Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

"Jiang Xinghuo, you have changed. You are not who you used to be."

"I haven't changed."

"Then why did you do what you just did? Do you want to be the same obedient and cautious Sima Yi when facing Cao Cao?"

"I have my own reasons."

"You have forgotten how you looked when you came."

"--boom!"

There was a loud noise, and the glass mirror in front of him shattered to the ground.

The attendants outside the door heard the movement and drew their swords one after another. Wang Bin asked in a low voice: "National Master?"

After a moment, Jiang Xinghuo's calm voice came from the room.

"fine."

"yes"

After the attendants left, Wang Bin also retreated.

In the room, only Jiang Xinghuo, who was wearing a green shirt, and a young man in a Mao suit kneeling in front of him, were silent.

The calligraphy and painting scrolls on the wall disappeared, and instead became the wall in the imperial prison where the messy words "Generous Song of Yanshi" were written and then daubed.

After a long time, Jiang Xinghuo finally couldn't bear it anymore and took the lead to break the tranquility: "Why are you here?"

"I am you and I can't be here?"

"You know that's not what I meant."

Jiang Xinghuo frowned, with strong disgust in his eyes: "I want to know how you came from the Prison of Freedom to the Prison of Destiny."

"What you taught Dao Yan is that the prison of certainty is the prison of freedom that has not yet been recognized. There is only one prison in the world. This prison is both the prison of certainty and the prison of freedom. The reason why it has two names is just because The relationship from here to there in the long river of time.”

"We are at two ends of the long river of time. I live at the head of the Yangtze River and you live at the end of the Yangtze River. Why do you appear here? And they are even on different historical lines. I am at the head of the Yellow River and you are at the end of the Yellow River! You should not appear here here!"

Jiang Xinghuo didn't know why, but at this moment, his emotions were clearly revealed, and it seemed that he couldn't hide them like he did in daily life.

Suddenly, a terrible thought occurred to him.

"Oh? It seems you are very aware of your current situation."

Jiang Xinghuo, who was wearing a Chinese tunic suit, smiled lightly and narrowed his eyes: "In words that you and I are familiar with, that is when the gears of fate began to turn. Because Ming Dynasty embarked on the path of the budding bourgeoisie, you have changed the line of history. I His fate has also changed accordingly. Moreover, who told you that time is linear? Even if you can't understand it, then the example of the Yellow River taking the Huaihe River and flowing into the sea is always understandable, right?"

"However, since you know your situation, why don't you take the initiative to admit your mistake? Do you want me to help you personally?"

Jiang Xinghuo, who was wearing a Chinese tunic suit, stood up with his hands behind his back. He looked down at Jiang Xinghuo with a condescending look, and the corners of his mouth curved, giving people a strong sense of oppression.

Jiang Xinghuo took a deep breath and said coldly: "I'm not wrong, why should I admit my mistake?"

"Huh, right?"

Jiang Xinghuo, who was wearing a Chinese tunic suit, chuckled and said, "If I hadn't come back in time, what do you think you would look like now? In other words, what would have happened?"

"You have become a feudal bureaucrat who has been corrupted by the desire for power. Under the guise of serving your ideal and the country, you are groveling to please the feudal rulers and these blood-sucking insects. You deceive yourself. Everything you do is for that. A lofty ideal, everything at the moment is just temporary forbearance, but you don’t know that taking one step back from the bottom line can mean taking ten thousand steps back, and the slightest wavering of your inner faith and the slightest crack will completely disintegrate it.”

"Seeing how you look now makes me feel really sick."

Jiang Xinghuo frowned and clenched his fists involuntarily. His nails pierced his palms and blood oozed out.

"What do you know? Isn't it easy to say that? But if you sit here with me, you know what it means to walk on thin ice and face the abyss. This hard work has finally turned the ship of the country out of the mud. There are strong winds and waves in front of us, and if we don’t work hard to maintain it, we will be in danger of overturning in an instant.”

"The captain is always the last one to know that the ship is sinking. If it's hard to give orders from a high place, you should really go and see what it's like at the bottom. Don't forget yourself."

Many Jiang Xinghuo surrounded him from all directions, including babies, old soldiers, some wearing Chinese tunic suits, some wearing animal skins, and some wearing mandarin jackets.

