Chapter 1042: Because of Excessive Success, People Forget Why They Began

"How can I refute what you're saying?" Shen Shixing almost laughed in anger.

The meaning Zeng Tongheng expressed, Shen Shixing simply couldn't refute; what is learned from books always feels shallow—this is absolutely true, and since the Wanli Reforms, it has always been the idle talk about cultivating the mind that he opposed, which needs to go into practice.

Arguing in the Wenhua Hall and bringing up such broad discussions is simply refusing to discuss the problem.

"This is too broad," Gao Qiyu, as Minister of Rites, tried to correct Zeng Tongheng's attitude toward discussing issues, saying, "His Majesty has always advocated analyzing specific matters specifically, and distinguishing priorities clearly."

Naturally, the overall trend guides toward practice and pragmatism, not mind-cultivation and emptiness—this is entirely unproblematic—but when it comes to the specific issue at hand, whether the Imperial Academy should strictly enforce this matter, that is the concrete problem.

Truly analyzing concrete problems concretely is really, really difficult.

"Our Imperial Academy, the talents it cultivates—whether they are talented or not is another matter—but at the very least, they should be individuals," Gao Qiyu said, his words somewhat too sharp, leaving Zeng Tongheng and others speechless.

Zhu Yijun reached out and picked up the copper hammer, but did not strike the bell; he put down the small copper hammer in his hand, feeling that Gao Qiyu's words made sense—talent or mediocrity still needs to be tested in practice.

But at the very least, the premise must be that they are individuals.

"The Imperial Academy in the capital, at the Son of Heaven's feet, graduated three thousand five hundred students last year; among these three thousand five hundred, only half of their graduation essays were even readable. I will now read a few for everyone to appreciate," Gao Qiyu said, sitting upright, pulling out a stack of old cases and beginning to read.

These essays are almost indistinguishable from the paid articles in the miscellaneous gazettes; one of them nearly stirred Qi Jiguang's killing intent.

An essay from the Jingxue Hall of the Capital Imperial Academy discusses the evolution of the Eastern Expedition prophecies, not referring to the Wanli thirteenth year's Eastern Expedition, which the court had already defined as orthodox; the main content transmitted in the Great Ming has all been reviewed by the Ministry of Rites, and there are very few prophecies.

The prophecies in this essay refer to the widespread rumors during the Jiajing era due to Japanese pirate ravages.

These rumors, having gone through the "three men make a tiger" and "many voices melt gold" processes, spread widely—for example, this scholar-official singled out the tale of Japanese pirates roasting infants, claiming it never happened, merely fabricated by people due to the Japanese pirate ravages.

The argument's logic is very rigorous, and it also consulted a large amount of materials.

"This is not a rumor—I saw it with my own eyes," Qi Jiguang said in one sentence, dismissing the essay; he truly had seen it, the gnawed bones of a child, and not just once.

He also saw it a second time on the Korean battlefield, which stirred his anger and killing intent.

Scholar-officials who do not go to war find it hard to understand the cruelty of war; Japanese pirates are a band of outlaws, utterly devoid of any propriety, righteousness, integrity, or shame, and moreover, these outlaws have no logistical support whatsoever—they eat whatever they catch.

Sometimes, because of excessive success, people simply forget why they began.

The Great Ming's strategy against the Japanese was highly successful, especially after completely repelling the Japanese pirates in Korea, with iron chains laid across the sea, completely binding the Japanese to Tsushima Island, Jeju Island, and Kyushu Island, so that Japanese ravages could no longer harm the Great Ming.

Decades have passed, and people have gradually forgotten the fear of those days, and now feel that any immoral or illogical events that occur must be rumors.

Gao Qiyu sincerely said: "Why doesn't he just ask someone who experienced it? If saying General Qi's high rank and power make him hard to approach, the Great Ming has so many old soldiers still alive—we could ask them too."

