usatvline Chapter 130 Building a Cotton Empire
Chapter 130 Building a Cotton Empire
In the first month of the twenty-fourth year of the Yuan Dynasty's Zhizheng era, Zhu Yuanzhang ascended the throne as the King of Wu in Yingtian Prefecture, changing his title from Duke of Wu to King of Wu.
During the Three Kingdoms period, Jinling was the capital of Wu. Therefore, shortly after Zhu Yuanzhang occupied the city, he proclaimed himself Duke of Wu.
In August of the same year, Zhang Shicheng declared himself king in Pingjiang. During the Spring and Autumn Period, Pingjiang was the capital of the State of Wu, so he called himself the King of Wu.
Because there were two Wu kings at the same time, Zhang Shicheng was called Eastern Wu and Zhu Yuanzhang was called Western Wu, to distinguish them.
Zhu Gaoxi recalled historical knowledge and pondered his fate in this life. If he failed, he would only be like the Eastern Wu, like Zhang Shicheng, who lamented in his final moments, "The sun shines on you, but not on me!"
Now that he has been enfeoffed as the King of Wu, he should naturally do his best to rule the world like Zhu Yuanzhang.
Otherwise, all that's left is a sigh, and all the regrets in life will vanish with the wind, which is heartbreaking to think about.
Wu County has historically served as the capital or administrative center of the Wu Kingdom, Kuaiji Commandery, Wu County, Wu Prefecture, Suzhou, and Pingjiang. After Zhang Shicheng occupied the wealthy lands of western Zhejiang, he gradually lost his ambition, neglected his duties, and indulged in pleasure, ultimately leading to his defeat. Learning from history, Zhu Gaoxi dared not relax his vigilance for even a moment.
By building the Prince's Palace in Wu County, the most economically developed area at the time, the old emperor had already pushed us onto a path of no return, vying for the throne with the crown prince.
Fang Xiaoru refused to draft the edict at all costs for this reason. Although the Crown Prince was extremely unwilling, he was worried about angering the old emperor, so he had to let Huang Zicheng write it on his behalf.
Ultimately, the Crown Prince's power and status all came from the old emperor.
Zhu Yunwen knew perfectly well that he could establish a position or make it easy, otherwise why would he have been willing to compromise?
The old emperor's desire to depose Zhu Yunwen had already begun the moment he was deposed by You Dunbi, and it only intensified afterward.
Ever since mentioning Suzhou Prefecture with Xia Yuanji, Zhu Gaoxi has been unable to forget it.
"Be the first to worry about the world's troubles and the last to enjoy its pleasures."
The Fan Zhongyan he admired was from Wu County, Suzhou.
As he pondered, Zhu Gaoxi suddenly had an idea: he wanted to establish a cotton textile base in Wu County, set up large-scale handicraft workshops, introduce the most advanced technology and production machinery, and establish a leading cotton industry chain.
With Wu County as the engine, the economy could radiate to the surrounding areas, drive the development of the capital, and even the Jiangnan region and the whole country. Many advanced technologies and concepts from later generations could be tried to be promoted and applied.
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. Zhu Gaoxi tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He simply got up, put on his clothes, and went to the door of Youdun.
In the dead of night, disturbing everyone's peaceful dreams, Zhu Gaoxi hesitated. Just as he raised his hand to knock on the door, he suddenly stopped. So many wonderful ideas and exciting things couldn't wait until dawn to be discussed.
"I'd better go back to my room first," Zhu Gaoxi thought, turning around just as he heard the sound of stewing behind him. "Little brother, can't you sleep?"
"Brother, you're not asleep either?" Zhu Gaoxi's eyes lit up instantly.
What is a soulmate? He and Youdun are one.
Having one true friend in life is enough.
They were of one mind; he simply didn't know how to describe his feelings at that moment.
Zhu Gaoxi excitedly repeated his idea to Youdun, enthusiastically outlining his vision, "Brother, let's build a cotton empire together, okay?"
"The Cotton Empire?" After a moment's thought, Youdun immediately high-fived Zhu Gaoxi, "I am willing to loyally assist my younger brother and bring peace to the world for all generations."
Constantly reminding oneself of the distinction between ruler and subject can be a bit of a downer. Why be so cautious between friends?
