The Great Industrial Ming Dynasty Started from Beiping

Chapter 112 Prince's Mansion

When the R&D department was first established, no artisans came to the door.

Wansan and the others also have their own affairs.

But it didn't take long, when the first person came to the door, then Li Er was the second, and then there were several more.

For this reason, Zhou Shifeng specifically expressed his worries.

"The railway has not yet started to make a profit, and its expenses are greater than its income. Although it is growing steadily, it is not bad if it can be flat in the short term."

"Because of the pricing problem, the coke refinery is not profitable. The current output cannot support the profitability of the entire China Heavy Industry."

"The steam engine factory's market in Beiping has become saturated. The nine newly opened mines in the past six months have a total order of nearly [-] units."

As the big shopkeeper of China Heavy Industry, Zhou Shifeng not only has to manage the factory, but also cares about the healthy operation of the factory.

Although China Heavy Industry's current profit level still maintains a good level, the profit rate is declining month by month.

"The Research and Development Department itself is a place that consumes a lot of money. If the craftsmen's attempts are successful, they will need to spend a lot of money."

"Although it will not make the factory unable to make ends meet, it will still hurt the bones."

Zhou Shifeng said over and over again.

The old face was full of distress.

Zhu Gaochi asked: "What does shopkeeper Zhou want to say?"

Zhou Shifeng no longer hesitated, and said, "Should things take a while?"

The birth of new things does take time to make a profit.

Steam engines are different.

The emerging coal industry has too much demand for this material.

The size of the coal industry is also large.

With the blowout of the coal industry, the steam engine naturally has considerable profits and sales.

There is a fundamental difference between starting from nothing and going from one to two.

But even so, industrial development is inseparable, and the core things, if they develop according to normal affairs.

For example, it took the UK 30 years to bring the market for steam engines for pumping water from zero to more than 1000.

It would naturally take more than 20 years for the Ming Dynasty to be able to meet the production requirements of the current steam engine factory.

Therefore, Zhu Gaochi made honeycomb briquette come out ahead of time, and the industry has not yet made a breakthrough, but in the current era, the larger private market took the lead in breaking the breakthrough.

Otherwise, it is also impossible for the steam engine to make profits so quickly.

Just like the railway.

The cost of the carriage is extremely high, more than ten or twenty times that of a two-wheeled carriage, and there are various components in it, so the cost cannot be reduced in a short period of time.

The requirements of the coachman are also high.

There is also a need for strong horses, railway workers, engineering teams, etc., with an average monthly expenditure of nearly 3000 taels of silver.

Because of the existence of the engineering team, the total annual expenditure needs to be 10 taels, most of which still need to be supported by the profits of the steam engine.

Zhu Gaochi also thought about it.

Whether to absorb private funds.

For example, persuading coal mine owners to invest in railways.The rapid expansion of the railway is inseparable from the investment of huge amounts of capital.

In particular, wooden sleepers will be laid later, which will increase the cost of building the railway geometrically.

But after thinking about it, Zhu Gaochi decided that it is not yet possible to absorb external funds.

Because the importance of the railway has not yet been highlighted.

Talking about this with the businessmen now, the businessmen don't see the potential clearly, so they are naturally unwilling to pay the price.

So the gain outweighs the loss in terms of holding shares. Zhu Gaochi should not only take care of the holding, but also let the railway sell it at a good price.

Otherwise he would be taken advantage of.

"Master Zhou, what do you think is the most advantageous aspect of our factory?"

"There is no opponent."

Zhou Shifeng said without hesitation.

"That's right." Zhu Gaochi said with a smile: "This is called monopoly."

"Although profits are declining, but if the factory continues to develop at the speed of development, no one will be able to shake the factory's position in the future."

"What we have to do now is to seize the market and develop the market. We also need more new technologies to break through the current bottleneck."

"For example, the brake parts of the carriage, can there be better technology? These are not small problems."

"A breakthrough in braking technology will not only reduce the technical requirements for the driver, but also drive more carriages, such as a three-section and four-section railway carriage."

"No one knows where the breakthrough of technology is. The only thing we can count on is craftsmen to explore by themselves."

"Every advanced technology is in the hands of China Heavy Industries, so no one can defeat China Heavy Industries."

Zhou Shifeng saw short-term benefits, but Zhu Gaochi had to consider long-term benefits.

Because the former are migrant workers and the latter are rulers.

Convinced Zhou Shifeng.

On the way back to the palace, Zhu Gaochi pondered for a long time.

Seeing this, Ma Wangxuan didn't bother the little nobleman, but asked about tomorrow's arrangements.

Zhou Shifeng's worries are not entirely wrong, and there is even a certain reason. He wants to shorten the industrial development that took a hundred years to 30 to [-] years.

The experience of later generations cannot be completely copied.

Practice will yield results.

But you can't go wrong.

"I still have to study." Zhu Gaochi sighed.

After returning to the palace.

Zhu Gaochi invited the miscellaneous staff of the Changshi Mansion to send over the various official documents left by the Yan Wang Mansion when he was still the prime minister.

At that time, the feudal prince's mansion was in charge of the army at the top, the people at the bottom, and the prison.

All kinds of miscellaneous jobs in the palace are still official officials of the imperial court.

