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

Zhu Tan's carriage was heading eastwards in a grand procession, and the people along the way heard that the "strange" prince had arrived.

They all lined the streets to welcome him.

Zhu Tan did not put on airs. He would lift the curtain of his carriage from time to time and chat with the people, which drew cheers from the crowd.

When they arrived in Shandong, the local official was already waiting there with a group of officials.

Seeing Zhu Tan's entourage coming in such a grand procession, with dozens of carriages loaded with all kinds of strange equipment, he couldn't help but be amazed.

"Your humble servant Wang Ming, the governor of Shandong, respectfully welcomes His Majesty. May Your Majesty live a thousand years and a thousand thousand years!"

After saying this, he knelt down and bowed.

Zhu Tan got off the carriage, supported Lord Wang, and said with a smile:

"My Lord, there is no need to be so polite. Please stand up quickly. I am not here to show off!"

Lord Wang is nearly fifty years old, but he is somewhat confused by Zhu Tan's casual personality.

He could only stand up awkwardly and secretly look at this legendary prince.

Lord Wang led Zhu Tan all the way into Gunzhou City.

Unlike other princes, Zhu Tan seemed to have no interest in this luxurious palace. He just glanced at it and asked:
"Sir Wang, has my laboratory been properly arranged?"

Lord Wang observed the prince's expression and understood his temperament a little better. He quickly replied:
"Your Highness, everything has been prepared according to your instructions. The craftsmen and materials are already in place, and we can start work at any time."

"Good! Good! Good!" Zhu Tan clapped his hands and laughed, his eyes shining with excitement. "Shandong is indeed a treasure land. I want to do something big here!"

Lord Wang felt relieved when he saw that he was happy, and asked tentatively:

"Your Highness, you are tired from the journey. Why don't you rest for a few days? Once everything is settled, I will come back..."

"No need!"

Zhu Tan waved his hands impatiently:

"I am still thinking about the livelihood of Shandong people! Lord Wang, let's go to the study and take care of the business first!"

Lord Wang had no choice but to welcome him into the study.

As soon as he entered the study, Zhu Tan was attracted by the piles of account books on the desk.

He picked up a book at random, flipped through a few pages, and frowned.

"Your Majesty, these are the tax account books for various places in Shandong. Please take a look..."

Lord Wang explained carefully.

"This account book is really fancy, but I wonder if the contents inside are as beautiful as the cover?"

Zhu Tan sneered, flipped a few pages, pointed to one of them and asked, "Master Wang, what's the matter with this 'Flood Repair Silver'? Why is it given every year, and the amount is so huge?"

Lord Wang wiped the sweat from his forehead and explained:
"Your Highness, you may not know that the Yellow River floods every year, and most of the funds allocated by the court are used to repair dams and provide relief to disaster victims..."

"Really?"

Zhu Tan threw the account book onto the table with a bang.

"How come I heard that the river embankments in Shandong are being repaired every year, but they collapse every year? The money allocated by the court has all gone into the pockets of those corrupt officials?"

Lord Wang was so frightened that he fell to his knees with a plop and said in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, please understand. Your humble servant..."

"I have just arrived and I don't know much about the situation in Shandong. Lord Wang, please have a good talk with me."

Zhu Tan's tone was light, but it made Lord Wang feel an invisible pressure.

Lord Wang did not dare to hide anything and had to tell everything about the dirty things that happened in the Shandong officialdom.

It turned out that the Shandong officialdom had long been controlled by corrupt officials who colluded with the powerful, oppressed the people, and enriched themselves.

Most of the funds allocated by the court were embezzled by them, and very little was actually used for the people.

The Yellow River floods became a tool for them to make money.

They falsely reported disasters every year and defrauded the court of disaster relief funds, but they didn't care about the lives of the people.

After hearing this, Zhu Tan was so angry that he slammed the table and sneered:
"How ridiculous! These crooked officials are completely devoid of conscience!"

He suppressed his anger and asked Lord Wang in detail about the Yellow River flood.

Lord Wang did not dare to hide anything and told everyone he knew.

The Yellow River floods are mainly caused by siltation in the river channel and poor water flow, which makes it easy for the river to burst its banks and cause flooding during the rainy season.

Shandong is located in the lower reaches of the Yellow River and has low terrain, so it is the first to be hit.

"So, the Yellow River flood is not unsolvable?"

