The Ming Dynasty did not revolutionize

Chapter 335: Prince Liang Returns to Beijing
Compared with the foreign vassal monarchs such as Napoleon and Joseph, the internal vassal monarchs of the Ming Dynasty received the notice earlier.

Although the notifications from the Honglu Temple were sent out at the same time, the content was first notified in advance via telegram so that the relevant personnel could start preparing in advance.

Then, a special official from the Honglu Temple would be arranged to take the official document issued after the court seal and formally deliver it to the person concerned.

But there were no telegraph systems in the palaces of foreign monarchs such as Napoleon and Joseph.

The officials of the Ming Dynasty's Honglu Temple stationed in their country would receive telegram notifications from their homeland and then send them the offensive information.

The monarchs of the vassal states within the original Ming system had telegraph sending and receiving agencies in their own palaces, with special teams responsible for receiving telegrams from the court.

After the vassal monarchs received the telegram, the one who reacted the fastest was Prince of Liang Zhu Jiancan.

Zhu Jiancan is the eldest son of the previous Ming emperor and the eldest brother of the current emperor. His identity is very special.

Therefore, Zhu Jiancan was naturally very cautious when dealing with such matters.

After careful consideration, Zhu Jiancan, who was about to turn seventy, decided that he must go to Shuntian Prefecture in person as soon as possible and take his sons with him.

To show his unconditional trust in the emperor's brother, and at the same time to support him.

Zhu Jiancan knew better than anyone else how much the Ming Dynasty’s strength in all aspects had increased compared to thirty years ago.

And almost all of this was brought about by his younger brother, who was a living saint.

He actually won the throne by himself, and his status was no different from that of the founding emperor.

He has also gained the recognition of the existing vested interest groups and has become the nominal supreme ruler.

Moreover, a completely new vested interest class has been completely rebuilt, and the key point is that the scale and scope of this class are unprecedented.

After more than 20 years of construction, this group has become increasingly stable and continues to expand.

All the remnants of the old era could not shake his position no matter what.

After these years in Africa, Zhu Jiancan has completely understood that his younger brother will never hurt him.

He will also use the best resources and efforts at his disposal to give himself the most comfortable living conditions in the world and make himself as healthy and long-lived as possible.

He cares a lot about fame and reputation, and since he has already fully grasped the highest power, he will not do anything that is detrimental to his reputation.

His father once called him a living saint, and Zhu Jiancan himself has now come to accept this strange evaluation.

The key point is that as the monarch of a vassal state, he has no chance to influence his position at all.

Zhu Jiancan has completely let go of things over the years. He no longer needs to worry about the throne and governing the world. After relaxing, his body has become even healthier.

Zhu Jiancan asked his servants and ministers to pack up their things, take his wives, concubines and children, and take a special train to Mombasa.

The territory of Liang State, Zhu Jiancan's fiefdom in Africa, was just on the north side of Lake Victoria in Zhu Jianxuan's previous life.

The brothers Zhu Jianxuan and Zhu Jiancan had originally planned to name the largest lake in Africa Daming Lake, but they immediately realized that there was a Daming Lake in Daming itself.

So it was changed to Yunmeng Lake.

Now, when the Ming Dynasty discovered new rivers, lakes, and mountains overseas, they usually named them after their original meanings or used one or two words from the names used by the local indigenous people.

But there are also many times when the ancient names of similar things in China are used.

In addition to Yunmeng Lake, the capital of Liang State also directly used the ancient city name Daliang, which was the name of the capital of Wei State during the Warring States Period.

The State of Wei was also called the State of Liang because its capital was in Daliang.

The current location of the African city of New Daliang is probably near Kampala, the capital of Uganda in Zhu Jianxuan's previous life.

Since Liang State was located in a remote inland area, King Liang had to rely on trains, planes and motor vehicles to travel.

The kings felt that airplanes were not safe enough, so they usually had their own special train carriages and motor coaches, and Zhu Jiancan was no exception.

But Liang State had no coastline and naturally had no ships of its own.

So King Liang asked the Ming Immigration Company to arrange a special passenger ship of at least 20,000 tons for him to take his family to Shuntian Prefecture alone.

At the same time, he asked the Ming Navy's African East Coast Fleet stationed in Mombasa to arrange a fleet of at least two battleships and four cruisers to escort him on this trip.

The monarchs of other vassal states may need to consider how they should go to Shuntian Prefecture and whether they should travel together with other vassal states.

But Zhu Jiancan felt that he could not do that. After all, his identity was too special. His brother, the living saint emperor, might not care, but other people might think too much.

Given Zhu Jiancan's status, there is no need for him to do so. He can completely ignore the price and cost and travel in the way that he feels most comfortable.

Zhu Jianxuan knew that as long as he didn't rebel, he could do whatever he wanted and get whatever he wanted.

Zhu Jiancan thought that this was the right thing to do, but Zhu Jiancan's wife and children were a little worried about their father's approach.

