Chapter 824: Ming Dynastys Railway Network Construction Plan and Human Sophistication
When Zhu Hongyu saw this scene, he was not angry, but explained.
"In my opinion, it makes no sense for the imperial court to keep too much financial surplus."
“Only when money is spent, turned into resources, and turned into a driving force to promote social progress and development, can money be called money!”
"The imperial court is saving money and reluctant to spend it, which is no different from hiding a pile of beautiful stones in the treasury."
"meaningless!"
Bai Wanxi heard this and bowed down.
"What your Majesty said is true, but in order to prevent unexpected situations from happening, the court should set aside part of the financial surplus for emergencies."
Zhu Hongyu nodded in agreement, and then continued.
"What the Qing family said is true! Starting from this year, the imperial government will set aside five percent of its finances for emergency reserves to prepare for emergencies."
Obviously, Zhu Hongyu is a person who can listen to advice.
After saying this, Zhu Hongyu continued.
"Financial matters are nothing more than increasing revenue and reducing expenditure."
"Instead of thinking about how to save money, it is better to think about how to ensure the accuracy of taxation and how to increase the court's fiscal revenue."
“You know, a lot of money cannot be saved!”
"When Emperor Sizong abolished the post system, it did save the court a lot of expenses, but it also abolished Li Zicheng."
"If the imperial court had not abolished the post station, wouldn't Li Zicheng have continued to be my postman in the Ming Dynasty?"
"In addition, the abolition of the post station also caused the collapse of the system of transmitting official documents and battle reports from top to bottom in the imperial court, making the government and government orders inaccessible, and the local generals gradually became more domineering."
"Isn't this lesson profound enough?"
"As my minister of finance, the Qing family has to take care of my money bag, but we cannot save money that should be spent."
Bai Wanxi heard this and spoke.
"Wei Chen is terrified!"
Zhu Hongyu slowly shook his head and then said.
"No need to panic, you are just doing what you should do."
"Let's do our job well. We will go back and compile a tax report from the imperial court last year and send it over. I want to take a look at it myself."
Over the years, the total tax revenue of the Ming Dynasty has been increasing.
First, industrial and commercial development stimulates the growth of commercial taxes.
Second, the appeasement policy promised by the imperial court to local governments of not collecting taxes for five and a half years gradually expired, and local governments began to gradually resume the collection of agricultural taxes.
What you need to know is that in the feudal era, agricultural taxes were the largest part of all taxes.
Even though the Ming Dynasty's industry and commerce has reached a certain scale, the importance of agricultural taxes cannot be ignored.
Even though Zhu Hongyu abolished the three rates, abolished the exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes with cleverly named names, and unified them into regular taxes, which reduced the burden on farmers, at the same time, the total agricultural tax of the imperial court was also increasing.
Also, the agricultural tax was not only related to the imperial court’s fiscal revenue, but also related to the imperial court’s grain reserves.
It can be said to be the top priority!
The third point is the court's rectification of salt tax, tea tax, vehicle and ship tax, and other taxes, as well as the increase in stamp duty...
What you need to know is that at the peak of Manchu salt tax revenue, the annual income from salt tax alone was tens of millions of taels.
This was still the middle period of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, after the emergence of Mr. He, corruption in the government was rampant, and taxes were severely reduced by local officials and salt merchants.
This shows how high the income of the Salt Administration can be!
Even though the population of the Ming Dynasty is not as large as that of the Manchu Qing Dynasty at its peak, it is not as crazy about the exploitation of the people as the Manchu Qing Dynasty.
But just from the salt tax alone, it is easy to earn tens of millions a year.
Not to mention the tea tax, vehicle and vessel tax, stamp duty and other taxes.
The imperial court's taxes are increasing every year, which is why Zhu Hongyu has the confidence to carry out large-scale foreign conquests and promote the national prestige of the Celestial Empire.
This is the reason for the large-scale internal construction and infrastructure construction.
In the final analysis, it is because he has money and is willing to spend it.
For example, Zhu Hongyu wanted to attack Burma and after eliminating the troops sent by the vassal states in the coalition.
The Ming army alone had tens of thousands of troops fighting abroad, and a larger number of civilians were responsible for the logistics and supply transportation of the army.
Zhu Hongyu’s move can be said to be a great success!
