"Are we arriving in Tongzhou now? It seems that we have arrived in Tongzhou just after we got on the bus?"
"It took less than half an hour to reach Tongzhou. This guy is much faster than a carriage."
"A carriage? Even if it's a horse, it's nothing more than that. This train does run very fast."
The dozens of cabinet ministers present were like country bumpkins who had never seen the world, and they praised him one after another.
Weng Zhili said proudly: "This is just a trial run. The speed will be increased later when various conditions are mature. The final speed is very likely to exceed two hundred miles an hour!"
When the important ministers heard this, they were amazed for a while.
Two hundred miles in one hour, doesn’t it mean that one can run 2,400 miles in one day and night?
Going from the capital to the capital in one day and night? It’s faster than the 800-mile express! Because
What’s even more surprising is that taking the train is much easier than riding a horse.
If you ride a fast horse and run from Beijing to Tongzhou, you can wear your skin.
However, taking the train was relaxing and leisurely, and on the way, I had the chance to change the tax law with the Holy Father.
It was also at this time that civil servants such as Zhang Shenyan and Meng Zhaoxiang truly realized that the Ming Dynasty was about to usher in profound changes, not only in the new tax law, not only in the ideological field, but also in many other aspects.
All these aspects will undergo earth-shaking changes!
After the train arrived in Tongzhou, Chongzhen refused to allow it to go further south and returned to Beijing.
Because the fifty-mile test run from Beijing to Tongzhou is enough to prove that the train has no problem.
As for longer-distance and more intensive test runs, there is no need for him, the emperor, to participate anymore. Professional matters should be left to professionals, and laymen should try not to instruct experts.
Weng Zhili was quite sensible, and asked with a smile: "Your Majesty, can you name the inscription on the front of this car?"
"Okay, get a pen and paper." Chongzhen also became interested after hearing this. After Weng Zhili laid out the paper, he picked up the pen and wrote the three characters of the sun and moon on the paper. The first locomotive of the Ming Dynasty was called the sun and the moon.
.
…
The train returned to Beijing Station, and the ministers went back to their offices to go to work.
Even Ma Mingluan and the various departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs also dispersed.
Chongzhen also returned to Wanshou Palace, surrounded by Zhu Cihong, Lu Jiude and a guard camp.
In the Longevity Palace, I met Ran Sanniang and Zhu Jinxiu, whom I had not seen for a long time. When Zhu Jinxiu saw Chongzhen, she looked a little uneasy. Ran Sanniang asked her to call Chongzhen father, but she hid behind her mother and concubine.
Chongzhen sighed, it was because he no longer recognized his biological father.
It's just that it's not a big problem, as long as we get along with the kids for a few more days, they'll be fine.
When Zhu Cixiang was about to say goodbye and leave, he was stopped by Chongzhen again.
"Hong'er, don't rush back to your home. Then go to the Imperial College in Beijing. Tell Wang Jiayan and Jin Xuan that I will go to the Imperial College to inspect tomorrow morning."
"Father, what you want is for Wang Jiayan and Jin Xuan to prepare for the arrival?"
"On the contrary, if they hold a welcoming ceremony in a grand and extravagant manner, I will immediately replace the two of them, because they can only speculate on the Imperial College's sacrificial wine and supervision, and cannot teach qualified students."
Zhu Cixiang's expression suddenly condensed when he heard this, his father was about to give him instructions face to face again.
"Hong'er, remember, no matter how good the national policy is, someone needs to implement it."
"For example, if the new tax law agreed upon today is left to the current officials to implement it, it will still waste money and waste people's money, and may even increase the burden on the people, because these corrupt officials will not easily spit out the benefits they eat."
"Therefore, the wine sacrifices and the candidates for the Imperial College in Beijing are particularly important."
"As the saying goes, it takes ten years to cultivate trees, and a hundred years to cultivate people. Without qualified sacrificial wine and supervisors, the Imperial College will not have a good style of study. Without a good style of study, the Imperial College will not be able to cultivate qualified students, and it will not be able to become qualified students in the future.
Local officials, then the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty will never become clean and upright, do you understand?"
"My dear, I understand." Zhu Cixiang said solemnly.
"My son, I will go to the Imperial College now." Because
…
Neither Wang Jiayan nor Jin Xuan went to participate in the test run of the train.
Weng Zhili sent the invitation, and the cabinet also issued a notice, but Wang Jiayan and Jin Xuan ignored it because there were too many things going on at the Imperial College in Beijing and they couldn't leave.
What are Wang Jiayan and Wang doing?
I am busy arranging courses in different classes.
The first phase of the North Prison recruited nearly 10,000 students.
With so many students, it is definitely impossible to crowd together for class. Because
In addition to class division, the selection of teaching materials and the arrangement of courses are also extremely important, the most important of which is the social practice course designated by Chongzhen.
Because he was too busy, only Wang Jiayan received Zhu Cihong.
It was already late at night when Wang Jiayan sent Zhu Cixiang away and returned to the duty room, but there were still a dozen teachers and the professor followed Jin Xuan in the duty room to discuss where the social practice class should go.
Jin Xuan then asked: "Brother Kaimei, why did the prince come to the North Prison?"
"It's nothing." Wang Jiayan said, "The Holy Spirit is coming to Beijing to inspect it tomorrow."
