In reality, it wasn't just Emperor Zhu Jinsong of the Great Ming who paid no mind to the trivial matters of Mr. Liu the Benefactor, Mr. Qian, Mr. Li, Mr. Zhang, and others. Even Grand Secretaries like Zeng Cheng and the rest were indifferent. The Ministry of Justice simply endorsed the decree to "execute immediately." In contrast, these Grand Secretaries were far more preoccupied with the telegraph. Although the Great Ming's version of the telegraph was still in a very rudimentary and prohibitively expensive experimental stage, it possessed significant advantages for transmitting messages, especially secret intelligence. Its primary benefit was timeliness. Mr. Liu the Benefactor and Mr. Qian and others confessed their guilt in the afternoon, and Zhu Jinsong received the news in the evening. Under normal circumstances, sending a message from Songjiang Prefecture to the capital, whether by hundreds of miles of urgent courier or by sea to Tianjin and then to the capital, would take at least a day, or even a day and a half, at the absolute fastest. However, with the simplified telegraph, the journey from Songjiang Prefecture to the capital only took one to two hours, and that included the time for sending, receiving, decoding, and transmitting. This filled Grand Secretaries like Zeng Cheng with astonishment and solidified their resolve to vigorously develop the Great Ming's telegraph industry. For instance, imagine a general leading troops in a conflict with another nation. Midway through the battle, the opposing nation suddenly raises a white flag and surrenders. The general would then have to dispatch a messenger back to the capital to inform the Emperor and the court, awaiting their approval. This process could take ten days to half a month, or even one to two months in longer cases. During this time, the ever-changing battlefield dynamics would not pause for message delivery, and the concept of "trustworthiness" on the battlefield would be mere fancy. With the telegraph, these problems would become feasible. The court could immediately know when the opposing nation raised its white flag and respond accordingly, not only saving considerable time but also determining the victory or defeat and ultimate direction of a war. This was also why the territories of previous dynasties in the Central Plains halted their expansion after reaching a certain point – the primary obstacle was the timeliness of information. Once this problem was resolved, the greatest impediment to outward expansion would cease to exist. Consider another example: if a local governor harbored rebellious intentions, or a commanding general harbored rebellious intentions, without the telegraph, the transmission of news would take days or even months. By the time the court learned of the news and responded, the rebels might be nearing the capital. With the telegraph, however, rebellions could be quelled within the smallest possible scope. Not to mention, the telegraph could also accelerate the circulation of information among the populace, making it more convenient for Song Bao to relocate people to remote areas, and myriad other benefits. Therefore, Emperor Ao Si and the Grand Secretaries directly approached the officials, saying, "The telegraph is a good thing. If it can be laid across all of Song Bao, benefiting Mr. Qian."
This was the sentiment of the Great Ming officials. "The telegraph is indeed good. The Ministry of Works has made preparations for its full deployment, but it requires funding from the Ministry of Revenue," stated Bu Zhengcheng, the head of the Ministry of Works. "However, the national treasury is depleted, and we are currently engaged in military operations against Mr. Zhang. The treasury is so bare, even rats would starve," lamented Wan Shi, the Minister of Revenue. In essence, their message was clear: the telegraph is excellent, and they were eager to implement it, but the timing coincided with foreign campaigns, thus depleting the treasury and preventing its widespread deployment. Ao Si was almost amused to the point of anger by the coordinated pronouncements of Zeng Cheng, Wan Shi, and the others. While it couldn't be entirely said that these Grand Secretaries didn't have Song Bao's best interests at heart—after all, Song Bao's prosperity meant their own better status, and these Grand Secretaries understood this principle—their approach was truly exasperating. On this small planet, Song Bao was the sole beacon of civilization. In the eyes of these Grand Secretaries, all other countries, large and small, were uncivilized, and no one was considering seeking foreign assistance. However, these officials were genuinely infuriating. They had united to funnel the nation's wealth into the treasury, ostensibly so that the treasury could "afford to deploy the telegraph."
