The construction of the imperial city cannot be taken lightly. With the relocation of the capital imminent, Zhu Xiong Ying naturally needs to pay close attention to these matters. If the imperial city is only half-finished after the relocation, unable to guarantee the daily life of the imperial family or the operation of daily work, then there will be no way to explain it.
Especially the Imperial City of Beiping, which was supposedly built under Zhu Xiong Ying's supervision. Even if something went wrong, no one would be so foolish as to hold Zhu Xiong Ying accountable. But such a thing should be avoided if possible.
Yan Zhenzhi gave a detailed report on the affairs of the capital, and Zhu Xiong Ying was generally satisfied with the report.
"We must also keep an eye on the issue of weaponry. I have always wanted skilled craftsmen, hoping that the Ming Dynasty's weaponry will be more abundant and stronger." Zhu Xiong Ying said with a serious expression, emphasizing again, "It is naturally a good thing that those old craftsmen are taking on apprentices and passing on their skills. But we must also pay more attention to them, write them down, and refine them."
Yan Zhenzhi nodded hastily, and indeed, that's exactly what he did. The Ministry of Works was undoubtedly the Crown Prince's darling. Yan Zhenzhi's smooth career path was precisely because he easily gained the Crown Prince's favor within the Ministry of Works!
Zhu Xiong Ying knew that developing a technological foundation required a systematic approach and a solid foundation.
Although Zhu Xiong Ying understood that, realistically speaking, China throughout history had not been entirely devoid of scientific and technological learning, it was simply that in some aspects, the process was not rigorous, and there were often serious sectarian biases and even a tendency to hoard knowledge.
Throughout history, many skills have been lost for various reasons. These techniques are rarely recorded in writing and are rarely passed down. They are guarded and hidden, never to be known by outsiders, and passed down from father to son or from master to apprentice.
Moreover, in ancient China, science did indeed develop to a certain extent, but compared to the emphasis placed on humanities, science was not given much attention.
This is something Zhu Xiong Ying is currently working hard to do, trying to change some of the prevailing trends. His Ministry of Works Academy is a clear signal of this, aiming to better pass on skills and to systematically learn and train apprentices.
It also involves a great deal of research, gathering a large number of skilled craftsmen, professors, and instructors, who are working with a great deal of human and financial resources to tackle and research new technologies.
After carefully listening to Yan Zhenzhi's reports, Zhu Xiong Ying was fairly satisfied. Some things cannot be accomplished overnight, and advancing the technology tree requires even more time. Sometimes, one can only pray for the emergence of a few geniuses, as this could greatly advance technological progress.
Yu Xin of the Ministry of Revenue was also informed and immediately ordered his subordinates to fetch some documents. He was already a meticulous official, very sensitive to numbers. Now was even more crucial for him to be able to provide the correct answers when His Highness the Crown Prince asked questions.
After visiting the Ministry of Works, Zhu Xiong Ying naturally went to the Ministry of Revenue, where he still had many things to do.
It was time for tea again. Zhu Xiong Ying, who had only taken a small sip, asked, "Our Great Ming Dynasty currently has two capitals and thirteen provincial administrations, 140 prefectures, 193 states, and 1140 counties. There are also 499 guards and 364 garrisons. Is that the correct number?"
This was also a characteristic of the Ming Dynasty. The provinces were changed to provincial administration commissions, which were then divided into prefectures and directly governed states. Under each prefecture were counties and subordinate states, and under each directly governed state were counties, forming a general structure of a four-tiered system of provinces, prefectures, states, and counties, and a three-tiered system of provinces, states, and counties.
The province was divided into three departments: the Provincial Commandery, the Provincial Administration Commissioner's Office, and the Provincial Judicial Commissioner's Office, which were responsible for the military and judicial powers of each province.
The Provincial Administration Commission was in charge of civil administration in a province and liaised directly with the six central ministries. Each province had a Provincial Military Commission, which was in charge of the province's military households, garrisons, and various military units (both Han and non-Han), and was under the command of the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commissions. In addition, there was the Provincial Judicial Commission, which was responsible for supervising the judiciary and was under the command of the Ministry of Justice, and held judicial power.
Yu Xin nodded immediately and said to Zhu Xiong Ying, "Your Highness, it is so."
Zhu Xiong Ying nodded, somewhat satisfied. "The charitable institutions are currently only at the prefectural level, which is not enough. I think they should be extended to all prefectures and counties, ideally with one in every county."
Yu Xin's eyes lit up, and the officials from the Ministry of Revenue beside him immediately became excited. This was benevolent governance! This was the best proof that the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty valued the common people!
Although some felt this matter might increase the burden, as it wasn't something the Ministry of Revenue could handle alone, it was undeniably a benevolent policy, and something many officials could look forward to.
"Produce a set of regulations and send it over as soon as possible," Zhu Xiong Ying said to Yu Xin. "You will be in charge of this matter, and the other departments will assist you. It is not necessary to determine the number of nursing homes; the number should be determined based on the population of each prefecture and county."
Clearly, the Ministry of Revenue alone cannot handle this matter properly; it also needs the help and coordination of other departments. Only through concerted efforts can we gain a better understanding of the situation.
Zhu Xiong Ying was serious about respecting the elderly as he would his own parents and caring for the young as he would his own children. He hoped to do these things so that ordinary people could live better lives.
The Ministry of War and the Five Military Commissions were also busy. Zhu Xiong Ying obtained some numbers and lists, which were naturally all names of soldiers who died in service to the emperor. Zhu Xiong Ying's inevitable task was to have these names verified.
It wasn't just about verifying battle achievements; it also required verifying family circumstances and so on. Since the intention was to take in the orphans of the Imperial Guards and provide these orphans and widows with a means to make a living, Zhu Xiong Ying naturally needed to be even more meticulous. He couldn't let the heroes shed blood and tears, nor could he let them die in battle without finding peace.
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