The First Prince of the Ming Dynasty

Gongsun Jin then led Zhu Chenhao and Li Shishi to visit several courtyards.

The things they made were basically all related to casting.

Li Shishi couldn't help but ask, "Is that all?"

Gongsun Jin smiled and said, "There's also a glassmaking workshop, less than two miles from here. They also need coal there, so we need to build the workshop closer. Besides that, the young master said he wants to add a few more weaving workshops and improve the looms."

"What's going on?" Li Shishi seemed very confused.

You're making weapons, but not only firearms, you're also making glass and want to weave cloth.

Gongsun Jin said, "To achieve great things, one must have a foundation. Young Master is also worried that there won't be enough time, so everything is being done in a rush."

Zhu Chenhao sighed, "My son has only been cured for a few days, yet he has progressed so quickly. This is something I never expected. All of this is to accumulate wealth for the royal family and to achieve great things. In the future, when Lord Li sees him, he should give him more guidance."

There was a vague implication that she was entrusting her son with the task of finding him a tutor.

Look how capable my son is, don't you favor him? In the future, he can manage half of the affairs of the Prince's Mansion.

Li Shishi said, "If you want to build a foundation, you still have to rely on the fundamentals. How can you abandon the fundamentals and pursue the trivial? Your Highness, do you want to change the path you have taken before? The Creator provides the means to build a great enterprise, and this path is full of thorns. It is not a shortcut."

This is a reminder to Zhu Chenhao that the methods you used before, which involved cunning and forceful seizure, are the path you should have taken to create this situation.

Wasn't I forced onto your pirate ship by you back then?

So after I boarded the ship, you've switched from eating meat to vegetarianism? Are you planning to listen to your son and get involved in some manufacturing industry to amass wealth and stage a rebellion?

Then why did you go through all that trouble to gather a group of bandits?

I boarded your ship intending to join the fray and rob the weak, not to struggle alongside you in building a real business.

Zhu Chenhao sighed, "The old methods may not work. Why not try something different? If it doesn't gain momentum after a while, then it's not too late to stop. Come, let's go see my son."

Gongsun Jin smiled and said, "Then Your Highness, this humble servant will go and inform the young master immediately."

"Alright, you go first, I'll talk to Lord Li later."

Zhu Chenhao appeared to have great respect for Li Shishi.

It also makes others feel that there are some things they have to discuss privately.

……

……

When Zhu Chenhao met Zhu Yi, he saw that Zhu Yi was holding a finished monocular telescope.

"My son, you've met Mr. Li before. I've come to show him your recent achievements." Zhu Chenhao said with a beaming smile, his eyes filled with love and concern as he looked at his son.

Zhu Yi went up to pay his respects first.

Only then did he hand over the binoculars.

Li Shishi asked, "What is this?"

Zhu Yi said, "Objects that can clearly see distant scenery, once completed, may be sent to the capital as tribute."

Zhu Chenhao asked, "How do I use it?"

Gongsun Jin quickly stepped forward and gave some pointers, saying, "Your Highness, when you put it on your eyes, you have to face it this way and look at the distant scenery. If it's blurry, you can refocus it. It's like this..."

After Zhu Chenhao took a closer look, he couldn't take his eyes off it anymore.

"The objects in the distance are so lifelike," Zhu Chenhao remarked with a smile.

Gongsun Jin said, "If you climb to a high place and look into the distance, the effects of this thing will be even more apparent. It is said that no one in the world knows that it is so miraculous. One has to admire the abilities of later generations."

Li Shishi, standing to the side, watched anxiously, wondering, "What kind of wonderful thing is this that makes you think it must be something from the future?"

Is it possible that this thing has existed for a long time, but you are just too ignorant to have heard of it?

"Minister Li, you should try it too." Zhu Chenhao only remembered that Li Shishi was with him after a long while, and then reluctantly handed over the binoculars.

When Li Shishi looked at the telescope closely, he was startled by its exquisite design and almost dropped it.

