Bringing the Railway to Daming

The movie begins with the scene of the rebel army attacking Kaifeng.

After watching for a while, Zhu Biao and Zhu Di realized that it was the rebel army attacking Kaifeng, and thought to themselves that the war scenes in later generations were too fake.

Leaving aside the details of attacking and defending the city, as well as the soldiers' weapons and clothing, just take the Kaifeng city wall as an example. It could never be as low and narrow as it is in the movie.

In fact, before Zhu Su was enfeoffed as the Prince of Zhou in the eleventh year of Hongwu's reign and planned to take up his fief in Kaifeng, the city of Kaifeng had already been largely repaired.

The city wall was 20 li and 190 steps in circumference, 2 zhang and 1 chi wide, and 3 zhang and 5 chi high. The city gate tower was more than 5 zhang high. There was also a moat outside the city wall, which was 2 zhang deep and 5 zhang wide.

Furthermore, because Kaifeng is located north of the Yellow River and surrounded by other rivers, it is not just tall and sturdy, easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Judging from the comparison between the city wall and the people in the movie, the city wall is probably only three zhang (approximately 10 meters) at most, and only a little over one zhang (approximately 3 meters) wide, which may not even be as good as some prefectural cities.

However, considering it's just a movie, Zhu Yuanzhang and the other two could understand—they couldn't really recreate an ancient city of Kaifeng just for the sake of making a movie, could they?

While the three were pondering these things, the scene of Sun Chuanting being released from prison and going to the palace to meet with Emperor Chongzhen was also released.

When Zhu Yuanzhang and others heard that Sun Chuanting wanted 5,000 troops to quell the rebels, they were speechless. The rebels had already besieged Kaifeng, and the Ming Dynasty was only two years away from its demise. How could 5,000 elite troops possibly be able to quell them?
Let alone the five thousand elite soldiers of the late Ming Dynasty, even five thousand elite soldiers today might not be able to achieve that.

Then they began to speculate that Sun Chuanting had been imprisoned for too long and was unaware of the situation outside, which was why he made such a boastful statement.

However, although Emperor Chongzhen appears in this scene, it's hard to tell what he is – he is dressed simply and has a handsome appearance, looking more like a spirited scholar than an emperor.

The film then begins to tell two narrative lines: one is the story of the itinerant doctor Wu Youke, and the other is the story of Sun Chuanting, who goes to Shaanxi to take up the post of military governor.

The film uses a small plot to show that Wu Youke's methods of healing are different from ordinary doctors, yet his medical skills are superb. Furthermore, the film includes a scene where Wu Youke encounters the rebel army, and the rebel army clashes with the government troops.

On the other hand, after Sun Chuanting became the commander-in-chief, he took his family to Shaanxi to assume his post. Upon arriving in Shaanxi, he summoned all the generals to join forces, but He Renlong was the only one who did not come.

Then the scene shifts, and He Renlong's troops do indeed breach a small village along the way, where Ming soldiers are committing rape and looting...
Seeing this, the three of them shook their heads, but they were not surprised.

In the early Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang strictly enforced laws and regulations, forbidding the army from harming the people. However, a few soldiers still violated military discipline. By the end of the Ming Dynasty, the court's authority had waned, and this phenomenon inevitably became more prevalent.

Moreover, Emperor Chongzhen had previously stated that many local armies were no longer obeying the imperial court's orders and were essentially half-warlords.

However, in this time and space, the Ming army is now much better than it was in the early years of the Hongwu reign, and can almost completely refrain from harming the people.

Firstly, in addition to strict military discipline, the army also educates ordinary soldiers, teaching them to be loyal to the emperor, serve the country, and care for the people.

Secondly, the Ming army is now well-treated and enjoys a high social status, which is quite prestigious.

When people have a sense of honor, they will naturally keep themselves pure and upright.

The entire film is set in a dark tone, with background music and plot that evoke a sense of desolation and bleakness, as if to suggest that the Ming Dynasty is like a sun that has already set, with only a few rays of light remaining.