However, Zhu Hongyu was willing to spend money. If the army won a battle, there would be rewards. If you were disabled, you would receive pensions. If you died in battle, the court would support your family.
Under the generous reward, the entire army was extremely loyal to the emperor.
Even the civilians who were responsible for transporting logistics to the army were paid, instead of being forced to work in vain by conscripting them into corvees.
In general, if the emperor wants to invade Burma, everyone will benefit.
In this case, who would care whether the emperor is very happy with his achievements?
I'm afraid they all wish that the emperor would be more generous and happy with his achievements. After conquering Burma, he would immediately attack other countries so that they can continue to have income.
People care most about their own interests.
Therefore, Zhu Hongyu planned to take a look at the court's tax situation last year and find ways to increase the court's annual revenue.
Because the imperial court's finances were the source of Zhu Hongyu's success.
…
Shanxi, Taiyuan Prefecture!
Taiyuan is rich in coal and iron resources, which has been famous throughout the world since the Han and Tang Dynasties.
Even in later generations, Shanxi Coal Boss is still a famous person.
Naturally, it was impossible for the Ming court to leave such obvious resources undeveloped. After the court discovered a large amount of coal and iron minerals in Taiyuan Prefecture, it established large-scale state-owned mines.
Mines were mined one after another, and a large number of iron-making furnaces and steel-making furnaces were erected.
Steel production is rising!
Black smoke was billowing everywhere inside and outside Taiyuan City, and the air was filled with the smell of soot, which was quite pungent.
The sun shines and spreads on the ground. The smoke particles in the air are clearly visible, and everything is gray.
Even the green leaves on both sides of the road are covered with gray-black coal dust.
This is the price of industrial development.
Taiyuan Prefecture has provided a large amount of steel production capacity for the entire Northland at the cost of large-scale environmental damage.
The rails required for laying the railway were produced one by one, and then transported to the nearest construction site for railway laying, and turned into roads laid on the ground.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! The imperial court is currently carrying out large-scale infrastructure construction in local areas. Among them, the most important construction plan is the laying plan for the railway network.
Now the railway network that Ming Dynasty is planning to build is no longer just the north-south Beijing line that is going to replace the canal.
Instead, the entire Ming Dynasty is preparing a railway network plan!
Although the Ming Dynasty was temporarily unable to lay the railway network to the county level in later generations, it was so exaggerated.
But laying provincial railways and connecting provincial capitals with each other, or between important cities, can still be done with grit and teeth.
Of course it’s impossible to do that all at once!
But if the construction plan span of this project is extended to twenty or thirty years, then this large project will no longer be a fantasy.
But the fact!
After seeing the convenience of the railway, local officials in various provinces began to write to the court, asking for preparations to start construction.
Especially provinces such as Shanxi and Beizhili, which are rich in coal and iron resources.
They don't even need the imperial court to dispatch rails from other provinces, they can produce rails themselves for construction.
As for the cost of building the railway...
How should I put it, although the cost is indeed quite high, the court can bear it even if it bites the bullet.
The biggest cost of railway construction is nothing else but the production of rails.
If you want to produce rails with qualified quality, only Daming can do it globally.
At the beginning, due to immature technology, the production cost of rails was indeed quite high.
However, with the passage of time, Ming Dynasty's rail production technology gradually improved, and large-scale production also produced scale effects, which greatly reduced the production cost of rails.
Therefore, the production cost of railway tracks in Ming Dynasty has now dropped to an acceptable range!
And more importantly, in the future, the reduction of rail production costs will still be the general trend.
In other words, the price of rail tracks will only get cheaper and cheaper.
All other costs, except for the rails, are just additional costs and are not a problem at all.
Manpower can be provided by labor reform prisoners or laborers imported from foreign countries, which are basically the kind of people who can take care of the food.
Wages can be paid later!
As for technicians, you need to hire engineers from the Ming Dynasty who know how to build railways. Although the personal salary is higher, it is completely acceptable because of the small number of people.
To sum up, the imperial court’s plan to build the railway network is feasible.
And more importantly, after the railway network is completed, it will bring the comprehensive national strength of Ming Dynasty to a higher level.
It will also take the court's control over local areas to a higher level!
Telegraph and railway may be the weapon for the Ming Dynasty to rule the world.
