoxu will Don't even think it's strange.

Because of this, Zhu Gaoxu went out of his way to promote the benefits of steam locomotives to Zhu Di, and also promoted steam ships:

"After the technology of this steam engine ship matures, this steam engine can still be used on ships. At that time, ships will not need sails or manpower to pull them. They can travel thousands of miles every day, from Nanjing to Dongzhou. As long as there is enough fuel, at most It takes three months to go back and forth.”

"I know the good thing. If this thing is actually completed in the future, whether the imperial court can produce it, and the railroad tracks you mentioned are also a problem."

Zhu Di stretched out his hand and touched the Yongle. He felt a little hot and then withdrew.

"Production is definitely possible. It is estimated that it will cost several million to build a railway between Beijing and Beijing. The Yellow River and Yangtze River may not be passable yet, so you have to disembark and take a boat to transfer."

"As for building a railway from Beijing to Mobei, it will cost almost five to six million and take several years."

Zhu Gaoxu knew very well the significance of railways to the Ming Dynasty, so millions or even tens of millions of railways were nothing to the Ming Dynasty.

If there are railways, the cost of many future projects in the Ming Dynasty can be reduced. For example, the dredging of the Yellow River lasted from the 33rd year of Hongwu to the present. The reason why it is so slow is mainly because it takes time to transport cement and sediment.

If there is a train, the time can be shortened and the price of materials can be several times cheaper.

It takes decades and tens of millions to build a railway, but what can be gained is immeasurable value.

With the railway, even if the capital was moved to Beijing, if the emperor wanted to go south, it would only take two days.

Under such circumstances, even if Jiangnan has collusion between government and businessmen in the future, as long as there are no problems with the army, the emperor can easily deal with them.

Of course, if it's a change of mind, that's a different matter.

Without the hearts of the people, not even Zhu Gaoxu can save future generations.

Thinking like this, Zhu Gaoxu also returned to reality and turned his attention to Zhu Di.

"I'm going to take a year off and start again next spring in Jiangxi."

"Well..." Zhu Di responded, and then said: "You can handle that Jie Jin yourself."

"Don't worry, father, I will not kill him." Zhu Gaoxu had a smile on his face, but his smile made Zhu Di panic.

After stroking his beard, Zhu Di walked up to Zhu Gaoxu, patted his back and motioned for him to follow him.

Zhu Zhanhe wanted to follow him, but Zhu Di stopped him with a smile: "Tell me something to your father, but don't follow me."

After the words fell, he took Zhu Gaoxu to the side. As the father and son walked, he said: "Second brother, I am also back this time. Do you think when is the best time to take the throne?"

"My son, I don't want to take the throne for the time being, and besides, father, you are still young and will continue to serve for a few more years."

Zhu Gaoxu quickly refused after hearing this. He was still waiting for Zhu Di to help him take the blame for Jiangxi and Zhejiang, and then use the excuse of "not changing his father's aspirations for three years" to implement the new policies in Huguang and other provinces.

After three years have passed and Ming Dynasty has fully implemented the New Deal, he can start to recuperate and wait for the locomotive to take shape and expand his territory.

"I'm not testing you, and you don't have to be careful."

Zhu Di thought that Zhu Gaoxu was worried that he was testing him, so he deliberately changed his name, but Zhu Gaoxu immediately stopped and bowed:
"My son is still young, and the court cannot live without his father."

"You..." Zhu Di was stunned. He didn't expect that the second son, who was already in his thirties, could still resist the temptation of the throne.

He was still young when he conquered Nanjing, so he could understand if he could resist the temptation. However, at thirty-two, he is no longer young, but he can still resist the temptation of the throne, and even allows himself to stay in the throne for a few more years.

"Second brother, you are here..."

Zhu Di didn't quite believe it, but Zhu Gaoxu immediately bowed again: "Please father, please don't say such things again!"

"Huh?" Zhu Di had to believe it this time. After all, the second child never played with him, let alone played it so many times.

But when he did this, he didn't know how it would end.

He told Wang Yan that he was old, and all the ministers knew that he had said that he would pass the throne after returning from the Northern Expedition. Now that the second son has not ascended the throne, wouldn't others feel that he did not keep his word?
"you……"

Zhu Di didn't know what to say. He also cared about the throne. He felt bad if he gave it up. Although he liked the second son, he couldn't like him enough to give up the throne without any complaints.

After thinking about it, Zhu Di could only step forward and pat him on the shoulder:

"Well, anyway, the capital will be moved in the future. Neither you nor I like staying in Nanjing. We will all go to Beijing then."

"I've seen Beijing. If you become the emperor, it will definitely not be easy for me to stay in the palace."

"You talk to Huang Fu some other time about building a palace around the capital. I will live in the palace on weekdays and just summon you from time to time."

"When the palace is completed, you can begin to ascend the throne."

"My son, I accept the decree!"

Zhu Gaoxu decisively agreed, using a palace instead of the old man to take the blame, which was a good deal.

Seeing Zhu Gaoxu's willingness to agree, Zhu Di also expressed his true feelings: "Second brother, you are so like me... filial."

"That's natural."

(End of this chapter)