General Constitution of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 205 Someone is more anxious than the court

The three envoys were thrown into the imperial prison by a team of guards.

"Gu Butang, you can't leave us alone! We are foreign envoys, at least you can't, at least you shouldn't even us..."

Only Gu Kexue was left dumbfounded standing in the wind outside the prison.

"Kezhong, the practical study of the world is Taoism, not some secret recipe, it cannot be hidden."

Ning Jue sat back on the doorman's seat, sipped tea and said, "But the flying shuttle and the water turn the big spinning wheel."

"But how many days can we hide in this way? The imperial court has not officially opened the sea, and there are so many ships going to and from the Ming Dynasty every month. After the sea is opened, I am afraid it will be far more than today."

"Then what does that have to do with me as a censor?"

Gu Kexue was stunned.

You call the person who can mobilize Jinyiwei the censor, right? !

"I'm the censor. I'm only responsible for finding faults. How to solve the faults is what the cabinet should do. Anyway, if this hidden danger doesn't go away, these people don't want to live to become a Ming Dynasty."

Ning Jue took a sip of tea, and then said: "Dudu Lu, Eunuch Mai, Elder Yan Ge, Elder Xu Ge, and even His Majesty, those in the East Palace, and Captain Wang are all dragons and phoenixes among people. , they are capable enough to solve this problem.”

"What if they can't solve it?"

"Sometimes they don't force themselves, they don't even know how great their potential is."

Gu Kexue said helplessly: "Aren't you afraid that they won't be able to solve the problem, so they can solve it for you?"

After Ning Jue coughed twice, he said righteously: "Then Ning is worthy of the people in the south of the Yangtze River."

Before the words were finished, a weak voice came from the cell: "Qian Xian, we all understand the truth, but it's almost time for dinner, and we haven't had any water or rice for almost two days..."

Before the words could be heard in the prison, Ning Jue turned around and fell on the prison door behind him.

"Aren't you hungry? So tomorrow I'll get you some looms to earn your living?!"

As soon as Ning Jue finished speaking, the prison fell into a dead silence.

I bought a few practical books and threw them into prison.

If I really touched Daming's loom with my own hands, would I be able to go back in this life?
"Qian Xian misunderstood, isn't it because you are worried about the state affairs of the heaven and forget to eat? We are not hungry."

Only the two guards of Jin Yiwei looked at Ning Jue thoughtfully.

"Qian Xian, don't say hey, don't say it!"

Ning Jue looked at the two suspiciously.

"What's wrong?"

"It's okay, I just think your idea is very good. Earlier we ordered the prison to arrest people and had to fight them ourselves. If we can buy a few looms, we will save some trouble if there are prisoners. If you are stubborn, then Just weave eight hours of cloth every day, and add little by little if there are no recruits."

"No, eight hours, how much more can you move?"

"Then there are still four hours left."

A slightly trembling voice came from the imperial prison and said, "The envoy, this... this is not a joke..."

"Look at how scared you are, I won't give you the loom."

"Mr. Shuangjiang's hand-woven cotton cloth... Tsk tsk, what price would it be if it were sold in Pingyang Mansion?"

Ning Jue shook his head, finally looked at Gu Kexue and cupped his hands: "Mr., since that's the case, Ning will not send it off."

Gu Kexue hesitated to speak, and finally only sighed, then turned and left.

"Gu Butang, you can't just leave like this! How can I be like this..."
-
Inside Qingning Palace in Nanjing.

In front of Zhu Zaixun were piles of classics that Jin Yiwei had confiscated from the Imperial Academy.

It's just that these classics have changed from "heart learning" and "Confucianism" to the latest practical learning of the world.

"Your Highness, in addition to these practical classics, there are some..."

Lu Bing pulled out a stack of blueprints from his sleeve and placed them in front of Zhu Zaixun.

"These are the blueprints of the flying shuttle and water spinning wheel imitated by someone. I have already looked at the craftsman, and the difference is not too big."

Looking at the blueprint in his hand, Zhu Zaishun's expression was extremely ugly.

"If you don't kill me, why keep it? They think I'm a fool, Daming?"

In fact, the past dynasties of the Central Plains did not take the initiative to send any core technology, and the only thing that was randomly given was farming technology.

Because Cang is a real person who knows etiquette and righteousness, and has learned the farming techniques of the Central Plains, he will naturally become close to the Central Plains. If it is suitable for farming, he can directly send troops to occupy it.

Since Zhang Qian’s return to the east, the two Hans have guarded against the barbarians with silkworm raising technology like thieves. It was not until the period of the Five Husbands that the silkworm raising technology was passed to Khotan, and the papermaking technology was captured after the Battle of Hengluo. Only then did the craftsmen lose out, and it was only during the Ming and Qing Dynasties that missionaries got it by bribing the governor.

But some things on the table cannot be prevented.

Lu Bing frowned and shook his head.

"I'm afraid it's not easy to guard against..."

Lu Bing took out a flying shuttle casually and sighed: "Your Highness, this thing is indeed exquisite, but it is too simple. The imperial court is trying its best to prevent it, but it has only been a year or so."

Compared with the improvement of productivity, the flying shuttle and water spinning wheel are certainly advanced.

But in the final analysis, the technology is not complicated, and it is not at the same level as Jingdezhen's porcelain and Jiangnan's Su brocade.

Because the core of porcelain lies in the control of soil and temperature, the core technology of brocade lies in silkworm eggs and mulberry leaves.

