Chapter 610: Ming Dynasty...full of fire virtue!
After Yan Shaoting had discussed with the remaining officials of the Qingliu Old Party in Beijing about going to the west to serve the Ming Dynasty in guarding the border and governing the people, he sent the old man in green robe and others out of the academy.

It's getting dark outside.

Thanks to the unsparing investment of the Changping Public Security Bureau in recent years, Changping is now as lively as Beijing. Changping at night is even more lively than Beijing, which is under a long-term curfew policy for the safety of the imperial city.

Under the night.

The whole city of Changping was brightly lit.

Although oil lamps are still used everywhere in Changping.

But because of the existence of the academy and because of a small candle extinguishing experiment, teachers and students of Changping Institute of Technology are trying to analyze what unknown substances exist in the air, and are gradually moving towards the direction of finding coal gas.

In Yan Shaoting's development plan, coal, oil and gas are all top priorities for the development of Ming Dynasty's basic industries.

It was also under this night sky.

The increasingly large Changping accepted a group of old-school officials who were unable to return to Beijing before the curfew, showing these old-fashioned people the most vibrant and energetic side of the Ming Dynasty.

However, deep in the academy.

Because the entire Shuyuan Mountain was enclosed to expand the academy, and the fresh water was drawn from the reservoir on the northwest side, the sound of gurgling water could be heard continuously in the depths of the lush forest in the dark academy.

Yan Shaoting was walking in the academy with a lantern in his hand.

Xu Wei also followed behind him holding a lantern.

The two walked from the college lobby, passed the School of Economics, crossed the Medical School, and finally arrived near the School of Engineering.

Outside the academy, the factory area that uses the reservoir as a power source has basically stopped production and closed down, only the steel plant with furnaces is still emitting bursts of roaring sounds in the dark night.

Steel mill workers who work in three shifts can get double their daytime wages at night.

In addition to midnight snacks, you can also enjoy the most delicious breakfast at dawn, and pack some to take home for the children who have just woken up and are getting ready to go to school.

Yan Shaoting suddenly stopped.

"I heard that Pan Jixun has gone to the Yellow River again to survey the Yellow River waterway and prepare for a new round of river management?"

Xu Wei thought about it for a moment, then nodded and said, "According to the news a few days ago, the Chief Censor has arrived in Kaifeng."

Yan Shaoting nodded and instructed, "Pick a few students from the Institute of Technology and give them their newly verified water-binding method to Pan Jixun. Then tell him about the cement issue and have him thoroughly explore the Yellow River waterway. Once the cement issue is completed, we can start the Yellow River repair project. By then, the Zhao Ge Lao in the court will ask for approval to give him money and grain."

Yan Shaoting had thought of letting Pan Jixun continue to repair the river when he first went south to Nanjing. Now with the support of the academy, the method of water conservancy and sand flushing has been verified, and the principle has been sorted out. Only the final verification of cement and the construction of the factory are left.

With the help of cement, I think Pan Jixun will achieve far greater results than ever before when he manages the river.

Perhaps, the flooding of the Yellow River can be completely solved by the Ming Dynasty.

Xu Wei wrote down all these things, and then asked softly: "I know that Shao Bao agreed to the request of those people today in order to manipulate the last vitality of the Qingliu Old Party and to make them check and balance each other in the Nine Frontiers and the Jin Party. But if it continues like this for a long time, I am afraid it will not be a good thing."

Yan Shaoting shook his head. "The court still needs to recuperate so that the central government can go all out to deal with the new policy. If these people keep pestering us, no one knows what will happen. It is better to leave them a way out to avoid unnecessary trouble."

Speaking of this, he suddenly thought of many rumors.

For example, after Emperor Taizu passed away, he was buried seven days later.

How much of a factor is Jianwen involved here?
How many figures are there in Nanjing City and Jiangnan, which were once the capital of the Ming Dynasty?
If we don't figure these things out now, with the Jiangnan gang who only care about profit and have been pursuing profit all their lives, I'm afraid something big is going to happen.

Show some mercy today.

Gao Gong suppressed the south of the Yangtze River during his time in the court, which could be considered as a way of reconciling yin and yang.

Even though the pressure from Gao Gong was too great, the Jiangnan side did not dare to lose face easily.

As has been the case throughout history, the art of warfare and siege warfare has always been about surrounding three sides and leaving one side vulnerable.

Xu Wei thought about it and didn't try to persuade him any further.

He just changed the subject and said, "The matter of coal mining in Shanxi has been basically confirmed through correspondence with Wang Chonggu. They take 20%, Changping takes 10%, and the remaining 70% is taken by the Gold Bank and the Imperial Household on behalf of the court and the palace. As for how the court and the palace distribute it, it is not something we can control."

Yan Shaoting frowned and thought for a moment before nodding.

"The development of the coal mining industry is imperative, not only to reduce the felling of trees, but also to cooperate with the court in using Pan Jixun to control the river. We are working for the country, but we must also leave a clear sky for future generations. The development of coal mining can also bring new fiscal revenue to the court. If it develops steadily, it may become a major source of fiscal revenue for the court in addition to salt and iron in the future."

