Beside the mine, a large number of miners gathered together and cheered.
Under the scorching sun, they were dressed in thin cotton-padded clothes, with sweat pouring from their foreheads, but they didn't care at all. Instead, they looked excited.
A huge machine emitted white smoke and purred, seeming to penetrate people's ears.
At the same time, several big men were shirtless and kept stuffing coal behind them. Then the iron pipes went deep into the mine and continued to draw water out, spraying it onto the ground nearby.
This black water is the accumulated water in the mine.
Some mines had to be abandoned not because of depletion of resources, but because of water accumulation.
Moreover, stagnant water will cause the mine to collapse, increasing the danger for miners.
But now that they have this water-drawing machine, it is very convenient for them. At least the mine is much safer.
"Very good!" Zhu Miao, who was nearly 20 years old, walked over and couldn't help laughing when he looked at the water being sucked out continuously.
"My boss, it only takes half a day for the water in the cave to be gone, and then the mine can continue to mine!"
The pot-bellied steward said flatteringly.
"It's too slow!"
Zhu Miao sighed: "However, compared with the strike, it is nothing."
Mining is not a simple matter.
Where the mine is, you need to find the richest place first, then dig the tunnel and reinforce it. It won't be taken down in less than half a month.
And it may only be a shallow layer in the end.
Therefore, for businessmen, with so many contract fees and high costs, it is best to get income immediately.
And there's nothing better than a steady stream of old mines.
"The water accumulation in this coal mine cannot be delayed. From my point of view, pumping it out once a month will prevent it from collapsing!"
"yes!"
Zhu Miao looked at the excited miners and turned away.
"My boss, this, I have many mines with serious water accumulation. Can this water pump be used again?"
the steward asked.
"This steam engine was bought specifically to pump water, so it can certainly be used."
Zhu Miao chuckled and said: "The only pity is that it can only be pumped two feet deep at most, and there is nothing you can do if it goes further."
"What about leasing?"
"Lease?" Zhu Miao was stunned.
"Boss, there are many coal mines near Xishan, and there are quite a few in Mentougou. We can rent this thing to make money. They are very happy to spend a sum of money."
"In that case, why not buy this abandoned mine for your own use?"
Zhu Miao immediately said excitedly.
"My boss!" the steward said with a wry smile: "Under the emperor's feet, those who can contract coal mines are basically the same royal merchants as me, except for nobles."
"For decades, everyone has a tacit understanding. Even if there is competition, there will be a limit, so as not to let the court take advantage. You can't do this, otherwise it will ruin the reputation of our family."
"On the contrary, renting a water machine will make our reputation even stronger!"
When Zhu Miao heard this, he let out a sigh of relief.
As a young man, he felt helpless.
As a descendant of the Zhu family in Yuquan, his two older brothers embarked on official careers, so he naturally had to take on the heavy responsibility of business in order to maintain the wealth and status of the Zhu family.
The most important thing he has done these days is to get this steam engine.
Even if these ladies got it through someone's help, they would be credited to him anyway, thereby establishing prestige.
Originally, everything he wanted to do would be successful, but he was faced with difficulties and the situation was completely different from what he had imagined.
Is it so difficult to truly do something of your own?
Just when he was melancholy, the coal mines near Xishan immediately learned about the water pump, and they were extremely jealous for a while.
After they inquired about it one after another, they realized that it was made by the Ordnance Department. It was just like the locomotive on the train, except that one moved forward and the other drew water.
This type of water pumping machine was originally created to clean up accumulated water or cope with drought conditions. This is the first time it has been applied to coal mines.
But when they asked to buy, they learned that the great imperial merchants had already ordered a lot of them, but they hadn't finished them yet.
No, they can only rent it from the Zhu family.
When they learned that it was ten silver coins at a time, everyone's flesh ached.
Xue Chongwen had a close relationship with the Zhu family, so he naturally borrowed the water machine immediately.
Seeing the water continuously spurting out, he was so shocked that he could only remain silent.
"No manpower is needed. Just eat coal and spray water continuously. What kind of weapon is this?"
Xue Chongwen muttered, his eyes full of greed.
Such a good thing is of great benefit to some dry lands.
You must know that the yield per mu of dry land is only half of that of irrigated land, but with this machine, dry land can be turned into irrigated land.
Ten thousand acres of dry land means ten thousand acres of irrigated land.
The annual profit is several thousand dan, which is such an attractive figure.
"Wait a minute, I don't have much land."
