My father Yongle, building a five-good family

Chapter 145 Alas, Excellence is also a Sin
Zhu Gaoyu is just a child after all.

Children's thoughts are always jumping.

Even children's emotions change like the weather in June.

When they were preparing to research the early Ming version of "compressed biscuits", labor, materials, and stone locks were not a problem. However, when it came to baking, Zhu Gaoyu and his team encountered a difficult problem.

Just like now.

A large group of people in the village worked hard for most of the day to experiment, but after baking, not to mention cookies, the original color of the grains could not be seen at all.

Zhu Gaoyu touched the "black charcoal" in front of him and his hands were full of black stuff.

A woman in the crowd suggested:
"Young Master, how about we try steaming those cookies?"

Before Zhu Gaoyu could say anything, someone immediately refuted his statement.

"What's your idea? Young Master is not going into the food business. Do you know what this is? It's military rations! If you steam it and put it in your pocket, it will go bad in a few days. If you eat it and get sick, and then you lose the battle, can you explain it?"

The woman felt embarrassed after hearing this, and for a while she really didn't dare to give any random advice.

Peng Er also touched the back of his head and looked at the charcoal biscuit worriedly.

This seemingly simple military ration actually has so many stories behind it. It's really extraordinary.

only……

He glanced at Zhu Gaoyu and felt a little worried.

Can Zhu Gaoyu solve a problem that even ordinary people who are well versed in general affairs cannot solve?
Zhu Gaoyu now began to search his mind again.

Don't even say it.

Although a lot of information in this memory is fragmented, the sources of information are vast.

Just now, Zhu Gaoyu found a short video called something, which recorded rural life.

Among these information, there was one thing that successfully caught Zhu Gaoyu's attention.

——Bread oven.

"kiln?"

Zhu Gaoyu howled:
"Kuai Fu, Kuai Fu, where are you? Can you build a kiln?"

Kuai Fu had followed Zhu Gaoyu since early on.

From making treasure ship models at the beginning, to going to Datong, designing earthen fort buildings, and occasionally improving farm tools under the guidance of Zhu Gaoyu.

Now he was brought to Beiping by Zhu Gaoyu and a new manor was built.

Because of this technical job, Kuai Fu was very successful in the village and was respected by others.

Now, all the family members are around me, they are well fed and well clothed, and they are respected by others.

Kuai Fu privately felt that his current life was much more comfortable and relaxed than the time he spent at the Longjiang Treasure Shipyard in Nanjing.

But now that his name was mentioned by Zhu Gaoyu, Kuai Fu couldn't help feeling helpless for a moment.

His actual job is to build palaces!

As a result, since working under Zhu Gaoyu, he first built ships, then earthen forts and farm tools, and now he is making earthen kilns.

There is not a single professional match!
Zhu Gaoyu was too lazy to listen to his nonsense and waved his hand:
"One hundred taels. Just tell me if you can do it!"

The one hundred taels of silver from Zhu Gaoyu were not just a piece of light precious paper.

That’s all real money!

Kuai Fu immediately showed a smile on his face:

"Actually... Your Highness, it's not impossible to do it! I just think that after this earthen kiln is built, the effect will not be too great. The earthen kiln can bake food, but the temperature control accuracy is not good, and the heating is uneven. Apart from these, there are some other defects..."

Kuai Fu said a lot of things.

Every time he said more, the smile on Kuai Fu's face faded a little.

Because he discovered...

Even if he built the earthen kiln himself, he could not help Zhu Gaoyu solve the problem, let alone get one hundred taels of silver.

Just when a group of people were thinking about it, Zhu Gaoyu got a charcoal pencil from somewhere, asked the scholars in the village for paper, and started writing and drawing on it.

Kuai Fu didn't care at first, but after a casual glance, he couldn't help but move his head closer.

This sight fascinated him.

The drawing that Zhu Gaoyu sketched on paper looked like an earthen kiln, but it was somewhat different from an earthen kiln.

Compared with the dusty and dirty earthen kiln, in Zhu Gaoyu's design, his "earth kiln" is paved with special refractory bricks and stone bricks.

As Kuai Fu looked at it, he guessed that this should be an area specifically used for baking military rations.

At the same time, compared with the straight chimneys of earthen kilns, the chimneys in Zhu Gaoyu's drawings have obvious bends and baffles.

As a professional craftsman, Kuai Fu could tell at a glance that this design was intended to increase the residence time of smoke and thereby improve the utilization efficiency of waste heat.

For the design involved, laymen are just watching the fun, but experts like Kuai Fu are really looking at the details.

He looked at Zhu Gaoyu deeply.

Kuai Fu had to admit it again.

There really are child prodigies in this world.

When Zhu Gaoyu finished drawing the last stroke, he looked at Kuai Fu beside him and nodded his chin at the drawing:
“Can this be done?”

Kuai Fu said without hesitation: "Yes!"

"Try?"

Kuai Fu nodded: "Try it!"

