Regarding the standards of prosperity set by Zhu Yunwen, many officials understood food, culture and education, and even military strength, but they did not understand steel production.
What does the output of steel have to do with prosperity? As for using it as one of the standards for prosperity?
Officials in the Ming Dynasty were not so sensitive to steel production.
Indeed, from the perspective of ordinary people, increasing or decreasing steel production does not seem to have much to do with daily life. After all, no matter how low steel production is, you can still buy a hoe and a kitchen knife. No matter how high the production is, my family will not be able to afford it. Doesn't it require too much iron?
In the Ming Dynasty, the construction industry did not need steel bars, and steel did not enter the real estate field. Civilian demand was limited. An iron pot, kitchen knife, and sickle were not used much.
But the quantity of steel is indeed related to national strength and prosperity.
On this day, Zheng Ci, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, entered the palace.
Zhu Yunwen looked at Zheng Ci, who was getting older, with a flash of sadness in his eyes, and asked the servant to support Zheng Ci and not to bow.
After Zheng Ci thanked him, his waist became a little stooped.
Zhu Yunwen sighed: "Zheng Aiqing, your hair has turned white."
With pride in his expression, Zheng Ci replied calmly: "Time makes people grow old, and it coincides with the great times. I dare not not be careful. My hair is gray, but my heart is still strong."
Zhu Yunwen nodded solemnly and said: "I have already issued a transfer order. Song Li will return to the capital soon. The stall of the Ministry of Industry is too big. You are old, so don't hold on so hard."
"emperor……"
Zheng Ci was a little anxious. Is the emperor going to let him become an official?
Zhu Yunwen waved his hand and said comfortingly: "Don't think too much. With your contribution, the Minister of the Ministry of Industry will always be yours and no one can replace it. But I can't bear to have you overwork yourself and stay up all night waiting for Song Li to come back." , you should be responsible for managing the iron ships, and leave other matters to Song Li, he is a young man and can endure it."
Zheng Ci was so moved that he wanted to kneel down again.
Zhu Yunwen walked out of the block, looked at Zheng Ci's gray eyebrows, patted Zheng Ci's old hand, and warned: "The Ming Dynasty will get better and better and stronger. You must stay with me to see ten years and twenty years." What will Ming Dynasty look like in the future!"
Zheng Ci's eyes were wet. Facing the true-hearted emperor, he promised: "I will live well and accompany your majesty to see our Ming Dynasty become stronger."
Zhu Yunwen nodded, and after being seated, he returned to the desk and sat down, and took out a document: "The application of steam engines in shipbuilding has become more and more proficient. Craftsmen from the Craftsman College, Engineering Machinery Institute, and Second Artillery Bureau used steam engines to design many Nowadays, the efficiency of steam engine iron ship manufacturing has been greatly improved. It takes an average of four months to make a pure iron ship. This result is gratifying."
Zheng Ci was very pleased: "Your Majesty, pure iron ships are very powerful in terms of resistance to wind and waves, impact resistance, and fire protection. Nowadays, pure iron ships similar to Dafu Ship have begun mass production. Longjiang Shipyard alone has Eight shipyards manufacture pure iron ships, and all sixteen shipyards in Ma'anshan Shipyard manufacture pure iron ships. I believe that in another six months, the Navy will be able to gradually receive pure iron steam engine ships."
Zhu Yunwen was very satisfied with this result: "Only with pure iron ships and steam engines, the navy has the capital to travel across the four oceans. However, we must take good care of the craftsmen. These craftsmen are treasures and must not be overused. The Ministry of Industry needs to pay more attention." "
Zheng Ci quickly agreed.
Zhu Yunwen took out another document, looked at Zheng Ci who was a little tired, and put it on the desk: "If the shipyard has any difficulties, you can report it."
Zheng Ci shook his head: "There is no difficulty at the moment."
Zhu Yunwen smiled, asked the chamberlain to send Zheng Ci away, then opened the documents on the desk, frowning.
This document was written by Xuan Qing of the Cavalry Artillery Battalion. The writing style is soft, but the direction is very clear:
The Second Artillery Bureau does not provide firearms, and we cannot keep up with training.
Zhu Yunwen asked the Second Artillery Bureau. The Second Artillery Bureau's answer was that the pig iron could not keep up and the manufacturing speed was slow. Asking the Ministry of Works, forget it, Zheng Ci is tired enough, and it would be too difficult for him to worry about this matter anymore.
Tao Zengguang and Hu Yuancheng were also anxious. The Second Artillery Bureau's iron consumption was not tight at first. However, with the explosion of iron ship manufacturing and the large-scale production of steam engines by the Craftsman College, the amount of iron used in the Second Artillery Bureau was higher than the last, and the flow was cut off. Iron for the Second Artillery Bureau.
The Craftsman Academy said that steam engines should be given priority over iron.
The shipyard said that it was important to build iron ships, so iron was needed.
Before the Second Artillery Bureau opened its mouth, the War Bureau and the Science and Technology Bureau began to divide things up again. By the time it was the Second Artillery Bureau's turn, there was not much iron left. If it weren't for the fact that the Second Artillery Bureau was involved in firearms manufacturing and the emperor often went fishing in Houhu Lake, the Second Artillery Bureau's share would probably have been divided up.
After checking the matter, it is not anyone's problem, but the problem that Ming Dynasty's iron production cannot keep up.
Zhu Yunwen rubbed his eyebrows, feeling a little headache about this problem.
In order for Ming Dynasty to build basic industries, it must have a large amount of steel as support. However, Ming Dynasty's steel production has limited growth and cannot keep up with the growing demand, and is in a state of shortage.
Think about it, a pure iron ship is enough to make dozens of divine machine cannons. With the steam engine and its supporting equipment, it consumes a lot of steel.
