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

Zhang Tieniu swallowed nervously and answered haltingly:
"In reply to your Highness, I have loved counting since I was a child..."

"Oh?"

Zhu Tan became interested, "Then tell me, how many floor tiles are there from my study to the main gate of the palace?"

Zhang Tieniu was stunned when he heard this.

He had never thought about such a question, let alone answered it.

His face turned red and he was unable to speak.

Seeing this, a hint of disappointment flashed across Zhu Tan's eyes, but he soon regained his smile.

He walked to the desk, picked up a brush, and wrote a few lines of numbers on a piece of rice paper.

"I will give you another question. How do you think you can solve it?"

Zhang Tieniu looked at the numbers on the rice paper and felt uneasy.

But he was born with an inexplicable affinity for numbers. He stared at the numbers as if possessed, and calculated rapidly in his mind.

"Nine hundred and sixty-one coins, and I bought one hundred and seven steamed buns. The big ones cost three coins each, and the small ones cost three coins each. How many big and small steamed buns did I buy?"

Zhang Tieniu read out the question haltingly, but there was a hint of excitement in his tone that he himself was not aware of.

Zhu Tan looked at him with interest and motioned for him to continue.

Zhang Tieniu took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He pointed at the numbers on the rice paper and began to explain:

"Your Highness, let's assume... assume that all the buns are small, then... then one hundred and seven buns should cost..."

As he spoke, he gestured with his hands. From the initial stumbling to the smooth flow later on, it was as if he had become a different person.

Zhu Tan listened quietly, his eyes gradually brightening.

This seemingly dull farmer actually has such a talent in arithmetic!

Zhang Tieniu became more and more confident as he spoke. He was completely immersed in his own world, forgetting that the person sitting in front of him was a high and mighty prince. He was simply enjoying the fun of solving the problem.

"So...so I bought thirty-seven big buns and seventy small buns!"

Zhang Tieniu spoke in a firm tone, his face brimming with confidence.

"it is good!"

Zhu Tan couldn't help but applaud, "It's a pity that such a talent of yours is buried in the countryside!"

Zhang Tieniu was startled by the sudden praise. He knelt on the ground in fear, not knowing what to do.

"You get up,"

Zhu Tan smiled and motioned for him to stand up:
"I intend to open a school in the city to teach arithmetic. Are you willing to be the teacher?"

Zhang Tieniu was stunned. He never dreamed that the prince would ask him to teach!
How could a farmer like him, who had only studied in a private school for a few years, take on such an important task?

He opened his mouth, wanting to refuse, but he didn't dare to disobey the prince's order. For a moment he didn't know what to do.

Seeing that he hesitated, Zhu Tan continued:

"You don't have to belittle yourself. I think you are very talented and you will become a great man in the future! Besides, the art of arithmetic is not only mastered by those who are well-read. If you know it well, you can teach your students well!"

When Zhang Tieniu listened to the prince's words, his heart was filled with turmoil.

Your Majesty, are you... going to give him a chance?
A chance to change your destiny?

He suddenly raised his head, and an unprecedented light burst out from his turbid eyes.

He fell to his knees with a thud and said in a trembling voice:

"I...I am willing to serve you like a dog and a horse!"

Zhang Tieniu was so excited that his face turned red. He thought that this was the end of his life, but who would have thought that there would be such a turn of events today.

The prince thought highly of him, so he would do his best to live up to his expectations! He kowtowed to express his gratitude, and only withdrew with great fear and trepidation when Zhu Tan signaled again.

Zhu Tan looked at Zhang Tieniu's departing back, and the smile on his face deepened.

Talents are hard to come by. If you can really make use of this kind of mathematical genius, he will be of great use in the future.

"Someone, go and get Li Wenxuan to come to me.

"Zhu Tan was in a good mood and continued to give instructions.

Soon, a tall and straight figure appeared at the door of the study. This person was the first place in the martial arts test, Li Wenxuan.

He was dressed in tight clothes, with a sword at his waist, sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, looking very heroic, and his every move revealed the fierce aura of a martial artist.

"I, Li Wenxuan, pay my respects to His Majesty."

Li Wenxuan knelt on one knee, clasped his fists and saluted, his tone unable to conceal his excitement.

"No need to be polite, stand up." Zhu Tan said with a smile, "I heard that you defeated all the other warriors and won first place in this martial arts test."

