Chapter 39: A Qualitative Leap
The craftsmen in the Imperial Household Department were skilled in many fields. Since they had never seen a cast iron loom before, they all worked together to create one.
Everyone originally thought that if they could restore the wooden loom into an iron one, they would have completed the mission.
There happened to be a craftsman who had imitated Western clocks and suggested that the shuttle on the wooden loom was too troublesome to operate, and it might be more labor-saving if a spring could be installed on it.
The craftsmen of the Qing Dynasty were not accustomed to using springs, and this idea could only be thought of by a craftsman who was familiar with Western objects. He designed a slide with springs at both ends to drive the shuttle.
This makes it much easier for the weaver to operate, and a loom can also weave a wider area of cloth.
Yonglian watched the craftsmen demonstrate and clapped his hands excitedly! Isn't this the flying shuttle?
In the original history, it was the invention of the flying shuttle that led to a qualitative leap in the production speed of cotton cloth in British factories. In order to ensure that the output of cotton yarn could keep up with the speed of cotton cloth production, the milestone of the Industrial Revolution, the spinning jenny, was invented.
Now that the Qing Dynasty has the flying shuttle, isn't the spinning Jenny not far off?
"Great, great! This is a great achievement! I'll go tell Khan Ama the good news!" Yonglian asked, "Who invented this? Come with us!"
The craftsman who invented the flying shuttle was called Wuerzhan, a young man in his twenties.
He was a bit shy. After all, the craftsmanship of the Imperial Household Department in making replica clocks was not very good before, and they, the watchmakers, were often looked down upon.
He subconsciously looked at the craftsmen who were mainly responsible for making the looms.
Yonglian followed his gaze and, understanding Wuerzhan's concerns, smiled at the others and said, "You will also receive rewards."
Hai Wang looked at Yong Lian and said, "My Lord, the details of this loom still need some polishing. I will compile a list of the craftsmen involved and present it to the Emperor so they can all receive their reward."
Yonglian thought about it and decided, "Okay, okay! Then I'll go find Khan Ama and tell him the good news."
The two brothers rushed to the Yangxin Palace again.
After reading the last two memorials, Qianlong was about to go to Changchun Palace when he heard Yonglian shouting outside.
"Khan Ama Khan Ama, happy news, great happy news!"
Qianlong frowned. This kid was becoming more and more unruly.
What good news requires a prince like him to announce?
Qianlong stood up and pushed open the door. The little guy rushed in like a little cannonball, and Yonghuang followed behind him, panting.
Yonglian saluted and said quickly: "Khan Ama, the Imperial Household Department has developed a labor-saving loom that can double the speed of weaving!"
"If it doubles, it doubles. Why get so excited?" Qianlong was very calm. He pulled his son into the house. It was winter and the little guy had a layer of sweat on his forehead.
"If our cotton cloth production increases, we won't have to rely on England anymore, and we can even export it." Yonglian said, "Even if we don't consider all that, it's a great thing that women can weave with less effort!"
As for driving the subsequent development of machinery, Yonglian did not say anything. This still depends on whether the court provides sufficient support.
Yonghuang helped his brother to explain the principle of the new loom to Khan Ama.
Qianlong was confused and doubtful, "Just making such a small improvement can double the efficiency?"
"We've all seen it with our own eyes," Yonglian said. "They used a spring. My son thinks there might be many other uses for it."
Qianlong: "What is a spring?"
Yonglian pointed to the chime clock on the cabinet and said, "This chime clock will pop out a little bird to tell the time every hour. This mechanism uses a spring."
Qianlong raised his eyebrows, "How do you know?"
"Because the craftsman who invented the flying shuttle used to imitate Western clocks." Yonglian said with a smile.
Yonghuang and Yonglian praised the new loom from top to bottom and inside and outside, but Qianlong still could not appreciate the benefits of this loom.
"I understand, I'll wait for Haiwang to submit a report, and then I'll go take a look. If it's as convenient as you say, we'll slowly promote it. But you also said that this shuttle is installed on an iron loom, but most looms are made of wood, so it may not be suitable. Even if it is suitable, ordinary people don't have the money to replace it."
"The court will help them replace the looms!" Yonglian said, "The court will help them replace the looms for free, and they will pay back a portion of the cloth woven on the new looms to the court."
Qianlong discovered that Yonglian was only concerned about the people, but he also didn't want the court to be taken advantage of.
