jdhmnovel Chapter 850: Great achievements that shake the master?
Chapter 850: Great achievements that shake the master?
The famously decadent writer, Xiaohaizi, once said, "Old people are shrewd, old horses are slippery, and old rabbits are hard for eagles to catch."
People like Li Shanchang are cunning, slippery, and hard to catch.
While Yang Shaofeng was internally screaming, he said with a smile, "Li Xiang guessed correctly; it really is about the steam engine."
Li Shanchang's eyes lit up, and he grabbed Yang Shaofeng's wrist, laughing, "Come on, come on, while all the officials from the various ministries, temples, and abbots are here, the Prince Consort can talk to them about this steam engine."
"Especially the steam locomotive and railway matters, that is of utmost importance."
"After all, neither I nor they know much about steam engines."
"I'll have to trouble you, Your Highness, a lot."
Yang Shaofeng stopped Li Shanchang, saying with a wry smile, "Where did you get any steam locomotives and railways from?"
"It was just a simple steam engine that could power small gadgets like drill presses, planers, saws, and anvils."
"It's not a steam locomotive that can pull goods at all."
Not trains and railways?
Li Shanchang smacked his lips in regret.
Pity.
If we could create the steam locomotive that Yang the Madman described, it could carry about 20,000 catties of goods at a time, travel 100 li in an hour, and 1,000 li in a day if it traveled for five hours.
The key point is that, according to the scene that Yang Dianfeng described back then, more than one steam locomotive could run on a railway line.
If enough steam locomotives are built and enough loading and unloading workers are prepared on both sides of the road, then dozens or even hundreds of steam locomotives can run on this railway line.
If one steam locomotive can pull 20,000 jin (10,000 kg), what about ten? Or a hundred?
With such formidable logistical and transportation capabilities, if Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, Fu Youde, Lan Yu, and Li Wenzhong cannot completely eliminate Hu Yuan within three years and completely conquer the Western Regions within thirty years, then they are the most useless people in history. Even I, an old man, will be implicated by them and nailed to the pillar of historical shame, never to be removed!
Unfortunately, it wasn't a steam locomotive or a railway.
The title of the greatest prime minister in history remains a distant dream.
Li Shanchang smacked his lips again and looked at Yang Shaofeng, saying, "Then we should ask the Prince Consort to explain the steam engine to them."
"After all, there are this bed and that bed, these are all new and exciting things."
"I don't understand, and most of them probably don't understand either."
"With a wise man like the Prince Consort explaining things to us, we can save some time and avoid spending a lot of money on trial and error."
Yang Shaofeng was completely numb.
When Old Deng first heard about the steam engine, he was so excited he almost peed himself.
Now, even the old scoundrel Li Shanchang gets so excited about the steam engine that he almost wets himself.
What I'm saying is, can you Ming Dynasty emperors and ministers please stop acting like you know everything?
Compared to them, the way you all are makes Ma Zi's family seem both stupid and wicked.
While inwardly cursing, Yang Shaofeng spread his hands and said, "Isn't Prime Minister Li deliberately making things difficult for us? I only just received the letter and haven't even seen what their steam engine looks like yet. What can I possibly explain to them in such a short time?"
Li Shanchang smiled meaningfully and said, "We still have to explain it to them. At least we have to let them know what a steam engine is. Only when they all understand it can we ask the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works for money and manpower. Other ministries, supervisory offices, temples, and monasteries can also cooperate in promoting the steam engine."
Yang Shaofeng was overjoyed and was about to agree when Zhu Biao frowned slightly and said, "No, we don't need them."
Li Shanchang was slightly taken aback, and said in a low voice, "Your Highness?"
Zhu Biao looked up at the merchants coming and going in the market, then at Yang Shaofeng, and said, "I know what Prime Minister Li is thinking."
"Li Xiang thought that only by getting all the ministries, temples, supervisory offices and academies to contribute money, manpower and effort, and let them all get some credit, would they treat the steam engine like their own child."
"but."
Zhu Biao's lips curled up slightly, and he sneered, "Times have changed."
“In the past, the imperial court begged them to come out and serve as officials, and begged them to do their jobs diligently.”
"Now?"
"If they won't do it, there are plenty of people who can."
"Now they are begging the imperial court to give them official positions."
"The balance of offense and defense is easily shifted."
At this point, Zhu Biao couldn't help but feel a sense of triumph and satisfaction.
Previously, the imperial court lacked enough officials and had to forcibly recruit scholars with "good reputations" to serve as officials, appoint commoners with good farming skills as officials, and even stipulate how many scholars each province must send to hold the imperial examinations.
It's different now.
After the Imperial College was split up and relocated to various provincial administration offices, it had already expanded its student enrollment.
In various local communities, the first batch of students are about to graduate.
The schools in Dengzhou and Ningyang counties were producing an ever-growing number of scholars.
In addition, there were three consecutive years of Enke.
Although there is still a shortage of manpower, the situation has been greatly alleviated compared to the first two years after the founding of the country.
Then, the credit for the steam engine would be shared with those officials, allowing them to reap the rewards for nothing and then get promoted and make a fortune.
Just one question: On what grounds?
Because they have big faces?
Zhu Biao sneered and said, "The credit that belongs to the Ministry of Works is the credit of the Ministry of Works, and the credit that belongs to the Ministry of Revenue is the credit of the Ministry of Revenue."
"Whoever does their job well will be rewarded, and whoever does it poorly will be punished. This is the right way."
"Instead of letting them get some benefits for nothing, it would be better to just cash out their credit."
“Even if my brother-in-law’s title of Duke of Ying has been exhausted, it can be left to my little nephew in the future.”
As Zhu Biao finished speaking, Li Shanchang and Yang Shaofeng were both stunned.
Li Shanchang was stunned because Zhu Biao suddenly made it clear that he wanted to give the officials in the court a warning.
Yang Shaofeng was stunned because Zhu Biao proposed cashing out his merits.
Excuse me, what do you mean by "I have no more titles to bestow"?
You little Deng, have you forgotten that you and your old Deng still owe me a marquisate?
Besides, you're going to leave the credit for my son?
This is the first time I've ever heard of such a cash-out arrangement!
So, by the way, if we don't convert the titles into cash, and I've already exhausted all the titles I can bestow, shouldn't my next step be to become too powerful and threaten the emperor?
What the hell!
"The emperor's maternal relatives are powerful and their influence is overwhelming. When these two terms are put together, this official is in grave danger."
Just as Yang Shaofeng was pondering this, Zhu Biao inexplicably smiled again.