Rule the Ming Dynasty Alone

As the sun sets, the entire lake looks sparkling.

Zhu Youtang is not too entangled in the current situation of the world's excessive pursuit of gold. After all, he can both want gold and quietly promote the development of science and technology. Only children can make choices.

As for the financial problems faced, there is no need to call her mother.

After all, it is still a feudal society, and social productivity lies here. The empire's financial problems cannot be solved simply by implementing benevolent government, and even the income is far inferior to that of tyranny, so the finances are destined to be impossible to be too abundant.

Zhu Youtang has been in power for three years and has already thought through many things. Now the only way to truly rise is to vigorously develop productivity.

At this time, Yu Ming, a member of the Department of Water Resources of the Ministry of Industry, came to ask for an audience.

Zhu Youtang had already started fishing with a pole. He found that Cao Cao had just arrived in his mind, and he gently raised his hand to indicate that he would be led in.

Now the Ministry of Works is the most important department for him to promote productivity improvement, so he has always attached great importance to cultivating practical talents in the Ministry of Works. However, he is not sure what good news this foreigner from the Water Department of the Ministry of Works will bring to him.

China's current most important means of production is land, and the direction of the means of production is naturally agricultural products, but the 800 million acres of fields are mainly planted with rice and wheat.

In view of the knowledge reserves of later generations, he knew that China's traditional crops of rice and wheat had great limitations, which was also the real reason why China's current population has never exceeded 100 million.

Miraculously, the population of subsequent dynasties exceeded 400 million from 70 million, and the reason was the introduction of high-yielding crops such as corn, potatoes, and sweet potatoes.

Because of this, he combined with the actual situation of the current production means of the Ming Dynasty and did not rush to pursue high technologies such as airplanes and trains. Instead, he decided to introduce corn, potatoes and sweet potatoes, thus leading China to carry out an agricultural production revolution.

Once the Ming Dynasty has the ability to produce food for a population of 400 million, China can focus more on scientific research and truly lead the world's technological trends.

It's just that the ideal is beautiful, but the reality is very skinny.

Although Spain and Portugal are already making moves on the sea and their footprints are slowly heading east, there are still 32 years left before Magellan completes his first round-the-world journey.

If you want to use western routes to spread corn, potatoes and sweet potatoes, it will take a longer time to wait.

Not to mention that the actual time will be fifty or hundreds of years, even if it only takes 32 years, this is unacceptable to Zhu Youtang.

Zhu Youtang did not intend to let the Chinese nation wait for another hundred years, nor did he want to leave this matter to the next generation, so he decided to personally change the original history.

For this reason, he has been silently promoting the development of Huaxia Shipyard, and even handed over the task of crossing the Pacific Ocean Ship to the Ministry of Industry and Tianjin Shipyard, planning to complete the first agricultural revolution by Huaxia independently.

Just yesterday, after numerous revisions, the shipbuilding plan was officially finalized, but it was a crucial step completed.

The sunset looked infinitely better at this time, and the entire Xiyuan was enveloped in golden sunlight.

Yu Ming, a member of the Department of Water Resources of the Ministry of Industry, walked slowly with his head down, following the small yellow door.

He is a young man with a bit of stupidity about him. He is about thirty years old. His eyes are bloodshot and his face is haggard. He looks like he hasn't had enough sleep.

When we were about to arrive at the fishing pavilion, we seemed to be too focused on walking. In addition, we seemed top-heavy and almost tripped over the steps.

Liu Jin looked at this newcomer to the officialdom who stood out in Youji Enke, but couldn't help but shake his head secretly.

Until now, he didn't understand what was so special about this somewhat foolish young official. As a result, he only relied on a few drawings and models to gain His Majesty's favor, and he was even ready to promote him to the rank of Doctor of the Dushui Division.

"Yu Ming, a member of the Department of Water Resources of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, respectfully greets the Holy Father!" After Yu Ming arrived here, he immediately greeted him with a polite voice.

this……

Liu Jin suddenly came back to his senses, looked horrified and glared at Yu Ming, who didn't understand the rules, and then turned to look at Zhu Youtang who was fishing worriedly.

Zhu Youtang saw that the buoy suddenly stopped moving, but he knew that this foreigner from the Ministry of Industry had scared away his fish, and he couldn't help but feel a little unhappy in his heart.

It's just that he is not prepared to get angry over such a trivial matter. There are too many ministers wagging their tails at him every day, so having a few independent ministers is not a bad thing.

What's more, although Yu Ming is not very gregarious, he is indeed a person who can concentrate on his work, especially in shipbuilding.

Han Youying had been paying attention to Zhu Youtang's reaction. Seeing that the man was not angry, she was very cooperative and gave him a cup of tea.

