Ming Dynasty: Traveling through the harem, Zhu Yuanzhang was dumbfounded

Chapter 91 Zhu Di: Brother! Don’t call me Yongle anymore! (Subscribe)
After asking the old Taoist priest, Zhu Biao also learned what Yang Chen had done after arriving at this place.

He became more and more curious about what the other party had done to make such a move in broad daylight.

Ever since Yang Chen appeared, Zhu Biao had already made plans in his mind.

There are two results. Either he follows his father's order and gets rid of the other party as if that person had never appeared.

Or he could stay. He thought that the appearance of Yang Chen might be God's mercy to the Ming Dynasty.

In this case, Yang Chen must be properly accommodated. He is not only beneficial to their royal family.

In order to benefit the people more and for the sake of the world, Zhu Biao was willing to risk being disliked by his father to protect Yang Chen.

Fortunately, he made the right bet, and even his own mother supported him.

After spending a long time together, Zhu Biao also felt that Yang Chen was one of the few people in the entire Ming Dynasty with whom he could talk.

Perhaps the other party never regarded him as a prince from the beginning to the end.

It's about equal treatment between friends.

For this reason, Zhu Biao was also willing to put Yang Chen on an equal footing with himself.

Even consider that the other person lives in a different world from your own.

No matter what incredible things Yang Chen did, he could turn a blind eye.

But right now, the other party's actions made him feel a little confused.

First, he applied to observe the alchemists in the imperial prison, and then he caused all this commotion in his own mansion.

"Brother Yang, I am really getting more and more curious about what you are doing in the mansion?"

After waiting for a while, I found that there was no more big noise and the crowd gradually dispersed.

They were just taking the opportunity to discuss the matter, and since someone had reported it to the police, it certainly wasn't done within the permitted time.

Therefore, the people could not do anything about it.

The most they could do was curse Yang Chen to give birth to a son without an anus.

soon.

Zhu Biao, who looked unrestrained, handsome, and yet heroic, approached the entrance of Yang Chen's mansion with his hand on his abdomen.

As soon as he reached the steps, the servant guarding the gate knew at a glance that the other person must be of extraordinary status.

Before Zhu Biao could even get to him, the servant came down the steps, bowed, and asked the other person's identity with both hands:

"I don't know where this gentleman is from, why he came to visit me, and what he wants to do."

"Take this token in and give it to your boss. He will know who I am."

Zhu Biao did not use his power to oppress others. Instead, he smiled and was very kind.

He took out a golden token from his pocket.

Gold is the main material. The token is half the size of a palm and is surrounded by a circle of nephrite inlaid on the outside.

Zhu Biao's identity symbol is painted on it.

However, the servant was illiterate, but when he saw that the token was so special, he subconsciously knew that the other party's identity was not ordinary.

In addition, Zhu Biao had an extraordinary aura and was dressed in elegant and noble clothes.

Even a fool would know that the other party must be very familiar with his master.

"Please wait for a moment, sir. I will go and inform the head of the family right away."

Holding the token in both hands, the servant even felt that the token was heavier than he had imagined.

It made him tremble all over.

"Go ahead, I'll wait here."

As Zhu Biao waved his hand to allow it, the servant turned around without any hesitation and started running deep into the mansion.

backyard.

Originally this was a beautiful garden, but now it has been flattened into a sandy area the size of a standard 250-meter playground.

If you draw a circle around it with lime powder, it will become a standard running track for elementary and junior high schools.

At this moment, Yang Chen was in a makeshift wooden shed, staring at a place eighty meters ahead with a telescope.

There were several rows of thin grey ropes on the table.

Although they appear to be the same size, each rope is actually of a different size and thickness.

The only thing in common is that one end of the rope is burning, and the other end has an equal amount of gunpowder.

As the fireworks burn the rope, wait until it touches the gunpowder.

Under the violent chemical reaction, there was a loud bang.

The moment the gunpowder exploded, the power and noise caused the people around them to subconsciously close their eyes.

Yang Chen put down the telescope made of bamboo tube and iron sheet.

There was still dissatisfaction on his face.

"Alas! Only two out of five experimental groups were successful. If I had nitroglycerin, I wouldn't be in such a miserable state.

There is a way to get glycerin, it is just a by-product of soap. As long as I have sulfuric acid, I can make nitric acid.

