jdhmnovel Chapter 415 Exploiting Zhu Biao
Chapter 415 Exploiting Zhu Biao
As far as the Ming Dynasty is concerned, the situation in Korea can be unstable, and King Jeon of Goryeo and the powerful minister Shin Don can fight each other, but Korea absolutely cannot be allowed to descend into chaos.
At the very least, we can't make any rash moves before Hu Yuan is completely finished.
Ultimately, although the Ming Dynasty had the advantage in overall strength, the Yuan Dynasty was not completely defeated and even had the strength to launch local counterattacks.
Similarly, the situation on the other side of the monkeys cannot be destabilized, because the Ming Dynasty still needs food from them.
This is why Zhu Yuanzhang (the Hongwu Emperor) in history established a long list of countries he would not conquer, and why he would rather endure the anger of his envoy being killed than conquer Japan.
Yang Shaofeng sighed slightly and said, "How about we leave 10,000 laborers from the Korean side in Dengzhou, and give the rest to Governor Wang?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Guangyang immediately became happy.
According to Yang... according to the Prince Consort's calculations, the Koreans can send 100,000 laborers to the Ming Dynasty.
The number of laborers currently being sent to Dengzhou is only 10,000. Even if another 10,000 are left for the prince consort, he can still get 80,000 laborers.
How much were the wages for 80,000 laborers again?
Ten thousand laborers would earn 150 strings of cash a day, so eighty thousand laborers would earn 1,200 strings of cash a day.
If we calculate it this way, 80,000 laborers would earn 3,600 guan a month, which would amount to only 43,200 guan a year.
The key point is that these 80,000 laborers don't need to be provided with meals; they bring their own food.
Thinking about this, Wang Guangyang suddenly felt that the Ming Dynasty still had too few vassal states.
If there were more vassal states like Goryeo, the Ming Dynasty would never have to worry about a labor shortage again.
As for the annual salary of over 43,000 guan?
What a joke! There are so many gentry in the Ming Dynasty. I am a provincial governor. Where can I not squeeze out 40,000 strings of cash?
With the five small industries in the Yang...Prince Consort version, plus the labor problem can also be solved, then all that's left is for the officials of the Ministry of Works to survey suitable places for road construction and then requisition the land.
With that in mind, Wang Guangyang simply turned his attention to Zhu Biao.
"Your Highness."
With a fawning smile, Wang Guangyang said, "Does Your Highness need to put in a good word for us with the Ministry of Works?"
However, to Wang Guangyang's surprise, before Zhu Biao could even agree, Yang Shaofeng started laughing.
It's time to dig a new hole for you guys, and while we're at it, let you see how crazy the civil engineering guys can be.
Yang Shaofeng said, "Wang Shaoyu, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, is currently in Dengzhou. Why doesn't Governor Wang summon Vice Minister Wang for a meeting?"
After Limpy Wu summoned Wang Shaoyu, Yang Shaofeng went straight to the point: "Minister Wang, His Highness and Provincial Governor Wang plan to build roads throughout the entire Shandong Provincial Administration Commission. This matter..."
After listening to Yang Shaofeng explain Zhu Biao and Wang Guangyang's needs, Wang Shaoyu was completely dumbfounded.
The entire Shandong province?
Good heavens, you haven't even finished repairing the roads in Dengzhou Prefecture yet, and you're already eyeing the whole of Shandong?
No, do you, Yang Dianfeng, have some misunderstanding about the road construction standards you proposed?
That road was ten zhang wide!
Ten feet!
Do you think that just any place has the conditions to build a road ten feet wide?
Do you know how many miles I and my colleagues ran to plan a ten-zhang-wide road for you in Dengzhou? How many pairs of boots did we wear out? How much hair did we lose?
No, you don't know, you don't know anything!
All you know is that you have to open your mouth and make long-term plans for the next hundred years!
All you know is that by opening your mouth wide, you'll avoid traffic jams due to too many cars and people decades later!
You're treating our workers like cattle!
If it weren't for your support in writing books and biographies for me and my colleagues, I would have wanted to kill you!
