Start with Baihuguan

Chapter 545
However, just last year, the statistics of Dingkou in the world, the statistics of the imperial court are amazing, not counting Nanyang Province, Dongyang Province, Annan, Champa, and even the newly occupied Mobei Province, Liaodong Province, etc. , only the 13 provinces of Ming and Beijing have a total of more than 120 million households and a population of more than 340 million.

That is to say, in the past few years, high-yielding crops such as sweet potatoes and corn have been fully developed, which has led to a significant increase in population. Otherwise, if it had been ten or eight years earlier, the current population of Ming Dynasty would have been only I'm afraid there will be an extra thousand and 800 million.

But even so, it is foreseeable that in the future, the population of Daming will definitely experience a blowout phenomenon. After all, Daming now has grain production areas such as Nanyang, Annan, Champa, and Huguang, and even the land of Liaodong. It has also been developed on a large scale. Although it is said that Liaodong is bitterly cold, it is not as good as Champa. These places can achieve three crops a year, but one crop a year can still be achieved. The key is that although Liaodong is bitterly cold, the land is absolutely worth it. It is fertile on the ground, even though it can only be harvested once a year, the yield per mu is not bad at all.

Because of this, the people of the Ming Dynasty were considered to have completely escaped the food crisis. At least now, the people of the Ming Dynasty hardly saw people starving to death.

After all, in these years, the Ming court has been carrying out a series of major projects. Even though the captives captured from the Japanese kingdom were carrying out the most dangerous and difficult mining and road construction work, the court still took out A large amount of money and food was recruited from the private sector to build bridges and pave roads, dredge rivers, and build various water conservancy facilities.

On the one hand, it is for the most basic construction, and on the other hand, it is taken from the people and used by the people, and the money and food that enters the hands of the court will flow into the hands of the people, so that the vast majority of the people have the guarantee of survival.

After almost 20 years of development, all aspects of Daming have been developing by leaps and bounds, just like the construction of the steam engine that Li Huan came to inspect today.

From the very beginning when the concept of the steam engine was put forward, to when a famous skilled craftsman devoted himself to it, after repeated experiments, 20 years have passed, and now the results have finally been produced.

Under the guidance of the senior scholar Luo Tong, Li Huan approached the steam engine that was the size of a house. It seemed that the steam engine was roaring continuously. It can be seen that although this steam engine is far from what I expected, the machine in front of me has everything that a steam engine should have, and the rest is nothing more than improving various aspects.

It is expected that the steam engine will be officially used by Daming up and down in a few years, becoming the heart of Daming's soaring.

Listening to Luo Tong's introduction, Li Huan looked at this place for half an hour, and finally told Luo Tong and other craftsmen, and at the same time rewarded them generously, and proposed the next step to the skilled craftsmen. target for improvement.

After Li Huan's official appointment and wish, the eyes of the crowd were full of joy and anticipation.

You must know that Li Huan said that if someone can really make a steam engine that meets Li Huan's requirements, then he will personally invite the emperor and reward Yu with a title.

If it was 20 years ago, even if Li Huan proposed such an official wish, no one would believe it, but after these years, only the artisans they knew were rewarded because of their great contributions in technology There are as many titles as there are.

Whether it is Tiangong Bo Cuishan who proposed and perfected steelmaking technology, Shenwei uncle Sun Changxing who proposed and perfected the method of casting cannons with iron molds, or the first woman in Ming Dynasty who was named an earl, Ziyi Bo Sang Jiuniang, it can be said that Daming has attached great importance to all kinds of craftsmen in recent years, but the court has really clearly rewarded and punished those who can make contributions.

So this time when Li Huan said that he would ask the emperor for a reward of titles for them, no one would doubt it, because there are many precedents.

After leaving the factory area, Li Huan's carriage headed towards Duke Qin's mansion.

More than ten or twenty years later, the Duke of Qin's mansion is still the same as before, but compared to the past, the Duke of Qin's mansion today is a bit more lively.

Li Zong, the eldest son of Li Huan, and Li Si, the second son, were already in their teens. Although they were only in their teens, they were all tall and imposing.

On the martial arts arena of the Li family, several figures are practicing martial arts there, among which Li Zong and Li Si are the most eye-catching. Personal guard Li Hu and others were evenly matched.

