The First Prince of the Ming Dynasty

a few days later.

After several busy days, Gongsun Jin, carrying the "results" he had gathered, went to see Zhu Chenhao.

"Your Highness, as you instructed, the news of Tang Yin composing 'Linjiang Xian' in Nanchang has been spread far and wide. For a time, it was as if paper was scarce in Luoyang. Not only in Nanchang, but even scholars in the surrounding areas were making a fuss and vying to recite it..."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Chenhao clenched his fists tightly and said viciously, "He got off too easily! Did he even know?"

Gongsun Jin smiled and said, "Of course I won't tell him; I'll have to wait for your instructions."

"Listen to my son. If Tang Yin gains such a great reputation for nothing, won't people find it strange that he has gone mad and lost his nature, yet he can still produce such poems?" Zhu Chenhao was naturally unwilling to hand over his son's achievements to others.

However, this seems to be a better approach in order to make use of Tang Yin.

If you want the world to believe you're awesome, you have to produce something truly awesome and become a hot topic in the Ming Dynasty.

Gongsun Jin said, "There will definitely be people who have doubts, but... given Tang Yin's reputation, it seems... there isn't much controversy surrounding his ability to produce such a work."

"yes."

All of Zhu Chenhao's thoughts.

If he were to suddenly tell outsiders that this masterpiece, hailed as "the greatest poem of the Ming Dynasty," was created by his son, people would always be skeptical.

You had no reputation in the literary world before, so how come you were able to create such a masterpiece right away?

Isn't this obviously suspicious?

But Tang Yin's life experiences actually became a catalyst for his creation of masterpieces, leading others to believe that this was a reflection of his helpless yet generous life.

"Your Highness, look, these are the drawings made by the young master. He says he wants to change the musket so that it will no longer need a fuse. He says it can be ignited directly with flint and fired, which will greatly increase the firing speed."

Gongsun Jin immediately took out other items and presented them to Prince Ning.

After reading it, Zhu Chenhao frowned and said, "Didn't I tell you to go and procure the materials for manufacturing gunpowder first? This..."

Gongsun Jin said, "Young Master mentioned that several hundred years later, wars between the two sides will be decided by firearms. Cannons can fire several miles at a time, and there is even something called a missile that can fire hundreds or thousands of miles... The weapons that soldiers usually use are similar to hand cannons. They can be fired continuously, dozens or even hundreds of times at a time, without needing to change the ammunition or fuse, and can fire hundreds of feet at a time..."

One seemed to be speaking in a mystical language, while the other was listening to it.

They were both completely bewildered.

He couldn't explain it clearly, and the listener felt completely lost.

"It must have been difficult to create these things, right?" Zhu Chenhao concluded.

Gongsun Jin almost rolled his eyes when he heard this.

Is not this nonsensical?

Is it possible for you, a son who has traveled 500 years into the future, to recreate the craftsmanship that took hundreds of years and countless people to create all at once?

"I also asked the young master a similar question. He said that people in the future are all specialists in their own fields. No one can master so many skills at once. Because of this, people hundreds of years later have a very clear division of labor and a very developed economy. Many people live in magnificent buildings with dozens of floors. I asked him, won't such buildings collapse? He said there is something called reinforced concrete..."

They remained completely bewildered.

However, Zhu Chenhao listened with great longing.

It's as if the world hundreds of years from now is the one he should rule.

He couldn't help but think that if he could rebel and become emperor in that era... his achievements would be unparalleled, almost like holding power in the immortal realm.

Wouldn't I become the Jade Emperor?

Zhu Chenhao said, "You make me want to travel to the future a few hundred years from now and see what it's like then."

Gongsun Jin stepped forward and said, "Young Master kept asking about the situation when he was found, inquiring whether he had a backpack, and saying that it contained... a cell phone, a laptop, and other items. I don't understand what those things are, but from what Young Master said, it seems that people from the future can record the scenes of reality exactly on paper, just like the most exquisite painters record all the landscapes truthfully..."

"How so?" Zhu Chenhao asked curiously.

"It seems that if we can find the cell phone and laptop that the young master mentioned, we can... make Your Highness's wish come true and truly see the future," Gongsun Jin said.

"That……"

Zhu Chenhao hesitated for a moment before asking, "When you found him, what exactly happened? Did you discover anything extraordinary?"

