Chapter 1038 - Grand Finale

Taxation on industrial goods and handicrafts, in the empire's fiscal income, went from being completely negligible to accounting for 10%, taking about fifteen years.
However, the proportion skyrocketed from 10% to 50% in just five years. Among them, the textile industry, steel industry, and cement industry played a crucial role.
Especially the textile industry, after the introduction of the advanced 64-shuttle spinning machine, which exceeded one million units, it officially became the pillar industry of the Huaxia Empire.
Affordable and high-quality machine-woven cotton fabric is not only popular domestically, but also in high demand in Southeast Asia and South Asia.
As for the development of the cement industry, the demand for building roads and grain drying yards is exceptionally strong.
To get rich, build roads first, which is an undisputed fact.
Under the planning of Yuzhu, a total of 20 million laborers were conscripted nationwide, and ten major arterial official roads in the form of five verticals and five horizontals were completed.
The construction of official roads has turned the intermodal transportation of goods by sea and land from a dream into reality.
The grain drying fields in front of peasant households were not included in the plan of the imperial government.
However, after the landowners implemented this method, the self-sufficient farmers who struggled with distinguishing between food and soil also learned this good practice.
In the past, without cement drying fields, farmers could only dry their crops and grains on the yellow soil grounds.
Although the crops and grains dried out, they would often get covered in hard-to-clean yellow soil, resulting in white rice turning into yellow rice.
The sun-drying field paved with cement, although the cost is higher, but without the rolling of horse-drawn carriages, it only takes twenty years to spread out the cost, which is not expensive at all.
In the development of the steel industry, military industry comes second, but the most important thing is the widespread use of kitchen knives, various iron agricultural tools, and even threshing machines, which have gradually become extraordinarily popular in terms of sales.


The money earned from civilian goods and the technology cultivated can be used to support investments and fill the technological gaps in the military industry.
The rapid development of industry has led to drastic disintegration and changes in small agricultural societies.
When the timing was ripe, Yu Pillar decisively exempted land taxes in the Western Regions, Gansu, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Shaanxi.
Of course, during the process of gradual consolidation of counties in the western regions, the local police stations also gradually achieved the level of assigning one village deputy police officer.
With auxiliary police stationed in the village, any activities happening in the village can be observed at any time.
Unconsciously, the judicial power originally held by local magistrates has gradually been replaced by courts that are administered in remote areas.
Yuzhu is well aware of the drawbacks of judicial localization. Under his deliberate arrangement, all litigation cases in Jia County are exclusively adjudicated by the court in Yi County.
The courts cannot be relocated, but the judges undergo collective rotation once a year, which maximally avoids local interference in the judiciary.
The judicial system of the Qing Dynasty, in fact, was not purely based on the civil law system. Its principle was to follow rules and regulations but without relying solely on regulations.
This created conditions for the comprehensive implementation of the maritime law system that is based on precedents.
As the imperial power grows stronger by the day, the Emperor gradually starts to grant fiefs to his sons, leaving only Xuan Yu in the capital city.
The ministers privately speculate unanimously, fearing that the Emperor intends to pass the throne to his eldest son, Tong Xuan Yu.
On this day, Emperor Yuzhu suddenly summoned all the ministers of the military and government to an audience and publicly declared, "I intend to pass the throne to my firstborn son."
"Your Majesty, this must not be. The empire cannot be without you." Zhou Quan was the first to kneel down, earnestly pleading with Emperor Yuzhu.
I humbly request Your Majesty to withdraw this unjust command!" Jiang Sheng persisted with determination.
"
Mazi, who is already very old, has also become slow in his reactions. He knelt tremblingly and burst into tears, "Your Majesty, are you intending to bring an end to this prosperous era?"
Wow, this statement is really skillful. Even Zhou Quan can't help but give a thumbs up and admire it.
Yu Zhu had already anticipated it, expressing loyalty is necessary.
Because everyone is afraid that I might just be testing you.
Furthermore, as the saying goes, with a new emperor comes new courtiers, who doesn't understand this?
"My decision is final, it is not a test!" Jade Pillar sighed and said, "I have been on the throne for twenty years, apart from the national constitution, there is no need to worry anymore."
Where would the military ministers believe, staying on the ground and desperately begging for the jade pillar to reconsider the decision.
After several rounds of intense discussions, the ministers realized the true intention of the emperor - he indeed wants to abdicate the throne.
Now, the development of industry has gradually embarked on the right track, and the embryonic state of the first industrial revolution has become increasingly apparent.
What worries Yu Zhu the most is that Xuan Yu, who will inherit the throne, refuses to implement his policies for industrial development.
So, Yu Zhu decided to push Xuan Yu to the forefront and let him be responsible for promoting various reform measures.
The biggest problem of the dynastic cycle is always the issue of succession.
During the Western Jin Dynasty, Sima Zhong's ascension to power resulted in the chaos known as the Rebellion of the Eight Princes.
In the Sui Dynasty, the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui saw the disastrous defeats in three expeditions to Liaodong.
In the Tang Dynasty, the senility of Emperor Lijong in his later years brought about the downfall of the prosperous era known as the Golden Age of Tang.
How to limit the imperial power has become the biggest challenge before Yu Zhu.
However, man proposes and God disposes.
In the second year of passing on the throne, an unexpected heart attack struck him, completely knocking him down.
When Yuzhu was bedridden, Lao Ba and Lao Si were brought to his bedside together.
"Si Ge, how does today's empire compare to the Qing Dynasty?" Yuzhu asked Lao Si with a smile, leaning on the bed.
The fourth brother, who had just returned from Southeast Asia, remained silent for a while before saying coldly, "Thieves who steal a nation will eventually be brought low."
The eighth brother, who had been hiding in India for a long time, suddenly sighed, "Wu Sangui, you really did overthrow the Qing Dynasty."
The three people are not young anymore. Lao Si and Lao Ba, without blaming the present for not being as good as the past, are the greatest praise for Yu Zhu.
Yu Zhu took a breath and said, "It's a pity that time doesn't wait, otherwise I would have at least seen that treasure."
Lao Si remained silent, while Lao Ba instinctively asked, "What treasure?"
At this moment, a eunuch suddenly came to report, "Reporting to the Emperor, wonderful news, the steam locomotive has been built."
"Quick, quick, lift me up so I can touch it."
Everyone also knows that the old emperor is on his last legs, so let's fulfill his wish.
And so, the imperial column was carried to the outskirts next to the railway.
Following the design of a train head drawn by Yuzhu, British engineer Neukomen spent ten years to truly build the first train head.
Creating steam engines, going from 0 to 1, is actually the most difficult.
Since the steam engine already existed and Yu Zhu also drew a detailed sketch of the old-fashioned locomotive based on memory, when Newkomeng was inventing, he saved more than a hundred years of trial and error.
Imagine being in a completely dark environment, it would certainly take a long time to grope around.
But if a beam of light shines in, and you can feel your way along the light to find the way out, it becomes much easier.
Yuzhu is excitedly stroking the cold steel beast, over and over again. This is one of the greatest achievements in the Industrial Revolution.


I'm so tired, I need to take a break before releasing a new book.
Finally, it's finished, it's really something to celebrate.