Yonghuang nodded beside him, "That's a good idea!"
Qianlong was satisfied in his heart, but he snorted, "I don't know if this flying shuttle is easy to make."
After he said that, he sent the two children back to their brother's house to do their homework. School was already later than before, and the two little brats were still running around everywhere.
In the evening, Qianlong and the empress talked about the progress of the loom.
"I haven't seen what it looks like yet, I just heard Yonglian say it's good. If it can really improve efficiency, we can replace a batch of new looms for the imitation workshop in Jiangnan." Qianlong said.
The empress was already very familiar with the structure of the loom, and she could imagine what the shuttle looked like from Qianlong's description.
"In my opinion, such looms are needed not only in Jiangnan but also in the north," the Queen said. "Some counties in the north have very poor soil. Wouldn't it be great if we could trade our weaving for food?"
Qianlong was stunned when he heard this. Yes, why didn’t he think of this?
Several counties in Gansu and Ningxia experienced persistently low grain production, frequently requiring assistance from neighboring prefectures and counties. The imperial court periodically allocated aid, but these areas were unsuitable for mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing. Shipping silk would fetch the same price as tofu mashed into meat, while cotton was much cheaper to transport. Furthermore, these areas could also grow some cotton.
If you think about it this way, the textile industry is so important! The improvement in weaving efficiency is indeed something to celebrate.
Hai Wang handed the memorial to Qianlong before the New Year and carried the cast iron loom to Changchun Palace.
After Qianlong visited, the concubines in the harem also came to see the new loom the next day.
Concubine Chun had used a loom at home and knew that the looms in the past were very tiring to operate. She saw that the queen operated it easily, which not only increased the speed but also made the cotton cloth very smooth.
"That's fantastic! I think the speed will more than double," Chunpin said. "Plus, wooden looms are easily deformed by moisture and are very difficult to repair. Iron ones are definitely more durable."
"I just don't know how much this iron loom costs?" asked Empress Xian.
In the twelfth month of this year, Emperor Qianlong officially conferred titles on his concubines, and Nara also received a title.
The Queen said, "The Emperor said that iron looms are expensive and most people probably can't afford them. Fortunately, this shuttle can also be installed on wooden looms."
The Imperial Household Department had already tested it two days ago and only needed to adjust the size slightly.
Qianlong rewarded Wuerzhan with twenty taels of silver and praised him at the morning court.
Qianlong not only praised him, but also mentioned him casually when talking about the flying shuttle.
But this was a rare opportunity for the craftsmen in the Imperial Household Department, so the person in charge of the Imperial Household Department was quite polite to Urzhan.
Soon, Urzhan was promoted from an ordinary craftsman to a doctor.
Compared to money, promotion is more attractive to people of this era.
Many people in the Imperial Household Department envied Wuerzhan and wanted to make something of him. When they heard that the emperor had asked people to research the production of transparent glass, some people began to devote their attention to this.
Haiwang discovered that the enthusiasm of the craftsmen in the Imperial Household Department was unprecedentedly high. Even during the New Year, some people were still busy in the craftsmen's room.
The late emperor would surely be happy to see such a scene.
During the New Year's Day sacrifice at the Taimiao, Qianlong and Yonglian told Yongzheng the good news of the improved loom.
Qianlong said: "It is all thanks to Khan Ama's good training that the craftsmen in the Imperial Household Department have such high quality."
That's true. Most of the people working in the Imperial Household Department now came from the Yongzheng period.
Yongzheng laughed out loud and said to Yonglian, "Look, your Khan Amado can talk."
Yonglian also felt that it was no wonder that Khan Ama was loved by the Emperor when he was a child. He was really good at making people happy.
Little did they know that Qianlong was laying the groundwork for what he was going to say next.
He talked about the importance of the textile industry and Western countries, and finally sighed, "After much deliberation, I believe we must send someone to Libya to take a look. If that place becomes a foreign territory, it will pose a considerable threat to Asia and the Qing Dynasty."
"Yes, yes, we should go." When Yongzheng heard this, he agreed with Qianlong's point of view.
Who knew that Qianlong's next sentence was, "I am not confident in sending anyone else, and my cousin from my thirteenth uncle's family is the most capable, so I want to let Hongtao go."
Yongzheng: “…”
Yongzheng: "No!" He quickly said to Yonglian: "Hurry up and tell your Khan, there are so many people in the court, you can send anyone, but you can't let Hongtao go!"
