Raising chickens and pigs and digging for wild vegetables, the county magistrate's promotion wa

Chapter 1198 This is treating barbarians like Japanese pirates!

The room was filled with the clattering sound of abacuses being turned, as dozens of "old-fashioned humanoid supercomputers" seemed to be turning the abacus beads until they were smoking.

Yang Siyi then invited Hei Sesame Dumplings and Yang Shaofeng to the next room, and looking at Hei Sesame Dumplings, said, "Your Highness, I have another immature idea."

After receiving the black sesame glutinous rice ball's signal, Yang Siyi continued, "My idea is that government offices like the Salt Transport Office, which are involved in the livelihood of the people and have a commercial nature, should be uniformly assigned to a government office of the Cabinet for management."

"For example, with salt, a small government office could be set up in each prefecture, county, and even township to sell salt, with each level responsible for the next, all the way up to a government office in the cabinet."

"There are also iron smelting workshops."

"After all, the common people also need a lot of iron products. The fact that the imperial court has such an office can check and balance the merchants who are engaged in civilian iron products, so that they cannot monopolize the iron business in a certain place."

"..."

"Most importantly, these shops and workshops, which are managed by a certain department of the cabinet, have the imperial court's complete say in terms of taxation."

Yang Shaofeng glanced at Yang Siyi without realizing it.

Good heavens, you old rascal, you've got some pretty advanced stuff going on.

After a moment's thought, Heizhi Tangyuan said, "Very well, Minister Yang might as well organize this idea first and then write a memorial to submit later."

Just as Yang Siyi nodded in agreement, Xue Xiang, who had been transferred to the Ministry of Rites as Minister, came to see Heizhi Tangyuan and immediately began to complain upon seeing her.

"Your Highness, I have asked that old scoundrel Yang Siyi for a few skilled mathematicians, but he keeps delaying and refuses to give them to me. I beg Your Highness to uphold justice for the Ministry of Rites!"

Yang Siyi immediately said with a dark face, "Why don't you tell His Highness what the Ministry of Rites needs someone skilled in mathematics for?"

Black Sesame Dumpling was stunned for a moment, but Xue Xiang said confidently, "Of course it's to write a letter!"

After glancing at Yang Shaofeng, Xue Xiang continued to speak to Heizhi Tangyuan: "I previously proposed at the Grand Court Assembly that the Ministry of Rites convene scholars from various vassal states to formulate their respective vassal scripts based on the 'Universal Phonology' section of the Hongwu Zhengyun."

"I believe that having the local customs documents alone is not enough; we should also help each locality develop its own mathematical system."

“Multiplication tables like 1+1=1 and 2+2=4 should definitely not be taught.”

“Not only should we not teach them, but we should also make it more complicated so that even if they have written words and numbers, they will not be able to master arithmetic.”

"With just those old scholars in the Ministry of Rites, I'm afraid they'd write down all sorts of nonsensical academic nonsense."

"Therefore, I thought of borrowing two skilled arithmetic experts from that old scoundrel Yang Siyi."

“Any arithmetic method that those old scholars wrote down that they found relatively simple was discarded and rewritten.”

"Only keep the arithmetic methods that they find tedious and boring."

"..."

Xue Xiang spoke smugly about his plans, while Yang Shaofeng's eyes widened in disbelief.

How could this old scoundrel be this wicked?

To Yang Shaofeng's surprise, Xue Xiang, that old scoundrel, not only talked the talk, but also took out two pieces of paper from his sleeve and handed them to the black sesame dumpling.

"Your Highness, please take a look. These are the figures that I and a group of old scholars from the Ministry of Rites have come up with first."

"It's troublesome to write it down, and it's also troublesome to remember it."

“Using these numbers for arithmetic, the result that could have been obtained in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea will probably take half a day to calculate.”

"And this, this is an architectural material that I and a few old scholars from the Ministry of Rites helped the barbarians research."

"..."