"No, he just wrote this essay according to his own morality; he thinks, after all, they are people—how could they possibly commit such heinous acts that provoke heaven's wrath and public resentment?"

"Self-righteous."

Gao Qiyu continued reading the essays; this time, it was Minister of Works Zeng Tongheng's turn to darken in expression.

This essay was even more absurd, claiming that the construction of the imperial roads affected the Great Ming's dragon veins, saying the imperial roads were dragon-binding ropes, dragon-slaying nets, dragon-slaying nails…

"Complete nonsense, utter nonsense!"

Zeng Tongheng slammed the table and rose, his face flushed red, angrily exclaiming: "Building the imperial roads connects north-south and east-west, opens thoroughfares for commerce, breaks old production relations, allowing labor surplus to be fully exchanged—how does that become dragon-binding ropes? It's just construction; if anything, it's unblocking the dragon veins, and if anything, it's slaying the evil dragon! Trapping the dragon! Impoverishing the dragon!"

"Nonsense!"

Zeng Tongheng was so angry he swore, his anger sweeping away all decorum.

Gao Qiyu and Shen Shixing exchanged a glance, both suppressing laughter; they were both professionally trained ministers and usually could hold it in.

Zeng Tongheng works in the Ministry of Works; he is not in the Rites Ministry nor the Cabinet, and he knows nothing about these matters at all. Moreover, the Ministry of Works' imperial roads, geomancy, geographical surveying, and mineral exploration are all extremely arduous, extremely arduous tasks; thrown into this great melting pot, even a lump of scrap iron could be refined into true gold.

The dragon vein theory originated from the geographical studies represented by the Tang-Song Yu Gong tradition; by the time of Southern Song's Zhu Xi, the dragon vein theory was first systematized by him into a nationwide mountain and river system; by the Yuan and Ming dynasties, it had become a tool to substantiate imperial mandate and heavenly mandate.

For example, during the Hongwu era, there was the saying that the southern dragon ends at Nanjing, the central dragon at Fengyang, and the northern dragon at Mount Xishan.

This is a very new thing, much newer than Dong Zhongshu's heavenly-human induction, and also a product similar to heavenly-human induction—a simple cognition for those lacking geographical understanding.

The reason this essay made Zeng Tongheng furious is also this: it equates to saying the Ministry of Works has nailed down the Great Ming's dragon veins, i. e., nailed down the Great Ming's national fate, and even nailed down the Zhu family's imperial mandate—all those building imperial roads are thus traitors.

Zeng Tongheng would be strange if he weren't angry.

"There's still one more essay." Gao Qiyu took out another volume, passed it around for everyone to view, then said: "Three thousand five hundred students, their graduation essays all written like this—take as many as you want. If you wish to see them, just come to the Rites Ministry to get them."

"Previously, Senior Minister Shen conducted a major review at the Imperial Academy, rectifying academic style and discipline; now he is pushing for strict enforcement at the Imperial Academy, which the Rites Ministry supports, so that all the people may see and still think the court's Imperial Academy cultivates only this kind of trash—then this Imperial Academy might as well not exist."

Gao Qiyu is the initiator of the Dinghai academic system; he does not want to watch the Dinghai academic system be ruined like this, education destroyed, everything destroyed.

If civilization is carefully dissected, it is actually just inheritance; inheritance is the next generation of people; the previous generation's elders are like the setting sun, the next generation's children like the rising sun; education is cultivation; if education is destroyed, everything is destroyed.

Strict enforcement is meant to make the Great Ming better, to cultivate a group of fools who occupy the ruling class positions of the Great Ming dynasty—then the Great Ming could be good only by miracle.

The Dinghai academic system, as an important supplement to the imperial examination for selecting talent, is not a place for fools to gild themselves.

Zeng Tongheng fell silent, while others separately expressed their views.

