Chapter 146 Too hasty
For He Xi, the Imperial College is still the same as before.
He Xi successfully appeased some officials of the Imperial College and selected some people to follow him to Liaodong. As the border area of Ming Dynasty, Liaodong not only lacked ordinary people, but also lacked many officials. There are enough people here in the Imperial College for He Xi to use.
The Imperial College was certainly an important position for He Xi in the capital. However, He Xi's more important position in the capital was at the Ministry of Industry. Or rather the Taiping Iron Works.
He Xi spent more time at the Taiping Iron Works.
have to say.
Zhang Du is a talented person. Especially at the execution level, he is simply a genius.
When He Xi left Taiping Iron Works, Taiping Iron Works only had one mine and a few iron furnaces. But several years passed. Taiping Iron Works has become the most important steel base in Ming Dynasty. It has evolved into a large workshop stretching for dozens of miles.
That small river now has a new name, called Iron River. Because every day on the boat, they were either transporting coal or iron. Over time, the water in the river turned black. Although there are still fish living tenaciously inside. But it can no longer be eaten.
He Xi estimates that it will take a few years. This small river has become a dead river.
This made He Xi regretful but helpless.
After all, this is inevitable in large-scale industrial production. How to govern? It can only be left to future generations.
Zhang Du, Ge Tiangong, and Li Zhizhi came to greet He Xi. It also introduces the current Taiping Iron Works, along the Iron River to the Yangtze River. Both sides of this section are iron smelting areas, and the furnaces are burning day and night. When He Xi came here, the most intuitive feeling was that it was much hotter here than outside. Enter the mountain from the end of Iron River. It's the mining area.
Several mines have been hollowed out, and gunpowder was used to blast a road out of the mountains. Attempts to lay rail tracks have already begun.
Around here, many people have gathered to provide services to the mine craftsmen. The prosperity is even better than that of Taiping City. A new mining city is rising.
He Xi saw this and said, "Mr. Zhang, I wonder if the orders from above have reached the Ministry of Industry?"
Zhang Du said, "It's already here. His Majesty's decree is that Sir He selects people from the Taiping Iron Works and establishes a branch factory in Liaodong. Everyone at the Taiping Iron Works is your disciple. You can choose as you please."
He Xi looked at Ge Tiangong and said, "Tiangong, come with me."
After hearing this, Ge Tiangong was very excited and said, "It has been my wish for many years to serve my mentor."
This sentence is not a lie.
Although Ge Tiangong now has an official status and is regarded as the main technocrat in Taiping Iron Works, even Zhang Du must respect Ge Tiangong's decision in many matters, but Ge Tiangong knows who gave him all this .
Perhaps back then, it was a piece of cake for He Xi, but for Ge Tiangong, it was a change of fate.
Without He Xi, Ge Tiangong couldn't imagine what he was like now.
Immediately, He Xi went to the College of Engineering and Science.
The School of Engineering and Science has been improved a lot, and it can be said that the combination of technology and theory is done well. At least many technical problems in factories and mines are solved here. Moreover, the expansion of production at the Taiping Iron Works requires many people who are students here.
Because of the good foundation and the fact that the brothers take care of each other, within a few years, they will be the backbone of the mine.
Although it is said that when working in a mining factory, one usually does not even have an official position, and at most has a staff position. Even if He Xi fought for it, the discrimination against craftsmen in this era is still deep-rooted. There are not many official positions for technocrats. It's not the turn of the students below.
Perhaps for some prominent families, official positions are not worth mentioning at all. But for ordinary people, it is already quite good. At least those who work for the government have a way to find connections if something happens.
Therefore, many ordinary people apply for the exam. Even if they cannot enter factories or mines, they can still be considered skilled when they return home. And as Ming Dynasty liberalized private mining, these technicians were also hired after they returned.
However, He Xi saw something familiar to him in the School of Engineering.
That is a loom, or a loom with thirty-six spindles. After asking, I found out that this was done by Yang Shiqi. Later, I put it here and continued to improve.
