Chapter 99 The End of Nanjing
He Xi was silent for a while and said: "There is no need to keep anyone in the capital. Please prepare a few things, sir, and stay with me for two years."
Yao Guangxiao said, "I understand."
He Xi said: "There is one more thing, please sir, please handle it for me."
Yao Guangxiao said: "Sir, please speak."
He Xi said: "The Imperial College will help me make arrangements. After I leave, I hope that there will be no changes in the Imperial College and a group of new students will be selected. I want to use them."
Yao Guangxiao said, "I understand."
He Xi knew very well that as long as Zhu Yuanzhang's mind remained unchanged, He Xi did not need to leave anyone in the capital, and nothing would happen to him. Not to mention being caught off guard by the changes in the capital. Once Zhu Yuanzhang's mind changed. Haha, no matter how many preparations He Xi made, it would be useless to keep as many people as possible.
The matter at the Imperial College has been explained. He Xi put all her thoughts aside. Don’t worry about where you are going, take care of the things in front of you first.
Coal and Iron Division, Taiping Iron Works, this series of projects. This was the beginning of industrialization in He Xi's heart. Admittedly, in He Xi's opinion, the things he built were probably better than what the Hunan Army did in the Anqing Ordnance Institute in the Qing Dynasty. But it's finally a start.
A good start is different from a bad start.
After putting this place on the right track, He Xi can think about his future.
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Winter, the fifteenth year of Hongwu.
In the Qianqing Palace. There is no brazier, but it is as warm as spring, but within this year, Zhu Yuanzhang used He Xi's design. Under the floor, there are countless copper pipes flowing with hot water. Maintained the temperature of Qianqing Palace.
Also renovated is Kunning Palace. Other concubines did not have this treatment.
As Xi Xi himself said, it was simply too expensive.
At this moment, Zhang Du and He Xi were reporting to Zhu Yuanzhang about the situation of the Coal and Iron Department.
The entire Coal and Iron Division has been established. The following are divided into Coal Branch, Iron Branch, Mining Branch, and Government-run Branch.
The Coal Section is responsible for formulating coal policies, issuing coal licenses, and registering and exploring coal minerals. Coal tax collection, and all coal-related matters.
Tieke, as above, is just the policies and affairs related to all steel.
The Mining Department should actually be called, except for coal, iron, gold, silver and copper mines, all mineral production, exploration, investigation, and tax collection matters. There are special departments responsible for coal and iron. The gold and silver mines in the world have always been managed by the internal government. It is not under the control of the Ministry of Industry.
It is also the raw material for making money. Logically speaking, it is under the control of Baoquan Bureau. The Coal and Iron Department has just been established, so we should not seize too much power. We should take care of our own affairs first. Let’s talk about other things.
Based on He Xi's original intention, if we say that other minerals are mined in large quantities. For example, sulfur, copper ore, and other minerals. Just put another department under the Department of Coal and Iron, and let the Department of Coal and Iron transform into the Department of Mining in the future.
As for the government-run subjects. He is responsible for managing all government-owned factories and mines. But now it is just the Taiping Iron Works and supporting coal mines.
The current person in charge of the official department is Li Yunxing. Although he is now the acting chief, he is still a sixth-rank official. If it weren't for hugging He Xi's thigh. This simply cannot be done.
Zhu Yuanzhang already knew the entire structure.
Zhu Yuanzhang has always paid attention to even the examinations for selecting personnel.
He Xi and Fang Xiaoru talked for a long time. Although they were generally on good terms, there was no lack of friction between the two when it came to specific topics and subjects. Fortunately, both parties paid attention to impressions and held closed-door meetings.
The kind that consumes several liters of tea a day when the door is closed.
After leaving the door, neither of them wanted to talk. My voice became hoarse.
No matter how much they gnash their teeth in private, both sides are completely incapable of dealing with it in their minds. But in the end a compromise was reached. Let this exam go smoothly. Hundreds of officials were recruited, and most of these hundreds of officials were recruited into the government departments.
He Xi and Zhang Du stayed in Taiping Mansion for a long time.
This time working together also allowed He Xi and Zhang Du to see each other's strengths.
In He Xi's view, Zhang Du has too much experience. It seems to have special powers. Just one look at it and the little thoughts in the hearts of the people below can be penetrated with just one word. nothing left. Nothing can be hidden from him. To the extent of lowering standards to save trouble, or even cutting corners to enrich one's own pockets. A little trick down to food expenses. Zhang Du could see it.
