Regarding Su Yonglin's expectations, Su Haisheng's letter also gave Su Yonglin great affirmation.
Su Yonglin smiled bitterly when he learned that Su Haisheng was eager to get his own Shenji Battalion belonging to the Qilu Corps.
Currently, the production efficiency of firearms is still not high. Large-scale investment is required to ensure a certain amount of production. Production efficiency and production methods are in urgent need of change, and changes in this area also take time.
It is not a simple matter to replace the firearms and equipment of the entire Ming army and completely transform the Ming army into a Shenji battalion. Not only are there technical problems that need to be overcome, but the bigger problem lies in production.
When will it be possible to produce firearms in an assembly line manner, it will not be far away from the Ming Army's comprehensive replacement of firearms.
So Su Yonglin could only reply to Su Haisheng, asking him not to be too excited. Although the Shenji Battalion was powerful, the production of firearms and equipment was very expensive and slow. It was not easy to form more Shenji Battalions. He should not be so excited. impatient.
More haste less speed.
Also, this Shenji Battalion is directly under the Central Forbidden Army, and its organization belongs to the Forbidden Army. Let him not be greedy and send them back honestly, otherwise he will suffer a lot!
See if I don’t slap you!
But it should not be said that it is a good thing that the firearms unit is recognized by the military. In the future, the promotion of semi-firearms and full firearms by the Ming army will not be a problem. .
With such a good mood, Su Yonglin personally welcomed the Southern Song Dynasty envoys at the Wanmin Hall in Zhongdu in late September of the fourth year of Hongwu.
The Southern Song Dynasty envoy led by Chen Kangbo, Yu Yunwen and Lu You set out in mid-August and waited for a while after entering the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty planned their route and arranged their treatment along the way.
In late August, the 100-member delegation officially set off, passing through Shandong and Hebei, entering Yanyun, and finally arriving in Zhongdu.
The route they took along the way was the same as that of ordinary Ming officials on business trips, and the inns they passed were the same. The three meals and accommodations along the way were the same as those of officials on business trips.
If you go forward normally, you can take a boat wherever you can take a boat. After planning the route properly, you can rest at the inns at night. Basically, you can get three meals a day at each inn.
It was this journey and the standard of three meals a day that made Chen Kangbo and others feel inexplicable emotions.
They felt the difference between the Ming Dynasty and the Southern Song Dynasty in terms of lifestyle, and they were quite confused about this.
"The time and frequency of meals in the Northern Dynasties seem to be different from those in our country."
After two days of advancement, Chen Kangbo, who felt the difference in Shandong, took the lead in questioning Wang Qi, an official of the Ministry of Rites of the Ming Dynasty who came to greet them from Zhongdu.
Wang Qi looked at Chen Kangbo and smiled.
"Are the meal times in the Southern Dynasties different from those in the Ming Dynasty?"
Chen Kangbo nodded.
"It's different. In the Northern Dynasty, there were three main meals a day. In our country, there are only two main meals. If the family is richer, there is one snack, and that's it. I never thought that the Northern Dynasty had three main meals a day."
Wang Qi smiled.
"This is a regulation stipulated by His Majesty the Emperor himself. From the official to the private sector, everyone is changing towards three meals a day. At present, except for a few remote areas, most areas have started to have three meals a day."
"Is it among the people too?"
Lu You, who had been eating silently, raised his head and said with some surprise: "In the Ming Dynasty, people also had three meals a day? Is there enough food? Isn't there a shortage of food?"
Chen Kangbo and Yu Yunwen looked at Lu You together. Lu You was stunned for a moment, then lowered his head.
Wang Qi looked at this scene and felt enlightened.
Of course he had to answer this question.
"The same is true for the people. Our Majesty, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, has abolished many exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes, retaining only the most basic agricultural taxes, benefiting farmers, and implementing various policies to benefit the people. Therefore, the lives of farmers in the Ming Dynasty are relatively easy and they can retain a lot of food. Therefore, in the three It’s not hard to have a proper meal.”
Chen Kangbo looked at Lu You with a stern look, then raised his head and looked at Wang Qi with a smile.
"In this way, His Majesty the Ming Emperor is really diligent and caring for the people."
"That's natural. His Majesty the Ming Emperor's benevolence, justice and love for the people are known to all the people of the Ming Dynasty."
Wang Qi looked at Chen Kangbo and smiled and said: "For example, the salt of the Ming Dynasty is much cheaper than the salt of the Southern Dynasties. It is really easy for the people of the Ming Dynasty to eat salt without any difficulty. Now the taste of the people of the Ming Dynasty is even a bit heavy."
This strange answer made the three members of the envoy embarrassed.
But there was still no way to refute it.
