Fuzhou.
Outside the not-so-luxurious palace, it was raining heavily. In the distance, lightning and thunder could be heard from the direction of the sea. The howling of the wind and rain made the room feel like a ship on the sea.
Zuo Wenhuai sat on a chair in the middle of the imperial study, talking to the young emperor about the southwest. Zhou Pei, Cheng Zhouhai, and the others were also accompanying him.
"… Regarding the development of the investigation of things here, when I came, Mister Ning mentioned that the southeast is suitable for the development of ship technology. The technology we brought is enough for the cannons and other things on the battlefield. The southeast happens to be along the coast, and we need to develop trade. If we go along this route, the benefits of research may be the greatest … "
"But ship technology is not very useful on the battlefield." Zhou Junwu looked at Zuo Wenhuai and smiled. "On the battlefield, cannons, gunpowder, and other things are more reliable. With these sent by Mister Ning, we may be able to defeat Wu Qimei. But if we finally meet the Hua Xia army on the battlefield one day, the cannons and rockets of the Hua Xia army will have been changed several times during the time we have been researching ships. In the end, it will only be for the benefit of the Hua Xia army."
"Forgive me for speaking bluntly." Zuo Wenhuai hesitated and cupped his hands. "Even if we develop cannons together, the southeast will not be able to catch up to the Hua Xia army."
He had followed Zuo Xiuwen and a group of Zuo family youths from the southwest. They had crossed thousands of miles and arrived in Fuzhou not long ago. In his mind, he still thought of himself as a member of the Hua Xia army. His status had been bestowed by the officials here, so he knew that his words might be disrespectful to the people in front of him. Fortunately, no one showed any signs of anger after he said it.
The graceful Eldest Princess, Zhou Pei, even smiled. "Why?"
"There are two problems with the development of the investigation of things. On the surface, it looks like it is just the investigation of things. Just invest money and manpower, and let people rack their brains to invent new things. But in fact, the deeper level lies in the popularization of the concept of Physics Research. It requires researchers and everyone involved in the research to have a clear concept of Physics Research. One is one, two is two. We need to let people know that the truth will not change because of people's will. The researchers involved in the direct work must understand this, and the officials above must also understand this. Whoever doesn't understand this will affect their efficiency. "
In the southwest, Ning Yi's lectures had been particularly detailed, so Zuo Wenhuai was able to speak clearly and logically.
"Investigating things and investigating things complement each other. If research is done well, one's thinking will also improve. If one improves their thinking, their research will naturally be better. In the Huaxia Army, Mister Ning has been laying the foundation of Physics Research thinking since the Little Canghe period. It took more than ten years to reach today's results. If the Southeast wants to catch up in these two areas, they must first thoroughly understand the existing results, which will take several years. After that, they will make new things. At that time, it will be a test of Physics Research thinking. "
"In the past ten years in the Huaxia Army, every day they desperately do research and make breakthroughs. In this process, the researchers formed a clear method of comparison, induction, and summary. In the Southeast, if they copy other people's existing technology, maybe the researchers will take a look, pat their heads, and find that they understand. It's that simple, but when it comes to researching new things, they will find that their Physics Research thinking is not enough."
Zuo Wenhuai paused. "According to what I know, His Majesty has long been imitating and researching things like hot air balloons and cannons. These are all things that the Huaxia Army already has, but it is also very difficult to replicate. His Majesty gathered the craftsmen and had them use their brains. Whoever came up with a good idea would be paid. But these craftsmen's ideas, in short, were just patting their heads and trying this and that. They were just trying their luck. But real research is fundamentally based on the researcher's ability to compare, induce, and summarize. Of course, His Majesty has been promoting Physics Research for so many years, so there must be some people who have this kind of methodology. But if you really want to be at the forefront of this world, this kind of thinking ability must be the best in the world. You must not recognize your own family. If you are even a little bit vague, you will fall behind. "
"I like the phrase 'not recognizing your own family.'" Zhou Junwu replied seriously. It was not easy to tell what he was thinking. Zuo Wenhuai looked around and saw that Zhou Pei and Cheng Zhouhai also had solemn expressions on their faces. He stood up and cupped his hands. "Yes … this lowly official was impetuous."
