In the year of great disaster, we are in the same boat and overcome the difficulties together.
When "Daming Forum" published an eye-catching headline on the front page, many people immediately sensed that a storm was about to come.
There is an ancient poem that goes, "The rich have wine and meat, while the streets are full of frozen corpses." Although the newspaper article did not quote it, the words between the lines contained many criticisms of the royal family, nobles and other people.
A beautiful house, a horde of servants, a luxurious life... If it is earned through your own labor or business, then your enjoyment is well deserved.
But you, on the other hand, are able to gain something for nothing by relying on the merits of your ancestors or because of your status and blood ties, and receive the imperial salary with peace of mind. These are all the people's hard-earned money.
It was like this when suppressing the Liaodong Rebellion, and it was still like this when the disaster struck. Where can we see the awareness of sharing weal and woe with the Kuomintang and the Communist Party?
The emperor often used public opinion as a tool. Obviously, the emperor was going to take action against the royal family and nobles.
In the following issues of the newspaper, a series of articles were published, which listed numbers and examples to illustrate the burdens that the royal family and nobles had on the country.
The grace of a gentleman is cut off after five generations. Whether counting from Taizu or Chengzu, the court has already done its utmost to be benevolent and righteous.
The continuous publication of these reports in newspapers put great pressure on the royal family and nobles. It would not be an exaggeration to say that people were in a panic.
If you don't count it, you won't know. Especially the growth in the number of vassal states and the expenditure of the court are shocking, just starting from the Wanli period.
If this continues, the Ming Dynasty's finances will eventually collapse and be eaten up by the vassal states. Even if it can still hold on, it will be unable to do anything.
The numerous articles not only clearly exposed the harm caused by the royal family and nobles, but also made the emperor's painstaking efforts known to the world.
Clan schools, funds, exchanging titles for official positions, converting three years' salary into silver to change careers, etc., let everyone know that the emperor has tried every possible way for you, but you are unmoved.
The repeated bombardment of public opinion soon pushed the royal family and the nobles to the opposite side.
Civil officials and common people have always been disgusted with these incompetent people who are idle and wait for death; and most of the newly promoted military generals are trained in martial arts and rely on military merit for promotion, and they have no feelings for the nobles.
Of course, the emperor's other method was to use both persuasion and persuasion. Nobles whose sons served in the army and performed well were praised in the newspapers.
The actions of the garrison were carried out almost simultaneously with public opinion. Including the Beijing camp, troops from all over the country were ordered to undergo a month-long intensive training, the most important content of which was the drill.
Everyone knew who the military parade was for. The princes and royal families in various places also understood that this was a deterrent, that the emperor was waving a knife in front of them!
You have no choice but to accept it. When the emperor gets angry, he will not care about his reputation or shame and will kill you!
The brutal crackdown on officialdom is still fresh in everyone's memory. Countless officials were executed or exiled, and great scholars, famous scholars, and officials were dealt with without mercy.
At that time, the fierce battle in Liaodong was in full swing, and money was spent like water. The emperor was going crazy due to lack of money.
Now a great disaster has struck, and the emperor is about to start making money and fleecing the sheep again!
You can think whatever you want, but I have made up my mind to deal with you parasites.
In November of the ninth year of the Tianqi reign, the Qianqiu Festival was celebrated. Not only was the capital decorated with lanterns and colorful lights, but various celebrations were also held. Officials from all over the Ming Dynasty also did their best to celebrate the emperor's birthday.
Even in Shaanxi, where drought was raging throughout the province, there were celebrations, with each family receiving ten kilograms of rice and a can of sea fish.
Being inland, and in the remote northwest, it was a completely unprecedented experience to be able to eat Shanghai fish. Dried fish might have been available before, but the taste was nothing like this "canned" stuff.
The emperor distributed rice and canned food to the people of Shaanxi by taking money out of the treasury. He won over the hearts of the people and helped the Shaanxi government to stabilize the people's hearts during the disaster.
"Long live, long live, long live!"
"May the years of prosperity last forever!"
"The people burn incense and pray, wishing the emperor good health..."
All the memorials from various places contained words of congratulations on the birthday. When the emperor heard Liu Ruoyu reciting them, he just laughed happily and ordered him to put them away and rewarded him with a bottle of canned fruit.
Following the emperor's advice and guidance, the Academy of Sciences conducted repeated research and experiments and finally successfully developed a method to preserve food for a long period of time without spoiling.
In fact, the reason is very simple, that is, high temperature and high pressure sealing. After the development of the microscope, the concept of microorganisms is no longer a fantasy.
The specific operation is to process the food, put it into bottles and jars, heat them in boiling water, plug them with corks while they are still hot, or seal them with oil paper, wax, or thread. You can also seal them with mud like making wine.
The emperor took out part of the funds and invested them in funds obtained from some vassal nobles. He also established a joint venture with the General Chamber of Maritime Merchants, the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce, and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce to build three canneries in Lushun, Chongming, and Shantou.
The canned foods mainly include fish that are most easily available along the coast and fruits from the south, and in the Ministry of War's purchase list, canned fish has been listed as one of the military supplies.
The invention of canned food in history was due to war and the trade of the Age of Discovery. The supply of food to the army and the need for fruits and vegetables for sailors at sea for a long time were important factors that led to the birth of canned food.
In order to reduce costs, cans are now made of glazed ceramic, and only glass jars are used for small tributes.
Distributing canned food to the disaster victims in Shaanxi was both the emperor's charity and the first batch of royal purchases to support the cannery.
From luxury goods to common food, and then to export to make money, the emperor knew the future of canned food.
Canned and compressed foods will change the form of war transportation and logistics, which is even more significant.
Moreover, the Maritime Merchants Association is very optimistic about canned food and has already planned to build factories in Qingdao, Hainan and Mekong Province specifically for their seafarers.
The emperor turned and went to the side hall, only to find two little princesses holding canned fruit and eating happily.
"Father, you eat." The little princess licked her lips and picked up the can with only a little soup left.
The emperor chuckled, took a silk handkerchief and wiped his daughter's mouth, then instructed her, "Rinse your mouth after eating, and don't eat too much, or it will damage your teeth."
"Hmm, hmm!" The other little princess who was eating canned food nodded repeatedly, agreeing happily and eating with great joy.
The side hall, which originally contained only a large sandbox, was now filled with the princess's toys. There were wooden horses, small carts, and fur balls. The palace maids also kept the room clean to avoid clutter.
The emperor walked to the sand table and moved his eyes to the southwest.
The invasion of Burma was the biggest war of the year and the one that the emperor was most concerned about.
Although Myanmar's combat capability was limited, it had the advantage of geographical location, while the Ming army also had to face climate issues.
To combat the dreaded malaria, the war effort involved a significant amount of investment, including sufficient supplies of mosquito nets, mosquito coils, tea leaves, garlic, and various medicines.
After the Frost Descent, the miasma and mosquitoes will disappear, and the Ming army's operations will be smoother.
Everything is ready, only the east wind is lacking. Let's wait for news from the front to see how great a victory the soldiers can achieve and how much spoils they can obtain!
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