Chapter 148 Hardworking and Pure

Heavy snow began to fall outside the Anmin Factory.

Wei Chao stepped forward and presented the cloak to the emperor and the Minister of Rites.

He then handed the snow umbrella to Zheng Zongxue, the secretary of the Central Secretariat, and then slowly retreated.

The little emperor pushed aside Zheng Zongxue's umbrella, reached out to catch a snowflake with the back of his hand, and then casually wiped it away.

Ma Ziqiang still kept his head down, thinking about what the emperor had just said, and remained silent.

All of a sudden, all the snowflakes fell on Ma Ziqiang's shoulders.

Both the emperor and his minister had their own thoughts on the topic that the emperor had just raised.

There are many examples of military officials participating in court discussions.

To take a recent example, during the Gengxu Rebellion, Emperor Sejong was desperate and tried every possible means to remedy his illness. Not only the military officials and generals, but even the civilians who had fled were called to the court for questioning.

But when Zhu Yijun asked this question, he certainly didn't want Gu Huan to go to the palace to question him.

Instead, he should give the Governor of the Beijing Camp a position to participate in court politics.

What is the court meeting? The court meeting is the core political consultation meeting of the central government!
The officials of the six ministries, the Censorate, the Dali Temple, the Tongzhengsi, the Guanglu Temple, the Taifu Temple, the Hanlin Academy, the Imperial College, and the six departments who participate in the court discussions today are the most core officials of the Ming Dynasty.

All in all, there are about thirty people.

How many military officials are there among them?

Of course not one.

Using culture to control military power has been the national policy since Hongwu.

This is the system's pursuit of stable and spontaneous evolution, which is understandable and inevitable.

But the problem is that political rights are the most basic right.

If certain classes do not have even the slightest degree of political participation, their status will gradually slide downward, no matter how noble their claimed status may be.

This is the case with today's military officers.

Even if they were high-ranking generals, they could only be "running dogs" in front of civil officials - "When a military man became a high-ranking general, he would visit a civil official, even if his rank was much higher, he would still wear military uniform... He would rush into the court and pay homage, and at the door he would call himself a running dog, and when he left, he would be ranked with the servants and clerks."

This was a private visit. If it was a business trip to the Ministry of War, it would be even more serious.

It is said that "the generals received imperial edicts from the Ministry of War and all knelt on their knees. When asked about bowing, they were considered to be inappropriate."

It is not proper to just bow, you have to kowtow respectfully!
If this is the case with generals and commanders, let alone the officers and soldiers of the garrisons, "even a single student can be used as a servant."

The country is weak and overpowering, and even if all the troops in the world were mobilized, they would not be enough to fight or defend.

If this continues, we will really have no fighting power!
It is not possible to suppress military power with culture in this way.

There is no problem with giving them a proper political inclination, not allowing them to join the cabinet, being under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of War, and having censors in the military camps. Even if there are flaws, they can be gradually optimized.

But professional matters must be handled professionally, and at the same time, they must be given normal powers within the scope of their authority.

The right to participate in military affairs must be given to others!
Now that Wang Chonggu intends to launch an attack on the Tatars.

Well, we can take this opportunity to see if we can make room for a position for the Governor of the Beijing Camp among the more than 30 seats in the court.

Of course, in addition to elevating the status of military officials.

The more practical use is that although military officials are under the dual leadership of the emperor and the Ministry of War, the court council is directly responsible to the emperor!

Once the military officials are included in the court meeting, the emperor can directly bypass the Ministry of War and command the Beijing camp!
This is a major change in the system.

Finding a basis in etiquette and law is the first step that cannot be skipped.

Ma Ziqiang also understands this clearly.

The emperor has done a lot against the Beijing army this year.

First, he appointed Gu Huan, his old superior from the Beijing camp who had rich military experience, as the governor-general. Compared with the Earl of Zhangwu, this governor almost relied on his personal prestige in the army to command the soldiers and was not under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of War.

