Chapter 540: If the Story Is Told Well, the Funding Won't Be Lacking

"We expanded the area on the right by two times, three times, four times. We found that the right side needed two, three, four weights. After multiple experiments, we confirmed the accuracy of our guess." Zhu Zaiyu pulled open several red silk cloths one after another. Under the red silk cloths were experiments done by the Imperial Institute of Science.

The results of the experiments confirmed the hypothesis.

Zhu Zaiyu continued, "In order to describe this phenomenon more accurately, we introduced the concept of pressure, which is the effect of pressure. When the pressure increases and the area remains unchanged, the pressure effect will increase. For example, bones that we cannot chop open can be chopped open after swinging with force. When the pressure remains unchanged and the area decreases, the pressure effect will also be enhanced. For example, sharpening, sharpening scissors."

"Therefore, we introduced the concept of pressure and used the Latin letter 'p' to represent it, coming from the Latin word *pressura*, meaning the action of squeezing fruit juice, which is very suitable for expressing the intensity of pressure. We stipulated that force divided by area is pressure."

"The effect of our pressure is unchanged. I used one part of force, and the effect achieved cannot be the effect of ten parts of force. The pressure effect is unchanged, that is, the pressure on the left and right sides is equal. This formula is perfectly established."

Zhu Zaiyu wrote down a formula.

Using the first letters of Latin words is for the convenience of writing. Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding can also represent it, but there are too many strokes. Latin is the language of the Great Travel in the West now, and it is also the official language. All state letters from the West will be translated into Latin.

Force is *fortia* in Latin, area is *spazio*. Soon, Zhu Zaiyu wrote a formula: f1/s1 = f2/s2 = p. The area on the left remains unchanged, the area on the right becomes larger, and the force on the right naturally needs to increase, otherwise the pressure effect will decrease.

"We made assumptions, precisely defined concepts, carefully verified them, and put them into practice to verify them, and finally obtained a result close to the truth," Zhu Zaiyu said with a smile.

This is the work of the Imperial Institute of Science, using mathematics to study the infinite principles of all things. Back when the six-volume account was proposed, the Ministry of Revenue had already advocated that all designed and manufactured objects should have specific dimensions, rather than vague words like "about," "maybe," "possibly." Use numbers to measure all things in the world and draw inferences about other cases.

"Du Shu Pang Tong" (drawing inferences about other cases) is still exerting force. The research of the Imperial Institute of Science is based on mathematics.

Zhu Yijun looked at Zhu Zaiyu and asked, "What is its use?"

"We designed a new rolling machine to roll silver coins." Zhu Zaiyu walked to the penultimate red silk cloth, pulled it open. Under the red silk cloth was a vertical board more than three feet long, and a design drawing was drawn on the board.

"Before the design, we tinkered with some small toys. Everyone can take them back to coax children when you leave later," Zhu Zaiyu made a digression before pointing his hand at the drawing.

"Double-sided rolling machine, upper box and lower box, both two zhang long, one chi wide, one chi high, with a two-cun thick gap in the middle, which can place silver plates. The left side is the hydraulic box, the crankshaft drives the round wheel to rotate, applying pressure. The pressure effect is transmitted to the upper and lower boxes through the oil liquid to start applying pressure, finally completing the stamping."

"Theoretically speaking, if the area of the hydraulic box on the left is designed to be smaller and the pressure box on the right is designed to be larger, we can amplify the force to an infinite level, just like the saying, 'Give me a fulcrum and I can pry up the earth.' A smaller hydraulic box means a longer stroke. Considering the actual needs of production, we finally designed it this way."

Greater force is exchanged for torque. This point is very similar to the lever principle, and it can even be seen as an extension of the lever principle. A larger pressure box looks very beautiful, but engineering practice is very difficult.

Zhu Zaiyu explained in detail the hydraulic rolling machine designed and manufactured by the Imperial Institute of Science. When silver faced the spiral rolling machine, it was already very soft. Facing this new machine, silver was even more vulnerable. Greater pressure means more exquisite silver coins.

