In Nanjing in May, people outing can be seen everywhere.
Yanziji is a good place for overlooking the distance. On May 20th, the weather was sunny and mild, and Tiangong Academy also had a day off.
The only people who could come to Tiangong Academy to study were young people. The young people quickly became familiar with each other. The students made friends one after another and went to Yanziji near the academy together.
Wang Yuanqing and his companion Sun Wei looked at the scene in Nanjing while climbing the mountain.
Different from the flat Suzhou Prefecture, Nanjing is mostly hilly, with tigers and dragons crouching on top of each other. This is why Zhu Yuanzhang made Nanjing his capital.
Wang Yuanqing was from Taicang, and was somewhat related by blood to the Taicang Wang family of Wang Xijue's family. However, Wang Yuanqing's family had long been separated, and no one was studying for the imperial examination.
Wang Yuanqing's father sold the family's land and opened a small and medium-sized textile workshop with fifty weavers.
Although the size of his family's cotton textile workshop was not too large, Wang Yuanqing had no worries about food and clothing since he was a child.
Sun Wei was much more miserable than Wang Yuanqing. His family originally had two acres of land outside the city. Three generations of the family relied on these two acres of land to make a living. Although their lives were difficult, they could survive.
Later, the Japanese pirates invaded Jiangnan the year before last and also captured Taicang County. Two members of Sun Wei's family died when they fled, and their land was destroyed by the Japanese pirates.
After the Japanese pirates left, suddenly a landowner near Sun Wei's house took out a land deed and complained to the county government that the land owned by Sun Wei's house belonged to his family.
The house of Sun Wei's family was burned down by Japanese pirates, and the family's land deed was lost when they fled. After the lawsuit went to the county government, the land was awarded to the landlord.
Sun Wei's father was angry to death because of the lawsuit, leaving only Sun Wei and his sister to depend on each other.
The family's fields were gone. In order to support his sister, Sun Wei had no choice but to work in a cotton textile mill in Taicang City.
Both of them were eighteen years old. Wang Yuanqing was pampered and he was out of breath just halfway up the climb.
Sun Wei's hands were covered with calluses. He had been doing various jobs in the cotton textile mill since he was sixteen years old, and he could climb halfway up the mountain without getting out of breath.
"Brother Wei, take a break!"
Sun Wei stopped and saw Wang Yuanqing panting. The two found a tree on the side of the mountain and sat down cross-legged to enjoy the cool air and rest.
Wang Yuanqing untied the water bag from his waist, took a sip of water and handed it to Sun Wei. Sun Wei shook his head and did not take Wang Yuanqing's water bag. Instead, he took a green plum from his waist and stuffed it into his mouth to quench his thirst.
Wang Yuanqing moistened his throat and said: "Shan Chang Su said that from now on, the daily study in the afternoon will be changed to elective, and you can also go to carpentry internship. Brother Wei, do you want to change it to carpentry internship?"
Sun Wei shook his head and said, "I quite like Su Shanchang's course, and I want to continue taking it."
Wang Yuanqing said: "Those daily tips give me a headache, so I might as well go to a carpentry internship."
Sun Wei just smiled. Wang Yuanqing would go back to inherit the family's business in the future. His main purpose of coming to the academy to study was to learn how to manufacture and maintain hydraulic spinning machines.
After seeing the real thing and personally experiencing the efficiency of the hydraulic spinning machine, all the young students regarded this machine as an artifact!
Such a water-powered spinning machine is worth 200 old-fashioned spinning wheels. This amazing increase in productivity makes all future workshop owners who have seen the machine excited.
They can't wait to learn how to make this machine and want their families to use this advanced machine as soon as possible.
Wang Yuanqing imagined that as long as he had a water-powered spinning machine at home, one weaver could be worth two hundred weavers.
There are currently fifty weavers in their family, which means that as long as there is such a machine, one person can complete four times the original workload!
The family's workshop could employ fewer people and complete orders faster, which was enough to impress Wang Yuanqing's father.
Wang Yuanqing was only interested in the technology of hydraulic spinning machines. He was only moderately interested in Su Ze's daily routine lectures in the afternoon and the arithmetic courses in the evening. He even felt that it was a waste of time.
After Su Ze announced that he could freely choose carpentry internships for daily necessities in the afternoon, Wang Yuanqing, the children of small and medium-sized workshop owners, all chose to give up learning daily necessities and switch to carpentry internships.
Compared with Wang Yuanqing's impatience, spinning students like Sun Wei were less eager to learn the technology of hydraulic spinning machines.
