Chapter 262 Sweet potatoes, potatoes

Zhen Youcai said: "Mr. Marquis, what kind of yamen is this Academy of Military Sciences? What should I do with a low-ranking position?"

Wang Pu smiled and asked Song Yingxing and Fang Yizhi: "Mr. Song Xian, Mr. Fang, what kind of yamen do you think the Academy of Military Science is?"

Song Yingxing said: "Mr. Marquis, if I was not wrong, the Academy of Military Sciences should be the yamen responsible for the development and improvement of military ordnances, right?"

"Haha, I'm only half right." Wang Pu smiled. "Researching and improving military ordnance is indeed the responsibility of the Academy of Military Sciences, but the responsibility of the Academy of Military Sciences is not only this, but also includes more aspects of work. This time, the establishment of the De Arsenal will be the first task of the Academy of Military Sciences."

As he said that, Wang Pu told Zhen Youcai and the other two about his ideas in detail.

After listening to Wang Pu’s narration, Zhen Youcai said in a daze: “Mr. Marquis, this is probably difficult? Just talk about the spindle. It’s no problem to cast a round iron rod, but what should I use to plan it straight? After all, fine iron is not wood. No matter how experienced blacksmiths can do it with a slashing knife, it’s impossible to round it with a slashing knife.”

"Who said he wanted to use a slaughter?" Wang Pu smiled, "Those Western Yi Academicians will find ways to do this. Talented. The responsibility of your dean is to take care of them and tell them what to do and what not to do. For the rest, Mr. Song and Mr. Fang will take those Western Yi Academicians to do it."

After saying that, Wang Pu asked Fang Yizhi again: "Mr. Fang, you are knowledgeable. Tell me if there is any way to process a muddy iron rod into a straight and smooth spindle?"

Fang Yizhi said: "I once read a book on Western Yi, which was translated by the missionary Matteo Ricci. This book describes a wooden hydraulic machine called a machine tool. It can use hard tools to round, drill, bore, polish and other processing iron parts. If you want to create such a wooden hydraulic machine, you can do it."

"Haha." Wang Pu smiled and said, "Mr. Fang is really knowledgeable. Yes, that's it! First use wooden machine tools to make iron machine tools, and then use iron machine tools to make more precise iron machine tools. When the accuracy of the iron machine tools is improved to a certain level, we can bore a barrel with smooth and flat inner walls, hehe, and even a cylinder with good airtightness. With cylinders, it would be amazing!"

Indeed, if the cylinders with smooth and flat inner walls could be really processed, it would be an epoch-making event, because with the cylinders, the steam engine could be built. With the steam engine, the Ming Dynasty could enter industrial civilization two hundred years earlier than the Western world!

Of course, there is another important prerequisite, that is, the political system of the Ming Dynasty must be stable and open, and the feudal and conservative forces must not be allowed to successfully counterattack. Otherwise, even if the Academy of Military Sciences built internal combustion engines and generators, it would only be banned and destroyed by the conservatives as strange tricks, which would not have given birth to great industrial civilization at all.

"Cylinder?" Zhen Youcai and the other two were confused and asked in confusion, "Mr. Marquis, what is a cylinder?"

Wang Pu was too lazy to explain and smiled and said, "I will know then. What you have to do now is to find a good place in Nanjing to build the yamen first, and then meet with the thirty or so Western scholars, get to know each other and exchange academic achievements with each other. In addition, I will also learn a few common English words during this time to communicate."

Speaking of English, Fang Yizhi suddenly thought of someone and said, "Mr. Marquis, if there is no special translation talent, it will be difficult for the humble level to communicate with his Western-Japanese colleagues. At present, there is a Western-Japanese who is proficient in Chinese who lives in Nanjing. Why not just invite him to serve as a special translator for the Military Science Academy?"

"Oh?" Wang Pu Xinran said, "There are still such talents?"

"Yes." Fang Yizhi nodded, "His name is Joshua Chan. He was originally the supervisor of the Imperial Heaven Supervision and was responsible for revising the calendar. Later, he returned to the West after falling into Beijing. He had just arrived in Nanjing a few days ago and lived in Wuyi Lane. Beizhi had a good relationship with him. If the Marquis was willing, he could call him up."

"Joe Wang, Tang?" Wang Pu nodded and said happily, "This is a talent, and you need to make good use of it."

After thinking about it, Wang Pu said again: "In this way, you can just stay in Nanjing for a while, relax and prepare as much as possible, and then wait until the 200 students of the first foreign language training class of Yangming University will be recruited, and then go to Jiande Arsenal together."

Zhen Youcai said in surprise: "What does the Marquis mean is to let these two hundred students teach on-site at Jiande Arsenal?"

