Zhu Yuanzhang in the cellar

Chapter 251 Hongwu Marketplace
"Let's see if we use a drone or not. Seeing is believing. Let's go out on the street."

After observing the drone for a long time, Zhu Yunfeng made a suggestion.

Nanjing under the Hongwu Emperor underwent tremendous changes. Utilizing later technologies, materials, and machinery, it was transformed dramatically in just eight years.

Not only did the population grow tenfold from the initial two or three hundred thousand to three million.

Even train stations, ferry stations, and some bridges across the river were built.

People could be seen riding bicycles through the city from time to time, which showed that bicycle manufacturing was no longer a problem for the Ming Dynasty.

However, the industrial base was still too weak, and relying solely on importing modern machinery made development too slow.

If it were a future era, with the industrial capabilities of that era, if the authorities wanted to build a new international metropolis, they could probably recreate Shenzhen in eight years.

Moreover, despite having modern technology and a wide variety of large-scale machinery, the Ming Dynasty was still unable to build bridges across the Yangtze River.

The train network has indeed been deployed, but it mainly covers the Yangtze River Delta region.

It's basically in the southern part of Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

There is a railway in Jiangbei, but it is not connected to Jiangnan. You can only take a train to Zhenjiang, then take a steamship across the river in Zhenjiang, and then take a train in Yangzhou on the other side.

Currently, the furthest railway line reaches is Huai'an, with a total distance of less than two thousand kilometers.

Therefore, in some ways, the development of the Ming Dynasty in recent years may not even be comparable to that of the African people.

If at least one African country received all of my country's technical, material, and machinery assistance, and had a large conglomerate with a market value of nearly 100 billion as its backer, its GDP would probably have taken off long ago.

The most typical example is Rwanda.

In contrast, the Ming Dynasty was seamlessly integrated, unlike Africa which required crossing oceans. As a result, it developed into what it is, which is indeed not good.

But there is nothing we can do.

Ultimately, we don't lack technology, materials, or machinery; what we lack is talent.

By cooperating with African countries, a large number of high-end talents from China can go there to work in civil engineering, infrastructure, communications, mining, and so on. The African countries only need to provide some labor.

Even if the black men are lazy, they don't need to pay any labor. Many civil engineering graduates from China are eager to work as mortar workers, and they can save up hundreds of thousands or even millions of yuan after a few years.

The Ming Dynasty was in dire need of talent, even though it was already making every effort to improve education, establishing schools nationwide, and carrying out modern educational reforms.

Talented individuals cannot be cultivated in a short period of time.

Therefore, Zhu Biao cannot be blamed.

The current level of development is basically the limit. A truly rapid growth period will likely not begin for at least another ten years, when a large number of students with high school and university degrees graduate.

"Well, you go ahead."

Upon hearing Zhu Yunfeng's words, Zhu Biao smiled and said, "I have some things to take care of later, so I won't accompany you shopping."

"Let's go."

Zhu Yunfeng stood up from his chair, stretched, and said, "It's been a long time since I've gone shopping. I wonder if I still recognize anyone on the street."

Starting from the twelfth year of the Hongwu reign, he enjoyed wandering around the streets of Nanjing, acting as a street urchin.

First I walked, then I switched to a motorcycle, and later I got a Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

He watched as the streets of Nanjing gradually expanded, the population grew increasingly prosperous, and even painted boats appeared on the Qinhuai River, with brothels springing up within the city.

I haven't been there for over a year now, and the population has increased so much. I wonder if his legend still exists.

The three children then swaggered out of the Fengtian Hall and got back into the Mercedes-Benz.

The car roared off.

Following Fengtian Gate, we headed towards the Meridian Gate.

Although it snowed heavily, the palace would naturally sweep the snow frequently. Except for the main hall outside the Qianqing Palace, where people were not allowed to go and large-scale snow removal was not possible, the rest of the palace was covered with white snow on the rooftops.

The G-Class suddenly pulled up to the gate of Fengtian. The guards at the gate all widened their eyes, and some even reached out to stop it, shouting, "Who's there?"

"Shh!"

A guard pulled him back and scolded, "Are you out of your mind? This is His Highness the King of Wu's carriage."

"fine."

Zhu Yunfeng stopped at the palace gate, opened the window, leaned out and laughed, "Young man, I got off the carriage, you got off the post. You didn't stop the carriage, you stopped your future. I'm the one who's drunk, you're the one who should wake up."

"what?"

The guards were dumbfounded and stood there in a daze.

"Ha ha ha ha."

Zhu Yunfeng chuckled, “Alright, I was just teasing you. I haven’t been here for a year, so it’s normal that the new guards don’t recognize me. You’ve all been loyal to your duties, which is commendable. Reward him with two silver dollars.”

"Yes, thank you, Your Highness, thank you, Your Highness."

The crowd hurriedly responded.

The guards who had stopped the car earlier were already terrified.

