Extra six
There is no need for Lu Shang to explain the wonderful uses of the steam engine.
Just by listening to the boatmen on the Breaking Waves talking to each other, they soon described a new world that was completely different from the Dazhao world, a world where machines replaced human labor and symbolized greater efficiency.
Before they knew it, everyone was stunned.
Even after Zhan Shunan and the others had finished speaking, no one around them spoke for a long time. After a long while, the first-rank official of the court asked in a trembling voice, "Do you think there are carriages that can travel without horses in the distant overseas?"
After him, the others also woke up one after another. For the first time, they forgot the ancestral rules that they always talked about. They walked past the emperor and surrounded all the boatmen on the Breaking Waves.
"You just said that overseas countries have firewood and barrage artillery, and are they more powerful than ours?"
"What was that steam train you were talking about? The one on fire..."
Everything they asked had already been said by Zhan Shunan and others. It was unknown whether they had not heard it clearly, or had forgotten it for a moment, or simply could not accept it and wanted to confirm it again.
Zhan Shunan patiently answered all their questions. Some of the questions could not be described in words, so he used paintings brought back from overseas to replace them. On the several-foot-long scroll, a magnificent iron train was running on the rails, with thick white smoke coming out of the front of the train, and people waiting to get on the train on both sides.
This painting is also different from the ink and color ink paintings that everyone knows. It uses a brighter color. According to Zhan Shunan, this is called oil painting.
Those who were skilled in painting came forward to observe it. The more they looked, the more amazed they found it. They could not help but call over the boatman who had bought the painting and ask him about it in detail.
As for the others, judging by their fanatical attitude, it was obvious that they couldn't finish asking all the questions in a short time.
It wasn't until Emperor Showa coughed twice that everyone turned around and saw that the emperor had a look of dismay. He asked calmly, "Didn't my dear ministers say that the money I invested in maritime commerce was a waste? Why do you care about it more than I do?"
A group of people just looked around, or looked up at the sky, and never responded to the emperor's words.
Fortunately, Emperor Showa was also in high spirits, so he snorted coldly and did not pursue the matter any further.
He called out to the commander of the Imperial Guards who was following behind him, and then ordered, "Ship all the goods brought back by the Wavebreaker to the Imperial Palace. All the boatmen on board are to go to the Royal Residence, where I will personally meet them in a few days."
Some boatmen live in the capital, but now they are not allowed to go home. They must first stay in the royal villa for one night and wait until they are summoned and rewarded by the emperor before they can go back.
Lu Shang knew that Emperor Showa had heard many strange stories from overseas and had become alert, so he wanted to control all the people who knew about it first, and then sort out the information that could and could not be spread before letting them go back.
He called Zhan Shunan aside, explained a few things in detail, and asked him to pay attention to calming the boatman's emotions.
Zhan Shunan asked, "Is it possible for us to return home safely?"
Lu Shang laughed dumbly. "Of course they can. Not only can they return home safely, but they can also return home in glory! His Majesty is just worried that someone will spread rumors, so he wants to give you some advice personally. You haven't done anything wrong, so how can I punish you for a trumped-up crime?"
"Go with peace of mind. If my guess is correct, in three or five days, once His Majesty has dealt with all the things he brought back from the sea, he will come to see you. There will undoubtedly be rewards of gold and silver, and if you're lucky, you might even be offered an official position."
Zhan Shunan also laughed: "I don't dare to think too much. We are just getting paid for our work. It's enough to satisfy the boss and the people above us."
Lu Shang patted him on the shoulder, thanked him for his hard work, and asked, "Did your trip go smoothly? Have you encountered any accidents in your year at sea? Have there been any casualties on the ship?"
"Everything went smoothly," Zhan Shunan said. "The route we took for the first half of the journey was a familiar one we've taken many times before, so there were no problems. Regarding the second half, aside from encountering two groups of pirates, everything else went smoothly. We didn't encounter any storms, and the crew were all safe."
Lu Shang was startled by the pirates he mentioned and couldn't help but ask a few more questions.
Zhan Shunan added, "Those pirates are from other countries, with blond hair and blue eyes, and they look different from us. But there's nothing to be afraid of. The sailors on our ship are all skilled enough to take on ten of them. We won't be at a disadvantage even if we fight them."
Speaking of this, he couldn't hide his excitement. "And, boss, you certainly can't imagine how powerful our Wavebreaker is at sea. No merchant ship we've encountered is larger than ours. Even if those pirate ships came right up to us, they wouldn't dare to confront us head-on. We easily repel them!"