While listening, Heizhi Tangyuan looked at the two pieces of paper, his lips curling into a wide smile that he couldn't suppress. In the end, he simply handed the two pieces of paper to Yang Shaofeng.

Yang Shaofeng felt a sudden darkness before his eyes.

Goodness, mathematics has abolished the concept of "zero" and removed the concept of "place value system". The larger the number, the more ridiculous symbols are written out. You even have to perform "left subtraction and right addition" calculations to write a number.

And architectural materials—using a funerary pillar as a divine pillar, is that something a human being would do?

Isn't this just treating these barbarians like Japanese devils?

Honestly, in the entire Ming Dynasty, I am the only good person. Where else can you find a good person?

Yang Shaofeng mentally ranted, then expressionlessly returned both pieces of paper to Xue Xiang.

Xue Xiang carefully put away the two pieces of paper, then looked at the black sesame dumplings with a wronged expression and said, "Anyway, since Your Highness is here today, you have to help me get justice—I don't want much, just that Yang Siyi can give me two skilled arithmeticians!"

Yang Siyi was immediately enraged and sneered, "Is this why you want someone who is proficient in arithmetic?"

"If you want to trick the barbarians, you should find those idiots who are not good at arithmetic. Only by making them feel troubled will the barbarians find it difficult to learn arithmetic."

"Why don't you find some experts in arithmetic? They'll see your stuff as easily as a three-year-old's algorithm."

Yang Shaofeng felt that he was being targeted.

Yang Shaofeng felt extremely troublesome and complicated when he first saw the arithmetic rules Xue Xiang had given him.

Xue Xiang snorted coldly and said, "Anyway, I need two experts in arithmetic for a very important purpose. Are you going to give them to me or not, you old scoundrel?"

Yang Siyi angrily replied, "No! Not even half a piece, let alone two!"

Xue Xiang became even angrier, grabbed Yang Siyi by the collar, and shouted, "Will you give it to me or not!"

Seeing that the two old ministers, whose combined number was over a hundred, were about to start a full-blown fight, Black Sesame Dumpling could only helplessly advise, "Minister Xue, calm down! I will allocate two men from the Imperial Academy for you later."

Xue Xiang pursed his lips, first letting go of his own hand, then shoving Yang Siyi's hand aside, and looked at the black sesame dumpling with anticipation, saying, "Your Highness, could you allocate a few people to me from Dengzhou University? If that's not possible, just two, two will do!"

Yang Siyi immediately followed suit, bowing and saying, "Your Highness, I also need a few people from the Mathematics Department of Dengzhou University!"

Seeing Xue Xiang holding up two fingers, and Yang Siyi's shameless look that said "If you don't give it to me, I'll make a scene," Black Sesame Dumpling was so angry that he laughed.

Good heavens, so you two old ministers, whose combined age is over a hundred, are teaming up to trick me today?

Thinking of this, Heizhi Tangyuan smiled again and looked at Xue Xiang and Yang Siyi, saying, "If Minister Xue and Minister Yang want people, I can agree."

Before Xue Xiang and Yang Siyi could even celebrate for three seconds, Heizhi Tangyuan continued, "However, I have something to entrust to the Ming Dynasty newspaper."

Xue Xiang patted his chest and exclaimed, "Your Highness, rest assured, not to mention one, even ten, I dare to agree on behalf of the Ming Dynasty newspaper!"

The black sesame dumpling smiled and nodded, saying, "In that case, I am relieved."

"Actually, what I need to tell you isn't too difficult. It's just to have someone write an article saying that even after my father became emperor, he still kept Miss Liu in his heart and even sent the Embroidered Uniform Guard to find out about Miss Liu."

At this point, Heizhi Tangyuan pointed at Yang Shaofeng and said, "Look, the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is right here. He can testify that this is true!"

What?

Yang Shaofeng stared blankly at the black sesame dumplings.

Is this black sesame glutinous rice ball or a non-stick pan?

How did this blame end up being inexplicably shifted onto my head?