Afterwards, he used the silver brought back from the salt administration to pay the soldiers in the Beijing camp - for 100,000 soldiers, more than 600,000 taels were spent!
After that, the position of Assistant Minister of War in charge of military affairs remained vacant, and Wang Chonggu was pushed into the cabinet to take charge of the rotation training of troops in the Beijing camp.

Now he is blatantly advocating for the military and wants to push Gu Huan to the court for discussion.

It is precisely because Ma Ziqiang understood that he was even more hesitant.

This kind of thing is difficult!
The snow fell heavier and heavier, and soon, the ground was covered with a thin layer.

The emperor walked leisurely and came under the eaves.

Ma Ziqiang followed the emperor and took shelter from the snow together.

After the two men stood still, Ma Ziqiang finally couldn't help but speak: "Your Majesty, I know that Your Majesty has great concerns for the world and is kind to both civil and military officials."

"But... everyone has their own specialties. Court discussions involve promotion and demotion, finance, rituals, laws, major projects, and criminal investigations. Military officials may not be able to handle these matters."

This is a temptation.

Purely professional matters have all been discussed by the ministry, and matters that are discussed in court are those that overlap between various ministries.

The Ministry of War had never seen anyone interfere with the selection of examiners for the imperial examinations.

The only one who really has to intervene in so many matters is the Cabinet!
Ma Ziqiang was more worried about the emperor's attitude between civil and military officials, and whether he would allow military officials to influence state affairs like Emperor Wuzong did.

Zhu Yijun shook his wrists and put his cold hands into his sleeves: "Grand Master is right. Every profession has its own specialty."

"Military officials are only allowed to participate in the court discussion on military matters. Except for major wars, promotions and demotions in their own camps, and military pay, they do not need to attend the court for anything else."

This is a promise to Ma Ziqiang and also a statement.

Whether or not one can attend the central government meetings makes a huge difference, and being able to participate in military affairs is an incredible improvement.

Of course, if he wanted to, he would always call Gu Huan to the court for a meeting on military matters.

Ma Ziqiang felt relieved after hearing this.

But I'm still a little hesitant.

He asked cautiously: "If that's the case, then it would overlap with the Ministry of War's authority."

Even though the Beijing Camp is nominally under the jurisdiction of the Governor.

But in reality, there are many parties involved.

The Vice Minister of the Ministry of War assisted in the management of military affairs, the Vice Minister of Inspection inspected the nine frontiers of the capital, the Right Censor-in-Chief supervised the capital, and even when the Censors of the Ministry of Rites inspected, their words were more effective than those of the Governor-General.

Now the emperor obviously intends to return the actual control of the Beijing camp to the governor.

If Wu Chen wants to sit at the table to eat, there will definitely be a lot of people cursing at him.

But Zhu Yijun had naturally thought about what Ma Ziqiang said.

Otherwise, he would not have asked Ma Ziqiang whether he had legal support.

Zhu Yijun showed a hint of impatience: "Everyone has his own job."

"Grand Master, why don't you tell me first if there are any obstacles in the etiquette system?"

When it comes to matters of etiquette, in fact, if you ask any secretary of the Secretariat, he will be able to find a lot of precedents.

But plans are plans, what is more important is the attitude of Ma Ziqiang and the Ministry of Rites - what Zhu Yijun wants now is an attitude.

Ma Ziqiang saw a hint of impatience on the emperor's face and knew that a decision needed to be made.

He quickly reviewed the history of the Beijing camp, the personnel of the Ministry of War, and the words just spoken by the emperor in his mind.

After a while.

Ma Ziqiang gritted his teeth, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, there is a precedent for this matter."

"At the beginning of the dynasty, many military officials held civil positions and participated in the decision-making of national affairs."

"Tang He and Deng Yu were appointed as Imperial Censors, while Duke of Han Li Shanchang and Duke of Cao Li Wenzhong discussed important military and national affairs together and took charge of the Secretariat and the Imperial Censorate."

"If you say that they are all special cases, then there is also the old system of the third year of Hongwu, when the ministers were conferred titles, they were given titles such as Canjun Guoshi, Tongzhi Junguoshi, and Tongcanjun Guoshi."

