Zhu Yunying felt there was nothing wrong with the idea of the wealthy helping the less fortunate to get rich first. Moreover, the Ming Dynasty seemed quite powerful at the moment, but in the end, its foundation was too short, having only existed for thirty-two years since its founding.
Having experienced the chaos at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, even with Zhu Yuanzhang's diligent governance, the Ming Dynasty, with its weak foundation, still lacked a solid base to usher in a true golden age.
This naturally meant that Zhu Yunying needed to free up more labor and further unleash the vitality of commerce. Revitalizing the economy was very important to Zhu Yunying, especially since previous feudal dynasties generally did not place particular emphasis on the commercial economy.
In fact, the Song Dynasty and even the Tang Dynasty had many merits. A stagnant market economy is not necessarily a good thing.
Looking at Yan Zhenzhi, Zhu Yunying said, "The Ministry of Works also needs to pay attention to this. The academy should be conducting research on it. Our Ming Dynasty's military equipment and firearms should strive for excellence. We also know some of the technologies, and we can also consider the people's livelihood."
Yan Zhenzhi immediately understood how much the Emperor valued the Ministry of Works Academy. Not only did Yan Zhenzhi, the Minister of Works, know this, but many people in the court also knew about it.
The Ministry of Works Academy not only gathers the most skilled craftsmen in the country, but also has some great scholars who are now developing so-called "sciences." So-called ingenious and frivolous skills are no longer looked down upon; the Ming Dynasty aims to cultivate even more skilled craftsmen, as well as those who paint a rosy picture of the future.
Those people would just spout nonsense, talking about things that seem impossible to achieve. But now, the imperial court is actually offering rewards and even organizing groups to overcome certain difficulties.
These things may seem incomprehensible to some, but that's exactly what Zhu Yunying did. He was now emphasizing scientific development, not only thinking about concentrating craftsmen to solve productivity issues, but also beginning to cultivate a scientific spirit.
This is no easy task, after all, in the past, science and technology were often suppressed in China.
In fact, China's productivity and scientific level have always been among the world's leading levels, including the Ming Dynasty. However, the lack of emphasis on science and the unsystematic nature of some educational methods are what Zhu Yunying was dissatisfied with, and this is what he is now trying to reverse.
"Military equipment and people's livelihood should go hand in hand." Zhu Yunying looked at Yan Zhenzhi and said earnestly, "I was very happy when the academy made a loom. The border troops need cotton clothes and quilts to keep warm, but the production is still not enough. When I was young, I had a grand vision, hoping that the people of our Great Ming would have no worries about food and clothing. I made that promise to my grandmother."
This made many people feel even more strongly that this matter needed to be taken seriously. Although Empress Ma had passed away more than twenty years ago, her legacy had not been forgotten. The Emperor Emeritus's affection for Empress Ma was evident to all, and many people were also aware of the current Emperor's deep affection for her.
Since that's the case, this matter needs to be taken even more seriously, and we can't afford to mess things up at this time.
It is only right to prioritize military industry. Although the surrounding countries may seem to lag behind the Ming Dynasty in scientific level, maintaining a leading and overwhelming advantage is essential for the Ming Dynasty to remain powerful.
Moreover, in such an era of cold weapons, sometimes the advantage is not overwhelming, and there are many instances where things can go wrong.
Besides his strong military power, Zhu Yunying now also hoped to systematically improve some policies, guiding technology to flow into the private sector, thereby further liberating productive forces and making the Ming Dynasty even wealthier.
Having wealth among the people is not just about having money; if the level of productivity doesn't keep up, then it's all just empty talk.
To do what an emperor should do, even though the Ming Dynasty was surrounded by menacing forces, Zhu Yunying hoped to control the country through various means, even if he did not intend to incorporate them into the territory.
This naturally meant that the Ming Dynasty could not simply lay down its weapons and let its horses graze freely; they still needed to continue strengthening their military. However, while ensuring military strength, they could not forget the people's livelihood, and Zhu Yunying did not want to gain a reputation for being a "militarist and wasteful ruler."
Zhu Yunying was well aware of the lessons learned from Emperor Wu of Han, and these were all cautionary tales. Subduing the surrounding regions was not a problem, but while doing so, it was also essential to ensure the well-being of the people of the Ming Dynasty; this was the proper state of a prosperous dynasty.
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