King Luhuang of the Ming Dynasty: My father, Ming Taizu

"Come on, come on, everyone, look over here!"

Zhu Tan said, spreading the blueprint on the table:

"The production of this prosthesis is like deploying troops, each link is closely linked and none of them can be missing. Old Li, you are experienced, how about you take charge of these precise steel bars and joint parts?"

Old Li pushed the single-lens magnifying glass on his nose, squinted his eyes and looked at the drawing carefully, and answered with full energy:
"Don't worry, Your Majesty! This steel bar joint is like the edge of a sword. I have been doing this for decades and can tell the difference even with my eyes closed!"

"Good! Old Li is still strong despite his old age!"

Zhu Tan smiled and patted Old Li on the shoulder, then turned to the other craftsmen:

"It's the same for you all. Each of you has to show your ability. As for this spring device, I'll leave it to you, Wang Laosan. You are the most meticulous when forging iron. The strength of this spring depends entirely on you!"

Wang Laosan chuckled and scratched his head:

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I may not be good at anything else, but I have inherited this skill from my ancestors. I promise I can make a spring that will satisfy you!"

"Okay! I feel relieved with your words!"

Zhu Tan nodded with satisfaction and glanced at the remaining craftsmen, "As for the brackets and control devices..."

"Your Highness! Your Highness! I'll do it! I'll do it!" A short craftsman jumped out excitedly. "My name is Zhao Si. My father is a carpenter. I've been tinkering with wood with him since I was a child. It's right to leave this support to me!"

Zhu Tan looked at Zhao Si's cleverness and couldn't help laughing:
"Okay! Zhao Si, right? I'll leave this stent to you! But you have to do it carefully, this is a matter concerning Prince Yu!"

"Don't worry, Your Majesty! I promise to make this bracket more skillful than my wife's hands!"

Zhao Si patted his chest and assured.

"Hahaha……"

The craftsmen were all amused by Zhao Si's words, and the originally tense atmosphere became much more relaxed.

After Zhu Tan arranged the tasks, the craftsmen received the drawings and materials and began to work enthusiastically.

The clinking sounds of hammering and the endless discussions interweave into a passionate symphony of labor.

Lan Yu was dazzled by what he saw and couldn't help asking:
"Your Highness, what's wrong with your brain? There are blueprints and parts here, it's overwhelming. How can you think of so many weird things?"

Zhu Tan explained with a smile while instructing the craftsmen:
"There is no such thing as something that is innately learned in this world. It's just a matter of watching more, thinking more, and learning more. Take this bearing for example. I've seen similar records in ancient books before. It's said that it can reduce friction and make objects move more flexibly."

"I was thinking, can I apply this principle to prosthetic limbs so that Prince Yu's fingers can move more freely?"

Lan Yu was stunned and couldn't help but sigh:
"Tsk tsk, Your Highness, I really admire you! You are an expert in fighting, and you are also proficient in carpentry. Is there anything you can't do?"

"Hahaha, General Lan, you're joking. There are still many things in this world that I don't know!"

Zhu Tan smiled and shook his head:
"However, as long as it can help Prince Yu and allow the people of the Ming Dynasty to live a good life, I will try my best to learn and do it."

Lan Yu looked at Zhu Tan's focused expression and couldn't help but feel admiration in his heart.

He is a rough guy who usually only knows how to wield swords and guns. How could he understand these delicate things?
But Zhu Tan is different. He is not only a man of both military and literary talents, but also proficient in all kinds of tricks and cunning tactics. He is truly a natural talent!

Time passed by unknowingly, and in the blink of an eye, the sun had set.

Under the guidance of Zhu Tan, the craftsmen have initially completed their respective tasks.

The steel bars forged by Old Li are as thin as a hair, but extremely tough;

The springs made by Wang Laosan are very elastic but not too stiff;

Zhao Si was even more ingenious. He used fine mahogany to carve out an exquisite and compact bracket that perfectly matched the dimensions on the drawing.

Lan Yu looked at the precision parts in front of him and couldn't help but reach out to pick up a steel bar and examine it carefully.

He thought that the steel bar would be as fragile as an embroidery needle, but he didn't expect that the steel bar would be so heavy and even a little cold to the touch.

"This...is this really made of steel?"

Lan Yu asked in surprise.

"of course it's true."

Zhu Tan explained with a smile:
"This steel bar is forged using a special process. It is not only extremely tough but also extremely light, which ensures the flexibility and durability of the prosthesis."

