The Ming Dynasty: The most ruthless imperial grandson, Old Zhu begged me not to kill him.

Chapter 381 The Necessity of the Navy

"We have spent a considerable amount of money recently, with the largest expenditure being on the navy."

As you said before, this navy is like a money-devouring beast.

Not only do repairs cost money, but building new warships also costs money. I think our current number of warships should be enough, otherwise there's no need to build any more!

At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang felt extremely distressed. If so much money had been used to equip the army, how many weapons and armor could have been made? Now it had all been used to build these warships, but after all, their Ming Dynasty still had the greatest land power.

To his surprise, Zhu Xiong Ying shook his head and refuted him.

"The navy is extremely important to our Great Ming Dynasty. We can cut corners in other areas, but not in the navy!"

"As I said before, the largest place in the world is the ocean, and the richest place in terms of resources is also the ocean. If we just stay here, then the ocean is not very useful. But as we have said before, our journey should be to a more distant place. If we only focus our struggle on this area, then our current naval force is enough!"

"But if we want to expand westward, we'll probably have to rely on the navy!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yunwen immediately retorted.

“Brother, you’re mistaken. When Genghis Khan conquered the west, he didn’t go by sea either, but he still destroyed many countries. Besides, how big is the sea? We’ve never seen it. What we know now is all what you’ve said. We’re not sure if it’s true or not!”

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded after hearing this. Although he did not doubt the authenticity of the information provided by Zhu Xiong Ying, there was one extremely important question.

How did Genghis Khan manage to conquer so many places to the west?

After hearing this, Zhu Xiong Ying sighed and said.

"The Mongol cavalry were indeed formidable in combat, and they were adept at sustaining themselves through warfare, bringing with them a considerable number of cattle and sheep during battles!"

"Furthermore, they always plunder the local area wherever they go, so they can march long distances without worrying about logistics. But the same thing would not work for our army!"

Everyone nodded in agreement. If they really dared to plunder cattle and sheep in every country they went to, they would probably be scolded to death by the civil officials in the court when they returned.

Between civilization and barbarism, barbarism often prevails because it has no bottom line; it will use any means to achieve its goals.

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed upon hearing this. As the borders of the Ming Dynasty expanded, much of the grain sent to the borders was consumed during the process. With such a large territory, this was indeed a very troublesome matter.

At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Xiong Ying in front of him and said.

“Xiongying, look how vast our territory is. If we were to transport our grain to various places, the losses would be enormous. We’d probably lose 60 or 70 percent of it on the way. Why not give some of the autonomy to the local areas, or to your uncles? That way, it would be easier to source resources locally, and there wouldn’t be so much loss!”

However, before Zhu Yuanzhang could finish speaking, Zhu Xiong Ying shook his head and refused.

"Absolutely not! These food kings wield considerable power, especially in the local areas. With the emperor far away, no one knows what they might do!" "We can let them hold power, but we can't completely relinquish it to them. Otherwise, with their troops and supplies, we might not be able to control them!"

"Furthermore, if we delegate authority to them, what if they take the opportunity to seek personal gain?"

"Once the pursuit of profit is started, it will become uncontrollable. The lives of ordinary people are already very difficult, so wouldn't this just add to their burden?"

"Only when the people have land can they have food, and only when they have food can we have a strong nation. This point must never be shaken!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang felt somewhat dissatisfied. His sons had all been personally trained by him and were completely obedient to Zhu Xiong Ying and Crown Prince Zhu Biao, so they dared not harbor any ill intentions.

"Is there any way to solve this problem? Otherwise, our food supplies are being consumed far too quickly during the journey!"

At this moment, Zhu Xiong Ying said something.

"This is what I'm going to talk about next. For a while, my Great Ming Dynasty may temporarily halt its outward expansion and shift its focus to the construction of the interior. I plan to build highways like Qin Shi Huang did, ideally covering the entire country with such roads. This will save a lot of time whether we are transporting goods or mobilizing troops!"

Crown Prince Zhu Biao and the others were shocked to hear this. What was Xiong Ying thinking? How dare he emulate the tyrant Qin Shi Huang?

Throughout history, scholars have generally held little affection for Qin Shi Huang. The burning of books and burying of scholars alive alone put them on the opposite side of this emperor.

Zhu Xiong Ying's idea really startled them.

"If we do that, it would be far too wasteful of resources and manpower. Qin Shi Huang tried his best, but in the end, he caused widespread resentment. We must not follow their example!"

Even the Crown Prince Zhu Biao, who was standing to the side, began to stop them.

Upon hearing these words, Zhu Xiong Ying couldn't help but smile. This smile made Crown Prince Zhu Biao and Zhu Yuanzhang feel a little uneasy. As if he had thought of something, Zhu Yuanzhang asked a question.

"You didn't start preparing for this a long time ago, did you?"

Zhu Xiong Ying smiled and nodded, "As expected, Grandfather understands me best. Indeed, preparations for this matter have been underway for some time, but I just didn't mention it before!"

"However, the construction plan is almost complete this time, and the necessary funds and materials have been prepared in full!"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked on incredulously, their eyes filled with doubt, mainly because the matter was simply too unbelievable.

Given the size of the Ming Dynasty's territory, if a passage connecting the entire country could be built, how long would it take and how many materials would be required? It would be no easier than conquering the country. Yet Zhu Xiong Ying claimed that preparations for this matter were almost complete, which was truly incomprehensible to them.

At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang said in confusion.

(End of this chapter)