"I haven't seen you for half a month. I thought you were missing!"
"Sorry!" Jiang Liu'er said helplessly: "The chess academy is studying how to compete!"
"Speaking of which, is it really possible to become a chess player?" Xiaoyun couldn't hide her excitement: "Can women also participate?"
"It should be possible!" Jiang Liu'er nodded and glanced at Fang Baihua: "It's just difficult!"
Fang Baihua also smiled bitterly and said: "There is a huge difference in chess skills between men and women. I guess being in the top 100 would be considered good!"
Jiang Liuer came to the chess hall and saw the arrogant chess ghost king. He couldn't help but said: "What's your surname, brother?"
"The Ghost King of Chess!"
Jiang Liu'er couldn't help but shake his head. This name might be taboo, and he could easily be beaten.
"please!"
The two guessed first, and the ghost king held white and played first.
For two thousand years, China has had the system of white chess playing first and taking the seat, but Japan changed this a hundred years ago.
The so-called seat means that at the beginning, both sides place two chess pieces on each of the four star positions to determine that the black and white sides each occupy two corners.
Half an hour later, the chess ghost king lowered his head and said silently: "I lost!"
"The way of Go is full of ups and downs. No one is always victorious." Jiang Liu'er comforted him: "Your talent is very good, so you have to work harder!"
"Don't be proud and dissatisfied and look down on the people of the world!"
Suddenly, the Go Ghost King covered his face and started crying: "I want to participate in the Go Conference!"
Jiang Liuer was speechless.
Not everyone can participate in the Go tournament. It’s hard to tell whether your chess skills are high or low, so just rely on money!
Anyone who wants to participate must pay a registration fee of one yuan.
Go is not like chess. People who are proficient in this kind of game are basically scholars. They don’t have a dollar more or less, so they can make a choice.
Seeing this, Jiang Liu'er was about to say something when Xiaoyun on the side shouted:
"Why don't you become a guest in my chess hall and be responsible for instructing others to play chess? I'll provide you with food and accommodation, and I'll give you three yuan a month!"
The guests on the side became lively: "Xiaoyun, you are recruiting a son-in-law!"
"I must have taken a liking to this young man!"
"If you keep talking nonsense, the chessboard fee will be doubled!" Xiaoyun became angry.
At this moment, everyone stopped talking.
Because of the Go tournament, the capital welcomed tens of thousands of people in just a few months.
Chess players from all major vassal states and outstanding chess players from all over the country are ready to go.
Hideya Kuroki, his senior brother Eio Fujisawa, and his junior sister Yuri Nakagawa represented the Nakagawa Chess Institute in the Go competition.
The Edo shogunate strongly supported the four Go masters, the Honinbo family, the Inoue family, the Yasui family, and the Hayashi family, especially the Honinbo family IV and Honinbo Dosaku, who were the seed players.
“There are so many people in Beijing!”
Lily Nakagawa couldn't help but exclaimed.
Compared with Edo's criss-crossing rivers and low eaves, Beijing's street-facing houses are basically two-story buildings with various facades and numerous signboards.
The shouts of hawkers along the street are even more continuous.
The various snacks, specialties, and merchandise are dazzling.
A rich and prosperous Beijing is deeply engraved in the hearts of everyone.
"This place is better than Edo, there are not so many fires!" Fujie Sawao breathed a sigh of relief.
Hideya Kuroki said in a deep voice: "The train that was emitting black smoke was the most shocking thing. It arrived in Beijing from Tianjin in just over four hours."
"The Kingdom of Heaven is really powerful!"
The three of them and a few entourage walked along the spacious street. After walking around, they stayed at the Yuelai Inn.
In order to welcome the Longevity Festival in May, the Go Tournament was held in mid-April, and the winner was decided in twenty days to present a gift to the emperor.
According to the Ministry of Rites, the number of chess players registered this time at home and abroad has reached 18,000.
Therefore, one move determines the outcome, and two players compete against each other.
In ten days, only eighteen people were left.
Surprisingly, among the eighteen people, the Ming Dynasty only occupied eight seats, while Japan occupied six seats, Korea two seats, and Qin two seats.
Qi State, Liao State, etc. just joined in the fun, and not many powerful chess players participated in the battle.
Likewise, the battle was particularly fierce.
For both the government and the opposition, Japan's sudden rise really surprised them.
"Is Japan only slightly inferior to Ming Dynasty?"
Zhu Yixi looked at the essence through the phenomenon and understood the key:
"Japan has abolished the seat system."
Zhang Tongchang, the Minister of Rites, seldom played chess with the emperor. He was in high spirits, for fear that he would make the wrong move and lose the emperor.
"Your Majesty, the seat system sets the star position first, which limits the advantage of being the first mover, but it also makes the situation more balanced. There are many long-term tests, and it is not very entertaining!"