…
Wang Changgeng carried the tool box and walked towards the outside of Taiyuan City.
His shoulders sagged slightly under the weight of the heavy toolbox.
He was wearing dirty, shiny, reflective work clothes, gloves and a mask, and a helmet made of rattan frame on his head.
Although he was very dirty, his overall energy was very good. Judging from his body exposed to the air, the tendons on his body were quite obvious.
"Fifth brother, are you going to work?"
Wang Changgeng was walking on the road, and acquaintances passing by smiled and greeted him.
Wang Changgeng nodded and said.
"Yes, yes, it's my turn to work today!"
The acquaintance said with a flattering face.
"It's good to have a skill at hand. Fifth brother can easily earn five or six silver dollars every month, which is much better than me, a salesman who walks around the streets."
This man's name is Zhao Zhuzhu, nicknamed Ergouzi, and he is a salesman.
Carrying a load and walking through the streets every day, I earned only a hard-earned amount of money.
Wang Changgeng just smiled and shook his head.
"No, I envy you, Ergouzi, because you have more freedom. You can do whatever you want, and you can take a break if you don't want to."
"Unlike me, I have to go to work when the time comes, otherwise I will lose my job."
Wang Changgeng was a worker in the imperial mine outside Taiyuan City, but he was not responsible for mining or iron and steelmaking, but an engineer responsible for building railways.
The main purpose of building railways in mines is to facilitate the transportation of minerals and reduce investment in manpower.
The two greeted each other, and Wang Changgeng continued walking to the mine carrying the tool box.
Today is the opening ceremony of the mine railway. Technicians like Wang Changgeng must all be present to maintain and inspect the rails to ensure there are no problems with the opening.
When Wang Changgeng arrived at the mine, he signed in and clocked in and then went straight to the construction site. When he arrived at the construction site, there were already many people working there.
Inspection rails were being inspected, trains were being inspected, trains were being inspected, and the person in charge of the mine also came to the track and asked about the specific parameters of the railway. It was a busy scene.
Most people wore masks on their faces to block the dust.
Of course, the masks they wear are not disposable gauze masks, but pure cotton masks that can be cleaned and used repeatedly.
Although the quality cannot be said to be very good, it can still be regarded as a kind of labor protection.
It can greatly reduce the occurrence of pneumoconiosis.
Wang Changgeng followed the team to inspect the railway and then reported the results.
After the results are finalized, the train will depart.
With a whistle blowing and the sound of rails rubbing against each other, a train dragging carriages filled with coal, iron ore appeared in everyone's sight.
With a sound of friction, the train dragged the carriages one by one and began to move slowly along the railway.
Pass by each node and unload the ore respectively.
After circling the entire mine and confirming that the railway system in the mine was in good condition, the train slowly stopped...
…
Wang Changgeng finished his busy day and returned to his home carrying the tool box.
Thinking back on what the team leader said to him today, he couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
With the opening and improvement of the railway system in the mine, so many technicians are no longer needed for the subsequent maintenance and repair of the railway.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! As a technician, Wang Changgeng will not be unemployed, but he will be deployed to work on other railway construction sites.
Today's Ming Dynasty is full of places lacking labor force.
Especially for skilled technicians like Wang Changgeng, there is no need to worry about unemployment.
However, the railway construction site where he was transferred was a bit far from Taiyuan City...
If he went to report there, he would have to leave home.
Thinking about these messy things, Wang Changgeng returned to his home.
As soon as he entered the door, he smelled the aroma of food.
His wife was wearing an apron and working in front of the stove.
Turning around and seeing Wang Changgeng walking in from the outside, Wang Zhang said.
"Master, please wash your hands first, sit down and rest for a while. Food will be ready soon."
Wang Changgeng had been exhausted all day outside. When he returned home, Mrs. Wang Zhang would definitely not let him work anymore.
Men make money to support the family, and women take care of the housework. Only by division of labor and cooperation can a family be called a home.
Wang Changgeng nodded and said.
"Okay, my wife will be busy first!"
"I'll pour a glass of wine and come back later!"
After saying that, Wang Changgeng put down the tool box in his hand, then returned to the bedroom to change clothes and wash hands.
After he changed into clean clothes and cleaned himself up, he put twenty large coins in his arms, then walked out of the courtyard gate and headed towards the tavern in Fang City.
