Although Liu Zongzhou was silent for the time being, Zhu Youzhen did not think that he had persuaded other officials. He quickly continued: "With regard to administrative matters, the main responsibility of the cabinet is the case, and this direction will not change.

However, I think what Mr. Liu said is also reasonable, and we need to consider the opinions of more people in order to decide on a better policy.

In my opinion, we can set up a national meeting and convene it every five days to discuss important matters. If the national meeting still can't be decided, then convene a court meeting and make it public, what do you think? ”

Zhang Ruitu said in support with some urgency: "Your Majesty has considered it very carefully, and the minister seconded it. ”

Huang Liji said slowly: "The minister also agrees with His Majesty's proposal. ”

The remaining cabinet members and most of the officials of the Six Ministries and Nine Secretaries also spoke out in support of the emperor's idea.

After Han Yi saw that the situation at the meeting was one-sided, he first expressed his support for the emperor before Liu Zongzhou, and the rest of the Donglin Party naturally followed. Liu Zongzhou sighed and finally stopped saying anything.

Xue Zhen was sitting in the side hall on the west side of the Wenhua Palace, in a duty room in the Jiyi Palace, and he was thinking about what kind of decision he would make at the meeting.

In his opinion, he handled the case completely according to the emperor's request, and the emperor should not let those officials attack him. But the public opinion that suddenly appeared to attack him recently made him quite uneasy.

The door of the room squeaked, waking Xue Zhen up. He looked up and saw that it was Wang Chengen, a close confidant of the emperor, who had entered the room, and he immediately stood up.

"Princess, but Your Majesty has something to explain to me."

After Wang Chengen asked the accompanying cabinet members to leave, he walked to Xue Zhen and sat down and said, "Xue Shangshu, you can also sit down and talk, Your Majesty asked the miscellaneous family to come over to ask Xue Shangshu's opinion on two things." ”

Xue Zhen sat down slowly, and said with some disappointment: "The prince and princess, please speak, and the lower officials will listen to you." ”

"Your Majesty hopes that Xue Shangshu can accept the decision of the National Council and be transferred to the post of Shangshu of the Nanjing Military Department."

Xue Zhen's face suddenly became ugly, although the status of the Nanjing Sixth Department was equal to that of the Beijing Sixth Department, the Nanjing Sixth Department has always been regarded as a place where the defeated officials and old officials in the political struggle retire and retire.

Although Xue Zhen is almost at the age of retirement, his desire to be an official has not faded, and he feels that he is healthy and can work for a few more years. But the emperor's request suddenly broke his thoughts.

Wang Chengen looked at Xue Zhen, who had an ugly face, and immediately smiled and said: "Xue Shangshu doesn't have to be like this, Your Majesty hopes that after you go to Nanjing to take over as the secretary of the military department this time, you will adjust and restructure the guards in various parts of the south."

His Majesty hopes that within three years, the health centers in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Nanzhili, Jiangxi, and Lianghu can be reorganized according to the model of the Yingzhou health centers. Reduce the number of troops in these areas to less than 150,000. ”

Xue Zhen's face looked a little better, but he asked with some suspicion: "But the prince, the Sixth Department of Nanjing has always had no real power, even if the lower official takes over the Shangshu of the Nanjing Military Department, what power does he have to implement the plan of reducing troops requested by His Majesty?" ”

Wang Chengen looked at Xue Zhen and said calmly: "Has Xue Shangshu forgotten? Now that the Ministry of War has been separated, no one can interfere in the actions of the Ministry of War except His Majesty and the General Staff. ”

"With only one official, I'm afraid it's difficult to complete such a difficult task. Your Majesty probably doesn't know, but the prince shouldn't know.

The land of the guards in the south has basically been divided by the gentry and nobles, and the food and salary of the army have basically become the income of the nobles.

The south is no better than the north, and southerners have always valued reading, and there are not a few generations of eunuchs. And the gentry in Jiangnan are intertwined, and basically they have an in-law relationship with each other, which can be said to affect the whole body.

Your Majesty really wants me to deal with them alone? Xue Zhen saw that there were only two people in the room, and simply expressed her worries to Wang Chengen.

Wang Chengen said calmly: "Of course I won't let Xue Shangshu do this alone, after Xue Shangshu is transferred to Nanjing, we will first set up the Nanjing Army Military Academy and the Nanjing General Staff, and soon we will mobilize people from Beijing."

As a matter of fact, the Nanjing General Staff will take charge of the restructuring of the guard station and the reduction of the army. And what Xue Shangshu is responsible for is to support them unreservedly..."

When Wang Chengen was talking to Xue Zhen, Yuan Keli and Su Maoxiang were also urgently summoned to Wenhua Palace.

In the apse of the Wenhua Palace, Zhu Youzhen summoned the two together. Huang Liji and other officials believed that the conversation might take a long time, but within a quarter of an hour of the two entering, the emperor's decision had already come out.