Zhu Yijun sat on the platform and discovered something amusing: those opposing strict enforcement were mostly units needing large numbers of oxen and horses—the Ministry of Works needs earthwork immortals, the Ministry of Revenue needs computational ability, the Ministry of Justice needs clerks familiar with criminal names and laws.

These bureaus value wrestling and combat; upon joining, they spend time as oxen and horses, and all sorts of chaotic notions are corrected; those who cannot endure it are basically eliminated, so these bureaus naturally feel that what is taught in schools is utterly worthless.

Moreover, once a person engages in labor and production, they know production is not easy—just as His Majesty pays close attention to agricultural production, personally tilling the fields.

Meanwhile, those supporting strict enforcement are rather the Rites Ministry, Cabinet ministers, and the Censorate—these appear somewhat impractical bureaus; they know the severity of the problem, and if they do not manage it, they are merely planting landmines under the Great Ming's rivers, mountains, state, and altars; when that mine explodes, no one will escape.

Once the key to the disagreement is understood, resolving it becomes simple.

"Everyone has stated their views; now let me state mine—strict enforcement is still very necessary, so let's proceed according to Senior Minister Shen's method." Zhu Yijun looked at everyone and made a decision.

In fact, consensus had already been reached; from Zeng Tongheng's silence onward, the disagreement had already begun to fade.

As Gao Qiyu said, such articles that make people stare in shock, jaws dropping, are as numerous as one wants; these fools, carrying their missing-screw ideas, when they reach employers, will only have a negative effect.

When numbers are small, the harm is naturally invisible, but once fools become the majority, political decay becomes inevitable.

Any form of any organization is like this—fools can exist, but they cannot be the majority.

"Your Majesty's wisdom," Shen Shixing said, leading the officials in paying homage, singing praises.

When the court discussion reached a conclusion, and the Emperor made a decision, when this decree walked out of the Wenhua Hall's gate, anyone supporting or opposing the decree's implementation would be regarded as a traitor, as an enemy of all court officials.

"I am old and my strength wanes; I humbly request Your Majesty to permit me to retire and attend to my parents." Ling Yunyi, having finished speaking on official matters, stepped forward, bowed his head, and said.

Ling Yunyi has been seeking an opportunity to retire ever since the previous examination corruption case; seeing the dynasty gradually stabilize, especially after the ills of excessive personal favor in state factories due to the Duke of Cheng were eliminated, Ling Yunyi finally decided to retire.

"Does Vice Premier Ling have any recommendations for new Cabinet ministers?" Zhu Yijun did not stop him; Ling Yunyi had already submitted two retirement petitions, Zhu Yijun had tried to retain him twice, but Ling Yunyi's resolve to leave is firm.

Moreover, the body does not lie; it will not tolerate even a hint of falsehood.

There were four attendants in the western study: Shen Xingxing, Gao Qiyu, Hou Yuzhao, and Wang Yizhuo. Except for Shen Xingxing, who had already entered the cabinet, the other three were qualified to enter the cabinet, but the timing seemed inappropriate for all of them.

Gao Qiyu's entry into the cabinet was preceded by the Grand Minister of Rites Shen Li; Hou Yuzhao was in the Ministry of Revenue, preceded by the Grand Minister of Works Zhang Xueyan.

Wang Yizhuo was slandered by Lu Fengyi; why Xu Jie gave Wang Yizhuo one hundred thousand taels of silver remains unclear, and with the recent turmoil settled, it is not suitable to recommend him.

The attendants in the western study seem unsuitable for cabinet entry at this moment.

"I have no one to recommend." Ling Yunyi glanced at the three cabinet candidates and ultimately recommended no one.

He came cleanly and must leave cleanly; his son used his name to cheat in the imperial examinations, embezzling tens of thousands of taels of silver, selling his lifelong reputation, and his recommendation might cause further trouble. His cabinet entry was merely an emergency measure, not for mingling in court politics but for local affairs, and he had no disciples to recommend.

