The Ming Dynasty started with saving the eldest grandson

Chapter 271 Advance and retreat with evidence
Zhu Yuanzhang did find out about the conversation very quickly, but he was not angry. Instead, he found Zhu Xiongying and talked for a long time.

No one knows what they talked about specifically. They only know that Zhu Yuanzhang issued an order afterward:

In charge of the affairs of the Taisun's Ministry of Rites, Imperial College, and Honglu Temple... The officials of the three yamen listened to the instructions and made no mistakes.

This appointment was quite sudden. His grandson was only fifteen years old and had not yet formed his own team. It was too early to become a regent at this time.

But then everyone accepted this resignation as usual.

Although Zhu Xiongying rarely appears, his previous political achievements such as eradicating pests in the south, appeasing barbarian tribes, and selling books to farmers to farm their land are too outstanding.

Belongs to those who have proven their ability and have been recognized by hundreds of officials.

Moreover, he naturally has the support of the military and nobles, so the regency seems normal.

Of course, in the eyes of hundreds of officials, this move was more about letting the grandson observe the government and would not make any changes.

Many people even believe that His Majesty and the Prince are paving the way for their grandson.

At this time, in the eyes of the grandson, he is an old minister of Qiandi, and he will definitely be reused in the future.

This made all the civil servants even more happy.

Even the Song Dynasty had no shortage of tough civil servants and generals.

Many great scholars have publicly criticized this situation.

When the Central Plains dynasty is weak, such as the Song Dynasty... there is no way.

You must know that the Imperial College is in charge of the world's academic affairs, and the Ministry of Rites is in charge of the imperial examinations. It is the place where reserve talents are cultivated.

If it were placed in other dynasties, they would definitely not think so.

For example, Yang Guang, in order to show off the power of the Sui Dynasty, hung silk on both sides of the road to welcome foreign envoys.

Envoys from each type of country enjoyed different treatment in Ming Dynasty.

Taisun takes charge of the two yamen, which can better gather talents and lay the foundation for the future.

He led people to formulate a new set of sect rules.

After that, Zhu Xiongying did not interfere in the affairs of the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial College, but first attacked Honglu Temple.

Although the imperial law did not stipulate preferential treatment for foreign envoys, similar situations did exist in practice.

Zhu Xiongying abolished all these hidden rules and put everything on the table.

They are said to be sectarian rules, but they are actually diplomatic norms.

Lan Yu and other determined Taisun Dang were naturally very happy.

Here he divides foreign countries into two categories and five types.

In this kind of matter, no one can say anything. Only Zhu Xiongying can let Zhu Yuanzhang take risks.

The second category is countries and forces that have not established vassal relations.

You don't even have to think about it to know that it must be because of Zhu Xiongying.

Then, many officials began to gear up and prepare to perform well.

When the Central Plains dynasty was strong and the emperor was relatively pragmatic, foreign envoys had almost no privileges.

In fact, this is a misunderstanding. Confucianism is the most opposed to this policy.

They all spread the word that they would fight anyone who dared to deceive the grandson.

But the Ming Dynasty was different. Anyone could see that the emperor and the prince were really models of fatherly kindness and filial piety.

Chen Jingke knew more than the average person. When he saw this appointment, he knew that Zhu Yuanzhang had compromised.

At this time, he was extremely lucky. Fortunately, he caught Zhu Xiongying from the beginning.

The emperor was afraid that the prince was not capable enough and had insufficient prestige, so he put more burdens on him every day.

But no matter what type of envoy they are, they no longer have any privileges.

Those emperors were as wary of princes as they were of thieves, so how could they let their heirs be in charge of selecting reserve officials?

Over the years, he has been carefully taught and taught to become a talented person, and now he is finally bearing fruit.
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After taking office, Zhu Xiongying did not directly go to war, but first took the time to fully understand the operating mode of the three Yamen.

One type is an ally, two types are neutral countries, and three types are hostile countries.

Many people think that civil servants are tough internally and weak and groveling externally.

Although it is a little early to pave the way for the grandson, it is completely in line with the behavior of the emperor and the prince.

Envoys from foreign countries have various privileges, and so do many barbarian tribes.

The first type is the vassal state, the first type is the princely vassal state, and the second type is the vassal state with different surnames.

The situation is similar for Taisun, who started to stand out early.

If the emperor prefers great achievements, then there is nothing he can do.

This is the performance of Taisun's courteous and virtuous corporal. We like this kind of monarch.

The general group naturally supports this. We defeated our opponents militarily, but as a result, their envoys still receive preferential treatment. Why?
The civil service group is also supportive.

On the other hand, why did the Central Plains dynasties treat foreign envoys so differently?
The answer is simple: there is a lack of relevant rules and regulations.

