On the morning of the twelfth day of the first lunar month in the thirty-fourth year of the Ming Dynasty.
Zhu Jingyuan got up, washed up, and after breakfast was ready to go to train outside the city as usual. However, he was stopped by Guan Tianpei, who had arrived early:
"Your Majesty has made arrangements. Your Majesty does not need to go out for training these days, and you must reduce the scope of your activities as much as possible and do not go to remote places alone.
"After the morning court, if there is nothing particularly important that needs to be arranged in person, you can spend more time with your family, or go to Honglu Temple to study."
Zhu Jingyuan opened his mouth, understanding that this was to ensure his own safety, and finally nodded lightly and agreed:
"Okay, then I will go directly to the morning court later, and I might as well not go to the Royal Garden in New City.
"I'd better go to the Ministry of Industry in the old city. This should make your work less complicated, right?"
Guan Tianpei saluted again:
"Thank you for your consideration, His Highness the Food King, but will this affect your work?"
Zhu Jingyuan casually explained and arranged:
“The Royal Garden is mainly home to the design departments of various companies in the royal consortium.
"You have people contact them, send a few representatives from each to the Ministry of Works, and we can communicate directly at the Ministry of Works.
"Just use the powers of 'cooperating with all parties' and 'acting expediently' in my imperial edict, so that they must arrange for people to come and obey orders."
Guan Tianpei immediately agreed:
"As commanded."
Zhu Jingyuan arranged his itinerary, returned to the study again, and used the original training time to continue drawing sketches of various aircraft.
Add and mark as many design details as possible. You will not stay on site to interpret. The craftsmen must first understand the drawings before they can make things.
When the time was almost up, he was escorted by Guan Tianpei's team and took yesterday's special carriage to go to court.
After Zhu Jingyuan entered the palace gate, he paid a little attention to the surrounding situation.
As a result, no obvious changes were found. The guards inside and outside the palace were still the same, and the inspections did not become more stringent.
The ministers in the previous court were all as usual, except for his ninth uncle, Zhu Jianfeng, who seemed to be in a...relaxed condition?
In the past, this Ninth Uncle always maintained the most solemn royal posture, being extremely serious and careful about all things.
It seems impeccable.
But after a long time, you will find that the state of walking on thin ice that cannot be hidden should be under a lot of pressure.
But today that feeling seems to have been significantly relieved...
After Zhu Jingyuan discovered this, combined with the security measures the old emperor had given him, he immediately became more vigilant.
Zhu Jingyuan felt that Zhu Jianfeng's current state seemed to be a state where he was ready to let go after making a major decision.
But he has no way of judging what decision he makes, so he can only remain absolutely vigilant.
Zhu Jingyuan pricked up his ears and listened carefully to the reports and discussions from all sides in the morning.
Zhu Jingyuan didn't find anything that required his special intervention, so he didn't speak rashly.
After the morning meeting, Zhu Jingyuan went to the Ministry of Industry and communicated with the design craftsmen of the Ministry of Industry and the companies of the Royal Consortium.
Explain your various ideas and let them think of ways to come up with them.
Go home in the evening, continue to draw your own drawings, and write design requirements to the craftsmen of your company.
Zhu Jingyuan is actually very clear about how to deal with and apply the various ideas in his mind in the future.
Others will know it at a glance, and it may be done at any time. It is mainly for civilian use, so it is impossible to keep it secret.
For example, the design of ordinary aircraft themselves, as well as the design of passenger aircraft and transport aircraft, agricultural spray aircraft, etc.
It is not difficult in itself, it is just an overall design. A clever craftsman can jump out at any time and steal his own design.
The key is that as long as you build your own aircraft and sell it on the civilian market, everyone can immediately copy it.
If I don’t apply for a patent in other countries in Europe and the West, someone will apply in their own country.
In the future, if Daming wants to sell civil aircraft in the other party's country, it may even have to pay patent fees to the other party. At least it will have to prove that it has a patent for a long time.
Therefore, I have to apply for patents quickly, including applying for patents in various countries in Europe and the West, so that my company can obtain patents as widely as possible.