A hydraulic pump was added to the structure of the hydraulic rolling machine. This hydraulic pump is the power source. No technology appears suddenly, nor is it a castle in the air.

Huang Zifu, a mountain man recommended by Tan Lun, was responsible for the design and manufacture of this hydraulic stamping machine. He handed a sandalwood box to Feng Bao.

After Feng Bao checked the box, he presented it to His Majesty. In the box were new imperial silver coins manufactured by the new hydraulic rolling machine, a total of eighteen.

Only the last one of these eighteen silver coins was extremely exquisite; the others had various problems. This represented that the debugging of the machine in front of him was the result of multiple experiments.

Zhu Yijun flicked his sleeves, took out a previous imperial silver coin, and compared it against the sunlight.

The patterns on the entire silver coin were clearer, and the gear marks on the edge were more regular. Compared with the blurred edge gear marks of the past, the anti-counterfeiting of the silver coin was better. Edge gear marks are an important basis for judging the authenticity of silver coins.

Minting coins that are not exquisite is not as good as not minting coins.

"So, using oil to demonstrate instead of water is because it has already been put into engineering practice?" Zhu Yijun asked with great emotion.

This exquisite silver coin made Zhu Yijun feel an unexpected surprise. It turned out that it was not a principle staying on paper, but had practical verification.

"Yes, the Military Weapons Bureau Mint has already used the new hydraulic rolling machine. It is expected that by the end of this year, our Great Ming's production capacity for imperial silver coins can reach 2.5 million taels of silver," Huang Zifu answered very firmly.

The changes brought by new technology made the new imperial silver coins more exquisite while production capacity increased significantly.

This is the result Huang Zifu wanted to tell His Majesty. In fact, Huang Zifu was already very conservative. The Military Weapons Bureau Mint gave a figure of 3 million taels of silver, and Huang Zifu slightly revised it.

This is in front of the Emperor. Lying is deceiving the monarch, and every sentence is a military order. Everyone has to bear responsibility, so reporting a little less and having a little more redundancy means a little more fault tolerance.

Zhu Yijun said with a smile, "The Great Ming can have 6 million taels of silver flowing in a year. A production capacity of 2.5 million imperial silver coins is still not enough. Only when 6 million imperial silver coins can be produced annually can we say that the Great Ming's silver will no longer form new blockages. And increasing production capacity after that is all to clear the blockages formed by the silver inflow before; it is all paying off debts."

"Just from the beginning of the first year of Wanli, when we started collecting duties from Western large sailing ships, we have already owed debts for eleven years."

The inflow of silver in the Great Ming formed blockages. The concentration of currency in the Great Ming's metropolises will lead to an increase in the wealth gap and make social contradictions more acute. And this new craft allows the production of imperial silver coins to climb rapidly.

The Great Ming craftsmen's technology for forging silver ingots is exquisite, but only silver coins made are currency. The circulation of silver taels is far inferior to silver coins. Only by rolling silver into silver coins can silver be effectively circulated throughout the Great Ming.

Too little silver inflow, the Great Ming has no silver to use, which is a bad thing; too much silver inflow, silver blockages in the metropolises, which is also a bad thing.

The silver inflow was 6 million taels in the ninth year of Wanli. In the tenth year of Wanli, the Great Ming had an inflow of 6.5 million taels of silver. With the return of the Great Ming's ocean-going merchant fleet, the silver blockage problem in the eleventh year of Wanli would be even more serious.

"Then what is covered under the last red silk cloth?" Zhu Yijun asked curiously.

There is still more!

Zhu Zaiyu walked to the last red silk cloth and pulled it open. It was still a drawing, an object similar to the hydraulic rolling machine, but it was more massive.

Zhu Zaiyu stood in front of the drawing and said, "Hydraulic press, specifically used for the final shaping of steam engine cylinders. Its maximum pressure can reach one thousand jun, which is 30,000 catties."

"A hydraulic press with greater pressure can bring more precise cylinders, and the miniaturization of horsepower scale will also achieve significant development."

