It is obviously impossible for the Ming Empire today to cultivate talents through primary school, junior high school, high school, and even university as was done in later generations.

Only institutions like the Shaoying Academy, funded by the royal family and society, can both raise orphans and provide teaching and training in professional subjects.

There was no other way. It was indeed difficult for ordinary people to send their children to school. Being able to take advantage of the preferential policies of the state and let their children graduate from elementary school was already a great relief to the emperor.

The improvement of the overall cultural level is the foundation of a country's long-term prosperity. And among these children from ordinary people, some will continue their studies and strive for higher levels.

In order to give children and even adults in the community more opportunities to learn and improve themselves, the emperor issued an order to build libraries in various places and provide free reading.

In the library, the emperor browsed the books on the shelves. In addition to the Western books he had specially commissioned for translation, there were also reprints of many books in the royal collection.

Books are the wealth of mankind, and even more so the wealth of China. Even if they are banned books, they need to be preserved as long as they are not circulated among the people.

In addition to the books in the royal collection, the emperor also issued an edict to borrow rare and valuable books from private collections, and after printing new editions, he would either add them to the library or sell them in bookstores.

Throughout history, countless books have been destroyed and lost. If the emperor didn't have a computer to back up his books, he could just print more to maximize their chances of being preserved for posterity.

Of course, many people would treasure their rare and precious books and hide them in their own libraries, never showing them to anyone. The emperor was helpless in this regard, as he couldn't search every house and seize the books that had been declared lost!

For many things, just do your best. The emperor believed in the saying "Just do good things and don't worry about the future."

There were several children in the library, all quietly reading. Because there was a partition at the door to prevent anyone from entering or leaving, they didn't notice the emperor quietly moving around the bookshelves at the back.

The emperor did not disturb them. After browsing the bookshelf, he left quietly.

Outside, May and the two little princesses were playing hopscotch on the playground, and their cheerful giggles could be heard from time to time.

This is what children are like. They may not care about toys, but they will be happy when playing with their friends.

Unfortunately, they were in the imperial palace. The emperor stopped and looked for a while, and could not help but sigh helplessly.

At this moment, the emperor saw two acquaintances not far away and seemed to be hesitant about whether he should come over to pay them a visit.

The emperor smiled and extended his hand to greet them. Wang Jizhong and Xu Fuyuan then hurried over. Before they even got close, the emperor said, "No need for such formalities."

The two were stunned for a moment, then bowed and saluted, "Your Majesty, your humble servant greets you."

The emperor raised his hand and said, "I'm just here to take a look around, what about you?"

Xu Fuyuan bowed and said, "I am here to select a few students to go to the Academy of Sciences for internship."

"Applying what you've learned, integrating theory with practice—very good." The emperor nodded with a smile and said, "Those with potential should be well nurtured. They are the hope of the Ming Dynasty's future."

"Your humble servant will follow the emperor's will." Xu Fuyuan and Wang Jizhong bowed their heads and accepted the instruction.

The emperor sighed inwardly, thinking that the scene when he was incognito under a pseudonym would never happen again, and it would be boring to speak respectfully.

"Are there any new breakthroughs or research projects launched by the Academy of Sciences?" The emperor casually picked a topic.

The emperor only occasionally inquired about the current Academy of Sciences, and the steam engine that he most anticipated was not so easy to build and put into practical use.

The emperor wasn't too anxious about other projects. The period of pushing things too hard was basically over, and he hoped the Academy could independently develop something new.

"Your Majesty, there haven't been any major breakthroughs recently," Xu Fuyuan replied sheepishly. "The rifling machine has been improved, and its efficiency has increased significantly."

Wang Jizhong bowed and said, "The glass greenhouse has been improved, or it might be more appropriate to change it to a solar greenhouse."

The rifling machine was manufactured for the Minié gun. Introducing rifling into the musket was only the first step. Next came the development of percussion caps and breech-loading guns, as well as the upgrading of artillery.

Obviously, at a time when the Ming army can sweep away all enemies with flintlock rifles and bayonets, these are not the most urgent tasks.

The emperor's intention was to take it slow, to build a group of real military talents through trial and error, so that the Ming Dynasty's weapons and equipment would always remain at the forefront of the world.

As for the solar greenhouse, with the help of the principle of convex lens, sunlight is effectively utilized, which reduces fuel consumption in the greenhouse, improves economic efficiency, and also improves the quality of life.

For example, for hot pot, in winter, ingredients such as mutton are not expensive, but vegetables are expensive.

No matter what kind of breakthrough or progress it was, it was a welcome relief to the emperor. The fact that the Academy of Sciences had grown from nothing to its current level had already satisfied the emperor.

The emperor smiled and nodded, saying, "Don't worry about the lack of major breakthroughs. Every new thing, no matter how big or small, is worth celebrating. I heard that the Academy of Sciences has even developed a new fertilizer. If the test is successful, it will benefit both the country and the people."

After a pause, the emperor continued, "A dozen years ago, could you have imagined that the Ming Dynasty would be in such a state today? From now until the next decade, it is you who will change the Ming Dynasty. You will demonstrate the power of science and technology to the world."

The Ming Dynasty remains the same, but changes are everywhere. Beyond policy, there are also changes at the societal level, where the power of science and technology will become increasingly evident.

For example, railways first used horse-drawn track, which greatly improved transportation efficiency; when the steam engine became successful, there was another rapid change.

There are also steel-axle four-wheeled carriages, whose shock absorption systems are becoming more and more sophisticated. They are replacing sedan chairs and becoming the means of transportation for more and more people.

The military is perhaps feeling the most, with improvements in weaponry making it unrivaled in combat power. With no rivals left, the navy and army are turning their attention to further and wider areas.

The emperor said this to Xu Fuyuan and Wang Jizhong, and then relayed it to the Academy of Sciences. They should focus on the long term and develop patiently, not forcing breakthroughs and achievements just to please themselves.

In fact, as of now, Ming Dynasty's technology is not behind in practical application, and is even ahead. However, the main problem is that the foundation is not stable enough and the accumulation is not deep enough.

The saying "slow and steady wins the race" is not without truth when it comes to science and technology. The emperor could continue to provide guidance and come up with some inventions, but it would not have much impact on the long-term development of the Ming Dynasty.

The emperor hopes that the Academy of Sciences can develop over the long term and that talents can be passed on from generation to generation, rather than being discontinued with the death of the leader and the difficulty of continuing the career.

"That girl might be a good talent." The emperor pointed at Wu Yue, who was playing, and said with a smile, "You can keep an eye on her. And Zhao Dabao, I heard he's doing quite well at the Academy of Sciences."

"Zhao Dabao is quite talented in mechanics," Xu Fuyuan said with a smile. "The clock he's making is almost finished. He said he wants to dedicate it to the Emperor."

A clock for free?!

The emperor rolled his eyes secretly, but still nodded with a smile to express his appreciation for Zhao Dabao's achievements.