"It's fine." Jun Wu smiled and waved his hand. "You have been studying in the Southwest for many years, so it's good that you have such a straightforward personality. I asked the Zuo family to invite you back because we need such straightforward reasoning. From these words, I can see what kind of place the Southwest is. Don't change it. Continue. Why do we need to study shipping? "
"Just relying on existing technology to cultivate a way of thinking is limited. This is because it is easy for researchers to think that they have produced results and that they can deceive others. They don't have enough pressure on them. It is better to find a field that is more urgently needed and where the results are easier to verify and have people do the research. For those who can frequently solve problems, it is easier to pick them out. Survival of the fittest will help them develop the correct way of thinking. "
As Zuo Wenhuai spoke to here, Jun Wu and Zhou Pei nodded. Cheng Zhouhai said, "Our dynasty has always been developing shipping technology. Shipping is now very developed along the southeastern coast and there is no place that doesn't have a shortage of ships. Mister Ning has asked us to pay attention to ships. I fear that this isn't out of good intentions. "
"Money … will always be lacking." Zuo Wenhuai looked at them. He had just arrived and didn't know much about these matters, so he hesitated. Then he said, "In addition, Mister Ning once said that the ocean is vast. On one hand, it is connected to various foreign countries, so shipping is very profitable. On the other hand, the ocean is barbaric. Once you leave the shore, you can only rely on yourself. When facing pirates and enemies, whether or not the ship can be sturdy or whether or not the cannons can fire a few inches is a matter of fact. Thus, if we want to promote long-term technological progress, the ocean is perhaps even more important than land.
"Of course, this is … the thinking of the Southwest. Mister Ning has great foresight. In the past few years, he has brought up the benefits of opening up the sea several times, mostly in terms of long-term benefits. Now that Zuo Wenhuai is here, the only short-term benefit he can think of is maritime trade. Raising soldiers is too expensive, but maritime trade is more profitable. Moreover, the better the ship and the better the cannons, the better you will be at sea. I believe this principle will never change … "
After Zuo Wenhuai arrived in Fuzhou, Jun Wu received him almost every other day. At this time, when he talked about the ocean, it was more like a casual chat. After Zuo Wenhuai passed on the information, he no longer persisted. After all, this kind of general direction couldn't be explained in a few words. Moreover, regardless of whether or not they developed maritime research, copying the cannons had to be their top priority. This was something that everyone understood.
After chatting for a while, the rain gradually stopped, and Cheng Zhouhai escorted him out of the Imperial Palace. When Cheng Zhouhai returned to the imperial study, Jun Wu and Zhou Pei were holding teacups and talking in low voices. Cheng Zhouhai bowed, and Jun Wu waved for him to sit down.
"This person from the Southwest is giving us advice." Zhou Pei said, then looked at Cheng Zhouhai. "Do you think this is the Southwest's thinking, the Zuo family's thinking … or his own thinking?"
"Ning Yi's thinking is very clear." Cheng Zhouhai smiled. "He can give us cannons, give us the ability to study things, and let us defeat other people. Given his usual domineering attitude, he might even want us to train some researchers with the ability to study things. In the future, when he conquers the world, he will take all of them and let us develop maritime technology. Perhaps when he invades us in the future, this technology will be his."
"What Wenhuai said makes sense." Jun Wu held his teacup and smiled. "The ability to study things is very important. When I was building the Research Institute of Things in Jiangning, I took in a large group of craftsmen and raised them every day in hopes that they would produce something good. When they produced something good, I would not be stingy with them. I even wanted to give them official titles … This isn't wrong, but this is the only way those craftsmen can only rely on luck. It is better to let them compare, summarize, and summarize. When he said this, I felt like I had been hit in the head. If I had heard these words a few years ago, I would have taken fewer detours. "
He took a sip of tea. The reason for his serious expression was perhaps because he was thinking about the past with Ning Yi in Jiangning. Unfortunately, he was too young at the time, and Ning Yi could not have talked to him about these complicated things. Now that he realized that the detours he had taken for several years could be solved with a few words, his mood became complicated.
Cheng Zhouhai smiled. "I originally wanted to say that Mister Ning directly tossed us the cannon technology because he didn't want us to develop our own thoughts. But now that I think about it, it really is a bit of a cheap trick."
"The young people of the Zuo family have been taught well. There is no need to make things difficult for him." Zhou Pei said, then she frowned. "However, when he mentioned shipping, it is not without reason. Yesterday, I received news that Wu Peiyuan's shipment of goods from Jiangnan West Road was robbed on the way. I still don't know if it's true or not. Several ships in Guangzhou have to be delayed. From last year until now, many people who used to support us are now hesitant. Fujian is a long way from the mountains. If they add some stoppers on the way, a lot of things can't be shipped in. Without trade, there will be no money. With the little trade tax we have now, we can only last until August. "
"I have been out of the palace a few times recently. It seems that the outside world is doing well. It is thriving." Jun Wu mumbled as he drank his tea.
