Parallel Ming Dynasty: The more he compared, the more devastated Zhu Yuanzhang became.

But amidst the screen filled with praise for Zhu Duo, a few incongruous comments suddenly popped up.

{New World: Didn't Zhu Duo violate the laws of the Ming Dynasty by illegally selling salt? Shouldn't he be arrested and punished?}

{New World: Moreover, his actions also damaged the Ming Dynasty's tax revenue. Besides, Zhu Duo had been involved in this smuggled salt business for five or six years, undoubtedly amassing a huge fortune. What was he planning to do with all that money?}

They definitely didn't have good intentions!

Upon seeing these comments on the New World website, Zhu Yunwen felt a surge of joy. These comments were exactly what had gotten him out of his current predicament.

But when Zhu Yunwen saw the sender's name, which wasn't anonymous, he was overjoyed, because this person named "Qingsheng" was one of his trusted confidants.

Anyone with eyes to see could see that his subordinates were not fools; they knew what the occasion was and what the current situation meant for him.

That is precisely why she deliberately made slanderous remarks against Zhu Duo, thus swaying public opinion.

However, Zhu Yunwen was not worried at all about anyone finding out who posted the comments, since the name "celebration" was almost ubiquitous in the Ming Dynasty.

There is absolutely no way to pinpoint a specific person.

On the other side, Zhu Yuanzhang also frowned noticeably, clearly having noticed those glaring comments.

But at this critical moment, a new comment appeared on the screen.

{Ding Yan, Minister of Revenue of the New World: According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, those who privately produce and sell sea salt are not considered to have violated the law and are not guilty as long as the final selling price does not exceed twice the official price of salt.}

Ding Yan, Minister of Revenue of the New World: The original intention of establishing this law of the Ming Dynasty was to encourage merchants to boil more seawater into salt, so as to ensure the daily necessities of the people.

This is a great favor and special permission bestowed by His Majesty the Emperor of our Great Ming Dynasty, therefore Zhu Duo's actions should not be punished at all!

After reading this explanation of the law, Zhu Yuanzhang nodded in satisfaction. He had not been involved in the entire process of drafting these detailed legal provisions, but seeing such a reasonable interpretation, his furrowed brows finally relaxed.

Zhu Yuanzhang was immediately in high spirits and praised, "Minister of Revenue Ding Yan is a man who is efficient and decisive in his work, and he has studied the Ming Dynasty law so thoroughly. He is the most suitable person for this position."

"He deserves a reward!"

{New World: Hahaha, the Minister of Revenue is truly brilliant! He personally stepped in to explain things clearly. Those who posted those comments earlier are absolutely treacherous and malicious people, clearly jealous of Prince Zhu Duo's magnanimity and talent!}

{Original World: This kind of person is definitely a narrow-minded coward. He watches Zhu Duo make money while he doesn't get any benefits, that's why he's unhappy and deliberately causing trouble!}

{New World: Let him be jealous if he wants. Prince Zhu Duo has made sure that we common people can eat clean, good salt. Not only did he not take the opportunity to raise prices, but it is even cheaper than before.}

Based on such great merit, even if he actually made money, I would feel it was well-deserved for him; if he didn't, I would still feel indignant on his behalf!

{Original World: Besides, if Zhu Duo could produce salt that was three or four times purer than the official salt, and people would still accuse him of making dirty money, then how much silver did the government actually make from the common people selling coarse salt before?}

{New World: Could it be that the government is too incompetent to produce cheap and effective salt? Yet Prince Zhu Duo, at only thirteen or fourteen years old, can already produce this salt. Could it be that the entire Ming Dynasty is inferior to a young Prince Zhu Duo?}

Because it was through anonymous bullet comments, people's discussions gradually became unrestrained, and they dared to say anything.

They can speak their true thoughts without reservation, no longer worrying about being overheard by government officials and ending up being arrested and tortured.

These blunt words, however, were like needles, piercing the hearts of Zhu Yuanzhang, who lived in two different worlds.

Regardless of which world Zhu Yuanzhang was in, he knew perfectly well that what the common people were saying was all the truth.

Even today, producing refined salt remains an extremely difficult task. Even the most ordinary coarse salt requires a massive amount of manpower and resources to produce.

This was the root cause of the frequent salt shortages that occurred throughout the Ming Dynasty; this was the reason why the imperial court imposed severe penalties on salt smugglers; and this was also the original intention of the government to encourage merchants to participate in salt production.

No one knows exactly what method Zhu Duo used to both produce high-quality salt and keep its price at the same level as coarse salt.

Regardless of the circumstances, ever since Zhu Duo produced refined salt, the Ming Dynasty has never experienced a salt shortage again.

Even the smuggled salt dealers who roamed the land almost completely disappeared.

It is no exaggeration to say that Zhu Duo's action protected the stability of the entire Ming Dynasty!

Looking at Zhu Duo in the picture, Zhu Yuanzhang let out another long sigh.

He grew increasingly hesitant, wondering whether he should really hand over the throne to Zhu Yunwen.

Over the years, Zhu Yunwen learned the domineering tactics and strategies expected of an emperor; he came into contact with countless hidden secrets deep within the court; he also figured out the factional entanglements among the officials; and he was already thoroughly familiar with the military and political layout of various parts of the Ming Dynasty...