Zhu Jiancan's third son, Zhu Jingcheng, couldn't help but find an opportunity to talk to his father:

"Father, you have made so many requests here. Will the emperor's uncle think that you are deliberately venting our anger?

"Besides, why did you bring your whole family with you? At least let my eldest brother stay in Daliang, right?"

Zhu Jiancan smiled and said:
"Don't worry, the things I requested are all ready-made. I just asked for them to be assigned to me, not for them to allocate them elsewhere. Your uncle won't mind.

"It's a rare opportunity to go on a long journey. Don't you want to go back to Shuntian Prefecture? As for the issue of staying behind, do you think the officials of the kingdom dare to rebel?

"Our Liang State is the first vassal state of the Ming Dynasty. If the ministers of the vassal state want to rebel, they are rebelling against the Ming Dynasty. It makes no difference whether or not to arrange for the prince to stay behind.

"If someone really wants to rebel, our whole family can go to Shuntian Prefecture to ensure our safety."

Zhu Jingcheng still couldn't let go of his worries, but Zhu Jiancan didn't take his son's worries to heart.

Just as Zhu Jiancan had guessed, he did not have to wait too long in Mombasa, and everything he wanted was quickly arranged for him.

The Immigration Company and the African Fleet sent a telegram to Shuntian Prefecture for instructions, and received direct instructions from the emperor:

"As long as there is no potential safety hazard, we will try our best to meet all the requirements of the Liang family and ensure their absolute safety."

So Zhu Jiancan and his family set sail comfortably on the boat.

While at sea, the escort fleet's aircraft carrier conducted aircraft take-off and landing training, and Zhu Jiancan on the passenger ship next to it was amazed:
"Your Majesty is truly omnipotent. From now on, the Ming army will not only be able to fly and attack, but can also launch attacks directly from the sea.

"Who in this world, in this whole world, can resist?
"The day when our Ming Dynasty truly unifies the world should not be far away. I hope I can still see that day..."

The fleet sailed steadily at a speed of 25 kilometers per hour and arrived at Shuntian Prefecture on April 5th of the 16th year of Tiangong.

After renovation and upgrading, the Shuntianfu sea drainage channel of the North-to-South Water Diversion Project, combined with specially built large ship locks, now allows seagoing vessels of 20,000 tons to sail directly into Shuntianfu city.

It is even possible to continue into the main channel of the North-to-South Water Diversion Project, take the land canal to the Northeast and even the Sanjiangze Lake.

Therefore, the Liang family did not need to change boats or trains in Tianjin. The Liang family was also very surprised when they saw their big ship directly enter the estuary and then continue to sail upstream.

Prince Liang went directly to ask the accompanying manager arranged by the Ming Immigration Company, and only then did he find out what great thing his emperor brother had done.

King Liang specifically requested a map of China's mainland. He looked at the approximate scope of the large lake planned on the map and the huge canal at the foot of the mountain and exclaimed:
"The Sanjiang Lake, which covers an area of ​​more than 100,000 square kilometers, will be filled with water to form a lake!

“Connect the water of the entire Northeast with the North China region!
"It's actually possible! It's actually possible to do this!

“Human power… can actually accomplish such a huge project!
"Our Majesty is truly... a man of great talent and vision!"

Zhu Jiancan's third son, Zhu Jingcheng, couldn't help but interrupt again:

"The northeastern part of Sanjiangze was once the seat of the Nurgandusi government, and a shipyard was built here during the Yongle period.

“But the climate here is bitterly cold, and the people of the Central Plains simply cannot stand the climate of such a place and cannot live there for long.

“So after decades of development, they eventually began to abandon it until the Jiannu rose in the northeast.

"Now that His Majesty has turned this place into a large lake, it has eliminated future troubles within a large enough area.

"It is truly a miracle that water from the Northeast can be used to supply North China. In the future, it should be more important than the Grand Canal."

The manager of the immigration company then carefully explained:
“In fact, we are now seriously reclaiming wasteland in the Northeast, and we will be able to gain a firm foothold in this bitter and cold land in the future.

“The biggest problem in the Northeast is that the winters are too cold. If we don’t store enough food and firewood in the summer, people will die in the winter.

"But now we have trains, coal, and motor vehicles, so we don't lack food and calories in the winter in Northeast China."

At this time, Zhu Jinggui, the eldest son of Liang Wang Zhu Jiancan, couldn't help but interrupt:

"Now that we have coal and locomotives, people no longer die in the winter in the Northeast, and we can now open up the fields for farming. So is it a waste to fill the entire Sanjiang Lake with water?"

Zhu Jiancan glared at his eldest son:
“There is a huge difference between being able to do something once the conditions are met, being relatively easy to do something, and being able to do something easily.

"The Northeast can be developed relatively easily with coal and locomotives, but what about the plains of the Central Plains? What about the great plains of America and Linzhou? And what about Africa?
"The population of the Ming Dynasty is now large enough, to the point where it is difficult to manage. Reclaiming wasteland and cultivating land is not the goal itself, but to settle the people.