He wants to develop the energy industry.

Moreover, the state must hold absolute power.

As for giving the Jin Party the 20% benefit, it was simply because we hoped that these people would understand the meaning of contentment in the future, and not do all kinds of business just because they were close to the Great Wall, and finally sell out the entire Ming Dynasty for a few taels of silver.

The reason why Changping still wanted to take 10% was that he had already agreed on it with the palace and the inner court.

None of this money will go into the Yan family’s pockets. It will all be used in the academy and Changping. The academy will develop new theories and technologies, and Changping will be the place to verify these new theories and technologies.

Xu Wei smiled and said softly, "After the palace examination this year, all the successful Jinshi have been appointed officials or have been appointed to observe government affairs in the six ministries and five temples. According to the previous request of the Shao Bao, all the Jinshi who left our academy and those who came to Changping to pay their respects were arranged to go to the Hanlin Academy, the Zhanshi Mansion, the Six Departments Gallery, the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and various government offices in Northern Zhili. No one was arranged to go to the six ministries and five provinces."

According to convention, in each subject, except for the top few in the first and second classes who would enter the Hanlin Academy directly, the other Jinshi would have to observe government affairs in the court for a few years, or be directly transferred to serve as officials in local prefectures and counties.

Those in the Hanlin Academy can be regarded as reserve prime ministers.

Those who observe government affairs in the court will be the backbone of the court in the future.

As for those who served as officials at the local level, they would most likely be prefects of a prefecture, or assistant officials in one of the three government offices of a province in their lifetime.

However, Yan Shaoting smiled and said, "Let's stick to the original plan and pay attention to those who go to Northern Zhili to serve. In the future...if the court wants long-term peace, it must change the rule that only Hanlin scholars can enter the cabinet. The way to govern a country is that the prime minister must come from the prefectures and counties. If you don't know the people's affairs, how can you govern the people?"

Xu Wei smiled slightly, nodded and agreed: "The rules do need to be changed."

In recent years, especially during the reign of the previous emperor.

The words of Yuan Wei, Li Chunfang and other prime ministers were widely circulated.

Among the cabinet ministers in the past, there were many who had never served in local government throughout their lives, and had spent their entire lives in the officialdom of the capital, and were finally able to enter the cabinet directly just because they were Hanlin scholars.

It doesn’t mean that such an official cannot govern the country.

But we cannot be sure that everyone can govern a country.

After finishing speaking.

Xu Wei held up the lantern and looked at Yan Shaoting, and asked in a low voice: "Since Shaobao has resigned from the post of Minister of Rites, and the emperor has also left the post of Minister of Rites vacant for Shaobao, I guess he will have to stay in the academy for a while?"

Yan Shaoting smiled and said, "The new policy was initiated by the previous emperor, but fortunately it was implemented by the current emperor. Now it is just like a child who has just learned to walk. In this case, it is better for me to stay in the academy for a few years to concentrate on studying and think about what path to take in the future."

The next day.

Notices with huge ink characters were posted inside and outside Changping Academy.

The current Prince's Guardian and former Minister of Rites Yan Shaoting officially opened new courses in Changping Academy. All students enrolled in various branches of Changping Academy and people with aspirations in the world could study under him.

After noon.

A total of 108 students from various branches of Changping Academy began to officially enter the new learning classroom.

In conjunction with this, a new issue of Changping Daily began to vigorously promote new academic theories.

Explain what new learning is and what its use is.

A new doctrine, grand yet silent, began to spread quietly without people noticing it, like the spring breeze in March that swept across the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty.

……

AD 1572. The th day of May, the th year of the Longqing reign of the Ming Dynasty.

early summer.

Beijing city.

Compared with the past four years, summer came earlier in Beijing this year and the air seems particularly hot.

However, in May, the heat waves during the day made pedestrians sweat profusely on the road.

However, even with this early scorching heat, the canal outside the capital is still bustling with boats, connected end to end, with their sails blocking out the sun.

In recent years, the capital has developed increasingly rapidly, and goods from all over the world are pouring into Beijing in huge quantities every day.

Inside and outside the city gate, the officers and soldiers of the Beijing camp, who had been trained by Zhenyuan Hou Gu Huan for four years, had completely changed their military appearance and temperament. Everyone was in high spirits, with bright eyes.

The border troops that were transferred from Yinshan Town to the capital in turn had murderous looks in their eyes.

Even in such a scorching heat, the officers and soldiers of the Beijing camp were still wearing armor. Although they were sweating profusely, they stood firm on the city walls, as still as a mountain.

When the sun sets and a few gusts of wind blow, the air is finally no longer so hot.

The city of Beijing is gradually showing a different look.

Although the curfew still exists, Beijing now only closes the inner and outer city gates at night, but does not prohibit residents from walking around the city.

Whether in the North City or the South City, everywhere is brightly lit.