However, the process of producing sulfuric acid is very dangerous, and if you are not careful, the result will be melting your skin and bones.

I have to ask those alchemists to come, otherwise I can't use the lives of innocent people for experiments."

Just as Yang Chen was drafting in his mind, a confused voice came from the side.

"Yang Chen, I have been here for several days. When will you come with me to see the Black Monk?"

The person who spoke was Zhu Di.

At this moment, Zhu Di was not wearing the robes of a prince, but ordinary brocade clothes without any extra decorations.

Even the belt is made of leather instead of jade.

These days, Zhu Di went to Yang Chen's mansion almost every few days.

He always asks the other person when they are free, and then he arranges for the two to meet.

Unexpectedly, Yang Chen kept putting it off, and in the end, Zhu Di had gotten used to it and only came to Yang Chen's house to wander around when he was bored.

"Why are you in such a hurry? I haven't finished what I need to do yet. Just wait for my notification. I won't stand you up anyway."

At this moment, Yang Chen had no intention of playing house with Zhu Di.

In his heart, he only wanted to quickly capture some illegal alchemists and use them at his will.

Otherwise, the experiment cannot proceed and the weapons he wants cannot be produced.

Zhu Di rolled his eyes when he was rejected.

He had long been accustomed to Yang Chen's attitude towards him. His eyes wandered around and finally looked at the telescope on the table.

Yang Chen made this little gadget a few days ago. At first, he wanted to take it and see what was so magical about it.

Unfortunately, the other party refused to give in.

So Zhu Di shifted his gaze and looked at a strange thing.

It is also made of bamboo and iron, but it looks a bit strange.

He hadn't seen it when he came yesterday, but he saw it today.

With curiosity, Zhu Di reached out and took it and looked it up and down.

"Yang Chen? What is this thing?"

There is an iron sheet and a bamboo tube at the front end, a piece of wood is inserted at the back, the tail end is slightly thick and the middle is thin.

He was able to grasp it completely, and after moving it a little, Zhu Di felt that this thing was very suitable for throwing out.

If Yang Chen hadn't spoken up to stop him, he would have probably done it.

"This thing is a grenade, a very powerful weapon."

"So? This thing can kill the enemy?"

"Of course! But right now this thing is just a model. It hasn't been filled with gunpowder yet. It can only be used with gunpowder."

After listening to it, Zhu Di quickly found items similar to what the other party said in his mind.

Northern Song Dynasty.

Someone in the imperial court developed a weapon called "Sky-shaking Bomb".

This weapon also involves filling a container with gunpowder and then detonating it to kill the enemy.

It’s a pity that the manufacturing technology of the Northern Song Dynasty was very poor, and each thunder bomb was very heavy.

The explosion was not very powerful and could only scare the enemy's horses, but it could not hurt anyone at all.

"Yang Chen, I'm not saying anything bad about you, but isn't this grenade of yours just a thunder bomb that was not used in the Northern Song Dynasty?

Light the gunpowder inside and throw it at the enemy, and the final power will not be very great. "

Seeing Zhu Di's disdainful look, Yang Chen felt quite dissatisfied.

"Tsk, you are so short-sighted that you think my hand grenade is the same as the Northern Song Dynasty's thunder bomb.

The thunder bomb is a ball wrapped in iron or copper. To put it nicely, the thunder bomb can scare people, but to put it bluntly, it is just a lump of iron.

Not only are they bulky, but they are also difficult to throw, and even if you throw them, there's no guarantee that they will explode.

Even if it exploded, the power wouldn't be great. It was heavy, hard to hold, and not very powerful.

This piece of rubbish is worthy of being compared with my grenade?"

"To tell you the truth, do you see this bamboo tube wrapped in iron sheet that is my grenade?
In the future, there will not only be gunpowder in here, but also a lot of residue from broken iron sheets.

Mixing gunpowder and residue together will not only not affect the power of the explosion, but will also increase the damage caused by the explosion by more than one level.

All it takes is a lighted fuse to activate the gunpowder, and then BAM!

Gunpowder can blow up the bamboo tube, and even the iron sheet wrapped around it cannot stop it.

When it explodes, the iron fragments mixed in it will fly out, and anyone who is not wearing iron armor will definitely be seriously injured.