Yonglian did not obey the emperor's orders this time, but asked, "Why can't Uncle Hongtao go?"
"Hongtao is the son of your thirteenth uncle, and a legitimate son at that. If anything happens to him outside, I won't be able to explain to your thirteenth uncle!" Yongzheng said.
Yonglian tilted his head, "But it would be dangerous for anyone to go."
In his opinion, this matter was like a war, and a member of the royal family had to be sent to lead the charge. Ordinary officials really couldn't do it.
"Does your Majesty disagree?" Qianlong asked.
Yonglian nodded his head and said to Yongzheng's spirit, "Your Majesty, although going to Libya is risky, if it can open up new trade routes for the Qing Dynasty, it will also be a great thing that benefits the country and the people. The contribution can be compared with Zhang Qian and Zheng He."
Qianlong nodded beside him and couldn't help laughing in his heart. Hongtao was really like Zheng He in some ways.
...Wait, my own son is actually helping me persuade Khan Ama.
Qianlong was deeply moved that his beloved son still stood by him at the critical moment.
Yongzheng: "Yonglian, the descendants of your thirteenth uncle do not need such achievements."
Yonglian was stunned when he heard this. It turned out that the Queen was not only worried about Uncle Hongtao being in danger, but also worried that his power would be too great and people would be afraid of him.
"The Emperor cannot rest assured. We cannot always send Uncle Hongtao. In the future, our Qing dynasty will have a more professional fleet," Yonglian said. This meant that the Khan would not allow Uncle Hongtao to develop his own power in overseas trade.
"Yes, Khan Ama, don't worry, I will be back in two or three years at most." Qianlong also said.
Yongzheng's spirit sighed, "Forget it, it's up to you."
Yonglian tried to cheer up the Emperor again by telling him about Xinji, and mentioned casually that Prince Guo's palace had bought two cars.
Yongzheng: "Seventeenth Master can ride a two-wheeled cart?"
Yonglian said, "No, it's just that the Prince Li's Mansion sent someone to buy a car that day, and Seventeenth Uncle was afraid that the Prince Li's Mansion and the Ningjun Prince's Mansion would fight over it, so he bought two."
Qianlong quickly replied, "Seventeenth Uncle is actually worrying too much. Prince Li and Hongtao have a close relationship and would never fight over a two-wheeled cart."
After hearing this, Khan Ama probably understood why he sent Hongtao overseas.
Sure enough, Yongzheng realized it after a little thought. He sighed lightly and blamed Hongjiao for being careless and not getting too close to Hongxi.
When Hongtao knew that he was about to be sent to Libya, he almost fainted.
He doesn't even know where this place is, he must be scared!
After asking the missionaries, I didn't want to go even more.
According to missionaries, Libya was as barbaric as a primitive society.
Hongtao couldn't help but complain to Hongchang and Hongxiao.
"Did I do something wrong to offend His Majesty? Why did you banish me to such a faraway place for no reason?"
Hongchang said, "Yes, this is even farther than being exiled to Ningguta. I wonder how many dangers he will encounter on the way? Besides, Fourth Brother has never been involved in Lifanyuan affairs before. Why did the Emperor suddenly want Fourth Brother to go?"
Hong Tao said, "If it really doesn't work, let my mother go to the palace and plead for me."
Hong Xiao said, "In my opinion, Fourth Brother, don't always think the worst. The fact that the Emperor sent you there just shows that he trusts you."
"Seventh brother has a simple mind, that's why he can say such words." Hongchang said with a smile.
"Hmph, if you don't believe me, forget it. If this thing is done, there will be many benefits. If you give up such a good opportunity and regret it in the future, don't blame me for not reminding you." Hong Xiao said.
Hongchang has always looked down on Hongxiao. However, he was the seventh child but was able to inherit his father's title of king. Isn't it because he has a good memory and can recite a few poems to please his father and fourth uncle?
Hong Tao knew that his seventh brother was well-read, so he asked him, "Tell me, what are the benefits?"
Hong Xiao smiled. "The task the Emperor has assigned Fourth Brother is similar to the one the Cao family used to handle. My two brothers know better than I do how wealthy the Cao family became. The Cao family only controlled one province, yet it was still this great. Libya is so vast... and this can indirectly connect us to the West. Wouldn't Fourth Brother's descendants inherit the family business?"
The more Hongtao listened, the brighter his eyes became. It was indeed the case.