Zhu Youtang put down the fishing rod in his hand, but he was not in a hurry to serve the tea, but asked straight to the point: "Yu Ming, I remember that I have finalized the plan for the Mingyuan treasure ship of your water department. What do you want to ask for your opinion this time? "

Ming Dynasty wanted to go to the American continent to find high-yielding agricultural product seeds, so it naturally needed ocean-going ships.

It's just that the Ming Dynasty has been banned from sea for nearly a hundred years. After the blueprints of Zheng He's treasure ships were handed over to Liu Daxia, the information on Zheng He's treasure ships has been seriously lost.

Because of this, Ming Dynasty lost its most important shipbuilding technical data and experience, so now Ming Dynasty's shipbuilding technology has regressed.

Of course, although the information on Zheng He's treasure ship is complete, the ship is too bulky and the sailing speed is too slow to meet the requirements for crossing the Pacific Ocean.

In view of this, Zhu Youtang overturned the plan to imitate Zheng He's treasure ship, and instead decided to learn from the almost contemporary Karak sailing ship to build a Mingyuan treasure ship capable of crossing the Pacific Ocean.

Although building a Karak sailboat now is like crossing the river by feeling the stones, with China's shipbuilding foundation and creativity, it is not an insurmountable difficulty to build a few Karak sailboats to cross the Pacific.

"Your Majesty, I believe that there are several technical difficulties in the manufacturing of the Mingyuan Treasure Ship, and the shipbuilding cost is too high, so I ask your Majesty to do the next best thing and adopt my latest shipbuilding plan!" Yu Ming presented the drawings and issued it very solemnly. ask.

Han Youying knelt down to Zhu Youtang in an obedient manner, observing this man with a sincere eye, but this time she couldn't help but cast a strange glance at this silly young man.

Zhu Youtang immediately frowned. He didn't like people who held back after things were finalized.

Although there are indeed some technical difficulties in imitating the Karak sailboat, in the process of building the ship, as long as everyone slowly finds ways to overcome it.

Fortunately, the shipbuilding plan had just been finalized by the Water Department, but the Foreign Minister of the Water Department actually came up with a second plan.

Liu Jin saw that Zhu Youtang remained silent, and immediately knew that Zhu Youtang was angry. However, seeing that Zhu Youtang had no other words to express, he bit the bullet and handed over the drawings.

"Your Majesty, the tea is cold!"

Han Youying actually hoped that Zhu Youtang could be a wise king who listened and understood, but she was worried that Zhu Youtang would drink tea without looking at the drawings, so she immediately took back the tea channel.

Zhu Youtang was initially wavering in his heart, but at this moment he reached out to take the drawing presented by Yu Ming, but after seeing the design on it, his face suddenly darkened.

The so-called greatness leads to simplicity. The history of shipbuilding in the world is that the number of masts becomes less and less until they disappear in later generations.

Zheng He's treasure ship adopted a nine-masted sailing design, but facts have long proved that more masts are not always better. It is more scientific to use three masts.

Now Yu Ming does not learn from the three-masted sailboat he advocated, but still adopts a six-masted design that is behind the times. Even though the design is smaller and saves money, it is undoubtedly a conceptual retrogression.

Huh?

Liu Jin was good at observing words and expressions, so she lowered her head silently, hoping that Yu Ming was just asking for blessings.

Zhu Youtang realized that Yu Ming was not a shipbuilding wizard at all, so he threw the drawing in his hand directly to the ground: "Yu Ming, do you really think this ship can be compared to the Mingyuan Treasure Ship?"

"Your Majesty, although the sailboat designed by me is not as good as the Mingyuan Treasure Ship, the cost is only one-tenth of the Mingyuan Treasure Ship!" Yu Ming knew that there were indeed shortcomings, but he emphasized it seriously.

Zhu Youtang's eyes flashed with disappointment, but he still suppressed his anger and asked: "Have you ever seen the sea?"

"I've been afraid of water since I was a child, so I've never been to the sea!" Yu Ming didn't expect to encounter this question, so he answered with embarrassment.

Zhu Youtang realized that the problem might not lie with Ming, so he turned to look at the lake in front and said: "The lake is calm, but sometimes there are waves. The overflow of the Yellow River can flood Fengcheng. If a boat enters the sea, it will be like a dead leaf falling into the lake. , life and death are unpredictable. The Ming Dynasty now needs money everywhere, the Yellow River needs to be controlled, the state needs to be established, the army needs to be strong, and the finances are already stretched! It’s just that the Ming Dynasty can save money, but once some money is saved, thousands of people who go to sea are likely to He hid in the belly of the fish! This matter is not just a matter of thousands of lives. Once the treasure seed cannot be successfully retrieved, when will China be able to prosper?"