A press specifically used for manufacturing steam engines is the content of the last drawing. According to Zhu Zaiyu's introduction, it has not yet been put into production and is currently still on paper, undergoing technical verification. The last red silk cloth is the future.

Zhu Yijun chatted with Zhu Zaiyu for a long time. New production tools will bring brand-new help to the production of steam engines.

"Uncle, you asked for one million taels of silver at the beginning of last year. Are all these things tinkered with by this one million taels of silver?" Zhu Yijun looked at the auspicious signs in front of him. Can so many things be bought with one million taels of silver?

It is worth more than the price.

It cannot be bought. Talents cannot be bought with silver. In Wang Qian's value measurement theory, some values cannot be discounted. These values are priceless treasures. The Five Classics Doctors are the Great Ming's most precious wealth.

Even if they were given more silver, these Five Classics Doctors would not run to the West to work for Philip II. And the birth of talent requires a population base, just as technological breakthroughs require scale.

Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and said, "Do you need more silver?"

In the romantic great cause of exploring the edge of the human cognitive world, Zhu Yijun can only provide silver help.

"The Imperial Institute of Science still has 470,000 taels of silver that can be used," Zhu Zaiyu said with a smile. "Temporarily don't need silver."

"When I asked Uncle at the beginning of the first month, Uncle said there were still 420,000 taels of silver. How did this account increase by 50,000 taels?" Zhu Yijun was startled. How could the silver of the Imperial Institute of Science still rise?

How can it not be short of silver?

"It is profit sharing." Feng Bao explained in detail.

The manufacture of steam engines is not in the Institute of Science, but for every steam engine sold, 300 taels of silver must be shared with the Institute of Science. A sixteen-horsepower steam engine costs 2,515 taels of silver. 300 taels of silver doesn't look like much, but last year, one thousand units were assembled, which is 300,000 taels of silver. Half of these 300,000 taels of silver must be used as an incentive mechanism, divided among those who specifically researched and developed it.

So the Imperial Institute of Science is not a completely loss-making business. Even in terms of cashable value, it is not loss-making at all.

"Ah, so that's it." Zhu Yijun understood. Originally, supporting some silver could still have a sense of participation. Now, there is no need to support silver at all. The Imperial Institute of Science is obtaining sufficient funds to support research through methods similar to patent authorization, and it can already be self-sufficient.

"These hydraulic principles, as well as the hydraulic rolling machine and hydraulic press, reward each participant with ten taels of silver as a reward," Zhu Yijun chose to reward. You have money, but Zhu Yijun still wants to thank them, thanking the Five Classics Doctors for their contribution to the Great Ming's technological progress.

"Feng Da Ban, carve these two drawings on stone tablets later," Zhu Yijun gave clear instructions to Feng Bao. The hydraulic principle should be put in the Ministry of Works' display window, but these two drawings can be carved on stone tablets and brought into the imperial mausoleum.

The purpose of bringing them into the imperial mausoleum is naturally that he, an Emperor who does not attend to his proper duties and is rebellious, is very likely to be opened by later generations. By then, he will already be dead, and these cultural relics can speak for him.

"What are these?" Zhu Yijun looked at the objects on another table and asked.

Zhu Zaiyu raised his eyebrows and said happily, "The small toys mentioned just now, Your Majesty can take them back for the children to play with."

Play with them?! He hadn't played enough yet. It wouldn't be Zhu Changzhi's turn until he had played enough!

Zhu Zaiyu had very, very many regrets in his original life. His Twelve-Tone Temperament, which he poured all his heart into, was buried in a pile of waste paper and no one cared about it. The new Great Ming calendar he modified could not be promoted because of the stubborn faction in the court. He could only sit withered in the Zheng Prince's Mansion, looking at the four corners of the sky and asking himself why he came to this world. Not being the Zheng Prince was the roar of Zhu Zaiyu's inner unwillingness and his most helpless struggle.

In the entire Great Ming, Zhu Zaiyu was the only one who refused to accept the hereditary throne and finally succeeded.