Lu Shang breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "Did you encounter any large ships at sea... Never mind, you should go and rest first. I'll come pick you up after you leave the Royal Villa in a few days."
Lu Shang was halfway through his words when he suddenly noticed the fatigue on Zhan Shunan's face. He was startled for a moment and then abruptly stopped talking.
Zhan Shunan did not refuse and nodded happily.
As the crews of the two Wavebreakers were taken to the royal villa, a large number of imperial guards drove over with carts and carried away the cargo boxes piled on the dock one by one. The top layers were all opened and displayed to the surrounding people without any hesitation.
Emperor Showa also arranged for an escort to introduce the people along the way.
"Yes, yes, this is His Majesty's fleet, and all these things belong to His Majesty!"
"Our Majesty is known for his foresight. He saw the bright future of maritime commerce early on, and therefore made preparations long ago... You ask about those two giant ships? Naturally, they were also overseen by His Majesty!"
While this man was spreading the word, Lu Shang and Emperor Showa's carriage happened to pass by.
Inside the carriage, the emperor and empress sat on one side, while Lu Shang and Jiang Wanning sat on the other. The loud noises of the guards entered the carriage, startling everyone.
The empress turned her head to look at the emperor, and sure enough, she saw that Emperor Showa had an embarrassed look on his face. He probably had not expected that his subordinates would praise him so much and attribute all the credit to him. What was even more coincidental was that it was heard by the heroes who had made the real contribution.
Before Emperor Zhaohe could devise a method of transfer, Lu Shang calmly replied, "Your Majesty is indeed far-sighted. Without your support, I would still be struggling in a small county town. How could I possibly build a giant ship and ask the people of Dazhao to travel overseas and bring back modern steam technology?"
"It is a blessing for Dazhao to have Your Majesty!"
Emperor Showa was flattered by his praise, and when he came back to his senses, he had already forgotten the previous embarrassing situation.
When the carriage entered the capital, Lu Shang and Jiang Wanning got off first. Before leaving, the Queen invited Jiang Wanning to attend the flower-viewing banquet at the end of the month and specifically asked her to bring her children with her.
The Queen smiled gently: "I like little girls the most, but there has only been one prince for so many years. If Madam Lu doesn't mind, you might as well bring the child with you. I will prepare sweet cakes for her."
There was no reason to refuse the Queen's invitation. Jiang Wanning quietly accepted and added, "I will definitely bring my daughter with me."
In this way, the emperor and empress left satisfied.
As the carriage drove away, Lu Shang and Jiang Wanning, who stayed at the city gate, also prepared to go home.
Lu Shang hooked Jiang Wanning's little finger and told her in detail about the greatness of the steam engine.
When Zhan Shunan presented the steam engine, all outsiders were dismissed. Jiang Wanning accompanied the queen from a distance, so naturally she could not see the strange object.
Although Lu Shang had never been overseas in person, he knew more about steam engines than anyone else on the ship.
As early as when maritime commerce was just emerging, he had speculated whether the industrial revolution had already begun in this era and whether the steam engines that symbolized the new era had already been invented.
Now that his guess has come true, and thinking about the news brought back by Zhan Shunan and others, he feels excited all over.
Asked the reason?
This is because the steam engine was invented not long ago, and overseas countries are still groping for progress, while they, Dazhao, also got on the train at the beginning of the wheel of history. As long as they can keep up with the pace of the times, they will no longer be afraid of falling behind others, and even being far ahead is not a bad thing.
"Aning would never have guessed how fast a vehicle driven by a steam engine could go! Take the journey from Songxi County to the capital, for example. Even with a fast horse it would take two months. But with a steam train, it would only take about ten days, and that's at the slowest possible speed!"
"If it were applied to some equipment, it could completely replace human labor and greatly improve work efficiency..."
"And there's the firewood cannon that Brother Zhan and the others mentioned. If we can bring one back, there are so many skilled craftsmen who will be able to thoroughly study its principles. When the enemy attacks, we can repel them all with just one cannon!"
Jiang Wanning might not be able to imagine what these things looked like, but just the many examples listed by Lu Shang made her blood boil.
She calmed herself down and said, "That means that Brother Zhan and his companions not only brought back many rare treasures, but also, more importantly, a steam engine."
"Exactly!" Lu Shang clapped his hands, the smile on his face growing wider. "Tomorrow I'll submit a memorial to the palace. No matter what, I must convince His Majesty to pay attention to this machine. The future development of Dazhao depends on this steam engine."
Jiang Wanning asked, "How can I help you?"
Lu Shang hugged her tightly and said, "No, no, we don't need to do anything. Only if His Majesty pays attention to us can we have a future."
