Rebirth of Zhu Di's son

Chapter 233 Almshouses and Primitive Industrial Steam Engines

After a while.

Zhu Gaoxu and others boarded the eight-wheeled carriage again and started driving towards Mo Qiaosi.

inside the carriage.

Zhu Zhanyu's face was gloomy, Zhu Zhantang frowned, Zhu Zhanyu looked sad, and Zhu Zhankan stopped talking.

Zhu Gaoxu saw the expressions on the faces of his four sons. He wanted to say a few words of relief, but for a moment he didn't know how to speak.

After a while, Zhu Zhankan finally couldn't help but asked: "Dad, if we hadn't met the trafficker today, would the little sister really have been bought as a kitten or puppy? Also, why was the trafficker here? Poison in the cake?"

"Dad, why don't the officers of the Army and Horses Department ignore you?"

Zhu Zhancheng then asked: "If there is such a thing in the capital, then there must be such a thing happening in other places. What are the yamen in various places doing?"

"I hope you will always remember what happened today."

Zhu Gaoxu said solemnly: "People's hearts are sinister, and they will do whatever it takes to get a little profit. This time I take you on a tour incognito, just to show you whether the Ming Dynasty is like what some officials said, and the people of the world have enough food and clothing. There is peace in the sea.”

"Only when you go outside the palace can you see the true face of this world, realize how difficult it is for ordinary people to live, and realize how heavy the burden is on the shoulders of the royal family!"

"Governing a country is never an easy task. Your imperial grandfather worked hard for more than twenty years to make the Ming Dynasty what it is today. However, in the prosperous times, there are still things like bullying of men and women, and evil people. It is not the imperial court and the The local government offices don’t want to take care of it, but the cunning techniques used by cunning people are becoming more and more secretive, making it difficult for officials to detect it.”

At this point, he brought the topic to human traffickers and continued: "Take the matter of human trafficking as an example. Can the yamen decide that someone is selling children based on the confessions or corrections of a few people without any evidence? Of course not! The trafficker who was caught on the spot this time was either a temporary act, or there was an organization behind it that trafficked children."

Having said this, Zhu Gaoxu looked around and asked: "Why do you think the sale of children occurs in this world? In other words, who are the buyers?"

"Dad, I know it must be a rich man who needs children at home. People without money can't afford it even if they want to."

Zhu Zhankan raised his hand and answered first.

Zhu Zhancheng and Zhu Zhantang remained silent.

Zhu Zhanyu answered: "If there are people who buy children, there will inevitably be people who take desperate risks and abduct and sell children for huge amounts of money. Just like the fire trade that has gradually become popular on the sea in recent years, the southeast coast of the Ming Dynasty has Many people took the risk and went to sea with the imperial fleet to engage in the fire trade."

Historically, in the Mongolian, Yuan and Ming dynasties, firemen generally referred to eunuch servants.

Chapter [-] of "Palace in the Palace" written by Zhang Yu of the Yuan Dynasty: "There is no need to hurry when the fire is approaching, lest the king be late by surprise."

In the Ming Dynasty, Yu Jideng wrote in Volume [-] of "Allusions Chronicles": "In the orthodox period, Jia Mailer, the chief of rituals and fire supervisor, gave personal instructions to Guo Jing, the official secretary, and Liu Zhongfu, the household secretary, and they all followed them."

"History of the Ming Dynasty: Taizu Benji [-]": "The wealthy families of Fujian and Guangdong do not eunuch their sons for fire, and the offender will be punished."

"Dad, will that human trafficker be executed?"

Zhu Zhantang asked in a low voice: "His accent sounds like he is from Liaodong."

"meeting."

Zhu Gaoxu nodded sharply.

Zhu Zhancheng couldn't help but answered: "Dad, my son wants to ask you something."

"Say." Zhu Gaoxu said in a deep voice.

Zhu Zhancheng said respectfully: "My son is asking my father to issue an edict to establish the Salesian Bureau after he ascends the throne next year."

Zhu Gaoxu nodded and said, "I agree to this matter."

"Brother Six, what is the 'Salesian Bureau'?"

Zhu Zhankan asked curiously.

"The Salesian Bureau is a people-benefiting institution established by Emperor Lizong of the Song Dynasty after Zhao Song's migration to the south. It specializes in taking in and raising orphans without fathers and mothers."

Zhu Zhancheng answered loudly.

Zhu Zhankan asked: "Did Song Lizong establish the Salesian Bureau to prevent human traffickers from selling children?"

"It's a long story." Zhu Zhancheng explained.

Zhu Zhankan said coquettishly: "Brother Six, just tell me briefly!"

"father?"

Zhu Zhancheng looked at Zhu Gaoxu and asked.

Zhu Gaoxu stroked his beard and said: "If you are familiar with history books, you should give a history lesson to Lao Ninth and Lao Thirteen about the 'Salesian Bureau'."

"Yes." Zhu Zhancheng lowered his head and said.

Then, he looked at Zhu Zhantang and Zhu Zhankan and explained the origin of the Salesian Bureau.