After he returned home, Mrs. Wang and Zhang prepared the food, brought the delicious food to the table, and waited for Wang Changgeng to come back and start the meal together.
The two daughters sat at the table, staring at the food on the table with bright eyes, swallowing from time to time.
And his infant son, who was just born this year, was held in Wang Zhang's arms and fed.
Wang Changgeng placed the gourd filled with wine on the table, picked up a coarse porcelain bowl and poured himself a bowl.
He took a sip of the drink, feeling the pungency of the inferior sorghum wine. Wang Changgeng slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, feeling that the fatigue from a hard day's work was gone.
"Let's eat!"
After saying that, he started to use his chopsticks and picked up a chopstick of stir-fried Chinese cabbage, steamed buns and white porridge. He also ate it with gusto.
The deep-fried whale jerky exudes an alluring aroma, and it only needs to be seasoned with salt to make your mouth water.
Wang Changgeng used chopsticks to share the deep-fried dried whale meat with his wife and two daughters, then used the chopsticks to take some of the porridge water and teased the son in his wife's arms.
Looking at the eyebrows and smile on his son's little face, Wang Changgeng couldn't help but laugh.
As a father, although Wang Changgeng has some patriarchal thoughts, he can still keep a bowl of water balanced when his son is still a baby.
At the very least, if there was food at home, he would definitely not deny it to his daughter.
After working hard every day, when I go home and see the harmonious and warm scene of my family, I feel that all my hard work is worth it.
Thinking of this, Wang Changgeng took another sip of sorghum wine.
Of course, he is not addicted to drinking, he just drinks to relieve fatigue.
The family sat together and finished dinner. The two daughters held hands and helped their mother clear the dishes and prepare to wash the dishes and wash the pots.
Wang Changgeng was sitting on a deck chair in the yard, enjoying his leisure time while teasing his son in his arms.
The son in his arms giggled from time to time and was very cute.
After his wife finished washing the dishes and washing pots, the family sat together and chatted. Wang Changgeng teased his son and spoke.
"I received a notice from above that I might be transferred to work on the railway construction site in Datong for a while."
"At that time, I may have to go on a long-term business trip, and you have to take good care of the children at home."
Wang Changgeng said to his wife.
When Wang Zhang heard this, she asked with a somewhat unpleasant look on her face.
"Is this settled? Do we have to go?"
Wang Changgeng nodded solemnly and said.
"Yes, I have to go."
"The work here in Taiyuan is done. If you don't go to Datong, you won't be able to find any work."
“In order to make money to support our family, we have to go even if it’s farther away.”
The railway to be built in Datong is, to put it bluntly, the railway line connecting Taiyuan and Datong.
Taiyuan and Datong are both one of the nine important towns in the Ming Dynasty. Whether it is to facilitate logistics supplies or to communicate with each other between the two towns, it is very necessary to build a railway line.
When Wang Zhang heard this, she spoke in a low tone.
"If you go to Datong, we will be the only orphans and widowers left at home."
If there is no man in the family, it is easy to be bullied.
Wang Changgeng shook his head and said.
"It's impossible not to go!"
"If I don't go to Datong, I will have to work as an ordinary miner in the mine, and my skills will be in vain."
The wages of technicians like Wang Changgeng are very high, and they can receive about five or six silver dollars per month.
An ordinary miner, who works hard for a month and eats and drinks, can only receive less than two silver dollars in wages.
The difference is more than double!
Wang Changgeng definitely cannot accept that he will just be an ordinary worker.
The income downgrade is too serious.
When Wang Zhang heard this, he asked in a muffled voice.
"when are you leaving?"
Wang Changgeng pondered for a while and then spoke.
"Probably at the end of the month!"
"The higher ups need to tally up the list and then prepare for the trip north."
Mrs. Wang Zhang nodded and said.
"You should take care of yourself when you go out."
Wang Changgeng laughed loudly, and then said.
"Don't worry, your man and I are very hard!"
…
The imperial court wanted to build a railway connecting Taiyuan and Datong, and it was not just the technicians who were affected.
Including grain merchants that supply food to the construction site, steel plants that supply rails, cement plants that supply cement sleepers...
After the imperial court issued an order to build a railway connecting Taiyuan to Datong, many people began to get busy.
