Chapter 14: Steam-Powered Ming!

Hall of Diligent Governance.

Fan Jingwen was summoned to the palace.

"Your Majesty... Your loyal subject bows to Your Majesty, may you be blessed with health."

At this moment, Fan Jingwen had not eaten for three days. Upon seeing Zhu Youjian, he broke down in tears, unable to speak coherently.

"Grand Secretary Fan, why are you in such a state? Wang Cheng'en, hurry and instruct the Imperial Kitchen to bring food!" Zhu Youjian's expression changed, overtaken by a sudden, inexplicable sorrow.

"At once, Your Majesty." Wang Cheng'en had already learned of Fan Jingwen's condition from the palace staff when he entered, so he had prepared food in advance.

A bowl of lotus seed soup and two slices of preserved vegetable pancakes—light and gentle, perfect for a stomach long deprived of sustenance.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Fan Jingwen said, trembling as he accepted the meal, his gloom undiminished.

Zhu Youjian watched as he repeatedly lifted the spoon but ate little, and quickly said, "Grand Secretary Fan, you have been recuperating at home and may not know: today, the rebel army has been decisively defeated and retreated. The crisis in the capital is resolved! There is no need to worry!"

"But has the relief force arrived? Tang Tong surrendered to the rebels, Liu Zeqing declared himself independent, Huang Degong has not replied... Is it Ningnan Marquis or Xiping Marquis?" Fan Jingwen's spirit revived, and he pressed for answers.

When the emperor issued the call for aid, he also conferred new titles: Wu Sangui, Commander of Liaodong, became Marquis of Western Pacification; Zuo Liangyu, General Against Rebels, became Marquis of Southern Pacification; Tang Tong, Commander of Jizhen, became Marquis of Western Stabilization; Huang Degong, Commander of Fenglu, became Marquis of Southern Quelling; Liu Zeqing, Commander of Shandong, became Marquis of Eastern Pacification.

Of the five commands, Tang Tong's force was closest to the capital, Wu Sangui's cavalry was the strongest, and Zuo Liangyu had the largest army. These three commanders were the most likely to reach and save the capital from Li Zicheng.

After receiving the imperial edict, Tang Tong was the first to lead ten thousand troops to defend, ordered by the emperor to hold Juyong Pass. He arrived at the pass at the end of February and soon marched out to confront the rebel army.

But by March 6th, the supervising eunuch Du Zhizhi opened the gates and surrendered. Hearing this, Tang Tong ceased fighting and surrendered as well.

Liu Zeqing, after receiving the emperor's order to hold Zhen Ding, refused to comply, instead "pillaging Linqing, leading troops south, leaving devastation wherever he went," making clear his ambition to carve out Shandong as his own domain.

Zuo Liangyu, stationed at Wuchang, likewise showed signs of independence. With an army of two hundred thousand, he had received the call to assist the king when Li Zicheng attacked Juyong Pass, but used the excuse of needing to consult on strategy to stall, remaining inactive.

He watched as the rebels swept into the capital unchecked!

On the same day Tang Tong fell and surrendered, the imperial eunuch Xie Wenju arrived at Ningyuan with the emperor's edict, ordering Wu Sangui to defend the capital.

Wu Sangui did not immediately lead his cavalry to aid; instead, he delayed several days before setting out, advancing sluggishly, covering only a few dozen miles each day. He was still dawdling en route.

By the time he arrived, the situation would have already changed.

Zuo Liangyu, Liu Zeqing, the Eight Great Shanxi Merchants...

Zhu Youjian silently recited their names, his murderous intent thick, then smiled gently and said, "It was not the troops of these two commands, but the mighty army of Hongwu, our Great Ming's founding emperor."

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A sudden clatter!

"Your Majesty..." Fan Jingwen's expression grew complicated; his old eyes filled with tears. The pancake he had just bitten into fell to the floor.

He wondered if the emperor had lost his mind.

"Reporting, Your Majesty! General Lan Yu has returned with the rebel leader's corpse!" A eunuch hurried in to announce.

"Summon him to the hall immediately!" Zhu Youjian rubbed his brow, vexed about how to coax the old man to eat, uncertain whether seeing a corpse would help.

"Greetings, Your Majesty! I have fulfilled your expectations—the rebel leader was executed beneath a tree in Fangshan, hanged himself!" Lan Yu entered, reporting with the corpse slung over his shoulder, placing it in the middle of the hall.

Fan Jingwen, clutching his tray, ran over, lifting the covering and examining it repeatedly, so moved his body trembled. "Good! Good! The likeness matches the rebel leader exactly! It must be him, it must be him!"