Zhu Yijun fell silent and said: "Ling Yunyi, as a meritorious official of the Wanli Restoration, if there were a recommendation, I would naturally consider it carefully."

"Then I would not incur resentment." Ling Yunyi smiled, still recommending no one. The Emperor's meaning was for him to find a successor, thus establishing a bond of incense to protect him and his family.

Ling Yunyi has killed countless people in his life and offended many; upon retirement, those who wish to make things difficult for him will surely be numerous. Having someone to shelter him from wind and rain would greatly reduce his troubles.

Ling Yunyi is not unaware, nor is he unafraid; it is because the Emperor is present.

With the Emperor's title of "Meritorious Official of the Wanli Restoration," no one dares to make things difficult for him.

Moreover, having reached the position of Vice Premier, who does not still hold some influence? He merely retired, not died.

Zhang Juzheng appears to neglect all affairs, tending flowers and feeding fish, but who dares to criticize him? Even without the Emperor's intervention, his disciples and former officials form a formidable force.

"Very well, if someone is recommended, let Ling Yunyi submit the recommendation for review." Zhu Yijun still gave him another opportunity: Ling Yunyi need not act now, but may do so later when needed, and as a meritorious official of the restoration, this courtesy remains due.

"I thank Your Majesty's great grace." Ling Yunyi bowed twice, expressing gratitude for the Emperor's benevolence. If someone were to recommend a candidate for review, this would be more effective than a death-pardon medal; this is no empty boast, for the Emperor's promises have never failed.

Zhu Yijun specifically retained Ling Yunyi, then dispersed the court discussion in the Wenhua Hall, allowing Ling Yunyi to follow him to the Tonghe Palace Imperial Study.

The Emperor specifically dismissed the attendants, left and right, and the Central Secretariat clerks. Ling Yunyi has retired, and the Emperor has already approved it; thus, this conversation is private, and there is no need for Central Secretariat clerks or outer court officials to listen in.

But what Zhu Yijun and Ling Yunyi discussed were state affairs, mainly concerning the cabinet and Korea.

"Your Majesty, when necessary, promote Gao Qiyu to the cabinet to counter Shen Xingxing; Gao Qiyu acts straightforwardly and directly, precisely countering Shen Xingxing's tendency to balance everything evenly." Ling Yunyi expressed his view.

This was a private recommendation: although Gao Qiyu has problems, he can still be used.

Vice Premiers are meant to oppose the Premier; if the Vice Premier and Premier were of one mind, the Emperor would suffer.

Yan Song and Xu Jie, Xu Jie and Gao Gong, Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng, Zhang Juzheng and Wang Chonggu, Zhang Juzheng and Ling Yunyi — since the Great Ming, after the Zhengtong Emperor's collateral line entered the Da Zong lineage, the Premier and Vice Premier must oppose each other; this is not entirely a technique of ruling subordinates, but rather balance and restraint.

Specifically, regarding Shen Xingxing as Premier: he is highly talented, his only flaw being his fondness for balancing everything evenly and seeking completeness in all matters, which is not always possible; thus, someone like Gao Qiyu, who acts straightforwardly, is needed.

"As for Korea." Ling Yunyi glanced to see that the Central Secretariat clerks were absent, then lowered his voice: "According to the old system, Wang Hua should be appointed; Korea's territory is my Great Ming's land, and Korea's people are my Great Ming's subjects."

The Great Ming's perception of Korea is entirely mistaken, as evident from the earlier geomantic maps: the Great Ming's past geomantic maps all depicted the Korean peninsula as very large, because in the Great Ming's view, Korea was a powerful and great state in the northeast.

Consequently, when Korea was overrun by Japanese pirates in a month, the entire Great Ming court and populace were shocked beyond measure: a mighty Korea, struck by Japanese pirates to the banks of the Songhua River in a month — how strong must the pirates be!

The Great Ming court prepared actively for war, but upon actual engagement with the Japanese pirates, discovered that their strength was not significantly different from that of past Japanese pirates.

