Chapter 469 This Ming Dynasty needs an ideological revival
Jiang Qingzhi left angrily.
The Taoist opened his eyes and Huang Jin brought him a cup of hot tea.
"Your Majesty, I heard what Chang Wei Bo muttered...it's a waste of natural resources." Huang Jin said with a smile.
"The Mohists are good at fortifications, and the Armour Bureau is mainly responsible for fortifications. He is just excited to see the prey." The Taoist took a sip of tea, "This idiot is planning to build a workshop outside the city. Once it is completed, I think he will make some achievements in fortifications. If the Armour Bureau is also taken away by him...will he be jealous of the workshops in the Ministry of Works?"
If this is the case, the Mohists will be able to monopolize the Ming Dynasty's top industrial capabilities.
The Taoist didn't understand what monopoly was, but he instinctively felt that this was not something he could agree to.
After Jiang Qingzhi left the West Garden, he felt that the Taoist priest was a bit conservative.
After returning home, he mentioned this matter to Xia Yan.
The old man has recently become fond of raising birds. Carrying the birdcage reminded Jiang Qingzhi of the old men in later generations.
"The Arms Bureau is where weapons are made. Plus, you have a good relationship with the Ministry of Industry. Qingzhi, last time I heard you talk about the dangers of monopoly, but you have a monopoly."
Jiang Qingzhi: “…”
The Mohist school provides the technology, the Armament Bureau and the Ministry of Works provide the craftsmen and production capacity... Isn't this just an industrial giant?
The entire Ming Dynasty's industry had to crawl at the feet of Jiang. If he sneezed, the Ming Dynasty's industry would get a fever.
Muskets, cannons, warships... steam engines, early machine tools... textile machines...
Jiang Qingzhi seemed to see countless chimneys standing in a row.
Teams of Ming soldiers lined up, holding flintlock rifles in their hands, and fired row after row following the command. In the smoke, the enemy troops on the opposite side fell one after another...
The cannons roared, creating bloody alleys among the cavalry.
The warships flying the Ming dragon flags approached the enemy's coastline and used artillery to blast open the enemy's gates. Then the musketeers lined up on the shore and taught the enemy a lesson with dense lead bullets...
On the endless ocean, only the Ming Dynasty's warships were cruising.
Countless resources were continuously transported back to Daming, and turned into countless commodities in the workshops. After their value increased a hundredfold, they were sent out to sea again...
Countless families are working hard, and their income is increasing. Children are ruddy and strong. Every child of school age must go to school.
They are learning the most advanced knowledge of this era, and their vision is far beyond their peers at the moment. Ten years later, twenty years later, when these children grow up and enter all walks of life in Ming Dynasty...
The rise of the Ming Dynasty, no, the power of the Ming Dynasty will be unstoppable.
As unstoppable as a torrent!
Jiang Qingzhi's breathing was rapid.
“Celebrate it, celebrate it!”
Jiang Qingzhi came to his senses, "Mr. Xia, this Ming Dynasty needs a monopoly."
"Hmm?" Xia Yan frowned, "Last time you said that monopoly will bring huge profits, and the greater the profits, the greedier the monopoly group will be.
Mohism plus the Arms Bureau, and then the Processing Department... Don't laugh, I know your ability. Since you made a new type of gunpowder, the Ministry of Industry has almost worshipped you. Why did Jiang Hua support you? It's just to see if the Mohist School has any treasures in the future. "
Xia Yan sighed, "Mohism is the brain, the Ministry of Works and the Arms Bureau are the executors, and the combination of the three will become a giant. The most advanced fortifications of the Ming Dynasty are in your hands. And who can be allocated the best and most weapons is determined by your words.
Have you ever thought that when that time comes, you will be in high spirits and feel like you are a god. Then you will become inflated and dissatisfied, and want to expand the scale of this giant.
But have you ever thought about whether you can control such a huge monster? "
Jiang Qingzhi took out a medicine cigarette and said, "You also know my goal, which is to revive the Ming Dynasty. According to the current development trend, the Mohist School is at most a laboratory. That is, a counselor. From time to time, I will give plans and let the Ministry of Works and the Armory Bureau to create them. But the current structure of the Ministry of Works and the Armory Bureau cannot achieve my goal."
"What is your goal?" Xia Yan felt that this guy was being too arrogant. He knew the Arms Bureau, which was considered the top firearms research center.
"My goal." Jiang Qingzhi pointed to the sky, "If I say that one day I can build something that can carry people into space, would you believe me?"
Xia Yan looked at him and reached out to touch his forehead. "You don't have a fever!"
"Haha!" Jiang Qingzhi agreed with him with a silly smile, "What I want is scale, and the Armory and the Ministry of Industry may seem impressive, but in fact they are just handicraft workshops. You can trust me, I can create better weapons and various materials at half the cost or even lower."
Not to mention assembly line production, the drawbacks that Jiang Qingzhi found in the Arms Bureau today only need to be improved, and then the scale can be expanded to spread the cost...
"Half?" Xia Yan's eyes widened. "Are you kidding me?"
“And it’s built better.”
Xia Yan was silent for a long time. "This is a double-edged sword. Although His Majesty trusts you, Qingzhi, that is because you have not touched the root of power..."
"Just tell me directly that I am not a threat to Your Majesty," Jiang Qingzhi said.
"It's good that you understand." Xia Yan said: "If it is done, it will be a great benefit to the Ming Dynasty. But the hidden dangers will not disappear, but will only grow bigger..."