As for those things that are highly original or difficult to think of at once, mainly special military designs, they must be kept secret as much as possible.
For example, new naval gun armor-piercing bombs, new armor material formulas, incendiary bombs to deal with airships, shooting coordinators for aircraft, propeller "shaft guns" and so on.
These are the really important things. It is impossible to apply for a patent, and there is no point in applying for it. It is even more impossible to apply for a patent in the West.
Zhu Jingyuan had always directly told the Ministry of Industry or the arms company of the royal consortium to conduct experiments directly.
In the next few days, Zhu Jingyuan's life basically maintained this simple cycle.
I go to court every morning, communicate with the craftsmen of the Ministry of Industry and the Royal Foundation, and continue to draw drawings for the craftsmen of my company.
The news from all aspects gathered in the court, plus the news from various places conveyed in newspapers, seemed to be basically good news.
The six vassal states of Japan and Korea were all reformed according to the Fengyuan Kingdom model, and the vassal kings have returned to the capital one after another.
The old emperor specially met with his relatives and asked them to live in Nanhaizi Palace first.
At the same time, a piece of land was allocated nearby for them to build their own new palaces.
In Yingzhou and other more distant vassal states, the vassal kings who accepted the reforms are also on their way back to Beijing.
Most of the other vassal states that did not directly receive reform quotas also received a rough timetable.
The very few vassal states that have no plans to withdraw from the vassal state at all are extremely backward places with few immigrants and mostly indigenous people.
"The First Clan"
If it is impossible to survive after independence, even if there is no promise to withdraw from the vassal state, they will continue to stay in the Ming Dynasty and never think about the so-called independence.
With most of the vassal states preparing for reform and fully siding with the Ming Dynasty, and the anti-Ming alliance officially "suing for peace," the power of the Ming Dynasty surged again.
Even if some vassal states have opinions on the policy and have a real tendency to be independent, they are consciously retaining it for the time being.
The trend of self-reliance in the first half of the year seemed to have completely disappeared in the blink of an eye.
The situation in Northern Zhili around the capital, Southern Zhili around Nanjing, Liaodong, Shanxi and other areas where the civil unrest was the most violent has eased significantly.
The main reason is that a large number of refugees have been recruited into new factories.
Among the six newly opened industries, the minimum salary standard starting with a six-yuan banknote and the policy of two public holidays per month have been officially implemented.
The situation in Ming Dynasty has gradually turned from crisis to safety.
As long as there are no major mistakes in the future, the world should be able to basically settle down.
The situation in the capital area looks better.
The refugees have been completely controlled, and most of them have basically entered the factory.
As for street gangsters who don’t want to work in the first place, they are either semi-forced to go to work or ordered to stay at home.
Real refugees and beggars who were unable to work were also sent to the almshouses for centralized relief.
The officials of the capital worked together to completely renovate the two cities of the capital in line with the trend of opening bans on six major industries and formalizing peace talks.
The old emperor understood what the officials were thinking, so he announced in the morning of the fifteenth day of the first lunar month:
The curfew will be lifted from now on, and all officials will take three days of leave from today.
After the peace talks are officially concluded, the rules of previous years will be fully restored.
The so-called regulations specifically refer to:
Emperor Taizu's rule: Ming officials take five days off every month, three days off on the winter solstice, and five days off on New Year's Day (Spring Festival), commonly known as the Hongwu holiday.
Emperor Chengzu's rule: before and after the Lantern Festival, from the 11th to the 20th of the first lunar month, there will be ten consecutive days of vacation, commonly known as the Yongle holiday.
Emperor Shizu's rule: Qingming, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Double Ninth Festival each have three days of leave, commonly known as Renwu leave.
Of course, these holidays belong to officials and have nothing to do with the private sector.
After the war began, these holidays were gradually tightened. In the past two years, there were only three days off even during the New Year.
The most enjoyable ten-day Yongle holiday during the Lantern Festival is something you don’t even have to think about.
This year the war is finally coming to an end, everyone has some ideas, and the old emperor is happy to see it come to an end.