He Xi calculated some of the account books over and over again and found that there were no problems. But Zhang Du knew there was a problem without even looking at it, and he even explained clearly where the problem was.
Gein, He Xi looks at numbers, Zhang Du looks at people's hearts.
He Xi sighed deeply, feeling that He Xi would never be able to achieve Zhang Du's level in his lifetime.
But Zhang Du didn't think, what? What a joke, he is now in his fifties. After Zhu Yuanzhang captured Nanjing, he served as an official, and later joined the Ministry of War as an official. This Ministry of War was not the Ministry of War of the Ming Dynasty, but the Ministry of War of King Wu. After more than ten years of experience, he was promoted to an official ten years ago.
Ten years to the present position. What does it rely on? This is the experience.
If He Xi had also been working at the bottom for more than ten years, he could guess what these people were thinking. After all, there is nothing new in the world. Many of the tricks people played were leftovers from Zhang Du's tricks. Unfortunately, Zhang Du had a far-sighted vision, could withstand loneliness and temptation, remained innocent for more than ten years, and then suddenly soared into the sky.
Zhang Du looked at He Xi and felt that He Xi was extremely loved by God. Some people are born different from others. Could it be that he was born knowing it?
Yes.
Many technical problems that the people below could not solve were easily solved under He Xi's leadership, and many of He Xi's designs were indescribably ingenious. Zhang Du admired him very much. He was born as a small official, so he didn't have Qingliu's cleanliness, let alone Qingliu's various ideas.
He is a pragmatist through and through.
He also knows what the Taiping Iron Works is.
In his opinion, it is fortunate that these are peaceful times. Otherwise, if He Xi, the Taiping Iron Works, falls into the hands of any force, the chance of victory will increase by at least 10%. This 10% chance of winning is not a small amount.
You know, in the decisive battle at Poyang Lake, the victory or defeat between Zhu Yuanzhang and Chen Youliang was just between the two.
Taiping Iron Works is the most advanced technology in all steel smelting in this era, combined in an industrial large-scale production model. Although due to various reasons, in He Xi's view, it cannot be regarded as a modern steel factory, but can only be described as a cluster of handicraft workshops. But there is only a wall away from this modern steel factory.
It’s just that I don’t know how thick this wall is.
What happened in the past few months flashed through Zhang Du's mind. Zhang Du presented a mahogany tray with both hands and said: "Your Majesty, please see, these are the newly minted copper coins, copper coins, iron coins, iron coins. "
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the coins on the mahogany tray one by one.
In fact, the difference between copper coins and copper coins is very simple. Copper coins are round coins with square holes. It is not much different from the copper coins of the Ming Dynasty. However, it is still forged. And copper coins are just like copper rounds. It is not much different from the coins of later generations.
The difference between iron coins and iron coins is bigger. Iron coins are relatively small. One circle smaller than a copper coin. The weight is less than half that of copper coins.
As the smallest denomination currency of the Ming Dynasty. Specially set at one point. An iron coin, a penny. Ten cents to a penny.
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "He Xi, let the copper coins remain as they are. As for the iron coins, let them be iron coins."
Zhu Yuanzhang knew that in terms of forging, this kind of copper coin, unlike traditional square hole coins, should be easier to forge. But Zhu Yuanzhang felt that tradition should be respected. For more than a thousand years, all copper coins have had square holes. It would be bad to cancel them rashly. It takes time to transition. Iron coins are different.
The cost requirements for iron coins are very high. Because only by reducing costs can you make money from this iron coin. Otherwise, you will lose money.
He Xi said: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Zhang Du, how many copper coins and how many iron coins can be minted now?"
Zhang Du said: "Reporting to your Majesty, there are only one hundred thousand copper coins. The main reason is that the quantity of copper ore is insufficient. The Taiping Iron Mine is a mixed copper-iron mine, but the proportion of copper ore is not high. As for the iron coins, there are already one hundred thousand. Absolutely. As long as His Majesty orders it, you can have as much as you want."
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said, "That's right. You can mint another batch of gold and silver coins, and I will reward them together during the Chinese New Year this year."
"Yes." Zhang Du agreed and stepped back knowingly.