Their semester is three months longer than Wang Yuanqing's. Principal Su Shan has already said that after Wang Yuanqing and his friends finish studying for three months, the theory in the morning will be changed to carpentry practice. Weaver students like them will have the opportunity to get started with carpentry practice in the future. .
On the other hand, Sun Wei was indeed very interested in the "Tao of Daily Use" that Su Ze taught in the afternoon.
Most of the weavers like Sun Wei couldn't afford water-powered looms, and there were no workshops to install these equipment. To put it bluntly, they learned skills and ended up working as maintenance workers in textile workshops.
It’s hard to say whether there will be a hydro-spinning machine in the place where I will work in the future.
Students like Sun Wei, who was a weaver, preferred to listen to Su Ze's "Daily Use" course in the afternoon instead of technology.
In addition to the four morals of the people, Su Ze's description and discussion of various topics such as the relationship between the government and the people, and the relationship between employers and employees made Sun Wei suddenly enlightened.
He seemed to understand the reason why his own land was occupied, and also shattered Sun Wei's illusions about Master Qingtian.
Ordinary weavers like Sun Wei originally lived half-consciously, not knowing where the suffering came from or what their lives would be like in the future.
But after taking Su Ze's course, Sun Wei felt like he was waking up from a dream. He understood where his suffering came from, so he was eager to know the answer from Su Ze, that is, how to change his life. good.
Therefore, these weaver students often pay more attention to the "Daily Use" course in the afternoon than the students who are the children of workshop owners.
Just like what Su Ze said in the course: "Although being awake is more painful than falling asleep, dying while awake is infinitely better than dying in a state of confusion."
"Let's go!"
Sun Wei stood up, and Wang Yuanqing could only reluctantly follow him and continue climbing to the top of the mountain.
When he first started climbing the mountain, it was Wang Yuanqing who led Sun Wei to climb the mountain, but at this moment, it was Sun Wei who was leading Wang Yuanqing to climb the mountain.
In the capital, in Xu Jie's mansion, Zhang Juzheng was sitting on the bench near the door. Today, all the important people in Qingliu gathered here to discuss the latest court affairs.
Zhang Juzheng had a low official position and was young, so he could only sit near the door and listen to the speeches of the big guys in the hall.
The speaker was Hou Ruliang, the censor of the capital, who had just returned to the capital from the governorship of Liaodong. He was talking about his experiences in Liaodong.
"Since the year before last, Liaodong has encountered major disasters one after another, especially the snow disasters in the past two years. There was a serious shortage of cotton-padded clothes in the military villages, and many people froze to death!"
"There were floods again at the beginning of spring this year, and all the food planted in the spring was wasted. Now a bushel of rice in Liaodong is sold for one or two silver. The mother abandons her son, and the father eats his son to death. It is really terrible!"
Everyone here was silent. The situation in Liaodong was indeed not good. What Hou Ruliang said was true. But soon a young censor jumped out and said:
"Master Hou! Governor Ji Liao is our Lord Wang Yan of Qingliu! If you report this to me, won't Lord Wang be blamed by His Majesty? Could it be that you want to help the Yan Party to bring down one of your own?"
"Yes, yes! The problem in Liaodong did not happen after Governor Wang took office. The shortage of winter clothes was the problem of the previous Governor. The floods were not brought about by Mr. Wang. Besides, there is no disaster in Ming Dynasty now. How about you? Your Excellency chose Liaodong's fault and said that you want to make Mr. Wang lose his official position and replace him with you?"
When Hou Ruliang heard these words, his face turned red with anger. He rolled up his sleeves and said, "What Hou just said was what he saw with his own eyes, and he did not mean to attack Mr. Wang in the slightest. The people of Liaodong are like this, don't you think so?" Is it just party struggle?”
After saying this, Hou Ruliang took out a scroll from behind and said, "This is the "Picture of Hungry People" painted by someone in Liaodong."
All they saw was that the scroll was pulled open, and Hou Ruliang vividly described the tragic situation in Liaodong he had seen, and the young censors who had just criticized him also shut their mouths.
After all, no matter how vivid the words are, they are not as impactful as the intuitive pictures. What's more, Hou Ruliang's painter is so good that several officials even closed their eyes.
Xu Jie coughed and said: "Master Hou was ordered by the emperor to patrol Liaodong, so naturally he must report the truth. But now there is no food in the Ministry of Revenue, how can we control Liaodong?"
Hou Ruliang also fell silent at this time. The problem of water transportation congestion has not yet been solved. The capital's own food is still in short supply. Where can there be excess food for disaster relief?
After a long time, Zhang Juzheng stood up and said:
"Master, why not follow the example of the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs' method of providing disaster relief in southern Zhili and use sea ships to transport grain to Liaodong?"