However, these minor details are insignificant, as long as they understand each other's feelings.
Youdun is willing to respect us as his master, and we will certainly not fail his loyalty. We know in our hearts that Youdun is truly loyal to the country and its people, and so am we.
Zhu Gaoxi raised his chubby little hand and gave Youdun three high-fives.
"Let's make a promise with a high five, or I'll be a dog if I go back on my word!" Zhu Gaoxi chuckled, suddenly noticing how big and round the moon was tonight.
In the 26th year of the Hongwu reign, Suzhou Prefecture paid approximately 2.1 million shi of grain in taxes, accounting for about one-tenth of the total national grain tax.
Suzhou had a thriving textile industry, with the sound of looms echoing all night long. According to Song Yingxing's "Tiangong Kaiwu" from the Wanli era, "cotton cloth was available everywhere," and "every ten households had a loom."
Those with substantial capital would purchase several or even dozens of looms, hire machine operators to produce them, and pay them wages on an hourly basis.
"Above is heaven, below are Suzhou and Hangzhou," Zhu Gaoxi couldn't help but yearn for the rice, cotton cloth, silk, gardens, Suzhou embroidery, and the beautiful Taihu Lake.
"I heard that Wu Ningshuang is also from Wu County?" Zhu Gaoxi suddenly remembered something.
"Shengze Town, Wujiang County," Youdun corrected.
"Why not write to the Duke of Wei and ask him to recommend some skilled workers and purchase several state-of-the-art spinning and weaving machines?"
By adopting the production model of Suzhou's textile mill, the cotton cloth shop quickly went into production, generating a steady stream of profits, and Zhu Gaoxi was full of energy.
"That's good too. Let's find some knowledgeable people to help Wu Ningshuang," Zhu Youdun said, walking to the desk and sitting down.
Zhu Gaoxi's thoughts jumped around, recalling the North-South Examination Case of the thirty-first year of Hongwu's reign.
In February, after the provincial examination of the Dingchou year, Liu Sanwu presided over the palace examination, and all fifty-one successful candidates were from the south.
All the students from the north failed the exam, and none of them were admitted. They then jointly wrote a letter accusing Liu Sanwu of favoritism.
Zhu Yuanzhang was furious and issued an edict in March, ordering a thorough investigation and demanding that outstanding scholars from the north be admitted as Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations).
However, the conclusion reached after reviewing the answers left Zhu Yuanzhang speechless.
The investigation team concluded that the failed candidates from the north wrote incoherently and contained offensive language.
Public opinion was in uproar, and the situation escalated further. Many officials from the north in the central government also joined in, criticizing the officials involved and requesting a review.
In May, Zhu Yuanzhang issued an edict denouncing Liu Sanwu and other chief examiners as "remnants of Lan Yu's faction," and all the officials involved were severely punished.
It is worth mentioning that Yin Changlong also participated in reviewing the exam papers. He was lucky to escape punishment because the list included students from the north.
In June, Zhu Yuanzhang personally conducted the imperial examination, selecting the top three scholars (Zhuangyuan, Bangyan, and Tanhua) and supplementing the list with sixty-one additional candidates, all of whom were scholars from the north.
With such a major case occurring, the Crown Prince is certainly to blame. Zhu Gaoxi plans to take some time off to inspect the construction of the Prince's Palace in Wu County and to learn from the weavers in Suzhou in order to further expand and improve his ideas.
This matter is far-reaching and extremely complicated, and it is difficult to explain in just a few words. Zhu Gaoxi has not yet figured out how to explain it to Youdun, and only said that he was going to learn about the water-powered spinning machine there.
Advanced technology is like a seed that will take root and sprout once it has suitable soil. This is especially true for practical processes that can improve production efficiency, such as water-powered spinning wheels that can drive more spindles and produce at a faster speed.
Since Wang Zhen's "Agricultural Treatise" had already recorded it, Zhu Gaoxi believed that Suzhou, with its abundant water resources, must have had similar water-powered machinery used for textiles.
Technological development is a gradual process of accumulation, brainstorming, and transformation from quantitative to qualitative change. Zhu Gaoxi is willing to do his utmost to accelerate this process and benefit all people.
Then, they gathered craftsmen to study steam power together, using the development of the cotton textile industry to drive other industries, such as iron smelting and steelmaking.