Chapter 11 Small Goals
Compared with northern Zhili, the rivers in Yunnan will not freeze after winter, and the use of water power is more convenient and flexible. Except for the local terrain that affects the construction of some facilities, in most cases, Zhu Yuhuan's local plans can be implemented smoothly.
Earlier, when Zhu Yuhuan returned to Beijing, Wang Ji had ordered his officials to re-count and compile the household registration according to her request, divide the land according to the number of people in each household, and abolish the land tax privately set by local officials.
The craftsmen and drawings that Zhu Yuhuan brought from the capital came in handy at this time. Officials and local officials cooperated with each other to build hydraulic facilities by the water, so that they would have effective tools to complete subsequent projects, thereby developing water conservancy projects and reclaiming and irrigating farmland.
By spring, all kinds of simple facilities were basically completed. The craftsmen brought by Zhu Yuhuan further modified the agricultural tools and looms according to the terrain of southern and central Yunnan, so as to take advantage of local conditions to reduce the difficulty of farming and weaving.
In addition, Zhu Yuhuan did not forget to train the soldiers who were still stationed in southern Yunnan. He asked Tuotuo Boluo to take them on patrol whenever he had nothing to do. This was not only to resist Luchuan, which might cause unrest again, but also to warn the local officials in Yunnan not to have any bad intentions.
——With the strength of the Ming army, it would be effortless to deal with them.
The two approaches combined have been quite effective. At least the progress of the land reform has been progressing smoothly. Even if there are occasional "minor frictions", they can be successfully resolved in the end due to fire suppression.
In order to establish his authority, Zhu Yuhuan personally led people to kill several ungrateful chieftains, and finally eliminated this vague resistance.
The local officials who had always regarded Princess Shunde as a kind-hearted person only then remembered that this princess had been to the front line and had even ordered Si Renfa's head and body to be exposed in the wilderness. She was definitely not someone to be trifled with.
Many local people had seen the princess kill people with a flaming bow and arrow. The news spread from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred. Some people even privately said that the princess of Shunde ate internal organs with food and drank with skulls. They wanted to portray Zhu Yuhuan as a vicious and cruel person. The local officials kept their distance from Zhu Yuhuan and cooperated as much as possible. As long as Zhu Yuhuan ordered them to move inland, everyone did as he ordered.
After all, as long as they cooperate obediently, they can at least have a position as a regular official and even receive rewards. But if they dare to resist, the muzzles of the muskets will be aimed at them!
Zhu Yuhuan was overjoyed when she heard about her image. Someone volunteered to promote it, which saved her a lot of trouble and prevented these local officials from becoming arrogant and thinking that the court really intended to allow them to continue their aristocratic privileges.
Xu Wangzhi held the note with a puzzled look on her face. She looked at it again and again against the light and muttered, "He Ying... He Yong..."
Although it is still autumn, the climate in central Yunnan is still mild, so Xu Wangzhi and Tuotuo Boluo are drying herbs together outside, and waiting for Zhu Yuhuan to finish the matters at hand. It is exactly the same as when they were in the Xu family clinic in the capital.
Considering that Xu Wangzhi was alone, in order to avoid any accidents, Zhu Yuhuan asked her to live with him in a temporary residence in central Yunnan. This house was originally the residence of a local official. After the reform, Wang Ji had it divided into Zhu Yuhuan's office. Needless to say, the security is very important. The three camps and the guard team take turns patrolling and inspecting. Ordinary people are not allowed to approach. Once he goes out, there are at least a hundred people accompanying him to prevent Zhu Yuhuan from being in any danger.
Tuotuo Boluo carefully put the note away and said, "I asked the princess for this specifically. From now on, my name will be Heyong."
Xu Wangzhi sighed and scratched his head, "I'm used to calling you by your name, but suddenly changing it is a bit strange..."
Tuotuo Boluo quickly raised his index finger to signal her to stop discussing it, saying, "This is a decree that Your Highness has drafted for Your Majesty to issue. It is a reward for our loyalty, father and son."
Xu Wangzhi first glanced around, then stuck out his tongue, and said with a hint of disgust in his tone, "Just have fun."
He Yong is still stationed in southern Yunnan for a long time. He recently returned to central Yunnan to receive the imperial edict to change the name, which is why he met Xu Wangzhi.
