Chapter Ninety-Nine: The End of Nanjing

He Xi was silent for a while, and said, "Jingshi doesn't need to keep people. Just ask my husband to prepare one or two and follow me for two years. ”

Yao Guangxiao said; "Xia Guan understands."

He Xi said: "There is one more matter, please ask Mr. to handle it for me." ”

Yao Guangxiao said: "My lord, please speak. ”

He Xi said: "Guozijian will help me arrange it." After I leave, I hope that there will be no changes in Guozijian, and another group of students will be selected. I'm going to use it. ”

Yao Guangxiao said; "My subordinates understand."

He Xi knew very well that as long as Zhu Yuanzhang's mind remained unchanged, He Xi didn't need to stay with anyone in Beijing, and nothing would happen to him. will not be caught off guard by the changes in Jingshi. Once Zhu Yuanzhang's mind changed. Hehe, no matter what preparations He Xi makes, it is useless to keep as many people as he wants.

The matter on the side of the Guozijian has been explained. He Xi put all kinds of thoughts aside. It doesn't matter where you go, you have to deal with the things in front of you first.

Coal and Iron Division, Taiping Iron Works, this series of projects. It was the beginning of industrialization in He Xi's heart. It is true that in He Xi's opinion, these things he engaged in are estimated to be better than the Anqing Ordnance Institute obtained by the Hunan Army in the Qing Dynasty. But it's finally a start.

A good start is not the same as a bad start.

After putting this place on the right track, He Xi can think about his future.

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In the fifteenth year of Hongwu, winter.

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 plan. Beneath the floor, there are countless copper pipes flowing with hot water. The temperature of the Qianqing Palace was maintained.

The same renovated is Kunning Palace. The other concubines didn't have this treatment.

Just how to evaluate it yourself, it's just too expensive.

At this moment, Zhang Du and He Xi were reporting to Zhu Yuanzhang about the situation of the Coal and Iron Division.

The entire Coal and Iron Division has been formed. The following are divided into, coal department, iron department, mining department, and government department.

The Coal Section is responsible for the formulation of coal policies, the issuance of coal licenses, and the registration and exploration of coal minerals. Coal tax collection, and all other coal-related matters.

Irontech, as above, is nothing more than a policy and affair related to all steel.

In fact, the Mining Department should be called, except for coal, iron, gold, silver and copper mines, all mineral production, exploration, survey, tax collection affairs. Coal and iron have a special department in charge. The gold and silver mines in the world have always been managed by the internal government. Nor is it under the control of the Ministry of Works.

It is also the raw material for coinage, and it stands to reason that it is under the control of the Baoquan Bureau. The Coal and Iron Division has just been established, so it should not seize too much power, and it will take care of the affairs within the division first. Let's talk about other things.

In the original intention of He Xi, if it is said, the amount of other minerals mined is large. For example, sulfur, copper ore, and other minerals. There is another section under the Coal and Iron Division, and in the future, the Coal and Iron Division will evolve into the Mining Division.

As for the government department. It is responsible for the management of all government-run factories and mines. But now it is only the Taiping Iron Works and the supporting coal mines.

Now the head of the official department is Li Yunxing. Although he is now the acting director, he is a six-rank official. If it weren't for hugging He Xi's thigh. This simply cannot be done.

Zhu Yuanzhang already knew the entire structure.

Even the examination of the selection personnel, Zhu Yuanzhang has always paid attention.

He Xi and Fang Xiaoru talked for a long time, although they were generally passable in face, but when it came to topics and subjects, there was no lack of friction between the two. Fortunately, both sides paid attention to the impression and held closed-door meetings.

Close the door, and consume several liters of tea a day.

Out of the door, neither of them wanted to talk. My throat is hoarse.

No matter how you grit your teeth in private, the two sides do not deal with each other at all. 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 enriched into the official department.

He Xi and Zhang Du stayed in Taiping Mansion for a while.

This work together also made He Xi and Zhang Du see each other's strengths.

In He Xi's opinion, Zhang Du is too experienced. It seems to have a special function, as long as you take a look, the careful thoughts in the hearts of the people below are pierced by a word. No reservations. Nothing can be hidden from him. In order to save trouble, lower standards, and even cut corners to fill their own pockets. Down to the small tricks above the food bill. Zhang Du can see it.