So, on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month in the thirty-fourth year of Taiping, the most lively Lantern Festival in recent years came.
Although it was only three days, and although the holiday started on the fifteenth day, everyone was not fully prepared, and the lanterns were relatively rough.
But most people are in a good mood and have better expectations for this year and the coming year.
Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di personally reminded him at the beginning: People put out lanterns to drink and have fun, and soldiers and horses could not help but patrol at night, so as not to cause trouble.
However, Zhu Jingyuan's family was in a special situation. According to Zhu Jianyan's special instructions, everyone did not go out to wander around, but gathered at home to enjoy the lanterns.
Although I can't go out, I am already having more fun than in previous years, and happiness comes from comparison.
Zhu Jianyan's princess, several wives, and a group of children were all in a good mood.
But for Liang Yunying, happiness belongs to others, and now she just thinks they are noisy.
After the three-day vacation, my son was just shy of leaving for the fifteen thousand kilometers away.
After a few glasses of wine, Liang Yunying's emotions came out and she sobbed softly while holding her son.
Zhu Jingyuan's mood was very complicated. In this atmosphere that was supposed to be relaxing, he couldn't relax at all.
The old emperor imposed a curfew at this time and also gave him three days of vacation. This was simply an initiative to create opportunities for people with ideas.
I wonder if the old emperor is planning to take the opportunity to attract all the restless elements and then catch them all.
Placing a secretary of Guan Tianpei next to him may be to prevent the resulting chaos.
This kind of psychological expectation made Zhu Jingyuan not dare to drink at home, let alone going out.
At the same time, in the inner courtyard of Zhu Jianfeng's palace, Zhu Jianfeng's princess Li Ying was also holding Zhu Jianfeng and crying:
"Your Highness...are you really going to the Western Cape to deal with the Western Yi?"
Zhu Jianfeng drank the wine leisurely, nodded in a very casual tone and said:
"I've said it several times. If you want to go with me, pack your things quickly in the next two days. If you don't want to go, just forget it. Don't ask me eight times in three days."
But Li Ying’s idea is obviously not about this at all:
"Your Highness, can you come back? Do you really just give up?"
Zhu Jianfeng understood what his wife meant and asked impatiently:
"What else can I do if I don't give up? If I give up, I'm still a prince. If I don't give up, there may be nothing! Don't bring up this topic again from now on!"
Li Ying also asked directly:
"Didn't Cao Junji come to visit you often? Don't you have your former subordinates in all the prefectures in Zhili? Why do you..."
Zhu Jianfeng directly covered the princess's mouth:
"These people can be my subordinates, and can even continue to be used by me after I ascend to an abnormal position, but they will not help me do those things!"
After Zhu Jianfeng finished speaking, he let go of his hand, picked up the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.
Li Ying coughed a few times and looked at her husband, who was silent for a while and seemed to have made some decision:
"Your Highness, if these outsiders are not available, my father has actually recruited more than 2,000 refugees in the name of opening a factory. These three days of vacation are just right..."
Zhu Jianfeng jumped up directly:
"Does he have a weapon?"
Li Ying thought her husband was tempted:
"There are also some weapons..."
As a result, Zhu Jianfeng ordered in a stern voice:
“It’s really nonsense, let him lay off his staff immediately, or just open the factory normally.
“All weapons, no matter where they came from, must be destroyed immediately and this incident will be treated as if it never happened.
"Otherwise, after the three-day holiday, I will go and expose him myself!"
Li Ying completely didn’t understand:
"Why! You said outsiders are not allowed, isn't my father one of your own?"
Zhu Jianfeng took a deep breath and looked around. He made sure that he had sent away all the servants, and then he explained:
"What do you call two thousand refugees? Can they really be used by me and my father-in-law?
"Are you sure there are no outside spies inside? Are you sure those refugees won't betray temporarily?
“Can those weapons they call really enter the gates of the old city?
"Can he be the opponent of the more than 400 soldiers around him who have seen blood?"
Li Ying shook her head subconsciously:
"Our target is not the children of the second brother's family. The second brother and his family have not gone out these days, let alone go to the new city, so my target is the ones in the palace..."
