After Qi Jiguang asked this question, Chen Wenliang still answered truthfully:
"Going back to Yuanfu, I saw that Ningyuan Houfu gave it away."
"It shouldn't be!"
After hearing this, Qi Jiguang couldn't help but frown, cursed, and then asked, "What did you give me?"
"A blower was sent."
Chen Wenliang replied.
After Chen Wenliang said this, many officials present who came to give gifts couldn't help laughing, as if they were secretly laughing at Li Chengliang, a dignified prince-level figure, for playing tricks on his chief minister like this.
"How can this Marquis Ning Yuan be like this? He has no ministerial demeanor. He should be impeached!"
At this moment, a censor began to defend Qi Jiguang.
"That's right, teasing Yuan Fu like this is totally unworthy of a minister!"
Many other officials also echoed.
Qi Jiguang ignored these people and continued to ask Chen Wenliang:
"What material is the blower made of?"
"wooden."
"It has been sent in. It is said that you can pull the plug inside by extending the lever outside the box, so that the wind can be forced into the furnace."
Chen Wenliang replied at this time.
Qi Jiguang laughed after hearing this: "Old Li still understands my Qi family!"
"Why did Yuansuke say that?"
Chen Wenliang couldn't help but ask at this time.
Qi Jiguang glanced at him and said, "You need to ask? Who doesn't know that Qi's sons are all good at craftsmanship and doing miscellaneous studies. I am afraid of Madam, but Madam dotes on them as if they were her own children. You said that he wants to be married to Ningyuan Houfu?" Wouldn’t you understand our family’s situation and send us a blower that’s not worth much but will be useful for a long time?”
After hearing this, Chen Wenliang looked at the wild ginseng in his hand and said nothing more.
…
"Changji, this new blower has inspired me. We can also add this kind of movable plug to the steam engine, so that the pressure of the steam can become the force that drives the wheel."
It will be built as a temple.
After Qi Changguo received the blower sent by Li Chengliang, he dismantled the blower and found out that this kind of piston originally appeared in the middle and late Ming Dynasty and was later recorded in "Tiangong Kaiwu" type blower, and then took the blower to Jiangzuo Temple, talked about the blower with Zhao Shizhen, and mentioned his ideas on improving steam engines.
turn out to be.
Because Zhu Yijun had only heard about steam engines and had never built them himself, even if Qi Changguo and Zhao Shizhen knew about steam engines and built steam engines, Zhu Yijun actually could not provide much if they were really to be used in large-scale production. help.
Steam engines are still being improved. There are issues with materials, as well as issues of inspiration for designing and innovating each specific part based on the latest theoretical knowledge such as thermodynamics and aerodynamics.
But there is no doubt that the blower sent by Li Chengliang this time inspired Qi Changguo, who was professionally building steam engines and other equipment, and was talented in this area. He suddenly thought that components such as pistons could be used in steam engines.
Many times, scientific revolutions also come from accidental discoveries, especially in the process of transforming theoretical effects into practical effects, which also require some chance.
In any case, if the surrounding environment becomes more conducive to the emergence of inspiration for technological innovation, it will naturally trigger more opportunities for great technological advancement.
Because Zhu Yijun attached great importance to science and technology, and now that the Ming Dynasty is peaceful and the people are safe and the society is stable, the intensity of the internal struggles among the powerful and bureaucrats has also been reduced a lot, which allows powerful people like Qi Changguo to calm down and work on steam engines, and even powerful people like Li Chengliang will also be interested in this. They pay more attention to it, and inadvertently promote the progress of Ming Dynasty in science and technology.
After hearing what Qi Changguo said, Zhao Shizhen also thought about it seriously and said, "Then let's try it!"
"Well, try it!"
Qi Changguo replied with a smile.
As a result, the two really began to try to improve the steam engine, intending to convert the steam power into the power to turn the wheels by adding pistons and other components.
Moreover, they reported this idea to Zhu Yijun in the form of an inscription on the temple.
Although Zhu Yijun didn't know exactly how steam engines were used on a large scale in the world, he was aware of the changes brought about by the steam industry and how important science and technology was to improving productivity.
Therefore, Zhu Yijun has always attached great importance to technology research and development, and asked Qi Changguo, Zhao Shizhen and other dignitaries who are responsible for theoretical scientific research and technology research and development to report their ideas to him, so that he can also learn about the latest development of science and technology in Ming Dynasty. .
And now.
The title books of Qi Changguo and Zhao Shizhen were reported to Zhu Yijun. After seeing them, Zhu Yijun was very satisfied and said to Qi Jiguang and others:
"Very good, Jiangzuo Temple has made a new discovery, and according to the people at Jiangzuo Temple, this is due to Marquis Ningwu."
After Zhu Yijun said that, he looked at Li Chengliang: "Ning Yuanhou, why did you think of giving this gift to Yuan Fu?"
"Return to Your Majesty!"
"Because I know that Yuan Fu has always been upright and upright, so if I say goodbye, Yuan Fu will definitely not accept it and will look down on me! He also has to let Mrs. Yuan Fu take responsibility for letting people know that he is also a common man who is just henpecked. Refusing to give those expensive gifts makes it even harder for Mrs. Yuanfu to be a good person!"