Zhu Zaiyu's biggest regret now was not being able to cultivate the Emperor's artistic cells. His Majesty had no interest in music theory at all. Zhu Zaiyu intended to cultivate the imperial princes' interest in machinery by making small toys, at least letting them know the power of machinery, rather than the old-fashioned argument that "if there is machinery, there is a mechanical heart; if a mechanical heart exists in the chest, then purity is not prepared," and thus keep away from or even reject machinery.

This is something Zhu Zaiyu could not accept no matter what.

This is a very dangerous behavior, because it is very likely to be attacked by court officials as "the Prince of Zheng has no virtue, playing with miscellaneous arts daily, waiting for the superior to play with them, abandoning the fundamental duties."

Can children's toys also rise to such a height? The Great Ming's "cheap scholars" can infinitely elevate anything, and then stand on the moral high ground to point fingers. It is clearly a theory that is no longer suitable for the present, but it is crowned with the name of ritual and law. It looks like protection, but it is actually hindering social change.

Only in an unchanging world can their status be as stable as Taishan, unchanged for ten thousand generations.

A mechanical arm one chi long and half a chi high appeared in front of Zhu Yijun. The front had a clamping tooth. There were five operating levers, and it was made extremely exquisitely. The clamping tooth, wrist, elbow, and shoulder were all filled with mechanical beauty.

"How to play with this?" Zhu Yijun asked excitedly.

Play with them?! He hadn't played enough yet. It wouldn't be Zhu Changzhi's turn until he had played enough!

"This operating lever can control the clamping tooth. Pushing forward is to clamp, pulling backward is to loosen," Zhu Zaiyu began to demonstrate the toys he designed. These toys were actually applications of hydraulic transmission. None of them had been implemented in large machinery, and mechanical design still needed further improvement, especially in terms of power.

But the toys, which were models demonstrating the principles, were already completely made.

"This operating lever, pushing forward can rotate the clamping tooth's wrist forward, pulling backward is to rotate the wrist in reverse. The third push lever is wrist bending, the fourth push lever is elbow moving up and down, the fifth push lever controls the shoulder, and the last knob controls the steering." Zhu Zaiyu held four small joysticks and demonstrated it once, letting the mechanical claw pick up a wooden block and then rotate it into another box.

"Amazing!" Zhu Yijun couldn't help but praise, "Let me try."

Zhu Yijun played with it tirelessly. Wang Jiaping, Wan Wenqing, and Wu Weizhong were also eager to try. Zhu Yijun didn't monopolize it either, letting the three of them play with the toy. A group of grown men surrounded a toy and tossed it for more than twenty minutes before it ended.

"Good stuff, good stuff." Zhu Yijun still couldn't help but say.

"What about this? What is this?" Zhu Yijun asked about the second toy. This toy was relatively simple, with a total of three levers.

Zhu Zaiyu said while demonstrating, "Lifter."

In Zhu Zaiyu's hands, the lifter's claw rose bit by bit, attracting everyone's attention.

Zhu Yijun thought of the forklift of later generations. This lifter was very similar to a forklift.

These were all applications of hydraulic transmission, varied and countless. This was a brand-new transmission method. Mechanical arms, lifters, briquetting machines, hydraulic shock absorption, etc., everything Zhu Yijun could think of and couldn't think of appeared in front of him.

"Zhi'er has good fortune. Uncle personally made so many fun toys for him." Zhu Yijun couldn't put these things down.

Wan Wenqing and Wu Weizhong's eyes were shining.

Sure enough, machinery naturally attracts men's attention.

Today, Zhu Zaiyu explained the discovery process of the hydraulic principle, expounded the theoretical verification, presented the practical results, and made a prospect for the future through toys. Throughout the process, Zhu Zaiyu believed it was successful. The stingy Emperor repeatedly expressed that he wanted to add money, which showed that His Majesty highly recognized the work of the Institute of Science.