"Lord Li, you must be careful. This thing is made of glass and is easily broken." Gongsun Jin was also startled and almost tried to snatch it back.

I'm showing you, I didn't send you here to cause trouble.

Li Shishi wasn't so reluctant to leave. He immediately put down his binoculars and looked at Zhu Yi opposite him, saying, "Young master, what's the reason behind this? Could it be some kind of Taoist magic?"

Zhu Yidao said, "It's based on an optical principle. This thing won't be anything special in the future; it'll only be used in certain specific situations. Actually, it can also be used for stargazing, but it needs further modifications. It could even reveal more patterns in the changes of stars."

Zhu Chenhao smiled and said, "It's a good thing."

Although Li Shishi was reluctant to agree, he couldn't find fault with it at the moment.

He originally felt that he had served as an official in the court for many years and had seen all the world's splendor. He was also a well-read and knowledgeable person, so he had a strong sense of superiority in front of Prince Ning.

This is also why he initially looked down on Zhu Yi.

But right now...

Some things were indeed beyond his comprehension, which made him feel powerless due to his inferior skills.

"My son, keep these things safe for now. In the future... we will indeed need them," Zhu Chenhao said. "Just give a few as a token, the good stuff should be kept for ourselves."

At the time, Zhu Chenhao only heard his son's description and didn't think the item was anything special. He wouldn't feel too bad if Zhu Houzhao said he wanted to give it to him.

But now that I've seen the actual product... things are a little different.

"My son, I heard you're doing some kind of experiment. What is it?" Zhu Chenhao asked.

Zhu Yi asked, "Father, do you still remember the yellow gunpowder I mentioned?"

"Didn't you already prepare it using saltpeter and other ingredients? And even had some sent to the capital? You even said it was a good medicine for treating illnesses?" Zhu Chenhao asked with a look of suspicion.

It can blow up city walls, helping its father break through the city and seize the great cause, and it can even be used to cure people's diseases.

"Those are very unstable and can only be stored in small containers. Their concentration is also low, so they cannot be used as firearms for attacking cities and seizing territory," Zhu Yi explained. "Because that stuff is very unstable, we need to use some special substances to fix its form for easy storage and transportation. The specific principles are difficult to explain in one go."

Zhu Chenhao smiled and said, "It's alright, as long as it works."

Zhu Yi said, "We have an idea now, but we still need to collect these things from various places."

Zhu Chenhao looked at Gongsun Jin and asked, "How's the search going?"

"Your Highness, we have gone to find those items as requested by the young master. Fortunately, they are never considered rare. Although they are uncommon, with the connections and resources of the Prince's Mansion, it is not difficult to acquire a batch." Gongsun Jin was quite confident about this.

In order to launch a rebellion, the Prince of Ning's mansion opened up all the connections along the river.

There are many avenues for accumulating and collecting resources, which is precisely due to the convenience of resource transportation via the Yangtze River waterway.

"My son, you must hurry up with this matter. You may have to go to the capital soon. If you have any good ideas then, you may only be able to... send them back. There are many people monitoring your letters, and it is difficult to guarantee that they can explain things clearly from just a few words. Without your personal implementation, I am worried that everything will come to a standstill."

Zhu Chenhao is now essentially telling everyone present that the only person who can represent the Prince's Mansion in the capital to compete for the position of Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty is Zhu Yi.

The second son, Zhu Gonggui, can basically be given up on.

Gongsun Jin smiled and said, "Your Highness, please rest assured. In my humble opinion, the things the young master makes are things that people these days have basically never seen before. Even if they were made right under the noses of the capital, it would be difficult for others to notice anything amiss. Moreover, the young master is very methodical in his work. He can make things separately and then use some special tricks to make them even harder to detect."

"Very well," Zhu Chenhao nodded. "Then you will accompany my son to the capital to help him plan, and you can also bring back those wondrous items. We must prepare for both the succession struggle and the uprising; we cannot afford to be complacent!"