Seeing this, King Shen was too lazy to talk to the two scholars who were exiled to Java Shen Fan, and only went to his harem.
Li Yingchun and Shen Rui then really started their farming life.
Then, they discovered that farming was really not that easy.
"Why do these weeds grow so fast, and then spread again after only a day or two?"
"This field is really not what gentlemen like us should be farming! In order to get water, we have to block the water in heavy rain, and we have to fight with other villages to the death!"
Therefore, within a few days of working, Li Yingchun and Shen Rui started complaining and complaining constantly. They couldn't help but start crying and looking north to China every day.
At this time, China's Middle Earth was engaged in infrastructure construction in full swing.
In order to prevent the original capital that the imperial court has crazily accumulated from being turned into private assets in the future by corruption that is difficult to completely avoid, or even being transferred to overseas vassals, so that it can truly benefit China and become a country that can always be strong. Durable guarantee.
Ruling ministers such as Zhu Yijun and Wang Xijue are consciously turning the benefits gained from external affairs into various infrastructure projects, from water conservancy, urban defense, transportation, to education, ecological restoration, etc., all of which are undergoing corresponding construction on a large scale.
Therefore, Beijing is currently expanding the outer city wall in full swing, making up for the regret that only half of the outer city was built due to lack of financial resources during the Jiajing period.
The reason why the outer city of the capital was expanded was because many of the new national landmark buildings to be built in the Ming Dynasty were to be built in the capital city.
For example, the National Museum, the National Center for the Performing Arts, various newly established academies of sciences and research institutes, such as archaeology, and stadiums and other buildings.
At present, because the houses in Beijing are too dense, it is no longer possible to find a large open space in the city to build magnificent national landmark buildings, so they can only be built outside the city.
After all, such national-level buildings must naturally be grand and occupy a larger area, so they cannot be compromised.
To build these buildings outside the city, we can only expand the outer city, and it is impossible not to have walls to protect these buildings.
Although the Ming Dynasty is no longer afraid of the threat of any external armed forces, as the communication and monitoring methods are not strong enough and there are basically no smart tools and only rely on human and animal power, the city wall can still avoid some risks as much as possible. , and more convenient to manage.
For example, once a thief appears, you can immediately block the city gates and then investigate them one by one. It is undoubtedly much easier than searching for Quanshun Tianfu without city walls.
Therefore, it is necessary to expand the outer city of Beijing.
this day.
Standing on the city tower, Zhu Yijun could see through clairvoyance the officials and citizens involved in the expansion of Beijing's outer city.
And every time he saw these officials and people enthusiastically contributing to the Sifang City, he felt a special sense of accomplishment, and the feeling that he was transforming the Ming Dynasty became even stronger.
According to the expansion plan set by Zhu Yijun, the city of Beijing is not just about expanding the outer city based on the original outer city, but also expanding the central city and building five satellite cities in the surrounding areas.
So this will undoubtedly consume a lot of manpower, material and financial resources.
But fortunately, Ming Dynasty now uses all the financial and material resources from all over the world to carry out these projects, so this is not a big deal.
It’s just that the manpower doesn’t require much external manpower, because the Ming Dynasty itself has a large population.
Today's Ming Dynasty still has a large number of young and strong people who are only willing to participate in manual labor.
This is not only related to the rapid growth of population after the improvement of living standards, but also to the fact that the income from manual labor is also very good.
Since the abolition of corvee service and the payment of money for the use of manpower by the imperial court, the common people have gradually changed their consciousness and no longer feel that their strength is worthless. They also know that their strength can be exchanged for money. If they do not pay for it, they should not contribute. I no longer feel that it is despicable to make a living by working as a coolie.
As people's living standards get higher and higher, if you want people to be willing to do physical work, you have to increase wages.
Therefore, gradually, the cost of employment in Ming Dynasty began to become higher and higher, which made many people still willing to exchange physical labor for income.
There were many landowners and merchants who wanted the court to open restrictions on the naturalization of foreigners, hoping that this would reduce labor costs.
But Zhu Yijun and many officials in power did not advocate this.
Because the basis of their governing philosophy is to maximize the interests of their compatriots, benefiting the people and enriching the country and strengthening the army are equally important. This was set in the early years of Wanli, so it cannot be changed for a while.
What's more, after all, the central court in the Ming Dynasty led the distribution of interests, not the big landowners and merchants, so it also had the natural habit of considering the interests of its own nation.
Therefore, those domestic landowners and merchants who want to reduce labor costs by introducing as many foreign slaves as possible can only accept the reality, and only hope that in the future the rulers will become people who do not consider the interests of the main nation and only consider the interests of their own industry.
Autumn turns to winter, and before you know it, it’s the end of the year again.
On the night before New Year's Eve in the thirty-third year of Wanli's reign, Zhu Yijun climbed onto the tower again, took a look at the outer city of Beijing that was about to be completed, and excitedly ordered:
"Tomorrow is New Year's Eve. Here's the decree. At that time, a bowl of flat food will be prepared for all the city builders who stay on the construction site to celebrate the New Year. Let Guanglu Temple prepare it. If any people think it is not delicious, let the officials of Guanglu Temple prepare it. Don’t take up the post next year.”
