The Ming Dynasty’s Prodigal Son - Chapter 1329

[1329. Chapter 1262 The Promising Prince]

The entire workshop is like a big steamer. It won’t take long.

Emperor Hongzhi felt that his whole body was soaked.

Liu Jian and others also felt suffocated.

But these female workers were all shuttling back and forth or working at their own workstations.

Zhu Houzhao was shirtless, just like a fire brigade, sometimes helping here and sometimes helping there.

When the female workers saw him, they were particularly close to him. This kind of closeness was not a deliberate attempt to please him.

Emperor Hongzhi was actually a little ashamed.

I have scolded my son all day long, but now I realize that compared with my son, there is a huge difference.

Queen Zhang stayed here for half an hour.

Finally, the eunuch counted seventy-seven balls of thread.

If it were an unskilled weaver, there would probably be no two groups, but this machine actually improved Queen Zhang’s efficiency dozens of times.

Empress Zhang couldn’t help but said: “I’m sorry that I and so many people in the palace have been busy for a month in vain. With such a machine, I don’t know how much energy can be saved.”

Emperor Hongzhi seemed to be suffering every moment.

Finally, I walked out of the workshop.

Fang Jifan and others chased him out.

Emperor Hongzhi’s face seemed to be washed with water, and Liu Jian and others were breathing heavily.

But then, a cold wind came, and Emperor Hongzhi felt refreshed. He then said in surprise: “I finally understand, I understand why the price of cloth has dropped so drastically, hahahaha… It turns out that it is because of this. Things are not inferior to steam locomotives. This steam engine is really useful. Jifan, you said…it was created by the prince?”

Fang Jifan said seriously: “No,

Zhu Houzhao was just happy. This is a compliment.

Upon hearing Fang Jifan’s denial, his face suddenly dropped.

Fang Jifan said: “The research on steam locomotives used countless manpower and material resources, and was the result of the hard work of thousands of craftsmen. The steam textile machine was not only researched on the basis of predecessors, but also used thousands of people. People, these people, all sleep and forget about food. Some of them eat and sleep in the research institute. Although His Highness the Prince is the leader and leads the craftsmen to preside over this matter, which can be said to be indispensable, but it can be said that it is only the Prince who is doing the trouble. The son who came out was more upright and was not afraid of offending His Majesty the Crown Prince. He could only answer His Majesty that His Majesty the Crown Prince and countless people worked together to create it.”

Zhu Houzhao’s expression softened.

Lao Fang is still very conscientious.

This… Zhu Houzhao couldn’t find a single thorn in his side.

After all, Zhu Houzhao, the students and the craftsmen spent all their time together, and they still had a certain friendship with each other. There was nothing wrong with Fang Jifan asking for credit for them.

Emperor Hongzhi frowned: “I understand, you want me to reward these workers and craftsmen.”

Fang Jifan said: “They don’t need your Majesty’s reward.”

Emperor Hongzhi frowned again.

Fang Jifan said: “The treatment that should be given to them has been given to them by Xishan. They don’t ask for any fame or fortune, they just want the court to take them seriously. In the eyes of my son, the talents in the world are not just scholars who write eight-legged essays. The son said rudely that he only knew how to make eight-legged crotch, which was nothing more than a bunch of wine bags and rice bags. “

Emperor Hongzhi: “…”

Liu Jian’s face is even more bloodshot. Are you swearing?

Fang Jifan said with a smile: “Look, Your Majesty, Xishan has raised a lot of wine bags and rice bags that can only make eight-legged pork. Fortunately, some of them won the Jinshi and the exam…”

Liu Jian found that he had no temper at all.

Others dare not scold Jinshi and Juren, but Fang Jifan is qualified.

If you are not convinced, you can compare with his disciples to see whose eight-part essay is better.

If you can’t even win the eight-part essay test, then what qualifications do you have to refute?

Fang Jifan said: “Those who are truly beneficial to the country and the people are neither merchants, scholars, or craftsmen, but those who, in the eyes of my ministers, are the best in any profession. As long as they are done well in any profession, they will make a huge contribution. They are all sages, just like the Tuntian Guards who study farming, and some students and craftsmen of Xishan Academy who study machinery. Compared with scholars, there is no distinction between them.”

Zhu Houzhao also said cheerfully: “Yes, the same is true for your ministers. I think.”

Emperor Hongzhi clasped his hands behind his back. He heard what Fang Jifan meant. He couldn’t help but smile bitterly: “Three feet of ice does not last in a day. Many things are easy to say. How could I not know that there are many disadvantages in recruiting scholars with bad habits? , But today, all the gentry and gentry teach their children stereotyped writing…”

He did not continue, but looked at each other with Liu Jian and others.

Everyone understands what Emperor Hongzhi was thinking.

If the Ming Dynasty wanted to be stable, it had to have its own ruling foundation. At least for now, in the two capitals and thirteen provinces, 99% of the prefectures and counties still have these gentry. If they lose the support of these gentry, the world will still be stable. Can you live there?