Lan Yu was amazed and couldn't help but sigh:
"This is really an eye-opener! I have lived for most of my life, but this is the first time I have seen such an exquisite thing! Your Highness, what's wrong with your brain? Why can't I think of this?"

Zhu Tan carefully placed all the parts on the workbench, his eyes focused, as if he was piecing together a treasure.

He picked up the exquisite and small mahogany stand and gently stroked the auspicious cloud pattern carved on it with his fingers. It was Zhao Si's masterpiece.

"This wood is top-quality Hainan Huanghuali, with fine texture and a light fragrance. It is most suitable for this kind of delicate work."

Zhao Si watched from the side and couldn't help but speak, with a hint of pride in his tone.

"Your craftsmanship is well-deserved. This bracket is really exquisitely made."

Zhu Tan smiled and exclaimed, matching the bracket with the other parts one by one and began to assemble them.

Lan Yu was dazzled by what he saw and couldn't help asking:
"Your Highness, how did you put these bearings and springs together? Can this thing really move?"

Zhu Tan patiently explained:

"You may not know that the principle of this mechanical prosthesis is actually similar to the structure of human hand joints. You see, this bearing is equivalent to the joints of our shoulders and elbows, allowing the arm to rotate flexibly..."

As he spoke, he installed steel bars, springs and other parts onto the bracket. Every step was extremely precise, as if he had practiced it thousands of times.

Time passed by bit by bit, and the afterglow of the setting sun shone through the window, dyeing the entire workshop with a layer of golden color.

Finally, in everyone's anticipation, Zhu Tan completed the last step, and a delicate mechanical prosthesis appeared in front of everyone.

This prosthetic limb is made entirely of mahogany and fine steel. It looks lifelike, with exquisite patterns carved on the joints.

It doesn't have any cold mechanical feeling at all, but instead looks like a fine work of art.

Zhu Tan gently moved his fingers a few times.

The fingers of the prosthetic limb bent and stretched flexibly and moved freely, and could even make fists and unclench their fists, just like a real person's hands.

"Wonderful! It's really wonderful!"

Lan Yu was stunned and couldn't help but reach out to touch the prosthetic limb, but was stopped by Zhu Tan.

"General Lan, please be patient. This prosthetic limb has not yet undergone final adjustments. Do not touch it lightly."

As Zhu Tan spoke, he fixed the prosthesis on a special wooden frame and began to carefully adjust the tightness of each joint and the range of motion of the fingers, striving for perfection.

"Your Highness, you are amazing! This prosthesis is more flexible than my wife's hand!" Zhao Si was amazed as he watched from the side, looking at Zhu Tan with eyes full of admiration.

Finally, after repeated adjustments, Zhu Tan nodded with satisfaction and took the prosthesis off the wooden frame.

It was carefully wrapped and placed in a wooden box covered with soft satin.

"Let's go to Prince Yu's Mansion and let Prince Yu try it on!"

As Zhu Tan spoke, he stood up impatiently, an excited smile on his face.

……

The Prince of Yu's residence was indeed like an iron barrel, with strict guards at the door. The guards patrolling back and forth kept their eyes straight and their backs straight. The air was filled with a strong smell of medicine, which made people feel suffocated.

"Wow, this is such a big scene, if you don't know, you would think it's the imperial palace!"

Lan Yu frowned and muttered in a muffled voice:
"Your Majesty loves Prince Yu too much. It's just a missing finger, why are you acting like a frightened bird?"

Zhu Tan didn't say anything, but carefully observed the environment around Prince Yu's Mansion, looking for a breakthrough point to sneak in. "Your Highness, what should we do? Otherwise, just break in directly?"

Lan Yu rubbed his hands together, looking eager to try.

"Nonsense!" Zhu Tan scolded in a low voice, "Breaking into Prince Yu's mansion, are you afraid that I haven't been imprisoned enough?"

"So what should we do? We can't just sit there and wait, right?"

Lan Yu was so anxious that he scratched his ears and cheeks.

Zhu Tan ignored Lan Yu's anxiety and his eyes fell on a corner of the backyard of Prince Yu's Mansion.

The wall there was a little shorter, and there were some debris piled in the corner, which seemed like a good climbing spot.

"follow me."

Zhu Tan let out a low growl, crouched down, and tiptoed towards the backyard.

Seeing this, Lan Yu did not dare to be negligent and followed closely.

