On December 15th in the fourth year of Chongzhen, Daming (AD 1631), it was the day of the imperial meeting. This is the last imperial meeting this year. After the fifteenth, the whole country of Daming will enter a holiday and prepare to welcome the Singapore dollar.
Just for the South China Sea Fleet, Zhu Youjian convened a temporary cabinet meeting, so today’s court meeting is just a routine matter. The ministers have nothing to do. They hope that Zhu Youjian will stop thinking of any new tricks. It is best to do so early. After retiring, they can go back and prepare some food and clothing for the SGD.
Zhu Youjian did not entangle them in government affairs, he just let the ministers walk with them.
Walk around? Why don't you stay in the house in this cold weather? The ministers didn't know what medicine Zhu Youjian was selling in the gourd. Since the emperor had ordered, everyone had to stay with him in the cold wind.
Coming to the flat and open square in front of Chengtian Gate, the monarchs and ministers were talking and laughing on the surface, but the ministers were still worried about falling into Zhu Youjian’s conversation trap. They all listened carefully and tried to get every word Zhu Youjian said. Record it all.
"jingle!"
A clear bell suddenly rang beside the ministers, shocking the timid ministers, thinking it was terrorists planting bombs.
When they looked up, they realized that it was an Ouchi guard, riding a two-wheeled car, swaggering and passing in front of everyone.
"Your Majesty, what is this?" Li Chunye's eyes were dim, and he only felt that there was a figure flashing past him. Intuitively, the speed of this man was close to that of a galloping horse.
"Your Majesty, is this a human?" Kong Zhenyun also felt that the speed of this man was too terrifying, almost like a ghost in the legend. The unfathomable emperor!
Zhu Youzhen laughed and did not answer. Everyone had no choice but to cast their eyes on the guards who were drifting away, but now they only saw a vague figure of their backs.
When the ministers were shaking their heads, sighing, and arguing, they heard a clear bell again.
The guard rode back from the front, and when he was about to hit everyone, the people and the car stopped abruptly, let the ministers see what was going on, and then went away amidst the people's suspicion.
The ministers seemed to be riding on the roller coaster for the first time. They were in a panic, but there were three guards riding side by side in the car, passing by the witnesses from west to east.
Conflicts and entanglements are the deepest feelings of the ministers at this time. They want to stand in front of the team and see with their own eyes what is going on, but they are also afraid of being injured by those blind guards, who are guards in the palace. They belonged directly to the emperor. In their eyes, the ministers of the court were not essentially different from ordinary people.
Standing at the corner of the team, Zhu Youjian did not speak. He looked up to the sky for a long time, as if he was judging whether it will snow in the afternoon and whether the southeast wind will blow tomorrow.
When everyone's eyes were tracking the Ouchi guards going east, another group of guards came from the west.
This time there were five guards, with gray-black bodies, bright red jackets, and long white shawls behind them, dazzling the ministers.
The guards didn't stop. They seemed to be in a track bicycle race. One by one, you chased me and drove past in front of everyone. All that was left for the ministers was a white flowered back.
The ministers learned well this time. Before the five guards disappeared from their sight, they began to turn their heads and looked at Xi Mian again. Perhaps a group of guards will come by Xi Mian.
The ministers were disappointed, and there was no movement from the west, except for the cold wind that made them snot.
"jingle!"
The sound came from the east, and the ministers rushed to be fooled.
One or two gray-black two-wheeled vehicles have reached their eyes. This vehicle carries a total of four people. In addition to the riding guard, there is a guard sitting on the rear bracket of the car, and two children, each for each. Standing with one foot on the bracket at the back, as if juggling.
The nine bicycles in the front show the speed of the fast speed, and the last one shows the load.
Zhu Youzhen, holding his hands upside down, walked slowly in front of the ministers, "Dear Aiqing, do you think this kind of transportation is better than a horse-drawn carriage?"
Only then did the ministers understand that Zhu Youjian's purpose in bringing them to Chengtian Gate was to show this kind of transportation.
"Your Majesty, the speed of this vehicle should not be lost to the war horse."
"It can still bear weight, no less than a donkey."
"Can everyone ride?"
…
Zhu Youjian looked at the ministers with a brilliant face, as if it won’t be windy or snowy tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. “This kind of transportation is called a bicycle. As long as the road is flat, it can travel forty miles every hour, close to it. The horse is fast, but it lasts much longer than a war horse."
"Your Majesty, the minister understands that this kind of bicycle does not require fodder to feed like a war horse." Li Changgeng seemed to understand Zhu Youjian's intention.
Zhu Youzhen praised: "Yes, it doesn't need fodder or rest. It's much more convenient than a horse."
"Your Majesty, can I ride it?" Huang Xiaofu squeezed into the front row. He couldn't wait. If he could ride his bicycle up to work, I don't know how much time can be saved on the road, and I can get a good night's sleep in the morning.
"In theory, everyone can ride, you see," Zhu Youjian took the bicycle from the guards, stepped up personally, circled the square in front of Chengtianmen in stunned ministers, and then stopped steadily. "I can ride it, why can't you ride it? However, if you are too old, it is best not to ride it. In case you fall, the old bones will fall apart, mainly for young people to ride."