"This is the law established by our ancestors."

After Ma Ziqiang finished speaking, he exhaled a breath of foul air, which was extremely eye-catching on that cold winter day.

Zhu Yijun looked at Ma Ziqiang with satisfaction and smiled.

He brushed off the snowflakes that had not yet melted off Ma Ziqiang's shoulders, helped him up, and praised him enthusiastically: "The Grand Master is indeed a well-educated man. He has mastered all the rules and regulations."

"In that case, how about we follow the proposal of Duoyan Guards and appoint the Governor of Beijing Camp as 'Assistant Military Affairs' to attend the court meeting?"

For a moment, Ma Ziqiang didn't know whether his decision was right or wrong.

I just responded casually.

Zhu Yijun nodded and said, "Then I will inform Wen Qing of the Ministry of Personnel later and ask him to go to the Ministry of Rites to find the Grand Master of the Imperial Clan. You two can take a look at how to report this matter appropriately."

Ma Ziqiang hesitated for a moment, but still bowed and agreed.

When it comes to changes in official etiquette, the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Personnel must step in.

But the emperor never mentioned the Ministry of War, and it was obvious that he had made up his mind to settle the matter without the Ministry of War.

After the Tumu Project, successive emperors and the Ministry of War fought for the Beijing camp for a long time.

However, it has never been customary to allow military officials to enter the court to discuss military affairs.

The little emperor's hands are getting longer and longer!

While thinking about this, Ma Ziqiang took his leave and left under the guidance of the eunuch.

Zheng Zongxue, the Secretary of the Central Secretariat, looked at the departing Minister of Rites and the dazed emperor, and silently stopped writing.

He put his hand to his mouth and breathed softly.

Before he finished his little trick, he heard the emperor's voice.

"Zheng Qing, what do you think of this Grand Master?"

Zheng Zongxue met the emperor's gaze, and seeing that the emperor was gazing into the distance in a trance, he also followed the emperor's gaze.

He looked at Ma Ziqiang's departing back, pondered for a moment, and said, "Perfect and pure."

Zhu Yijun was speechless.

The more I thought about it, the funnier it got. I couldn't help but shake my head and repeat, "Perfectly pure and huge, it's true."

After saying that, he looked at Ma Ziqiang again, turned around and walked into the gate of Anmin Factory.

……

Playing the duet is just an interlude, viewing and reading must continue.

It can even be said that since Wang Chonggu intends to mobilize troops against the three guards of Doyan, he should take a closer look at his own assets. How can he start a war without checking his weapons and equipment to see what generation he has?

Zhu Yijun stroked the huge steel object under him and asked, "How many firearms does the Armory produce annually now?"

The eunuch in charge of the Armoury Bureau quickly replied: "Your Majesty, there is no quota."

"During the Jiajing period, the bureau produced firearms once every three years, using 24,000 taels of silver. The number of firearms produced varied according to the type and cost of production."

"In the 42nd year of Jiajing, the silver allocation was reduced to 16,000 taels, and the three-year cycle was changed to five-year cycle with annual construction and replacement."

"In the third year of Longqing, it was reduced to 8,300 taels."

Zhu Yijun couldn't help but frown when he heard this.

Logically speaking, as long as the war continues, military output can only increase.

Why is production still shrinking?

Seeing that the emperor looked unhappy, Zhang Hong beside him calmly explained: "Your Majesty, in addition to the Arms Bureau, the Military Equipment Bureau also manufactures firearms."

"The Military Equipment Bureau is supervised by the Ambassador of the Ministry of War, assisted by the Director of the Ministry of Works, and reviewed by the Six Departments of the Imperial Censorate. The Ministry of Revenue also allocates money from time to time."

"It produces a lot, including tens of thousands of pounds of gunpowder, more than 200,000 lead bullets for rapid-fire cannons, and 12,000 bird guns."

"Gradually, the Arms Bureau began to slow down."