".Don't forget yourself."

"Ho!"

Jiang Xinghuo woke up from the bed dripping with sweat, and his entire cerebral cortex seemed to be numb like an overcurrent.

The familiar scene appeared again. Wang Bin outside the door asked in a low voice: "National Master?"

"Come in."

Wang Bin walked in, Jiang Xinghuo motioned for him to come closer, Wang Bin came closer, and then Jiang Xinghuo squeezed his face hard.

real.

Probably because he could tell that Jiang Xinghuo was haunted by a nightmare, Wang Bin didn't get angry, but patted the back of his hand to express comfort.

"Every day you think about something, you dream about something."

The sky was bright outside the window, and Jiang Xinghuo stood up, indicating that he was fine.

"What day is today?"

"November first."

Jiang Xinghuo was stunned.

Wang Bin said: "Master, you were drunk last night and went to bed too late. When you woke up in the morning, you were a little confused."

Hearing this, Jiang Xinghuo shook his head.

These days were confusing, and many times, he always felt as if a certain scene was happening again, but he no longer had the same emotions as before, and instead felt a little relieved.

There is still half a month to prepare for the Beijing inspection, and all the work will be completed before December.

The affairs of the Lianghuai Salt Farm are temporarily left to Xie Jin. He still needs to reorganize the overall salt affairs based on subsequent feedback, and then make plans to reform the salt law through Shenfa Temple.

Jiang Xinghuo looked at Wang Bin and asked, "What's the important thing today?"

Wang Bin said: "It's nothing special."

"Does Yu Qian go to school today?"

"Ohondo should not be in school today."

Well, children also have holidays, they don’t have to go to school thirty days a month.

"Call Yu Qian, then call the little sister, bring some fruits and vegetables, go out of the city to see Jing Qing's two daughters, and then go to the workshop."

After Jing Qing's death, his family members were also imprisoned and later exiled to the army. However, Jiang Xinghuo placed his two daughters in a private school in the countryside near Nanjing, thus avoiding the fate of becoming a Jiaofangsi.

Although they are still young now, they have reached the age of reading and literacy.

——————

After leaving the Rongguo Duke's mansion, because it was already winter, the weather was too cold and there were women and children, so Jiang Xinghuo did not ride his little gray horse, but took a carriage.

The carriage drove out of the street in Fangli, and the Duke of Wei's Mansion next door was moving. Xu Jingchang seized the title of Duke Ding. According to the rules of the country, the family must be separated, so the fourth room was moved out. Today's Duke of Wei's Mansion, Lao Zhongshan Among the heirs left by the king, the eldest son Xu Huizu went to Beijing, the second son Xu Yingxu and Li Jinglong had not returned from the war in Annan, and the third son Xu Tianfu died early and left no heirs. Therefore, the male protagonists of Wei Guogong's mansion are not here, but it seems that Deserted.

Next door to the Wei Guogong Mansion is the new mansion given to Jiang Xinghuo by Zhu Di. However, due to the large area and long renovation period, it took more than half a year to complete it. There was a light snowfall last night. There were not many pedestrians on the road, and the carriage creaked as it walked on the road paved with bluestones. Jiang Xinghuo leaned against the carriage with his eyes closed, thinking about what was coming next.

So it was still white outside at the moment, and the cold wind was biting, making the carriage windows rattle.

After traveling for an unknown number of miles, the carriage stopped. Wang Bin, who was driving the carriage himself, said to the inside: "Master, there seems to be a blockage in front of us. I'll send people to disperse it."

Hearing this, Jiang Xinghuo jumped out of the carriage and walked a few steps forward to take a look.

But they saw that it was the people from the Wucheng Army and Horses Division who were collecting the bodies of beggars who had frozen to death on the roadside. Although it was a good place, this kind of thing was inevitable every year.

Although the people in the Five Cities Military and Horse Division did not recognize Jiang Xinghuo, looking at the attendants around him, they knew that his identity was not something they could afford, so they did not dare to chase him away.

Most of the people nearby were just watching the fun, and they didn't have much sympathy. They probably lived a tight life and couldn't care about others.