If a master in the world met him, he might be shocked. After all, at a young age, he has the strength almost comparable to a first-class master. This kind of strength is probably placed among the top schools such as Shaolin and Wudang. In each generation, there may not be so three or two people.

But think about what Li Zong, Li Si and the others are practicing are the most superior exercises, whether it is the Nine Suns Divine Art, or the Dragon Elephant Boruo Art, or the Xuanwu Breathing Art, any art Putting it above the rivers and lakes, it is a top-level magical skill that can attract people in the rivers and lakes to fight for their heads and blood.

A coquettish smile came, and a small figure flew towards Li Huan lightly and flew straight into Li Huan's arms. It was a young girl.

The girl looked about ten years old, with delicate features, she looked like a beauty, she put her arms around Li Huan's neck and said softly, "Daddy, why haven't you come to accompany Mian'er these few days?"

This is Li Mian, Li Huan's third daughter, born of Forsythias, although she is not born of his first wife, but she is more favored than Li Zong and Li Si's two sons.

Holding Li Mian in his arms, Li Huan laughed loudly and said, "Little Mian, have you thought about Daddy?"

At the age of about ten years old, she can already be regarded as a half-grown girl in this era, so when she was picked up by Li Huan, her pretty face suddenly flushed a little, but she still said to Li Huan, "Think!"

Here Li Huan is enjoying the family happiness, but he said that Zhu Houzhao, who is the emperor, is frowning and looking at Wang Yangming, who has been sitting in the cabinet chief assistant seat for 20 years, and said: "Let the emperors go to the palace now." Isn't it too early for the Penglai Province to be established as a state?"

Wang Yangming looked righteous and said: "Your Majesty, there are now two legitimate sons under the crown prince's knees, three legitimate sons from the empress, and as many as 12 princes from various concubines. , the rest of the princes must be entrusted once they reach adulthood, this is the result of discussions between His Majesty and Qin Guogong and other important officials in the court, and the ministers know that His Majesty is reluctant to part with the princes, but for the sake of my country, the adult princes must be entrusted out."

Daming has always had its own rules for the succession of the throne. The crown prince Zhu Zaikun was born of the empress. He is the undisputed eldest son of Daming. In order to prevent accidents, the queen's son must go to Fengyang, the central capital, after he reaches adulthood, and he will not be allowed to leave the Central Plains to establish a state until the prince inherits the throne and establishes the next generation of princes.

As for those princes who are not descended from direct descendants, under normal circumstances they will be entrusted out once they reach adulthood. Of course, if the queen has no descendants or there is only one descendant from direct descendants, then the emperor will select two of the remaining princes who are not descended from direct descendants. Go to Fengyang, the central capital, just in case.

After all, if there is only one royal heir left in the Central Plains, then if something happens to the emperor and the prince at the same time, wouldn't it be impossible to find even an heir to the throne for a while.

Although it is said that the prince who was chosen to stay in Fengyang, the central capital, would have some hopes for the throne in his heart, but it is better than the prince's collapse and the dynasty having no heir.

At this time, Wang Yangming's request was to ask the emperor to entrust the grown-up princes in Beijing, and among them there were three princes who met the requirements.

And Penglai Province is actually a new continent discovered by the naval fleet sent overseas by Ming Dynasty more than ten years ago.

After several years of investigation, the area of ​​that new continent is extremely vast, no smaller than the Central Plains, and there are all kinds of strange creatures that have never been seen on it, such as tall creatures with meat bags on their chests, and giant rat-shaped creatures. Or a creature with a duckbill.

The most important thing is that after several years of exploration by Daming, the land is vast and sparsely populated, almost no human beings can be seen, but it is extremely rich in minerals, especially iron ore, coal mines, gold and silver mines and other mineral deposits.

For such a continent, if it was in the past, the Ming court might not have cared much about it, but after many years, the court officials, big and small, are no longer what they used to be.

Not to mention that these people have looked beyond the Central Plains, but to say that the interests of the families behind these officials have already been deeply entangled with industry, commerce, and maritime trade.

It can be said that at this time, if anyone dares to come forward to ban the sea or to crack down on the development of industry and commerce, they dare not say that the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty will come forward one by one to kill them. I am afraid that most of the officials will come out to oppose it.

So under this general trend, such a continent is a treasure land in the eyes of civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty. Naturally, it was named Penglai Province at the first time, taking the meaning of Penglai Immortal Island.

