Chapter 609 I will set an example!

Zhu Yijun and other Zhang Juzheng recovered and continued to exert influence.

“Master Zhang, we visited the Fengrun Woolen Factory. Do you think it’s important?”

Zhang Juzheng immediately replied: “Very important.”

Zhu Yijun asked again: “What’s the importance?”

“One million meters of woolen cloth produced each year can keep hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians warm and decent in winter. How much tax can be collected in a year?”

Zhang Juzheng sighed.

He took a preliminary look at the woolen factory’s account books and was dumbfounded.

As it was a “Ming Dynasty state-owned enterprise” affiliated to the Shaofujian, the woolen factory never took any liberties with its accounts and tax payments. Zhang Juzheng’s heart was warmed when he saw those strings of numbers.

An old hen that lays golden eggs.

If there were old hens like this everywhere in Ming Dynasty, the country would be strong and the people would be prosperous in the near future.

“Master Zhang, there’s more to it than that.”

Zhang Juzheng’s eyes lit up.

More than that?

“Your Majesty, please give me some advice.”

“Master Zhang, I want to ask you, where does the wool for the woolen factory come from?”

Zhang Juzheng stroked his beard and replied, “Director Wu said that wool came all the way south along the Luan River, from the middle and upper reaches of the Luan River and the pastoral areas in the western Liaohe River region.”

“That’s right. Fengrun Woolen Cloth Factory purchases a large amount of wool, which brings a considerable amount of income to tens of thousands of herders in the middle and upper reaches of the Luan River and the Xiliao River area every year.

With this money, they could buy food, salt, tea, cotton cloth, woolen cloth and other daily necessities, and have no worries about food and clothing.

Master Zhang, do you know where the largest woolen cloth factory in Daming is?”

“In Xinmin, Liaodong, the Xinmin Woolen Cloth Factory is the largest woolen cloth factory in the Ming Dynasty. It paid taxes of 120,000 silver dollars last year.”

“That’s right. Xinmin Woolen Fabric Factory produced 1.2 million meters of woolen fabric last year. It is a new factory built last year, and its production capacity is still increasing. It is expected to produce 1.6 million meters of fabric this year, and 2 million meters the year after next.

This one factory can only consume half of the wool from the old pastures of the Chahar tribe. The Shaofujian plans to build two more factories in Guangning Yixian and Shenyang, which can barely consume the wool from the Mongolian left pastures.

At the same time, two woolen cloth factories were built in Datong and Dongsheng to consume the wool from the right wing pastoral areas, and beef and mutton canning factories and leather factories were set up in Chifeng, Fengning, Datong and other places.

The Mongolian tribes in the south of the desert can have enough food and clothing by raising sheep and cattle. Why would they need to ride horses and risk their lives to plunder in the south? “

Zhang Juzheng understood immediately, “Your Majesty is wise! This Fengrun Woolen Factory is an important part of the economic means to control the Mongolian tribes south of the desert.

I finally realized what the Emperor said when he was teaching me Political Economy: Economy is the foundation of politics and military. If the economy is revitalized, everything will come alive.

Zhang Juzheng moved the abacus beads in his mind.

The herdsmen on the left and right wings of the Mongolian desert have finally seen good days since they surrendered to the Ming Dynasty.

The wool, sheep and cattle raising that the emperor just mentioned are not counted. The Imperial Household Department also has to purchase a large number of war horses and pack horses from the grasslands every year, which is another considerable source of income.

After they surrendered to the Ming Dynasty and became one of its own people, they could no longer sell daily necessities such as grain, salt, tea, sugar, and cotton cloth at such high prices. When they were calculated according to the internal price, they were much cheaper.

With more income and less expenditure, life will naturally become better.

Zhang Juzheng still wanted to understand one thing.

The herdsmen in southern Mobei used to raise sheep and cattle, and they still do the same thing now. Why are their lives so much better now?

That is to revitalize the economy.