Among the beggars on the roadside was a child wearing single clothes. He was shivering from the cold and seemed to be stunned. He stood there blankly looking at the cold corpse that was taken away, neither crying nor making a fuss. He just covered his mouth with his hand, for fear of disturbing anything.

"Send them all to Luze Garden."

The officers and soldiers of the Wucheng Army and Horse Division had a look of disgust on their faces, and no one was happy to come out to carry the corpse in the cold weather.

As mentioned before, the social assistance system of the Ming Dynasty was inherited from the Song and Yuan Dynasties. There are residential care homes similar to modern nursing homes to accommodate the elderly and disabled people who have no one to take care of them. There are also Anjiyuan that provides medical assistance to the poor, and homes for homeless people who have died. The beggars were buried in the Leaze Garden, but it was of little help to the beggars.

It is true that there are some beggars who have lost the ability to work normally and are very pitiful, but most of them do this as a profession, are lazy and unwilling to do things, because there are too many such people, and the court cannot control it. It is impossible Provide them with food and drink for free.

This kind of thing is considered normal.

Jiang Xinghuo signaled Wang Bin to bring the little boy over. The little boy looked to be only about seven or eight years old. He was very thin, with sunken cheeks and a face that was red from the cold. The rest of his skin was dark and yellow, except for a pair of black eyes. The big eyes are exceptionally bright.

Jiang Xinghuo frowned slightly and waved to the lonely little boy: "Come here."

His voice was low and gentle, which made the little boy stunned for a long time before he recovered. He slowly walked up to him and looked at Jiang Xinghuo timidly.

"Why are you here? Do you have parents or family?" Jiang Xinghuo asked.

"me……"

The little boy stammered and couldn't speak, and finally burst into tears.

Jiang Xinghuo couldn't control the other adult beggars, so he took the little boy into the carriage. The little boy looked at the spacious and warm carriage and the cleanly dressed Yu Qian, showing a deep look of inferiority.

Jiang Xuan asked about his family affairs from time to time, and the little boy also cried and told her how he lived on the streets and how he avoided the officials. By the time the carriage left Nanjing, he had already fallen asleep from crying. .

Looking at the sleeping little boy, Jiang Xinghuo sighed, touched the little boy's head, and said, "Today, take him back to your house and do some work that you can do to support yourself, or you can settle down and ask for his opinion, or you can give it to him." Go to Datianjie Temple and become a monk."

These days, there are standards for becoming a monk and becoming a serious monk, so it is not really possible for anyone to escape into Buddhism. However, becoming a monk is actually a good choice for a child in this era, and there are normal They have a collective living and educational environment where at least they have no problem reading and literacy, and they have no worries about food and drink.

"Master, you don't seem to be happy." Yu Qian noticed it keenly.

Jiang Xinghuo asked, "What's the joy of saving one person? When it snows, I don't know how many people will freeze to death."

Yu Qian said seriously: "Doing something is better than doing nothing at all. It's worth being happy. Otherwise, Master will have a sad face every day and a depressed heart, which will affect the body. Even the most important tasks must be carried with a smile."

"Who did you learn it from? Huikong?"

Yu Qian shook his head and did not answer him.

As the children grow older, they have little secrets.

Jiang Xinghuo didn't delve into it. He was thinking that Nanjing was located south of the Yangtze River. Although it was affected by the Little Ice Age, the climate was not that cold. The main reason why beggars froze to death was physical weakness caused by long-term malnutrition, and Lack of necessary clothing.

Jiang Xinghuo couldn't solve the former; the latter could.

Just make thin cotton clothes. Although it is very troublesome to operate, and although there will be various problems such as false claims, wool harvesting, etc., the cost is honestly not much. It is done as a relief project for the court, just like soup porridge, starting from the emperor. Everyone is happy to see the success.

But Jiang Xinghuo thought about more, besides nutrition and clothing, there was also warmth.

The coal industry should indeed be put on the agenda, but coal needs a market. This is an objective economic law, and it is no exception at all times and in all countries.

