Chapter 842: The Ultimate Goal of the Wanli Reform

The Great Ming scholar-officials knew the problems of the Great Ming like the back of their hands, but when submitting memorials, they were always insincere. Where the real problems lay was clear at a glance, but they chose to turn a blind eye to the problems of production relations and means of production, and said some insincere words.

This is very normal, because telling the truth is a very difficult thing. Hence Hai Rui was willing to tell the truth; look at his life of walking on thin ice, and it is very clear.

However, a problem is a problem, and ignoring it will not allow one to avoid these problems.

The Great Ming population began to grow after the war and stability in the early dynasty, and after reaching 130 million, it stopped growing. This did not reach the so-called limit of land support at all, but because of various reasons, the people were unwilling to have children.

In the past, no ministers were willing to talk about having children. Now that the Great Ming court ministers were forced to look at this problem because of the labor shortage, although the ministers had different reasons, the answers they gave in the end were highly consistent: return land or manor system.

Both methods allow the people to possess means of production and production tools. With hope in life, children will naturally increase.

Wang Guoguang, who had already left the court, once said incisively: "If you say economics is complex, it is all-encompassing; if you say it is simple, it is actually one sentence: look at policy in the short term, look at land in the medium term, and look at population in the long term."

Only with people can enough talents be born, can the continuous progress of productive forces be promoted, can social progress be continuously catalyzed, can one possess enough labor force, possess strong production capacity, possess the world's largest consumer market, and then ensure the Great Ming's commodity advantage, ensure the Great Ming's lead, and ensure the Great Ming's status as the Celestial Empire.

Just as the "Empire on which the sun never sets" is the core interest of Spain, the status of the Celestial Empire is the core interest of the Great Ming.

In Wang Guoguang's view, with the current productive forces of the Great Ming, that is, the current ability of people to change nature, to really enjoy long-term peace and stability, the hinterland population should be between 300 million and 500 million. This is the key factor to maintain long-term stability. Now the Great Ming population is really too small. 130 million is only enough for the Great Ming hinterland to barely maintain its economic scale. As long as opening the seas takes away a part, it will fall into a labor dilemma.

And now it is the labor dilemma that forces the Great Ming to carry out self-innovation of production relations internally.

If one turns a blind eye to this problem, Japan's current situation is the Great Ming's near future.

In Japan, which is ravaged by the Bliss Sect, no children are born, because everything incited by this evil spirit is contrary to responsibility, cutting off responsibility to parents, family, relatives, friends; extreme enjoyment, not caring about anyone's eyes.

Just like that famous prophecy of the Bliss Sect: "Sages and fools are both rotten bones, glory is a dream at the third watch; false fame and glory are definitely not true, looking at beauty and fame is like a phantom dust."

If the Great Ming does not carry out self-innovation, it does not need to be defeated; the Great Ming will become suitable soil for the Bliss Sect. No matter how the Great Ming court pursues and intercepts, even if it really stops it, the Bliss Sect will still be born in the Great Ming and will irreversibly spread from the developed areas of the Great Ming to the backward areas, and finally fill every corner of the Great Ming.

"This memorial by Minister Shen is interesting." Zhu Yijun held Shen Li's memorial and read it with great interest.

Shen Li put forward a point of view, that is, the essential reason for the Yang Wei case is because His Majesty is very wise, which eventually led these restorationist conservatives to have to take risks, because if they didn't act, the Emperor would have worn these restorationist conservatives to death.

The restorationist conservatives were originally waiting, waiting for the Emperor to obtain supreme power, standing at the very top of the human world, with everyone around him flattering and constantly expressing loyalty. When the Emperor felt that the whole world was under his control, the real danger of the Wanli Reform would come.

Directly confronting imperial power was still too dangerous, especially since His Majesty controlled the Beijing Camp and violence. The result of provoking imperial power was playing with the lives of one's nine clans, and waiting for the Emperor to make a mistake was a superior strategy.

The Emperor would inevitably become crazy because of the environment around him.