Even if you wear it, it is useless because the noise of the explosion can shock the enemy to the point where they cannot hear anything and even lose themselves. "

After hearing Yang Chen's description, Zhu Di thought of the Thunder as a comparison.

Anyone with a discerning eye can tell which one is stronger and which one is weaker.

It’s just that he just looked down on the grenade, but now he is acting like he wants it.

So Zhu Di, who was strong-willed, could only swallow his saliva and said nothing.

Seeing what was in Zhu Di's mind, Yang Chen acted as if he was deeply distressed.

"Ah~ Originally, the purpose of making this thing was to allow you, Yongle, to kill enemies in the future when you are on the march.

Just think about it, the enemy must be unfamiliar with this thing, and may have never even seen it.

From now on you will ride a fast horse and carry a few grenades on your body.

When the time comes, you just throw it there and shout a few times, the enemies will not only not retreat, but will gather together to see what the hell it is.

When there were more people around, the grenades exploded and the iron pieces flew and pierced their flesh.

You can injure multiple enemies at one time, and then you can reap the rewards. Isn't that much better than fighting the enemies directly?

Furthermore, this thing can also be used to prevent the enemy from climbing the city walls.

It's much better than using rolling stones and wasting kerosene.

You can even bundle several grenades together when you capture a city.

Throwing it at the enemy's city gate can instantly blow a hole in it.

Isn't it more convenient than using several times your troops to besiege the enemy for several months?"

"But now it seems that you are taking my kindness for granted. In that case, when this thing is made in the future, I will give it to other people first!"

In an instant, Zhu Di, who had maintained a calm expression just now, could no longer hold it in.

His expression changed again and again. After a short while of thinking, he finally licked his face and said in surprise:

"You! So you made this for me!"

Faced with Yang Chen's playful smile, Zhu Di ignored it and was very moved instead.

He said that what he had just said did not mean to look down on him at all, and hoped that the other party would not misunderstand him.

Looking at the other person who was about to get closer to him, he even looked like he wanted to grab his hand and tell him something.

Yang Chen simply raised his hand to block Zhu Di, keeping the two of them at a safe distance.

"Wait a minute! Let me tell you, I have remembered what you just said, and I will make your father beat you up in the future.

If you can still be like this by then, you will be given priority in weapons and other matters."

"Not really, right? Yang Chen! Even if my relationship with you is not as close as yours with Big Brother.

Can't you please be magnanimous and forgive me because I didn't get angry even though you've cheated me so many times?
Besides, I didn't mean it just now, why do you have to?"

"As for! So for sure! Don't say any more. To use the words of my later life, your explanation just now was just a cover-up. I don't believe it!"

Seeing that Yang Chen didn't buy his trick, the emotion on Zhu Di's face disappeared in an instant.

He didn't pay much attention to Zhu Di's attitude towards him.

Wait until the gunpowder on the distant table really will not continue to react.

Yang Chen began to put on a protective suit made of cowhide and prepared to approach.

This thing can only block the front, the back is completely empty.

There was no way, the technology of that era was like this, and he was helpless.

Just as he was about to move forward, he heard the servants' shouts from behind.

"Master! Master! Someone wants to see you!"

Yang Chen turned around and looked at the panting servant, then stopped and took off his heavy leather coat.

"Who wants to see me?"

When the servant finally caught his breath and was able to speak, Yang Chen asked first.

"According to the master, it was a young man dressed in luxurious clothes and looked extraordinary. He said that as long as you show this token to you, you will know who he is."

Hearing this, Yang Chen became curious.

Soon he saw the gold and jade prince's token in the servant's hand, which was made with extremely expensive craftsmanship.

He was very familiar with this thing. He had often seen Zhu Biao hanging it around his waist in the palace before.

"Yongle, look who's here."

Lying on a lazy chair, Zhu Di opened his eyes hazily and found that it was actually his eldest brother's token.

The whole person jumped up from the chair as if he had done something wrong.

"Oh my god! Why is Big Brother here?

Shouldn't he be in the palace? It's over, it's over, if he knew I didn't go to the governor's office to train the troops.

But if I'm with you, he won't suspect that I have second thoughts!"

Ever since Zhu Di found out that he had seized the throne from his nephew, he felt extremely guilty towards his elder brother.

Even if it wasn't his fault, he still robbed it. There's no need for so many excuses.

