Chapter 48: Inspection

By the time Zhu Youjian and his party reached the shelter for the gathered refugees, the guards around Zhu Meichuo were already laden with all sorts of items. There were various foods, toys like rattledrums, pinwheels, and clay figurines, and even low-quality rouge and face powder, which Zhu Meichuo said she wanted to bring back for her mother.

Zhu Youjian could not help but laugh heartily at this, while Wang Cheng'en kept praising the young miss for her filial devotion. Zhu Cilang did not want to dampen his sister's spirits, so he could only pretend he had heard nothing.

Zhu Youjian came before a house still under construction and stood with his hands clasped behind his back, watching the craftsmen at work.

This was a school, one that occupied an important place in Zhu Youjian's plans. In the future, the form of this school would be more similar to the elementary and middle school education of later generations. Though the content would fall far short of the depth and breadth of later ages, this would be a base for nurturing seeds.

Just like the finest grain seeds, countless crossings and collisions of various superior and inferior varieties were needed before a higher-yielding, higher-quality seed could ultimately be bred.

As for the students, they were readily available—this batch of helpless orphans was the best resource. Chongzhen did not expect this place to cultivate talents with modern thinking, but at least it should bring a breath of fresh air to this already rotten political environment, and this new atmosphere had to be sustained until the nearly decayed body of the Great Ming could be reborn.

As for the school's faculty, Zhu Youjian already had candidates in mind. The famous Fang Yizhi of later generations was the first choice. At this time, Fang Yizhi was still in Nanjing, associating with so-called celebrities like Huang Zongxi, Wu Yingji, Chen Zhenhui, Mao Xiang, Hou Fangyu, Gu Gao, Shen Kuntong, and Chen Liang.

Fang Yizhi accepted Western scientific knowledge not out of blind obedience, but through his own careful thought and digestion. This was very rare in the Great Ming, where bureaucrats and gentry who considered themselves the center of the great Chinese world and rejected foreign doctrines held sway.

Fang Yizhi's learning was broad and wide-ranging. He was confident he could fuse the knowledge of ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign, into one furnace. Though he ultimately did not succeed, his extensive scholarship and broad vision were exactly what Chongzhen hoped to see.

Fang Yizhi was now only in his twenties, in the period of passionate writing and scorning the mighty and powerful—just right to be a teacher for these children whose worldviews had not yet formed.

In truth, the one Zhu Youjian valued most was Grand Secretary Xu Guangqi, a man of both civil and military talent whose learning spanned China and the West.

Regrettably, this remarkable man who opened his eyes to see the world had passed away from illness two years ago. His descendants produced no one of extraordinary brilliance, and his most important magnum opus, the Complete Treatise on Agriculture, was actually compiled and completed by his admirer Chen Zilong.

Chen Zilong, whose whole life was marked by unfulfilled ambition, possessed practical governing abilities that the Great Ming officialdom—which existed for promotion and wealth and for seeking private gain for one's social circle—could not tolerate. The latter half of his life was spent in wandering hardship, and in the end he was captured by Qing soldiers. On the way to Nanjing under escort, he drowned himself, and his corpse was cruelly dismembered and beheaded by the Qing soldiers before being cast into the water.

His student Wang Yun and his sedan-chair bearer Wu You found his remains at Maozhu Harbor and buried him in a coffin.

Now Chen Zilong, disheartened by failing the metropolitan examination in the seventh year of Chongzhen, was at home in Songjiang's southern garden, reading and writing. Next year he would come to the capital for the metropolitan examination again. This time Zhu Youjian would not let this talented man, hailed as the number one ci poet of the Ming dynasty, fail again. Last time, the chief examiner who had deliberately failed the Fushe members was Wen Tiren. When the time came, he would simply replace the examiner. He believed that with Chen Zilong's talent, passing would be no problem at all.

As for Johann Adam Schall von Bell, who had nearly been forgotten and was now casting cannons by imperial decree, since his official duties kept him busy, he would be asked to come regularly to teach the children, while also giving Fang Yizhi and the others the opportunity to exchange academic ideas with him.

Liu Chao, who had hurried over, came before Zhu Youjian and, after offering a salute, said: "Master Huang, this humble one has already arranged everything at the manor. I respectfully invite Master Huang and the young masters and misses to come have tea and rest!"

Chongzhen looked at Liu Chao, whose robe and boots were caked with mud, and laughed: "Where did you come from? I just came for a casual look and already instructed them not to disturb you, so as not to interfere with your duties!"

Liu Chao bowed and said: "This humble one was just inspecting the planted sweet potatoes in the fields. When I heard Master Huang had come to inspect, I hurried over!"

Zhu Youjian asked with great interest: "How are the sweet potato seedlings growing? How many people are tending them? How many mu have been planted?"

Liu Chao replied: "To answer Master Huang, at the beginning of the year, an Embroidered Uniform Guard officer brought the seeds from Songjiang Prefecture, and only then did this humble one learn that this crop had already been successfully trial-planted by the late Grand Secretary Xu. This humble one then found Grand Secretary Xu's treatise 'Discourse on the Sweet Potato' in the palace library. After carefully reading through it and consulting several old farmers well-versed in agriculture, I only then felt confident to plant. At present, fifty mu have been planted in total, tended daily by several farming households. The seedling sprouting rate is above ninety percent, and they are growing very well!"

Zhu Youjian said: "In Master Xu's discourse on the sweet potato, is there specific guidance on its cultivation?"