"I was wrong, please punish me!" Yu Ming realized that the emperor in front of him had thought more carefully, and he took the initiative to admit his mistake.

Zhu Youtang didn't intend to accuse him, so he gently raised his hand to signal to leave.

He knew that Yu Ming was deeply influenced by Confucianism and always believed that a monarch should rule with dignity and less fuss, but he did not know that development was the last word.

If he doesn't take the initiative now, it will take at least a while for those high-yielding seeds to arrive, followed by the giant ships and heavy artillery of the Western powers.

Now Ming Dynasty can only lead the world better by completing agricultural reforms and taking the initiative to solve the food problem. Although a certain big country in later generations is recognized as a leader in science and technology, it has always had a firm control over its food production.

The next morning, the sun was shining brightly.

Yangxin Hall is located in the picturesque Xiyuan. Since the epidemic, the place has become lively again. Not only did the two cabinet ministers return to work here, but also important ministers from the six ministries came to see them from time to time.

Ordinarily, building ships and going to the New World to retrieve high-yielding seeds is a matter of benefit to the country and the people, but after Yu Ming just raised his objection, another heavyweight was welcomed.

"Your Majesty, absolutely... no!" Li Si, the Minister of Household Affairs, was a genuine Cantonese, but he was so anxious that he almost spoke in dialect.

Zhu Youtang is handling the daily affairs of the two capitals and thirteen provinces. Since the advent of cement reduced the cost of city construction, various governments have petitioned for the establishment of new counties.

In fact, the imperial power did not go to the countryside. This was related to the power of local clans and the excessive jurisdiction of one county.

Like the southern Gansu region that was causing trouble before, since the imperial court established Chongyi County, the government has been able to better manage the southern Gansu region and is no longer always beyond its reach.

There are many situations similar to those in southern Jiangxi. For example, the world-famous Songjiang Prefecture only has two counties, and the southwest prefectures have a county that governs far more areas than one prefecture in Jiangnan.

Faced with Guangdong's request to add Sanshui County, this confluence of Xijiang, Beijiang, and Suijiang rivers could indeed be a place for establishing a county, so he immediately stroked his pen.

Zhu Youtang was in a good mood today. Facing the Minister of Hubu who came to complain, he comforted him and said, "Li Qing, as long as the Hubu squeezes a little, you can always get this little money!"

"Your Majesty, you have said this more than once! Now the money that has been allocated to the Ministry of Industry has exceeded ten million taels. Even if I can turn stone into gold, I still can't fill this hole!" Although Li Si knew this! Zhu Youtang wanted to do something big, but he could no longer satisfy the emperor, so he could only shed a few tears.

This was not the first time that Zhu Youtang quarreled with the old Minister of Household Affairs over money, so he put down the memorial in his hand: "Li Qing, I know it's difficult for you, but this matter is related to the food of our Ming Dynasty. Once we can The successful retrieval of the treasure plant not only means that my name will go down in history, but you, the Minister of Household Affairs, are also indispensable!"

"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue is really out of money!" Li Si was immediately moved, but still complained bitterly.

Zhu Youtang glanced at Li Si and seemed to be well prepared: "Haven't you been raising money for gold mining? Anyway, there will still be some time, so you can allocate it to the Ministry of Industry!"

"Your Majesty, the money has not been collected at all. Once the money is allocated to the Ministry of Industry for shipbuilding, we really will have no money for gold mining!" Li Si's eyes widened and he explained the situation.

Zhu Youtang found that he was faced with a multiple-choice question again, and couldn't help but ask bitterly: "Li Qing, do you think ten golden mountains are more important, or do you think it is more important to increase grain production by doubling it?"

"I think you are rich, but... I am stupid!" Li Sizheng wanted to express his position, but after all, he had been in official circles for decades, so he changed his words.

Zhu Youtang knew that he was the one at the helm, so he gently cupped his hands and said: "Go! I have made up my mind!"

On this matter, he was obviously not very democratic and did not even discuss it in the Supreme Council.

But he knows that the road is tortuous, but the future is bright.

Digging gold mines is important now, but feeding the people underneath is equally important. If we can successfully retrieve high-yielding seeds, we will have enough food reserves to devote more wholeheartedly to scientific research and development.

Whether it's a plane or a train, if you can't even feed yourself, it's all nonsense.

"Yes!" Li Si was originally determined to oppose this risky move, but he vaguely sensed the emperor's ambition and changed his attitude.

But he still doesn't understand why the emperor is not obsessed with the gold mine that he just found with great difficulty, but is more obsessed with going to the other side of the ocean to find unknown treasures.