Eighteen-year-old Sun Lan stood in front of the emperor with his head bowed.

This palace, the Son of Heaven in front of her, she is no stranger.

Her existence can be said to be also because of the emperor.

If her sister had not been elected as the queen back then, then Sun Jiao would not have gone to Guangdong Zhenchangzi as a national abbot at all.

Sun Jiao can't go to Guangdong, how can her mother appear in front of Sun Jiao and be accepted as a concubine?

When she was born, she already had an older sister who was the queen.

When she grew up to know things, her sister had a will, and often asked her mother to take her into the palace.

If there is no queen Yizhi, how can she, the sister born to a concubine, often enter the palace?

It turns out that everything is for today.

But Sun Lan has no resentment at the mercy of others, nor is she dissatisfied with being treated as a shadow and substitute by her sister.

After all, it is the position of the queen of the mother's world.

Zhu Houxi looked at her silently, and actually had a lot of questions in his heart.

He wanted to know what Sun Ming had told her in the past, but that ...... I'm afraid I'll have to wait until later.

"Let's go to the front and wait."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Sun Lan responded crisply and moved her steps.

Zhu Houxi glanced at her back behind him, and then continued to pace.

Shinong, industrial and commercial military arts, those born in the Shi clan have already been decided, and there are five people left, Zhu Houxi looked around again.

I thought back to the secret report submitted by Lu Bing and the internal inspection factory: Although all places seem to be very conservative, they actually see this matter more thoroughly.

is not as restrained as many relatives in the past, and now Zhu Houxi can also be entrusted with important responsibilities to his relatives. And the direction of the Huangming Assets Bureau can be said to be the economic lifeline of the Ming Dynasty, and the real authority is not necessarily smaller than being a heavy minister.

Therefore, it seems that the people are not disturbed and harmed by the big draft girls, but in fact, the high-level leaders in various places have taken such an opportunity into their own hands.

This time, the overall level of the six people they recommended to the palace was obviously much higher than the one twenty years ago.

Especially these women from the most humble backgrounds, the "Happy Household", all said in the recommendation files submitted that they were only good students and had never performed on stage. But it can be seen that if they really come to that day, there is no doubt that they will have the strength to become the top brand and pillar of the local people.

The same is true of the original military households. Since the fifth year of Jiajing, there has been a system of public security departments, and they have been similar to civil officials, and there is no pressure to fight and kill and work in the military camp for the officials. Living in a stable city, what is the difference between the daughter of an old military household who is recommended and the daughter of a scholar?

Those who are businessmen are even more dedicated, but I am afraid that they will recommend themselves one after another. Once she is elected as a concubine, she can immediately enter the core interests of state-owned enterprises.

Even the daughters of farmers and former craftsmen don't know how they can make such a beautiful appearance without disturbing the people.

Zhu Houxi looked at the people who were so good in average appearance, and only sighed in his heart that he was using this to test the emperor.

It is intriguing how they managed to do this in just two or three months without disturbing a large number of people.

It seems that locally, state-owned enterprises, businessmen, village sages, and officials ...... Due to the many conscriptions, projects, and public property purchases over the past few years, there is already a well-informed network.

"Your Majesty?"

Hearing Huang Jin's reminder, Zhu Houxi came back to his senses and smiled dumbly.

is obviously choosing a lovely person, but his heart unconsciously wanders to state affairs.

Now he was only hesitating in the "merchant phalanx", and then looked at the one in front of him: "What's your surname?" Where are the people? ”

"Back to Your Majesty, the surname of the people's daughter is Fang, and the name of Nanjing Jiangning people."

"Fang? Jiangning people? ”

Zhu Houxi looked at her carefully, and some impressions appeared in his mind.

Jiajing itself seems to have a queen surnamed Fang, one of the nine concubines selected in the nineteenth year of Jiajing, and she is also a native of Jiangning, Yingtianfu, Nanjing.