As the only son in the family, Huang Silang also said goodbye to his parents and escorted the food and supplies from his business all the way north to Datong.
As an only son, he was called Huang Silang because he had three older brothers before, but they all died.
He is the only one who successfully raised him to adulthood!
The Huang family is a member of the Shanxi merchants, but they are not one of the eight Shanxi merchant families who collaborated with the enemy and betrayed the country and became the Han family. They are just businessmen who do business honestly.
Those who collaborated with the enemy and betrayed the country were the eight traitors, not the entire Shanxi merchant group. This point must be clearly distinguished.
Most Shanxi merchants are colluding with government officials and merchants to do business, and collaborating with the enemy and betraying the country is not a serious problem.
During the twenty years when the Manchus occupied the world, the industries of ordinary Shanxi merchants like the Huang family were severely suppressed by the Eight Traitors.
The Eight Traitors took advantage of their status as imperial merchants of the Qing Dynasty to expand their industries and usurp the interests of many ordinary Shanxi merchants.
After the restoration of the Ming Dynasty, the Eight Great Traitors were liquidated, their families were all exterminated, and their branches were also exiled to death.
They usurped the interests of Shanxi merchant groups, and most of them were spit out and taken back by Shanxi merchants like the Huang family.
In this process, the Huang family also successfully caught up with the Ming Dynasty court and began to do business in line with the court's policies.
Whether they were actively investing capital to develop industry and commerce, building various factories, or cooperating with the court in infrastructure construction such as railway construction, the Huang family responded very actively to the court's policies.
Now, the imperial court wants to build a railway line connecting Taiyuan and Datong, and needs logistical support to provide food, tools and other materials for the construction site.
The Huang family took the initiative to transport supplies northward and prepare to sell them to the imperial court. It was out of this consideration.
In fact, not only the Huang family, but also the entire Shanxi merchant group, almost all reputable businessmen, were actively selling to the court.
In today's Ming Dynasty, if you want to do business, there are many opportunities to make money.
But there are not many opportunities to build relationships with the imperial court.
In many businesses, only if you have a relationship with the court can you be eligible to enter.
When the court is in need, these businessmen will rush to stand up and express their opinions. It is not difficult to understand.
The business that the Huang family longs for now is the imperial court's outsourcing projects.
The Ming Dynasty court wanted to build infrastructure, overhaul railways and official roads, etc. It was impossible for the court to be responsible for everything.
It would be a very good way to outsource the project and use the energy of local gentry and businessmen to complete the infrastructure construction project.
Such projects are very popular, and many gentry and businessmen are rushing to do them.
However, since the number of projects is limited, it is difficult to say who should do it and who should not do it.
It is unavoidable to be polite, but while doing so, it is also very necessary to do well for the court and support the implementation of the court's policies.
Otherwise, even if you show favor to the officials in charge of relevant affairs, it will be difficult for them to arrange things for you.
Just as Huang Silang was leading the team to escort the supplies to Datong, Mr. Huang was also bringing gifts and was preparing to visit the relevant officials in charge of the railway construction outsourcing project.
He should have a good relationship with his half-brother.
…
Jiang Qiang was wearing an official robe and sitting on a sofa.
He has a square face and wears a Ming Dynasty official robe, giving people a sense of righteousness and awe-inspiring.
On the table in front of him, in addition to teapots, teacups, and a stack of snacks, there was also a gift box.
The lid of the gift box is lifted, and the gifts inside the gift box are clearly visible.
It was a package of silver dollars wrapped in red paper, and the number was estimated to be about five hundred yuan.
Jiang Qiang picked up the tea cup and took a sip of tea. His eyes looked at the gift box with some fiery and longing eyes.
Five hundred silver dollars is not a small number!
The salary of an ordinary worker in this era was only about two silver dollars, which was only twenty-four silver dollars a year.
To earn five hundred silver dollars, it would take twenty years...
To be able to take five hundred silver dollars as a gift, the old man of the Huang family is quite generous.
The old man of the Huang family also saw Jiang Qiang's eyes and said with a smile.
"I hope Master Jiang can help with the outsourcing of railway construction and siege."
"Everyone in the Huang family wants to make some contribution to the imperial court within their ability."
