In fact, since the emperor dared to let Wu Keshan go to Khorchin as a jasak, he didn't have to worry about any accidents. Zaisang Buhe and the two sisters were not hostages.
The reason Hailanzhu and Bumbutai stayed in Shaoyingyuan was to allow them to be more exposed to Han culture, which was the same as allowing the descendants of chieftains to receive education.
Bumbutai listened to her sister's words and shook her head gently. "We don't need father to intervene. As long as we work hard, the emperor said that as long as we can graduate from elementary school, he will let us go."
Hailanzhu pondered for a moment and said, "I'm afraid he's just making an excuse."
"The emperor's words are golden, and he's going back on his word?" Bumbutai glared and said, "If we ask him in public, he'll have to save face, right?"
Hailanzhu smiled and said, "When can you graduate?"
Bumbutai's eyes widened immediately, and she stammered, "Primary school takes five years, and I've only been there for three. I'll definitely graduate in two more years."
Hai Lanzhu also had three years, but she was already able to pass the graduation exam. She tried to do the graduation exam questions. If it weren't for accompanying her sister, she would have graduated and returned home long ago.
Because of this, Bumbutai wanted to take advantage of this royal celebration to escape from her days of hard study as soon as possible.
"If the emperor comes, if there's a chance, you can mention it." Hai Lanzhu touched her sister's head and comforted her casually, "It won't be a big loss anyway. Just wait until you graduate in two years."
Bumbutai knew this was the only way, so she sighed helplessly and said, "It would be even better if we could go back to the prairie. Didn't my brother say in his letter that he's stable and doing well over there?"
Wu Kesan did gain a firm foothold in the Khorchin grassland, not because of his strong ability, but because of the deterrence of the Ming army, which made Ligdan Khan dare not continue to advance eastward to annex other territories, and the jasaks of the Khorchin tribe also behaved very well.
In the face of such powerful strength and under the pressure of Ligdan Khan to maintain internal stability, how could the Khorchin tribe and the Inner Khalkha Alliance dare to offend the Ming Empire?
As for what Wu Keshan said about living a good life, it was not an exaggeration.
In addition to cattle, sheep, and fur, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce built wool spinning mills in Datong and Guangning. Wool could also be sold for money, providing the Mongolian tribes that surrendered to the Ming Dynasty with an additional long-term source of income.
With the help of the improved textile machinery invented by the Academy of Sciences, as well as wool processing technology, woolen cloth and blankets will become another source of export and foreign exchange earnings for the Ming Empire.
There was no way around it. Cotton spinning was the pillar industry of the Ming Empire. Exquisite cotton textiles were exported in large quantities, and their output value was not much different from that of tea and porcelain.
However, the cotton textile industry needed cotton, and the raw material was not so abundant. Especially when a major disaster struck, people would plant grain whenever possible, and cash crops would be put on the back burner.
The wool used in woolen products could only be used to make felt before, and was very crude, or simply discarded as waste.
Now that waste can be turned into treasure and exported to earn foreign exchange, the ones who make the biggest profits are not the Mongolian tribes, but the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the imperial court that collects commercial taxes.
Regardless of who earns more, at least all parties are satisfied. This is the only way to ensure long-term and stable production and stable and long-term income.
In fact, another company also gained something: the Academy of Sciences. The Chinese Chamber of Commerce purchased wool spinning machinery, which included patent fees, but the term had not yet been formally proposed.
Whether it was wool spinning machinery or cotton spinning machinery that surpassed the spinning Jenny, they all became sources of funding for the Academy of Sciences.
Of course, this was the patent protection effect that only existed under the emperor's authority, when the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the Maritime Merchants Association and the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce jointly monopolized the large-scale production of the cotton and wool textile industries.
In the emperor's view, it was too early to officially introduce the Patent Law. The most important thing was that the education level of the Ming people did not meet his requirements.
If universal education is implemented at the current rate, it will take at least ten years, perhaps twenty years, to satisfy the emperor.
The overall improvement of the quality of the people is the foundation of the empire's long-term prosperity. Although the current Ming army is powerful and the national situation is stable and upward, that is forcibly elevated by the emperor's golden finger.
Without Zhu Youxiao, the Ming Empire would inertialy return to its old ways in a few years. The emperor knew this very well.
He certainly changed the historical direction of the Ming Empire, but this was mostly in the hardware. In terms of software, that is, ideology, it was far from enough to break through the shackles of feudal traditions.
Although various new policies and measures to promote benefits and eliminate disadvantages were implemented, they relied more on the supreme imperial power rather than the voluntary actions of the majority of people.
Twenty years! The emperor didn’t know what the sisters on the grassland were thinking, but he set a goal for himself.
Twenty years later, the great disaster will subside from its peak; twenty years later, almost a generation will grow up; twenty years later, the territory of the Ming Empire will reach a new height...
……………….
Shanghai.
The expansion of the trading house was faster than that of Guangzhou and the scale of construction was larger. A major international trading port has taken shape.
Guangzhou is a long-established commercial port, having traded frequently with Southeast Asian nations since the Tang Dynasty. Shanghai, however, was a relatively newer player, and only began to undergo rapid transformation when the emperor paid close attention and established the General Chamber of Maritime Merchants here.
However, thanks to the strong financial resources of the Maritime Merchants Association and the strong support of the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce, Shanghai has risen rapidly and has shown signs of surpassing old commercial ports such as Yangzhou and Fuzhou.
In fact, Shanghai's geographical conditions are much better than those of Yangzhou and Fuzhou. It is close to the Yangtze River, and it has both river and sea transportation. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is blessed by nature.
"You're welcome, President Sun." Li Dan said sincerely to Sun Weida, President of the Yangtze River Chamber of Commerce, with a warm smile on his face, "The newly expanded port will naturally reserve ample berths and docks for your chamber of commerce. Please rest assured on that."
Yangtze River shipping was crucial for the transportation of disaster relief supplies. Large quantities of grain purchased from Southeast Asia, grown in Mekong Province, were shipped into China, with the three main transit ports being Tianjin, Lushun, and Shanghai.
Needless to say, the grain transport in Tianjin gradually declined, and the capital and Zhili became increasingly dependent on sea transport for food and supplies;
Lushun was the largest ice-free port in Liaodong. The reconstruction of Liaodong, the garrison of the Ming army, and the advance to the north all required a large amount of material support.
Shanghai is the intersection of sea and river transportation. By shipping on the Yangtze River, food and supplies can be transported to provinces such as Henan, Gansu and Shaanxi at a faster speed and lower cost.
Yellow River shipping could have played a role, but the emperor had no such ambitions. Under the influence of major disasters, the Yellow River would dry up due to drought. Wasn't it more costly to expand Yellow River shipping than to gain?
Sun Weida breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Thank you, Brother Li, for your generosity. From now on, your Chamber of Commerce's ships will receive the best care at the various docks along the Yangtze River."
The Yangtze River Chamber of Commerce is also very powerful, especially in the task of transporting disaster relief supplies, so the emperor will naturally provide great convenience.
Li Dan also saw this and was generous. It was not for Sun Weida, nor was it because he was worried about the country and the people, but to satisfy the emperor.
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