The whole set of processes was not Zhu Zaiyu's handiwork, but was designed by the Cabinet Minister, Minister of Rites, and Chancellor of the Imperial Institute of Technology, Wan Shihe. Wan Shihe believed: every time the Institute of Science offered auspicious signs, a red silk cloth was covered, and there was no foreshadowing of what the content was. It was flat and straightforward, making His Majesty have no clear understanding of the Institute of Science's new achievements every time.

How can this work?!

It was only because the Institute of Science was strong enough that every new object pushed out had a pivotal significance for the Great Ming. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to cheat a single cent of funding! Still want His Majesty to pay obediently?

Even Wang Po selling melons knows how to brag about herself!

This time, Wan Shihe chose packaging, explaining the ins and outs of the new technology and making its application scenarios clear. If the story is told well, the funding won't be lacking.

Zhu Zaiyu wouldn't tell stories at all, or rather, he didn't have the mind to tell stories. Obtaining funding relied entirely on strength.

Wan Shihe's packaging this time was undoubtedly successful. At least Zhu Yijun gave extra rewards on top of the existing incentive mechanism.

"I take my leave." Zhu Zaiyu finished his business and left without staying. It is a very stupid act for a feudal prince to be involved in government affairs. Zhu Zaiyu just put more energy into exploring the boundaries of the cognitive world. He was not stupid, just felt that these things were not worth his effort.

"What does Provincial Governor Wang think?" Zhu Yijun looked at Wang Jiaping. Throughout the process, Wang Jiaping showed the calmness and composure of a scholar-official. On the surface, he was calm, but the high spirits in his eyes still made Zhu Yijun perceive the throbbing in the depths of Wang Jiaping's heart.

"Uncle has virtue for the world," Wang Jiaping said solemnly. "In the future, perhaps people won't know Wang Jiaping, won't know Wang Chonggu, but they will definitely know Uncle Zhu Zaiyu. He will inevitably become a monument in the long river of history."

It was no longer a rock, but a monument, a monument sufficient to change the color of the sun, moon, and stars. One lives a lifetime, either heavier than Taishan or lighter than a feather. Clearly, Zhu Zaiyu lived heavier than Taishan.

Wang Jiaping's hand reached forward slightly and said, "Are there any such talents among our Great Ming's relatives?"

"Is Provincial Governor Wang too greedy? One is already the protection of the ancestors!" Zhu Yijun smiled very brightly. In fact, he also had this idea. Later, he checked the relatives in the Ten Princes' City, and there were really none left. Human hearts are always so unsatisfied. Having one is still not enough.

"It is I who am too greedy," Wang Jiaping said with great regret. But having one was already a great stroke of luck.

The Great Ming's princes all thanked the De Prince Zhu Zaiyu. His appearance made the Great Ming's relatives no longer suffer from criticism. Relatives were no longer just parasites hollowing out the country. Although their reputation did not get better, the groundless abuse and accusations had disappeared. There was more discussion about the treatment of relatives.

"Provincial Governor Wang came from Guangdong. What is your biggest feeling after entering the capital?" Zhu Yijun asked about Wang Jiaping's feelings after entering the capital, intending it to be a casual chat to connect feelings.

Although Wang Jiaping had only been Zhu Yijun's imperial teacher for a quarter of an hour, and it was Wang Jiaping and Fan Yingqi joining forces, they didn't even last a quarter of an hour before running to the sidelines to ask for help. But Wang Jiaping was now the Guangdong Provincial Governor and was doing very well. Reliving old times was the best way to connect feelings.

Wang Jiaping did not answer this question directly but asked, "What does Your Majesty think is the greatest enemy of the New Policy?"

"The opposition faction?" Zhu Yijun gave an answer. Isn't the greatest enemy of the reform faction the stubborn conservative faction? Conservative is not a derogatory term; stubborn and conservative is a derogatory term. Zhang Juzheng is a conservative, but he is not stubborn.

"The greatest enemy of the New Policy is the success of the New Policy," Wang Jiaping took a deep breath and said. "Your Majesty, truly effective reform, once successful, will make the reasons for reform disappear. Only when the old evils disappear does it mean success; reform, because of its own huge success, becomes incomprehensible."