"Yes." Wang Pu nodded, "Just let these 200 students read while working. First, Jiande Arsenal can provide two hundred free labor for foreign workers. Second, it can enable students to strengthen their physical fitness, increase their experience and vision. Third, learning foreign languages ​​in practice will definitely be better than sitting in class to study! Fourth, it is just right to use local materials to let Johnson Chan and those Western Yi academicians act as foreign language teachers."

"Good idea!"

"Yes, that's what it should be!"

Song Yingxing and Fang Yizhi couldn't help but applaud. Although they came out of traditional private schools, their horizons were not limited to the east. Instead, they always paid attention to the Western teaching model at that time through various channels, and summarized a unique set of views through their own practice.

Especially Fang Yizhi, in order to compile the book "Small Physics Knowledge", he conducted thousands of related physics experiments and knew that the most ideal teaching model should be a combination of teaching and practice.

Wang Pu smiled and said, "Talented, Mr. Song, Mr. Fang, go, go to Xiaoyao Fairyland to relax and relax."

Zhen Youcai, Fang Yizhi nodded happily, but Song Yingxing waved his hands repeatedly and said, "Marty, I am at this age, so I won't go to join in on this hot topic, haha."

Wang Pu joked: "Old Song, aren't you worried about the Hedong lion at home?"

"Cough." Song Yingxing coughed dryly and said with awkward expression, "Well..."

"Old Song." Wang Pu laughed, "What are you worried about? Haha, don't you just go take a bath and leave."

After saying that, Wang Pu took Song Yingxing without saying anything, and Zhen Youcai and Fang Yizhi followed him with laughter. The four of them left the Marquis' Mansion and had a servant set up a carriage, so they got on the carriage and went straight to the Xiaoyao Fairyland.

Wang Pu brought Zhen Youcai, Song Yingxing and Fang Yizhi were having fun in the Xiaoyao Fairyland, Chen Yuanyuan and Dong Xiaowan were having a heart-to-heart talk with four good sisters, Li Shiniang, Li Xiangjun, Kou Baimen and Gu Mei.

A few days ago, when Wang Pu was in the Xiaoyao Fairyland, Aunt Chen was invited by Aunt Chen and four other Nanqu socialites, including Li Shiniang, to half-jokingly and half-seriously, he proposed to make them his personal secretary. Gu Mei was very moved at the time, but she was worried that Wang Pu would look down on her, so she pretended to be reserved and did not agree immediately.

These days, seeing that Wang Pu had no more information, Gu Mei couldn't sit still and encouraged Li Shiniang, Li Xiangjun and Kou Baimen to visit the Jingnan Marquis' Mansion. In name, they were visiting the former Nanqu sisters Chen Yuanyuan and Dong Xiaowan, but in fact they wanted to explore the tone of Chen Yuanyuan, the "big wife".

Chen Yuanyuan actually knew about Wang Pu's choice of secretary, and even encouraged her.

From a woman's perspective, Chen Yuanyuan is very reluctant to work with so many sisters. With more sisters, the number of days of staying alone in the empty room will inevitably increase. It is not good to sleep alone. No matter how generous Chen Yuanyuan is, he cannot avoid the vulgarity. However, from Wang Pu's perspective, Chen Yuanyuan found that several sisters have many benefits to marry into the Marquis' Mansion.

With Wang Pu's status and power increasing, Wang Pu's daily tasks are becoming more and more.

Perhaps because of his military generals, Wang Pu has always been unable to gain true recognition from the Shilin class. Although Donglin Fushe and Wang Pu have a cooperative relationship, they are just cooperative relationships. There is no intimate relationship between the two. Until now, there are not many confidants around Wang Pu to share his worries.

Zhen Youcai is one, but his abilities are limited.

Wei Daben is one, but he is now the governor of Fujian and has to stare at Zheng Zhilong, the big pirate in Fujian.

Wang Pu once told Chen Yuanyuan that it is relatively easy to cultivate confidants in the army, but it is not easy to cultivate confidants in politics!

So Wang Pu took his mind to the famous Nanqu people such as Li Shiniang, Gu Mei, Kou Baimen, etc. Chen Yuanyuan also felt that Wang Pu's idea was very reasonable. Wang Pu didn't need them to give advice or lead troops to fight, let alone serve as an official and appease the party. Wang Pu only needed them to help manage the Wang family's increasingly huge industry!

For example, in Xiaoyao Fairyland, in addition to the Nanjing General Account, there are now Yangzhou, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Shaoxing. In the near future, more cities and even more countries will have more Xiaoyao Fairyland Semi-colons. The pornography and gambling industries will always be the most dynamic and profitable industries. Wang Pu cannot give these two profitable industries to others!

It is conceivable how huge this industry will be in the future!

