.Volume 4 The Empire Ascension Chapter 91 The Life of the Ming people that Europeans envied

"By the way, Chen Aiqing, do you know which academies in our dynasty have the oldest history?" Wang Fu asked, and he suddenly thought of the best way to deal with these British people.

Chen Ande was stunned when he heard this. If the most famous academies in the Ming Dynasty were the "Donglin Academy" run by the Donglin Party." However, in recent years, the official schools have flourished, and both the "Donglin Academy" and other private academies have declined. For some reason, the emperor suddenly mentioned it again.

"After the emperor, as far as I know, there are many academies in our dynasty. The longest history is Bailudong Academy, Yuelu Academy, Yingtianfu Academy, Songyang Academy, Bailuzhou Academy, Ehu Academy, Yuzhang Academy..."

Chen Ande read out the names of seven or eight academies in one breath, and there was a tendency to continue reading. Wang Fu interrupted Chen Ande impatiently and said, "Your dear, don't read it anymore. Tell me the longest-standing one."

"When I go back to the emperor, the academies I mentioned have been opened since the Song Dynasty. I need to check in detail to find out the length of their history."

Wang Fu was moved to hear that the Ming Dynasty had been established for three hundred years and two years. Including the 100th year of the Yuan Dynasty and more than 300 years of the Song Dynasty, even if it was a discount, these academies were established in the middle of the Song Dynasty, and each academies had a history of at least five or six hundred years. If they were established in the early stage, it would be possible that it would be more than seven hundred years.

"Don't these academies have a history of more than five hundred years?"

"There is only a lot more and a lot more when you go back to the emperor, but unfortunately, many academies are unable to recruit students at present." Chen Ande sighed.

"That's great." Wang Fu couldn't help but pat his desk. These academies were just history, which was a precious wealth. Although Wang Fu did not like these academies that were free from the official school, it did not prevent them from protecting them as a historical and cultural resource. He turned to the eunuch next to him and said: "Transfer my will and the Ministry of Rites to count the academies for more than a hundred years in China. For academies that are difficult to maintain, the Ministry of Rites can allocate silver subsidies at the discretion of the subsidies, and the internal treasury will be fully reimbursed."

"Yes, the emperor, the emperor is really a bodhisattva. I want my servants to say that if these academies cannot be maintained, they might as well close the door." The eunuch Li Qi replied.

In addition to teaching students, the biggest purpose of these private academies is to gather scholars, demoted the times and guide the government. From cabinet ministers to eunuchs to eunuchs, all of them were the targets of the academies to criticize them. The ministers were better, and all the academies had support and scolded them, and the eunuchs were the targets of scolding all academies. No eunuch would like private academies, and even the ministers could not bear it. During the reign of Zhang Juzheng, he ordered the closure of many academies. When Wei Zhongxian was in the world, he simply ordered all academies to be closed. However, as soon as Wei Zhongxian died, all the academies were restored.

"What do you know?" the emperor cursed with a smile.

Nowadays, the number of academies is like a drop in the ocean compared to official schools. Students naturally choose more official schools. Dozens of literati gather to make some articles that are criticized by criticism. How can they compare with millions of newspaper audiences? Without the two major functions of teaching and educating and criticism, it is no wonder that academies are declining day by day. Even with the subsidies from the court, they can only survive. It is impossible to restore the academy's momentum in the past.

These academies have produced countless scholars and ministers in history, which makes them famous all over the world. It is a pity to let them die. It is definitely a good idea to take out some money to keep them going.

Shanghai, the fastest-growing city in the world, was upgraded from a county to a prefecture in the 24th year of Hongguang. According to statistics in the 25th year of Hongguang, the population of Shanghai was more than 1.36 million. Although the population is less than one percent of the country, its annual income has reached 15% of the country.

This is of course due to the huge development of maritime trade. On the streets of Shanghai, every time you walk dozens of meters, you will encounter a foreigner, either a blue-eyed and high-nose European, an Arab in a robe, or a red-haired Indian...

Now Isaac, Halle and others are also one of them. If they say they don’t feel that there is too much difference between Europe and the Ming Dynasty on Friendship Island, they will only feel shock when they are on the streets of Shanghai. Before they arrive, they never thought that there would be a city in the world that would be so prosperous.

This is not a deformed development after the colonists opened the door in later generations. Because of the high pricing power and the profits of maritime trade, the owners will not care about wages. As long as they have hands and feet, they can easily find a job with a monthly salary of more than ten taels of silver. If you are willing to go overseas, your salary will immediately become more than thirty taels.

In Europe, a strong British sailor's monthly salary is 22 shillings and 6pence, which is about 13 taels and 50 cents for silver. (Note 1) Although it is better than ordinary Shanghai citizens, they sailed on the sea for many years and ate only flour, bacon and dried beans. A gallon of beer is often miserable, and their wages are only paid every six months. They are also sailors, and the conditions for the Ming sailors are much better than those of the British sailors. Vegetables are supplied on the ship every day, and their salary is paid every month, at least twice that of the British sailors.