"You opened the sea ban, expanded the land, encouraged farming, and encouraged trade. Of course the common people in Fuzhou are doing well. But the big families didn't rely on doing small business in Fuzhou and buying snacks and cakes to get by. They used to have people outside and connections in the army, so they used to transport things out of Fuzhou and bring in things from outside Fuzhou. Now that we have taken back most of the power here, those who have lost their power run to other places to do business. If the water is too clear, there will be no fish. Do you think we can rely on those who sell cakes and farm to transport things out? "
"You have done a lot of things this year, and they all cost money." Zhou Pei counted on her fingers. "You have supported the Han and Yue armies outside, set up a military academy for the generals to learn, set up a newspaper, expand the research institute, conduct a census of the population and land, and build armaments workshops … This time, with the goods from the southwest, you have to expand the research institute. You don't have the money to expand, so you can only slowly adjust …"
It wasn't the first time that Zhou Pei had rambled on like this. Ever since the new court in Fuzhou had made it clear that the Wu dynasty was going to rule over the barbarians, many of the big families who had been on Jun Wu's side had started to change their actions. The policy of 'ruling the world together with the scholarly officials' had been put forward, and the old officials in the court had been beating around the bush, hoping that Jun Wu would change his mind.
Outside, some of the old scholars who had been loyal to the Wu dynasty and had been willing to sell everything they had to support Fuzhou stopped. Some of the teams that had been transporting supplies had run into danger on the way. No one directly opposed Jun Wu, but the big families who were on the transport routes only slightly relaxed their deterrence against the bandits and horse gangs in the vicinity. Fuzhou was a place with rugged mountain roads to begin with, and as a result, the supply of goods had been reduced.
People were waiting for Jun Wu to regret and change his mind. Jun Wu, Zhou Pei, and the others also knew that as long as he stopped his tendency to centralize power, the loyal officials of the Wu dynasty would gradually support him — at least, it was better than supporting Wu Qimei.
Jun Wu looked at the map on the wall of his study. He didn't really have a large territory at the moment. It stretched as far north as Changxi (Xiapu) and as far south as Quanzhou. There were many places in the south that were nominally his, but he was actually watching and wavering. The two sides maintained a semblance of harmony and sent supplies from time to time, so Jun Wu didn't continue to send troops south for the time being.
The power of the small court in Lin 'an was now concentrated in the area of Yongjia (Wenzhou), to the north of Changxi. They had built a lot of fortifications to stop Jun Wu from advancing north, and they had also strengthened their coastal defenses. This was the clearest line of conflict between the two sides. Since Jun Wu claimed to be the legitimate emperor, he couldn't just hole up in Fuzhou all the time. Sooner or later, he would have to attack Yongjia and return north to Lin 'an.
"Will we have money if we take Yongjia?"
"It'll be better if we get out of the mountains, but Wu Qimei, Tie Yan, and the others are still holding the fort outside. Sooner or later, we'll have to defeat them."
"After we defeat them, the next step is to fight the Fairness Party." Jun Wu looked at the map. "Is He Wen still not willing to negotiate?"
There was silence in the study.
"… I've talked to General Yue recently. Fuzhou has just settled down, and we don't have many cannons for the time being, but it doesn't matter. According to Han Yue, if we go all out, we can barely defeat Wu Qimei and Tie Yan's million-strong army, but once we advance north and break through the mountains in the southeast, we have to be prepared for a series of big battles … If we can take back Lin 'an, there might be a turning point, but judging from the momentum of the Fairness Party, I'm afraid they won't stop for a while. "
At this point, Zhou Pei said, "You're already the emperor, and everyone is watching what we do now. If we keep hiding in the southeast and don't go north, I'm afraid people will change their minds."