Belligerence, radical reform, crazy liquidation, and desperate expansion of territory—this kind of Sui Yangdi-style madness would bury countless hidden dangers for the Wanli Reform, and then just wait for these hidden dangers to ferment into thunderclaps, which would be the moment for counterattack.

Simply put, the restorationist conservatives had been waiting for the Emperor to go crazy.

A young monarch, mastering such power and strength, how long can he maintain his rationality? This is what the restorationist conservatives were waiting for.

But the restorationist conservatives were somewhat desperate.

The court gazettes, court discussions, imperial decrees, government orders, etc., all told these restorationist conservatives that the Emperor and the Senior Grand Secretary were often in the role of conservatives in the decision-making of the Wenhua Hall. "Do not be too hasty" was a comment often appearing from the Emperor.

For example, the halting of the Single Whip Law and the limited promotion of the Land Returning Order, and even the Great Ming court came up with a compromise version of the Manor System, and for example, the Emperor also adjusted the definition of the Jifu Governor's Office.

This made the restorationist conservatives completely desperate and became so crazy, because they were looking forward to it, but they really couldn't wait for the day the Emperor went crazy.

"This is not that I am wise, but that what the ministers said makes sense, so I have to listen. One person's plan is short, many people's plans are long. It is not that the ministers assist me; I alone cannot support this Great Ming country." Zhu Yijun approved this memorial. This memorial by Shen Li had a very obvious suspicion of flattery.

This sky of the Great Ming country could not be supported by Zhu Yijun alone.

"No matter how reasonable it is, the Emperor still has to listen." Feng Bao did not feel that Shen Li was flattering, but felt that Shen Li was right. Yang Wei was so anxious, the reason was already very clear; he really couldn't wait for the day when heaven and earth collapsed.

His Majesty is still young and can accept opposition and criticism, but as the old ministers gradually leave, can His Majesty still listen to these opinions?

People are never unchanging.

In the deep autumn of the sixteenth year of Wanli, a barbarian came to the Great Ming capital and knocked on Li Yashi's door. The capital was truly too big, and it took a long time for this barbarian to finally find Li Yashi's home. This barbarian wore a Confucian robe, had his hair tied up, had reddish hair that was slightly curly, a thin face, a high nose bridge, and deep, spirited eyes.

"You have finally arrived in the capital." Upon hearing the visitor's name, Li Yashi hurried to the door to welcome him. Looking at the handsome man in front of him, Li Yashi revealed a satisfied smile.

This person was the student Galileo whom Li Yashi brought back to the Great Ming from the West. Galileo studied medicine at the University of Pisa, but because he stole corpses for dissection, he received a ban from the Inquisition. Because he lacked money, Galileo was forced to drop out and wandered to Ma Deli to seek work, and Felipe arranged for Galileo to be given to Li Yashi and brought to the Great Ming.

Because Felipe also knew very clearly that in Spain, where the influence of the Church was great, Galileo could no longer conduct his own research.

Discussing tides on the streets of Ma Deli was an act that violated the Church's doctrine. Galileo could only dance in shackles in the West.

Galileo said with a smile: "My footsteps have covered the entire Zhejiang. The Great Ming bureaucrats carried out land returning in Zhejiang. After complex and persistent struggles, by the time I left Zhejiang, the five prefectures of Hangzhou, Shaoxing, Ningbo, Taizhou, and Wenzhou had completely completed land returning."

"Sometimes, I even suspect that in the Eastern world, God lives among humans. God said to return the land, and Zhejiang completed the return. These local gentry handed over their fields to avoid the disaster of death."

Li Yashi waved his hands repeatedly, smiling all over his face: "That also had to go through the Nine Ministers' Round Table Discussion. Only after the court discussion was approved was land returning allowed. Even if God wants light, it must go through the Nine Ministers' Round Table Discussion."

"The Emperor yields imperial power and shares decision-making power in exchange for the loyalty of the ministers. All court officials who enter the Wenhua Hall are the helmsmen of the empire."