Zhu Yuhuan brought back not only tools and manpower, but also rewards for those involved in the Luchuan battle. For example, the Minister of War Wang Ji was awarded the title of Loyal and Propaganda Military Official, Special Advancement of Honor, Shang Zhuguo, and Jingyuan Earl, with an annual salary of 1,200 dan. His family was allowed to inherit the position of Commander-in-Chief, as well as various rewards. Jiang Gui, who was allowed to return to the court, was promoted to Marquis of Dingxi. The rest of the people who had made military contributions also received promotions, gold and silver rewards.
Zhu Yuhuan naturally did not forget the title he promised Mu Ang. Mu Ang was awarded the title of Anxi Earl for his contribution in saving the lives of Si Renfa's family. The Mu family had two titles in one family, which was a great honor for the family.
Generals like Ru Heyong who were unable to personally fight in the battles but made contributions to normal battles will also be rewarded, but the imperial edict will only be issued after Wang Ji and others have been rewarded for their initial contributions.
He Yong took a look at Xu Wangzhi's expression and couldn't help but smile: "Looking at you, you must have gone into the mountains to pick herbs a lot."
Xu Wangzhi raised his head proudly and said, "That's right. Not only did I pick the herbs, I also asked An Han to help me draw an album. As long as I give it time, I will definitely be able to record all the exotic flowers and herbs in Yunnan. It will definitely be as good as the "Compendium of Herbs for Famine Relief"!"
He Yong thought of the various plants he had seen along the way to southern Yunnan, and said with a sympathetic heart, "It's been at least two or three years, and I haven't seen many things here before."
"Don't worry, I've already told His Highness that I'll stay in Yunnan. When His Highness wants to return to Beijing, I'll go back with him."
He Yong was somewhat puzzled when he heard this and asked, "Your Highness, aren't you going back to the capital yet?"
Although the land reform in Yunnan has not been completed, there is no need for Zhu Yuhuan to be in charge all the time. At least judging from the current situation, these officials are capable of completing the final stage of the reform.
"Oh, the princess said she was going to Guangxi and Guizhou."
He Yong was slightly stunned when he heard this. Thinking of Zhu Yuhuan's confident look when he first mentioned the policy of land reform to him, he realized that Zhu Yuhuan's goal had never been just a small Yunnan.
Xu Wangzhi didn't know what he was thinking, so he just said casually, "That's perfect. If I take An Han to southern Yunnan to collect herbs later, I'll have to ask you to take good care of us."
"Of course." He Yong half-jokingly said, "I just didn't expect you to be separated from His Highness."
Xu Wangzhi snorted and said, "I'm not a child. Do I need the princess to take care of me? Princess, if you go to Guizhou or Guangxi later, you should be more careful without me." At this point, she couldn't help but reveal a bit of worry, saying, "The climate there is different from Yunnan. It would be bad if he got sick. Once this person becomes obsessed, it's like a disease that can't be cured."
He Yong was a little amused when he heard this and said, "Your Highness is not a doctor."
Xu Wangzhi chuckled, with an expression that said, "You're shallow," and said, "A doctor like me saves lives, and a doctor like her also saves lives, but she doesn't treat people."
He Yong certainly understood what she meant.
It is not easy to treat one person, and it is even more difficult to treat a country.
Having such ambitions may not be uncommon, but there are very few people who can actually achieve them, let alone those in high positions.
I guess this is what it means to "do your job while you are in the position you are in."
He Yong looked around and asked, "Your Highness is so busy today, why don't I come back another day?"
After finally catching a coolie, Xu Wangzhi immediately stopped him and said, "Wait, help me dry this basket together first. I need to record the situation. An Han will be here soon to help me draw the picture of the herbs after they are dried."
He Yong was a little amused and said, "Okay."
Zhu Yuhuan was busy with nothing but the Yunnan iron mine.
Minerals have always been a vital national resource, requiring numerous layers of scrutiny and approval for both mining and use. Even Zhu Yuhuan, the eldest princess, was still required to follow these procedures. Furthermore, Yunnan's mineral resources had previously been controlled by local officials, leading to private mining practices. Now that the minerals have been nationalized, regulations will only tighten.
After all, once these minerals are leaked, they are likely to be made into weapons by criminals for rebellion, and then all officials along the way will be held accountable.
Fortunately, Zhu Yuhuan was already familiar with this process when he was promoting agricultural tools, so he didn't find it troublesome.
After all, the border is open for trade, and even iron pots are absolutely prohibited items, not to mention that Zhu Yuhuan now wants to apply to use iron ore and use the ore to make non-agricultural tools, so the strict review is understandable.