Jiang Qiang drank all the tea in the cup, put the cup down, and forced himself to look away from the "gift".
Then he spoke.
"Mr. Huang, it's not that I don't want to help you again."
“It’s that the imperial court has adopted new policies for project subcontracting.”
"The imperial court is preparing to hold public bidding for the construction projects in sections. Interested parties can participate in the bidding meeting and make public quotations."
"Whoever gives a quote that is more beneficial to the court will outsource the project to him..."
"I really can't help you!"
"Mr. Huang, please take these gifts back."
Although Jiang Qiang was jealous of the gifts in front of him, he also knew the principle of collecting money to do things.
Since nothing can be done, he will definitely not accept the money.
Furthermore, the imperial guards responsible for monitoring official corruption are not just decorations.
Jiang Qiang was also afraid that if he took the money, he would end up in Jinyiwei's prison.
Although the current emperor's treatment of corrupt officials is not as harsh as that of Emperor Taizu, he often peels off the skin and destroys the grass, confiscates the family and exterminates the clan.
But it can’t be said to be lenient!
Every year, there are not a few officials in the imperial court who are imprisoned for corruption, although not many are sentenced to death for corruption.
But if the whole family is exiled to Nanyang or Gandusi as slaves at every turn, and the accompanying lifelong labor camp package is provided, it would be better to die than to repay it.
The intensity of labor in the labor camps is really like using people as livestock.
Jiang Qiang doesn't think he is more durable than animals.
When the old man of the Huang family heard this, he just stroked his beard and said.
"It doesn't matter, these are just greeting gifts from my Huang family to your adults. Gifts given out cannot be taken back again."
But Jiang Qiang said firmly.
"No, no, no, I really can't accept this gift. Mr. Huang should take it back."
"It would also be good to use it to build bridges and pave roads to benefit the countryside."
Jiang Qiang's attitude was firm, and Mr. Huang realized that the other party was not joking and really didn't want to accept the money.
Seeing this, he no longer pressed, and just said with a smile.
"In that case, I will use these gifts to benefit the village."
"I believe the people in the village will be grateful for your kindness."
Jiang Qiang stood up from the sofa to see off the guests and sent Mr. Huang out.
…
Mr. Huang left the Ministry of Construction's official office in Taiyuan City and returned to his residence in a four-wheeled carriage.
On the way, Mr. Huang sat in the carriage and began to think about the bidding matter.
This bidding, to put it bluntly, is an auction.
The object of the auction is the imperial government's project quota.
Although this bidding can indeed reduce expenses for the court, it is not good for businessmen like them who are preparing to undertake the project.
In order to get the project, everyone will compete to lower the price, and profits will naturally be diluted...
After Mr. Huang was about to return to his mansion, he found some professional bookkeepers to calculate and see what the lowest price the Huang family could accept.
In other words, once the price is lowered, the Huang family will have no profit.
After sighing, Mr. Huang couldn't help but complain.
"When did the imperial court become so shrewd..."
The accountant Mr. Huang invited did the math for a long time and then came to a conclusion.
"If we want to ensure the quality of the project, the minimum cost must be six hundred silver dollars per kilometer to ensure that the Huang family will not lose money after taking over the project."
After listening to Mr. Accountant's report, Mr. Huang had an idea.
In order to ensure profit, the minimum price he can accept must be at least 600 yuan per kilometer.
Otherwise, you are working for the imperial court in vain!
As for cutting corners and tampering with project quality to ensure profits...
To be honest, Mr. Huang would not dare.
Because after the project is completed, the court needs to complete the acceptance inspection before paying them.
Even if the Huang family was able to fool the acceptance officials with their human connections, the imperial court paid for the project in installments.
It does not mean that after the acceptance is completed on the spot, the court will pay the money on the spot.
Instead, it will be paid in installments. If the quality of the project is no problem within one year, 10% will be paid, if there is no problem within three years, 20% will be paid, and if there is no problem within five years, the court will pay another 20%.
If there is no problem within ten years, the imperial court will settle the project payment.
If there is a problem with the quality of the project during this period, the engineering party responsible for the construction, together with the acceptance officials, will be held accountable.
Supervision is quite strong!
One bad thing is that the whole family will be exiled to a labor camp and devote their lives to the construction of the feudal New Ming Dynasty for free!