"But we are all family, so Fourth Brother shouldn't go too far." Hong Xiao reminded.
Hong Tao said, "Don't worry about that. I'm not the kind of person who forgets righteousness when I see profit. If I do something too extreme, I won't be able to explain it to my father in the afterlife, right?"
Hongchang thought to himself that the fourth brother had no son, so what was the point of so much money?
On second thought, the fourth brother has no son, so he must adopt a son from his brothers. He and Hongxiao are closest in blood relationship, and Hongxiao has a son before he even gets married.
But he only had two sons, one was born to his original wife, and the other was born to his second wife. Both children were his treasures, and he was reluctant to adopt either one.
You have to work harder when you get back.
Hongtao didn't know that his elder brother had already set his sights on his family business. He became a little anxious when he thought that his millions of assets might have no one to inherit them in the future.
But there is no point in worrying about this matter. He will have to be separated from his wives and concubines for the next few years. It is really sad to think about it.
The announcement of Hongtao's departure for sea in the first month of the Qianlong Emperor's reign made the Empress Dowager too embarrassed to see the Thirteenth Consort Zhaojia, fearing that if something happened to Hongtao in the future, the Thirteenth Consort would come to her to ask for their son.
But the Thirteenth Lady was a sensible person. When the late emperor was alive, she did not dare to make excessive demands by taking advantage of his preference for her husband. Now that the emperor has changed, she must of course be more cautious.
After being comforted by Hongxiao again, although the Thirteenth Lady was worried about her son, she did not make a fuss.
He just asked Hongtao to make more preparations before setting off, especially to consult those who had been to sea.
Qianlong also thought of this. He asked Hongtao to go to Guangdong first to meet the merchants there and familiarize himself with the situation of overseas trade.
At the same time, the Ministry of War rushed to manufacture firearms and set out once they were ready.
In addition to Hongtao, Qianlong also selected several baoyi with good physical fitness and smart minds from the Imperial Household Department.
These people learned foreign languages temporarily. They didn't know what language the people of Libya spoke, so they only learned some English and French.
Many people in the court opposed this matter. Even Ortai and Zhang Tingyu did not agree with the court sending a caravan to such a wild place.
If you really want to do business, you should do it with the West. Going there is not worth it.
But some people expressed their support, including Hai Wang and Li Wei. Because Hai Wang was in charge of the Imperial Household Department's Imperial Household Department, he had a lot of dealings with missionaries. He knew that the Portuguese and Spanish had discovered the New World, and that things like corn and sweet potatoes were brought from there.
There are dangers as well as treasures overseas.
Without training, you cannot get a tiger cub.
Li Wei served as an official in Zhejiang. Ningbo, Zhejiang was one of the trading ports, but it was mainly focused on trade with vassal states.
Li Wei knew that many foreigners had entered the vassal states of the Qing Dynasty. Although they had not yet threatened the Qing Dynasty's dominant position in local trade, if they acquired land near Asia and reduced transportation costs, they might indeed affect the Qing Dynasty's trade.
The Qing Dynasty had to prepare for a rainy day. Once these foreigners gradually eroded the vassal states around it, it would be too late for the Qing Dynasty to resist.
The court was arguing over this matter, and to win the argument, officials began to learn about overseas affairs. Some consulted missionaries, while others borrowed books to read.
Many Han officials who grew up reading the Four Books and Five Classics only then learned about the "heliocentric theory" and the "spherical earth theory", and their worldview was shaky.
Some people refused to believe it, claiming that these views were deliberately used by foreigners to deceive the emperor.
Qianlong was unhappy when he heard this. My Emperor Kangxi had already accepted the heliocentric theory. Do you mean that he was also deceived?
Qianlong issued a solemn edict, stating that while his youth and limited knowledge were understandable, the Emperor's actions were not. However, the Emperor's wisdom and wisdom were immense, and his knowledge was vast, making it impossible for him to be easily deceived. The Emperor's wisdom, especially, was not only well-read but also proficient in astronomical instruments and the calculation of river speeds. If the heliocentric theory and the spherical earth theory were false, how could he not have discovered this?
The ministers were speechless.
If these are to be overturned, the reputation of the Holy Ancestor and the Late Emperor will also be damaged.
When the children in the Shangshufang heard this from Yunlu, they all applauded.
Yonglian once again sighed that Khan Ama really knew how to talk, he was the best public relations person in the royal family. This was something the royal mother could not compare to.