Some account books, He Xi counted and calculated, and he felt that there was no problem. But Zhang Du didn't need to look at it to know that there was a problem, and he even said where the problem was.

Gain, He Xi looks at numbers, and Zhang Du looks at people's hearts.

He Xi sighed incomparably, only feeling that Zhang Du's realm, He Xi felt that he would not be able to reach it in his life.

But Zhang Du doesn't think, what's there? Joke, he is now in his fifties, after Zhu Yuanzhang conquered Nanjing, he served as an official, and later joined the military department as an official, this military department is not the Ming military department, but the military department of King Wu. After more than ten years of training, he was promoted to an official ten years ago.

Ten years to the present day. By what? That's the experience.

If He Xi has also been grinding at the bottom for more than ten years, these people's careful thinking can also guess. After all, there is nothing new in the world. The tricks that many people play are leftovers from Zhang Du's play. It can't be that Zhang Du is far-sighted, can endure loneliness, can withstand temptation, and has been innocent for more than ten years, only to change and then soar to the sky.

Zhang Du looked at He Xi and only felt that He Xi was the most loved by God. Some people are inherently different from others. You are born to know it.

Yes.

Many technical problems that cannot be solved by the following people can be easily solved under the auspices of He Xi, and many of He Xi's designs are exquisite and difficult to speak. Zhang Du admired it very much, Zhang Du was born as a small official, so he didn't have the cleanliness of Qingliu, let alone Qingliu's various ideas.

He is a complete pragmatist.

He also knows what the concept of Taiping Iron Works is.

In his opinion, it is fortunate that it is now a peaceful year. Otherwise, if He Xi, the Taiping Iron Factory, falls into the hands of any force, it will increase its chances of victory by at least 10 percent. That's a 10 percent chance of winning, which is not a small amount.

You must know that during the decisive battle of Poyang Lake, the victory or defeat between Zhu Yuanzhang and Chen Youliang was just between them.

The Taiping Iron Works is the most advanced technology of all steel smelting in this era, which is combined in the mode of industrial mass production. Although for various reasons, in He Xi's view, it is not a modern steel plant, but a cluster of handicraft workshops. But there is only a wall away from this modern steel plant.

It's just that I don't know how thick this wall is.

What has happened in the past few months flashed in Zhang Du's heart, Zhang Du presented a mahogany tray with both hands, and said: "Your Majesty, please see, this is the newly minted copper coin, copper coin, iron coin, iron coin. ”

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the coins on the mahogany tray and looked over one by one.

In fact, the difference between copper coins and copper coins is very simple, copper coins, that is, round coins and square holes. It is not much different from the copper coins of the Ming Dynasty. However, it is still forged. And the copper coin is the same as the copper circle. It is not much different from the coins of later generations.

And the iron coin is much different from the iron coin. Iron coins are relatively small. It is a circle smaller than a copper coin. It weighs less than half that of a copper coin.

As the currency of the smallest denomination of the Ming Dynasty. Special for one point. One iron coin, one penny. Ten cents is a penny.

Zhu Yuanzhang said: "He Xi, the copper coin is still the same as it was." As for iron coins, let's just iron coins. ”

Zhu Yuanzhang knew that in terms of forging, this kind of copper coin, and the traditional square hole money, should be convenient for forging. But Zhu Yuanzhang felt that it was necessary to respect tradition. For more than 1,000 years, all copper coins have square holes, and it is probably not good to cancel them rashly. It takes time to transition. Iron coins are different.

The cost of iron coins is very demanding. Because only by reducing costs can this iron coin make money. Otherwise, it's a loss of money.

He Xi said, "Your Majesty." ”

Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Zhang Du, how many copper coins and how many iron coins can be minted now?" ”

Zhang Du said: "Back to Your Majesty, there are only 100,000 copper coins, and the main reason is that the number of copper mines is not enough. Taiping Iron Ore is a mixed copper-iron ore, but the proportion of copper ore in it is not high. As for the iron coins, there are now a million points. As long as His Majesty gives the order, as much as you want, and as much as you want. ”

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said; "Not bad. You 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 retreated knowingly.