Everyone looked sideways, and Zhang Juzheng said: "There is no shortage of food in Shandong, and there is a dock in Dengzhou. Loading food from Dengzhou and transporting it to Liaodong can alleviate the disaster."
"Aren't you planning on getting your winter clothes this way this year?"
Everyone looked at Xu Jie. The purchase of winter clothes in Liaodong was agreed upon by the cabinet at the beginning of the year. There was indeed a plan to build sea-ship transportation. Zhang Juzheng's plan was indeed feasible.
Xu Jie nodded and said: "My uncle's suggestion is good. Then you will report it according to the facts, and then my uncle will send the booklet on transporting grain by sea to relieve the disaster in Liaodong to the cabinet and submit it to His Majesty."
Everyone nodded, and even Hou Ruliang looked at Zhang Juzheng. This young man could think of disaster relief methods so quickly. It is no wonder that his status in Qingliu has risen rapidly in recent years, and he is so valued by Xu Jie.
Everyone dispersed, and Xu Jie said to Zhang Juzheng who stood up: "Uncle, please stay for a while."
Zhang Juzheng could only stand and wait until everyone left, and then Xu Jie took him to the study.
I thought Xu Jie was going to talk to him about the details of disaster relief, but I didn't expect that Xu Jie didn't talk about this topic at all, but handed a book to Zhang Juzheng.
"Su Rulin's new book?"
Zhang Juzheng couldn't wait to open the book, but it was completely different from what he imagined. This book was neither an opera nor Su Ze's lecture theory, but a technical book.
Zhang Juzheng read for a while, and the more he read, the more frightened he became. When he finished reading the part about the spinning machine, he closed the book and said:
"Master! This is a book that helps the world!"
Xu Jie nodded and agreed with the comment of his most proud disciple.
When Xu Jie first got this book, he was no less shocked than Zhang Juzheng.
He is from Songjiang Prefecture. He has seen various looms since he was a child. After seeing the cotton textile loom, Xu Jie knew that the design in Su Ze's book was feasible. The spinning efficiency of this mule machine was indeed old. Dozens of times that of a spinning wheel.
Zhang Juzheng still thought of himself and said: "It is really a technique that enriches the country and the people! This Su Rulin has selflessly published these techniques. He is truly an unparalleled scholar in the country!"
Xu Jie looked at Zhang Juzheng and said, "This Su Rulin is indeed a talented person who can help the world."
Only then did Zhang Juzheng notice his mentor's face. He remembered that the last time Su Ze published "The Complete Biography of Yue Shuo" in the capital, he compared Xu Jie to Qin Hui, causing his mentor's prestige to plummet, and he quickly stopped praising Su Ze.
Xu Jie sighed and said, "It's just that this person is quite prejudiced against us, Qingliu."
Zhang Juzheng understood what Xu Jie meant, and he said: "I also sent a message to Su Rulin a few days ago, explaining the overall situation of the court to him, and I hope he will put the overall situation first."
Xu Jie shook his head and said: "It's useless. I have studied his academics. Although he was born out of the Taizhou School, he has become his own school. It is impossible for such a person to change his mind casually."
Xu Jie patted Zhang Juzheng on the shoulder and said:
"The only good news is that Su Ze started lecturing early. Even if he takes part in the examination, Your Majesty will not give him a first or second grade."
Zhang Juzheng understood what Xu Jie meant. The emperor could not allow the existence of a person who combined a "living saint", a "great literary master" and an "important cabinet minister". Such a person in the court would be the greatest threat to the imperial power.
Su Ze has chosen the path of "living saint" and "great literary master", so his official career is destined to be small, and even the emperor will not let him come to the capital.
Xu Jie said to Zhang Juzheng: "I am old, and the one who will fight with you in the future will not be Yan Shifan or Gao Gong, but this Su Ze."
Zhang Juzheng immediately understood what the teacher meant. He raised his hands and said, "Thank you, Master, for your guidance!"
In that month, Hou Ruliang, the censor of Liaodong, wrote a letter saying that there was a severe famine in Liaodong, and he also wrote a "Famine Map", and the emperor expressed sympathy for him.
The emperor ordered, still following the suggestion of Zhang Juzheng of the Hanlin Academy, to have Dengzhou build sea-going ships to transport grain from Shandong to the north to relieve Liaodong's difficulties.
The emperor also followed the advice of the Ministry of Revenue and purchased 3,000 more winter clothes in Jiangnan and sent them to Liaodong for distribution to the soldiers and civilians who were reclaiming land.
In Suzhou Prefecture Tiangong Academy, Su Ze's teaching skills have been upgraded to Level 10.
(End of chapter)