Isaac specifically investigated the prices in Shanghai these days and came to a conclusion that he was very frustrated. Compared with his salary as a professor at Cambridge University, living conditions in London may not be comparable to ordinary Ming people in Shanghai.

Compared with the high wages, various prices in Shanghai can be said to be very cheap. Due to the bumper harvest of Nanyang grains, tens of millions of stones of grain are transported back to the local area from Nanyang every year. Although the imperial court purchased huge amounts of grain as reserve grain every year, the price of grain is still irreversible. The price of grain in Shanghai has dropped from one tael of five qian per stone in the early years of Hongguang to two hundred and twenty cents per stone now, and the price of fields in Jiangnan has also dropped by 70%. The best fat fields are now sold at only four to five taels of silver. (Note 2)

In addition to the price of grain, the rest of the food and daily necessities were also cheap. Fresh fish fell from 20 cents per catty to about 12 cents per catty, pork fell from 30 cents per catty to about 15 cents per catty, beef fell from 25 cents per catty to about 15 cents per catty, (Note 3) Duck eggs were twenty-five cents per catty, eggs were eighteen to nineteen cents per catty, soybean oil was fifteen cents per catty, cucumbers per catty, cabbage was one cents per catty, onion per catty, salt was slightly expensive, five cents per catty, and the best soybean wine was fifty cents per catty...

In addition to eating, the clothes worn are cheaper than in Europe. One pound of hemp is only twenty cents, white cloth is about thirty cents per foot, and dark blue cloth is forty cents per foot. The price of silk is even cheaper. In Europe, a good silk costs at least two taels of silver, and the price here is only one hundred and twenty cents, while three-foot silk can be used as a piece of clothing. Even an ordinary citizen can easily buy several silk clothes for changing them a year, which costs only one or two taels of silver.

In Shanghai, if a family of five eats six kilograms of grain a day, it costs 11 cents, and buys a fish weighing two kilograms, and buys a kilogram of pork, and then buys ten cents of vegetables, plus oil, salt and firewood. In this way, a life with fish and meat costs about 65 cents to seventy cents, totaling two taels of silver in a month. In the UK, to achieve the same living standard, it will cost at least seven shillings, which is about four taels of silver.

It was just that due to the rapid growth of the number of people, Shanghai's housing prices rose. In the early years of Hongguang, the price of a four-bedroom ordinary yard in Shanghai was around 80 taels to 100 taels. To this day, the price is about 180 taels to 200 taels of silver.

With the monthly salary of ten taels of silver for ordinary citizens, they live a life of fish and meat. There is still an surplus of eight taels of silver in a month. They spend one tael of silver for themselves, and their wives and children buy clothes, and one tael of silver for other expenses. They can save about six taels of silver every month. In three years, they can buy a four-bedroom yard in Shanghai, which is about one hundred square meters.

If you are a sailor, you will have little expenses because you have been sailing on the sea for many years. It only takes about eight months to buy a small courtyard in Shanghai. After saving for three years, you can buy a dozen rooms with more than ten rooms into the courtyard.

The more I know Shanghai, the deeper Isaac and his companions became more respectful to the Ming Dynasty. In Shanghai alone, its comprehensive strength has exceeded that of the UK, with a population of more than 160 million, and it is not comparable to Britain with a population of only 5.7 million. Faced with such a huge monster, Isaac and others have already stopped fighting with the Ming Dynasty.

Although the UK cannot compete with the Ming Dynasty, as long as it obtains the technology of the steam engine, it can take the lead in Europe and may become a powerful country on the European continent. Isaac is even more looking forward to exchanges with the Ming Academy and asks every day at the British Consul in Shanghai Rock.

That day, Isaac had just walked into the British consulate, and Locke came up with a smile on his face and said, "Professor Isaac, let me tell you good news. The Emperor of Ming Dynasty has agreed to your request."

"Is that true? Which university will we communicate with?" After hearing the news finally, a smile appeared on Isaac's face.

Locke spread his hands. His Chinese language was not good. He couldn't remember the name of the Ming Academy. An interpreter next to him continued: "This is a very famous university in Jiangnan, called Bailuzhou University. It is said that this university was built on an island with a large river. Because there are a kind of bird called Bailuzhou University all year round, it is called Bailuzhou University."

"Bailuzhou University sounds very good, at least the scenery should be very good. I don't know how many years this university has."

"Well, it's been a long time since the founding of the school. It is said that it has been 460 years since the founding of the school. At that time, the person who founded the school was an important minister of the court and was personally congratulated by the emperor."

Isaac felt relieved as soon as he heard this. It was almost as long as the founding of Cambridge University. In his opinion, such a long-standing university must have some research on steam engines. Naturally, he did not know that all the new technologies of the Ming Dynasty had nothing to do with the original old-fashioned colleges. With Isaac Newton's IQ, if I could calm down at Bailuzhou Academy for several years, he might become a master of Chinese studies.

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Chapter completed!