In addition to Xiaoyao Fairyland, there is also a cigarette factory. The Nanjing cigarette factory, founded by Zhen Youcai, has expanded its production scale twice, but the cigarettes produced are still in short supply, especially the Central Army has the greatest demand for cigarettes. This is the power of role models, because Wang Pu always likes to hold a cigarette in his mouth for any reason, so the Central Army soldiers followed suit.

Although the current Nanjing cigarette factory is still very small and its monthly performance is less than 100,000 taels, this is a monopoly industry with unlimited potential. Coupled with the pornography and gambling industry in Xiaoyao Fairyland, an extremely huge business empire will be formed in at most ten years. How could such a business empire be left to outsiders to take care of?

But Wang Pu is limited in energy and can’t take care of the war. How can he be idle in the management of Xiaoyao Fairyland?

Moreover, Wang Pu also lacks business acumen. What should I do? The best way is to marry Mrs. Ru who has a business acumen and knows how to manage it, and hand over this huge industry to Mrs. Ru to manage. Of course, there must be a prerequisite. Mrs. Ru must have a relationship with Wang Pu and must not be trampled on the inside.

Gu Mei is undoubtedly the most suitable candidate.

Gu Mei is both a famous Qinhuai socialite and a madam. She has already had the experience of independently operating Meilou at a young age. She is also interested in doing business. Wang Pu chose her as the business secretary to take the opportunity to cultivate the relationship between the two, and then naturally took her away and let her manage the Wang family's huge business empire.

It was Chen Yuanyuan who wanted to let Li Shiniang be the financial secretary and Li Xiangjun be the state secretary.

Among all the famous Qinhuai socialites, the person with the best relationship with Chen Yuanyuan is Li Shiniang. Although Li Shiniang looks weak on the outside, she is actually as strong as fire in her bones. She is a very independent and extraordinary woman. Chen Yuanyuan believes that as long as she ignites the fire of Li Shiniang, she will be Wang Pu’s most loyal wife Ru.

Let Gu Mei be responsible for the operation of the Wang family's business empire, but let Li Shiniang control the huge property of the Wang family. This is the most imagined combination in Wang Pu and Chen Yuanyuan's mind.

As for the fragrant fan pendant Li Xiangjun, a little girl who is as refreshing and beautiful as a fairy, with a refreshing natural body fragrance on her body. Wang Pu is indeed very coveted. She hopes that this little beauty can become her personal secretary and helps arrange the matters that need to be handled every day. She just matches her private wife and martial arts, and she can sleep at night. It is beautiful to think about it.

Chuzhou.

Wang Ju was patrolling the green mulberry fields accompanied by two big shopkeepers in Shanxi. Standing upstream of the field, looking at the mountains and fields, the mountains were full of green mulberry trees, and dozens of mulberry farmers were weeding and fertilizing in the fields. More than two years have passed, and the mulberry seedlings planted the year before have now become a forest!

A big shopkeeper said to Wang Ju excitedly: "Home, the mulberry forest is growing well. If the two thousand looms customized from Nanjing Woodenware House can be in place, at least 150,000 more silk this year than last year. If it sells it to the West, it will cost 1.8 million taels of silver!"

Another big shopkeeper also said: "The cotton fields in Songjiang are growing well, and it can be predicted that this year will be a rare harvest! Boss, I think it will be possible to build tickets next year at the latest!"

Wang Ju asked, "Shopkeeper Gu Da, are the third batch of 100,000-stone rice transported to Wuchang ready?"

The shopkeeper surnamed Gu hurriedly said, "The boss has already taken the ship two days ago."

"Well." Wang Ju nodded and asked another shopkeeper, "Shopkeeper Cao, have you raised all the three million taels of silver from 500,000 acres of farmland?"

The shopkeeper surnamed Cao said: "When he returned to the boss, three million taels of silver have been raised, but should he ship one million taels first, and the remaining two million taels will be paid in three years? After all, three million taels are not a small amount. The reconstruction in Wuchang may not be able to use so much silver, but the official workshop will be openly auctioned here. I have already checked the plan. Nanjing, Suzhou, Yangzhou, and Songjiang weaving bureaus are everywhere, and weaving bureaus are not worth three million taels of silver."

Manager Gu Da said: "If the boss missed the opportunity to capture the weaving bureaus in Nanjing, Suzhou, Yangzhou and Songjiang for the sake of the 500,000 mu of farmland in Wuchang, he would lose the big one because of the small one!"

Wang Ju thought for a while and said, "Let's do this, Master Cao, you first escort one million taels of silver to Wuchang. The remaining two million taels will be settled after I go to Nanjing to meet our third brother."

Manager Cao nodded and asked again: "Dongjia, should I plant mulberry seedlings or cotton in Wuchang? Manager Gu and I can prepare early."

"None of them are planted." Wang Ju shook her head and said, "My third brother said, plant all sweet potatoes and potatoes!"
Chapter completed!