In addition to iron ore, Zhu Yuhuan also ordered the construction of a blast furnace to facilitate the smelting of metals and the manufacturing of parts.
These were things that had been applied for in advance with Emperor Zhu Qizhen. Although the local officials were a little hesitant, they still did as they were told after seeing the documents.
The emperor agreed with Princess Shunde's "troublemaking", so outsiders like them should not get involved.
Zhu Yuhuan had just returned from outside when she ran into An Han, who was waiting for notification at the gate of the princess's mansion. She raised her hand slightly, and the soldiers who were blocking the way stepped aside.
An Han naturally saw Zhu Yuhuan, and he imitated the way Han officials bowed to him, bowing to him and saying, "It's rare for An Han to see your Highness."
An Han, only fourteen, had been staying with Xu Wangzhi for most of this time, partly to protect him and partly to learn some basic pharmacology and medical knowledge. Battered by the wind and sun, her tanned skin was adorned with a creamy white, left-fronted, narrow-sleeved shirt and a skirt. Her braids were piled high on her head, and her round eyes gave her a smile that was quite infectious.
Zhu Yuhuan smiled and said, "Get up." She looked at An Han for a moment and said with a smile, "Is this dress made of cloth produced on a water-powered loom?"
Anhan touched the cloth on his body and said a little embarrassedly: "Yes... This loom is really amazing. It is faster than my mother's weaving and it feels very comfortable. My mother used this cloth to make a new set of clothes for me."
Zhu Yuhuan praised it, "It's beautiful! I've never seen this pattern before. I can tell at a glance that it's only found in Yunnan. If it were to spread to the mainland, I wonder how many people would rush to buy it."
An Han met her gaze, shifted his feet a little embarrassedly, and said, "Your Highness really knows how to praise people."
"That's because you're amazing. You've been a great help to Wang Zhi recently. She told me that you've introduced a lot of local remedies, which are very useful and much more reliable than those unconventional methods I recorded for her earlier."
Although Zhu Yuhuan understood Xu Wangzhi's intentions, she wasn't a professional doctor. She had been busy formulating a strategy for the Luchuan invasion, and had only briefly tested prescriptions and recorded their effectiveness. For Xu Wangzhi, this data was clearly insufficient. An Han, who had also studied medicine within the clan, was far more reliable than Zhu Yuhuan, a layman.
An Han said sweetly, "Your Highness, you are too kind. An Han has learned a lot from Sister Xu recently, such as cold, hot, warm, and cool. It turns out that these herbs can be classified like this—"
The two of them entered the princess's residence together. Seeing that she was as relaxed as ever, Zhu Yuhuan asked, "Is there anyone in your tribe who knows about smelting?"
An Han exclaimed and was stunned for a moment, obviously thinking about the purpose of Zhu Yuhuan's question.
On weekdays, she often followed Xu Wangzhi and often went in and out of the princess's mansion. Naturally, she often met Princess Shunde. She also knew that this princess was completely different from the terrible rumors outside and could be described as "approachable."
However, An Han also understood that the courage and foresight she had in confronting the local officials alone proved that the eldest princess was no ordinary person. Therefore, she was extremely careful when speaking in front of the eldest princess, so as not to fall into the trap of this eldest princess who appeared to be radiant and bright on the outside but was actually a mastermind.
I had been on guard for so many times, but I never expected that the princess would suddenly ask me such a question in this situation.
Seeing this, Zhu Yuhuan immediately guessed An Han's thoughts and couldn't help but laugh. "I'm not kidding you. You must answer honestly. This iron mine was previously occupied and mined by local officials. Was it just for the sake of mining? Even if you said so, those local officials who were caught for rebellion would have already cleared up the matter. Why should I ask you?" After that, she comforted him, "Don't worry. What we say here today won't get out. Just tell me the truth."
If others could easily know what she said and did every day, would Zhu Yuhuan still be alive today?
An Han said cautiously, "Yes... yes... but His Highness means..."
Zhu Yuhuan smiled slightly and said, "I brought the craftsmen here not only to build those tools and waterwheels, but also to make full use of the minerals here and forge more useful things."
An Han met her eyes, subconsciously thinking of the terrifying weapons of the Ming army, and whispered, "Something...more useful...?"
Zhu Yuhuan raised his hand and touched her head, smiling, "Don't worry, it's not a musket. It's something that will make everyone's life easier, just like a spinning wheel or a loom."
If we want to research muskets, we must not let the local people know. If the news gets out, it will become a major accident.
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