Volume 2: Soaring! The Overlord of the Region Chapter 206 Scientific Research Successors
"Your Highness, I, Zhao Shizhen, pay my respects to you and congratulate you on taking up the post of Regent."
"Oh, Mr. Changji, you must have worked hard all the way."
"I boarded the ship from Nanjing, and the whole journey was by water, so it was not difficult. It was General Kunisuke who worked hard."
In late December 1612, Fangshan School was relocated to Beijing. As for the location, Zhu Youdong asked Wuqing Hou Li Gao to buy the newly completed Tsinghua Garden out of resentment that his college entrance examination score was a rubbish before he traveled through time.
Originally, Zhu Youdong wanted to change the name of the school and the laboratory to Tsinghua, so that he could take this opportunity to become the president of Tsinghua University. Who knew that this suggestion was collectively opposed by the teachers and students of Fangshan. Then, His Royal Highness, who was always very tough in front of the civil officials, held his nose in front of the teachers and students of Fangshan and retained the original names of the school and the laboratory.
"Your Highness, I would like to recommend someone to you."
"Oh? Mr. Chang Ji just arrived in Beijing, and he didn't even have time to check and collect the lab equipment, but he's already recommended a talent to me? I think this person must be extraordinary. Who is he?"
Zhao Shizhen, who was 66 years old this year and whose hair was completely gray, proudly pulled out a shy older youth from behind him and said, "Your Highness, Jun Yi (Zhang Yicheng) is the chief examiner for the Yingtian County Examination at the end of this year. When he was reviewing the papers, he found that this boy's essay was very consistent with your past remarks, so he specially met him after the list was posted. After talking with him, he was very happy. So he handed it to me. After a deep conversation with him, I felt that I had found a successor... Oh, I am old and wordy. Your Highness, this boy is Yuanhua, a descendant of Songjiang Prefecture Chuanshabao. This year..."
"Stop! What's your name?"
"Student Sun Yuanhua greets His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
"Hahaha~~Good! Good! Good!" He stood on tiptoe and patted Sun Yuanhua's shoulder vigorously: "May I ask what your courtesy name is?"
"The student's courtesy name is Chuyang."
"Okay, Chuyang, you are someone that my Mr. Zhang and Mr. Changji value. You must be a great talent! Work hard in next year's examination. I promise you a bright future!"
"Uh..." Sun Yuanhua, who just turned 30 this year, still looked a little shy, but his eyes were full of determination: "Your Highness, I am not going to participate in the examination next year."
"Oh? Why is that?"
"Your Highness, I have never been interested in eight-part essays since I was young. I took the provincial and county examinations because my family needed me to. My interest is in the Red Barbarians' study of things, especially the development of firearms. So I have never been very good at writing since I was young, and I have failed the county examinations for many years. If it weren't for the Yingtian County Examination this year, the topic of the essay set by my teacher (teacher Zhang Yicheng) would be on the spread of Western learning to the East. I might still fail... So, if Your Highness allows, I would like to learn about firearms development from Teacher Zhao."
"Your Highness, Chu Yang's talent in firearms is much stronger than mine was in the past. In addition, with the help of Fangshan's various specialized laboratories, Chu Yang's attainments will definitely be much higher than mine in time. Your Highness, the Ming Dynasty does not lack Jinshi, but what it lacks is talents ! Please don't force Chu Yang to take the imperial examination anymore!"
"Hahaha, rest assured, Mr. Changji. As long as Chuyang doesn't want to take the exam, why would I force him? You just said something very well. My Ming Dynasty has no shortage of Jinshi. Hush, don't let others hear this, otherwise my life will be difficult."
After the three of them laughed again, Zhu Youdong said sadly, "Have Mr. Li Qi's affairs been settled?"
"Mr. Zhang held a funeral in strict accordance with Catholic doctrine. Your Highness, please rest assured."
In the historical plane, Matteo Ricci died in 1610. In this life, thanks to the progress of medicine, he lived two more years. But that was all. After all, his life was too hard, so in November 1612, Matteo Ricci passed away.
Although the Jesuits sent Matteo Ricci to China mainly for the purpose of preaching , it is undeniable that Matteo Ricci's arrival brought great help to Zhu Youdong's career. Apart from other things, the basic subject of natural science, mathematics, was the foundation laid by Matteo Ricci for Fangshan Laboratory. For this reason alone, Zhu Youdong has a deep respect for this old man.
"Who is the successor sent by the Jesuits?"
"Prefect Zhang has already sent a letter to Macau, but has not received a reply yet."
