Ming Dynasty: Zhu Biao's younger brother, the most rebellious son in history

"Let the soldiers choose. If we want to fill up the super-large city in Liaodong, it will require the continuous efforts of our generation."

Try to have children.

Zhu Kai came to Yanjing to talk to Feng Sheng about the reduction of the northern border troops. The craftsmen in Liaodong have already spun woolen cloth, and the steam engine has been successfully produced after repeated experiments. Zhu Kai needs to seize the time and make full use of these two tools.

However, coming to Yanjing also brought an unexpected gain, as Zhu Kai met Feng Cheng, who had been with him since childhood.

Feng Cheng's impression of Zhu Kai mostly stays in his childhood. He followed and protected Zhu Kai at that time. He usually just smiled and didn't like to talk much. When Zhu Kai got into trouble, he would go to apologize to others. When someone provoked Zhu Kai, he would stand up to help Zhu Kai beat others...regardless of whether it was Zhu Kai who caused the trouble or not.

Now seeing each other again, Zhu Kai found that Feng Cheng became more mature after his experience in the army, so he wanted to bring him to his side to see how the bodyguard grew up when he was a child. If appropriate, Zhu Kai planned to let Feng Cheng find Lan Yu and let Lan Yu take him with him.

Zhu Kai did not stay in Yanjing for too long. He had a brief chat with Feng Sheng and then took Feng Cheng straight to Anben.

Anben is now a huge construction site with people working everywhere. When Zhu Kai arrived, he did not go directly to the construction site, but climbed up the mountain and looked down from the height.

The construction site with a radius of 200 miles was full of people working everywhere. It was the first time that Feng Cheng saw such a grand scene and he couldn't help but be amazed.

Building a city in such a large area, in Zhu Kai's words, is this just a dormitory?
This is only two hundred miles, but the area Zhu Kai set for Liaoyang is a huge city with a radius of two thousand miles. Feng Cheng imagined what such a large city would look like, but after thinking about it, he found that he could not imagine what such a large city would look like.

Then, Zhu Kai's words shocked Feng Cheng even more: "Feng Cheng, do you know what mountain we are standing on now?"

"What mountain?"

Feng Cheng stamped his feet and said, "It's the Stone Mountain."

"No, this is a mountain of gold."

Zhu Kai looked at Feng Cheng and said with a half-smile: "Look around, as long as you can see the mountain, it is a golden mountain!"

Why did Zhu Kai build a city in Anben?
the reason is simple.

There are coal mines, iron ore, oil and other resources here.

The resources are so abundant.

Coal is the most important energy resource and steel is the most needed mineral resource. With coal, we can make iron and steel.

If it wasn't absolutely necessary, Zhu Kai wouldn't want to dig up his own family's resources, but now this is the best way. Zhu Kai needs to make use of these and put the Ming Dynasty on the fast track to conquering the world as soon as possible.

To conquer the world, we must make Asia the back garden of the Ming Dynasty.

……

Lu Chao is said to be the 52nd generation grandson of Lu Ban. Zhu Kai is not sure about the details, but one cannot help but believe it, because Lu Chao had the best craftsmanship among all the craftsmen in Liaodong, and Lu Chao made an indispensable contribution to the development of the steam engine.

Therefore, everyone is willing to believe that Lu Chao, the 52nd generation grandson of Lu Ban, is real.

Although he was able to build a steam engine, he didn't know much about the use of energy. After he built the steam engine, although he could make it run, he felt it was useless because the power generated by the steam engine was very small when it was running.

Zhu Kai took a tour of the craftsmen's camp and after observing the operating mode of the steam engine, he immediately discovered the problem.

There is not enough motivation.

What Lu Chao burned in the steam engine was charcoal.

Rather than coking coal.

Zhu Kai said to Lu Chao: "Why not use coal?"

"coal?"

Lu Chao shook his head and explained to Zhu Kai: "Your Highness, we were in the room when we did it. Coal is poisonous and can easily cause suffocation and death. Charcoal is the best choice. There are also some non-toxic coals, but they are sold at a high price. If used in a steam engine, the operating cost is too high and it is not very meaningful."

After hearing this, Zhu Kai also understood that coal is mostly used in blacksmith shops. The places where blacksmiths stay are basically ventilated everywhere. However, if it is used in a relatively closed room, it will easily cause toxic gases to be produced in the room, causing death of people in the room.

But this is not a valid reason, and Zhu Kai does not accept it.