Zhu Houxi remembered this because the palace change of the palace maid in Jiajing seemed to be handled by Queen Fang effectively, but later there seemed to be rumors that the queen was killed by a fire.

She comes from a merchant family?

Zhu Houxi doesn't know if this is the original case, or because she has now loosened the ban on business, so her family is in business.

In fact, this Fang clan was indeed originally from a wealthy family.

Zhu Houxi looked at her who lowered her head slightly, thinking that Jiajing was so inappropriate that she had been saved by her, nodded and said, "Go to the front." ”

At this point, he selected all six people, and the others were arranged by Huang Jin and the female officials in the palace to serve as reserve female officials in each palace.

On the cloud platform in front of the Qianqing Palace, six people stood in a row.

Zhu Houxi sat down, looked at Sun Lan first, and then said: "This draft girl is really a new queen." After this new year, the Holy Queen of Filial Piety has another wish, hoping to establish her sister as the queen. Xiaolan, come here. ”

“…… Be. ”

The other five people watched Sun Lan slowly step forward, and then they all lowered their heads, and they didn't know what they thought in their hearts.

"There are many rights and wrongs in the harem, the new queen is young, and the rest of the concubines in the palace are mainly in the palace twenty years ago, I am worried that the new queen is young and there are no people of the same age who can accompany her." Zhu Houxi came up with a straight ball, "The five of you will be crowned concubines first." In the past 20 years, there have been very few disputes in my harem, and I am very tired of fighting openly and secretly, and I hope you will keep it in mind. ”

“…… The concubine thanked His Majesty Longen, and the concubine remembered. ”

"There are many more things that I will tell you. Today, we will arrange to go down to the palace first, and the five of you will go to rest first, and choose a day to give the treasure book. Xiaolan, you go home first and prepare for the big wedding ceremony. ”

Sun Lan was overjoyed: "Your Majesty, concubine...... Is there one too? ”

Zhu Houxi smiled: "What a big deal after the establishment, how can there be no ceremony?" ”

"The concubine obeys the order, thank Your Majesty Longen......"

Zhu Houxi stood up and looked at the other five people again: "The palace is probably different from what you think. I am diligent and diligent in governance, and the world knows it. I put down state affairs and went to the harem to relax my mind. Before you entered the palace, there may have been many people who told you anything, but when you entered the palace, you all listened to me and the queen. I still have more to do, so I won't say anything more to you now. After settling down later, I will go to the palace to meet the two concubines and other concubines. Huang Jin, you arrange it. ”

"The slave understands."

Zhu Houxi left first, Sun Lan returned to the Jing'an Hou Mansion after receiving a salute from them, and the other five people were arranged by Huang Jin to go to the side hall of the palace where they were assigned first.

They were all in the courtyard of the two noble concubines and the newly entered concubines, which made them a little restrained and uneasy: Is His Majesty's arrangement so that they can help the new queen pay attention to the movements of these concubines who are the most noble and also have the prince?

But when Huang Jin looked at Lin Qingping, Wen Suyun and others, he just said respectfully: "Niangniang, Your Majesty is busy going to the Heavy Industry Park. The rules and principles in the palace will first bother the mother to talk about and teach. ”

"Father-in-law, don't worry."

Around the Chinese New Year, Zhu Houxi actually had heart-to-heart words with them again.

The situation of the Ming Dynasty is different, all the princes will have proper arrangements in the future, and they will be the lord of a country and the king of the real land and the real army.

In their minds, since there will be no hidden worries in the future because of the battle for the crown prince, then why should they be afraid?

On the contrary, in the past twenty years, they have also known what the emperor likes and dislikes.

The concubine who made trouble is now like living in a cold palace.

"Sister sit down, don't be so nervous." Lin Qingping sat there dignified and said to the Fang clan, "I don't know my sister's name yet......

“…… Hui Guifei Niangniang, sister's surname is Fang, Nanjing Jiangning people's name. ”

"Nanjing, that's a good place......