Before the Ming Dynasty in China, only the Northern Song Dynasty had records of large-scale use of coal in cities. "Ji Ribian" records that "in the past, there were millions of households in Biandu, all of which relied on coal, and none of them burned firewood." From this, it can be seen that in the Northern Song Dynasty, coal was Firewood has become a daily fuel for ordinary residents in Kaifeng, and firewood has been abandoned by Kaifeng people.

This is because the population of Kaifeng has reached one million, and there is Hedong (Shanxi) in the Northern Song Dynasty. Transportation is very convenient nearby. Coupled with the developed economy, such a large market can be cultivated. This kind of record has been recorded since the Northern Song Dynasty. Gradually lost traces, people returned to charcoal.

One thing that left a deep impression on Jiang Xinghuo was that when watching a British TV series, beggars on the streets of England during the Victorian era collected cinders to keep warm.

There are many reasons why the first industrial revolution originated in the United Kingdom, but coal in the British Isles, which is widely distributed, easy to mine, and easy to transport, is one of the most important reasons.

"Every coal basket contains power and civilization." The reason why Britain's first industrial revolution used coal was because after the sixteenth century, with the substantial growth of the British population, the increasing area of ​​cultivated land, and the expansion of handicrafts such as iron smelting and brewing, With rapid development, society's demand for wood has exploded. London's brewing industry alone burns 20,000 carts of wood every year; in the iron smelting industry, an ordinary ironworks consumes 400 acres a year. Wood from forest land; in addition, there are people's daily cooking and heating needs, coupled with the vigorous land enclosure movement, further aggravating the shrinkage of British forest land.

After the seventeenth century, the supply of timber resources in the UK has been very short. By the eighteenth century, the forest coverage rate in the UK has dropped to a dangerous level of less than 10%. Timber has become a scarce commodity with limited purchase limits, and the waste generated by timber processing Charcoal is also the fuel for iron smelting, so it has become a historical necessity for coal to replace charcoal. By the end of the reign of Elizabeth I, coal had become the most important source of fuel in the United Kingdom. The coal industry, with its prominent position as a pillar industry of the national economy, became a key factor in the British economy. An industrial sector second to none.

The coal resources around Nanjing are not very rich. In Jiang Xinghuo's impression, there seem to be only two coal mines.

One is Tangshan and the other is Zhongshan.

Well, Zhongshan definitely can't dig it. That's where Lao Zhu's tomb is. If you dig it, something will happen.

Then we can only make do with Tangshan first.

Tangshan seems to be Li Zengzhi's property?

Then Li Zengzhi would have to demolish his big villa.

——————

The place where Jingqing's two daughters were placed was not far from Nanjing City. After leaving the city gate, it only took more than half an hour to reach their destination.

As soon as they entered the village, they saw several old men sitting at the entrance of the village looking at them.

The environment here is relatively remote and the transportation is poor. Therefore, these elderly people are wary of outsiders, especially strangers.

Wang Bin stopped his horse and shouted around: "Take us to the village chief's house."

When the old men saw how Wang Bin and others were dressed, they were slightly startled and then moved out of the way.

"Everyone, please come with me." A young junior said.

Wang Bin thanked him and drove towards the largest house.

The houses in this village are basically flat-roofed, but only the middle house has a decent architectural style. It is a typical Jiangnan courtyard, with flowers and trees planted at the door. Although they are all withered, they still have an antique feel.

After Jiang Xinghuo and his group entered, they immediately attracted the attention of everyone in the room.

In addition to an old man sitting on the main seat in the room, there was a man and a woman beside him. They looked like a father and daughter.

"You rare visitor, why do you have time to come here?" the village chief asked Wang Bin with a smile.

Wang Bin placed two little girls with him for adoption, and gave him money and food every month. Although the village chief and his family did not dare to deduct money, how much could they use for the two little girls? The rest is still theirs, and everything they eat and drink is from the same pot. No one can settle this account clearly, so I wonder what Wang Bin said.

"It's winter, come here for a visit, and bring some gifts along the way."

The village chief waved his hands quickly: "I feel ashamed to receive this salary for no merit..."

"Old village chief, please don't refuse. This is also what my master wants."

Wang Bin turned sideways, and the village chief and others saw Jiang Xinghuo's appearance. They had only guessed about his identity before, but now that Wang Bin said it himself, they confirmed that he must be a high-ranking person.