The two men came to the corner of the wall. Zhu Tan carefully observed the surrounding environment. After making sure that there were no guards, he tiptoed over the debris and climbed over the wall.

Lan Yu followed closely behind, but with his size, it was not as easy for him to climb over the wall as it was for Zhu Tan.

I saw him clumsily climbing up the wall, but he lost his balance.

He fell directly from the top of the wall with a loud bang.

"Who?!"

"who?!"

Zhu Tan's face suddenly changed and he said "Oh no" inwardly.

Before he could react, he heard hurried footsteps approaching this side.

"Let's go!" Zhu Tan didn't care about anything else and pulled Lan Yu and ran.

The two of them ran all the way, turning many corners, and finally got rid of the guards who were chasing them.

"Lan Yu, can you be gentler? Are you here to visit a patient or to demolish a house?"

Zhu Tan panted heavily and glared at Lan Yu unhappily.

"Hey, am I not too anxious?"

Lan Yu scratched his head in embarrassment, "Besides, Your Highness, didn't you climb over the wall as well?"

"What I was doing was..." Zhu Tan was about to explain when suddenly, a roar came from not far away.

"A bunch of useless people! What are you doing here?! You can't even heal a finger, what's the use of you?!"

The voice was full of anger and irritability. Without asking, one could tell it was Zhu Gui.

"Walk."

After Zhu Tan finished speaking, he walked in the direction where the voice came from.

When they arrived outside a courtyard, Zhu Tan saw Zhu Gui sitting on a chair through the window.

His face turned pale and he cursed at the group of imperial doctors kneeling on the ground.

"Waste! You are all waste! If my fingers cannot be restored to their original state, I will drag you all out and chop you off!"

The imperial doctors on the ground were trembling with fear, but they dared not say a word in rebuttal and could only kowtow and beg for mercy.

"Your Majesty, please calm down! Your Majesty, please calm down!"

"We have tried our best, but the prince's injuries are too severe, and we are powerless to help!"

Zhu Tan's eyes darkened and he sighed deeply.

For the prince.

The physical disability caused greater mental torture than physical suffering.

He pushed the door open and walked in.

"Who?!"

When Zhu Gui heard the noise, he turned his head sharply to look at the door. When he saw who was coming, he was stunned for a moment. The anger on his face disappeared, replaced by a look of surprise and panic.

"Ten, Ten Brother? Why are you…"

When the imperial doctors on the ground saw Zhu Tan, they were all horrified and fell to their knees, trembling.

"Greetings to His Royal Highness Prince Lu!"

Zhu Tan ignored everyone and walked straight to Zhu Gui with a warm smile on his face, but his tone carried a hint of unquestionable majesty.

"What is His Royal Highness Prince Lu? His Royal Highness Prince Lu should be confined to his own residence now. I just came to see my brother."

The imperial doctors were all smart people. They naturally understood the meaning of Zhu Tan’s words. They all lowered their heads and dared not speak.

Zhu Gui opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know what to say.

He naturally knew why Zhu Tan came here, but he really didn't want Zhu Tan to see him in such a miserable state.

"What? Thirteenth Brother, do you not welcome me?"

When Zhu Tan saw that Zhu Gui didn't say anything, the smile on his face became even wider.

“No, no…” Zhu Gui quickly shook his head, “It’s just, it’s just…”

"Just what?" Zhu Tan asked.

Zhu Gui gritted his teeth, but ultimately did not say no. He just turned his head away and did not look at Zhu Tan.

Zhu Tan smiled slightly and waved at the imperial doctors who were trembling with fear.

"Okay, you all go down first."

The imperial doctors were as if they had been pardoned, and they crawled out of the room, fearing that if they were a step slower they would be beheaded by Zhu Tan.

"Ten, Tenth Brother..." Zhu Gui looked at the backs of the imperial doctors as they left, seeming to want to say something but stopping himself.

"Thirteenth brother, is there anything that cannot be said between you and me?"

Zhu Tan walked up to Zhu Gui, patted him on the shoulder, and said in a gentle tone:

"I know you feel bad, but it has already happened, and we should find a way to solve it instead of just dwelling on sadness and pain."

"But..." Zhu Gui opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know what to say.

"Nothing to worry about."

Zhu Tan interrupted Zhu Gui:
"Your fingers... I'm at my wits' end."

Zhu Gui suddenly raised his head and looked at Zhu Tan in disbelief, his eyes full of despair and pain.

"No, there is no other way? Really, is there really no other way?" (End of this chapter)