After Zhu Tan heard this, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Lord Wang said quickly:
"But the management of the Yellow River is no small matter. It requires a lot of manpower and resources, and..."

"And what?"

"Besides...I am a stupid official. I wonder what your Highness has to say?"

Lord Wang asked cautiously, fearing to anger the moody prince.

Zhu Tan stood up, walked to the window, looked at the magnificent Yellow River in the distance, with a thoughtful gleam in his eyes.

After a while, he turned around and said to Lord Wang:
"Sir Wang, you must accompany me to the riverbank tomorrow. I want to see with my own eyes what is going on with the Yellow River flood!"

Lord Wang complained bitterly in his heart, but he did not dare to disobey, so he had to agree reluctantly.

Early the next morning, Zhu Tan, accompanied by Lord Wang and a group of guards, marched towards the Yellow River.

Along the way, the people saw the prince's carriage and knelt down to pay their respects.

Zhu Tan ordered his men to stop the carriage, got out of the car, had a cordial conversation with the people, and asked about their living conditions.

The people were moved to see that the prince was so approachable and began to tell him their difficulties.

"Your Majesty, the Yellow River floods every year. We ordinary people are suffering terribly!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, last year's flood destroyed my house and fields. Now my whole family, young and old, are homeless and can only survive in this dilapidated temple!"

"Please, Your Majesty, make the decision for us!"

The people spoke one after another, crying out in detail the suffering they had suffered from the Yellow River floods in recent years.

Zhu Tan listened patiently, nodding from time to time to show his understanding and sympathy.

"My father sent me here to solve the flood problem of the Yellow River and benefit the people of Shandong! Don't worry, I will definitely bring order to the Yellow River this time, so that everyone can live and work in peace!"

When the people heard this, they cheered and knelt down to express their gratitude.

Surrounded by the crowd, Zhu Tan came to the bank of the Yellow River.

The Yellow River was surging with turbid waves, and the river surface was so wide and boundless that it was daunting.

Lord Wang followed behind Zhu Tan, trembling with fear as if he were walking on thin ice.

He secretly observed Zhu Tan's expression and saw that his face was calm, with no sign of joy or anger, which made him even more uneasy.

"Your Highness, the river is so turbulent, you'd better stand further away to avoid danger..." Lord Wang reminded cautiously.

Zhu Tan seemed not to hear anything. He walked straight to the river bank, stood with his hands behind his back, stared at the magnificent river surface, and remained silent for a long time.

Lord Wang was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat, fearing that Zhu Tan would become desperate and jump into the surging Yellow River.

"My Lord, please don't do anything stupid!"

Lord Wang bravely advised.

Zhu Tan finally came back to his senses, glanced at Lord Wang, and said calmly:
"Master Wang, tell me, how should we deal with the flood of the Yellow River?"

Upon hearing this, Lord Wang groaned inwardly.

The Yellow River floods are an eternal problem that has not been solved by any dynasty. How could he, a small local official, know how to deal with it?
"This...this..." Lord Wang hesitated and couldn't make out the reason for a long time.

"Humph!"

Zhu Tan snorted coldly:
"There are so many people in the Shandong officialdom who are just sitting there doing nothing! Lord Wang, as the governor of Shandong, are you just going to watch the people suffer and do nothing?"

Lord Wang was so frightened that he trembled all over. He immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed:
"Your Majesty, please forgive me! I am incompetent and I really don't know how to control the flood of the Yellow River!"

Zhu Tan ignored Lord Wang's pleas for mercy and said to himself:
"The Yellow River flood, after all, is caused by siltation in the river and poor water flow. To cure the flood, we must dredge the river, strengthen the dam, and build water conservancy projects..."

Zhu Tan paused, then continued:

"This time, I have brought a huge amount of money allocated by the court, as well as a large number of skilled craftsmen. I will definitely manage the Yellow River perfectly!"

Lord Wang was secretly surprised when he heard this.

He originally thought that His Royal Highness the Prince of Lu was just a rough man who knew how to fight and deal with firearms.

I didn't expect that he would be so concerned about controlling the Yellow River floods and even make such a detailed plan.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Lord Wang flattered him immediately:
"With the prince in charge of Shandong, I believe the Yellow River flood will be cured soon!"

Zhu Tan ignored Lord Wang's flattery and continued:
"I plan to build dams on both sides of the Yellow River to resist floods. At the same time, we need to dredge the river and reinforce the riverbed to ensure smooth water flow. In addition, we need to build water conservancy projects to divert water to irrigate farmland and benefit the people..."