The Great Ming's political structure is still imperial autocracy, but the Emperor shares the power in his hands with the court officials of the Wenhua Hall to jointly decide the fate of the country.

Galileo pondered for a long time before frowning and saying: "Is it the Roman Senate? I have only heard of the Roman Senate and have never seen this kind of method in reality."

Rome has been gone for too long, so that all kinds of things about Rome have become legendary stories. Stories always have all kinds of colors and cannot see the whole picture.

Galileo felt that the Senate system was a legend, an imagination of Rome by people, not the real Rome, just like the restorationists shouting about imitating the Three Dynasties all day long.

Above the Three Dynasties, people were still sacrifices, and there were not even standards for good and evil. That era was really not a good era.

Li Yashi nodded and shook his head: "Different from the Senate is that most of the senators are selected through layers of talent selection, passed the imperial examination, and defeated all opponents in the cruel officialdom before walking into the Wenhua Hall. Therefore, these senators are ruthless and quite capable."

Galileo understood the difference from the Roman Senate. He shook his head and said: "I am actually not interested in political activities. The ugliness of human nature is always exposed in these political activities."

Li Yashi agreed very much and said: "I also want to advise you to stay away from politics. This is not your area of expertise, or rather, the best way to avoid being alienated by power is to stay away from power."

"Stay away from power, otherwise you will become unfortunate. At least for you, this is a good word."

Not everyone is suitable for approaching power. Galileo and Prince Lu Zhu Zaiyu are very similar. Their talent in the infinite principles of all things is unquestionable, but if they participate in politics, they are easily killed without a burial place because of a lack of sensitivity.

"What have you been doing in Zhejiang all these years?" Li Yashi asked curiously.

Galileo took a piece of paper from his sleeve, which was densely written in Latin. He said quite contentedly: "I participated in the preparation of seventeen People's Benefit Pharmacies in Zhejiang, personally vaccinated 13,000 people with cowpox, and trained 350 doctors with basic medical common sense. At the very least, they are all well-read in "Dissection Theory" and have certain insights into some common hygiene and prevention problems."

"Before leaving, Zhejiang Provincial Governor Hou Yuzhao met with me and gave me a second-class merit plaque. This is the imperial court's favor and recognition."

Galileo took out a sandalwood box. Inside was a one-tael silver merit plaque. This merit plaque seemed to have no special privileges, but it was actually Galileo's proof of identity, representing his contribution to the Great Ming country and the imperial court's recognition of his contribution.

This was very important to Galileo. Without this merit plaque, he could not enter the Royal Institute of Technology to continue his studies, could not enter the temple of science, and could not become a Doctor of Science in the Institute of Investigation. In Galileo's heart, the Institute of Investigation was the temple.

"I am finally no longer a barbarian. The Great Ming's distinction between Chinese and barbarians is truly hard to describe." Galileo talked about his mental journey, from being stared at with strange eyes to being recognized. Of course, he also experienced some embarrassment, and finally obtained the recognition of the Great Ming people.

The Great Ming is very strange. On the one hand, because of the Wanli Reform, the Great Ming is somewhat profit-seeking and talks about interests in everything; on the other hand, it has high requirements for morality and regards the realization of morality as the highest pursuit of the imperial court. He, a barbarian, also obtained recognition, which is the result of pursuing the realization of morality.

Perhaps, this is the contradiction mentioned by the Great Ming Emperor; all things in the world are always so contradictory.

Li Yashi took out a box, opened it, counted ten silver notes from it, handed them to Galileo, and said: "If you are short of money, I can give you some. Prince Felipe sends envoys to bring 10,000 taels of silver every year to provide for my activities in the Great Ming. This is 1,000 silver; you can exchange it for silver coins at the Baoquan Bureau for living."

Galileo waved his hand and said: "No need. I have earned quite a lot of silver. The local yamen in Zhejiang is very rich, and they gave me enough labor remuneration, about 100 taels of silver, enough for me to live. Because of my contribution to the promotion of cowpox, the Emperor gave me the qualification to enter the Royal Institute of Technology."