Han Yi couldn't help but grab Su Maoxiang with some curiosity and asked, "So fast?" What question did Your Majesty ask you both? ”

Su Maoxiang's face was a little unnatural and replied: "Your Majesty only asked us the same question, if we become the secretary of the Criminal Department, how should the verdict of the murder of Yangwu Hou be handled. ”

Han Yi rolled his eyes and thought for a while before asking, "How did Liqing answer?" ”

Su Maoxiang said quite dissatisfied: "Yuan Liqing said that since the law has made a judgment and His Majesty has approved it, then the judgment should be upheld." ”

Looking at Su Maoxiang's dissatisfied expression, it was obvious that his choice was the opposite of Yuan Keli. Han Yi didn't continue to ask questions, to provoke the displeasure of his colleagues.

After deciding on the candidate for the new secretary of the Criminal Department, Zhu Youzhen left the Wenhua Hall and went out of the palace to Yenching University.

Compared with last time, the number of students in Guozi Prison has increased considerably. Some of the previously closed buildings have also been renovated and are ready to be opened as classrooms for students.

Li Zhizao accompanied Chongzhen to inspect, which had just been established not long ago, and the four branches of the Department of Literature, the Department of Mathematics and Physics, the Department of Chemistry, and the Department of Geography.

On the way to the inspection, Zhu Youzhen asked with some curiosity: "How many students are there in each department now?" ”

Li Zhizao, who was walking sideways to the left of the emperor, replied without thinking: "The total number of people has exceeded 890. Nearly half of the students in the Faculty of Literature; The Department of Mathematics and Physics has the second largest number of students, with more than 200 students; The Department of Chemistry and the Department of Geography have the smallest number of students, with more than 100 students each. ”

Zhu Youzhen was slightly disappointed, "There are still too many students in the literature department. In this way, 40 scholarships will be offered in my name, and 10 places will be allocated to each department.

In addition, students who have made breakthroughs in natural sciences will be personally awarded medals and material rewards. ”

Li Zhizao was very pleased with the emperor's support for Yenching University, although Xu Guangqi was still nominally the president of Yenching University, but the day-to-day work of the school and the Academy of Sciences gradually shifted to him and Wang Zheng.

Li Zhizao has put a lot of effort into the establishment of disciplines at Yenching University, and has preliminarily completed the curriculum arrangement of various natural disciplines, as well as the compilation and selection of textbooks.

After walking around the Guozi Prison, Zhu Youzhen returned to the professors' office with Li Zhizao and others.

Zhu Youzhen looked at the books on the table, and asked casually: "In this part of the natural sciences, what books do you plan to use as teaching materials?" ”

Li Zhizao said excitedly: "We have translated 11 volumes of "Geometric Original", and 4 volumes are continuing to be translated, so this set of books is naturally intended as a teaching material.

"Abacus Book", "Arithmetic", "Algebra", "Introduction to Analysis", "Nine Chapters of Algorithm Analogy", "Algorithm Classics" and so on will be included in the textbook. In addition, the minister hoped that His Majesty would make an exception to include Cheng Zisuan and become a professor of mathematics at Yenching University. ”

Zhu Youzhen looked up at Li Zhizao and asked a little blankly, "Who is Cheng Zi?" ”

"Cheng Zisuan is the descendant of Cheng Dawei, and Cheng Dawei is the author of "Algorithm Unification". "The Algorithm of the Sect" is very good for the abacus and some practical problems of the algorithm, Cheng Zisuan presented this set of books to the school, and the minister thought that it should be rewarded. Li Zhizao explained to Zhu Youzhen.

Zhu Youzhen thought about it and asked, "How is his level of mathematics?" Can I take on the position of professor? ”

"More than enough." Li Zhizao hurriedly made a package ticket for Cheng Zisuan. Although he himself was happy to accept Western learning, when the Jesuit missionaries occupied most of the positions in the Academy of Sciences, Li Zhizao tried to absorb the elite of Ming intellectuals to balance the situation of the overabundance of Westerners in the Academy of Sciences.

Zhu Youzhen nodded and said, "As long as you can pass the assessment, Li Qing can hire them freely, and the person you think is suitable will become a professor at Yenching University." ”

When Li Zhizao bowed his head and thanked him, Zhu Youzhen had already changed the topic and asked: "How has the work of formulating weights and measures been completed now?" ”

Li Zhizao turned around and summoned Wang Zheng and asked him to explain to the emperor the work of formulating weights and measures. After Wang Zheng stepped forward to salute Chongzhen, he said unhurriedly: "The data has basically been measured, and the standard meter ruler can be made in about ten days, and then according to His Majesty's requirements, a complete set of metric units including length, volume, and mass will be set." ”

Zhu Youzhen thought for a while and said: "The standard measuring tool can be made in several sets, respectively in different materials, and in the future, we can observe which material makes the least change in the measuring tool under the change of temperature and humidity." ”

"Change?" Li Zhizao and Wang Zheng were a little confused about the emperor's statement.

Zhu Youzhen had to popularize the scientific knowledge of thermal expansion and cold contraction to the two of them, and then he continued: "After the standard weights and measures are determined, first unify the weights and measures in the capital. And use this as a standard to determine the conversion relationship between the metric system and the old system of weights and measures, and between the metric system and the Western system.

Next, I would like to ask you to unify the units and formulas in Chinese and Western arithmetic, and then teach and study mathematical problems on this basis..."