In the past, the sheep and cattle raised by herders in the southern desert were only eaten. The wool and cowhide were also rubbed by hand by herders, and the production efficiency was extremely low.

Now with industrialized production, the Fengrun Woolen Fabric Factory alone produces more wool yarn and fabrics than all the herdsmen in the southern desert could produce by hand in a year.

As production efficiency improves, more money can be earned and the return to herders will be higher.

One ring after another.

So that’s it.

Zhang Juzheng felt that he had understood a little more about the political economy that the emperor talked about.

After shuffling the abacus beads in his mind for a while, Zhang Juzheng subconsciously tried to apply the teachings of sages he had read to them, but suddenly found that no matter how he tried, he couldn’t fit them.

Even the miscellaneous books such as “Guan Zi” that I had read before were rather vague in their explanations and not as thorough as the “Political Economy” that the emperor explained.

Zhang Juzheng was suddenly shocked.

Are the teachings of sages and Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism really completely useless?

No, no, it is still useful. It is still useful in restraining people’s moral words and deeds.

But if we don’t have enough to eat and enough clothes to wear, who can talk about morality?
I remember that the emperor mentioned in his lecture that there are five kinds of human needs, the two most basic of which are the physiological needs of food, clothing and sexual desire, and the security needs of pursuing safety, order and stability.

Only when these two basic requirements are met can a person be considered to have a complete personality, live in harmony with others, and be polite.

Zhang Juzheng suddenly realized that talking about morality to the people without solving their food and clothing problems was not a very moral thing in itself.

At this point, the mountain of steel in his heart, which had been built up over decades of reading the books of sages, suddenly cracked.

After resolving the dispute between workers and peasants at Yahong Bridge, Zhu Yijun and Zhang Juzheng continued their eastern tour.

They came to Kaiping Coal Industry Company located in Zhongtunwei, Kaiping, which has the largest coal mine in the Ming Dynasty.

Zhili Governor Hu Ruguang is waiting here.

“Your Majesty, Prime Minister Zhang, these are two rattan safety helmets.” Hu Ruguang handed over two round hard hats, which looked like half a hollowed-out watermelon.

Inside is a circle of cloth and a net bag, which serves to fix and cushion the hat. There is also a narrow leather belt on both sides of the hat that can be extended or shortened.

“Master Zhang, put it on. Safety comes first when entering the mining area. You must wear this helmet.”

Zhu Yijun took off his Yishan crown and put on the helmet, but his hair was so high that it was a little uncomfortable to wear.

“Old Hu, have all the workers in the mining area shaved their hair off?”

“In reply to the emperor, I shaved them all off. It is inconvenient to wear a helmet with a bun.” Hu Ruguang replied from the side.

Zhang Juzheng took off his black hat and put on a helmet, but he also felt uncomfortable. “My hair and skin are given by my parents. I dare not damage them. How can I shave my hair?”

Zhu Yijun glanced at him. He thought, he was not asking everyone to shave their heads and leave a rat-like braid. What’s more, the hair on our bodies is given by our parents?

In history, when the Qing Dynasty entered the Central Plains, it was your younger generation, Sun Zhixie, a Jinshi, who suggested implementing the order to shave hair.

The descendant of Confucius, whom you worship every day, Kong Yinzhi, the 65th Duke of Yansheng, who was canonized by the Ming Dynasty, led his clansmen to shave their heads first, and submitted a “Memorial on Head Shaving” to the Qing court, kneeling and licking its ass.

At that time, we didn’t say that our hair and skin are inherited from our parents? Hu Rugong said, “Prime Minister Zhang, when we were fighting against the Japanese in the southeast, soldiers were injured and it was inconvenient to treat their hair, so all the soldiers cut their hair short before going into battle.

At that time, some scholars laughed at him and asked soldiers to shave their heads. Later, when General Qi came to the capital to train the new army, he mentioned this matter. The emperor asked Emperor Shizong to issue an edict, giving priority to military affairs and allowing the new army soldiers to shave their heads.