For this reason, whenever he had the chance, Zhu Di dared not look his elder brother in the eye, for fear that his elder brother would mention these problems that had not yet occurred.

However, he did not expect that his elder brother, who used to handle government affairs in the palace, had left the palace and happened to run into him.

No matter what he says later, he won't be able to explain it clearly.

Compared to this, Yang Chen's mind was not so active. He was just curious about the purpose of Zhu Biao's visit.

I don’t know why Zhu Di reacted this way.

Just feel funny said:

"Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing? Are you hiding something bad from your big brother?

After all, you are the Yongle Emperor, can't you be a little bolder?"

Zhu Di was already on edge, and the moment he heard the words "Emperor Yongle", he got furious.

Pointing at Yang Chen fearfully, he said:

"Don't talk nonsense. It's Yongle whether you open your mouth or close your mouth. Do you think I've lived too long and want to shorten my life?
Now that my elder brother is here, how dare I meet him? Please tell me quickly if there is a back door in this mansion.

I'm leaving right away, don't tell my brother that I was here."

"That's a pity. My mansion doesn't have a back door."

Yang Chen looked at Zhu Di's frightened expression, frowned and pretended to think for a while before responding.

However, Zhu Di's determination to leave was beyond his imagination.

When this guy heard the word "no way", he was stunned for a moment, and then complained that there was no way in such a big mansion.

He then said that even if there was no door, it would not stop his determination to leave.

So he prepared to escape over the wall.

Seeing that Zhu Di was not joking, Yang Chen hurriedly stopped him.

"Alright, alright! Yongle, you are really shocked. A prince came to my mansion, but he wanted to escape by climbing over the wall?
Are you ashamed? This is a high-profile business, and you are not ashamed! "

"Chi Lin, keep an eye on him. If I bring the prince here later and find that he is not here, I will hold you accountable!"

Yang Chen instructed the captain Chi Lin next to him, and turned and left without waiting for Zhu Di to react.

"My subordinate understands!"

Chi Lin, with his tall and strong body, came in front of Zhu Di and said helplessly:
"I'm sorry, Your Highness! I hope you won't make things difficult for me."

Zhu Di: "."

After spending so much time together, Chi Lin and the others were still unclear about Yang Chen's identity.

But they could judge by observing his words and expressions that Yang Chen's status was higher than that of the prince!
Even the King of Yan would not be able to get away with it in front of him.

Therefore, Chi Lin knew clearly how to choose between offending Yang Chen and offending King Yan.

Seeing this mood, Zhu Di was completely helpless and just lay down on the chair waiting to meet his elder brother.

Leaving the sand, we stepped onto the path leading to the mansion.

Soon they arrived at the door of the mansion.

"Hahaha! A Biao! I didn't expect you to be willing to leave the palace and come to my place!
According to what you said, your presence here makes this humble place more glorious!"

For nearly ten days, Yang Chen immersed himself in the experimental field.

However, due to lack of manpower, his progress was very slow, which was completely different from what he expected.

Only when he had no other choice would he ask Zhu Biao for the criminals imprisoned in the imperial prison.

Seeing Yang Chen appear, Zhu Biao smiled.

To be honest, he has returned to his original life since Yang Chen left.

In the Eastern Palace, Lu had been punished by him to go to the cold palace to reflect on her mistakes facing the wall.

The reason was simple. In order to make Zhu Biao notice her and Zhu Yunwen, Lu made Zhu Yunwen deliberately have a stomachache and feel bloated.

At that time, Zhu Biao was thinking about how to deal with smallpox and the salaries of officials. Just when he had an inspiration, Lu came to him crying.

I originally thought that Zhu Yunwen was just being naughty or was just weak.

After investigation, it was discovered that it was Lu's deliberate behavior.

Zhu Biao was immediately furious.

He immediately ordered her to go to the cold palace to reflect on her mistakes for a month.

On the green road of the mansion, Zhu Biao told everyone everything that had happened in the past few days.

"Brother Yang, now you know why I envy you, you are free, unrestrained, and can do whatever you want.

Just like a butterfly, it can flap its wings and fly freely in the vast sea of ​​flowers.

I've failed miserably as a crown prince. Even my wife wants to plot against me.

For this, she even let her own son get hurt!"