"In the past dynasties, due to poverty, war, natural disasters, including preference for sons over daughters, superstition and other reasons, there were many active or passive abandoned babies and young children. However, the survival of young children is related to the increase or decrease of the population, and is closely related to the development of a dynasty. The rise and fall are closely related, and emperors of all dynasties could not ignore it even if they wanted to.”

"Since the pre-Qin Dynasty, all dynasties have issued decrees to provide protection for orphans who have lost the care of their parents and relatives, which is called 'compassion for orphans'. In the Spring and Autumn Period, the State of Qi had an 'officer in charge of orphans', who was responsible for finding adopters for orphans, as well as inspecting and supervising them. The care of these orphans after they are adopted, and the families that adopt the orphans can be exempted from different levels of labor according to the number of adopters."

"And this was just a welfare institution that provided care for orphans according to government decrees, took in orphans and provided education in a centralized manner. It did not appear until the Southern and Northern Dynasties. Xiao Yan, Emperor Wu of Liang Dynasty in the Southern Dynasty, established the institution in the capital at that time, which is today's Nanjing city. The first 'Loneliness Garden' established by the imperial court in history."

"But the 'Loneliness Garden' is not exclusively for homeless orphans, but also for the elderly who have no one to support them. After all, 'Gu' originally means young and fatherless, and 'Du' originally means old and childless."

"Even in the Tang Dynasty, people-benefiting institutions similar to the 'Lonely Garden' were quite common, and the scope of people receiving assistance was also expanded. Specifically, in addition to the elderly and orphans, there were also patients who were poor and had no money to seek medical treatment. ""

"As for the Huimin institutions that took in orphans separately and provided education, they appeared after Zhao Song's southern migration. At that time, the population under the rule of the Zhao Song Dynasty was particularly large. For many poor families, raising children became a problem, so many foster children People who can’t afford their children should simply abandon them and raise them.”

"Sixth brother, let me interrupt."

Zhu Zhanyu raised his hand and said.

After Zhu Zhancheng stopped, he turned sideways and saluted Zhu Gaoxu: "My son remembered something and wanted to take this opportunity to report it to his father."

"You want to say that in today's Ming Dynasty, there is also a situation where people in the capital abandoned their children during the Zhao and Song Dynasties?"

Zhu Gaoxu asked in a deep voice.

Zhu Zhanyu breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It seems that Dad already knew."

Zhu Gaoxu nodded and said: "If you don't want to be deaf or blind if you are in a high position, you must find a group of people to act as eyes and ears. Jin Yiwei is one of the eyes and ears of our royal family."

In the past 20 years, all changes in the world have been under his control.Due to the promotion of high-yielding crops such as sweet potatoes, the population of Ming Dynasty increased rapidly.

Coupled with the influx of a large number of people into the city, many people have more children than their families can bear.

An ordinary couple can barely support themselves by raising three or four children, but those families who don't know how to exercise restraint and have limited income have to abandon the children they can't afford or give them to others to raise.

"Lao Liu, go on."

Zhu Gaoxu looked at Zhu Zhancheng and ordered.

"Yes."

Zhu Zhancheng said respectfully.

Then, he continued to introduce the "Salesian Bureau" to Zhu Zhantang and Zhu Zhankan.

"At that time, in order to 'make the roads free of hungry children,' Emperor Lizong of the Song Dynasty established the Salesian Bureau in Lin'an with [-] acres of official land in the ninth year of Chunyou, to adopt abandoned babies, and to set up wet nurses to feed them. Children without children could be adopted. .”

"'Salesian' can first be seen in the "Book of Rites of Zhou". It is an ancient system in which the government provides relief to abandoned babies and orphans who have no relatives to raise them, so that they can avoid an unexpected death."

"In the fourth year of Baoyou, after the Lin'an Salesian Bureau had matured, Emperor Lizong of the Song Dynasty issued an edict requiring all states in the world to establish Salesian Bureaus."

"The Salesian Bureau is run by government funds. In order to facilitate the treatment of sick infants and young children, it is usually located next to the pharmacy bureau. There are wet nurses hired by the government in the bureau. In addition, money, rice and silk are distributed monthly to ensure that orphans have food. Eat and have clothes to wear.”

"Families without children can go to the Salesian Bureau to adopt orphans. Children who are not adopted will stay in the Salesian Bureau until they reach adulthood. After that, they can decide whether to stay or leave on their own without any interference from the government."

"In addition to government-run orphanages such as the Salesian Bureau, there were also many other children's care institutions established voluntarily by the private sector at that time, such as the 'Qianmi Institute for the Care and Rehabilitation of Abandoned Children', the 'Baby Bureau', the 'Salesian Village', And small bureau' and so on."