After returning home, Lu Shang locked himself in the study. It was the first time for him to write a memorial after such a long time in the court. He revised the wording several times and wrote more than ten pages. He did not leave the study until the moon was at its zenith.
The next morning, he and Jiang's father went to the Golden Palace together.
He had originally planned to meet the emperor after the court session, but he never expected that the first thing Emperor Showa did after his arrival was to announce his maritime trading company to all officials.
In just half a day, all the officials in the court knew that two huge ships had returned from the dock outside Beijing yesterday. Each iron ship could carry nearly a thousand people. The two ships brought back countless treasures and overseas specialties. There was also a steam engine, which was a miracle.
But the court officials never imagined that the two huge ships would actually belong to the emperor.
Emperor Showa said proudly, "I have long ago said that the status of merchants should be improved and trade routes should be expanded! However, you have bound me by the laws of our ancestors and repeatedly prevented me from implementing the new policies. In desperation, I have no choice but to seek other solutions."
"Fortunately, I have capable people under my command. In just three years, they have broadened my horizons. I want to show you how even merchants you all look down upon can sail their giant ships thousands of miles away and bring back the best of the world for our Great Zhao!"
"Mr. Lu, are you——"
At first, Lu Shang didn't think that he was being called, until he looked up inadvertently and his eyes met Emperor Showa's.
Lu Shang: "..." He couldn't help but raised his head again, but saw Emperor Showa nodded slightly at him.
Lu Shang understood, and then hurriedly stepped out: "I am here!"
"Today, in this Golden Palace, you will tell the ministers how you opened up overseas trade routes and established the first state-owned trading company. Then, tell them what a steam engine is!"
After the last sentence was spoken, Lu Shang was shocked. He blinked and his mind suddenly became clear.
He bowed and recounted aloud all he had done in the past three years.
Only then did everyone realize that the number one scholar who disappeared after the special examination was not disliked by the emperor, but was highly valued and had become a true loyal minister in a place unknown to them.
The morning court session did not end until the afternoon.
Everyone who came out of the palace looked dazed. When asked why, they all waved their hands. Only when pressed would they say dejectedly, "I'm too narrow-minded..."
Fortunately, the emperor did not give up because of their dissuasion. Otherwise, if their obstruction hindered the development of maritime commerce, they would become sinners of Dazhao!
Two days later, the court issued a new policy——
From now on, restrictions on merchants will be lifted. Anyone who pays commercial taxes according to the law will be treated equally with farmers. Maritime merchants will be strongly encouraged. In the next five years, commercial taxes will be halved when merchant ships dock.
Emperor Showa personally set an example by donating the maritime merchants he invested in to the imperial court, setting a precedent for state-owned commercial banks.
Lu Shang was promoted to cabinet elder for his contribution to the promotion of state-owned commercial banks and participated in the government affairs of the Shang Dynasty.
Since then, he has become the youngest cabinet minister since the founding of Dazhao.
As a series of changes in the court came to an end, another half month passed.
Emperor Showa finally had time to go to the royal villa in person to meet the captain, helmsman and boatman who had returned from the sea.
That day, Lu Shang was going to pick up an old friend from Songxi County, so he did not follow.
When Emperor Showa met with Zhan Shunan and others, Lu Shang also received Dabao who had come from thousands of miles away.
A few months ago, he wrote to Lu Qi, saying that the capital was in urgent need of manpower, and if possible, he hoped that he, Dabao, or Lin Zhongwang could come to the capital to help.
Although it is not known what they discussed, only one month later, a letter was sent back from Songxi County, saying that Dabao would come to Beijing and would immediately rush to the capital after handing over his current work.
Among those who came to the capital, in addition to Dabao, there were a dozen experienced accountants who all came to help.
After Lu Shang picked them up at the city gate, he drove directly back to the Jiang Mansion.
On the way home, he couldn't help but ask about Dabao's recent situation, and then asked, "Why did you come to the capital?"
Dabao has been working in Lu's Logistics for several years. He has become stronger and stronger. He is also tall. When standing next to Lu Shang, he almost towers over him. However, such a simple and honest man is the indispensable manager of the logistics team.
Dabao scratched his head and chuckled, "Originally, my father didn't agree with me coming here, but I thought, I'm not young anymore, and if I don't go out and try my luck, I'm afraid I'll miss out on opportunities in the future. So I went to ask my mother for permission, and she agreed right away. She even helped me convince my father, so I was able to get away and come to the capital to work for you."
Lu Shang was amused by him and couldn't help but hit him on the shoulder twice, saying again: "Good boy!"