Zhu Yijun suddenly understood after hearing this.

To put it bluntly, the Armoury Bureau is wholly owned by the inner court, outsiders are not allowed to enter, and its business is not transparent. Even if the Ministry of War has production, it does not want to place orders with the Armoury Bureau.

All the production went to the Military Equipment Bureau, a joint venture between domestic and foreign companies.

But... this is exactly what he wants!

He originally planned to have the Armament Bureau allocate part of its business to scientific research.

Now that this is the case, the entire situation is undergoing a transformation.

The Ordnance Bureau manufactures them outside, while the Armour Bureau develops them inside.

However, he did not throw the matter out directly, but stretched out his hand to call for the craftsmen. A moment later, the master craftsman that Zhu Yijun asked Wei Zhongde to call was already waiting by the side.

Wei Zhongde glared at several craftsmen fiercely, his lips moving, as if asking the craftsmen to serve the emperor well.

"And with me..."

Halfway through his speech, Zhu Yijun remembered that the person in front of him was a craftsman, so he swallowed his words and changed the subject: "What is the most important part of firearms manufacturing now?"

Several craftsmen looked at each other.

Then a dark-skinned, short craftsman came out to answer: "Your Majesty, whether it is a gun or a cannon, the gun uses powder to push the bullet. The gun uses a tube to push the bullet. When the bullet is ejected from the gun tube, the gun body must be completely free of cracks and deflections, so that the powder will not leak out and the bullet will not be blocked..."

Uh, I'm speaking plainly to you, but you're talking nonsense, right?

There was a huge disparity in the skills of craftsmen in the Ming Dynasty.

Most of them are multitaskers throughout their lives and speak in simple and crude terms.

But there were also a few who devoted themselves to academic studies, such as the Prime Minister Xu Youzhen and even Yan Song, who were both craftsmen.

The craftsmen in the eunuchs are paid well and their quality is naturally higher.

However, the content of the craftsman's words was somewhat beyond Zhu Yijun's expectations.

He originally thought that the power of firearms was mostly limited by gunpowder.

I didn't expect it to be a cannon barrel...

The craftsman continued, "Nowadays, there are many sand holes and slight depressions inside the guns."

At this time, another craftsman suddenly interrupted and said, "Yes, there are often sand holes. I can't bore it like that."

"It would be great if three of the ten tubes could be made into one!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yijun suddenly became curious and asked, "Is the barrel of the cannon made of copper or iron?"

The first craftsman spoke again: "Your Majesty, copper is the best material for making guns, followed by iron. If the iron is thicker than copper, it will not explode."

"For example, this French cannon is made of fine copper, while the breech block and short rifle are made of a mixture of raw and refined copper."

Zhu Yijun nodded.

This is the industrial system.

Firearms are not just firearms, it’s about the overall industrial strength.

Iron smelting, copper smelting, mechanical structures, molds, gunpowder, etc. complement and restrain each other.

Zhu Yijun couldn't quickly make progress on these industry problems by just thinking about it or reciting a rhyme.

It depends on technical accumulation!

Zhu Yijun was filled with emotion and asked several craftsmen some technical questions about gunpowder, casting and boring.

The emperor was in a heated debate with the craftsmen.

The Secretary of the Central Secretariat standing by was stunned.

He hesitated whether to advise the emperor afterwards not to be too obsessed with clever things.

Time passes slowly.

The snow outside seemed to be falling even harder.

Sometimes a cold wind blew into the factory, and everyone shrank their necks at the same time.

While listening to the craftsman's explanation, Zhu Yijun flipped through the textbook on making firearms in the Armory.

"Five materials are used together, and fire is the most spiritual. With the essence of Mars and the balance of Vermillion Bird, Xuanyuan created laws to protect people's livelihood."

"..."

"One ruler and two ministers, with ash and sulfur both in the ministerial position. Ash is for martial arts and sulfur is for civil arts. If they are quick and fierce, they will achieve extraordinary military success, and if they are continuous and fierce, they will achieve extraordinary civil success."

"..."