It was Korea that was too weak.

After the Great Ming conducted a comprehensive geomantic survey of Korea, it found that the region truly was not as strong as imagined: numerous mountain ranges, extremely little arable land, culture not flourishing, and also lacking significant mineral resources.

The Great Ming had never fully implemented the prefecture-county system in its internal vassal Korea; the reasons are complex. Initially, it was overwhelmed, as the Northern Yuan court still existed; failing to destroy the Northern Yuan would provoke enemies everywhere, which was mere chaos.

Thereafter, the Great Ming also did not implement the prefecture-county system in Korea: first, because Koreans were very honest, and serving as a dog to the Great Ming was considered the greatest honor; second, because the Great Ming had its own ancestral laws, and Korea was a non-conquered state.

In short, during the Hongwu era, there was no opportunity; after Hongwu, no chance arose; Korea did not offer the opportunity, and the Great Ming did not deliberately seek it.

Now that Japanese pirates have invaded Korea, it is precisely a good opportunity.

Although Korea is barren, securing its land suffices to support local administration, and securing its people suffices to command the myriad commoners; this is enough. Moreover, without prefecture-county division of Korea, how could Korea serve as a stepping stone to pacify Japan?

Your Majesty has never abandoned the plan to exterminate the Japanese, and has consistently employed various means to destroy the Japanese state and people.

"Such is the case." Zhu Yijun has never been to Korea; regarding whether the Great Ming's policy toward Korea is appropriate, Ling Yunyi, as the minister in charge of Korea, has greater authority to speak.

Ling Yunyi discussed his opinion on the severe measures proposed for the Imperial Academy; he felt that officials' opposition was normal, as the Ministry of Revenue lacked computational ability, to the point of needing to establish a jail at Dongjiaomin Alley, and for those not responsible for education, seeing no harm was normal.

The Great Ming court's Directorate of Ceremonial, cabinet, and Six Ministries are like a nine-headed serpent: everyone's interests are not entirely the same, yet they share one body; at this time, what I care about is not what you care about, and such disagreements frequently arise.

The court discussion system can effectively communicate, which is very important for court officials.

Private communication among officials is extremely inefficient; joining forces to empty the Emperor's authority would be bad enough, but if the other side sets a trap for oneself, it becomes extremely dangerous; thus, officials generally do not listen to, believe in, or attend to private communication.

Some principles that make sense in the Wenhua Hall become incomprehensible in private; over time, such disagreements grow larger, leading to the deterioration of state affairs.

The court discussion system is an excellent system; Ling Yunyi hopes it can be reopened, even if only once a month, which is better than none; court officials need the Wenhua Hall discussions, and the Emperor equally needs them.

After serious reflection, Zhu Yijun accepted Ling Yunyi's proposal: a monthly court discussion would not interfere with Zhu Yijun's one-man rule, yet would make governance more efficient, especially for implementing difficult policies, which indeed require the officials' joint recognition and concerted effort.

Zhu Yijun then spoke to Ling Yunyi about Wang Yizhuo's matter — namely, why Xu Jie allowed him to withdraw one hundred thousand taels of silver.

After hearing this, Ling Yunyi suddenly understood: there was indeed a hidden reason; no wonder the Emperor did not make it public — this was to protect Wang Yizhuo, otherwise Wang Yizhuo would be seen as selling his teacher for glory; mainly, doubts about Wang Yizhuo's character, as Xu Jie had no reputation to lose, having none to begin with.

"Originally, the teacher-student bond between Wang Yizhuo and Xu Jie had already been severed early on; no wonder Wang Yizhuo served so long in the position of Assistant Magistrate of Shuntian Prefecture." Ling Yunyi finally understood why Wang Yizhuo was made difficult: to follow the Xu faction is to go all the way; the dragon's head lets you frame him, yet he refuses to frame, not even accepting silver — if he were not made difficult, that would be strange.