Emperor Hongzhi said with a smile: “However, I really want to meet these students and craftsmen. They are all meritorious officials.”

Emperor Hongzhi said and glanced at Zhu Houzhao happily.

I had misunderstood this boy before, and he spent all day in the workshop with no other agenda.

Only now did I know that… this guy had invented such a thing with others and was producing cloth every day.

“With such a machine, why should the country not be prosperous? One workshop can produce 100,000 horses per month, so what if there are ten or a hundred?” Emperor Hongzhi seemed very emotional: “My Ming Dynasty is short of Where is the silver? This silver… is just an iron lump, dug out of the ground. What’s more, in this world, there are Ming Dynasty treasure banknotes and Xishan Bank’s banknotes. They are just a piece of paper. Does this paper have any? The value does not lie in what is printed on it, but in whether there are so many redeemable items on the market.”

Emperor Hongzhi said: “More workshops like this should be built in Xishan…”

Fang Jifan shook his head: “Your Majesty, Xishan… “I’m

afraid we can’t build more.”

“Huh?”

Fang Jifan said, “I plan to establish a Xishan Machinery Workshop with Your Majesty. Instead of selling cloth, we will sell these steam looms. Only by doing this can the merchants in the world realize how powerful this thing is. , they think it is profitable, and they will customize it one after another. By then, hundreds of thousands of workshops will be built without Xishan’s intervention. “

Emperor Hongzhi said thoughtfully: “This… is also a good method. “But…”

Emperor Hongzhi realized a problem: “So, ordinary people can no longer weave cloth?”

Men farm and women weave, this is a habit passed down for thousands of years.

The men went out to plow the fields, while the women hid at home, sewing or weaving for the home.

Therefore, in this generation, the most important talent for women is nühong, because if a woman understands nühong, she will be able to buy clothes for the family when she marries her husband’s family, and even through sewing and weaving, she can live without leaving home. Households, earn some scattered money to support the family.

How could Emperor Hongzhi not know this?

But now it seems… this road may not work.

With such machines and such labor-saving production, how can this private weaving company possibly compete with these machines?

Fang Jifan said: “Women can come out to work. At present, all kinds of industries are waiting for development, and the most lacking thing is labor.”

Emperor Hongzhi couldn’t help scolding: “You are talking nonsense, isn’t this the world is going to be turned upside down? These words, you are in my hands You can just talk nonsense in front of us, but don’t talk nonsense outside.”

Fang Jifan said seriously: “Your Majesty, why can’t women do things? I think that if men can do things, so can women. They do it, and they do it better than men. You see, all the workers in this workshop are female workers. Their efficiency and ability are much better than most people. Your Majesty, whether they are men or women, they all belong to Your Majesty. Children, how can your majesty favor one over another?”

Liu Jian and others rolled their eyes.

This guy… started again.

Emperor Hongzhi blew his beard and stared. Although he was very happy today, he felt that Fang Jifan’s words would bring disaster to this boy, so he said sternly: “In short, don’t talk nonsense. Women can just stay at home.”

As for the emperor, It’s just so unreasonable.

“Ha…”

A chuckle.

When Emperor Hongzhi heard the laughter, he realized something. From the corner of his eye, he glanced at the owner of the laughter.

Queen Zhang’s mouth was slightly curled up in a smile, but there was something worth pondering in her eyes.

Emperor Hongzhi: “…”

Empress Zhang was a little annoyed.

In front of me, Your Majesty said that I am useless. Well, let it be useless. Now in front of my successor, he said that women can just stay here. This is all contempt. Own.

Empress Zhang straightened her temples and said with a smile: “Yes, when I was weaving just now, I felt that just half an hour was extremely hard, but the women in these workshops have been working since morning. Late, I really admire them. If you say that they are useless, Your Majesty, I will never agree. As long as this woman follows the three obediences and four virtues, and stays safe, it is not a bad idea to go out to do some errands when there is trouble at home. Your Majesty, you see. , Aren’t the female medical officers in the palace doing a good job? Especially the female doctor Liang. I heard that she studied by herself in the palace, wrote a paper, and even appeared in the journal. How many people are there in the world? To be like her. Without her, I’m afraid that the Empress Dowager’s life would be at risk.”

“I have absolutely no complaints against Your Majesty. I just feel that Your Majesty regards these women who come out to seek employment as a nuisance. It’s really inappropriate to be unfaithful. Did Dr. Liang do something wrong? Are these women who are spinning cotton in the workshop… just because they work, how big of a deal is it, Your Majesty? “

Your Majesty, what do you think?”

Queen Zhang looked at Emperor Hongzhi pitifully.

Emperor Hongzhi’s old face turned red, his eyes began to look around, and hesitantly said: “This… this…”

…

The third update, and more.

(End of chapter)