General Qi also took the initiative to take the lead in cutting his hair short, and the new army followed suit. When they arrived at the Daxing factories and mines in Luanzhou, the first thing Eunuch Yang did was to ask all the factories to cut their hair short.

I have to say that after having my hair cut short, I can do things more efficiently and conveniently, especially the hygiene has improved, and I don’t have so many lice.”

Zhu Yijun’s heart moved, and he asked, “Old Hu, where is the barber shop here?”

Zhang Juzheng and Hu Rugong immediately guessed what Zhu Yijun was thinking and quickly advised him, “Your Majesty, you must not do this!”

Zhu Yijun had made up his mind, “What’s wrong with that?

Soldiers are fighting and bleeding for the Ming Dynasty at the front, so they have to cut their hair short for medical treatment; workers are working hard and sweating in factories and mines to make the country strong and the people rich, so they have to cut their hair short for their work.

Do I have to be like those Southeastern scholars, standing by and laughing at them, saying that those with shaved heads are despicable!?
As the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, I should be a role model for all people. What is a role model? It is not about words, but about leading by example!

Go and get a short haircut!”

After that, Zhu Yijun said to Zhang Juzheng: “Master Zhang, you can ignore me.”

Zhang Juzheng said helplessly: “Your Majesty, it’s not a question of whether I should care or not. If Your Majesty cuts his hair short, what will happen during the court meeting?”

Zhu Yijun said without hesitation: “Wear a wig. I usually have short hair. In solemn occasions, wearing a crown and formal clothes, short hair does not match my temperament, so I will wear a wig.”

Well, I can’t persuade you anyway. After Emperor Sejong passed away, no one in this world can persuade you!
Hu Rugong looked at Zhu Yijun’s serious expression, tried to persuade him a few more times, then had to go out and bring in a barber.

Give the emperor a haircut?
Sir, my hands are shaking so badly!

Even if the shaking is severe, you still have to sort it out, and sort it out well!

If you cut the emperor’s hair today, you will be awesome! You can hang a sign at the door of the barbershop, “The Emperor’s Barber”. People who want to get their hair cut by you can line up from here to the capital.

The barber exchanged glances with Hu Rugong for a while, then had to step forward tremblingly.

“Your Majesty, how about I give you a short haircut and trim the back of your head?”

“Okay! You can do whatever you want, the key is to bring out my heroic and handsome temperament.”

The barber was amused. The emperor was really humorous.

After a few jokes, the barber’s hands stopped shaking. He took the scissors and cut Zhu Yijun’s long hair with a few clicks. Then he used a razor to shave his temples and the back of his head, and also trimmed the front of his forehead.

Yang Jinshui was not idle either. He ran to find a glass mirror and brought it to Zhu Yijun.

“Your Majesty, what do you think of this craftsman’s work?”

Zhu Yijun looked around, his hair was short and ear-length, and he looked indescribably fresh and comfortable. The soul of a senior civil servant had influenced him too much.

Now that I have cut my hair short, many things deep in my soul have awakened again.

I want to build a new era, reshape a new Ming Dynasty, a new country and nation, and rejuvenate a new civilization. To round it off, it is equivalent to creating the world.

We must establish new production relations to adapt to the new productive forces.

When the foundation changes, the superstructure must change accordingly, and a whole new set of political, economic, military and cultural systems must be established.

In particular, we need to establish a whole new system of thought, force great scholars to debate the classics for us, and force scholars to reform Confucianism, putting new wine in old bottles.

The Western Renaissance is actually new wine in old bottles, injecting cultural ideas that adapt to capitalism into the so-called ancient Greek culture.

Those that are consistent with capitalist cultural ideas are exaggerated and widely promoted. Those that are inconsistent are quietly deleted. Ancient Greek culture would never have such dross!

The West had the Renaissance, and the Ming Dynasty could have a cultural renaissance.