He Xi suddenly remembered that the first job he gave Yang Shiqi was to build a multi-spindle loom. However, due to various reasons, He Xi discovered that the time was not ripe for the implementation of this kind of machine. That's why I put it here.
Nowadays, foreign trade has increased greatly, and cloth is the leading product exported by Ming Dynasty.
Even for a period after the British Industrial Revolution, British cloth could not beat Songjiang cloth in East Asia. Now there is no opponent at all. The need for cloth is even greater. The time for promotion has arrived.
It's just that He Xi has no relevant official position. And Liaodong, where he worked, was not very suitable.
He Xi thought for a while and said: "I will make three machines of this machine, one will be sent to the palace, one will be sent to the house, and the other one I will take to Liaodong."
When Zhu Yuanzhang saw this, he naturally knew what it meant. What was sent to the house was naturally a matter of public and private consideration, so that the He family could also take a share of the business. After He Xi went to war, he realized that the extra expenses were too much. Because the Ming Dynasty had very little protection for its soldiers, it would be better if they died, it would be over once and for all. But if you can't die, you will have to suffer the consequences.
As their senior officer, He Xi couldn't just sit back and watch. Naturally, you have to contribute money and effort.
Therefore, He Xi also valued his family property.
As for the one brought to Liaodong, Liaodong also produces cotton. It can be said that most places in Ming Dynasty can produce cotton. Moreover, Shandong is now the most important cotton producing area in Ming Dynasty. He Xi will give it a try and see if he can establish a textile base in Liaodong.
If you can, that would be great. It doesn't matter.
It costs nothing to try.
In this way, He Xi walked around Nanjing and returned home. The day of departure was not far away.
Little He Siyuan has not yet adapted to the sudden appearance of this man claiming to be his father. And this man is going to disappear. Princess Anqing had many reluctances in her heart, but she couldn't say it out loud. As a princess of the Ming Dynasty, she had been taught general knowledge since she was a child.
But, the grievance in my heart is really hard to let go.
Not to mention, when He Xi left, the atmosphere at home was dull. However, there were more people bidding farewell to He Xi on the pier.
The one with the highest status was someone He Xi had not expected. King of Chu.
When the King of Chu came to the capital, He Xi was still at the Taiping Iron Works. Therefore, He Xi and King Chu did not meet each other. Now King Chu suddenly appeared, and He Xi was also taken aback.
On the pier, King Chu said, "It's not easy to meet you. You are going to Liaodong, and I am going to Java. From now on, we are all far apart. When will we see you next time?"
He Xi said: "The mountains are high and the roads are far away. We will meet each other if we are destined."
King Chu laughed and said: "You should know why I came to you. It was you who recommended me to go to Java."
He Xi said: "Your Highness, I think-----"
King Chu interrupted He Xi's words and said: "You told my fifth brother, no need to say more. Do you think it is really appropriate for me to give up the glory and wealth of the Central Plains and go to the barren land of Java?"
He Xi was stunned, then suddenly smiled and said: "King Chu, you should have read the Nanyang Treaty I wrote, and you know that Java is an important town in Nanyang, and it is by no means a barren land. Especially the land is fertile and it is a land of thousands of vehicles. Moreover, Chu Wang, you came to ask me, but you have already made a decision in your heart. You just still have hesitation. You just want me to convince you."
"Why should I bother talking?"
King Chu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "Not bad, not bad." King Chu laughed and left. He looks quite like a madman Chu.
He Xi also breathed a sigh of relief. He was also thankful that it was the Hongwu period. It cannot be said that all of Zhu Yuanzhang's sons are successful, but most of them are promising. There are only a few who have no future. Every capable and promising person has different requirements for himself.
Overseas, for those who are capable, the sky is high and birds can fly, and the sea is vast, where fish can leap. For those who are incompetent, there is no place to die.
King Chu had actually been moved for a long time. It's just a little bit unwilling.
De He Xi explained the problem and left laughing. It's also elegant.
He Xi boarded the ship and left Beijing, thinking to himself: "I hope everything goes well during my trip."
