Daming: After self-explosive time travel, Lao Zhu's mentality collapsed

"Your Highness, where are we going?" Zhao Si asked in confusion.

"Of course it's the capital." Chu Ze smiled mysteriously, "The emperor has ordered a welcome party for us and a reward for the troops. More importantly, he wants to see the Enterprise in person."

"This is such an honor!" Zhao Si was surprised and delighted, and bowed repeatedly.

Along the way, all the soldiers were in high spirits.

The capital city, the place they had been longing for, was about to arrive!
Before we knew it, the train had already entered the suburbs of Beijing.

Both sides of the road were already crowded with people cheering.

"Look, the Enterprise is here!" "Prince Chu has returned victoriously!"

The cheers and whistles were so loud that it almost blew the roof off.

Inside the carriage, the soldiers also leaned out and waved to the people.

At this moment, they felt very proud and proud.

The Enterprise slowly entered the imperial city and stopped suddenly in front of the Palace of Light.

Chu Ze, dressed in military uniform, stepped out of the car first.

Civil and military officials had been lined up waiting for a long time, and Zhu Yuanzhang even went on stage in person to welcome the triumphant hero.

"Hahaha, my dear Lord Chu, I didn't expect the Enterprise to be so brave! Even I have to admit defeat!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's hearty laughter echoed in the hall.

Chu Ze bowed modestly and said, "Your Majesty, thank you for your praise. This is all thanks to the bravery of the soldiers. My own efforts are really insignificant."

"What are you talking about? I know how hard you've worked and how much you've contributed."

Zhu Yuanzhang personally helped Chu Ze up and patted him on the shoulder.

"How about this? I will grant you a first-class merit and confer you the title of 'Duke of the Protectorate'. From now on, all railway military affairs will be under your sole control!"

"I don't deserve it!" Chu Ze declined again and again.

But Zhu Yuanzhang had already given his order: "Just do as I say, give Chu Ze, the Protector of the Country, a warning, so that the whole country will know about his achievements!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a loud sound of gongs and drums resounded throughout the sky above the imperial city.

Countless colorful flags were flying, military music was playing, and cheers lasted for a long time.

From then on, trains and railways became popular, and the whole country was bustling with activity.

The Enterprise is seen all over China. Wherever it goes, all industries prosper and the military's prestige is boosted.

It has left its mark on the outskirts of Beijing, on the frontiers, and between famous mountains and rivers.

Chu Ze also jumped from an unknown local official to a hot figure in the court and the country.

"The Duke of the Protectorate is wise and brave, and the Grand Marshal of the Railway is invincible. With him in charge, the Tartars will never get close to the gates of our Ming Dynasty!" "That's right. Look where this railway is built, the people there live a good life. The Duke of the Protectorate is our parent official!"

"With the Duke of Protector of the Country here, the Ming Dynasty will have a long and prosperous future, and there will be no more danger of foreign invasion!"

Waves of praise are boiling across the land of China.

No matter officials or common people, noble or humble, everyone admired this genius.

At the same time, a piece of news was quietly spreading among the government and the public:

Someone discovered a magical oil in the Western Regions. It burns as soon as it is ignited and has an extremely high calorie content. It can replace coal and provide power for trains!
When the news reached the capital, it immediately caused a huge sensation among the upper class.

"Is this true? What is oil that could allow the Enterprise to make another leap forward?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked in surprise.

"Your Majesty, the oil is real," the Minister of Works reported. "I heard that the Hu people in the Western Regions often use oil lamps for lighting and heating, and those oil lamps use oil."

"This substance is buried underground. We only need to drill, mine, refine and process it to obtain hydrocarbon fuel. The heat content is even greater than that of coal!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was overjoyed when he heard this. He nodded repeatedly and praised: "Your words are very true. This move will surely benefit the people and accelerate the modernization process of the Ming Dynasty. I have decided to appoint you as the Governor of National Railways to preside over the national railway construction. What do you think?"

Chu Ze was overjoyed when he heard this, and immediately bowed and promised: "I am very grateful for your kindness, Your Majesty. I will do my best to live up to your grace and devote myself to the railway cause of the Ming Dynasty until my death!"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly and said, "However, the Ming treasury is not well-off right now. Do you have any good ideas for raising funds for construction?"

"Your Majesty," Chu Ze replied respectfully, "I think we can issue treasury bonds to raise funds. Treasury bonds are backed by the national credit and pay interest regularly, which can attract private capital to invest in railways. This is how I operated the pilot project in Fengyang, and the effect was very good."

"Good!" Zhu Yuanzhang clapped his hands and exclaimed, "This method is very good. I will do as you say."

Chu Ze added: "Your Majesty, I think that the development of railways requires the training of a group of professionals who are familiar with railway technology and management. It would be better to select smart and capable people from all over the country and send them to Fengyang to study. After they master the railway skills, they can return to their hometowns to preside over the construction. This way, we can achieve twice the result with half the effort."

Zhu Yuanzhang found this quite reasonable, and immediately ordered the six ministries to select talents as quickly as possible and send them to Fengyang for study.

Then, Chu Ze calmly said, "Your Majesty, during my stay in Fengyang, I also modified the steam engine and developed new machine tools, textile machines and other equipment. These machines have high production efficiency and can greatly improve the level of folk handicrafts and increase people's income. I beg Your Majesty to allow me to promote this technology throughout the country to benefit the people's livelihood and strengthen the country's foundation."

Zhu Yuanzhang was overjoyed and praised it repeatedly. He ordered people to bring the drawings and samples of the new machine developed by Chu Ze, and examined them carefully, marveling at them.

After a moment, Zhu Yuanzhang looked up at Chu Ze and said with satisfaction: "Your Excellency Chu is truly my lucky star and a pillar of the country! With your assistance, the Ming Dynasty will usher in unprecedented prosperity! Come on, I grant you a purple robe and a golden seal, and appoint you as the chief minister of the cabinet. All national affairs can be reported directly to me for my approval."

Chu Ze was immediately flattered, and hurriedly bowed his head to thank the emperor, saying, "I am so overwhelmed. Your grace is so great that I will never forget it. I will do my best and live up to your high expectations."

In the Golden Palace, the emperor and his ministers were talking and discussing state affairs. At this moment, Chu Ze suddenly felt like a phoenix soaring into the sky and a dragon leaping into the sky. He thought to himself, "Let's see how I, the 'railway supervisor' from the 21st century, can use technology to change history and write a new chapter for China!"

At the same time, in Fengyang City, Zhao Si, Li Changji, Li Si and others had learned the good news that Chu Ze was promoted to the chief minister of the cabinet. They gathered together and talked excitedly.

"I heard that you are now an important official of the country and have taken charge of the central government. This is really cause for celebration!" Zhao Si smiled broadly.

Li Changji continued, "Your Excellency's ability is unmatched in the world. I believe that under your leadership, the Daming Railway will be able to extend in all directions, and the industry and commerce will flourish, so that the dream of rapid development can be realized soon!"

Li Si was also filled with emotion and praised sincerely: "Our Ming Dynasty finally produced a genius like Lord Chu. It is really God's mercy. The next Marquis of Huaiyin can only be like this!"

When the people learned that Chu Ze had been promoted, they were even more excited. Some praised him for his good governance, some hoped that he would bring a better life, and some hoped to see new things such as the "Enterprise" with their own eyes.
At one time, officials from all over the country also took action. They rushed to learn from the Fengyang model, built a lot of buildings, and raised a lot of funds, in order to build railways and open factories in their own areas as soon as possible. (End of this chapter)