Next, the film mainly tells the story of Wu Youke assisting Sun Chuanting in controlling the epidemic in the army and the local area. The battles between the Ming army and the rebel army, as well as the various aspects of the late Ming Dynasty, are only depicted in a side way.

Even though these indirect descriptions were fleeting glimpses, they still made Zhu Yuanzhang and his companions realize the dire situation at the end of the Ming Dynasty...
Nearly two hours later, after the movie ended, Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Biao, and Zhu Di remained silent for a long time.

After about a minute, Zhu Biao sighed, "Sun Chuanting has had it really tough—after arriving in Shaanxi, he not only has to deal with warlords like He Renlong who don't obey orders and harm the people, but also has to solve the problems of the army's need for armor, food, and pay."

"Moreover, we encountered a terrible plague. If it weren't for Wu Youke's help, the army would probably have lost its fighting capacity due to the plague before we even left Tongguan."

"The most unfortunate thing is that Chongzhen lost Sun Chuanting's trust so quickly, and repeatedly urged him to go out of the pass to suppress the rebels in order to save Kaifeng. Chongzhen never thought that if Sun Chuanting's troops were defeated by the rebels again, what troops would the Ming Dynasty have left to stop the rebels?"

Zhu Di frowned and said, "It's understandable that Chongzhen, living deep within the palace, wouldn't be well aware of the situation outside."

"Furthermore, his concerns were not without merit—Sun Chuanting initially said that only 5,000 elite troops were needed to quell the rebels, but after arriving, he turned around and asked for money, armor, and reinforcements. With the country in such dire straits, how could Chongzhen not be suspicious?"

"Hmph," Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly, "Fourth brother, is this your opinion of Chongzhen and Sun Chuanting in the movie? You're really not as good as Biao'er."

"While Sun Chuanting certainly had the potential to establish a separatist regime, and Chongzhen should indeed have been suspicious, he should not have failed to distinguish between what was important and what was not, and he should not have urged Sun Chuanting to leave Tongguan at an inappropriate time to fight the rebels in order to save Kaifeng."

"As for your claim that it's understandable that Chongzhen, living deep within the palace, was unaware of the situation in the world, isn't that a joke? The more a ruler lives deep within the palace, the more effort he should put into understanding the situation in the world."

Why do we vigorously develop intelligence agencies like the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Bright Guard, and the Eastern Depot? Isn't it precisely to ensure we have clear eyes and ears, and are not deceived by treacherous officials and villains?

"Emperor Chongzhen was unaware of the true state of affairs in the country. As an emperor, he had already failed in his duty."

At this moment, Zhu Biao asked curiously, "Brother-in-law, did Wu Youke really help Sun Chuanting solve the plague problem in the army in history?"

Liu Kuan said, "This humble subject does not know—but this humble subject remembers saying before that Wu Youke was indeed the physician who conducted the most in-depth and fruitful research on plague in the late Ming Dynasty."

"His book, 'Treatise on Plague,' lists various plagues common in the late Ming Dynasty, such as the big-headed plague, the bumpy plague, the shrimp membrane plague, and the melon pulp plague. By the 19th century, it was already an advanced medical theory, more than two hundred years ahead of Europe." Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang and his two companions were not surprised—in their time, and even in the era before, China was ahead of overseas countries in many aspects, even by a wide margin, and they had long been accustomed to it.

On the contrary, it was abnormal that in the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, and especially in the Qing Dynasty, China lagged behind overseas countries in many aspects such as military and weaponry.

Otherwise, why would successive Chinese dynasties dare to call themselves the Celestial Empire?

Afterwards, Zhu Yuanzhang chatted with Liu Kuan, Zhu Biao, and Zhu Di about other matters related to the late Ming Dynasty. Feeling slightly drowsy, he then let Liu Kuan and Zhu Di leave...
···
Prince Yan's Mansion.

Zhu Neng was engrossed in reading a copy of "Illustrated Catalogue of Maritime Kingdoms" with several guards.

This newspaper was bought by Zhang Yu when he went to investigate the "Illustrated Journal of Maritime Kingdoms". The guards then discovered that not only were the overseas customs and stories interesting, but the character illustrations were also worth studying. So they often gathered together to observe and discuss them.