Tian Yi, who had replaced Huang Xun and was promoted to the eunuch of the ceremonial department, raised his hand and said yes.
The so-called flat food is dumplings.
The reason why Zhu Yijun is so excited is because after the outer city of Beijing is built, a larger square will appear, and an important function of that square is the military parade.
In the future, Zhu Yijun will review the three armies, not only in the Forbidden City, but also on the military parade platform.
At that time, the people of the whole city can also watch from a special elevated area outside the square to enhance their national pride and subtly make them realize that they are also a part of the Ming Dynasty and are no longer just cattle and horses.
Originally, ordinary people were not qualified to watch this kind of military parade, but foreign guests were more qualified than them!
But after all, the Ming Dynasty now is different from before.
"The food at Guanglu Temple is getting more and more substantial now. When I took a bite, I saw the meat!"
New Year's Eve.
Because Zhu Yijun gave flat food to the city builders who were still staying on the construction site, many left-behind people on the huge city construction site were carrying steaming hot flat food to eat in the work sheds. For a while, all the left-behind people in the work sheds were devouring it. , also made the fog around the work shed dense, and the lanterns that stretched for miles were very misty.
At this time, Ding Hesheng, the official in charge of the warehouse, was also carrying a bowl of flat food and chatting with his colleague Chen Yujun.
Chen Yujun said: "This is normal. After all, no one dares not to give face to Your Majesty now, and Guanglu Temple is no exception."
"That's right. In the past, the emperor wanted to be blind himself. Corrupt officials were not afraid of him. He was corrupt when he needed to be corrupt and concealed when he needed to be concealed. Now he doesn't dare to be corrupt or conceal anything. After all, he is a Han and can submit a complaint to His Majesty. In front of me, the Tiqi Military Academy who protects His Majesty and does not want to take advantage of it, naturally neither dares to be greedy nor conceal it."
After Ding Hesheng agreed, he saw fireworks all over the city being set off at this moment, which were very gorgeous, and he couldn't help but laugh:
"It's really beautiful. It's similar to the fireworks show in our hometown."
"Yes, I heard that this year's Lantern Festival in Aoshan will be even higher and more spectacular. During this time of year, there is always a festive time in my Ming Dynasty. From Saibei to Jiangnan, from Hexi to Japan, there are flowers everywhere. , smiles and smiles.”
“It is said that everything flourishes but then declines, but this dynasty’s prosperity seems to never come to an end.”
Chen Yujun also raised his head and spoke.
At the same time, the other city builders who stayed in the capital all picked up the food in their hands and raised their heads.
Not only these city builders, but also local scholars and merchants, students, workers, and tourists who stayed in the capital all raised their heads at this time.
From the royal family and nobles in the Forbidden City to the pawns and traffickers in the capital.
Thousands of families, old and young, all raised their heads at this moment, and the gorgeous fireworks illuminated every smiling face of them.
Li Shida, the Minister of Police who came to the city tower to ensure the safety of the capital, saw this scene. After returning home, he began to write and prepare to paint this scene.
He likes to record urban life and wants to paint such urban scenes.
"Although this may be just an ordinary year in the prosperous times of this dynasty, in the future, future generations will know that it may not be that easy for the smile that I thought was just an ordinary smile to exist forever."
When his wife asked why he painted such a painting, Li Shida said this.
Next, Li Shida spent a year to complete this long scroll recording the life of the Spring Festival in the capital of Ming Dynasty in the 32nd year of Wanli. After he finished the painting, he dedicated it to Zhu Yijun .
The reason why Li Shida dedicated it to Zhu Yijun was because he wanted the emperor to know that his hard work was not in vain.
When Zhu Yijun saw Li Shida's painting, he was already on his tour of the southwest. Therefore, he admired the painting in the train while accompanying the scenery of mountains and rivers outside the train as it rolled backwards.
After Zhu Yijun read this painting, he thought for a long time and then asked: "Are we approaching Jingzhou soon?"
In the past few years, the Ming Dynasty has been building railways extensively. The railways that have been built are not only to Nanjing and Ganzhou, but also to Wuchang. The purpose of this railway to Wuchang is to facilitate the emperor's future travel from Chu to Shu.
Therefore, Zhu Yijun now asked whether the train was coming to Jingzhou soon.
"Back to your lord, yes!"
Zhu Yijun nodded after hearing this: "When the time comes, I will take this painting to honor my husband. My spirit in heaven may also be able to see the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty through this painting. In addition, Li Qing will work hard and stay in Jiangling to copy it personally." The painting was painted on white jade, and then the old craftsman used this painting to carve a relief sculpture of a city well in the Ming Dynasty. This relief sculpture will then be erected in Mr.’s cemetery. I would not be able to sacrifice him with other secular objects, but Li Li Your painting comes at the right time."
"According to the order!"
(End of chapter)