In addition, the army is promoting the transformation of firearms, mass-producing new firearms, and mass-producing divine machine guns and tiger crouching cannons, all of which require iron support.
Demand suddenly increased more than ten times, but the amount of iron ore mining and smelting only increased three times. There was really nothing we could do. When the inventory is depleted and all is replenished by new mining and smelting, the problem of insufficient steel is immediately exposed and becomes a shortcoming in the bucket.
A few days ago, the Craftsman Academy found a new mining method. It used a small steam engine to provide power to quickly drill holes. Through reasonable hole layout and the impact of filling gunpowder, iron ore mining was achieved. The efficiency was indeed increased a lot.
This method is now only used in a few iron mines that are completely controlled by the imperial court. After all, gunpowder cannot be leaked out. It can be said that iron ore mining is no longer a problem, but the problem is the smelting process.
Just when Zhu Yunwen was worried, the doctor from Ma'anshan Iron Smelting Plant sent a memorial. It was this memorial that solved the troubled smelting problem.
In early July, Zhu Yunwen, Song Li, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, Hu Yuancheng of the Second Artillery Bureau, and Gong Shuqiao, the dean of the Craftsman College, who had just returned to Beijing, took a steam engine ship out of Beijing and headed for the Ma'anshan Iron Smelting Plant upstream of Nanjing.
The journey of more than a hundred miles took only two hours for a steam engine ship with several improvements.
Although the Ma'anshan Iron Smelting Plant was established only two years ago, it has gathered a large number of experienced iron smelting craftsmen. It is a large iron smelting plant directly controlled and controlled by the Ministry of Industry. Its chief officer is a doctor from the Yu Department of the Ministry of Industry, and his deputy is Yuan Wai Lang. .
The doctor's name is Ma Wang, and the member's doctor is Liu Lin. Ma Wang was born in the imperial examination and graduated from the Imperial College. He is good at organization and management. Liu Lin is a smelting craftsman. He is only twenty-seven years old, but he has already become the chief officer of Ma'anshan Iron Smelting Factory. His father and grandfather are both smelting craftsmen, and they have a deep inheritance.
The guards blocked the way of Zhu Yunwen and others, and no one could enter the Ma'anshan Iron Smelting Factory.
There is no way, they all dress simply and they don't look like officials.
Song Li took out his badge. The pass of the Minister of Industry was still very useful, and the sergeant did not dare to stop him.
Zhu Yunwen looked at the blast furnace in the distance and pointed: "Just go there and have a look."
Song Li, Hu Yuancheng, Gongshu Qiao and others should naturally follow suit.
Tang Buping was on guard, and he walked about 200 steps to a smelting plant area, which was protected by a fence and guarded by sergeants who checked waist badges for entry and exit.
Zhu Yunwen was very satisfied. Without rules, there would be no rule. It would be better if the management here was strict. After all, it was the smelting base that the imperial court placed high hopes on.
After checking their identities, Zhu Yunwen and his party finally entered the interior.
At this time, Ma Wang had received the news and hurried over. He thought it was the Minister of Rites who had arrived. After taking a closer look, he knelt down and said, "My dear, if you just sent a document, why did you alert the emperor?"
"Get up and talk."
Zhu Yunwen raised his hand.
Ma Wang stood up with a smile and stood aside, showing no signs of nervousness at all: "Is the emperor here for the Dajian furnace?"
"This shows that he is from the Imperial College."
Gongshu Qiao laughed and joked.
Hu Yuancheng and Song Li nodded in agreement.
Officials with pure imperial examination background were either frightened or frightened when they saw Zhu Yunwen, or they just gave him a slap in the face, as if getting straight to the point and having a strong purpose. Most of them were trained by the Imperial College.
All the supervisors in the Imperial College are well aware of Zhu Yunwen's temperament. The emperor doesn't like to beat around the bush and goes straight to the point, so everyone saves time. Dealing with Zhu Yunwen and dealing with officials are two different things, requiring two different strategies.
"Dean Gongshu, I graduated from the Imperial College in the fifth year. I took the dean's class at first, but it was a pity that it was too difficult for me to learn, so I switched to agriculture and business."
Ma Wang took the words.
Gongshu Qiao looked at Zhu Yunwen and was a little confused: "Your Majesty, talents should be put to their fullest use. Why did he enter the Ma'anshan Iron Smelting Plant when he was engaged in agriculture and business?"
Zhu Yunwen laughed loudly: "Mr. Gongshu, don't be deceived by him. He is well-trained in agriculture and business, but what he is best at is organization and management. This Ma'anshan Iron Smelting Plant is not easy to manage. Tell Mr. Gongshu, there are how many people?"
Ma Wang said without hesitation: "Currently, the Ma'anshan Iron Smelting Factory has 327 blacksmiths, 924 assisting sergeants, and 275 assisting farmers. In addition, there are 24 officials, large and small, and logistics personnel. Fifty-eight…”
The management of personnel is the most complicated. If you want to transform each employee from chaos to order, in addition to basic obedience, you must also have smart management, division of labor, and collaboration.
This is what Mawang is good at, division of labor, cooperation, each performing his duties, and orderly management.
"Take us to see the Dajian furnace. If it is true as you say, it will be a great achievement!"
Zhu Yunwen was looking forward to it.
Ma Wang led Zhu Yunwen and others into the smelting area, summoned Liu Lin, and said proactively: "I don't know much about smelting. Is it more appropriate for Liu Lin to lead the craftsmen to build this Dajian furnace?" .”
Zhu Yunwen looked at Liu Lin, whose face was completely white, and nodded slightly: "I have heard of your name. Zheng Shangshu said that your skills are amazing, and the quality of iron smelting is higher than anyone else's. Today, let me open my eyes and see what you have built." How about the Dajianlu?"