Gongsun Jin sighed, "We've inquired extensively and sent people to search, but we discovered that the young master wasn't one of our men. When we found him, he was dressed in his usual clothes, not what he was wearing when he ran away. There were no clues on him, so it's possible that he was taken by thieves."

Zhu Chenhao angrily retorted, "My son's things belong to the Prince's Mansion. How dare anyone steal them in Nanchang? Are they tired of living?"

Gongsun Jin said, "I have already dispatched Min Twenty-Four and others to investigate in detail. The government has also been notified that if any unidentified items are found, or if they are circulating on the black market, they should be brought here and handed over to the young master. I have done my best to advance this matter, and I am also afraid that the young master's things... have been left behind for hundreds of years and were never brought here in the first place..."

"Mm." Zhu Chenhao nodded.

Since he hadn't found what Zhu Yi had described, and everything was just speculation, he couldn't ask for too much.

"How's the bulk purchase of saltpeter going?" Zhu Chenhao asked, changing the subject.

"I have already sent people to make the purchases. For several days, I have used every connection I could find. I am even preparing to send people to places like Huguang and Nanzhili to make the purchases, under the pretext of making fireworks. After all, His Majesty is very enthusiastic about this. We can use the Ning family's loyalty as a cover... But it seems that it is not easy to make too many purchases at once."

Gongsun Jin also felt immense pressure.

You and your son just open your mouths and make me run my legs off, is that it?

"Your Highness, there is one more thing I must mention. Given the current progress, the expenses of the Prince's residence may be enormous in the near future. I wonder how long we can sustain this." Gongsun Jin said helplessly.

Those who are in charge of the household seem to have no direct impression of the expenses of their property.

You don't know the cost of firewood and rice until you're in charge of the household.

Zhu Chenhao said, "Didn't you ask my son what good solutions he had?"

"I asked him, and he said he wanted to create some industries that could generate revenue in people's lives," Gongsun Jin said. "However, what the young master wants us to do right now is to open a furnace, and in addition to smelting iron, we also need to... burn sand and soil."

"What?" Zhu Chenhao frowned.

Gongsun Jin continued, "It is said that they can make something different from the glass circulating in the market, which can be called glass. They also say that by using one concave piece and one convex piece, putting them together and focusing them, it can be used as a telescope."

"What is this?" Zhu Chenhao felt that by not talking to his son enough, he was missing out on opportunities to broaden his son's horizons.

It's better to hear your son's explanation in person than to rely on Gongsun Jin to relay everything.

Gongsun Jin said, "It can spy on the enemy's situation and magnify the scenery several miles or even more than ten miles away to present it in front of you."

"Such a thing is possible?" Zhu Chenhao certainly didn't believe it.

Gongsun Jin smiled and said, "This humble servant didn't believe it at first either, but the young master was very certain. He said that glassmaking is not a very profound craft and should be completed in the near future. Perhaps before the end of the month, this humble servant... and Your Highness, will be able to appreciate the wonders of this thing."

Zhu Chenhao pondered for a moment, then said, "If such a thing truly exists, it would be of great help in achieving great things in the future."

"That's what I originally said too, but according to the young master, these are just whimsical tricks. His suggestion is to present things like telescopes as tribute to the emperor, so that the emperor can feel the sincerity of the Prince's Palace."

"To be given to the emperor?"

Zhu Chenhao could tell at a glance that the telescope had strategic value.

He certainly wouldn't be willing to give such a fine thing to the emperor he loathed.

Gongsun Jin said, "Yes, such things are not of great importance; they are merely embellishments. If presented to the emperor, they would surely please him greatly. At that time... he might even reward the Prince's residence and entrust it with important responsibilities. If we could also secure some orders from the imperial court..."

"What do you mean?" Zhu Chenhao asked.

"In other words... when the imperial court needs certain strategic items, it will order the Prince's Mansion to procure and manufacture them. At that time, we can openly procure and manufacture firearms and telescopes for the imperial court, while secretly... we can openly manufacture the things we need ourselves, right?" Gongsun Jin further elaborated on the plan.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Chenhao suddenly gasped and said, "I mentioned to him before that I was afraid that if he took too big a step, it would make the court more vigilant. Now it seems that he has planned out the pace of the future! My son is truly farsighted."