There were six more newcomers in the harem, and there were a group of female officials who were still hopeful, Zhu Houxi satisfied the enjoyment he wanted, and began to work like a social animal again.

Today's discussion in the Heavy Industry Park is based on the specific application research and development of the steam engine before the Wanshou Festival last year.

At present, the most mature applications are to provide mechanical force in a fixed position that is not limited to water and wind power.

Take the mines, for example. When mining, the hole is dug deep, and water accumulation is a very troublesome problem. Using a steam engine to drive the pumping of water can solve a lot of trouble.

There are also smelting, forging and casting, manufacturing, and now with Zhu Houxi's requirements, the lathes that have begun to be developed have been initially developed.

In the past, there was the hydraulic power of the Sanggan River Reservoir Discharge Dike on the Huailai Ordnance Park, and the Yongding River Reservoir Dike on the Heavy Industry Park. The steam engine can provide continuous power in a fixed place, which greatly reduces the constraints of the location of a new industrial park.

However, the power and volume of the steam engine are still difficult to fully apply to moving things.

The steam locomotive used to work, but it was only because of the section from Liangxiang to Jingshi Station, the railroad tracks were laid extremely flat, and the maintenance was never slack.

But if you really want to go over the mountains, you can't guarantee it now.

There are even more problems encountered on board.

"The Treasure Ship Superintendent has recorded a lot of data over the years." The engineer from the treasure ship supervisor said, "The main problem is the durability of the paddle wheel. To compare sails, paddle wheels can only be made of fine iron. This fine iron paddle wheel is already extremely heavy, and today's steam engines are also extremely heavy. It's just one, I'm afraid it won't be of great use. If you want two, three, plus you have to store coal with the ship, the ship needs to be bigger. ”

"To make it bigger, not to mention that the giant tree is hard to find, the keel alone is too large, and the ship cannot withstand the wind and waves. If, according to His Majesty's words, the keel is cast with steel, then even if this ironclad ship is only wooden-clad iron, it is too heavy. Even if it works, the draft is very deep, but I am afraid that most of them can only be used in the ocean. And when you get to the ocean, you have to store more coal. In addition, the sea is corroded, how to store the coal well so as not to catch fire......"

Listening to him rambling on and on listing the technical problems that must be solved now, Zhu Houxi kept frowning.

It is indeed easy for him to put his upper and lower lips together, and it is concrete to achieve, but it is not subject to his will.

This ironclad ship can naturally only be a battleship.

At present, the battleships have begun to break away from the battle mode of the gangs, but artillery bombardment.

The ability of wooden ships to carry artillery is naturally inferior to that of battleships clad with iron or even pure steel.

Because of this, Zhu Houxi felt that other applications of the steam engine could be developed slowly, but the train and the steam ironclad ship were the most important legacy he could leave to Daming in the second half of his life.

With these two things, the efficiency of internal transportation and governance, and the deterrence of external force, can ensure that they will be ahead of the world for at least two or three hundred years.

Thinking of this, Zhu Houxi said: "It doesn't matter how difficult it is, do it one by one." When I say ironclads, it is not a pure steel and pure steam engine that can be reached in one step. Now, the first thing is to go on the right path. The steam engine was not strong enough, and it was still supplemented by sails. The outer side is too heavy to cover with iron, so only the waterline is wrapped, so as not to be blown by shells and immediately enter the water. How to prevent moisture and fire from coal storage can also be studied. ”

After looking around, Zhu Houxi said: "The Academy of Sciences will set up two special project teams, the steam train and the steam ironclad ship. If you put more effort into the present, it will be beneficial for the future. After these two roads are passed, the Ming Dynasty will be truly different from then on, and there is truly hope for the world to be the same. ”

Zhu Zaiyan was also called, and he said: "Your Majesty, in the past few months, the new marquis has often discussed with his ministers how to improve the steam engine. The minister discussed with the doctors of the Institute for a long time and came up with a few ideas. If you want to try to make it, you also need to try out some more suitable steel and parts together with the Baojin Bureau and the War Bureau. ”

Zhu Houxi waved his hand without hesitation: "Draw the drawings, explain the requirements, and let them develop them." Now, I dare not guarantee that I support all those who want money and people related to these two things. The steam ironclad ship, even if there are difficulties, must first build an experimental ship, and then think about how to improve it on the real guy. This is a problem that no one has encountered before, and now you can say one, two, three, four, I am very relieved! ”

The people of the treasure ship warden breathed a sigh of relief in their hearts, the pressure had been too great for this time.