"I bear 60 silver myself and borrowed 60 silver from the Emperor to pay the tuition. After enrollment, it is a four-year system, and the imperial court gave me 24 silver, 6 silver per year, for food, clothing, housing, and transportation."

"The Emperor's lending is simply a charity of imperial grace. You don't have to pay back the money for four years of school, and you pay it off three years after graduation. It's actually interest-free."

"God is above, the students of the Great Ming actually think this is what the imperial court should do! There is no gratitude at all. Some Great Ming students even think that having to pay it off after graduation is a manifestation of the imperial court's greed. How should that word be expressed?"

Galileo was a bit stuck. His Chinese was already very good, but he could not master the use of some idioms and classical Chinese. This kind of hyperlinked text carried too much information.

"Gathering wealth and seeking profit." Li Yashi answered with a smile.

Galileo nodded immediately and said: "Yes, that's it—gathering wealth and seeking profit. When I was at the University of Pisa, the tuition was so expensive that I couldn't afford it at all. The Great Ming people are truly 'blessed but not knowing the blessing.' Some students who graduated from mathematics actually racked their brains to plan for the people's workshops to avoid the imperial court's taxes, and in the end, they put themselves into the Dongjiaomin Lane prison."

These ungrateful students should go to the West to see the student loans that are hard to pay off in a lifetime, and then they will realize that knowledge is priceless.

Knowledge is a luxury in the true sense of the world.

Galileo was about to enroll in the Great Ming. He originally thought that he would be trapped in the trap of student loans for the rest of his life, because dropping out of the University of Pisa was partly because of the Church's ban, and partly because he really had no money to go to school.

He originally wanted to borrow some silver from Li Yashi, but after completing the enrollment procedures, he discovered that studying in the Great Ming was actually so cheap!

The qualification to enter the Royal Institute of Technology was the Emperor's favor to commend him for promoting the method of benefiting the people with cowpox, and the 60-silver loan was even more of a timely help.

In Galileo's view, this favor could not be repaid, simply could not be repaid.

But the Great Ming students ignored this favor. Some mathematics graduates actually racked their brains to plan for the people's workshops to avoid the imperial court's taxes, and in the end, they put themselves into the Dongjiaomin Lane prison.

These ungrateful students should go to the West to see the student loans that are hard to pay off in a lifetime, and then they will realize that knowledge is priceless.

Knowledge is a luxury in the true sense of the world.

Galileo was about to enroll in the Great Ming. He originally thought that he would be trapped in the trap of student loans for the rest of his life, because dropping out of the University of Pisa was partly because of the Church's ban, and partly because he really had no money to go to school.

He originally wanted to borrow some silver from Li Yashi, but after completing the enrollment procedures, he discovered that studying in the Great Ming was actually so cheap!

The qualification to enter the Royal Institute of Technology was the Emperor's favor to commend him for promoting the method of benefiting the people with cowpox, and the 60-silver loan was even more of a timely help.

In Galileo's view, this favor could not be repaid, simply could not be repaid.

But the Great Ming students ignored this favor. Some mathematics graduates actually racked their brains to plan for the people's workshops to avoid the imperial court's taxes, and in the end, they put themselves into the Dongjiaomin Lane prison.

Li Yashi frowned and said: "This is also a policy to realize morality. The Great Ming Emperor wants to build five big tile-roofed houses for every Great Ming person."

"Let every child have school to attend, read books and understand reason; let every place have a People's Benefit Pharmacy, so they can afford to see a doctor, at least reducing some human tragedies;"

"Let the Great Ming's roads extend in all directions, with express roads reaching every corner of the Great Ming, allowing free migration to depend on personal will and choice;"

"Let the Great Ming no longer be in a money shortage, let economic development not be shackled by currency, let commodities circulate at high speed, and break the closure of the small-scale peasant economy;"

"The last one is to let everyone have enough to eat."

Galileo looked at Li Yashi in disbelief, horrified. Galileo certainly understood the metaphor of the five big tile-roofed houses. What he didn't understand was, can this really be realized? Are you sure it's not talking about the Kingdom of God on Earth?