"There is no essential difference between sending too many people to the Northeast and sending them to Australia, America, Linzhou, and Africa."

Zhu Jingcheng also reminded his elder brother:

“According to my judgment, before the Sanjiang Lake is filled with water, this Grand Canal built along the foot of the mountain will not be able to reach its maximum capacity.

“Before the canal was built, materials sent to the Northeast almost all relied on trains, and the carrying capacity of trains was far inferior to that of ships.

“The cost of transporting goods and people thousands of kilometers by train may be higher than that of transporting them tens of thousands of kilometers by sea.

“Without the giant canal formed by the backflow of water from the Sanjiangze Lake, transporting people to the northeast would not be any more convenient than sending them to Australia, Africa, or the west coast of America.

“With the Sanjiangze water storage… the water is already stored, so it doesn’t matter whether it’s wasted or not.

"Brother, your statement is really ill-considered."

Listening to these words, Zhu Jinggui couldn't help but frown and look at his brother. He wanted to find an angle to refute him, but was stopped by his father, Prince Liang Zhu Jiancan.

Zhu Jiancan waved his hand:
"Stop it, this is a major political matter of the Ming Dynasty, it is not something you two princes of the vassal states can interfere in."

The two brothers then shut up, but still couldn't help observing each other.

Although the other brothers around did not have time to speak, they were all secretly competing with each other.

Zhu Jiancan and his sons all had guesses in their minds that the succession rules for future vassal monarchs might change.

It is very likely that the traditional system of primogeniture will no longer be adopted, and other plans will have to be found.

Although the rules for competitive succession drawn up by Zhu Jianxuan were not made public in the system of ordinary court officials and vassal states, they had already begun to be implemented.

As the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he did not have a queen, and most importantly, he never had a crown prince, nor did he confer the title of heir to any vassal state.

Unless there was already a crown prince in the vassal state before Zhu Jianxuan ascended the throne, any subsequent petitions from the vassal state requesting the title of crown prince were not approved.

In addition, the current emperor himself is competing for the throne, and it is very likely that the princes and sons of the royal family will continue to compete as well.

Once a vassal prince directly asks the emperor for confirmation, or when a vassal prince without a crown prince dies, the specific rules will be made public.

Now that the princes of the vassal states have such speculations, most of them cannot accept the reality.

The most uncomfortable ones were the eldest sons of the various princes, and among them, Zhu Jinggui, son of Zhu Jiancan, was the most depressed.

If it weren't for his uncle, his father would become the emperor, he would become the crown prince, and would succeed to the throne after his father's death.

The key point is that during the decades that Zhu Jiancan was the crown prince, he had already regarded himself as the crown prince's grandson.

As a result, that living saint uncle suddenly appeared and snatched away my father's position as crown prince before my grandfather with his great contribution to the success of the Northern Expedition.

Not only did he lose his position as crown prince and even emperor, he even had to fight hard for the position of king.

Zhu Jiancan has already resigned himself to his fate and accepted the reality, but Zhu Jinggui still holds resentment in his heart, so much so that his tone and expression are not stable enough.

Prince Liang Zhu Jiancan was also worried about his son's future, not knowing what his brother the emperor was going to do.

After being silent for a long time, Zhu Jiancan thought that he should take this opportunity to ask directly.

The passenger ship that Zhu Jiancan and his family were on not only sailed slowly along the canal to Shuntian Prefecture City, but also drove directly into the city through the wide-open North Outer City Gate.

Zhu Jiancan and his family once again felt a strange shock.

The current layout of Shuntian Prefecture City is the product of the wrangling between Zhu Jianxuan and his father Zhu Zhonglin.

Zhu Jianxuan originally wanted to build a new city outside the city as the capital, but his father wanted to finish Jiajing's unfinished project and completely enclose the outer city.

Zhu Jianxuan then re-planned and prepared to establish an office in Beiwaicheng as the new administrative center.

However, after Zhu Jianxuan made an inspection tour of North America, the old emperor renovated the inner city in his hometown so that it could continue to serve as an administrative center.

The actual functional planning of the North Outer City has become the location of the capital's overall management, supply and service agencies.

Responsible for the construction and maintenance of urban facilities, the city’s own sanitation management, security patrols, etc.

There were also institutions and warehouses responsible for supplying the royal family and the court with water, electricity, heating, coal, firewood, grain, oil and other supplies and consumables.

There are also train stations, airports, and canal docks exclusively for the royal family, nobility, and bureaucrats.

After the North-to-South Water Diversion Project was built to Shuntian Prefecture and the water system of Shuntian Prefecture itself was rebuilt, the large ship that Zhu Jiancan was riding on could directly enter the north city.

Zhu Jiancan had been away from the capital for twenty years. When he returned, everything he saw was completely new, as if he had forgotten it.

(End of this chapter)