The various schools of thought in the pre-Qin and Spring and Autumn periods always found suitable arguments to extend and expand upon, and then spread the word that the new ideas of our civilization are the result of the inheritance of the pre-Qin schools of thought.

Any new idea must find a root that has been passed down from generation to generation, and must first find an ancestor to show that it is orthodox before it can be shown off. This is true in China and abroad.

Looking for illustrious ancestors, who are we afraid of?
Zhu Yijun nodded with satisfaction: “Not bad, your skills are much better than those Tony teachers.”

Teacher Tony?

Who is it?

But no one dared to ask.

“It’s just that this dress is not suitable. This red robe and this short hair really don’t match my temperament. Jinshui, go find me a set of summer uniform for the Army Academy, take off the shoulder straps and armbands, and get me a pair of sheepskin pumps, the kind that are modified from sailor sailing shoes.”

“According to the order!”

Zhang Juzheng had become numb and just laid back, allowing Zhu Yijun to do whatever he wanted.

Destroy it. If this matter gets out, and anyone writes a petition to impeach me, saying that I did not give my advice wholeheartedly, I will demote him to Luzon Island to grow bananas!

Zhu Yijun changed into a light green short-sleeved army uniform, tied a belt, and put on a safety helmet. His temperament was completely different.

When he saw Zhang Juzheng, who looked as if he had lost his parents, he was overjoyed.

You civil servants are always following etiquette and rules, as if the more properly you dress, the more merit you will generate, and then you will bring blessings to the world and bring world peace!

Of course, etiquette must be observed. If the etiquette between the monarch and his subjects is not followed, wouldn’t the emperor have no authority at all?

But I have to keep it properly. The key is that I want people to be convinced, respect me, and love me. Otherwise, I will become a tool for you to fool the people of the world.

Zhu Yijun was wearing a neat short-sleeved military uniform, a pair of shallow leather shoes, had short hair, and wore a safety helmet. He looked very energetic and capable.

Zhang Juzheng was wearing a round-necked red robe and a safety helmet, which was propped up high by his bun.

Zhang Xueyan, Hu Ruguang and others were dressed similarly, and they all looked a bit weird.

Then, this strange group of people came to a coal mine under the surprised gaze of everyone.

Chen Qing’an from Kaiping Coal Company and Liang Youping, head of the technical department and chief engineer, acted as guides and tour guides.

Chen Qingan said first: “Your Majesty, Prime Minister Zhang, and all the superiors, this is the No. 1 coal mine of Kaiping Coal Mine. It is 60 meters deep and 1,400 meters long. It is the earliest coal mine excavated in Kaiping Coal Mine. It is also the most advanced coal mine in Kaiping Coal Mine, using a large number of mechanical equipment.”

When it comes to business, Zhang Juzheng quickly put aside the clothes and hairstyle, and focused on the topic, “I have heard that during the Zhengde period, there were people digging coal in the Kaiping Luanzhou area?”

“To answer Zhang Xiang’s question, yes. It was also because of this that the exploration team of the Surveying and Mapping Bureau found this coal field in no time, from Kaiping to the east, through Luanzhou, Lulong, Yongping, Funing, all the way to the edge of Shanhaiwei Minghai.

The reserves are very rich. Currently, there are six coal mines and eleven coal wells between Kaiping and Luanzhou, all of which belong to Kaiping Coal Industry Company, and our Kaiping Coal Industry Company is affiliated to Kailuan Coal and Iron Company. “

Zhang Juzheng continued to ask: “You said that this coal mine is very advanced and uses a lot of mechanical equipment. Can you let me see it?”

Chen Qingan ushered him aside and said, “Your Majesty, Prime Minister Zhang, and all the superiors, please come this way.”

Zhu Yijun, Zhang Juzheng and others followed him to a place. When they saw the scene in front of them, they were all stunned.

Only Zhu Yijun had the corners of his mouth curled up, like a rocket of a prince shooting out, and no one could suppress him.

(End of this chapter)