Li Yashi spread his hands to show that he was very helpless and shook his head: "Don't look at me like this. After the Emperor put forward the proposition of the five big tile-roofed houses, the expressions of the Great Ming court ministers should be as surprised as yours. I also feel it is somewhat difficult, but what if it is realized?"

"Do you think it can?" Galileo said somewhat uneasily: "Is this a topic that can be discussed?"

Galileo was somewhat worried. The imperial power of the Great Ming and the religious power of the West had similarities. Discussing whether the Emperor's words were correct or not was like discussing whether God's will was correct, which was rebellious. God would not be wrong, and the Emperor would not be wrong. Discussing these rebellious topics would not be tolerated by the secular world and would be pursued by the Inquisition.

Li Yashi seemed to have thought of something interesting and said with a smile: "Whether it can be realized, I don't know."

"But I know it can be discussed, because I have compiled quite a few jokes, and the Emperor did not cut off my head. Recently, he is even too lazy to arrest me, feeling that I am cheating for food and drink at the Northern Internal Security Bureau."

"Heaven and earth are my witness, I paid for the meals!"

This is a very interesting thing. The Great Ming's speech has limited freedom. You can even question the Emperor. As long as you seek truth from facts and speak the truth, you can discuss it. But you cannot spout nonsense. Even attacking Hence Hai Rui's conduct and questioning the significance of General Qi's eastern expedition—then you cannot blame the Emperor for being ruthless.

The Emperor's bottom line is very clear.

Galileo said tentatively: "Actually, the Great Ming can absorb some students from the West. In the West, because of religion, they cannot safely study their own learning. Crossing the ocean to come to the Great Ming is a good choice."

"The Great Ming is willing to accept international students, but the tuition for international students is extremely expensive, 10,000 silver coins per person. No matter who pays the tuition, it must be collected. You only have a tuition fee of 120 silver. That is because the Emperor gave you a second-class merit plaque and treats you as a Great Ming person." Li Yashi told Galileo the difference.

Galileo was undoubtedly lucky. He had made contributions to the Great Ming, submitted his letter of intent, and obtained his identity. But coming to the Great Ming to study, 10,000 silver was not a small amount, and not everyone could afford it.

"Well, I thought too little. As you said, I am not very suitable for politics." Galileo only then realized how much of a bargain he had gotten.

Galileo came to visit his guide. After seeing Li Yashi, Galileo planned to visit Xu Guangqi. Xu Guangqi had a father who changed his destiny because of the Wanli Reform. Xu Guangqi had set up a home in the capital. Galileo was going to visit a friend. He did not intend to trouble Xu Guangqi and planned to live in the school's official residence.

"Are these the Embroidered Uniform Guard?" Galileo stepped back when he went out, because the Embroidered Uniform Guard were active on the street. These guys, similar to the knights of the Inquisition, looked truly frightening. Armor, weapons, and uniform steps were the most direct embodiment of violence.

After Li Yashi whispered a few words to the doorman, he knew why the Embroidered Uniform Guard had moved out.

This was a special rectification action. Recently, a batch of fraud cases broke out in the capital. Some people used relationships and found ways to enter the Great Ming official factories. After paying a price of hundreds of taels of silver, they received contracts and waited to enter the factory. But after a few months, there was no movement. When they went to the official factory to ask, they found out that the contract was fake and the identity horse plaque was also fake.

This was a carefully laid trap, using the name of helping people enter official factories to wantonly demand money and property. In the process of fraud, they would repeatedly warn that doing so violated the official factory regulations and not to go to the official factory to inquire. If the matter was exposed, it would never succeed. After paying the money, they would just wait to enter the official factory.

The victims often felt that this was a dark-box operation and were willing to wait for a while. As a result, after waiting for a period of time, the people had run away without a trace. When they went to the yamen to report the case, the contract was fake and the horse plaque was also fake. Because too much time had passed, it was difficult for the yamen to investigate.