Because the salt in the Southern Song Dynasty was really very expensive. It was expensive in the past and it is still very expensive now. Moreover, the price of salt was recently increased due to the war. Now the average price of salt in the Southern Song Dynasty has almost exceeded one hundred cents.
It is said that the increase in salt prices caused widespread complaints among the people, and illegal salt sales became more rampant. It became more difficult for the Southern Song Dynasty officials to crack down on illegal salt. As a result, the navy was severely damaged by the Ming army and could not recover, so it was unable to send the navy to sea to kill illegal salt groups at sea. .
Therefore, the current salt affairs of the Southern Song Dynasty are in chaos.
In contrast, the price of salt in the Ming Dynasty was basically around five cents, and the people of the Ming Dynasty ate salt very cheaply. This is a fact.
Lu You was very embarrassed, and Chen Kangbo and Yu Yunwen's embarrassment was mixed with indignation and dissatisfaction.
After being silent for a while, Chen Kangbo suddenly remembered something.
When Xin Qiji went south to the Southern Song Dynasty twice as an envoy, the Southern Song Dynasty officials tried their best to give him the best treatment. They arranged everything for him along the way, including fish and meat, delicacies from the mountains and the sea, the best food, the best accommodation, and the best food. The chef entertained him.
As a result, now they are sent to the Ming Dynasty as a high-level envoy, but the treatment they receive is a bit... ordinary?
Yes, just ordinary.
Ordinary bicycle frame, ordinary inn, ordinary tables, chairs and benches, ordinary room, ordinary cook, and these four dishes and one soup that taste really good but still remain ordinary.
We have done our best to entertain your Ming envoys, and you entertain us like this?
Are the diplomatic relations between the two countries so petty?
Chen Kangbo then thought of a way to reply to Wang Qi.
He picked up the bowl filled with rice and sighed deeply. There was quite a lot of movement, as if he was afraid that Wang Qi wouldn't notice.
Wang Qi looked at Chen Kangbo.
"Why is Mr. Chen sighing?"
Chen Kangbo looked at Wang Qi and sighed again.
"I recall that when Commander-in-Chief Xin of the Northern Dynasty went south as a mission to our country, our country worked hard to give Commander-in-Chief Xin the highest treatment. Even the frame of the car was specially made. Although the weather was cold, the interior of the car was as warm as spring, and all the food and drinks were specially invited by the guests. The chef came to make it, and Mr. Xin was very satisfied with it."
Yu Yunwen and Lu You heard what Chen Kangbo meant. Of course Wang Qi was not stupid, and he also heard what Chen Kangbo meant.
Do you think our specifications are not good enough?
Sorry, it's really not possible to be as extravagant as you are.
So Wang Qi smiled.
"Yes, I have talked about that matter with Commander-in-Chief Xin when he came back. He said that he had always heard that the Southern Dynasty was wealthy and once he went out as an envoy, it was really well-deserved. We were all envious after hearing this. We originally wanted to apply the Southern Dynasty in the Ming Dynasty. Specifications, unfortunately beyond our capabilities.
As you all know, the Ming Dynasty was only four years old. The country was just established, and everything was in ruins. There were too many places to spend money. Not to mention using troops to fight and annihilate the rebels from all directions. After winning the battle, there would be no problems. Yes, you still have to invest the money you should invest.
Liaodong needs money, Yanyun needs money, and Guanzhong needs money, not to mention that our government is still pushing forward the construction of the Yellow River. Oh, back then, that dog thief Du Chong dug the Yellow River embankment, causing tens of millions of refugees and countless deaths and injuries. One hundred thousand, Huainan and Huaibei almost became a white land.
Originally we did not plan to build the Yellow River so soon, but His Majesty the Emperor was benevolent and could not bear to see the Yellow River frequently bursting its banks and changing its course, causing the people to suffer, so we decided to build the Yellow River. Another large amount of money was invested in it, and it was almost drained. The financial budget of the Ming Dynasty has been the dilemma that the Ming Dynasty has faced since its founding.
Under such circumstances, His Majesty the Emperor still loves all people and knows their suffering, so he has abolished many exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes and hid wealth among the people, so that the people can keep more food and have enough to eat three square meals a day.
His Majesty said that when the peasants are full, the world will be at peace. But we officials are working for the welfare of the people and should not enjoy luxury. Therefore, we have stipulated many regulations for the life of officials. Among them, this is the treatment for this official who travels to distant places on business. .
Even though there are only four dishes and one soup, this is already the highest treatment for an official on a business trip, and there is also rice. Knowing that the envoys of the Southern Dynasties grew up in the land of plenty in the south, I was worried that you would not be used to eating wheat rice and cooking cakes, so I specially found rice... …”