"As a friend, I can only send these ingenious utensils to express my congratulations, because I know that Yuan Fu will not refuse this gift for his third son who is willing to serve the people as Luban, and instead use the three gifts as a gift. The young master's intelligence will therefore make it more beneficial to the country and the people, which is better than selling the minister directly."
Li Chengliang stood up and raised his hands, answering Zhu Yijun's question.
Zhu Yijun smiled slightly: "Really, Marquis Ning Yuan understands Yuan Fu so well, which surprises me!"
At this time, Qi Jiguang glanced at Li Chengliang gratefully, then stood up to the left of Zhu Yijun and said to him: "Your Majesty, I would like to resign from the post of privy envoy to avoid having too much power, which will make the whole country suspicious and easily disrupt the national affairs." , please give your Majesty’s permission.”
"allow!"
"It is decreed that the court recommends privy envoys and other officials."
Zhu Yijun agreed to Qi Jiguang's request without hesitation.
It didn't take long for the results to come out, and Li Chengliang was also included in the list of candidates. He was just a companion, and the main recommendation was University Scholar Zheng Luo.
However, Zhu Yijun appointed Li Chengliang as the privy envoy to the north and south of the army. What's more, he had recently learned through Jin Yiwei that Li Chengliang had taken the initiative to sell off all the shops and workshops in his family. He was obviously taking the initiative to show his goodwill to the court in order to pass the economic plan. Concessions in exchange for political favors.
Zhu Yijun doesn't mind reciprocating favors for such a decent minister.
After all, this kind of minister is better than the kind of minister who is stubborn and wants to go against the emperor's intentions.
Zhu Yijun also had to admit that Li Chengliang was indeed a smart man. He could make corresponding gestures at any time according to changes in the current situation, and he would never forget to focus on the long term because he was reluctant to give up the immediate interests.
Therefore, if Zhu Yijun had not received a tip from the factory guard, he would have thought that Li Chengliang and Qi Jiguang were just men wearing a pair of trousers, and there might have been nothing left to gain.
But Zhu Yijun actually knew very well that there were leaders in the Ming army, but it was not obvious in the Ming Dynasty, which was still in the period of expansion of external interests.
This is the same as the parties among literati and officials. The old and new parties are in the current period of expansion of external interests, which is when the cake continues to grow.
However, there is not that obvious difference, at least not to the point of incompatibility, and the dispute between the cabinet and the officials is not as fierce as it was in the middle and late Wanli period in history.
For the sake of his own safety, it can also be said that he would not let the military ministers of the Northern Army system feel that he was left out. In addition, considering that the Privy Council really needed someone like Li Chengliang who knew military affairs to be in charge and Li Chengliang's personal performance, Zhu Yijun still chose Li Chengliang.
As for why Li Chengliang was only an accompanying recommendation rather than the main recommendation, the reason was naturally that the officials participating in the court discussions were mainly civil servants, so he still did not want the chief assistant to be Wu Xun, and even the privy envoy to be Wu Xun.
This is even more unacceptable to them, and they are still willing to list Li Chengliang in the recommendation list because Li Chengliang's personal qualifications and abilities are too dazzling. In order not to make their purpose too obvious, they have to list it. That’s all.
But the emperor really chose Li Chengliang without considering the feelings of the civil servants.
For a time, there was a lot of fighting between words and deeds.
"Your Majesty uses accompaniment push instead of main push. There are quite a lot of times. This is not the way of harmonizing the monarch and his ministers. It is not in line with people's expectations. You should use accompaniment push with caution."
That day, Huang Xun read to Zhu Yijun in front of the emperor a book from Deng Lian, the censor of Henan Province.
Zhu Yijun, who was playing chess with the prince, said: "Do I have to use the main recommender? There is no need to read such memorials. Leave them all in the middle. The meaning of letting them recommend is that I can use the accompanying recommendation, just like they have repeatedly Please consult with the imperial court first and then decide on the national policy. The only thing you can do is to adopt one of the three policies, the upper, middle and lower. Those who can support and recommend it are already in line with the expectations of the people in the world, which is a manifestation of my inability to do things alone."
"yes!"
Then, after reading a few official memorials, Huang Xun read from a copy of Li Ke You's letter to Xu Ziwei: "The two ministers in charge of the government are both military ministers, and there is a fear that military personnel may disrupt the political power. Your Majesty must do this." Concern... Moreover, Marquis Ningyuan has always been cunning and cunning. In the past, he acted arrogantly and domineeringly towards the governor in Liaodong. Your Majesty, please think twice and appoint the one who is on the right track as the prime minister."
"The fact that all military ministers are in power does not mean that military ministers have the opportunity to disrupt the government. It only means that there cannot be only two people in power in the country, and the separation of military and political affairs is not enough! Only then will a special situation arise where all military ministers are in power. If the judiciary, supervision, and policy making If you tell me directly and each governs for one, there won't be such a situation."
"Let the courtiers discuss it and give me a proposal on how to divide the five governors."
Zhu Yijun ordered.
"yes!"
Because Zhu Yijun commented on Xu Ziwei's memorial in this way, the courtiers actually held a court meeting shortly after he received it from Zhu Ben.
(End of chapter)