The captain on guard reprimanded him, "Next time, keep your eyes peeled. Only His Highness the Prince of Wu and the Duke of Chu can drive this carriage. From now on, let them pass immediately when you see this carriage, understand?"

"Yes Yes Yes."

The guards seemed to awaken from a dream.

In fact, during the year that Zhu Yunfeng and Ji He were absent, their legends did indeed circulate in the martial arts world.

Everyone knows that there are two special figures in the Ming Dynasty, His Highness Prince Wu and Duke of Chu, who are always unconventional and roam freely inside and outside the palace.

However, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class was always parked in the square outside Fengtian Hall, which was a restricted area where no one was allowed to go. Even when the underground palace froze over in winter, Zhu Biao personally brought boiling water to melt the ice.

Jihe occasionally came over to generate electricity for the car, but at most he would just wander around Fengtian Hall Square a few times, which meant the guards hadn't seen the G-Wagon for a long time.

Especially those new guards, they hadn't even met Zhu Yunfeng and Ji He before, let alone a Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

That's why the car was stopped today.

However, the appearance of Zhu Yunfeng and Ji He also dispelled many rumors.

After all, the sudden disappearance of two high-ranking and powerful figures, and even the mysterious disappearance of Prince Yan, inevitably leads to speculation.

of course.

Zhu Yuanzhang has also disappeared.

However, he claimed to be recuperating from an illness, which naturally led to some rumors. But no one dared to spread rumors about Zhu Yuanzhang, especially since Zhu Biao was still alive, so the impact was not that great.

In contrast, things were different when the three little ones disappeared. Old Zhu stayed in the palace year-round, and on ordinary days he could only see some trusted ministers, guards, palace maids and eunuchs, or at worst some relatives and empresses and concubines in the harem.

It's normal for someone who is infected to disappear from public view.

The three of them would stroll around the streets every day, their figures visible everywhere in the streets and alleys of Nanjing. This had been going on for five or six years, and the palace guards and the neighbors outside the palace had long been used to it.

Their sudden disappearance naturally struck those who were already accustomed to them as odd, leading to gossip and whispers in the streets and among the families.

Some say they were sent to the frontier by the emperor.

Some say they were put to death. Others say they went overseas to other countries.

Anyway, there are all sorts of rumors.

Zhu Yunfeng and his group were naturally unaware of these things.

After exiting Fengtian Gate and passing through Wu Gate, you will reach Daming Gate, with the offices of the Five Ministries and Six Offices on both sides.

This place has changed dramatically.

A neat road stretching for one kilometer, from the Meridian Gate to the Daming Gate, has been built.

The two sides used to be the palace, with palace gates for entry and exit. Behind the palace walls were many low buildings used as offices for various departments. Not only were the office conditions simple, but it was also inconvenient to get in and out.

Now all those palace walls have been demolished, and paved sidewalks have been built, with flower beds and trees planted on both sides, as well as a large artificial lake with water from the Qinhuai River. The water surface alone covers more than 300 acres.

There are many artificial islands on these waters, with various buildings constructed on them, dazzling like palaces, and many officials carrying modern briefcases and documents coming and going.

Further out, near the Daming Gate, a parking shed was built along the palace wall, filled entirely with bicycles, with many officials commuting to and from get off work by bicycle.

Wearing Ming Dynasty official robes and carrying a briefcase does indeed look quite incongruous.

But there is nothing we can do.

Because Zhu Yunfeng's hometown is known for its typing and photocopying industry, he acquired a large number of typing and photocopying machines.

Then there's the paper.

With electricity, printers, and A4 paper, the Ming Dynasty naturally abandoned its old methods of handling official business.

Zhu Biao even planned to promote typewriters, but since pinyin was not yet popular among officials, he only acquired a small number of typewriters and found a few typists to learn.

Officials still wrote their documents by hand, and then made copies when multiple copies were needed, which increased efficiency.

At this moment, the G-Class drove through the various government offices. There were still many officials on bicycles blocking the way. When they saw the G-Class coming from behind, they all moved aside and looked at the roaring machine with surprise.

Officials who could work in the cabinet, the five ministries, and various departments were definitely not low-ranking officials. There were third and fourth-rank officials everywhere, fifth and sixth-rank officials were worse than dogs, and only first and second-rank officials were considered high-ranking officials.

But Zhu Yunfeng and his group were all low-ranking officials whom they didn't recognize. When they opened the window and leaned out, everyone else was dumbfounded. Only a very few people were quite surprised and greeted him, "Your Highness, Prince Wu."

"Hey, who are you again, you...you...who was it again?"

"Your subject is Liu Jiugao, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice. Back when I was a secretary in the Ministry of Revenue, my home was just outside Chang'an Street. Your Highness would often greet me when you came and went every day."

"Oh, it's you! You've been promoted in just one year. That's great!"