Over the years, on the one hand, Daming has migrated its population to the Americas, and on the other hand, it has migrated its population to Penglai Xiandao.

It's just that the speed of the imperial court's population migration is not very fast. In the past ten years, the huge Penglai province has only built a dozen big cities, and the total population is only 500 million.

Originally, Penglai Province had a vast territory, and like America, it was selected by the imperial court as the enfeoffment of the clansmen of the royal vassals. It can be said that as long as they occupy the vast territories of America and Penglai Province, then no matter how much the Ming royal family can To reproduce, I am afraid that within dozens of generations, there is no need to worry about not having a land of enfeoffment.

So now the imperial court is not afraid that the emperor will have too many children, so that the court will have too much burden to support the clan, but the imperial court is afraid that the emperor will not be able to have children, or that there will be too few children.

Daming really needs too many vassal princes and clans to go out to expand the territory for Daming and educate one side.

Just looking at the development speed of the fiefdoms of the vassal princes and clan relatives who enfeoffed to the land of Nanyang in those years was obviously faster than that of the prefectures and counties under the direct jurisdiction of the imperial court, it can be seen that the advantages of the real seal system outweigh the disadvantages.

One or two vassal princes can be enfeoffed in one county, so how many prefectures and counties can be divided into Penglai Province and the Americas, and how many feudal lords need to be entrusted to go there.

Just thinking of this, the court officials looked at the emperor with a bit of resentment, even if the number of heirs of today's son is almost surpassing that of Emperor Taizu, but now it seems that there are only a dozen or so princes who have sealed overseas lands. There are too few lands occupied by the Ming Dynasty that need to be ruled by the vassal princes and clansmen.

It can be said that the officials of Ming Dynasty wish they could do nothing today and stay in the harem all day, trying their best to reproduce for the royal family.

Zhu Houzhao, who was sitting on the throne, was nearly fifty years old because he practiced the Xuanwu breath method, but he looked like he was about 30 years old. The emperor's career of more than [-] years made Zhu Houzhao raise a whole body of emperors Qi.

It’s just that Zhu Houzhao at this moment has a look of hesitation. The emperor himself is a person with the most affection and nature. Although several princes have grown up, it is beneficial and harmless to the country and the princes to be entrusted early, but Zhu Houzhao always I feel that those princes have not yet grown up, so I am reluctant to entrust them overseas.

However, looking at the solemn expressions of the elders, especially Wang Yangming, the Chief Assistant, Zhu Houzhao sighed softly in his heart and said, "Yes."

Daming Zhengde 35 years
A group of nobles headed by Qin Guogong Li Huan and court officials headed by Wang Yangming surrounded the emperor to a place.

Everyone couldn't help showing a little bit of astonishment when they looked at the straight and weird road paved with steel one by one and extending parallel to the distance.

Even the elder Yang Yiqing, who was in charge of the military department, had gray hair and said to Li Huan with a shocked look on his face: "Mr. Qin, if the old man is not mistaken, it should be all made of hundred-smelted steel. You...you spread it On the ground, this... what a waste."

Even though the steelmaking technology of the Ming Dynasty has made great progress, the amount of steel produced every year alone is an astonishing number, but suddenly seeing the hundreds of steelmaking steels being laid on the ground one by one, it is still artificial for a while. Shocked.

Not only Yang Yiqing, but also Wang Yangming, the chief assistant of the cabinet, couldn't help looking at Li Huan.

Li Huan just smiled when he heard the words, and continued to lead the crowd forward, saying: "Everyone, today Li will show you the steam car developed by the Royal Geological Bureau, and the steel paved roads in front of you are made of that steam car." prepare."

Seeing Li Huan mentioning the Royal Gewu Bureau, everyone's expressions were serious. The Royal Gewu Bureau was opposed by all officials at the beginning of its establishment and later accepted by everyone. After more than [-] years, all officials have already understood the meaning of the Royal Gewu Bureau. serving size.

It can be said that any new things that are solemnly brought out by the Royal Geological Bureau will often bring earth-shaking changes to Daming.

Whether it is the steel-making technology that increased Daming's steelmaking by tens or even hundreds of times, or the new spinning wheel that made the Ming Dynasty's textile industry develop greatly through Zi Yibo's transformation of textile technology, now everyone hears Li Huan mentioning the Imperial Gem Bureau. All showed anticipation.

(End of this chapter)