Lord Wang listened and nodded secretly.

Although the measures Zhu Tan mentioned sound simple, it is not easy to actually implement them.

"Your Majesty, these measures are indeed a good way to control the flooding of the Yellow River, but..."

Lord Wang seemed to be about to speak but stopped himself.

"but what?"

Zhu Tan asked.

"But this requires a lot of manpower and resources, and..."

Lord Wang looked embarrassed.

"And what?" Zhu Tan asked.

"Moreover, I am worried that those corrupt officials will interfere and embezzle the project funds..."

Lord Wang lowered his head and spoke in a low voice.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Tan's eyes flashed with a cold light, and he sneered:
"I have long expected that these parasites would come out to cause trouble! Don't worry, I have brought a sharp sword with me this time, specifically to deal with these corrupt officials!"

Lord Wang was startled and looked up at Zhu Tan, only to see a strange smile on his face.

"Master Wang, tell me, if I throw all those corrupt officials into the Yellow River to feed the fish, will the flooding of the Yellow River be alleviated?"

Lord Wang was shaking like a sieve.

He had no doubt that His Royal Highness Prince Lu could do what he said.

If you really want to throw him into the Yellow River to feed the fish, it’s just a matter of words!
"Your Majesty, please spare my life! I...I will do my utmost to assist Your Majesty in controlling the Yellow River, even if it means sacrificing my life!" Lord Wang knocked his head so hard that he wished he could break the bluestone floor tiles.

Zhu Tan looked at him coldly, feeling annoyed at his cowardly appearance.

"Get up! What the king wants is not your empty words, but real actions!"

Zhu Tan shook his sleeves and turned away.

After returning to Prince Lu's Mansion, Zhu Tan called over a few smart guards.

He ordered them to find out the situation of Shandong officials, especially those in charge of water conservancy projects, and to find out their details clearly.

See which ones are truly serving the people and which ones are taking advantage of the situation.

The next morning, Zhu Tan got up and went to the Yellow River.

He wanted to see whether Lord Wang was truly repentant or just going through the motions.

The carriage bumped along the way and arrived at the bank of the Yellow River.

As soon as Zhu Tan got out of the car, he was stunned by the scene before him.

The originally desolate river bank is now bustling with people.

Lord Wang had transferred so many craftsmen from somewhere, and they were building the river embankment in full swing.

When Lord Wang saw Zhu Tan coming, he hurried over to greet him, nodding and bowing as he reported on the progress of the project:

Your Majesty, I did not dare to delay your instructions yesterday. I summoned all the nearby craftsmen overnight and asked them to work overtime to complete the construction of the river bank as soon as possible to protect the lives and property of the people..."

Zhu Tan ignored Lord Wang's endless chatter and walked straight to the river bank to carefully inspect the quality of the project.

Although these craftsmen were dressed in rags, they worked very hard. Every stone and every basket of soil were stacked neatly and compacted firmly.

"Your Majesty, look at these craftsmen. They were all recruited by me from nearby villages. They are all honest farmers who work very hard. Don't worry, this river bank will be as strong as an iron barrel!"

Lord Wang was observing Zhu Tan's expressions from the side, and when he saw that Zhu Tan's face had eased a little, he immediately struck while the iron was hot and patted his chest to make a promise.

Zhu Tan didn't say anything, just nodded slightly.

He knew in his heart that Lord Wang was finding various ways to show his loyalty to him.

However, he is not an unkind person. As long as these people are sincerely working for the people, he will not deliberately make things difficult for them.

"Your Majesty, would you like to rest for a while in the teahouse in front and have some hot tea?"

Lord Wang breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Zhu Tan had no intention of pursuing the matter, and asked tentatively.

"Alright."

Zhu Tan looked at the sky. The sun was already very high in the sky and he was indeed feeling a little thirsty.

The two of them came to the teahouse by the river bank and found a clean table to sit down. Lord Wang poured a cup of tea for Zhu Tan attentively and said with a smile:

"Your Majesty, please try this tea. It is the new Biluochun tea from this year. It has a refreshing and sweet taste and is the best way to quench your thirst."

Zhu Tan picked up the teacup and took a sip. A fresh fragrance spread in his mouth. It was indeed the best Biluochun.

"This tea is good."

Zhu Tan put down the teacup and said calmly. (End of this chapter)