Zhu Yijun just kept shaking his head.

This book, "Wubian", collects all the military knowledge of soldiers, officers and craftsmen, and was written during the Jiajing period.

It can be said to be the highest theoretical summary of gunpowder production technology at that time.

However, this so-called highest achievement is still the work of craftsmen wrapped in a layer of Confucianism.

Among them, the "Five Elements Theory" and "Monarch and Minister Theory" about gunpowder are full of ambiguities and contradictions.

Especially the things about Mars' essence and Fire and Wind Queen, it's like writing a novel.

It is a small matter that such Confucian scholars who write science and technology books cannot provide business guidance to craftsmen, but it is a big deal if they lead the technology tree astray.

Zhu Yijun flipped through the other military books and couldn't help but sigh.

As the birthplace of gunpowder, there is a reason why there has been a lack of innovation.

The Ming Dynasty had many theoretical achievements in firearms technology and a large number of military books.

However, they often mainly copy and summarize the experience of predecessors, with most of the content being similar and very little innovation.

As for going to the grassroots level to ask the craftsmen about their experience?

The Confucian scholar included it for you and used Confucian classics to help you summarize the technology from a high-level perspective. It's already amazing. Do you really want me to learn your technology in depth?
I'm sorry, I don't even bother with such fancy tricks!

After gaining a general understanding, Zhu Yijun slowly closed the last military book.

He pondered for a while and finally came up with a plan.

Zhu Yijun looked at the craftsman who had just taken the lead and asked, "What's your name?"

The craftsman's face lit up with joy, and he immediately knelt on the ground and answered respectfully, "In response to your majesty's question, my name is Wang Liu."

Zhu Yijun nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

If the emperor asks for a name, the people below should naturally know what attitude to take.

Zhu Yijun turned his gaze to Zhang Hong and ordered, "My dear, the Armory will no longer accept mass castings, but will instead focus on improving firearms, conducting conceptual tests, and summarizing experiences."

"The allocation of funds is the same as for the academy. The amount of money allocated will be based on the amount of project expenses. I will have the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Science and Technology audit the accounts together. As for the results, I will personally inquire about them."

As soon as he finished speaking, the eunuch in charge of the Armory Bureau's seal changed his expression.

What should I do if the department I am in charge of is directly managed by the boss?
This was obviously not within the consideration of the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department. Zhang Hong walked up to the emperor and listened respectfully to his subsequent words, as if he accepted everything.

Zhu Yijun paused and continued, "First, please report a few topics based on the directions of firearms improvement."

"Among them, gunpowder, gun barrel structure, and iron smelting optimization are ranked first."

"Similarly, if there are results, the craftsmen will be given training, and the eunuchs will be rewarded and promoted according to the regulations."

"Otomo, please draw up a charter as soon as possible."

The people present had different expressions.

Many craftsmen understood what the emperor meant and were overjoyed.

The eunuchs in the Armory Bureau looked worried.

Zhang Hong knelt down and replied, "I will do it right away."

Zhu Yijun nodded.

Suddenly he remembered something, looked at the craftsmen, and said, "From now on, you should stop reading the military books in the Armory Bureau. Write one in vernacular Chinese. There will be a reward for a good one."

After saying this, Zhu Yijun turned around and walked out of Anmin Factory without paying attention to everyone's strange expressions.

With this gesture, it was obvious that the leader's inspection was over, and a group of eunuchs hurried to follow the emperor.

Zheng Zongxue, the secretary of the Secretariat, wrote the last stroke on the daily notes before walking out of the factory.

As soon as I walked out, I saw the snow falling heavier and heavier.

The entire Forbidden City was covered in white.

Zheng Zongxue wiped the snowflakes off his face and recalled what the emperor had done today.

I felt inexplicably touched in my heart - Your Majesty has been intervening in military affairs more and more frequently, and his determination to wage war is probably no weaker than Wang Chonggu's.

In this way... In the early spring of next year, I'm afraid there will really be a fight between the Ming Dynasty and the Tatars.

(End of this chapter)