"We have missed Your Highness terribly this past year. If Your Highness does not mind, you are welcome to come to our home for tea when you have time."

"It's easy to talk about."

"Oh, Your Highness Prince Yan and Duke Chu are here too. Your subject pays respects to Your Highness and Duke Chu."

"No gift, no gift."

The three children greeted their acquaintances and then left.

The remaining people immediately surrounded Liu Jiugao and said, "Minister Liu, those three were His Highness the Prince of Yan, His Highness the Prince of Wu, and the Duke of Chu."

"That's right, it's been a long time."

"It seems the rumors were false. But if they're all here, why haven't we seen them for a year?"

"Who knows? Maybe it's true, as the rumors say, that he went to the frontier or went to sea."

"Hey, you dare invite His Highness to your home for tea? Aren't you afraid of dying?"

"You don't know, His Highness is very easygoing. Go to the outer street and ask any old neighbor who has lived there for several years. His Highness has never been particular about formalities. He can befriend anyone, whether they are high-ranking officials or ordinary people. He is a very nice person."

"I see."

Many newly promoted officials were abuzz with discussion, and rumors about Zhu Yunfeng and his ilk quickly spread throughout the court and among the public.

Zhu Yunfeng went out of the Daming Gate and onto the road.

The old Chang'an Avenue has been demolished, and the area outside has been replaced by those high-rise buildings that I saw in the videos before. They should now be the official residences of Nanjing's civil and military officials.

Walking to the right from the palace gate, which is to the west, is the direction into the city, where a straight main road has been built.

The plane trees on both sides were shedding their leaves. Although it was winter, the branches were not withered, but instead piled with snow. The leaves were yellow, and it had become a tree-lined avenue. It must have been very beautiful in spring.

The roads had been swept long ago because officials would be riding bicycles to work, so the roads were flat and smooth. Zhu Yunfeng could even drive at around 60 miles per hour, making it very fast.

Soon he emerged from the corner where the original Chang'an Street and Datong Street intersected, crossed the Dazhong Bridge, where there was also a city gate.

Once you go there, it's another world.

The streets were bustling with people, all dressed in thick cotton-padded coats.

It was the end of the year, and people were out shopping for New Year's goods, so it was even more bustling than usual. The shops were full of all kinds of goods, and countless people were moving around, filling the entire street.

As the car slowly pulled out, many people were startled and quickly moved aside. Although they had seen trains before, many of them were migrant workers from rural areas and had never heard of cars before.

But some shop owners on the street suddenly jumped out, heading towards the car, shouting, "Your Highness, Your Highness!"

"Oh, Old Zhang, still in the fabric business? How's business?"

Zhu Yunfeng peeked out and saw that the first person to come over was a middle-aged fat man dressed in fine silk and satin, wearing a round hat inlaid with jade, looking like a boss. He took three steps at a time to the car window and opened the window to greet him.

"Thanks to Your Highness's good fortune, business is doing well. It's been a long time since Your Highness last visited. I've received a lot of new materials, all of them high-quality Shu brocade. If Your Highness wants them, I'll arrange for them to be delivered to your residence immediately."

Fatty Zhang smiled憨厚ly.

Zhu Yunfeng, adapting to local customs, bought a lot of fabric from Zhang Pangzi to make a stylish Hanfu because he thought it was nice.

"I haven't been thinking about making any new clothes lately. I'll go out for a stroll in a while."

Zhu Yunfeng responded.

The next second, restaurant owners, breakfast vendors, dried tea sellers, and even cosmetic shop owners swarmed over and surrounded his car.

"Your Highness, it's been quite a while since we last met. What have you been up to lately?"

"Your Highness, please come and have some tea with me."

"What would you like to drink for lunch, Your Highness? Come to my place for a simple meal. These are all Your Highness's favorite dishes. Didn't Your Highness used to like chili peppers? I specially got some from the imperial estate and grew a lot of them myself."

"Your Highness, I have many young ladies who are eagerly awaiting your presence. They are all from noble families, and each one of them is exceptionally beautiful. Oh, the Duke of Chu is here too. Would the Duke like to take a look as well?"

The rouge shop owner wasn't trying to sell them rouge; she was trying to arrange a marriage between them.

After all, Zhu Yunfeng and Ji He did often wander the streets in the early days.

Because of their strange clothes and hairstyles, the young ladies and girls of Nanjing thought they were lecherous scoundrels and kept their distance.

After a while, when they heard about their identities, they were so eager to beg them to marry them.

Unfortunately, Zhu Yunfeng and Ji He were playful and reportedly frequented brothels and pleasure boats, but they failed to find a beautiful girl to marry, much to the regret of those girls.

Now, most of those fifteen or sixteen-year-old young ladies have gotten married.

But a new batch of fifteen- or sixteen-year-old young ladies have grown up, each one beautiful and charming, and they've all set their sights on those two eligible bachelors.

(End of this chapter)