These technologies are constantly iterating, and it is impossible for foreign fans to imitate things like Daming even if they imitate them.

"Then let them eat ready-made ones?"

There was a wry smile on Lu Bing's face: "But, I think this is not a long-term solution."

Zhu Zaiyu looked up at Mai Fu who was on the side.

"Mai Gonggong, does the emperor have a will?"

Mai Fu bowed his head and said, "The emperor only sent one word."

"What word?"

"Wait."

Zhu Zaishun's brows gradually furrowed.

"Wait? Wait a little longer, those Fanbang figured it out on their own, and when they wait, they will be..."

Before Zhu Zaiyu could finish speaking, he entered the hall through the small yellow gate.

"Your Highness, old ancestor, Mr. Zou asks to see you."

Zhu Zaiyu looked at Mai Fu with some doubts.

Only then did Mai Fu meaningfully look outside the hall.

"My lord, Xu is waiting for this. Our Daming, some people are more anxious than the imperial court."

Only then did Zhu Zailong speak.

"Call."

"Here."

Not long after, Zou Wang walked into the hall.

After whipping, Zou Wang was also gradually adapting to the officialdom of Ming Dynasty.

"Sir Zou Wang, I pay my respects to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"Zou Yuanwai suddenly entered the palace, but there is something important to play?"

"Reporting to Your Highness, these days Tiwei Dasuo went to the south of the Yangtze River, and all the envoys from various countries were gone. The overseas missions are actually dependent on the food and clothing of millions of weavers in the south of the Yangtze River. I dare to ask Your Highness to release the various envoys, or Mingzheng The crime should be punished according to the law, so as to calm people's hearts inside and outside."

Mai Fu couldn't help laughing when he heard that.

"Mr. Zou is acknowledging where did the cotton cloth from Jiangnan go?"

Zou Wang bowed to Mai Fu, then smiled wryly:
"Mai Gonggong Mingjian... This, I will die as an official."

Where the products of Jiangnan have gone has long been a well-known secret in Jiangnan.

Thousands of ships in the port rushed to work day and night.

It can't all be fishing in the coastal river estuary.

Daming's sea ban policy is already in name only, and everyone in the government and the public knows that when the batch of naval warships built by the Imperial Horse Supervisor Mai Fudu was delivered, it was the time when Daming added customs.

Originally, Mai Fu was about to shut up, but Zhu Zaiyong gave Mai Fu a look, signaling Mai Fu to continue asking.

"Ning Ke finally captured the envoy, and Zou Yuanwai took someone to prison to order the important person. There are rules in the imperial court. The impeachment must first be reported to the Secretary of the General Administration, and then sent to the department. We have to follow the rules."

The imperial court was not in a hurry anyway, after all, opening the sea hadn't come to fruition, it was nothing more than a few more euphemistic emissaries from the capital who were weeping.

Zou Wang smiled wryly, "The envoy already went to Ning Qianxian three days ago."

"And then what?"

"I haven't come back until Xiaguan Yique."

Mai Fu cupped his hands towards Zou Wang and said, "Then Zou Yuanwai should go back and think about it."

Zou Wang looked at Mai Fu hesitantly.

"Mai Gonggong, you know, Zou is the mouse in the bellows right now, alas."

"Mr. Zou, don't underestimate yourself. The Ming Dynasty didn't have such a big bellows. It's difficult for you, but this matter is also difficult for the court. You still have to go back and discuss it... Ah, it's good to think about it."

Zou Wang sighed, and immediately got up to leave.

Zhu Zaishun didn't speak until after Zou Wang left.

"Eunuch Mai, what did you mean by what you just said?"

Mai Fu hurriedly bowed.

"His Royal Highness Mingjian, the most urgent thing right now is not Zou Wang, but Wang Zhi, and Zou Wang is just delivering a message for Wang Zhi."

"What's the hurry, Wang Zhi?"

Mai Fu took a deep breath, and then said: "We are about to open the sea in Ming Dynasty, and once we set up customs in Ming Dynasty, North Korea, Ryukyu, and Japan must follow suit and set up their own customs."

"At this juncture, Ning Qianxian has taken so many foreign envoys, the court doesn't care about this matter, and those foreign countries can only join forces to run on Wang Zhi."

Zhu Zaiyu frowned.

"Wang Zhi? But if it's that simple, you can win Wang Zhi, the Japanese rebellion in the early years."

"Your Highness, today is different. Not only the imperial court is building large ships, but each of the 36 islands in Zhoushan is rushing to build sea ships, and they are all ocean-going ships. Let alone go to the small country of Fusang, you can even go to the west. .”

"No matter how rich the ship owner Wang is, he can't afford the money. The minister has a secret line. Wang Zhi borrowed at least 70 million taels of silver to build these ships."

"In the early years, they didn't hesitate to give a hammer here and there, and they did it if they could do it, and left if they couldn't do it."

"Before the 60 taels of silver came up, Wang Zhi couldn't bear to toss about. If he didn't take this opportunity to force Wang Zhi to go ashore, it would be difficult for the imperial court to catch him in the future."

After pondering for a long time, Zhu Zaiyu asked: "Is this what the father means?"

Mai Fu smiled.

"Your Highness is broken, I'm just a pawn in front of the emperor's imperial court."

The imperial power of the Ming Dynasty is weakening, but at the same time as the imperial power is weakening, the imperial court's control over the two capitals and 13 provinces is gradually increasing because of the word "benefit".

(End of this chapter)