"Okay, Mr. Changji, when you are free, please write a letter to Mr. Zhang on my behalf. If the successor sent by the Jesuits in Macau is still like Mr. Li Qi, willing to respect the customs of the Han people and appropriately change the way of preaching, we welcome him. If he insists on copying our customs, we don't want such a bad guest."
"Yes, I understand."
"Well, it takes ordinary people ten days or half a month to move, let alone schools and laboratories. Mr. Chang Ji, go ahead and do your work. After a few days, when everything is settled, we will hold a joint science and technology meeting."
"Yes, I respectfully send you off, Your Highness."
After patting Sun Yuanhua's shoulder again to show encouragement, Zhu Youdong asked Wang Chengen to arrange his motorcade to come to Ciqing Palace.
Because Xinghua Palace was the de facto center of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Youdong thought again and again and finally did not let his family move in to live with him. After discussing with Wanli, he let them continue to live in Ciqing Palace.
However, when he came this time, the atmosphere in the entire Ciqing Palace was completely different: his eldest brother was already the regent, and his position as crown prince was as stable as it could be. The possibility of his family's collective sudden death was extremely small, so the previous panic naturally disappeared.
After the Wei Dynasty gathered all the concubines in the palace, Zhu Youdong was surprised to find that his father had nearly two hundred concubines during his lifetime!
"Everyone, I have been busy these days, so I haven't had time to care about you. Today I came here to tell you one thing: how will you live in the future. In general, I have one idea. If you give birth to a child for my father, I will take care of you. If you don't have a child, you have two choices. First, you can be dismissed from the palace, and I will give you a certain amount of money. Second, you can become a nunnery. I will build a nunnery next to my father's tomb, and allocate a royal farm to the nunnery as a tribute field, and let you guard my father's tomb for life."
After this was said, except for a few selected concubines, most of them were pale. Facing such a situation, Zhu Youdong had no choice: at this moment, he was only twelve years old, and it was not a big problem for him to enter and leave Ciqing Palace. In a few years, if there were still so many beautiful women in Ciqing Palace, what would it be like?
"This is a serious matter. After all, it concerns the happiness of the rest of your lives. So please think about it slowly. I will come again in three days, and you must give me a clear and definite answer by then."
After making simple arrangements for Zhu Changluo's widow, Zhu Youdong asked Wei Chao to gather his brothers and sisters.
Since Zhu Changluo was only 30 years old when he died, the children in Ciqing Palace were all very young at this time.
The oldest one under Zhu Youdong was his sister Zhu Huijuan, who was eight years old. Then there was Zhu Youxiao, who was seven years old, Zhu You (Muxue) and Zhu Youji, who were six years old, Zhu Youmo, who was four years old, and Zhu Youjian, who was one year old. The other sisters were six years old, and the youngest was the same age as Zhu Youjian, who was only one year old or even younger.
"Since your father passed away, I am your guardian and I have to think about your future. But no matter what, you are still young, and learning is the most important thing at this time. So, what I mean is that after the Spring Festival next year, all of you who are over five years old will go to Fangshan School for me."
"Brother, can I go too?"
"Hahaha, of course. There are already many girls in my brother's Fangshan School. Huijuan, why can't you go?"
"Great! Big brother is the best to me!" After all, they were born of the same mother, and Zhu Huijuan and Zhu Youdong had always had a good relationship. It was common for a younger sister to rely on her older brother. When she heard that she could go to school like a boy, Zhu Huijuan immediately threw herself into Zhu Youdong's arms.
"This is what I think. All first-year students at Fangshan School will learn the three hundred thousand. Huijuan and Youxiao will start directly from the second grade. You (Muxue) and Youji will start from the first grade."
"Okay, hehe, we can go to school and play. We can meet a lot of new kids."
"Well, you all must remember this. When you go to school, you are not allowed to think of yourself as children of the royal family. Fangshan School was originally an orphanage, and it has only started to admit children of officials in the past year. When they enter the school, they must live on campus and eat and live with the orphans. Those who can't stand it will be expelled. I'll make it clear to you in advance. If you are expelled, I will support you for the rest of your lives as brothers, but don't expect to get a good fiefdom in the future!"
"Yes, please rest assured, big brother. Your younger brothers will never bring shame upon you."
The two brothers, You (Mu Xue) and You Ji, responded politely. Zhu Youxiao mustered up the courage to say to Zhu Youdong, "Brother, I don't want to go to school."
"So where do you want to go?"
"Brother!" Zhu Youxiao's eyes suddenly became bright: "Brother, let me go to Changsha Shipyard! I want to design and build a sailing warship for you that is more powerful than the Zhili class!"