Listening to Zhu Biao sinking into a state of self-blame, Yang Chen didn't know how to persuade him for a moment.

The two of them walked forward like this, followed by guards in addition to the maid, keeping a distance of more than three meters.

“Prince, this is not your fault. Born in this era, you cannot escape from your own identity. For this reason, you must be ruthless in some things.

I have never met Crown Princess Lu, but from what you said, she should be a jealous woman.

I hope you don't blame me for speaking harshly. Since ancient times, women living in official families would either become women who could assist their husbands in becoming model emperors.

Or they will continue to cause trouble and even bring a lot of trouble to their husband's family.

In fact, it is not just in this era. Women are very complicated creatures. Even in the enlightened future, there are many examples of women ruining family traditions. "

Yang Chen thought about the era in which he lived and casually picked up an example.

Some big shots have problems because of their wives or other women.

Originally, as long as you give in, big things will be reduced to small things, and small things will be nothing.

However, these women not only did not back down, but instead became more aggressive, relying on the fact that their husbands held high positions to offend others to death.

In the end, it will cause unpleasantness and give others a handle to hold against it.

Throughout history, there are countless people who have ruined their official careers because of stupid women.

These people knew that there was something wrong with the woman, but in the end they didn't have the heart to cut off ties with her.

In the end, the future was ruined because of a little woman.

After Yang Chen said this, Zhu Biao rubbed the front of his lower abdomen with his hands and made a decision in his heart.

“You are right, a good wife is like a treasure, and a bad wife is like grass.

Ever since Chang passed away, in order to prevent the two brothers Xiongying and Yunxun from having psychological problems due to lack of maternal love.

So he obeyed his father's order and restored Lu to the throne.

But I didn't expect things to develop in the opposite direction and end up in such a situation.

After I return, I must discuss this matter with my father."

Hearing this, Yang Chen did not expect Zhu Biao to be so decisive.

In order to prevent Zhu Biao from having such thoughts out of impulse.

Yang Chen tried to find out again:

"A Biao, if you depose the Crown Princess, then won't you be without a Queen in the future?

I'm sure the Queen and His Majesty would not agree to this, right?"

In response to this, Zhu Biao waved his hand forward without thinking.

The majestic said:

"So what if there is no queen! The First Emperor did not have a queen since he unified the Central Plains.

Does being an emperor require a queen?
Now that we know what Lu did, it proves that she is not qualified to be the queen!"

Zhu Biao's attitude had already confirmed his determination, so Yang Chen didn't say much.

Anyway, he is not a member of the Zhu family, so the most he can do is express some opinions on other people's family affairs.

Now that Zhu Biao has made up his mind, let him do as he pleases.

"By the way, Brother Yang, I came here today not only to see how you are doing outside, but also for one more thing.

That is the alchemists you asked me to detain in large numbers in the imperial prison.

My father has learned about this matter, so he sent me here to ask you, what is going on?"

The two parties were not strangers, so there was no need to beat around the bush. Zhu Biao went straight to the point.

According to Zhu Biao's inner thoughts, after Yang Chen knew the purpose of his visit, he should immediately give a detailed explanation.

However, the other party did not play according to the routine.

Keep walking, extending your hand in invitation.

"I know your purpose for coming here is not simple. Come with me first, and you will know later."

Seeing this, Zhu Biao didn't ask any more questions, but continued walking with Yang Chen.

The two of them quickly entered the sand along the courtyard path surrounded by green vines.

As his vision gradually became wider, Zhu Biao was greatly shocked.

I saw a piece of land that was not even a training ground and was flattened by manpower. The ground was covered with sand and various gravel.

On the left are a series of makeshift wooden houses, surrounded by some kilns with chimneys.

There are many blacksmiths busy working inside.

The right side was much cleaner, with some buildings he couldn't understand sticking out of the ground, and also an acquaintance.

That was his younger brother.

Directly in front of him was a large shed, and under the shed was the metal table where Yang Chen did his experiments.

Wooden products need to be replaced after each explosion. For this reason, Yang Chen directly ordered the craftsmen to make a wooden table that would not be damaged by any explosion.

The two came to where Zhu Di was.

"Big brother! Why are you here?"

Seeing his elder brother appear, Zhu Di seemed a little flustered, while Zhu Biao looked at the two of them.