"After the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty destroyed the Song Dynasty, this kind of Salesian child care and welfare institution declined for a time. It was not until Emperor Taizu established the Ming Dynasty and established the 'Yangjiyuan' that abandoned babies and orphans without relatives were able to be taken in by local officials. "

When Zhu Zhancheng said this, a look of admiration suddenly appeared on his face, and he continued: "Emperor Taizu is our great-grandfather. He was born in a poor family and knew the sufferings of the people. Shortly after overthrowing the Meng Yuan Dynasty, he set up Three types of institutions that benefit the people.”

"The first one is the almshouse, which is dedicated to taking in the elderly who are homeless and have no one to take care of them, as well as the disabled who cannot take care of themselves, and some orphans."

"Our great-great-grandfather issued an edict at that time, stipulating that each person in the almshouse should be given three buckets of rice and five kilograms of meat per month. If the local officials failed to fulfill their responsibilities in supporting these people, they would be dismissed from their posts and investigated, or they would be jailed and prosecuted."

Zhu Zhankan raised his little hand that was clenched into a fist and shouted loudly: "Great grandpa is mighty!"

"Of course Grandpa is mighty! He also issued an edict to set up the Luze Garden to collect unclaimed corpses and bury them at the court's expense."

Zhu Zhancheng continued: "The third one is Huimin Pharmacy, which specializes in providing free medical treatment and medicines to poor people who cannot afford medical treatment."

Zhu Zhantang asked: "So, is the Huimin Comprehensive Medical Center in Nanjing City considered an institution that benefits the people?"

Zhu Zhancheng said: "Of course, the Huimin Medical Center is an institution established by our emperor to benefit the people. Its functions are similar to the Huimin Pharmacy, but it has the addition of the development of packaged medicines, pills and other cooked medicines, as well as the training of doctors. , apprenticeships and other functions, which are different from traditional people-benefiting institutions.”

Zhu Zhanyu and Zhu Zhancheng are older and have learned much more than Zhu Zhantang and Zhu Zhankan. When they were young, they knew that Huimin Medical Center was Zhu Gaoxu's proposal.

"Grandpa Huang is mighty!"

Zhu Zhankan waved his fist again and said.

Zhu Zhancheng said: "My father initiated the establishment of Nanjing Huimin Medical Center. He also planned, designed and supervised the construction back then!"

"Father is also mighty!"

Zhu Zhankan looked at Zhu Gaoxu with admiration in his eyes.

"When you enter the Mo Qiaosi compound later, everything will be subject to my arrangements. No one is allowed to move around at will. Do you understand me clearly?"

Through the window, Zhu Gaoxu observed that the carriage had arrived at the main entrance of Moqiaosi, Shuntian Prefecture, located on the outskirts of Beijing, and then he gave instructions to his four sons.

Zhu Zhanyu and Zhu Zhancheng, as the two elder legitimate sons of Zhu Gaoxu, accompanied Zhu Gaoxu on an inspection tour after the completion of the Moqiaosi in the 19th year of Yongle.

At that time, steam engines could already use gears to drive paddle blades instead of paddles to drive seagoing ships.

It's just that the steam engine at that time was simple in structure and not too large in size.

Later, when the steam engine drove the impeller to rotate and generated centrifugal force to transport well water, the centrifugal pump came out, and its practicality attracted the attention of more and more aspiring craftsmen.

After that, after several years of improvement, as of today, an industrial steam engine with powerful power, but complex structure and as big as a hill has been invented by the new generation of craftsmen of Moqiaosi.

After Zhu Gaoxu and others entered the Mo Qiaosi compound, they passed through the two courtyard gates in sequence. When they entered the last inner courtyard, they saw a huge steam engine that was more than two feet high and about five feet wide.

"Dad, can this behemoth really push tens of thousands of kilograms of ore with the power of steam?"

Zhu Zhantang couldn't help but asked first.

"of course can!"

Zhu Gaoxu replied without hesitation: "This steam engine, like a textile machine, can be continuously improved and optimized. If one day, the size of this machine is improved enough to be put into a four-wheeled carriage, then horseless carriages will become popular!"

"A horseless chariot? How should a horseless chariot drive?"

Zhu Zhancheng had some difficulty understanding the scene described by Zhu Gaoxu.

Zhu Zhantang said: "Of course the steam power released by the steam engine replaces the horses and drives the carriage to move!"

When he said this, he seemed to have thought of something, and immediately changed his words: "No, the horseless carriage at that time should not be called a carriage, but a steam engine driven vehicle, or it can be simply called a car or a locomotive."

"Brother Ninth, are steam engines really that magical?"

Zhu Zhankan asked curiously.

Zhu Zhantang said: "Of course, otherwise why would I have been obsessed with steam machinery models."

"I'm telling you, the steam engine has the power to change the world."

Zhu Gaoxu looked at his four children and said solemnly.

"Dad, I heard you say that there is smokeless gunpowder. I wonder if it has been developed yet?"

Zhu Zhanyu was more concerned about some realistic things and asked.

Hearing this, Zhu Gaoxu pondered for a moment, and then said: "This object is extremely dangerous and extremely destructive. I will not watch its experiments this time. We will talk about it in the future after it is controllable. Let's go and see other things."

(End of this chapter)