"Your Majesty, you are overpraising me. I was just lucky."

Li Wenxuan said this modestly, but he couldn't hide the joy in his eyes.

"Haha, what a lucky break." Zhu Tan laughed heartily, "You don't have to be so reserved in front of me. By the way, I've heard some things about you. I heard that you regard me as your idol. Is that true?"

Li Wenxuan's face immediately showed a trace of embarrassment when he heard this, but he still nodded firmly, "I admire your literary and military strategies, and I yearn for you. I was inspired by your inspiration to achieve what I have today."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Tan thought to himself that Li Wenxuan was a wonderful person who could both talk and do things.

He looked at the high-spirited young man in front of him and suddenly an idea came to his mind.

Over the years, in order to implement new policies, he has offended many aristocratic families.

These guys were respectful to him on the surface, but secretly cursed him. Some of them even colluded secretly to bring him down.

Although he was not afraid of these clowns, it would be really boring if he lived in calculation and defense day and night.

He needed someone he could trust, someone with great martial arts skills, who could protect him closely and help him solve unnecessary troubles.

And Li Wenxuan in front of him seems to be a good candidate.

Thinking of this, Zhu Tan's eyes flashed with a gleam of light. He looked at Li Wenxuan and said slowly:

"Li Wenxuan, I am in need of a personal bodyguard. Are you willing to serve me?"

Li Wenxuan was stunned when he heard this. He didn't expect that the prince would make such a request.

A personal bodyguard is a trusted confidant who can always accompany the prince!
How could a young man who had just started out as a researcher be qualified to take on such an important task?

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

Zhu Tan looked at Li Wenxuan's surprised expression and laughed in his heart.

"Why, you don't want to?" Zhu Tan deliberately frowned, with a hint of displeasure in his tone.

"No, no, I am willing, I am willing!"

Li Wenxuan panicked when he saw this, and immediately knelt on the ground, saying excitedly: "It is my honor to serve the prince, and I will not refuse even if I die!"

"Haha, good. I feel relieved when you say that." Seeing that he agreed, Zhu Tan nodded with satisfaction. "Get up. From now on, you will stay by my side and do your job well. I will not treat you unfairly."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Li Wenxuan kowtowed excitedly and secretly swore in his heart that he would devote his life to repay the prince for his kindness in the future!

……

The next day, before dawn, Zhu Tan got up, washed up simply, and had a quick breakfast.

Today is a big day for him. "My Lord, it's still early, would you like to rest for a while?"

Li Wenxuan followed behind Zhu Tan, and seeing the prince's hurried steps, he couldn't help but ask.

"No need for that," Zhu Tan waved his hand, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise, "Today is the day our navy goes out to sea, I am so excited, how can I sleep?"

After saying that, Zhu Tan quickened his pace. Seeing this, Li Wenxuan didn't dare to say anything more and could only follow closely.

When we arrived at the pier, the sky was already turning pale and the sea was sparkling, reflecting the light of the rising sun, looking particularly dazzling.

At the dock, dozens of large ships were lined up in an orderly manner, with the "Zhu" flags on their sails fluttering in the wind.

Thousands of naval officers and soldiers in uniform lined up in neat rows, all of them in high spirits and with high morale.

"Your Majesty, a thousand years old! A thousand years old! A thousand years old!"

Seeing Zhu Tan coming, the soldiers shouted in unison, the sound was deafening and echoed across the entire sea.

Zhu Tan looked at the magnificent team in front of him with satisfaction, feeling extremely proud.

He walked up to the soldiers and said loudly:

"Soldiers, you are all warriors of our Ming Dynasty. Today, you are shouldering a glorious and arduous mission, which is to cross the ocean to find the legendary New World!"

"Your Majesty, we are not afraid of dangers and difficulties. We will complete the mission and return victoriously!"

A burly general stepped forward, his loud voice full of confidence and determination.

His name is Zhao Hai, and he is the commander-in-chief of this navy.

I was just a little soldier before.

But later he was appreciated by Zhu Tan.

"Good!" Zhu Tan looked at Zhao Hai with appreciation, "I believe in you!"

He paused and continued, "The journey is long and the sea is dangerous. You must be careful, work together, and return safely!"

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will definitely fulfill my mission!"

Zhao Hai clasped his fists again, his tone firm.