Then he asked:
"Fourth Brother? Why are you here instead of staying in your own palace?
Didn't you dislike Yang Chen the most or even fear him before? "

Zhu Di felt a little embarrassed when faced with his brother's teasing.

After hesitating for a moment, he stammered and answered, but he didn't expect Yang Chen to take the lead.

"You mean him? This guy is afraid that I'm used to it. He said that I always cheat him, so he wants to eat and drink for free and ask me to make up for his losses."

"Bah! You're talking nonsense! I didn't mean to eat and drink for free. After all, I have helped you a few times. Don't blame me for everything!"

After hearing Yang Chen's words, Zhu Di immediately defended himself.

Zhu Biao didn't believe anything the two said.

As for the truth behind his brother's appearance here, he didn't want to delve into it.

Zhu Di is already an adult, so it is normal for him to have his own secrets.

As the eldest brother, all he has to do is to keep watch and not let his younger brothers do anything wrong.

As for other things, he wouldn't waste time on them.

The two of them quickly ended their argument, which ended with Zhu Di muttering to himself.

Yang Chen pointed to the distance and said:

"Well, these things are why I asked you to help me find a Taoist priest in the Imperial Prison."

As he spoke, a telescope appeared in Zhu Biao's hand.

"What is this?"

"You put it in front of your eyes and then push it forward or stretch it back to where you think it's going to be."

The principle of a telescope is actually very simple; it consists of just a few lenses inside.

Since no one could personally observe the scene and images after the explosion, Yang Chen had to spend a whole day asking his men to grind out several concave and convex mirrors using a water mill.

After careful selection, suitable lenses were found and combined to form the world's first telescope.

The workmanship is a bit rough, but it's usable.

Zhu Biao quickly learned how to use the telescope following Yang Chen's method.

The moment he saw the thing that was so close at hand for the first time, Zhu Biao almost threw away what he was holding.

The visual impact made him feel very uncomfortable.

"Hiss! This thing is really amazing! Did you make this telescope, Yang Chen?"

Looking at the bamboo telescope in his hand, Zhu Biao felt very curious. He didn't expect that this trip would bring him unexpected gains.

“We’ll talk about this later. First, let me tell you why I need a large number of alchemists.

Your Majesty asked you to ask me, so I guess he must be looking for an alchemist for me to make an elixir, right?"

Zhu Biao was surprised at Yang Chen's guess.

They had indeed discussed this possibility that day, and nodded as an acknowledgement that the other was right.

Yang Chen was not surprised to see this, he just waved his hand to indicate that he did not mean that.

“I knew it, but don’t worry, I didn’t ask them to come here to make elixirs or practice ancient Dian witchcraft.

After more than six hundred years, the world has developed its own set of theories, which I call "science".

These theories about ghosts and gods have not yet been confirmed. Perhaps there are higher dimensions, but it is impossible for current civilization to access them.

So I have no intention of refining the elixir at all. The reason why I want to ask the alchemists to come is simply because they are "experts" in this profession."

"expert?"

Zhu Biao was confused, not knowing what this meant. As far as he knew, those alchemists were used to deceiving others, even themselves, so mountains of swords and seas of fire were nothing to them.

Some even go so far as to dig out other people's eyes and use them as medicine.

“An expert means someone who is outstanding in a certain field. Although those alchemists did many evil things, they were very courageous.

In order to obtain the elixir of immortality, people dare to touch anything.

Take the alchemy furnace for example. Green vitriol, mercury, sulfur, even animal fur and feces, and various minerals were stuffed into the furnace.

What they get in the end is always unexpected, and they don't care if people die as a result.

That’s why I wanted to find them.”

"So, you want to find these alchemists to get what you want through alchemy?

Is this thing dangerous?"

Zhu Biao already understood what Yang Chen meant, but he didn't expect that this process would be so dangerous.

Nodding to confirm the other party's words, Yang Chen narrowed his eyes and said indifferently:
"Of course, I have already found out everything. Those alchemists are causing harm to the people everywhere, making the area uneasy.

Since this is the case, their final destination is death, so why not make good use of them and let them be loyal to the Ming Dynasty before they die?

What I want to make is an explosive that is dozens of times more powerful than black powder!

Once this is accomplished, the Ming’s artillery shells will be able to fire at least a thousand steps! Or even more! "

(End of this chapter)