After a while, the carriage arrived at the door of the Jiang family. Jiang Wanning and others had received the news early. Jiang Wanning even took a vacation from school and waited at home. However, after not seeing Dabao for more than half a year, she missed him especially when she saw him.
When Lu Shang and his companions were in Songxi County, they often interacted with each other and were all acquaintances. Now that they met again, there was no need for polite greetings.
Even Jiang's father and mother had spent a lot of time with Dabao. When they saw him, they called him over and asked him a few questions. When they learned that Dabao had not yet arranged a marriage, Jiang's mother said enthusiastically, "What kind of girl does Dabao like? I'll keep an eye out for you!"
This made Dabao blush.
At noon, a group of people went to the restaurant and had lunch together. Then, those who came from Songxi County said goodbye to Jiang Wanning and others, and followed Lu Shang out, intending to get to the transfer point outside Beijing as soon as possible to familiarize themselves with the environment.
On the way there, Lu Shang briefly introduced the situation in Beijing to them, and especially mentioned Dabao: "I asked you to come here, not only because you need to pay more attention to the transit point, but also because of the maritime trade."
"Brother Zhan is still in the capital and can't come out to see people for the next few days. I'll invite him over in a few days. You can discuss what you want to do with him. My idea is to make maritime transportation a major feature of our Lu Logistics. The specific operation still needs your improvement."
In fact, if Lu Shang was asked to arrange it, he could do it.
But he had just joined the cabinet and was already busy with court affairs, so he had to let others do such small things.
Besides, no matter whether it was Dabao or Zhan Shunan, or even the dozen or so accountants who followed him, he could rest assured. He only had to tell them what he wanted, and these people would give him a satisfactory answer.
Lu Shang took them around the transfer point outside Beijing and introduced the two groups to each other.
Before dark, he brought Dabao and others back, found an inn nearby, and arranged accommodation for them.
The dormitory that was originally a transit point is already full. If they plan to live there in the future, they will have to expand it. Or they can rent a small courtyard in Beijing and make more trips there in the morning and evening.
Lu Shang told them both options and told them to come back in two days to ask about the final decision.
Two days later, everyone in the royal villa was released.
Lu Shang gathered everyone together again and went over the things that Emperor Showa cared about again. He then gave each of them a reward of twenty taels of silver and a full three months of leave. During these three months, they could go home and reunite with their families.
Everything was arranged properly, and the boatmen of the Breaking Waves finally dispersed.
Although Zhan Shunan was anxious to go home to see his wife, he also knew what was important. He stayed for half a day and discussed with Lu Shang and Dabao what to do next.
When Zhan Shunan heard that Lu Shang was going to develop maritime transportation, his first reaction was to take over the task.
Lu Shang smiled and said, "Brother Zhan, don't worry about this. Just go home and have a good rest for a few months. Leave the rest of the things to Dabao. You can conserve your energy. When the Breaking Waves sets sail next time, you'll be in charge!"
Zhan Shunan was stunned for a moment, then came to his senses and quickly agreed.
The three of them chatted until the evening. Dabao returned to the inn, and Zhan Shunan returned to his small home in the capital. They were going in the same direction, so they took a car together.
Lu Shang did the exact opposite of them. After watching them go away, he also stopped a carriage to go home.
Everything happened just as he expected. The next day, the imperial court issued a commendation to the crew of the Breaking Waves. All crew members on this voyage, regardless of their position, were rewarded with large amounts of gold, silver, and silk. As the captain, Zhan Shunan was even awarded the title of sixth-rank sea officer, and from then on he became a member of the noble family.
There were also more than a dozen helmsmen from the two other ships who were promoted to eighth-rank officials. Although their starting rank was a bit low, they would have plenty of opportunities for promotion in the future.
These helmsmen were originally long-term workers of Lu Logistics. They were also the first group to go to sea to learn experience. After going out to sea several times, they finally became the helmsmen of the Breaking Waves.
On the day when everyone was appointed to official positions, they all came to the Jiang family, carrying valuable gifts in their hands, to express their gratitude to Lu Shang for his support.
Lu Shang did not refuse. After they left, he sent a servant to deliver gifts for their official titles to each of their families.
In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the month. The Queen sent someone to deliver an invitation, inviting Jiang Wanning and Lu Nian'an to the palace to attend a flower-viewing banquet. This was agreed upon earlier. On that day, Jiang Wanning set off with An'an and Lu Shang.
When they arrived at the palace gate, she and An An were led by the eunuchs to the inner palace gate, while Lu Shang went to court.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
