Chapter Six: Scientific Experiment

On the third day of the sixth month of the forty-seventh year of the Wanli era, Li Chaoxin came to the Crown Prince’s quarters during his morning run to deliver good news: the ignition mechanism for the flintlock musket had been successfully constructed. Zhu Xiaoqi was overjoyed, yet he waited for Li Jinzhong to announce, “Time’s up,” before stopping, and then strolled over at a leisurely pace.

“Your Highness, the method of dividing into groups is indeed a supreme strategy. Yesterday, the third group produced the ignition mechanism, and the success rate was thirty to forty percent.”

“This is thanks to Supervisor Li’s diligent oversight and the craftsmen’s dedicated efforts, allowing for such rapid progress. Reward the third group with fifty taels of silver. Li Bannan, fetch the silver for them—give it all to the group leader, and do not skim any portion for yourself. As for how they divide it, that is not your concern.” Reward and punishment must accompany work to encourage enthusiasm. In just over thirty days, ten men earned fifty taels—a generous reward. Zhu had asked Li Jinzhong; most craftsmen here worked without pay, considered as service. This reward should make it clear that his word is law, like the ancient ruler who marked the wood and hung gold for merit.

“In the future, when reporting results, do not use vague terms like ‘thirty to forty percent.’ Three means three, four means four. How many tests did you conduct in total?”

“Replying to Your Highness, we tested fifty times, with sixteen successful ignitions.”

“Hmm, so thirty to forty percent isn’t too far off. You should test a hundred times; count the successes and calculate the percentage. More trials will yield more accurate results, though fewer can be converted. Your current rate translates to thirty-two percent. Tell them to improve, and for every one percent increase in success rate, reward one tael of silver. All three groups are the same. In the future, tests must reach at least a hundred repetitions. Do you understand?”

Li Chaoxin nodded repeatedly and walked off, delighted, clutching the silver. Of course, he hadn’t received the reward this time, as previously agreed—the reward for producing a usable flintlock musket within three months was a hundred taels. Actually, he didn’t care much for the hundred taels, but a reward from the Crown Prince himself was quite another matter. Far more important than silver was making a good impression before him.

Feeling pleased, Zhu Xiaoqi decided to visit the Bureau of Gardens to check on the progress of the sweet potatoes. Li Jinzhong accompanied him there, with Zhou Yuji and Zhang Qianfang in tow, acting as his bodyguards.

The chief eunuch of the Bureau, Wang Tiqian, was a cultured man—rare among eunuchs. Li Jinzhong could barely recognize a hundred or so characters, which was already impressive, but eunuchs raised in the palace were better educated, for the Imperial City had an inner school specifically for instructing young eunuchs. Li Jinzhong had entered service later, so his lack of education was not surprising. Wang Tiqian was methodical, having employed an experienced farmer for the task, following Xu Guangqi’s treatise to the letter for selection and cultivation. The seedlings had been growing for some time now. As Zhu Xiaoqi gazed at the lush sweet potato plants, he seemed to see vast fields of them, storerooms overflowing with the tubers. He thought, if I promote sweet potatoes widely, at least everyone will have food—perhaps then no one would rebel.

Maize was also present at the Bureau, nearly ripe. Zhu Xiaoqi observed that it seemed smaller than modern varieties. He picked a few kernels to taste—quite flavorful. Upon inquiring with Wang Tiqian, he learned that with proper care, maize yielded about one and three-tenths piculs per acre. Of course, this paled in comparison to later generations, but at the time, wheat yields were only two piculs per acre. Most importantly, maize was adaptable—could be grown anywhere, resistant to harsh conditions.

“Supervisor Wang, you’ve done well. I have another task for you.”

“I dare not accept such praise, Your Highness. I am merely fulfilling my duty. Whatever you command, I shall obey without fail.”

“Good! I want you to find three plots of equal size and fertility, and plant the same crop using identical methods. On one plot, plant peanuts between the rows; on another, soybeans; and on the third, nothing extra. Besides this difference, all other care must be the same. After harvest, carefully record the yields of each plot and report to me. Of course, besides maize, you may plant other crops for comparison. The more data on yields, the better.”

“Your Highness’s instructions will be carried out meticulously. When the harvest is done, I will report immediately.”

“As long as you do well, I am generous with rewards. I await your good news. Li Bannan, you are to liaise with Supervisor Wang. If he has requests you can decide on, do so at once. If anything is difficult, report to me promptly.”

“Rest assured, Your Highness, I will cooperate actively with Supervisor Wang and will not delay your important affairs!”

Zhu Youxiao then inquired about farming tools and fertilizer usage. Wang Tiqian demonstrated a “wooden ox”—composed of two A-shaped frames and a windlass fitted with cross-pegs. For plowing, the two ends of the field, twenty feet apart, were set with windlasses, wound with sixty feet of rope. Each end’s rope was fixed to its windlass, with a small iron ring in the middle to which the plow’s towing hook was attached. Workers rotated the windlass, moving the plow back and forth across the field. Each apparatus required three men: one at each windlass and one guiding the plow. When one turned the windlass, the other rested, alternating. Wang Tiqian said this method, “one hand gives the strength of two oxen,” intrigued Zhu Youxiao, who hoped to promote it throughout the land.

Regarding fertilizer, they often used “oil-cake,” such as sesame or cottonseed cake, applied to high-yield fields. Fertilizer techniques had improved, with different fertilizers suited to different soils—straw ash for rice seedlings, lime for soaking roots. These not only increased yields but improved the soil. Zhu Youxiao noted that the use of human and animal manure was less compared to modern times, but still decent.

He asked Wang Tiqian about potatoes, but he had never heard of them. It seemed they would have to search for them through Xu Guangqi. Xu was a junior minister and censor for Henan, and had mentioned he was drilling troops in Tongzhou. Li Jinzhong inquired within the Eastern Palace and confirmed that Xu was still in Tongzhou. Thus, Zhu Xiaoqi intended to pay him a visit. Li Jinzhong felt it was too late in the day, and preparations such as carriage and escort needed to be made, and leaving the capital required prior notification to Lady Li, so he suggested they wait until tomorrow.

Zhu Xiaoqi, having no other choice, spent the afternoon sparring with Zhou Yuji and Zhang Qianfang, earning no shortage of flattery. In the evening, Li Jinzhong reported that Lady Li had been informed, who consented after instructing them to bring extra guards. The carriage was ready, and a message had been sent to Xu Guangqi. They would depart first thing in the morning.