Liu Chao replied: "To answer Master Huang, the records in this book are extremely detailed. This humble one read it very carefully—from raising seedlings, planting, fertilizing, and making ridges, all the way to harvesting, everything is recorded in the book. According to the Embroidered Uniform Guard officer, this crop is planted quite extensively in Grand Secretary Xu's hometown, but it is said the taste is not good, and eating it causes bloating and acid reflux. This humble one reports the facts as they are; I beg Master Huang's forgiveness!"

Zhu Youjian sighed: "When people are so hungry they eat grass roots, tree bark, or even dirt, and in the end even resort to cannibalism, bloating and acid reflux can be ignored entirely. Songjiang Prefecture is fertile land, and its households do not lack food rations, so it is normal for them to disdain this crop. But for the common folk in the Shaanxi and Henan region, just having something to eat and being able to survive is already the greatest blessing from heaven!" Wang Cheng'en and the others all lowered their heads in silence. They too had heard of the human tragedies caused by years of drought in the northwest of the Great Ming.

Zhu Youjian continued: "I only hope to do my utmost to reduce the occurrence of such tragedies, and pray that heaven will show me favor and give me time. The sweet potato is one important link. Liu Chao, you must be diligent! After the summer harvest, corn must also be planted and tended in selected fields. These two crops may save countless lives. When that time comes, you, Liu Chao, will be a great meritorious official of the Great Ming and will leave your name in history!"

Liu Chao replied with firm conviction: "Master Huang can rest assured. This humble one will devote all his efforts to completing the tasks entrusted by Master Huang. This humble one does not care about leaving his name behind; he only hopes to ease Master Huang's worries!"

Zhu Youjian nodded approvingly and said: "Civil officials all speak of the calamity of eunuchs, but little do they know that among those with incomplete bodies there are also those who serve with dedication!"

Thinking of the extraordinary drought that would spread to nearly the entire territory of the Great Ming in the coming years, his heart was extraordinarily heavy.

What he was doing now was only trying to mitigate the effects of the drought, but being in the Little Ice Age of history, how small and powerless human strength was before natural disasters. Add to that the roving bandits wreaking havoc and the Manchus invading the borders—it was very difficult to attend to both ends at once.

The most pressing task was to suppress the bandits and pacify the people. While exterminating the roving bandits, he must also stabilize the localities and the common folk, so that Gao Yingxiang and his kind would lose their source of soldiers, becoming water without a source and trees without roots, solving the problem at its foundation.

As long as the common people had something to eat—even if not enough to be full—as long as they could survive, they would not rebel. Therefore, grain was the top priority.

It seemed that besides undertaking major water conservancy projects and promoting the planting of sweet potatoes and corn, large quantities of grain must be imported.

Zheng Zhilong had become the key to solving the problem. Only through his fleet could large amounts of grain be imported from the countries of South Asia.

Last month, several dozen large ships of three thousand liao (equivalent to two hundred tons) from the Zheng family fleet transported over one hundred thousand dan of rice to the repaired Tianjin Guard port. The court mobilized a great number of carts and laborers and took over a month to transport this grain to the official granaries near the port for storage.

But this grain of over ten million jin was a drop in the bucket for the coming tide of famine victims. Transporting this grain to the Shanxi and Hebei region would incur astonishing losses along the way, yet not transporting it was impossible—they could not let refugees flood toward the capital on a massive scale, could they? The consequences of that would be catastrophic, and Chongzhen dared not attempt it.

Zheng Zhilong was the type who feared might but did not cherish virtue. Only after you demonstrated overwhelming strength would he become obedient and well-behaved.

According to intelligence obtained by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Zheng Zhifeng, who had come with this voyage's ships, had brought a large amount of money and purchased a large compound in the capital to take up residence. It appeared to be intended as a base for bribing court officials and gathering intelligence.

Whether news of the official armies or of the roving bandits and the Jianzhou barbarians, it could be obtained at the earliest opportunity, then messengers would be sent from Tianjin Guard to deliver the information by ship.

When he heard this news, Zhu Youjian thought of the various "resident offices in the capital" of later generations—it turned out they already existed now.

The upcoming battle against the Jianzhou barbarians' invasion of the passes would become an excellent opportunity for Zhu Youjian to display his strength to Zheng Zhilong. As long as this battle hurt the Jianzhou barbarians badly and showed off the might and morale of the official armies, he believed Zheng Zhilong's attitude would undergo a tremendous transformation.

However, although the Zheng clan's armed pirate group was very wealthy, they were still subjects of the Great Ming. After all, they had not committed crimes on Great Ming soil. Their wealth was obtained through their own strength. Unless they voluntarily gave it up, one could not always think of extorting and plundering from them.

As someone who had come from a later generation, Zhu Youjian did not want to engage in such robbery.

Moreover, Zheng Zhilong had an excellent reputation in the Quanzhou area. He was extraordinarily kind to the local people—not only did he not kill, he even relieved the poor, and his prestige was higher than that of the government. In a document the Quanzhou Prefect wrote to the Governor of Fujian, it was mentioned: "For those utterly destitute, he gives them money and grain."

The most pressing matter was still solving the money problem. The national treasury was already empty, and Minister of Revenue Hou Xun had been driven to distraction by the endless documents demanding funds, requesting an audience with His Majesty every single day.

The silver stored in the privy purse had also been nearly exhausted. If no way to raise funds was found soon, the coming series of major battles would face the dire straits of having no money to spend. There was still no news from Gong Fanwu about solar salt production. It seemed the only option was to make a move against that group of people.

Thinking of this, Zhu Youjian gave the order: "Summon Luo Yangxing for an audience!"