This time, the Embroidered Uniform Guard blocking the street was because they received definite news and were preparing to close the net on these fraudsters, and then send them all to Nanyang and the Absolute Continent. These people were indeed the scum of the Great Ming, but placed in Nanyang, they could serve as thugs in the plantations, as some barbarian slaves were not particularly obedient.

Galileo waited for nearly half an hour before the Embroidered Uniform Guard pulled away the big fence pulled to the street. Blocking the street meant that the suspects had been arrested in full, otherwise the blocking would continue for longer.

The Great Ming court was committed to maintaining public order and good customs. This was the Great Ming that Galileo saw. Although sometimes the court was not omnipotent and was even at a loss for some problems, the Great Ming had already tried its best to do so.

"Very happy to see you again, my friend." Galileo met Xu Guangqi at dusk.

Xu Guangqi led Galileo into his home and said while walking: "I heard you encountered some trouble. Has it all been solved?"

"Thanks to the Emperor's great kindness, everything has been solved." Galileo said helplessly: "In Ningbo Prefecture, a man who had been vaccinated with cowpox passed away. Then his family members went to the People's Benefit Pharmacy and said I was a wizard who practiced the soul-calling technique and wanted the imperial court to arrest me. This was a heaven-shaking trouble for me."

"Fortunately, in the end, the coroner found out that he died of heart disease, not cowpox technique, but I had to leave Ningbo Prefecture and go to Wenzhou."

"This is very normal. Whether in the Great Ming or the West, people are accustomed to blaming others for their own mistakes, rather than themselves."

Galileo had also seen it many times in the West. For example, Felipe had killed a palace pharmacist because Felipe believed that the palace pharmacist had killed his beloved Queen Anna, but in fact, the Queen died of illness. This palace pharmacist suffered an unjust disaster.

"Do you still remember that question we had before? Why does the stick on the second floor fall downward?" Xu Guangqi talked about the problem he was studying at the Institute of Investigation.

Galileo said with shining eyes: "Of course I remember, but I don't have any good ideas. Do you have an answer?"

After proving that the Earth was a sphere, some thorny problems followed one after another. For example, why didn't people fall off the Earth? Because above the people on the back of the Earth is below the people on the front of the Earth. Looking at each other, everyone should fall off. But no one fell off the Earth.

Clearly, there was a force binding humanity so that they would not fall off the Earth.

"Yes, a doctor at the Institute of Investigation raised a question: if the speed is fast enough, will it not fall from the air to the ground? If we can figure out this problem, we can find the answer to the question." Xu Guangqi said very positively.

"We have done many experiments around this problem and confirmed a fact: First, free-fall motion is uniformly accelerated; second, objects made of the same material but with different masses will fall at the same speed and land at the same time from the same height; third, two cannonballs of different sizes and weights will fall at the same speed."

"We are now calculating the relationship between the falling distance and time of objects, and calculating the magnitude of this force."

These three facts verified by repeated experiments confirmed one thing: the real existence of gravity, and that it is continuously subjected to force during the falling process.

"Similarly, we are also curious: the five stars of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, and the Earth, are all rotating around the sun. Is it also based on this power?" Xu Guangqi said quite excitedly.

Galileo said with great emotion: "This looks extremely interesting. Solving one contradiction will lead to more and new contradictions."

The practice of the Great Voyage proved that after the Earth was a sphere, the problem of why people would not fall off appeared. After confirming the existence of gravity, people had to face more problems: the measurement of gravity, the influence of gravity on speed, the working principle of gravity, etc., just like the Emperor said in the "Theory of Contradictions": "All things are infinite, and the principles run through the beginning and the end." ===== CHAPTER 843 =====

The practice of the Great Voyages proved that the Earth was a sphere, which led to the question of why people did not fall off. After confirming the existence of gravity, people had to face more problems: the calculation of gravity, the influence of gravity on speed, the principle of gravity, and so on—just as the Emperor said in his discourse on contradictions: "The myriad transformations are infinite, and the principle runs through the beginning and the end."