"Hmm?" Zhu Yijun looked at Wang Jiaping suddenly.

Practice really tempers people!

Since ancient times, every reform was caused by the intense contradictions of society, and the sign of the success of the new law was the easing of contradictions. The contradictions were eased, and the reasons for reform disappeared.

People will forget why they set out, feel incredible about such intense means, and then put forward criticism.

Just like people always criticize the harshness of the Qin system of Shang Yang, the exhaustion of the people and money by Emperor Wu of Han, the impracticality of Wang Anshi's unnecessary actions, the cruelty of Zhu Yuanzhang, and the greed of Zhu Di for monopolizing maritime trade profits.

History is a circle, turning around, spiraling upward, and circulating forward.

Wang Jiaping was not alarmist. A simplest example is Zhang Juzheng's strict requirements for frugality.

The Great Ming country is so wealthy, why require the Emperor to be frugal? It even made His Majesty too frugal. Was it caused by Zhang Juzheng's harshness? Such questions, such voices have already appeared.

Zhu Yijun remembered, remembered the embarrassment of the 500,000 taels of silver for the imperial mausoleum still owing 110,000 taels, remembered the Great Ming army lacking rations, remembered the Great Ming officials not even being able to receive their salaries, remembered the Great Ming Ministry of Revenue only being able to make a three-month budget. Now the Ministry of Revenue's stinginess is entirely because they were scared by poverty.

"You said it very well. The greatest enemy of the New Policy is the success of the New Policy," Zhu Yijun shook his head and said. "I don't know if I should be happy or sad."

"One should be happy," Wang Jiaping said very firmly. "The New Policy can succeed, which shows that it has survived a crisis that affected the whole world. For everyone, it is a thing worth being happy about."

Zhu Yijun was about to speak, but Zhang Hong held a miscellaneous report in his hand, looking like he wanted to speak but stopped, as if something had happened.

"If you have something to say, just say it; why hesitate?" Zhu Yijun frowned. Zhang Hong was absolutely not a man who lacked a sense of proportion. Since he had something to say, it was naturally a matter of great importance—so much so that it required interrupting the audience to report it to the Emperor.

"That Lin Fucheng wrote another travelogue." Zhang Hong handed over the miscellaneous report in his hand.

"He writes if he wants to, why must he at this time..." Zhu Yijun took the miscellaneous report, read the opening sentence, and didn't say a word, then stopped and read the *Xiaoyao Yiwen* (Carefree Anecdotes) carefully. The content on this miscellaneous report was the volume that Lin Fucheng had always wanted to write but hadn't written: "Officials force the people to rebel."

It's just that Lin Fucheng wasn't so straightforward and left enough blanks, but as long as it was a scholar, they could taste the connotation.

"I knew it. He has already moved his heart and mind, how could he hold it back?" Zhu Yijun shook his head with a smile and handed the miscellaneous report to Wang Jiaping. "Indeed, the greatest enemy of the New Policy is the success of the New Policy, but there are always people who tirelessly jump out to tell everyone why they set out at that time."

This guy Lin Fucheng is not liked by people. He is always poking through the brocade of flowers, tearing off the fig leaf, and telling everyone the bloody reality.

"Ah, this, I was overthinking. The things done by the Yan family are indeed worse than pigs and dogs, just like the Kong family back then sending a funeral for a dog." After reading the miscellaneous report, Wang Jiaping felt somewhat relieved. His worry that people would forget was actually groundless anxiety. The meat-eaters of the Great Ming always used their own lower limits to tell everyone the reason for the Wanli Reform.

The Yan family of Qizhou in Baoding Prefecture buried a family alive. The place where they were buried was a manure pit, which is to say this family, old and young, were all used for composting. The ones who did it were tenant farmers. If they didn't want to do bad things, they would be evicted. The tenant farmers had no choice. In this situation, the tenant farmers could only be accomplices.

After the incident, the Qizhou state yamen caught a scapegoat and finished the matter hastily. ===== CHAPTER 541 =====