If there is no way to rely on it, everything can only be done according to the meaning above.

If the superiors don't say anything, how can the officials below dare to offend the envoys?
Now Zhu Xiongying has changed this situation and directly formulated a perfect law.

From now on, when receiving foreign envoys, just follow the rules exactly.

This situation is what the civil servant group is most happy to see.

That's not all. This set of laws also stipulates rewards, the exchange of state gifts, etc.

Rewards are given to serious vassal states, and they all depend on the emperor's preference.

But generally it cannot exceed 30% of the value of the tribute contributed by the vassal country.

After all, it is a reward given to the younger brother. He cannot let his eldest brother lose his face. It is understandable to give him more.

The exchange of state gifts is for non-vassal countries, and the gifts must be returned in equal value.

In other words, if someone gives you a penny as a gift, Ming Dynasty will repay you a penny in return, no more, no less.

Regarding this regulation, the civil service group even agreed with both hands and feet.

This situation has not yet occurred in the Ming Dynasty, but it has occurred too many times in previous dynasties, especially during the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.

It doesn't matter who he is, as long as he claims to be an envoy of a certain force, comes with some gifts and claims to make a pilgrimage to the emperor.

As long as you say a few more obedient words, you will immediately receive dozens or hundreds of times the reward.

Many forces regard this kind of thing as a business and come to perform Hajj in various ways.

Do they really respect the emperor in their hearts?
I'm afraid it's just the opposite. Why aren't there more fools who are so easy to deceive?

Does the bureaucracy really not know about this situation?

Are they really willing to accompany the emperor and be taken advantage of?
the answer is negative.

No one wants to be a fool, but no one dares to expose it.

Now that Zhu Xiongying himself has taken the initiative to put this matter on the table, the bureaucracy is naturally happy to see it happen.

Because of this incident, he was once again recognized by the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty, and his personal prestige was also significantly improved.

Of course, Chen Jingke's contribution was part of this. To be precise, this set of rules and regulations was drafted at his suggestion.

"The Central Plains Dynasty has always regarded itself as the supreme kingdom of heaven, and has never thought of equal relations with other countries. All countries are vassal states."

"So there is no diplomatic system, it is completely blank in this area."

"But in the future, Ming Dynasty will face a broader world and contact more countries."

"We must learn to treat other countries as equals, otherwise we will isolate ourselves from other countries in the world."

"This requires a complete diplomatic system that can not only guarantee Ming's interests, but also enable normal relations with other countries."

"When our officials in the Ming Dynasty have contacts with foreign countries, they also have laws and regulations to rely on, and they can handle foreign affairs more calmly."

Zhu Xiongying naturally understood this truth, and immediately decided that his first fire after taking office would be started here.

Chen Jingke added: "By burning the first fire here, we can avoid offending the interests of the officials and causing their dissatisfaction."

"Academic administration and imperial examinations are important matters of the country. They have mature regulations and attract much attention."

"If you make changes here, it will inevitably arouse the vigilance and even resistance of the bureaucracy, which will reduce your weight in their minds."

"Diplomacy is not the same. This aspect has never been taken seriously."

"If you start from here, you won't offend anyone's interests, and naturally you won't cause dissatisfaction."

"And because this is a blank area, as long as the rules and regulations you formulate are not too outrageous, it will be a big contribution." "It can be said that starting from here is equivalent to getting a result in vain."

"Wait until you gain everyone's trust in your abilities before intervening in academic affairs and imperial examination affairs. It will not appear out of place."

"The officials will also seriously consider your suggestions."

"It can be said that starting here is the best choice."

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao also heard these words, and they also felt that this was a good entry point.

After Chen Jingke made the suggestion, he hid behind the scenes again and gave the credit to Zhu Xiongying.

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao saw all this and became increasingly satisfied with Chen Jingke.

In particular, Zhu Xiongying did gain higher prestige through this move, which also made his humility more valuable.

Of course, Chen Jingke was not idle either.

He took the time to open a school and gave it a name:
Luoxia Academy.

A very ordinary name, nothing much to say.

Two hundred students were enrolled in the first phase.

There were less than twenty children of powerful bureaucrats, which made Chen Jingke feel relieved.

He was really afraid that his academy would become a school for the children of powerful people.

Facts have proved that I still value my reputation too highly.

Of course, the rumors of the 'technical college' also played a huge role.

When relevant rumors spread, many people asked him if they were true, but he did not deny them.

In this era of literary supremacy, 'technical college' is too unconventional.

Normally, official families would not be willing to send their children in.

Only Xu Da and other core nobles knew the truth and sent the child over.

Some of the remaining students are adopted orphans, and he also specially adopted some orphan girls.