Zhu Tan nodded, took out a secret letter from his sleeve, handed it to Zhao Hai and said:
"This is my Great Ming sea chart. Please keep it. If you encounter an emergency, you can open it and check it."

Zhao Hai took it with both hands and placed it solemnly in his arms.

"In addition, this time we went out to sea, in addition to exploring the new world, there was another important thing, which was to find a crop called 'corn'."

"Yes!"

Zhao Hai bowed.

"Soldiers, set off!"

Zhu Tan drew the sword from his waist and pointed it towards the sky. With a command, drums beat loudly and the navy officers and soldiers shouted in unison, shaking the sky.

Following Zhao Hai's order, the sails of each warship slowly rose, like huge seabirds, riding the wind and waves, and sailing towards the distance.

As the fleet sailed away, the people watching on the dock talked a lot.

"You think, can the prince really find that new world?"

"Who knows? But the prince is a descendant of the royal family, and he has the help of the gods, so he will definitely succeed."

"If we can really find a new continent, then our Ming Dynasty will really be prosperous!"

The people were talking about it in a flurry, their voices full of anticipation and longing.

Zhu Tan stood with his hands behind his back, staring at the fleet going away.

"Your Highness, let's go back too." Li Wenxuan reminded softly.

"Yeah." Zhu Tan withdrew his gaze, turned and left.

……

After returning to the city, Zhu Tan did not go back to the palace, but went straight to the governor's residence.

"Your humble servant pays respect to His Majesty. May His Majesty live a thousand years and a thousand thousand years!"

When the Governor Wang saw Zhu Tan, he immediately knelt down and saluted.

"Lord Wang, there is no need to be so polite. Please stand up." Zhu Tan said lightly.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Lord Wang stood up and asked cautiously, "I wonder what orders the prince has for you?"

"Is the mathematics and physics school that I asked you to run before making any progress now?" Zhu Tan asked.

"Your Highness, I have already found a suitable place according to your instructions. It is the private school of Mr. Chen in the south of the city. It is spacious and quiet, and is very suitable for running a school."

Lord Wang replied quickly.

"Oh? Is Mr. Chen willing to give up his private school?" Zhu Tan asked meaningfully.

Upon hearing Zhu Tan's question, Lord Wang couldn't help but break out in a layer of sweat on his forehead. He knew that the prince was criticizing him.

“Your Majesty, Mr. Chen was indeed somewhat reluctant at first, but I persuaded him with reason and emotion, and finally convinced him to realize that it is a great honor to serve Your Majesty.

Lord Wang said cautiously.

"Hmph, stop playing tricks in front of me. I don't know those nobles. They are arrogant and self-righteous. If I hadn't given them a beating recently, how could they have obeyed me?"

Zhu Tan snorted coldly and ruthlessly exposed Lord Wang's lies.

Upon hearing this, Lord Wang turned pale with fright. He fell to his knees with a plop and said tremblingly:
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I know I was wrong. I will never dare to deceive Your Majesty again."

"Forget it, get up. I won't ask you what method you used. Anyway, you did a good job on this matter."

Zhu Tan waved his hand, signaling Lord Wang to stand up.

Hearing Zhu Tan's praise, Lord Wang felt as if he had been pardoned and hurried to express his gratitude.

"Now that the matter of the Mathematics and Physics School has been settled, let's spread the news of the enrollment as soon as possible. I want all the people in the city to know that I am going to open a brand new school and teach brand new knowledge!"

Zhu Tan said proudly.

"Your Highness, this... this study of mathematics and physics is unheard of. Is there really anyone willing to sign up?" Lord Wang asked hesitantly.

"Whether anyone has signed up or not will be known after enrollment. Just follow my instructions." Zhu Tan said indifferently.

"Yes, I will obey your orders."

Although Lord Wang still had some doubts in his heart, he did not dare to say anything more and could only nod in agreement.

……

When the news reached the homes of various noble families in the city, it immediately caused a lot of discussion.

"What? The King of Lu wants to open a school to teach mathematics and physics?"

"What kind of knowledge is this mathematics? How come I have never heard of it in my entire life?"

"Who knows? Maybe it's King Lu who's just trying to be mysterious again."

Most of the nobles were very disdainful of Zhu Tan's plan to open a mathematics and physics school, thinking that Zhu Tan was just trying to attract attention.

However, some of the aristocrats with sharp minds smelled something unusual. (End of this chapter)