The new faction led by Zhang Juzheng suspects him, while the old Xu faction does not help him; promotion would be miraculous.

"Wang Yizhuo's cabinet entry is also appropriate." After learning the full circumstances, Ling Yunyi gave his judgment.

Not accepting those one hundred thousand taels of silver, Wang Yizhuo would no longer be of the Xu faction; he should advance.

Ling Yunyi is not recommending Wang Yizhuo; he merely states that Wang Yizhuo has the qualifications for cabinet entry, as for who enters or not, he has retired and thus need not meddle too much, otherwise he would invite resentment.

"Let us wait and see, let all sides recommend candidates." Zhu Yijun felt that Wang Yizhuo's cabinet entry was not unacceptable; he served well in Shuntian Prefecture and Shandong as a pacification commissioner, and upon returning to the capital, made no mistakes.

All sides recommend, draft a list, suspend recommendations for the court discussion, hold the court discussion and vote — only then can the final official selection be determined; of course, Zhu Yijun may also push forward by imperial decree, although not following procedure, but he is the Emperor, and he is the procedure.

On the second day of the second month, when the dragon raises its head, all sides submitted the recommended cabinet candidates' names before the Emperor; even the Emperor did not expect that the Wang clan's Ping would be the majority, and although the recommended names varied among factions, all included Wang Ping.

Most officials believed that Wang Ping could serve in the Wenyuan Pavilion, mainly because the Western Shang Alliance was newly established and needed a cabinet member's identity to coordinate arrangements.

On the fifteenth day of the second month, in the court discussion, the recommendation for Wang Ping's cabinet entry passed smoothly.

Evidently, the Great Ming court's greatest consensus, having been frightened by poverty, remains to seek money by every means, to obtain silver.

Only by obtaining money does one gain the power of allocation; only then does the court possess its dignity; without money, financial authority lies with the localities, and the court only controls personnel — still insufficient authority.

The Emperor vermilion-inked this court discussion; Wang Ping smoothly entered the Wenyuan Pavilion, becoming Minister of Justice and Grand Scholar of the Wenhua Hall, entering the cabinet to participate in confidential affairs.

Until the Emperor's sacred edict was issued, Wang Ping still felt dazed, as if in clouds and mist — had he truly entered the cabinet?

He had not expected Ling Yunyi's retirement, nor that he, Wang Ping, would take his place; he had considered Gao Qiyu and Wang Yizhuo, but only felt that he himself needed to settle down, and the opportunity was small.

After Ling Yunyi retired, the Grand Ming Grand Secretariat became a new Grand Secretariat headed by Shen Shixing.

The new Grand Secretariat's operating style was far more moderate than the Grand Secretariat headed by Zhang Juzheng; this moderation, relative to an authoritarian figure like Zhang Juzheng, was still far more cold and stern compared to before the Wanli Reforms.

The Evaluation Law and the Official Recommendation Law — the new Grand Secretariat, although it appropriately delegated authority to the Six Ministries, still enforced them strictly.

This left some opportunists and ambitious men deeply disappointed; even if Shen Shixing died and they launched a counterattack against him, they could not return to the pre-Wanli Reform era.

On the twenty-third day of the second month, Zhu Yijun's grand imperial carriage again stopped punctually before the Yicheng Marquis's residence; this time the Emperor did not alight, but after Zhang Juzheng boarded, the grand imperial carriage headed for the Grand General's residence, and after picking up Qi Jiguang, the Great Ming Emperor's procession went to the Northern Great Camp.

Many people in the Great Ming were observing the Emperor's monthly freeloading days; if His Majesty did not appear, it meant the Emperor thoroughly loathed Zhang Juzheng, and they could begin impeaching Zhang Juzheng; this time was a bit strange — the Emperor appeared, but this time where was he taking the civil Zhang and the martial Qi?