"These people are just trying to cover up their mistake. They don't really believe it, they just don't want to admit it." Yunlu said, "In their view, anything outside the books of the sages is heresy."
Ming Rui was puzzled. "Does this conflict with the sages' books? The fact that the earth revolves around the sun doesn't affect loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness, or the Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues!"
Yunlu smiled and said, "That's right! Doesn't the heliocentric theory also explain the superiority of heaven and the inferiority of earth?"
The earth revolves around the sun, so it is reasonable to explain it as the ruler is the leader of his subjects and the father is the leader of his sons!
Yunlu turned around and wrote a fraudulent article to prove the similarities between the books of sages and the heliocentric theory and the spherical earth theory.
After reading the article, Qianlong was very satisfied. He made some minor revisions and gave it to his two sons for study.
Yonglian: “…”
Okay...you are professionals at making far-fetched claims.
However, this can help readers accept the new worldview more quickly, which is also a good thing.
He said to Qianlong, "Sixteenth Uncle's article is so well written. It should be read by students in all prefectural schools. It should also teach them some basic knowledge of astronomy and geography."
Although Qianlong himself was not interested in this knowledge, he also knew that it was important.
Just like this time when we went to Libya, many officials didn’t know where this place was, so they started arguing.
Students from various prefectures have the opportunity to enter officialdom in the future. If they were the same as these people, wouldn’t there be more arguments?
Qianlong rubbed his son's head and said, "You kid, even if you study an article, you can still come up with new ideas."
Yonglian smiled and said, "This is what it means to put your knowledge into practice."
Qianlong was amused by his son's smug expression.
Since it was not just about learning one article, Qianlong wanted someone to compile a booklet so that all the prefectures in the Qing Dynasty could study it.
It is better to learn this than to learn "Da Yi Jue Mi Lu".
The book involves some Western knowledge, and the Hanlin officials are not qualified to do the job. I have to trouble Yunlu to find someone else to help Sixteenth Uncle, so let Fifth Brother go.
Yunlu and Hongzhou, uncle and nephew, got together to eat, drink and have fun while editing a book.
They both had two-wheeled vehicles and raced in the palace. Unfortunately, the palace was limited in space and had steps and thresholds everywhere.
Hong Zhou was looking forward to living in the garden, but the emperor had no intention of going there yet, so it was not easy for Hong Zhou to go.
Qianlong actually also wanted to go to the Old Summer Palace. Everyone knows that the Old Summer Palace is more comfortable to live in than the palace.
It’s just that I was too busy after the Chinese New Year and had no time to arrange this.
By March, the trip to Libya was finally arranged. Site selection had begun for the tricycle factory in Jiangnan. Plans for the flying shuttle were also being sent to various locations. Next, local officials instructed craftsmen to manufacture them according to the plans, first distributing them to weaving workshops and then to individuals with looms.
He finally had some free time, so he asked someone to go to the Old Summer Palace to make arrangements and take the empress dowager and concubines to live there.
Yonghuang and Yonglian naturally went along as well, and the two children did not forget to bring their two-wheeled cart with them. Although the two children could only share one cart so far, they were both able to skillfully ride this children's version of the two-wheeled cart.
Yonglian was happy at the thought of riding a two-wheeled vehicle to tour the Old Summer Palace.
Unexpectedly, Qianlong was more playful than them. He asked someone to move a tricycle to the Old Summer Palace so that he could ride the tricycle to take the empress dowager around the garden.
It is not good for the Queen Mother to be blown by the wind while sitting in the bed of a tricycle. The Queen Mother's exclusive tricycle not only has a comfortable cushion installed on the bed, but also has a tent-like thing on it to block the wind and sun.
At first, this car was only used to carry the empress dowager, but later little Niu Lun also wanted Khan Ama to take it.
Qianlong could not resist the little girl's coquettishness, so he took Niu Lun for a ride around Houhu Lake.
When Yonglian saw that his sister could sit, he also ran over and acted coquettishly, "Khan Ama, my son also wants to ride a tricycle."
My God, Emperor Qianlong took himself for a ride on a tricycle. This experience was so great that no one would dare to believe his bragging in later generations.
However, Qianlong decisively refused, "You can ride a bicycle too, but you're not only taking Khan Ama to the garden, but you're also asking Khan Ama to take you?"
Yonglian: “…”
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