"Why should I worry about the future?" Jiang Qingzhi's mind was now full of how to build a powerful army.
"Mr. Xia, do you know why I am so anxious? The Western powers at this moment have already made great use of firearms." Jiang Qingzhi thought of the colonists at this moment, who were using muskets to break the pattern of the world.
"Those people came to the East several decades ago and had a small battle with the Ming Dynasty. It was at that time that the Ming Dynasty seized their firearms. The Armory is still copying them... But the Ming Dynasty doesn't want to copy them, but to catch up and build its own system... If we delay, things will change!"
Those scholars will drag his legs and set up obstacles everywhere, making it difficult for him to move forward.
The conservatives in the army would cry out against firearms.
They would advocate the power of cold weapons and even join forces with the literati to suppress Jiang Qingzhi and the Mohist school.
"Those tiny countries?" Xia Yan said with a smile.
"That's not a tiny country." Jiang Qingzhi said weakly: "Forget it, I'll think about it again." Jiang Qingzhi returned to the backyard and sat in a daze in the study.
After an unknown amount of time, Li Tian came in and said, "Husband."
"My wife." Jiang Qingzhi then realized that it was dark.
Li Tian walked behind him and gently massaged his shoulders. "Mr. Xia told me that my husband has been a little anxious recently..."
"This world is huge. The ancestors of the Mohist School once sailed out to sea, starting from Daming. They wanted to see the end of the world, but they would end up back at the other side of Daming.
They discovered many great powers along the way. My lady, those great powers are expanding. Their enthusiasm for firearms makes me shudder... while the Ming Dynasty is still intoxicated by cold weapons. They are already here. "
"Where?"
"Their warships have arrived in the southeastern sea, and they have occupied many islands. They are examining the Ming Dynasty. Once they find an opportunity, the Ming Dynasty..."
Jiang Qingzhi's voice was filled with anxiety. "I seemed to see countless musketeers landing in formation. They used gunpowder and lead bullets to defeat the Ming soldiers holding swords and guns. Then, they marched forward all the way to the capital accompanied by the sound of drums..."
There was some worry in Li Tian's eyes. Xia Yan had sent a message earlier, saying that Jiang Qingzhi had been feeling a little anxious recently and asked her to comfort him.
Li Tian knew what her husband was thinking, so she whispered, "What have you been talking about in your dreams these past few days...queueing up to be shot, are you worried about something that benefits the country and the people?"
Jiang Qingzhi shook his head. "I have countless treasures like this. What I am worried about is how to change the court's understanding of the world. Mohism is the best tool. But there are too few disciples, and we have to wait for them to become talented and spread Mohist understanding of the world to all parts of Ming Dynasty..."
"I'm afraid those scholars will..." Li Tian said softly, "Slow down! Take your time."
"This is an era where every minute counts. If you are a step slower, you will fall behind, and if you fall behind, you will be beaten."
It takes time to design and build firearms and form a new army. It takes even more time to build warships and form a new fleet.
Jiang Qingzhi had thought about these things before, but at that time he had no chance to do them at all.
Only after returning from Yunnan with great power did he begin to face these problems.
He stretched out his tentacles and tested cautiously. From Dao Ye to Xia Yan, and even his wife, everyone thought he was too eager.
Am I sick?
Jiang Qingzhi asked himself.
He closed his eyes.
The Japanese bought the matchlock gun from Portugal at a high price and successfully copied it, calling it "iron cannon". The rulers of this small island discovered the sharpness of firearms, but were unable to build them on a large scale due to lack of resources. Jiang Qingzhi even suspected that the subsequent monkey invasion of Korea was intended to seize resources.
However, the rulers and ministers of the Ming Dynasty were still immersed in the old pattern and could not extricate themselves. They felt that this pattern had lasted for thousands of years and would continue in the future.
Historically, the Ming Dynasty began to imitate firearms on a large scale during these decades. But that was all.
However, the West is constantly promoting industrial development and improving its killing tools and production tools.
This Ming Dynasty needs change.
First of all, we must launch a reform in thinking.
Yes!
Jiang Qingzhi thought of the Renaissance.
Without the Renaissance, there would be no modern Western development.
It was the Renaissance that broke the old Western thought pattern, allowing more people to see the backwardness of the old pattern and laid the foundation for the modern development of the West.
Some people in later generations said that the Ming Dynasty was not bad either. Their evidence was the imitation firearms produced in the late Ming Dynasty and the ideological articles published by many people who opened their eyes to the world.
But Jiang Qingzhi felt that these were not enough to break the existing pattern.
While eating, he was thinking about how to break this situation.
Lying in bed, he thought about this question.
In his dream, he saw his Mohist philosophy being burned to ashes by the literati.
He saw those people laughing wildly.
Seeing everything he built come crashing down...
Jiang Qingzhi opened his eyes and saw his worried wife.
"Long Wilbur was already weak, and this trip to Yunnan consumed a lot of his energy. He was in a hurry on the road... He was exposed to the wind and rain..."
"What's wrong with me?" Jiang Qingzhi stretched out his hand with difficulty.
Li Tian held his hand and said, "It's okay, I just need to rest."
Jiang Qingzhi forced a smile and said, "I still have to go to the Military Equipment Bureau..."
Just as he was about to sit up, he felt dizzy and then fell into endless darkness.
"Husband! Husband!"
(End of this chapter)