"Ah? This is a big deal." A secretary was surprised when he heard this. "We need to prepare quickly. The floor needs to be swept, the windows need to be papered with window paper, and the tables and chairs in each classroom must be wiped clean and spotless.
, it would be best to build a colorful building at the gate overnight, and then..."
"Are we going to hire an opera troupe to sing?" Jin Xuan said sarcastically. Because
The director didn't hear it, he clapped his hands fiercely and said: "Master Jianzheng, this is a good idea. A national crisis theater troupe from the Mission and Education Department happened to be performing in Beijing. I went over there overnight to find them..."
"That's enough!" Jin Xuan couldn't bear it anymore and scolded sternly, "Yang Siye, do you have nothing to do?"
"Uh?" Si Ye, surnamed Yang, obviously hadn't turned a corner yet, and said blankly, "I have so many things to do as an official, what do I mean by having nothing to do?"
"Then why don't you go and do your work?" Jin Xuan said angrily, "I'm just here to deal with all these things. From now on, spend more of your time on preaching, teaching, and solving doubts, and less on superficial things."
"Superficial?" Yang Siye said, "Welcoming him is a big deal..."
"What is a big deal?" Wang Jiayan said, "As an official of the Imperial College, educating students well is the biggest thing. You don't need to think too much about other matters."
Another professor kindly reminded: "Master Jijiu, we should still have a welcoming ceremony." Because
"Of course there will be a welcoming ceremony," Wang Jiayan said, "When I get on duty tomorrow, I and the Financial Supervisory Committee will greet you at the gate. As for you, just do your job well."
"Ah? This is too crude."
Other departments and professors also raised questions.
"Okay, let's continue to discuss where the social practice class should go?"
Wang Jiayan said impatiently: "Henan and Liaodong each have their own advantages. Henan suffered the most severe military disasters and can better experience the suffering of the people. Liaodong is a long way away and can better train students' physical and willpower."
As soon as he finished speaking, Jin Xuan continued: "Xiaoguan thought that he was going to Henan, Liaodong, and Jiangnan even more. In the first year of school, students from the Beijing Prison should not sit in the classroom, but should travel all over the country!
Duke Sibai once told people that it is better to travel thousands of miles than to read thousands of books, and I think it makes sense."
Some teachers raised questions: "How can we preach, teach and solve doubts if we are not in the classroom?" Because
"You can also preach, teach, and resolve doubts while traveling, and the effect may be even better." Jin Xuan said, "Mencius said that when heaven entrusts a person with a great responsibility, he must first harden his mind..."
After memorizing a large paragraph, Jin Xuanfu continued: "I believe that training the students of the Beijing Prison to endure hardships and cultivate their moral character of being honest and self-sufficient is more important than imparting knowledge."
"I agree, I will follow the method you mentioned."
Wang Jiayan made the final decision, and the coursework for the first year of the North Prison was settled.
After a pause, Wang Jiayan said to all the businessmen and professors: "It's getting late. You all should go home and pack up quickly. We'll leave tomorrow afternoon. The first stop will be to Bali Bridge to see the railway steel bridge. In the evening
The camp is just south of Bali Bridge, so everyone must bring tents and bedding."
"Ah? Leaving tomorrow?"
"Isn't this too hasty?" Because
"Yeah, I haven't made any preparations."
All the clerks and the professor were caught off guard.
If it weren't for the high salary that can be obtained in this profession, I'm afraid someone would resign on the spot.
"Don't we ask you to go back and prepare?" Jin Xuan said impatiently, "Isn't it just a long trip? It's enough to bring tents and bedding. Do you want to move your home there too?"
All the supervisors and professors were silent, but only one supervisor had the courage to ask: "Isn't the Holy One coming tomorrow?"
"That's why we left in the afternoon." Wang Jiayan said, "If His Majesty hadn't come over tomorrow morning, I would have left in the morning."
The clerk didn't dare to say anything, but he thought to himself that Master Jijiu and Master Jianzheng were treating His Majesty so indifferently, so they must not offend Tianyan or harm all the teachers and students in Beijuan. Because
…
However, this businessman's worries are completely unnecessary.
Early the next morning, Chongzhen arrived at the Imperial College in Beijing. When he saw Wang Jiayan and Jin Xuan greeting him at the gate of the Imperial College, Chongzhen immediately smiled. This was what he wanted.
Facing more than 10,000 Chinese students gathered on the playground, Chongzhen simply said three sentences and asked Wang Jiayan to select more than 100 students with loud voices to spread the word throughout the audience.
"It's our first time meeting you. I have three words for you."
"The first thing I want to say is, don't follow those official articles and resolutely put an end to formalism!"
"For example, there is no need to learn anything from grandiose greetings, extravagant invitations, and lengthy and meaningless etiquette meetings."
"Wang Jijiu and Jin Jianzheng have done a good job in this regard."
"The second thing I want to say is, don't try to figure out what's best for you, and focus more on the people."
"The people are the most valuable, the country is the second most important, the king is the least important, and the people are the most important. You must have the people in your heart, and you must truly do practical things for the people, instead of thinking about how to please the superior officials or how to gather the people's support."
"The third thing I want to say is, you must be patriotic! Ming Dynasty is our motherland. We were born here, grew up here, and will be buried here in the future! Patriotism is like loving one's own mother, without any additional conditions."