Kuai Fu waved his hand, and a group of disciples behind him came over.

……

Just as Zhu Gaoyu was hanging around in a farm on the outskirts of the city, seeking to improve military rations and working hard to produce a Ming Dynasty version of compressed biscuits, but encountered numerous difficulties... on Zhu Di's side, things were developing unexpectedly smoothly.

He led his two sons and the Northern Army to capture Tongzhou.

Fang Sheng, the commander of Tongzhou Guard, happened to be Zhu Di's former subordinate.

While Zhu Di was holding his sons as hostages in Yingtian Prefecture, he did not do nothing.

On the contrary, Zhu Di had long relied on his past influence and skills to connect with his old subordinates and make friends with the nobles.

As soon as the news of Zhu Di's Jingnan campaign came, Fang Sheng quickly led the entire Tongzhou to Zhu Di's camp.

Only Tongzhou was occupied.

Now comes the problem.

After occupying Tongzhou, should we continue to move south or pacify Jizhou first?

In the end, it was Zhang Yu's words that successfully changed Zhu Di's mind.

"If we don't take Jizhou first, it will cause trouble later. If Jizhou is taken, the rest will be too late to take it."

Then let’s go to Jizhou.

But no one expected it.

Problems arose when we attacked Jizhou.

Unable to conquer after a long time?

What should I do?
At the same time, another question came to Zhu Di's mind.

This time when he went south to capture Jizhou, in order to achieve a quick victory and reduce baggage, he did not bring any artillery or even too much dry food.

At this moment, Zhu Di once again demonstrated his military experience and talent.

He finally made a decision.

Since we can’t take the city after a long siege, let’s surround the city and attack it!
However, just as the decision was about to be made, Zhu Gaoyu, who had been on the road on horseback, finally arrived and appeared in front of his father.

Zhu Di's first reaction when he saw him was.

How did this nasty thing get out of Beiping City? !
He frowned, squinted his eyes, and wanted to pick up the bamboo stick at hand to hit Zhu Gaoyu's butt, but when he saw that the boy was exhausted from the journey, with his face, clothes and boots covered with mud, his heart suddenly softened.

Regardless of anything else, this kid traveled thousands of miles, regardless of the dangers along the way, and brought his few personal guards all the way from Peking to Tongzhou, also because he was worried about his father.

Just because of his son's filial piety, Zhu Di should not let the child be sad and disappointed.

Then a gentle smile appeared on Zhu Di's face, and he immediately wanted to squat down to speak.

But before he could open his mouth, Zhu Gaoyu spoke:
"Dad, you can't do it. I brought all the people here, but you haven't taken Jizhou yet?"

state!
Familiar iron fist, familiar taste.

Zhu Gaoyu was punched and even felt a sense of relief.

Ok.

This is Zhu Gaoyu’s father.

As for the smiling dad just now...that must be an illusion!

Being used to being beaten, Zhu Gaoyu did not care. Instead, he spoke cheerfully:

"Dad, look what I brought!"

Having said that, without waiting for Zhu Di's response, Zhu Gaoyu couldn't wait to pull his father's hand and walked out.

Zhu Di was pulled by the boy's strong strength and had not yet reacted. If he had not reacted quickly, he might have been pulled and staggered, and made a mistake in front of many soldiers.

But after watching Zhu Gaoyu open the oil paper and take out something square that looked like food, Zhu Di immediately put aside what had just happened.

Zhu Gaoyu's eyes were shining and he was very excited.

He tilted his head back, holding the compressed bran biscuits in both hands, and spoke to Zhu Di as if offering a treasure:
"Dad, try it! Guess what this is?"

This is actually food?

Zhu Di picked up the biscuit with some disbelief and took a bite.

It's crispy and has a hint of oily aroma.

When I took the second bite, I actually tasted hazelnut and walnut particles.

It’s salty, fragrant and crispy, and tastes much better than the fried rice I’ve eaten recently.

Zhu Di hasn't had lunch yet.

Now that he had this fresh food, Zhu Di thought that since he was his own son, he would not poison him in public. He did not doubt it at all and finished the compressed biscuits in just a few bites.

The biscuit didn't look big, and after Zhu Di finished it, he wanted to take a second piece.

But Zhu Gaoyu refused to give him the second piece and instead gave Zhu Di a glass of boiled water that he had already prepared.

Zhu Di gulped down half a cup, and after a while, he finally figured out something was wrong.

After eating a piece of that square thing and drinking some water, he actually felt...full? !

Zhu Di widened his eyes, showing a rare look of surprise.

His mind was working quickly, and he seemed to have thought of something.

But when he looked at Zhu Gaoyu, Zhu Di was a little bit unbelieving again.

He looked at Zhu Gaoyu, then at the crumbs in his palm, and said in a somewhat dry voice:

"Don't tell me... this is something you figured out..."

Zhu Gaoyu grinned, showing his big white teeth, and then sighed pretentiously:

"Alas, there is no way. Being too good is also a sin."

(End of this chapter)