Before Li Ying finished speaking, Zhu Jianfeng slapped him:
"You're crazy!"
Li Ying was a little collapsed by this slap:
"I'm not crazy! I just can't bear to see His Highness suffer this injustice! You should have been replaced five years ago!
"As a result, the so-called war has been delayed again and again, and now such changes have occurred!
"I can't bear this grievance. Can't I just endure it?"
Zhu Jianfeng did not take action this time, but sat back quite calmly:
"It's no use if you can't stand it. I've already considered the things you have considered.
“It’s unbelievable to say, but now I’m starting to feel that that kid does have more potential than me.
"Our Zhu family's empire may indeed be more secure in his hands than in my hands."
Li Ying almost went crazy:
"Your Highness! How long has this happened? You have already been abandoned, why do you still think about the so-called country? Does this country still have anything to do with you?"
Zhu Jianfeng, on the other hand, calmed down and continued to drink by himself:
"On the contrary, no matter who hands this kingdom is, it will always belong to our Zhu family, and it will always be related to me, and I am qualified to supervise him at all times.
“On the other hand, if anyone uses extraordinary means to gain power, then in order for the civil servants to accept him, he must pay an unimaginable price.
"More than any usurper in history, the price is much higher, and it even requires a true rule of thumb.
"Because today's civil servants are like the scholar-bureaucrats in the past. They want not only land, but also all the wealth of our Zhu family consortium!
"Without the support of the financial group, this country will not only belong to our Zhu family, but will really share the world with the so-called scholar-bureaucrats!
“This is something that all princes and grandsons must understand from an early age.
"Princes can compete with each other, but they must not rely on external forces, otherwise the clan will attack together!"
Li Ying and Zhu Jianfeng have been husband and wife for almost twenty years. Looking at Zhu Jianfeng's reaction now, you know that he has made up his mind.
Immediately, he collapsed on the ground weakly, but still asked the last sentence without giving up:
"Did you really just give up?"
Zhu Jianfeng replied several times enthusiastically:
“The current Emperor of Ming Dynasty is not at all the supreme king who did whatever he wanted before the Renwu Dynasty.
“But the de facto head of the civil service is the prime minister with the title of emperor.
"This prime minister is very tired.
"On the contrary, the princes of the clan are really much more relaxed. If they want to interfere in the government affairs, they can do so, and those who don't care can do so freely.
“I’ve been really exhausted these past few years.
"I feel exhausted when I imagine that after taking office, I will have to continue to fight for the Ming Dynasty for thirty years under the guidance of my father and the supervision of my uncles and brothers.
"After making the decision, I feel relaxed now. I will definitely live for a few more years..."
After saying this, Zhu Jianfeng turned to look at his wife:
"It's a question of whether your two sons can graduate, let alone succeed through practical training, so why are you bothering like this?"
Li Ying was very discouraged and finally confessed:
"I want to be a queen!"
Zhu Jianfeng laughed dumbly and hugged his wife's shoulders:
"Queen, you don't have to think about it. I ask my father for a vassal state to be the vassal king. How about letting you be the queen?"
"I want to go to the Western Cape to see it. You can come with me to see it too. It's also good to go out and relax."
Li Ying lowered her head and said nothing, but she acquiesced and accepted the powerless reality.
Zhu Jingyuan didn't know how some people would react, so he stayed at home during the three days of vacation and continued to draw his own drawings.
As we have been seizing the time in the past few days, the design tasks that should be assigned to the Ministry of Industry and the Royal Consortium have basically been arranged.
The drawings Zhu Jingyuan drew in the past three days were all for the craftsmen of his company.
Three days later, on the 19th day of the first lunar month of the 34th year of Taiping, Zhu Jingyuan finally finished painting what he could think of and hoped to make quickly.
Finally, I carefully sorted it out, arranged it according to priority, and handed it to my mother Liang Yunying, asking her to hand it over to the company's craftsmen in stages to complete it.
Liang Yunying took it with tears in her eyes, hugged her son and cried bitterly before letting Zhu Jingyuan out with great reluctance.