……

"Why do you seldom see the boss recently?" Zhu Di asked curiously.

"The eldest son has been studying hard recently."

A young eunuch replied.

"Reading?" Zhu Di said in surprise, "He hasn't been interested in reading for a long time."

Of course, Zhu Gaochi is not ignorant of reading.

Instead, he was very respectful in front of the gentlemen.

However, Zhu Di had long noticed the changes in the eldest son. Although he acted the same as before, he did not put much effort into the study of Taoism.

The boss's real thoughts are devoted to industrial development.

Reading is nothing more than being able to memorize it. In Taoism, you can only say a few tangible and coreless truths, and you can't enter the room.

"The eldest son is looking through the official documents of the palace in the early years, and he forgets to eat and sleep every day." Ge Cheng laughed.

There was a smile in Zhu Di's eyes.

The boss can always know what is important, which shows that he has indeed grown up, so he doesn't have to worry about it.

"Whatever he wants to see, just show him."

After explaining, Zhu Di didn't interfere too much.

It was also Zhu Di's attitude.

Zhu Gaochi's power in the palace is getting bigger and bigger, and he can already use the Changshi Palace.

To change the analogy.

The emperor has not yet become the crown prince, and has not mastered the eldest son of the East Palace, and he is already able to command the court.

Yanwangfu is on the ruins of the imperial palace of the ancient capital of the former dynasty.

However, the imperial palace of the previous dynasty was burned down by Zhu Yuanzhang's general Xu Da decades ago.

Yanwang Mansion is the palace that was later repaired.

The construction began in the fifth year of Hongwu, because the regulations of the royal city were not completely fixed at that time, so only half of it was repaired.

After reconstruction, it was not completed until the 12th year of Hongwu.

The palace is divided into two halves.

The back mansion is the sleeping palaces, and the front mansion has three halls, stables, warehouses, grain collection halls, six bureaus and other various palaces.

"Congratulations, little prince."

The young eunuch, leading a group of little Huangmen, ran in to congratulate Zhu Gaochi.

Zhu Gaochi is buried in the official documents.

Seeing the young eunuch, he smiled and said, "Where does the joy come from?"

The eunuch said: "Your Majesty's decree, move the eldest son to live in Shizi's mansion."

"Congratulations to the little prince, congratulations to the little prince."

Everyone was smiling, more excited than the Lord.

"Shizifu?"

Zhu Gaochi was startled.

Zhu Di summoned the vassals and discussed matters with the court officials and generals, all in the royal hall of the former court. The Shizi Mansion is in the southeast corner of the palace, just adjacent to it.

The brothers and sisters are now living in the bedroom of the mother and concubine, and each has its own room.

The appointment of the son, Zhu Di has no right, needs the emperor's decree.

But Zhu Di's actions undoubtedly made Zhu Gaochi his son and told everyone about it.

All that is missing is a decree.

The eldest son and the eldest son.

Although they are both the same person, the meaning of representation, the rights of the two, etc., are completely different.

For example, the prince who has not left the pavilion to study, and the prince who has a subject in the East Palace.

Although both are princes, their powers are vastly different.

I am going to move out of the harem of the palace.

"Why?" Zhu Gaochi asked curiously.

Although it was a good thing for me, why did Zhu Di suddenly make this decision.

"My lord didn't say anything."

Zhu Gaochi pondered for a while, and suddenly understood.

This is Zhu Di's recognition of himself.

"Move all these things to Shizifu." Zhu Gaochi pointed to the mountain of old official documents in the study.

The official documents preserved by the palace for many years are filled with many houses, and here is just a small part.

The eunuchs and maids of honor are busy.

Zhu Gaochi didn't pay much attention to it, he still looked through the boring official documents carefully.

Those who build cities, build roads, build military forts, store food, prepare various armaments, inspect guards, conduct drills...

He wants to learn more about Beiping Mansion through these official documents.

The economic base determines the achievements of the upper class.

How should Beiping's economic model be adjusted to a new economic model, and how should it not be divorced from reality, that is, be integrated into the soil and water.

Through these official documents, Zhu Gaochi also had a clearer understanding of Peiping.

Several days passed.

"What's changed, boss?"

Zhu Di expressed concern.

"The Eldest Young Master still forgets to eat and sleep to read books. When the Shizi Mansion is cleaned and ready, the Eldest Young Master moves in, but he still reads behind closed doors."

"From time to time, the gentlemen from the Changshi Mansion will come to ask for advice, and occasionally go out to the factory. There are also a few factory managers who have been outside the Shizi Mansion, and there is nothing else."

It's too fake to say.

Hearing this, Zhu Di stroked his chin.

The boss suddenly worked so hard to study the official documents of the palace. Could it be that he has some new ideas?

Unconsciously.

Zhu Di had some expectations in his heart.

Many new principles of the eldest son gave Zhu Di a lot of inspiration.

Zhu Gaochi had no new ideas.

He is summing up the staged experience, the deficiencies and successes.

Although we have the experience of later generations, in the national conditions of Ming Dynasty, we are still crossing the river by feeling the stones, so naturally we need to summarize more.

And his purpose is not the social situation under the first industrial revolution in the West.

(End of this chapter)