Historically, it was in the 20th century that the Northeast region became self-sufficient and even gave back to the Central Plains.

The reason was that on the one hand, the crisis on the northeastern border was unprecedentedly severe, and the Qing government had to lift the ban on land reclamation; on the other hand, the "Dingwu Great Famine" broke out in the Central Plains, and Shandong, Zhili, Henan, and Shanxi suffered severe droughts, and a large number of refugees from North China poured into the northeast.

Since the journey to Guandong was very long at that time, people at that time called it "Chuang Guandong".

This is history, but how could Zhu Youxiao, who was familiar with the direction of history, make the same stupid mistakes as the Qing Dynasty?

Large amounts of land were given to retired soldiers in Liaodong, tax concessions were given to the people of Liaodong, and land reclamation was encouraged. After the pacification of Liaodong, the large-scale development of the Northeast officially began.

Some people would say that it was the Little Ice Age, and that the Northeast was even colder and less suitable for human survival. Zhu Youxiao was puzzled. Did the Outer Mongolian tribes and Tsarist Russia, further north of the Northeast, all die of starvation and cold?

Obviously, the impact of the Little Ice Age was enormous, but it was not insurmountable, or even invincible. Even more terrifying than natural disasters are man-made disasters, and Zhu Youxiao had a clear understanding of this.

A few people drank tea and chatted, joking and discussing academic matters. The atmosphere was harmonious and warm.

Although the Academy of Sciences was still in the city, the chemistry laboratory had been moved to the suburbs. Zhu Youxiao was afraid that someone would tinker with it and create something poisonous or harmful, or even cause a huge explosion.

The manufacturing department, which was very noisy and required a large operating space, was also moved away, resulting in fewer students in the academy and a much quieter environment.

Despite this, there are still some students who come to sit down and drink tea and chat.

This is also the rule of the Academy of Sciences that Zhu Youxiao supports and implements. This large hall is like a relaxing teahouse and a salon for gatherings, where people can discuss and debate when they have nothing to do.

Zhu Youxiao had visited the Academy of Sciences only a limited number of times and knew few students, but Wang Jizhong and others had already spread his reputation.

Master Shen Lang is a man of profound learning. The textbooks we study are all compiled by him. I won't say what kind of experts are guiding and helping him behind the scenes, but he is indeed talented and is known as "unbeatable."

Zhu Youxiao really didn't know that Xu Fuyuan and others praised him to the sky, and he felt very proud and proud of his friendship with Master Shen.

"This is Mr. Shen, so young?"

"Judging from his extraordinary demeanor, he must be from a wealthy or noble family."

Some people admired it, some people discussed it, and of course some people asked questions.

Zhu Youxiao had a gentle face and answered every question. These people's questions were not difficult for him. Just don't talk about quantum mechanics and relativity.

Fan Xiaohui, who was standing behind him, was surprised at first. She had never thought that the emperor knew so much, but had never told them. But later, her face lit up, thinking that being a maid was a great honor.

"Everything in the world has its own principles of operation. Some have been studied, while others remain to be explored." Zhu Youxiao said with a smile, "For example, pulling a cart or pushing it, which is less laborious, and why? This is also a science."

"This is physics." Xu Fuyuan and Fan Xiaohui shared the same thought. The more talented Shen Lang was, the brighter his face lit up. "You don't know until you study it. Once you study it, you'll find it's a subject as profound as the ocean. A lifetime wouldn't be enough."

Not to mention your lifetime, even hundreds of years later, scientists will still be researching it.

Zhu Youxiao smiled and nodded, agreeing with this. What made him even more pleased was that he had laid the foundation of natural science for the Ming Dynasty, and the dissemination and development of knowledge should not be cut off.

"The food here is good, Brother Shen, would you like to try it?" Wang Jizhong made the invitation expectantly, glancing at Fan Xiaohui imperceptibly.

Zhu Youxiao chuckled and waved his hand, saying, "That's not necessary. I rarely have free time, and today is an exception. I've never been out for such a long time."

As he spoke, he stood up, bowed to everyone, and said, "I'm sorry, but I'm busy with worldly affairs, so I have to take my leave now. I'll chat with you all next time and discuss knowledge."

“Mr. Shen, you are too polite. You are worthy of being called a wise man. We have all benefited a lot from listening to your words.”

"I really want to ask a few more questions. Mr. Shen's answers are clearer and more concise than those of the teachers in the academy."

Everyone bowed and said goodbye, with lots of praise.

Wang Jizhong and Xu Fuyuan escorted the emperor to the gate of the courtyard before bidding him farewell reluctantly.

The emperor walked onto the streets of the capital again, slightly behind him was his maid, whose large eyes fluttered, and from time to time she cast a thoughtful look at the emperor.

A black shadow suddenly jumped out from a corner not far away and quickly disappeared into an alley.

"It's a cat." Fan Xiaohui had sharp eyes. Seeing the emperor stop, she hurried to explain.

"The cat caught a mouse." Zhu Youxiao also realized that it was a cat, but he couldn't help but frown when he saw that the cat was holding a living thing in its mouth.

Fan Xiaohui wasn't surprised. Cats catching mice wasn't natural. For those who could afford it, keeping a cat was the most common way to keep mice away.

But she didn't know what the emperor was thinking of. It was a great plague associated with a major disaster, and the saying that "rats destroyed the Ming Dynasty" was not entirely unreasonable.

Historical records show that at the end of the Ming Dynasty, plague swept across North China, killing one-fifth of the population in the capital alone. By the time Li Zicheng invaded, the capital was practically a dead city, where "people and ghosts mingled, and people dared not walk at dusk."

After a major disaster comes a major epidemic; this should be an unchanging law. Given current medical and sanitary conditions, can we prevent the outbreak of plague?

The emperor frowned, suddenly realizing that he had to face a bigger problem than frequent disasters and food shortages.

Ecological destruction, abnormal climate, and the famine-stricken people fleeing in all directions, all these factors led to the outbreak of a strange plague that "has never been recorded in ancient and modern medical books."

When it comes to the plague, no one may find it scary, but when it comes to the Black Death, more than 25 million Westerners died in the Middle Ages.

Zhu Youxiao had no hope for vaccines or effective medicines. He was not a medical professional, and the conditions for developing them were even less available in ancient times.

Fan Xiaohui didn't understand why the emperor was fine at first, but he became frowning when he saw the cat playing with the mouse. He kept a gloomy face all the way back to the palace and didn't speak a word.

Our cat doesn't catch mice, it's very clean! I wanted to play a joke to make the emperor feel relieved, but I didn't dare.

The emperor returned to the Palace of Heavenly Purity and, without even having his meal served, sat in his chair, frowning and thinking. This time, he encountered a major problem, a difficulty that was difficult to resolve.

But he had to find a way. It couldn't be completely prevented, it couldn't be completely cured, but at least it couldn't kill so many people. Over ten million people, nine out of ten homes empty, entire families wiped out—what a tragic sight.

A gurgling sound interrupted the emperor's melancholy. He turned around and saw Fan Xiaohui with a red face.

"Serve the meal!" The emperor smiled bitterly and raised his hand to order.

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