"Since non-toxic coal is sold at a high price, why not find a way to make the toxic coal non-toxic?"

Zhu Kai looked at Lu Chao and said, "Since we asked you to come to Liaodong, we should create something new instead of sticking to the old ways. We should invent and create. We can find ways to remove the toxic substances from the toxic coal so that the coal can be better utilized."

As for the use of coal, the Central Plains was the first to use it. There is a record in "Han Shu Geography": Yuzhang County produces stones that can be burned as firewood; but the reason why the ancients did not use coal on a large scale was mainly because of the idea of ​​"harmony between man and nature". It was precisely because of the Central Plains people's awe of nature and heaven that there was no large-scale digging for coal in ancient times.

But Zhu Kai knew that this concept of harmony between man and nature constrained the people of the Central Plains, causing the Central Plains dynasty to become less and less creative and then surpassed by Europe.

When did Europe start using coal?

During the Yuan Dynasty, Marco Polo, a Western travel enthusiast, brought the story of the Central Plains dynasty burning coal to Europe. The Europeans affectionately called it the magic stone. It would take several hundred years for them to develop and utilize it on a large scale.

However, now that Zhu Kai is here, everything is easy.

Others don't have creativity, but Zhu Kai does.

Zhu Kai put a piece of coal he picked up from the mountain on the table, then took out a piece of limestone and said to Lu Chao: "This is coal, and this is limestone. The toxic substances in coal are acidic, so we need something alkaline like limestone to neutralize the toxic substances in the coal. Crush the coal first..."

Zhu Kai told the people in the craftsmen's camp the simplest desulfurization method he knew. He wanted to tell them more and make them understand the importance of invention, but he gave up.

They have already formed a rigid mindset, and it is not easy to change it. Moreover, they have a strong sense of hierarchy and are sensitive. Zhu Kai is the second prince and has a noble status. Zhu Kai has said a lot, and if they make random guesses again, it would not be worth it.

Wait a minute and let them develop the steam engine first.

As long as the steam engine is developed, Zhu Kai will have a way to realize agricultural automation. At that time, more manpower will be invested in factory construction, accelerating the development of Liaodong.

While letting the people in the Craftsmen's Camp continue to study the steam engine, Zhu Kai met the master craftsmen from the Suzhou and Hangzhou silk shops. According to Zhu Kai's suggestion, they boiled the wool before combing it. Sure enough, it became much easier to weave, and the looseness of the fabric was greatly reduced.

One of the craftsmen said to Zhu Kai happily: "Your Highness, Second Prince, I found that adding a little saltpeter when boiling wool can make the wool softer and the woven cloth feel better."

"it is good!"

Zhu Kai looked at the other person and said to Mao Xiang beside him: "Remember him, and reward him with twenty taels of gold!" "Ah?"

The craftsman was shocked when he heard Zhu Kai's words and waved his hands repeatedly: "Second Prince, I don't mean to ask for money, I just told him my discovery."

"Since you have made a discovery, you should be rewarded. I appreciate your research, your ability to find problems and improve products."

Zhu Kai intended to keep these craftsmen in Liaodong, and he was very generous in rewarding them: "Don't worry, follow me, Zhu Kai, and I guarantee that you will be rewarded for your merits. When you complete your tasks in the future, if you can improve better products, I will naturally reward you, not only with money, but also with official positions and titles. As long as you do it, I can reward you!"

"What? A title, can we have a title too?"

The craftsman who had just received the reward couldn't believe it, "That, that title is not..."

"Yes and no. As for titles and official positions, I will have people formulate relevant systems and tell you about them later. But what I want to say is that scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans are all equal. No one is superior or inferior to anyone else. If you make contributions, you will naturally be rewarded accordingly."

Zhu Kai said that it was just a title and he should be rewarded accordingly.

This thing is just a kind of honor. In later generations, football coaches and basketball coaches can have titles, so why can't craftsmen in the Ming Dynasty have them too?

In Zhu Kai's opinion, the so-called title is not much different from the medal of honor and their nature is basically the same.

Feng Cheng followed Zhu Kai. He had been leading troops in battles and had basically no understanding of local government affairs. However, he was stunned to see Zhu Kai busy from beginning to end.

This... Is Zhu Kai so capable now?

In the past, Zhu Kai didn’t even want to read books. He was just lazy all day long.