Xue Chongwen muttered: "But those wealthy and distinguished people have a lot of land, so naturally they are willing to give up money."
"If I could build a water pump like this, wouldn't it be a huge profit?"
Squinting his eyes, Xue Chongwen thought more and more deeply.
This is a big deal.
If he were to rely on himself, he would definitely not dare to think about it, but the four major families are rooted in the same spirit, and when the time comes, they will work together, and the three major earls and the emperor's merchants will not even dare to mess around.
Not to mention Jia Daihua, who has already been appointed as the chief official of the border area.
With this thought in mind, he immediately took action.
Jia Yan, the head of the Jia family, heard that it could make money, so he naturally agreed, as did the Shi family and the Wang family.
As a result, the four companies jointly invested 10,000 yuan to set up a factory to build the water pump.
But the craftsmen alone were stumped.
Xue Chongwen thought carefully and decided that he had to start with the Ordnance Department.
But the craftsmen of the Ordnance Department cannot be hired easily, and they are unwilling to give up this official job.
In this way, Xue Chongwen thought of a workaround and spent a lot of money to invite craftsmen to come for guidance at night or on holidays.
After all, the most important thing about a water pump is the know-how. As long as you can get it right, ordinary craftsmen can build it.
Sure enough, after more than a month of guidance, a water pumping machine was built.
Xue Chongwen sold it directly for a hundred silver yuan, while the rental price was one silver yuan per day.
This immediately caused a sensation in Gyeonggi Province.
The Ordnance Department was furious, but there was nothing he could do.
After all, there are not only royal merchants but also nobles involved.
Seeing that the Ordnance Department was helpless, machine shops sprung up like mushrooms after a rain, and the price of water pumps slowly dropped, reaching thirty to fifty yuan a piece.
However, at this time, the Ministry of Internal Affairs came to visit and directly collected the authorization fee.
For every water-drawing machine built, a licensing fee of five silver coins must be paid to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Because the Ordnance Department transferred this exclusive power to the Ministry of Internal Affairs free of charge.
But it is also true that a large number of businessmen have also seen business opportunities and are ready to participate and gain benefits.
Because the benefits are so huge.
In just one county, the demand for water pumps reaches hundreds of units, and there are thousands of counties across the country. This is such a huge market.
At the same time, the territory of the Ming Dynasty was too large. People in the north needed to draw river water, while people in the south needed to prevent floods. Water pumps with large and continuous displacement were naturally very popular.
Which city has not experienced waterlogging?
The market here is conservatively estimated to be no less than 10 million silver dollars.
The investment cost is only tens of thousands of yuan.
The vast territory of the Ming Dynasty naturally could not result in a winner-take-all situation. Instead, many shares were dispersed.
…
The prince took a dozen concubines with him and took a boat down the canal south, not in a hurry, but in a leisurely manner.
When he was caught near Fengyang, he had to get off the boat and go to worship.
As the former central capital of the Ming Dynasty, Fengyang had a great reputation. For the vassal kings, the high walls of Fengyang were simply a nightmare.
Fengyang Prefecture, which used to be huge, is now divided into three parts, namely Fuyang Prefecture, Suzhou Prefecture, and Fengyang Prefecture. The population of Fengyang Prefecture has also shrunk a lot.
However, the guarding eunuch will still make arrangements.
Obviously, Emperor Shaowu felt that Fengyang's confinement was a life worse than death, and it was absolutely suitable for the clan members who were so lawless and disorderly.
Zhu Cunqu went to take a look, and there were dozens of people guarding them. They were all sitting in the yard looking at the sky. It was clear that there were white clouds in the sky, and several birds flying past were clearly visible.
Within the high walls of Fengyang, there are no trees, only a small sky and boundless loneliness.
Even the food would be passed through the dog hole-like mouth, and no one would say a word.
In the pre-Ming Dynasty, the common people of Jian and Wu were simply raised to death and could not speak, just like idiots.
In this kind of environment, how could it not be so?
After all, Zhu Cunqu was kind-hearted and cared about family ties: "Let them stop being so idle."
"Find something for them to do, otherwise they will be really stupid."
"But, Your Highness, what do you want them to do?" the guard eunuch stammered.
He didn't dare to mess around with this group of people, otherwise it would be terrible if his hat was pulled off.
"Planting fields, planting flowers, weeding, in short, arranging hard work so that they can support themselves, so that they don't know what to do when they go out in the future..."
"Your Highness the Holy Ming!" the guarding eunuch sighed in his heart, you are kind, but it is a heavy burden for us.