As he looked, he devoured his food with tears streaming down his face, prompting Lan Yu to grow wary and curse inwardly: Damn, this old pedant must be trying to steal my credit!

Zhu Youjian smiled and said, "General, you have rendered unparalleled service. I shall petition the Grand Ancestor for your merit. The soldiers are weary, and I have already decreed rewards for the army. You may retire."

"Your subject obeys!" Lan Yu replied, elated that his aim for recognition had succeeded, and bowed out.

Zhu Youjian smiled mysteriously, and in front of Wang Cheng'en, took Fan Jingwen's hand. In an instant, the world shifted.

The three found themselves in the era of the Hongwu Emperor!

Then, time reversed, and they returned to the Hall of Diligent Governance.

"Grand Secretary Fan, now you can believe it."

Zhu Youjian smiled and shook his head, observing the two stunned men, and asked,

"Heaven blesses the Ming, heaven blesses the Ming!"

Fan Jingwen, shaken, kept muttering. Hearing the emperor's words, he finally snapped out of it, his tears soaking his collar as he cried out joyfully,

"Your subject has no doubt!"

Afterward, Fan Jingwen recovered his vigor and quickly composed himself, his eyes bright as he asked, "For what reason has Your Majesty summoned me?"

"Take a look at this." Zhu Youjian finally grew serious, producing a booklet with a drawing of a machine—remarkably intricate for the current era, with densely packed traditional characters marking each part's function.

"What is this?" Fan Jingwen frowned, and as he read the principles annotated on the diagrams, though he did not fully understand, he was deeply shaken.

Thermal energy converting to mechanical energy—he had never heard such a thing. Fortunately, every illustration contained vivid analogies, analyzing gear transmission and verifying each principle, filling the eyes of this elder, nearly sixty, with wonder.

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Especially upon seeing the practical directions Zhu Youjian had appended, Fan Jingwen felt his limbs grow weak with awe.

"A divine instrument! A sacred tool to benefit the realm!" At the end, Fan Jingwen murmured in fascination.

"Grand Secretary Fan, I want you to immediately assemble a great number of craftsmen and construct this steam engine for me!"

Zhu Youjian solemnly declared, "I intend to abolish the artisan registry system and replace it with a civil examination for craftsmen. There will be four levels: academy, provincial, metropolitan, and palace exams, with twelve grades in total. After passing the provincial exam, craftsmen of the fourth grade must be assessed annually; those who pass are exempt from a year's direct taxes. After passing the metropolitan exam, seventh-grade craftsmen must be assessed quarterly; each rating division can be decided independently, and those who pass will receive salaries from the court. The details are for you, Grand Secretary, to refine..."

"Your subject obeys!" Fan Jingwen replied quickly. "Your Majesty, reforming the artisan registry is no problem for me, but I fear there will be many voices of opposition in court..."

"There are no longer any."

"Ah?" Fan Jingwen was stunned.

Zhu Youjian spoke kindly, "Grand Secretary, you have been resting at home and may not know: today I have purged the civil officials from the court. At present, at least in the Ministry of Works, only you and I have a voice. Surely, Grand Secretary, you will not object, will you?"

"This... this, of course I do not object!"

Cold sweat poured from Fan Jingwen. He wondered why, after only a few days of rest, it felt like a change of dynasty.

Zhu Youjian gave a final instruction: "The reform of the artisan system can be postponed for a time, but the steam engine must proceed apace! As much silver as you require, you shall have!"

"Now the rebel leader is destroyed, but outside the pass, the Tartars still eye us hungrily. For the sake of the realm, for the sake of Great Ming, I must trouble you, Grand Secretary!"

"Your subject obeys! I shall exert every effort and not disappoint!"

Once Fan Jingwen departed,

Zhu Youjian glanced at the still dazed Wang Cheng'en and revealed a mysterious smile. "Wang Cheng'en, go to my study and fetch a book for General Lan Yu, and deliver these words: ask him whether he is willing to remain in my reign."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Wang Cheng'en replied, quickly regaining his composure.

He did not know what book to take, as the emperor had not specified, but when it came to a book for Lan Yu, he knew which one.

"Emphasize the chapter on Lan Yu's case from the Record of Traitors. These rough men never pay attention to detail." Wang Cheng'en quietly carried the booklet and delivered it to Lan Yu, who was celebrating his victory.

According to unofficial histories, General Lan Yu lost control of his bladder at the banquet that day. Whether the legend is true or not, it certainly is wild.

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