Then the emperor immediately put more pressure on them: "I tell you that if these two things can be successfully created and traveled on land and sea during my lifetime, I will have no regrets in a hundred years, which is enough to comfort my ancestors and Chinese sages!" This is a big country, and I will give full support to it! ”

In the Heavy Industry Park, the most scientifically minded and engineering experienced people in Daming continue to discuss technical difficulties and solutions one by one.

As Zhu Houxi said, now that he personally attaches importance to it, with the national strength of the Ming Dynasty, of course, it can support the development of these two major projects.

He is also very confident that this does not involve the research and development of more advanced scientific theories, and it is not for them to try to study electromagnetic and nuclear weapons and aircraft. Horse-drawn carriages have long existed, and steamships have existed for a long time. Now there is a new impetus, Daming's steel is unsalable, coal mines are mining, and the Mongolian people of Hetao and Mobei are carrying coal and iron back. All that remains is to improve the existing steam models, so that the already large enough sail battleship can have one or two more chimneys and some places on the side of the ship covered with iron.

Without the motivation to apply, how can we get more data and how can we improve?

Zhu Houxi, with the respect of the Son of Heaven, artificially creates demand, exerts pressure, and provides power.

His housekeeper Yang Shen looked at the list sent by Xia Yan and Liu Tianhe in horror.

"What? How much money is to be spent on these two things this year? He looked at Xia Yan in disbelief, "Is it that the current artillery of the Ming Dynasty is not powerful enough, or is the Ming Dynasty's warships now lagging behind?" ”

Xia Yan smiled all over his face: "Mr. Yang, Your Majesty said that this is a great power." If you see it, Your Majesty has the saying that 'there will be no regrets in a hundred years'. ”

“…… The world is the same! The world is the same! Yang Shen was numb, "Three million taels a year in these two things, there is no limit?" After the initial results of the Huanghuai governance, didn't the National Policy Conference decide on the national policy of re-planning and building the Daming Reservoir and ditch? Next year, it has also decided to use troops against Japan, where will the money come from? ”

Yan Song sighed in his heart: Sure enough, it is right to avoid it again and let Yang Shen be the chief assistant first.

Daming has just been comfortable for a few years, and the next few years will really cost money.

He coughed and said, "By the year after tomorrow, the ten-year treasury bonds sold by Jiajing in the twelfth year should also mature. But in recent years, the sea trade has flowed into Daming a lot of gold and silver. If the general assistant is difficult, you may wish to redeem it in advance and sell it again. Or discuss with President Cui to see if you can mint another batch of new silver dollars. The money is good if it moves, and most of the three million taels still have to be purchased from various enterprises. When it comes to paying taxes, enterprises are the most realistic. ”

Isn't the purpose of establishing state-owned enterprises, in addition to grasping the lifeblood of the economy, to take the lead in pursuing commercial and tax laws with imperial power and a structure that also belongs to the bureaucratic system?

From the British Gong Zhang Lun to the later Chengguo Gong Zhu Feng, and then to the current concubine Yu Chengye, the enterprises under the Huangming Assets Bureau have experienced several audits, and there is basically a big round in three years.

Last year, they were even more focused.

How did Yu Chengye get out of the imperial study with a bitter face that day, and how many people went to prison with a crying face later.

Yang Shen frowned: "So much silver...... Isn't it good to spend on people's livelihood? ”

(End of chapter)