Ok?
wrong.
Wang Shaoyu suddenly felt that something was wrong.
Although Prince Consort Yang is not a good person, he asked me to write a biography and said he wanted to print many copies of the book I wrote.
The prince consort understands me.
Since the prince consort understands me, he couldn't possibly want me to explore the entire Shandong province.
So, what is the prince consort's real plan?
Writing books, creating biographies, and conducting exploration.
Numerous keywords flashed through my mind, finally converging into a flash of inspiration.
After glancing at Yang Shaofeng, Wang Shaoyu said with a bitter face, "Your Highness, Prince Consort, Provincial Governor Wang, let alone the fact that not all terrains and soils are suitable for building a ten-zhang-wide official road, even if they were, we are only a handful of people. If we were to survey the entire Shandong province, it would probably take several years."
After listening to Wang Shaoyu's complaints, Yang Shaofeng chuckled to himself, while Zhu Biao and Wang Guangyang were dumbfounded.
Several years?
No, then how did you manage to survey the entire Dengzhou Prefecture in such a short time?
Moreover, you didn't just survey the roads to Dengzhou Prefecture; you also created a damn awesome city plan for Dengzhou Prefecture, even more impressive than Jinan Prefecture.
Zhu Biao glanced at Wang Shaoyu, then at Yang Shaofeng, and then smiled at Yang Shaofeng, saying, "Brother-in-law, do you have some new ideas?"
Oh, you figured it out?
Yang Shaofeng said, "Your Highness, it is indeed impossible for Vice Minister Wang and his few companions to survey the entire terrain of Shandong."
"I think it would be better to set up a civil engineering college in Dengzhou Prefecture and have Vice Minister Wang and others teach some apprentices."
"After they explore a few more times with Vice Minister Wang and the others, those apprentices will be ready to graduate."
"Wouldn't it be better to send them all out to explore the terrain and soil conditions than to send Vice Minister Wang and his men to explore?"
"The key is that with the apprentices they train, other prefectures, states, and counties will no longer have to worry about not being able to find people to survey the terrain and soil if they want to build roads or reservoirs."
Zhu Biao finally understood.
It's just that we want to build another academy in your Dengzhou Prefecture that specializes in geological exploration.
It doesn't matter, go ahead and do it. Once you've established the academy and trained a few reliable people, I'll just grab a few from your academy and set up a few more similar academies elsewhere.
Otherwise, why don't you set up a few more specialized academies?
Anyway, you're sure to make a profit, and I won't lose either; in the end, the Ming Dynasty will definitely be the one to benefit.
Having made up his mind, Zhu Biao smiled and said, "I'll do as you say, brother-in-law. How about this, brother-in-law, you write a memorial, and I'll have someone take it back to the capital to get it stamped with the imperial seal."
At this point, Zhu Biao turned his gaze to Wang Shaoyu and asked with a smile, "Minister Wang, would you be willing to be the first headmaster of this academy?"
As Zhu Biao finished speaking, Wang Shaoyu felt as if a huge pie had suddenly fallen from the sky and hit him directly, one that he couldn't dodge.
After working in the Ministry of Works for so long without catching the Crown Prince's eye, he was personally appointed to an official position by the Crown Prince after only about a year in Dengzhou.
Wang Shaoyu hurriedly bowed and replied, "Your subject thanks Your Highness for your grace."
Zhu Biao nodded with a smile, but Yang Shaofeng quickly added, "Your Highness, this academy needs a name."
Zhu Biao hummed in agreement, and after considering it for a moment, said, "Since it's an academy that specializes in teaching how to survey terrain and soil, why not call it Dengzhou Geological Academy?"
Yang Shaofeng nodded repeatedly, then said with a troubled expression, "Your Highness has chosen an excellent name, but my handwriting is too ugly. Otherwise, would Your Highness please inscribe another name for the academy?"
Zhu Biao smiled and agreed, but as soon as he did, he felt a chill run down his spine.
It feels like all the hair on my body has been pulled out?