On the one hand, the base system is inhumane and unfair to the people.
It seems that the descendants of Chen Youliang and Zhang Shicheng who deployed the army were demoted to a lowly status because their ancestors once fought against Zhu Yuanzhang. They were unable to stand up for generations. They were really unlucky.
On the one hand, people who have been granted low status do not have any assets and can only rely on others to survive. Therefore, they are often subject to the control of local powerful people and gentry. Lifting one's humble status also has positive significance in suppressing local gentry and powerful people.
Hence Xiang Nan abolished the household registration restrictions and the low-level registration system, allowing children of craftsmen and low-level registrations to read, read, and participate in imperial examinations and so on. After the edict was issued, thousands of lowly people across the country felt like they had been granted amnesty, and collectively thanked the emperor for his kindness.
In fact, during the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Yongzheng issued an order to cancel the humble status.
But because the untouchability system has been in place for hundreds of years, those untouchables have become accustomed to and even adapted to the life of untouchables.
In addition, the court only canceled their untouchable status, but did not provide necessary help to these untouchables. Therefore, although these untouchables were canceled their untouchable status, most of them were still engaged in their original jobs.
Xiang Nan knew about this, so he not only canceled the household registration restrictions and the low-level registration system, and set these people free, but he was also willing to give them fields, houses, livestock, etc., and allowed their children to enter government-run schools to study and be literate.
In this way, the untouchables will have fields, houses, and livestock, and their descendants will be able to read and write, and they will naturally gradually transform and become truly good people.
…
Twenty-eight years of Tianshun, the oil refinery, pharmaceutical factory, alkali production plant, machinery factory, etc. built by Xiang Nan with heavy investment were successively completed and put into operation.
The first internal combustion engine train powered by diesel officially appeared and began running between Beijing and Tianjin.
This huge beast once frightened the people so much that they thought it was a monster and were so frightened. There are even stupid people who sprinkle evil blood, feces and urine on them to ward off evil spirits.
Later, after receiving publicity from the government, they learned that this was called a train, and it was a more powerful means of transportation than horse-drawn carriages and trolleys. Sure enough, when the train returned to the capital from Jinmen carrying dozens of tons of grain, the whole capital was in a sensation.
Before this, transporting grain from Jinmen to the capital required hundreds of watercrafts, which was also very expensive. Now one train has pulled them all back, which is really shocking.
Sulfonamides, berberine, artemisinin, aspirin, etc. produced by pharmaceutical factories have provided treatments for tuberculosis, malaria, dysentery, cholera, colds, influenza and other diseases with extremely high fatality rates, and have indeed saved many people. s life.
The soda ash and chemical fertilizers produced by the alkali production plant have a great promotion effect on industrial production and agricultural production. Especially fertilizers.
In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, high-yielding crops such as corn, potatoes, and sweet potatoes had not yet been introduced from South America, so the people mainly grew rice, wheat, barley, sorghum, millet and other crops.
The yield of such crops is generally low. One acre of land can produce three or four shi of grain, which is already pretty good. Even so, the people still didn't have enough to eat.
Now that chemical fertilizers are available, grain production can be greatly increased, which is very helpful in solving the problem of food and clothing for the people.
As for machinery factories, in addition to internal combustion engines, there are also spinning machines, looms, flour mills, pneumatic presses, cranes, presses, etc., which can greatly improve production efficiency and promote the Ming Dynasty's first Second industrial revolution.
Thirty years after Tianshun, the first steamship came out, with a total tonnage of 5,000 tons. Compared with the wooden ships with a load capacity of only a few dozen tons, it was really much larger. Parked on the sea, it looked like a giant, outshining all the merchant ships around it. The birth of the steamship also marked the Ming Dynasty's maritime transport reaching a new peak.
Before this, shipping by sea was very dangerous because the tonnage of merchant ships was too small and could not withstand wind and waves.
Strategic materials such as grain, official silver, and official salt can only be transported by water. But water transportation is very expensive. Thousands of ships alone are needed, costing two to three hundred thousand taels of silver.
But for sea transportation, the cost is much lower. Now that we have replaced such a large ship, it has a strong ability to withstand wind and waves, and the safety factor has also been greatly improved.
From then on, sea transportation will gradually replace water transportation and become one of the mainstream modes of freight transportation.
Furthermore, steamships are powerful and driven by internal combustion engines, and can reach about 25 kilometers per hour without wind. As for ordinary fishing boats, if they enter the windless zone, they will only have to stop.
The giant steel ship with a tonnage of 5,000 tons can also be equipped with more naval guns and has more powerful firepower. Like the previous battleships, because they were made of wood, it would be good to have a few cannons on them.
Because if there are too many cannons, the wooden hull will break due to too much reaction force when fired. Therefore, the caliber, power, and quantity of naval guns will be limited.
But the giant wheel made of steel has undoubtedly much stronger earthquake resistance. Therefore, eighty artillery pieces were directly installed on this steamer. In terms of firepower, it was extremely powerful, and it could be called the strongest warship at this stage.
Xiang Nan then handed it over to the South China Sea Fleet for use in guarding the security of the southern waters. After all, the current Maritime Silk Road all starts from southern ports.
There are still Japanese pirates and pirates on the southeast coast. The armed force of the merchant group alone is not enough to completely eradicate them, so the South China Sea Navy is needed to attack.
…
Thirty years after Tianshun, Xiang Nan also successfully made radio communication equipment. In this way, communications between the capital and the Western Regions, Central Asia, Europe and other places can be transmitted thousands of miles without any obstruction.
In the Western Regions, Central Asia, Europe and other places, if there is any disturbance, the capital will receive the news in time. The capital's control over these areas will undoubtedly reach a new level.
In the same year, Prince Zhu Jianshen died of illness and died before he could succeed to the throne. After Zhu Jianshen's death, the officials advised that another prince should be established.
The Ming Dynasty has always followed the concept of establishing direct descendants and establishing elders. If there are direct descendants, there will be no elders. For example, Zhu Jianshen's biological mother was the imperial concubine Zhou. Because Empress Qian had no heirs, she made Zhu Jianshen, the eldest son of the imperial concubine Zhou, the crown prince.
Now that Zhu Jianshen is dead, Queen Zhou still has a son, the sixth prince Zhu Jianze, so the ministers hope that Xiang Nan will make Zhu Jianze the crown prince.
Xiang Nan did not agree to the request of the ministers, but instead intended to make Zhu Jianji, his son by Qiu Moyan, the crown prince.
After all, your wife is someone else’s good friend, and your children are your own good friend. The other princes are not his flesh and blood, only Zhu Jianji is his son.
Moreover, Zhu Jianji has been trained by him for so many years. He is not only smart and brave, but also resolute and resolute. He is the choice of a wise king. Zhu Jianze, on the other hand, has mediocre talents and weak character, and is not suitable for taking over such a large empire.
Let him take charge of this country. I am afraid that the empire will fall apart in a few years.