"I came here this time to express my gratitude. The two girls are thanks to the care of the village chief. Secondly, I want to discuss something with the village chief. I wonder if the village chief is willing to agree to my proposal." Jiang Starfire said straight to the point.

The old village chief's surname is Li. His ancestral home is from the Jiangsu and Zhejiang generations. He moved here five generations ago. After all, it is a village around Nanjing. He is still somewhat knowledgeable and knows how to negotiate with such a big shot. As long as he does not take them Even if he is on the road to death, he will have to keep a smile on his face.

"Your Majesty, please speak."

"I heard that there are many young men in the village who are engaged in mining."

When Village Chief Li heard this, his expression suddenly changed slightly.

The mines belonged to the imperial court and were not allowed to be mined by private individuals. Whether it was the private mining of silver mines and other mines in the early Ming Dynasty, or the conflicts between the imperial court and the people caused by the famous Wanli mining in the late Ming Dynasty, this incident The matter is deep.

This kind of thing, if you take it seriously, will lead to beheading.

"Don't be nervous, I'm not here to pursue this matter."

After hearing Jiang Xinghuo's words, Village Chief Li showed a thoughtful look on his face. After a moment, he said: "Noble sir, to be honest, I have no choice but to do it. The hills around Nanjing are more or less mines. If you don’t cultivate enough and don’t go mining, you can’t live in poverty and have to work hard.”

"What if there is a mine recruiting workers?"

Village Chief Li frowned: "My lord, what do you mean by this?"

Jiang Xinghuo smiled lightly and said: "Tangshan is nearby. I plan to take over the nearby mountains and forests and build a few better roads to connect the villages around Tangshan. By then, Nanjing and these villages will be able to communicate with each other. Not only can goods from Nanjing be transported here, but also minerals from the mountains can also be transported to Nanjing. This not only saves transportation costs, but also increases the income of the surrounding people without having to mine in secret. Why not? Woolen cloth?"

"hiss……"

The village chief's son on the side couldn't help but take a breath.

This is no ordinary land. The land at the foot of Tangshan Mountain is very expensive. Most people cannot afford enough money to buy the land here. Moreover, many things cannot be solved with money. Half of the land there, It's from Duke Cao's mansion.

Just like Mr. Jinsu of the Yongchun Hou family bought half of the Jubao Mountain, there are many explanations for this.

Village Chief Li was silent for a moment, then sighed and said: "My lord, I know how much you care about the people in our village, and I also know that you are sincerely seeking our welfare, but just...well, that's all, if this matter is If it really works, the young people in the village will naturally have nothing to say and will just do as the noble man says."

Jiang Xinghuo bowed his hands and said, "Thank you, old village chief, for your strong support."

If the Tangshan Coal Mine can be successfully mined and the technology of the coal industry is improved, it will not only allow the people to keep warm better, but also create employment in the surrounding villages, which will undoubtedly be a good thing that everyone will be happy with.

If there is an impact, it may have an impact on woodcutters, but it is foreseeable that with a population of one million in Nanjing, there is still a long way to go before coal can completely occupy the market like Kaifeng did in the Northern Song Dynasty. Go.

After sitting for a while, Jingqing's two daughters came back from get out of class in the village.

It can be seen that the two of them are living well here, and the people in the village are not stupid. Although some people speculate that they are the illegitimate daughters of powerful people, no one dares to abuse or discriminate against them.

When they saw Jiang Xinghuo, the two girls' expressions were a little complicated, mixed with fear and shrinkage.

On the one hand, they all knew that their father died precisely because he attacked Jiang Xinghuo; on the other hand, they also knew that Jiang Xinghuo had no ill intentions towards their family, and indeed he had saved them from the fate of falling into the Jiaofangsi .

It was this complex emotion that made them both grateful and afraid of Jiang Xinghuo.

Jiang Xinghuo has watched "The Ming Dynasty", but obviously, Zhu Zhanji's queen and concubine must have nothing to do with Jing Qing in history, so there is no fate for these two little girls.