In the carriage, Zhu Yijun observed Zhang Juzheng and Qi Jiguang; Zhang Juzheng was old, especially after winter set in he frequently fell ill; Qi Jiguang was completely different — although Qi Jiguang's muscle mass had decreased, he was still very healthy; minor ailments would self-heal quickly.

The Chief Physician of the Anatomy Academy discovered that people with large muscles were less prone to illness.

From comparative observation of 500 samples, the Anatomy Academy found that people who exercised long-term and had developed muscle groups were less likely to fall ill, and were also less afraid of falling; fall risk was reduced by 40%, and long-term trained and exercised people had the same bone weighing much more.

Anyone who has cared for the elderly knows that an old person taking a fall means half a foot in the coffin; Qi Jiguang was already sixty-six this year; during the New Year he slipped on snowy roads and was fine as if nothing happened; Zhang Juzheng truly could not afford a fall.

"Where is Your Majesty taking us ministers?" Qi Jiguang asked curiously; His Majesty the Emperor was being a bit mysterious, taking them to the Northern Great Camp without saying what it was about.

"Do the two of you know of Suiyuan Agricultural Doctor Ke Yanchang?" Zhu Yijun asked with a smile.

Zhang Juzheng nodded and said: "I know; the Agricultural Academy's Assistant Director on par with Xu Zhenming; the cultivation of purple gromwell, the Zhongsheng Liangshu, and the fast-growing poplars planted by Mo Chouhu are all his achievements; the 20th Year of Wanli Chonggu Progress Award went to him, and he didn't even come back to receive it."

"He has returned to the capital." Zhu Yijun said with a smile: "Right at the Xiliu Factory of the Northern Great Camp Gunpowder Bureau; the reason for his return isn't to take from me the medals and such I reserved for him; he returned to the capital to inspect vitriol production."

"Vitriol is a good thing."

Vitriol mixed with quicklime and water in different proportions, formulated into a sky-blue gelatinous suspension, is a cheap pesticide for preventing and treating various fungal and bacterial diseases.

Two years — this Chonggu Progress Award sat in Zhu Yijun's hands for two full years, and Ke Yanchang never had time to return to the capital to collect it; he was searching for salt-tolerant plants in the Seven Guards of Guanshi, improving the saline-alkali lands spread across the Western Regions, and simply had no time to receive the award.

The reason that attracted Ke Yanchang back to the capital was that the Gewu Academy had cracked the sulfuric acid preparation method.

Producing copper sulfate requires sulfuric acid; the bit of sulfuric acid from roasting green vitriol could not meet large-scale production needs at all; how to mass-produce sulfuric acid had become the Gewu Academy's tackling task these years, and it finally achieved small-scale mass production at the Xiliu Factory of the Northern Great Camp Gunpowder Bureau.

The principle is very simple: the gas produced by burning sulfur, mixed into air and water vapor, under high pressure, will combine to become sulfuric acid; simple to say, but far too difficult to do.

The Gewu Academy spent three years, continuously improving, undergoing seven generations of improvements, lowering production costs and increasing production efficiency, finally working out the vat-tower method for producing sulfuric acid, providing raw materials and foundation for large-scale production of vitriol pesticide.

Upon hearing this news, Ke Yanchang finally agreed to set aside his work and come to the capital to see for himself.

Zhu Yijun met an old acquaintance, Wei Youshan; he was the inventor of water fertilizer, and also a master craftsman of the Mount Xishan Coal Bureau; the Gewu Academy handled experiments, while Wei Youshan led a large group of craftsmen, responsible for scaling from laboratory to mass production.

"Paying respects to Your Majesty, long live Your Majesty, long live Your Majesty, long long live Your Majesty." Wei Youshan cupped his hands in salute, presenting His Majesty's favorite model — roughly half a tabletop in size — various vat-towers and pipes; this thing cannot produce sulfuric acid, but it facilitates explaining the purpose of each component.