Look at the present time, he went all the way north from Yingtian, passed Qi and Lu, and arrived at Yanjing, then discussed things with Feng Sheng in Yanjing, and then continued on his journey without stopping, and did not stop even when he arrived in Liaodong, arranging all the important tasks... This is a complete workaholic, and Feng Cheng has never seen this kind of working style in his uncle Feng Sheng.

This is a high-level worker, but it has to be said that Feng Cheng works too hard.

However, this kind of cognition only lasted for two or three days, and then Feng Cheng would find that Zhu Kai was still the same as when he was a child, without changing at all.

What Zhu Kai is doing now is very big, so big that it is unprecedented and even plagiarism cannot be copied. If Zhu Kai is not leading the way, I really don’t know where it will go astray.

……

Zhu Kai rewarded the weaving craftsman with twenty taels of gold and also promised him a title... The craftsmen in the craftsman camp who were developing the steam engine became jealous when they heard about this.

Can craftsmen also be knighted?

Is there such a good thing?

Then, these craftsmen felt jealous. Why did Zhu Kai only reward them but not us?
Every craftsman in the craftsman camp was holding his breath and working at full capacity to build the steam engines, hoping to receive a reward from Zhu Kai.

After they built the steam engine and greatly increased its power, they knew that the steam engine had been built, and then they found someone to report to Zhu Kai quickly. Everyone was waiting with full confidence for Zhu Kai's reward.

However, when Zhu Kai took a look around and saw the steam engine they made, he was quite satisfied and deliberately ignored the eagerness in the craftsmen's eyes.

What a joke, you want a reward?
The reward can be given, but not now.

After checking it, Zhu Kai calmly said to Lu Chao: "You have built the steam engine, let's move on to the next step."

what?
Zhu Kai's words left the craftsmen in the craftsman camp stunned.

Didn’t you say there would be a reward?
How not?

Everyone turned their eyes to Lu Chao, reminding him with their eyes to go to Zhu Kai to ask for reward.

They all did the work. As Lu Chao was the leader of the craftsmen's camp, Zhu Kai did not give them any rewards, so Lu Chao had to ask for it.

Lu Chao was a little embarrassed to speak, but he couldn't resist the gazes of everyone, so he had to bite the bullet and go to Zhu Kai: "Your Highness, we have built this steam engine, that...reward, will you still give it to me?"

"Reward?"

Zhu Kai looked at Lu Chao, then at the craftsmen behind him, and asked everyone, "You all want rewards, right?"

"..."

None of the craftsmen present spoke, and answered Zhu Kai's questions with silence.

"I gave you the blueprints for the steam engine. I also told you the solution to the problem of insufficient power after it was built. I even taught you how to make coal. Did you do anything else besides doing it yourself?"

Zhu Kai looked at Lu Chao and the craftsmen present. "There are rewards, and I have promised you that as long as you build the steam engine, I will give you rewards. But what is your attitude? Just build it and that's it? You don't use your brain at all, but just rely on your experience to make the steam engine instinctively... What's the use? I can find a blacksmith on the street, can they help me make it?"

"You guys are so stupid that you don't even use your brains. Are you still considered craftsmen?"

Zhu Kai's scolding directly scared the craftsmen. They could clearly feel that Zhu Kai was angry.

Seeing Zhu Kai angry, the craftsmen panicked. They came to Liaodong from Yingtian Prefecture because of Zhu Kai's generosity and the good welfare in Liaodong. They wanted to work in Liaodong for three to five years to earn some money and then go home.

But now, they haven't even made it through the first year and they have offended Zhu Kai... That's how it is. When the superiors instruct the craftsmen camp to make tools, they just tell the craftsmen what they want, and the craftsmen just have to forge iron according to the requirements.

As long as the skills are good, it doesn't matter whether you use your brain or not. Moreover, the craftsmen in the craftsman camp don't care about waste or not. They receive a fixed salary, and saving or wasting will not affect the payment of their wages.

The craftsmen in the Jiangzuying did not have a particularly high social status. On the contrary, their status was very low.

Once you are a craftsman in the Craftsmen Camp, you will be a craftsman in the Craftsmen Camp for the rest of your life. Not only are they craftsmen, but their descendants will also continue to be craftsmen in the Craftsmen Camp.

It’s almost the same as a military household.

Treatment...there is no treatment at all, it's just a fixed salary.

Just like some state-owned enterprises in later generations, ordinary employees therein do not receive high salaries, but they are not too bad either, just a little above the poverty line, which is completely neither high nor low.

Zhu Kai doesn't want this to happen. What he needs is competition, not a stable job that guarantees a stable income. (End of this chapter)