The originally dirty and messy dirt roads in the alleys have now all been replaced with non-slip granite pavers thanks to the management and investment of Shuntian Prefecture.

On every street and alley, there is a huge wooden barrel at regular intervals to hold the garbage discarded by every household in the street and alley.

Every few streets, there would be a military shop affiliated with the Wucheng Bingmasi built in a conspicuous position at the intersection, which was staffed by firefighters and servants from Shuntian Prefecture for extinguishing fires.

all.

Nothing seems to have changed, yet everything seems completely different.

It was only four years, so people who had been living in the capital did not feel it very obviously.

That night.

The sky is full of silver.

Inside the Forbidden City.

Qianqing Palace.

The emperor has not lived in this palace that belongs exclusively to the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty for four years, and has been living in the Wanshou Palace in the Western Garden for a long time.

Although the emperor no longer lived there, the people in the inner court did not dare to slack off and let the emperor's bedroom become abandoned.

Every day, there would be special people to take care of the Qianqing Palace and maintain all the functions of the emperor's bedroom to prevent the emperor from returning to the Qianqing Palace from the Wanshou Palace in the Western Garden at any time.

But it was on this night.

The palace maids and eunuchs who were supposed to be on duty in the Qianqing Palace suddenly disappeared.

Even until midnight.

Suddenly, a little light came out from the eastern warm room of the Qianqing Palace.

Subsequently.

The light grew brighter and brighter, and smoke began to rise from the east warm room.

Suddenly it seemed like just a moment.

The entire East Warm Pavilion was engulfed in fire from the inside out, and the flames were like dragons, sweeping away everything around it.

The people in the palace were completely unable to react, and the fire dragon enveloped the entire Qianqing Palace.

Flames shot up into the sky and heat waves surged, forcing the palace servants who wanted to come to put out the fire to not dare to move forward. They could only surround the Qianqing Palace and pour water on the surrounding palaces and buildings to prevent the fire in the Qianqing Palace from spreading to other places.

And outside the Forbidden City.

The fire in the Qianqing Palace shot up into the sky, illuminating the entire northern city.

A fire was lit in the Forbidden Palace at night.

The news spread quickly, and countless officials and civilians who had already gone to bed got up, walked out of their houses, and looked up at the large patch of fire deep in the Forbidden City that illuminated the entire night sky.

Upon hearing the news, civil and military officials put on their official robes and rushed to the Meridian Gate without any prior arrangement.

However, due to the palace ban, no one could go behind the Meridian Gate at this time.

When Yan Shaoting, who was far away in Changping, received the news, it was just 11:00 p.m.

Lu Yi, who came to deliver the message, ran until he was sweating profusely.

Yan Shaoting looked at his daughter who had already fallen asleep beside him, carefully covered her belly with the quilt, and then with a stern face led Lu Yi to the yard outside the house.

"You mean there was a fire in the Palace of Heavenly Purity?"

Lu Yi nodded heavily, with a look of intense fear on his face: "The fire started suddenly and fiercely, no one could put it out, but now the palace is sealed at this hour, and no one can enter. When I came, all the officials in the capital had already gathered outside the Meridian Gate, just waiting for the palace gate to open."

Yan Shaoting’s brows became increasingly serious.

He whispered, "Where's Yan Hu?"

"He was guarding the emperor in the Western Garden. The news came that the emperor was furious. The emperor had been in poor health recently, and when he heard about the fire in the bedroom, he was so angry that he vomited blood."

Upon hearing the news, Yan Shaoting felt his scalp tingling again.

He clearly remembered that Longqing lived beyond his original lifespan, so he secretly thought about it a lot and was even prepared to make some adjustments to the plans he had made in the past few years.

Unexpectedly, this fire tonight would cause the emperor, whose health had been deteriorating in recent years, to vomit blood.

How many days does the emperor have left to live?
This has become the biggest question in Yan Shaoting's mind now.

As for the fire in the Qianqing Palace?
Who made the Ming Dynasty have an abundance of fire? Haven’t you heard that when the previous emperor was in power, he experienced three major fires?
After thinking for a while, Yan Shaoting began to walk out quickly.

He asked anxiously, "Have you found out anything? Was it done by Jiangnan or by those people who were suppressed by Gao Gong in recent years and opposed the new policy?"

Lu Yi followed closely behind Yan Shaoting, shaking his head repeatedly: "I don't know anything now. I only know that a few days ago Gao Gong proposed in the court to start measuring the land in the entire south of the Yellow River. He also said that the two provinces of Nanzhili and Zhejiang, which had completed the land measurement three years ago, should start to redistribute the land according to the latest population and household registration found in the past few years. And then... then..."

Four years have passed.

Yan Shaoting is now more mature and has started to grow a small beard on his face.

After hearing this.

His face suddenly turned cold.

Yan Shaoting, who had studied at Changping Academy for four years, finally revealed the edge and murderous aura that he had hidden for many years.

“And then this fire happened!”

…………

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(End of this chapter)