"Go north, attack Lin 'an, and then attack He Wen. We'll raise our arms and call the world to our side. I think so too. But no matter how I think about it, I always feel that the army, especially in the past year, has changed the Fairness Party in Jiangnan. It's different from the peasant revolts and religious rebellions in the past. It's using the method that Mr. Ning spread in the west. But if it can reach this level in a year, why doesn't Mr. Ning use it? I feel that this kind of violent method can't be controlled by superhuman strength, and it can't be used for long without the right time, place, and people. Sooner or later, it'll run into trouble. I can't crash into it when it's at its peak. "
"Since ancient times, there has never been an emperor who was afraid of rebellion …"
"We only have a few cities now, so we've forgotten about the tens of thousands of miles of territory we once had. We're just a little emperor in the southeast, slowly expanding our territory." Jun Wu smiled. He raised his head and stared at the map for a long time.
"Sea trade …"
He murmured.
…
It was already summer in Fuzhou. The sea breeze came and went, and there were a few more thunderstorms. The scene in Fuzhou was in full swing.
After the little emperor showed his political inclination to respect the king and expel the barbarians, the large scale commercial activities that were supposed to be sent to Fuzhou stopped quite a bit. But after the original coastal port became the center of political power, the increase in the scale of commerce washed away this sign. All kinds of reforms won over the hearts of the people at the bottom of society and the scholars at the bottom of society. With the addition of the sea ships, the scene on the streets always felt lively.
In the middle of May, about 20 days after the arrival of the Huaxia army in the southwest, some complicated atmosphere was gathering in the city.
It was a night with a bright moon and sparse stars. In a restaurant called Gaofu Lou in the east of Fuzhou, the servants had already sent away the guests. They cleaned the floor again, hung up lanterns, and arranged the environment.
When it was close to nine o 'clock, a carriage stopped outside the building.
In the large private room at the top of Gaofu Lou, a private gathering began to take shape.
The first to arrive was the owner of Gaofu Lou. He was also one of the most famous sea merchants in Fuzhou, Gao Fulai. After Gao Fulai was another big merchant with a fleet, Shang Bingchun.
The third to arrive was a fat man with a white scarf wrapped around his head. His name was Pu Annan. His ancestors were foreigners who had migrated from Arabia. After a few generations, he had become a rich man with a place in Fuzhou.
The fourth to arrive was a slightly fat old Confucian scholar. He had half a head of white hair, and his eyes were calm and proud. He was the head of the Tian family in Fuzhou, Tian Haoran.
After the four sat down and exchanged a few words, the fifth person was led in from the secret passage. This person was tall and well-proportioned. His skin was dark and rough. At a glance, it was obvious that he was a man who often went to sea. This was the most powerful pirate on the southeast coast, "Dragon King" Wang Yikui.
He silently pulled out the fifth chair by the round table and sat down.
"Drink some tea."
Gao Fulai said.
Wang Yikui picked up the teacup, sniffed it, and drank it in one gulp.
"Let's get down to business." Gao Fulai said, "Everyone has heard about the recent news. A group of bastards from the Huaxia Army came and talked to our new emperor about the wealth of the sea. The court is short of money, so now they plan to develop the sea ships. In the future, they will send out two fleets to make money with us. I heard that their ships will be equipped with iron cannons from the southwest … The emperor wants to focus on sea transportation. From now on, our sea trade will prosper."
He said happy words, but his eyes were cold, and his words were also cold.
The Wu dynasty attached great importance to trade and did not excessively ban the sea. When the Wu dynasty still ruled the whole Central Plains, the sea trade in the southeast developed well. However, the Wu dynasty had occupied a vast territory, so the court never officially intervened in the sea trade. As long as taxes were paid, the officials would not touch the barbaric business of the sea trade. There was a kind of reservation of a gentleman staying away from the kitchen.
When the Wu dynasty moved south to Lin 'an, the southern economic center made it easier for Fuzhou and other places to receive all kinds of goods, which further promoted the development of sea trade. During this period, there were naturally some large clans who noticed this fat piece of meat and came to try to get a piece of it. However, the sea was a barbaric place. Ordinary forces could not band together and it was difficult for them to penetrate deep into the sea. After more than ten years of fighting, the Jurchens once again moved south and the Wu dynasty collapsed.
When Jun Wu, Zhou Pei, and the others came to the southeast to conquer Fuzhou, the sea merchants here adopted a positive and positive attitude. They also donated a large amount of money as military expenses to support the little emperor in fighting north from here. On one hand, they wanted to leave a connection, and on the other hand, this place had become a temporary political center, which naturally attracted more trade and commerce.
But now, the little emperor was preparing to study the sea ships and sea trade …
"… We shouldn't do this."
The fat Pu Annan pressed his hands on the table and said calmly.
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