"Your Majesty, will Chen Kayi buy one?" Li Chunye felt that he might not be able to ride it, but his son and grandson could still ride it.
"Not now. These bicycles are not for sale. However, if Li Aiqing wants to buy them, the bicycles may be mass-produced after the Singapore dollar." Zhu Youzhen is not trying to win the appetite of the ministers. As long as bicycles are used for publicity to the common people, and there are no real objects, who knows the functions of bicycles
Zhu Youjian is not worried that bicycles will not be sold. Now it is a buyer's market. There are only production problems and no sales problems. He wants to show the convenience of technological products and sell Wang Zheng's technology at a good price.
Science is valuable.
"Can you produce after the Singapore dollar?" Bi Ziyan was also on a whim. He might not be able to ride when he is old, but watching others ride is also a pleasure.
"It should be soon. I have already paid out ten thousand taels of silver and purchased bicycle production technology from Wang Zheng. After the Singapore dollar, it will be produced in Xi'an." Zhu Youjian has a special liking for Shaanxi, and he wants to make Shaanxi become The model of Daming's industrialization, and the criss-crossing cement roads in Shaanxi are also suitable for bicycles.
"Ten thousand taels? Isn't Wang Zheng getting rich?" Bi Ziyan couldn't believe his ears. A technology can sell for ten thousand taels, which is many times higher than the salary of these high officials.
"Of course, Wang Zheng's technology cannot be sold without restrictions. Otherwise, there will be too many bicycles produced in the future and they will not be sold. We have agreed with Wang Zheng that he can also sell to three sellers in the future. Establishing factories in Tianjin, Nanjing, and Guangzhou to produce bicycles. Except for this, it is not allowed to sell bicycle production technology to others."
"There are still three buyers? That's forty thousand taels." The Minister of Taxation Huang Shijun's mouth opened wide, and he closed it after a long time. "Your Majesty, Wang Zheng has sold so much silver, then should he pay taxes?"
"Of course you have to pay taxes," Liu Zongzhou, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, said grimly, "Your Majesty, Wang Zheng, this is a costless business, and the tax rate should be increased."
Transportation Minister Li Changgeng saw that with bicycles, Daming’s transportation would be much more convenient in the future. Therefore, he did not agree to increase the tax rate. In Xiqiqi Illustrated Records, I was so poor that I didn’t even have to wear pants."
Zhu Youzhen coughed and suppressed the comments of the ministers. "You Aiqing, whether the tax rate will increase depends on Da Ming's tax law. You can't be jealous when you see others get silver. On the contrary, we should see that Wang Zheng is getting a lot of silver. At the same time, imperial taxes also increased."
"Your Majesty..." Liu Zongzhou hesitated. He really couldn't find out the tax increase provisions from the Ming law, but he felt that Wang Zheng's income was too high.
"Liu Aiqing, since there is no corresponding provision, the tax rate cannot be increased arbitrarily, otherwise, the law enforcers themselves are illegal." Zhu Youjian hates red eye disease, and the business people of Daming are often swallowed up by these red eye diseases.
"Your Majesty, Wang Zheng's income is too terrifying. One technique can sell forty thousand taels of silver..." Liu Zongzhou was still a little dissatisfied, but he also felt that he really couldn't find a reason to impose a heavy tax.
"Liu Aiqing, Wang Zheng has become rich overnight, but he has spent most of his life in poverty, who can see it? There are many people like Wang Zheng who have not been able to develop a shocking technology in their entire life. Living in poverty, who can see?"
"Your Majesty, Wang Zheng became rich overnight, and now it is impossible to levy heavy taxes, because there are no provisions in this respect in the Ming tax law." Minister of Law Cao Sicheng is not in solidarity with Liu Zongzhou, "Your Majesty, since there has been Wang Zheng getting rich. The imperial court should hurry up and enact relevant laws."
"Cao Aiqing is right. Since the laws of Ming Dynasty are blank in these aspects, new laws should be formulated so that they can be followed only when they are implemented," Zhu Youjian thought about another issue, "Wang Zheng He did not get rich overnight. He studied for half of his life. It has been seven years since the publication and distribution of "Far West Qiqiu Illustrated Records" and Apocalypse. It has been more than four years now, and before that, who knows how long he developed it. ?"
"Your Majesty meant..." Cao Sicheng didn't understand Zhu Youjian's meaning for a while.
"It's still true what Li Aiqing said just now. Whether it is taxation or something else, law enforcement must rely on Da Ming's law. If the law does not stipulate a place, it can formulate corresponding laws instead of encroaching on the interests of the people."
"Your Majesty..." Huang Shijun blushed, not sure if he was ashamed or blushed by the west wind.
Zhu Youjian did not look at Huang Shijun, but turned to Cao Sicheng, "What Cao Aiqing said just now reminds me that Daming still lacks a law, the "Patent Law" is a law that specifically adjusts and deals with science and technology. To protect science and technology and scientific achievements, it is even more important to protect the rights of scientific workers."
"Patent law?" Cao Sicheng scratched the little gray hair left on his forehead anxiously, "Your Majesty, the minister has never heard of what is patent law."
Of course Cao Sicheng didn't know what patents were. Zhu Youjian had to explain the origin and protection of patents one by one. In order to examine all patents, a patent office was established under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.