Daming: Dad, you are really not good at governing the country

The night was as thick as ink. The flickering candlelight in the imperial study illuminated the figures of Zhu Yuanzhang and his son Zhu Gang.

Zhu Gang looked solemn and frowned slightly.

A thin layer of sweat had already formed on his forehead, and his eyes were full of anxiety and eagerness.

"Father, I came here today because I am worried about the war in Yunnan.

Yunnan is a land of rugged mountains and rich minerals, making it an important source of raw materials for forging special weapons.

I am deeply afraid that those forces with ulterior motives will take advantage of the opportunity to control the special steel.

Use this to create a sharp blade, disrupt the war situation of our Ming Dynasty, and endanger our country and people! "

After Zhu Gang finished speaking, he paused slightly, swallowed his saliva, and unconsciously clenched the corners of his clothes with his hands.

He calmed down for a moment and continued, "I know this matter is extremely urgent and I dare not delay it for a moment, so I want to inform Father as soon as possible.

But he was also worried that his words were just empty evidence and would not be able to gain the attention of his father.

So I brought this dagger with me, hoping that Father could see the extraordinary nature of this steel."

After saying these words in one breath, more beads of sweat appeared on Zhu Gang's forehead, flickering in the light of the candle.

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyes slightly, his gaze as sharp as an eagle, and took the dagger.

I saw the dagger flashing with cold light, the blade was extremely sharp, and it reflected a cold light under the candlelight.

There was a barely perceptible flash of surprise in Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes, which was an admiration for the special steel material.

However, in a flash, Zhu Yuanzhang's face darkened.

He pretended to be angry and glared at Zhu Gang.

There was majesty in his eyes, as if he could penetrate the heart of this third son.

"You kid, you are still so reckless!

If you weren't my biological son, you would have lost your head long ago just for bringing a dagger into the palace!"

But in Zhu Yuanzhang's majestic gaze, there was a hint of love for his son.

Zhu Gang's heart tightened when he saw this, and he quickly knelt down with his forehead touching the ground.

"I know I am guilty, but the situation was urgent. I hope you will forgive me."

Zhu Yuanzhang paused slightly and his tone softened a little.

“However, what you said is quite interesting.

Please tell me in detail where this special steel came from, don’t hide it.”

Zhu Gang felt a little relieved when he saw this, but he still didn't dare to slack off at all.

He cleared his throat, straightened his back, then stood up and said, "Dad, there are two common types of special steel nowadays.

One is wrought iron and the other is Damascus steel.

As far as I know, the surface of the wrought iron has unique and exquisite patterns.

The patterns seem to be created by nature and are so exquisitely crafted.

It is made by welding different metals and then folding and forging them repeatedly.

This process is extremely complicated and requires extremely high skills from the craftsmen. Any slight mistake will result in all the previous efforts being wasted.

Moreover, during the forging process, parameters such as temperature and number of times are extremely difficult to control accurately.

The slightest carelessness will affect the quality of steel.

This iron originated from Persia, Kapisa and other places. It was introduced to China during the Southern and Northern Dynasties and has always been regarded as a high-quality material for forging swords.

The swords they make are not only extremely sharp, but also beautiful in appearance, and they exude a heroic spirit when held in hand.”

Zhu Gang paused for a moment and secretly observed Zhu Yuanzhang's expression.

Seeing his father nod slightly, as if he was listening carefully, he continued, "The Damascus steel is even more powerful.

There are water-like patterns on its surface, just like ripples on the water, which is exquisite.

It is made of Indian Wootz steel. The weapons made of it are strong, tough and sharp, and will definitely defeat the enemy on the battlefield.

I have now informed Gongshuqi of the manufacturing process of Damascus steel. Once the war in Yunnan is over, the Jinling Iron and Steel Plant will be able to try large-scale refining.

If we can protect the special steel resources at this time, we can use them to make weapons and equip our Ming army after the war. Our army's combat power will be greatly improved, the border will be more stable, and our Ming Dynasty will be more stable. "

Zhu Yuanzhang seemed to be thinking about something, narrowed his eyes slightly, and a solemn look appeared on his face.

“The manufacturing process of wrought iron is so complicated that it is not easy.

If you can manage to solve the problem and find a simple and effective forging method for the court, it will be a great achievement.

As for this Damascus steel, it is made from Indian Wootz steel.

The journey from the place of origin to our country is long and the transportation is difficult.

It may be difficult to obtain on a large scale in the short term, and it will be difficult to scale up! "

Zhu Gang then took out a map of Indochina from his arms and spread it out respectfully.

He pointed at Suphan Buri above, his eyes revealing determination and confidence.

"Father, I have found out from various sources that although Suphanburi is nominally one of the 72 provinces of Siam, it has actually been under armed separatism for many years.

It borders seven major regions, including Uthai Thani, Chanat, Chiang Mai, Anathong, Ayutthaya, Nakhon Pattani and Kanchanaburi, and its strategic location is very important.

Moreover, it is only 300 miles away from Bangkok, the capital of Siam.

I think that the Ming Dynasty can negotiate with Suphanburi to exchange a large amount of wootz steel for smelting weapons in exchange for helping them control Siam. "

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned, and the wrinkles on his face deepened.

After a long silence, he spoke slowly with a hint of caution and doubt in his tone, "Old Third, you once said that Siam is nearly two thousand miles away from the nearest point of our Ming Dynasty.

It is difficult to send troops on an expedition over such a long distance and transport food and supplies.

Moreover, mobilizing so many troops may not be a good idea."

Zhu Gang explained with a smile, which contained a hint of cunning and intelligence.

"Dad, aid between countries doesn't just come from sending troops.

Even if Suphan Buri asks the Ming Dynasty to send troops to help, it is not necessary to mobilize the domestic army.

Do you still remember that Cao Xing and others have been operating in the Goto Islands for several years and have become quite powerful.

They can be ordered to send troops from the sea to support Suphan Buri.

In addition, material assistance, low-interest loans, and sending military instructors to train their officers can also demonstrate the sincerity of our Ming Dynasty and help them strengthen their strength. "

Although Zhu Yuanzhang's expression eased a little, the doubt in his eyes had not completely disappeared.

He shook his head slightly and said, “That being said, the court has limited knowledge of the development of Cao Xing and others in the Goto Islands.

If they were not strong enough, they would not be able to compete with the Siamese army.

Not only will our Great Ming waste resources in vain, but we will also lose soldiers and generals, which will undermine our Great Ming's national defense strength."

Seeing that the time was ripe, Zhu Gang's eyes flashed with a hint of anxiety.

"Dad, if we can release Zheng Yuchun as soon as possible, let him make amends for his crime.

With the cooperation of Zhang Long, the war to conquer Yunnan may be able to turn the situation around quickly.

At that time, troops can be dispatched from Yunnan to coordinate with the actions of Cao Xing and others at sea.

This will not only enhance combat power, but also shorten logistics supply lines and reduce supply pressure."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang sighed softly, with a hint of fatigue and helplessness in his eyes.

"I didn't expect that after all this time, you're still thinking about Zheng Yuchun.

Well, let's issue an edict tomorrow to allow him to make up for his crime with meritorious service.

If Zheng Yuchun can achieve meritorious service in the campaign against Yunnan, his title will be restored."

Zhu Gang was delighted, a look of gratitude appeared on his face, and he quickly knelt down to express his gratitude: "Thank you, father, for your great grace!

I will definitely urge Zheng Yuchun to serve you till his death in order to repay your father's kindness."

Seeing that the "Zheng Yuchun case" that had been pending for a long time had a clear result, Zhu Gang finally felt relieved.

(End of this chapter)