"The chess game is not as intense as the Japanese, it seems very dull!"
To put it bluntly, using a fixed format in the opening game will limit the performance of Go and increase the difficulty, which is disadvantageous for newcomers.
This is just like fishing where you must use earthworms, you cannot make nests, and you cannot use rice grains, loaches, etc. There are too many restrictions and you are tied up.
Even because the format has remained unchanged for thousands of years, the importance of chess records has greatly increased, overshadowing ability to a certain extent.
For example, point three and three will not work.
If you can't point 33 to Go, is it still called Go?
Zhu Yixi thought that abolishing the seat system for Go is no less than breaking the chains and letting it dance freely.
For the future of Go in Ming Dynasty, it is quite good.
However, this matter does not require an official order, but allows the Go community to revolutionize itself!
And how to break up those with vested interests?
It’s nothing more than what goes up and works down.
As chess pieces, it is up to the imperial edicts!
After all, the emperor can't even sit down, so why are you doing it?
However, Go is just a minor game, and what Zhu Yixi values most is the influence he can exert on the vassal states through Go conferences.
"How many literati from the feudal state came to Beijing this time?"
"Your Majesty, there are about a thousand people. There are 300 people in Japan alone and more than 200 people in North Korea..."
Zhu Yixi nodded.
Politically, the vassal state was subordinate to the Ming Dynasty, and its reign name, political system, clothing, and even writing were almost identical to those of the Ming Dynasty.
At the same time, the imperial examinations were conducted all over the vassal state, one was to select talents, and the other was to cultivate the goodwill of officials in the vassal state.
The upper class alone is not enough. Chess tournaments are more civil and can further enhance cultural centripetal force.
After chatting for a while, Zhang Tongchang finally dared to speak: "Your Majesty, the prince left Beijing for Guangdong and Guangxi last year. I'm afraid it will not be good for the country..."
Zhu Yixi frowned: "If you don't look around the place, how can you know the important events of the people?"
"I have my own opinion regarding the prince's affairs, so don't say anything more!"
"Yes!" Zhang Tongchang hurriedly lowered his head.
After staying in Xizang for nearly three years, Prince Zhu Cunqu profoundly changed the situation on the plateau, thus changing the plateau from serfdom to feudal landlordism.
A large number of homesteaders and small and medium-sized landowners became the mainstream and poured into the officialdom of Xizang, thus laying the foundation for the rule of the Ming Dynasty.
Later, in order to stabilize the situation, Yu Chenglong, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, was dismissed on the spot and went to Xizang to continue to oversee the plateau and served as the governor of Kangzang.
The prince also completed his merits and returned from the plateau and stayed in Beijing for more than half a year.
Later, he was appointed and dismissed as the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, taking on the important task of reforming the native land and returning it to the local people, focusing on solving the problem of returning the native land to the local people in Qiongzhou Prefecture.
It can be said that this 28-year-old prince is trusted by the emperor and is enough to assume the position of a feudal official.
But this kind of training is enough for civil servants. The most stable strategy is for the prince to sit in the capital.
Zhu Yixi understood the concerns of civil servants, but he could not figure out his sudden death.
Although the Ming Emperor's death at the age of forty or fifty is considered average, I am a time traveler, so even being sixty or seventy is considered an insult.
However, Zhu Yixi kept the prince away not only for the purpose of nurturing him, but also to avoid the two dragons meeting each other.
As a prince, the prince is naturally attractive to people's hearts.
He was not afraid that the prince would rebel and act like a loving father and a filial son. The key was that he was afraid that the prince would be coerced and used, and he would unknowingly stand against the emperor.
For example, the prince of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty became a representative of the conservatives. He refused to be sinicized and had to be deposed.
Once the prince or prince is involved in politics, he will inevitably become an interest group, and the emperor cannot ignore it.
This is also the reason why the Song and Ming dynasties promoted the crown prince in vain to directly avoid this situation.
In the Yuan Dynasty, princes were allowed to participate in politics, fathers and sons fought, and coups occurred frequently.
Zhu Yixi would naturally not flatter the prince, nor would he give him great power.
Simply neutralize it and let the prince stay where he is.
It is the best choice to cultivate your abilities while avoiding getting too old.
Due to the long separation and occasional meeting, the relationship between father and son is quite harmonious, much better than that of the royal families in history.
As for the queen, with the emperor and grandson accompanying her, the prince is nothing.
The next person to meet was Zhao Langxing, Minister of Industry, and he and Zhang Tongchang could be said to have switched positions with each other.
At fifty years old, he is already full of energy.
"Your Majesty, the railway track from Beijing to Jilin has been successfully constructed. It will be put into operation on a trial basis for a few days and will be open on the Wanshou Festival. As a gift to you!"