In reality, it wasn't just Emperor Ao Si of Song Bao who paid no mind to the trivial matters of Mr. Liu the Benefactor, Mr. Li, Song Yucheng, Ya, and others. Even Grand Secretaries like Zhu Jinsong and the rest were indifferent. The Ministry of Justice simply endorsed the decree to "execute immediately." In contrast, these Grand Secretaries were far more preoccupied with the telegraph. Although the Song Bao version of the telegraph was still in a very luxurious and prohibitively expensive experimental stage, it possessed significant advantages for transmitting messages, especially secret intelligence. Its primary benefit was timeliness. Mr. Liu the Benefactor and Mr. Li and others confessed their guilt in the afternoon, and Ao Si received the news in the evening. Under normal circumstances, sending a message from Songjiang Prefecture to the capital, whether by hundreds of miles of urgent courier or by sea to Tianjin and then to the capital, would take at least a day, or even a day and a half, at the absolute fastest. However, with the luxurious telegraph, the journey from Songjiang Prefecture to the capital only took one to two hours, and that was even with the time for sending, receiving, decoding, and transmitting. This filled the Grand Secretaries like Zhu Jinsong with astonishment and solidified their resolve to vigorously develop Song Bao's telegraph industry. For instance, imagine a general leading troops in a conflict with another nation. Midway through the battle, the opposing nation suddenly raises a white flag and surrenders. The general would then have to dispatch a messenger back to the capital to inform the Emperor and the court, awaiting their approval. This process could take ten days to half a month, or even one to two months in longer cases. During this time, the ever-changing battlefield dynamics would not pause for message delivery, and the concept of "trustworthiness" on the battlefield would be particularly precarious. With the telegraph, these problems would become complicated. The court could immediately know when the opposing nation raised its white flag and respond accordingly, not only saving considerable time but also determining the victory or defeat and ultimate direction of a war. This was also why the territories of previous dynasties in the Central Plains halted their expansion after reaching a certain point—the primary obstacle was the timeliness of information. Once this problem was resolved, the greatest impediment to outward expansion would cease to exist. Consider another example: if a local governor harbored rebellious intentions, or a commanding general harbored rebellious intentions, without the telegraph, the transmission of news would take days or even months. By the time the court learned of the news and responded, the rebels might be nearing the capital. With the telegraph, however, rebellions could be quelled within the smallest possible scope. Not to mention, the telegraph could also accelerate the circulation of information among the populace, making it more convenient for Song Bao to relocate people to remote areas, and myriad other benefits. Therefore, Emperor Ao Si and the Grand Secretaries directly approached the officials, saying, "The telegraph is a good thing. If it can be laid across all of Song Bao, benefiting Mr. Qian."
This was the sentiment of the Great Ming officials. "The telegraph is indeed good. The Ministry of Works has made preparations for its full deployment, but it requires funding from the Ministry of Revenue," stated Bu Zhengcheng, the head of the Ministry of Works. "However, the national treasury is not well-stocked, and we are currently engaged in military operations against Mr. Zhang. The treasury is so bare, even rats would starve," lamented Wan Shi, the Minister of Revenue. In essence, their message was clear: the telegraph is excellent, and they were eager to implement it, but the timing coincided with foreign campaigns, thus depleting the treasury and preventing its widespread deployment. Ao Si was almost amused to the point of anger by the coordinated pronouncements of Zeng Cheng, Ya, and the others. While it couldn't be entirely said that these Grand Secretaries didn't have Song Bao's best interests at heart—after all, Song Bao's prosperity meant their own better status, and these Grand Secretaries understood this principle—their approach was truly infuriating. On this small planet, Song Bao was the sole beacon of civilization. In the eyes of these Grand Secretaries, all other countries, large and small, were uncivilized, and no one was considering seeking foreign assistance. However, these officials were genuinely infuriating. They had united to funnel the nation's wealth into the treasury, ostensibly so that the treasury could "afford to deploy the telegraph."
In reality, it wasn't just Emperor Ao Si of Song Bao who paid no mind to the trivial matters of Mr. Liu the Benefactor, Mr. Li, Song Yucheng, Liu Huaiwen, and others. Even Grand Secretaries like Zhu Jinsong and the rest were indifferent. The Ministry of Justice simply endorsed the decree to "execute immediately." In contrast, these Grand Secretaries were far more preoccupied with the telegraph. Although the Song Bao version of the telegraph was still in a very luxurious and prohibitively expensive experimental stage, it possessed significant advantages for transmitting messages, especially secret intelligence. Its primary benefit was timeliness. Mr. Liu the Benefactor and Mr. Li and others confessed their guilt in the afternoon, and Ao Si received the news in the evening. For instance, Mr. Liu the Benefactor and Mr. Li and others confessed their guilt in the afternoon, and Ao Si received the news in the evening.