As long as one of these girls can achieve academic success and make achievements in science, they can be promoted as role models.

There are also some students who are the children of craftsmen, who are the children of craftsmen's families that were originally affiliated with the imperial court.

They are not resistant to studying the skills of various crafts, and are even happy.

The largest number of people are the descendants of the members of the Shape Study Class.

They are the ones who truly understand Chen Jingke’s abilities and have no prejudice against miscellaneous studies.

Chen Jingke did not refuse, on the contrary, he was very supportive.

First, because of their family background, they can learn better.

Secondly... let's put it this way, science is a subject that only rich people can study in depth.

If you don’t have money, you can’t even buy experimental equipment, so what can you use for research?

There is no one in the Metamorphology Research Class who is poor.

They have the material conditions to support their children in in-depth research.

Of course, if a genius appears among the children of the poor, Chen Jingke is willing to spend his own money to train it.

The teachers in the academy are all members of the Shape Studies Class.

Ready-made talents are not used in vain.

Moreover, the shape research class is now larger in size, with hundreds of people resident there.

I don’t know how many people are working abroad.

We all study knowledge together on weekdays, and chat about mountains and rivers when nothing happens, so we have a great time.

Knowing that the academy needed teachers, many idle and bored people volunteered, saying that they would teach the students well.

Naturally, they would not have any objections to the teaching materials provided by Chen Jingke.

Nowadays, the shape research class has become more rigid. To be precise, the arithmetic circle has become more rigid.

Although I dare not fight with Confucianism head-on, I am no longer being beaten unilaterally like before.

And the Confucians also know that there is nothing they can do against them, because Jiguan is indeed a professional type needed by the court and is irreplaceable.

Especially after the implementation of the New Deal, the Financial and Banknote Bureau was almost single-handedly controlled by the planning officials.

Even in daily work, many accounts can only be understood by professional accountants.

The civil service group could only hold their noses and admit it.

Since arithmetic cannot be kicked out, there is no need to continue targeting it.

Out of sight, out of mind is best.

Don't even think about causing trouble, we won't bully you, and everyone will live in peace.

Under such circumstances, the backbone of the arithmetic circle has become stronger.

Since one can become an official by studying arithmetic, then the Confucian approach is not necessary.

Although it will not kick Confucianism away, at least in the arithmetic circle, the importance of Confucian classics is gradually decreasing.

Chen Jingke's teaching materials do not include the traditional Four Books and Five Classics, but excerpts from various literary styles and are collected into Chinese subjects.

Naturally, people in the arithmetic circles would not have any objections.

As for the Confucians, they were very helpless towards Chen Jingke.

Now everyone knows that Chen Jingke does not rely on medical skills to gain a foothold, but has real skills.

The emperor, prince, and grandson all had great trust in him.

And with the support of Xu Da, Lan Yu and other nobles behind him, he is no longer alone.

Qiu Guang'an, the Minister of Household Affairs, is his public ally.

The Ministry of Revenue, the Bureau of Financial and Banknotes, and the Accounting Officer System have completely taken control of the country's money bag.

Even if the civil servants were dissatisfied with him, it would be useless. They could only choose to ignore him.

Therefore, Luoxia Academy quietly started school.

No one came to congratulate, and no one came to cause trouble.

It is an all-boarding college with ten days of study and four days of rest. This is also convenient for students to go home.

But if we want to develop science, education alone is not enough. We also need to develop a complete set of measurement tools.

Chen Jingke could only find some helpers to study these things bit by bit.

Measuring tools for length and weight are readily available, but volume, temperature, etc. are troublesome.

The thermometer, in particular, is the hardest to get.

Chen Jingke only knew the general principles, and the rest could only be left to the craftsmen to experiment.

Fortunately, Ming's top craftsmen did not disappoint him and successfully produced mercury and alcohol thermometers.

It is conceivable that when these vessels made of glass appeared in the laboratory, they shocked others.

As for the stopwatch...he knew that the escapement was the core component of making a clock, but that was about it.

Although the escapement was invented hundreds of years ago.

But how to turn this thing into a clock is beyond Chen Jingke's knowledge.

After all, he is not a mechanical major and his knowledge is very limited.

Moreover, he was planning to use the clock to fire the first shot for Science, so naturally he couldn't take it out now.

After two years, when the first batch of students have completed their studies, the task will be handed over to them.

To achieve this goal through their hands.

It is a great motivation for them and a good start for science.

Time passed by unconsciously, and soon it was the end of the year.

It can be said that Ming Dynasty has been full of harvests this year, and it is naturally another happy year.

But after the New Year, Zhu Yuanzhang brought a big one to the ministers.

Prince Zhu Biao took charge of state affairs.

(End of this chapter)