"Don't set a time limit, as long as it's safe to pass!"
The smooth flow of the Beijing-Jilin railway track made Zhu Yixi feel much better.
This railway extends from the Beijing-Shenyang Railway. Taking into account all the time, it took eight years to build, and its length reaches two thousand miles.
Money was spent, reaching nearly 20 million silver dollars.
It’s almost 10,000 yuan per mile.
And you need to know that in the inland plains, the average cost of one mile is only 4,000 yuan.
Once the Beijing-Jilin Railway is completed, the imperial court's control over the Northeast will reach an unimaginable level.
It used to take three or four months to travel from Beijing to Heilongjiang, but now it takes just one month.
Of course, with the railway, grain, timber and other materials from the Northeast will be transported to Beijing faster, which will increase the imperial court's exploitation of the Northeast.
After all, the imperial court has decided to immigrate to a large area over the years, especially in recent years. Without convenient transportation, it is difficult for immigrants to relocate.
"In addition to the Beijing-Jilin railway track, the Beijing-Kaifeng railway will also be opened to traffic at the end of the year, which is really gratifying and congratulatory..."
Zhao Langxing said excitedly.
The construction of the railway from Beijing to Kaifeng is different from the Beijing-Jilin Railway in that it is purely a matter of absorbing materials.
Water transportation in Henan is underdeveloped, so grain can only be transported north through railways, saving a lot of transportation costs.
For Beijing, canal and sea transportation are certainly desirable, but the cost of rail transportation is not high, and walking on three legs is more secure.
Zhu Yixi nodded slightly.
In the past few years, in addition to the usual water conservancy projects, the biggest project of the imperial court was railway construction.
The annual financial expenditure is stable at around 10 million.
In addition to the Jingji and Jingkai railways, the smooth operation of the third railway, the Xi'an to Suzhou railway, has made the situation in the northwest more stable.
Gansu has become the anchor of stability in the northwest.
There are not many railways to be built next, including the Jiuku Railway from Suiyuan Jiuyuan to Kulun; and the extension of the Xisu Railway, the railway from Suzhou to Urumqi.
When you have money, you will naturally want to carry out large-scale construction.
As for the terrain in the south that requires drilling holes, the imperial court had no plans to build roads.
Because the rivers throughout the south are enough to replace the role of railways.
However, Zhu Yixi thinks that a Beijing-Nanjing railway can be built along the Grand Canal.
Completely relieve the pressure on the canal, making the Grand Canal truly become the mainstream of cargo transportation.
The rest can be repaired in the north. Construction in the south is too difficult, so we should leave it to future generations!
“How much profit does rail transportation make?”
The emperor asked key questions.
"Your Majesty, the steam locomotive is becoming more and more powerful. Even if it is loaded with ten carriages, it can travel forty or fifty miles in an hour. It is convenient to transport coal and grain, and it is not a problem to transport people."
Zhao Langxing thought about it and said: "Now the Beijing-Suiyuan Line has an annual profit of more than 300,000 yuan, the Beijing-Tianjin Line has an annual profit of one million yuan, and the Beijing-Baoding (Baoding) Line can make a profit of more than 200,000 yuan!"
"On the Xisu Line, there are only about 100,000..."
Among the three lines, the distance between Beijing and Tianjin is only 300 miles, but it is the most developed city in the north, so it is highly profitable.
Although Beijing and Suizhou passed through Datong, there were too many desolate places along the way, the population was small, and the military was greater than the economy.
Having said that, in this era, rail transportation costs are extremely low, second only to water transportation.
Generally speaking, the cost can be recovered within 20 to 30 years, and the rest is pure profit.
This is also the reason why the cabinet is extremely supportive of railway construction. It is really a loss for a while but a benefit for a century.
Every time a railway is built, it is equivalent to an increase in financial resources, which is much better than just saving money.
In recent years, Zhu Yixi has also opened his eyes. The national inventory of 70 to 80 million is enough, and the rest might as well be spread out to promote the circulation of silver coins.
As long as his internal funds are not short of money.
After a while, seeing that the emperor lost interest, Zhao Langxing left.
“The location of Mr. Ge is so nice!”
Zhu Yixi shook his head.
The first assistant is Zhu Mou, the second assistant is Yan Yingyuan, and the group assistants are Liu Xiangke and Yan Qiheng. Now one more person has to be added to form a five-person model.
Now, aren't the eight ministers anxious?
Back in the harem, Kunning Palace was bustling with activity.
It turned out to be the emperor's 48th birthday, and the approaching kings of Liang, Fu, Qi, Yue, and Qin also arrived in Beijing one after another to pay their respects to the emperor.
The prince also returned home in a hurry and fulfilled his filial duty.