"Zhu Neng, the King wants you to come over," Zhang Fu suddenly called out.

Zhu Neng reluctantly put down the illustrated book and left the room, casually asking, "Do you know why the King wanted to see me?"

Zhang Fu: "Who knows? But the king's face has looked unwell ever since he left the palace. Be careful."

"Hmm." Zhu Neng nodded, not thinking that Zhu Di's bad mood had anything to do with him—aside from reading too many novels and newspapers in the capital lately, he hadn't done anything wrong. Besides, Zhu Di had always been very good to them, the guards and sons of military officers.

Upon entering the hall, Zhu Neng saw Zhu Di sitting there with a stern face. He bowed respectfully and then asked, "What are your orders, Your Majesty?"

Zhu Di scrutinized Zhu Neng from head to toe with an unfriendly gaze and asked, "Zhu Neng, you know how much I value you. Now that I've returned to Yan, I'm preparing to send you out to lead troops."

"Given the current situation in Yan, it will be easy for you to make meritorious contributions, and I will not be stingy with rewards. It is not impossible for you to be ennobled like your father in the future."

Zhu Neng's expression brightened upon hearing this, and he quickly patted his chest, saying, "Your Majesty, rest assured, if I go to the army, I will certainly not disgrace you and will make many contributions!"

Zhu Di nodded slightly, then said, "Let me ask you a question—if, hundreds of years from now, my descendants are not capable and the Yan Kingdom has declined, will your descendants betray my family and the Yan Kingdom?"

Upon hearing such a strange question, Zhu Neng was taken aback.

However, he only looked honest and simple; he was not stupid at all. In fact, he was shrewd despite his rough appearance. After regaining his senses, he immediately knelt down and promised, "Your Majesty, I will never betray you, and my descendants will never betray the Yan Kingdom under any circumstances!"

Zhu Di stared at him and said, "I believe in your loyalty, but how can you guarantee the loyalty of your descendants to the Yan state?"

How to ensure the loyalty of future generations to the State of Yan?

How can this be guaranteed?

Zhu Neng racked his brains, his face turning red, and finally came up with a plan. He said, "When I get back, I will write down the ancestral precepts with my father, so that our descendants will always be loyal to the State of Yan and its ruler. Anyone who has a disloyal heart will be expelled from the family genealogy!"

"Hahaha," Zhu Di suddenly laughed upon hearing this, and stood up to help Zhu Neng up. "I was just saying it casually, you don't have to take it so seriously."

Do you think this is something you can just say casually?

That's terrifying!

Thinking this to himself, Zhu Neng said aloud, "Your Majesty, I'm not just saying this casually. I will really leave behind ancestral instructions to remind you of this matter—after all, my family's wealth and status are all bestowed upon us by Your Majesty. If we were to betray the Yan Kingdom, would we still be human?"

Zhu Di patted Zhu Neng on the shoulder and said, "It's good that you think this way. Alright, go down now."

"Yes."

Zhu Neng left the hall, wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, and then couldn't help but ponder: Why would the King suddenly doubt his family's loyalty? Could it be that a villain is slandering them behind their backs? Could it be that brat Zhang Fu?

With this in mind, Zhu Neng decided to go back and test Zhang Fu.

Currently, among the Yan army, the Zhang family and his family have the greatest influence, and it is possible that the Zhang family wants to squeeze out his family.

···
···
Before we knew it, the hot summer had passed, and August had arrived again.

On the second day of the lunar new year, Zhu Biao finished processing several memorials that needed to be discussed with Zhu Yuanzhang in the Fengxian Hall, and then said, "Father, tomorrow is the third day of the eighth lunar month again. Your son plans to go to the cross-river bridge with Liu Kuan again."

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned slightly and said, "Let him go by himself tomorrow. You shouldn't go."

"Why?"

Zhu Biao found it strange; in previous years, Zhu Yuanzhang had never objected to his plans to visit, so why had he changed his mind this year? (End of Chapter)