But even so, Jiang Xinghuo's emotions towards the two little girls are equally complex, because although it is easy for him to raise children who may regard him as his enemy, it is undoubtedly setting up trouble for himself in the future, and no one will Do you know if there will be a scene where you have to endure it for twenty years to avenge your father? Isn't this how Gao Qiqiang in "Hurry" fell into trouble? Although it is a TV series, it also has certain warning significance.

But no matter what, they are all innocent now.

"Let's go to the workshop and take you some delicious food by the way."

Jiang Xinghuo didn't quite understand how to be a father, and Yu Qian, who usually followed him, seemed different from a normal child, so it was difficult for Jiang Xinghuo to deal with these two little girls.

Fortunately, Jiang Xuan seemed to have this talent, and the two little girls were not afraid of her.

So four children were squeezed into the carriage and drove all the way to the fertilizer and glass workshops.

The location of the workshop on the Jiuxiang River between Zhongshan and Tangshan was chosen because of its large scale and pollution. At that time, the Jiuxiang River was not called this name, but Jiangchengpu. It is a tributary of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It runs north-south and originates from a lake. It merges into the Yangtze River in the villages at the foot of Qixia Mountain. Because of its cargo duties, it is also called the "grain transport river". The total length of the river is more than 40 miles.

Since the two major elements of production and freight are integrated, it means dense population and developed transportation. Naturally, small towns that provide various life services for workers, sailors, and merchants were born.

The carriage walked along the stone road along the river.

To be honest, this is Jiang Xinghuo's first time here. Yuan Gong and Zhang Yuchu were in charge before.

"Get out of the car and see what you want to eat."

Just after stopping for a while and walking on the street, I felt a little chilly.

When the vendor selling candied haws on the street saw a customer walking by, he immediately greeted him warmly: "Would you like to eat candied haws on a stick? It's very sweet!"

Yu Qian shook his head and said, "Forget it, I won't eat this kind of thing."

Jiang Xinghuo said directly: "One person per person, and you are not allowed to eat until you finish the meal."

The two girls were biting gracefully, and the little beggar burst into tears again. Jiang Xuan wiped them away, and saw that Wang Bin and several attendants in the team were also eating very enthusiastically.

Jiang Xinghuo, on the other hand, bit the candied haws in his mouth and continued walking forward. When he reached the door of a restaurant, he suddenly stopped and looked up at the restaurant's plaque - Zuixianlou.

Jiang Xinghuo raised his eyebrows slightly, why not open a "Yelai Inn" next door?

Zuixianlou is diagonally opposite the Yunliang River Pier. It is considered a commercial street. It usually sells small businesses such as food and tea, and the business is pretty good.

After entering the restaurant, the waiter was wiping the tables, chairs and benches. When he saw Jiang Xinghuo walking in, he quickly came forward and said, "Please take a seat, distinguished guests."

Jiang Xinghuo found an empty seat and sat down, and asked, "Do you have any signature dishes?"

"Of course there is some, but my quantity is relatively small."

The very honest waiter said: "Why don't you guys drink some stomach-warming porridge first, and then eat some vegetables to fill your stomach, so as not to be full."

"Yeah, okay." Jiang Xinghuo nodded and agreed, then ordered some porridge and vegetables.

Soon, the shopkeeper personally brought several bowls of chicken porridge with his waiters and placed them in front of Jiang Xinghuo and others. He added a poached egg to each bowl and said with a smile on his face: "You guys, please use it."

"Thank you very much."

Jiang Xinghuo looked at the few people and said, "Eat them all."

After a while, the remaining dishes came out one after another.

Jiang Xinghuo immediately lowered his head and picked out a piece of steamed fish to eat. The fish meat was delicious, smooth and tender. It was juicy and very delicious. After Jiang Xinghuo finished eating, he couldn't help but praise: "The portion is small, and his cooking skills are quite good."

"Haha, it is a blessing for this small shop to be praised by distinguished customers." The shopkeeper smiled, but secretly he was surprised in his heart. Could this distinguished guest be a young master who ran away from a powerful family? Why do you order the best dishes right away, look like you have a lot of money, and bring so many children with you?

However, just as Jiang Xinghuo and others were dining in an awkward atmosphere, there was a sudden noise outside the door, and several Taoist priests in feathers came in arrogantly.