But he didn't dare to say anything and could only accept it.
After leaving Fengyang, the prince continued to go south.
Although its scale is much smaller than that of the emperor, its momentum is not small. In fact, it is even more enthusiastic than the emperor of that year.
The prince is the future prince. This is an investment for the future. No one dares to mess with it.
Not to mention, the prince is now the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi and holds real power. How can he know that he will not be appointed elsewhere the next day?
Jiangnan is also very possible.
Therefore, Zhu Cunqu invited banquets every day, but he refused them all and went south.
He originally wanted to take a sea boat, but the risk of waves prevented him from doing so, so he had to give up and return by land.
However, he still went to the Jiangnan Shipyard in Songjiang Prefecture for a tour.
The Shaowu Dynasty was different from the previous Ming Dynasty. The state-owned shipyards were abandoned and all private shipyards were used. Of course, the contractors were naturally imperial merchants.
In this way, control is still in the hands of the Ming Dynasty, but it has just changed from the court to the emperor.
There are still disadvantages, the cost of purchasing a ship is several percent higher.
After all, the craftsmen of the government-run shipyards are used cheaply, and the materials are also low-cost, while the private shipyards have to serve profits.
Jiangnan Shipyard is a typical private shipyard, manufacturing dozens of large ships a year, and most of the Navy's 3,000 and 5,000 materials for large ships are purchased here.
In such a large shipyard, more than ten ships are being built in the dock at one time, and the craftsmen are jumping up and down like ants, which can be described as hard work.
Looking up at the five-thousand-material ship, Zhu Cunqu couldn't help but be shocked: "How huge!"
"Your Highness, this is the future battleship of the Navy."
The owner of the shipyard introduced in a low voice: "The three masts used and the upper and lower layers of artillery are enough to equip more than fifty cannons. It is also one of the best in the entire world."
"Why does the navy build huge ships?"
Zhu Cunqu suddenly asked.
"It seems that the East India Company's ships are bigger, and the imperial court cannot compare..."
Zhu Cunqu was not satisfied with this answer.
If it's just a comparison, then what's the point of navy?
However, what vision does a businessman have?
In his view, these naval forces were a force that deterred the vassals, and were also the foundation for safeguarding the Ming Dynasty's maritime interests.
Even though he didn't understand the huge revenue of the customs, he had heard about it for many years, using the court's money to support naval officers and maintain internal money.
The prefect of Songjiang accompanied the prince for a walk and returned to the government office.
Zhu Cunqu was quite interested in Songjiang Mansion.
As time goes by, Songjiang Prefecture surpassed Suzhou Prefecture last year and won the honor of being the best prefecture in the world.
With a population of more than three million and a tax revenue of nine million, it is truly the largest government.
Although there are customs reasons, its development itself is inseparable from the reasons.
Guangzhou, the largest city in Lingnan, now only has a population of 1.5 million, and its tax revenue is only one million yuan. The difference is huge.
"Among the hundreds of industries in Songjiang Prefecture, which one is the most prosperous?"
"Your Majesty, only the cloth industry is the most prosperous!" The prefect said truthfully: "Only cotton cloth, we in Songjiang can weave tens of millions of pieces a year, and export millions to overseas countries, and domestic provinces are also competing for it."
"Among the three households, one must have a loom. It is rare for a female worker to prosper!"
The prefect said jokingly: "The dowry trend in Songjiang is extremely popular, with families ranging from ten to twenty yuan to one hundred and eighty yuan. As a result, the betrothal gifts have also increased, making many men miserable."
"It is common for a family to borrow money and marry a wife!"
"This is a bad habit!" Zhu Cunqu directly denied it and said with a serious face: "As the prefect, you cannot ignore it. You must control it."
"Weddings and funerals are normal things for people, but we can't let them do whatever they want and borrow money to marry a wife. How crazy is this?"
"What your Highness said is absolutely true, I will definitely restrain it!" the prefect said hurriedly with fear in his heart.
After taking a tour of Songjiang Prefecture, Zhu Cunqu headed south to Zhejiang.
By the time we arrived in Guangzhou, it was already September.
It was sultry in Guangzhou in September, and Zhu Cunqu had to put on wooden clogs at the right time. He looked very relaxed.
The governor of Guangxi came to see him and was shocked when he opened his mouth:
"Your Highness, the whole province of Guangxi is poor and poor because of the lack of customs. I would like to ask Your Highness to show your grace and open and close the Lianzhou Prefecture..."