To be fair, he could already be considered half a qualified emperor.

But I fear that after today, the voices of the common people will be filled with support for Zhu Duo.

If he insisted on passing the throne to Zhu Yunwen, the people might cause trouble. In the end, the people's hearts are the purest; they will sincerely support whoever treats them well.

They had no idea who Zhu Yunwen was, and they didn't care how much groundwork and preparation Zhu Yunwen had made over the years to ascend the throne.

All they remember is who brought them refreshing coolness on a sweltering summer day;

All they knew was who had provided them with affordable, clean, and high-quality salt.

Therefore, if he insisted on forcibly passing the throne to Zhu Yunwen, the people of the world would certainly not agree.

Therefore, even if the matter of passing the throne is put on hold today, the throne must never be handed over to Zhu Yunwen again.

Having figured these points out, Zhu Yuanzhang sighed heavily once again.

He could only lament that he had only realized Zhu Duo's worth at this critical juncture, when it was a matter of life and death. Even if he had known this a year earlier, he would have secretly chosen Zhu Duo as the future crown prince of the Ming Dynasty, and anyone who dared to oppose him would have been executed!

Meanwhile, in the original world on the other side.

With his eyes closed, Zhu Yuanzhang tried his best to recall the various bottles and jars Zhu Duo used when boiling salt, as well as those completely transparent "crystal bottles," and every step of the operation process.

After a long while, he finally let out a long breath.

He knew better than anyone what it truly meant to be able to consistently produce refined salt.

It signifies the stability and well-being of the people!

【Sanhu, did you memorize all the bottles, jars, and utensils Zhu Duo used, as well as the steps and techniques for boiling refined salt?】

Sanhu immediately knelt on one knee, bowed his head deeply, and said, "Your Majesty, I, Sanhu, am foolish and have failed to remember all the steps!"

Zhu Yuanzhang said, "It's not your fault. Even I only remembered a few things."

However, the others present must have also taken notes. If everyone puts their notes together, perhaps they can reconstruct the complete steps of Zhu Duo's salt-making process.

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly became excited, abruptly sitting upright in bed, and shouted, "This is a once-in-a-millennium opportunity for our Great Ming Dynasty! If we can seize it firmly, it will be enough to protect our Ming Dynasty and extend our reign for another thousand years!"

[Sanhu, issue the order: Attend court immediately!]

A piercing light flashed in Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes. He had already thought it through clearly. Although there was no Zhu Duo in their world, if they could take advantage of this miraculous celestial phenomenon to learn the amazing skills that Zhu Duo possessed, it would be an immeasurable benefit to the entire Ming Dynasty.

Our world may not have a genius like Zhu Duo, but we absolutely cannot miss out on the skills he possesses!

Therefore, besides summoning all ministers to court for discussions, a special team was assigned to meticulously record every single technology used by Zhu Duo. If we could learn every one of Zhu Duo's inventions, it might directly usher our Ming Dynasty into an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity.

Zhu Yuanzhang knew that people all over the Ming Dynasty must have noticed this tremendous opportunity and would definitely be secretly recording this information.

But what he feared most was that no one present would be able to fully remember a certain key technology.

Take the salt-making technique for example. If everyone happens to forget one of the key steps, making it impossible to make refined salt no matter what, it would be an irreparable and huge loss for the Ming Dynasty!

Moreover, those who secretly memorize the techniques will inevitably use these skills to amass wealth and line their own pockets in the future.

Zhu Yuanzhang would never allow such a situation to occur!

Therefore, he had to issue an edict to firmly control these technologies within the hands of the imperial court.

Sanhu bowed his head deeply again and reported in a low voice, "Your Majesty, all the civil and military officials are already waiting in the Hall of Supreme Harmony."

Zhu Yuanzhang paused slightly, his voice immediately lowering, "Isn't today a day for court?"

Yes, Your Majesty, tomorrow... is the day when court should be adjourned.

Sanhu's voice trembled noticeably, as if he was desperately trying to suppress the grief in his heart.

Zhu Yuanzhang turned to look at the princes standing to the side and saw that they all had sad expressions on their faces and lowered their eyes. He immediately understood.

Zhu Yuanzhang slowly lowered his arms, his wide dragon sleeves swaying gently. The light in his eyes dimmed, and he chuckled self-deprecatingly, speaking in a low voice, "Third Tiger, I... am truly getting old..."

[Your Majesty!]

The three tigers, all the princes, Zhu Yunwen, and all the palace servants and guards present all knelt down on the ground, crying out in grief.

Among them, the most grief-stricken was Sanhu. Although he was only Zhu Yuanzhang's personal bodyguard, he had been by Zhu Yuanzhang's side through thick and thin for so many years, and had long regarded Zhu Yuanzhang as his own father.

If we set aside blood ties, the bond between Zhu Yuanzhang and him was far deeper than that between him and his many princes.

That is why, even though all the princes looked sorrowful, the one who truly felt the most heartache and could not bear it was only the Three Tigers.

[Attend court!]

Zhu Yuanzhang's tone suddenly changed, instantly regaining his domineering imperial majesty. The tired and aged appearance he had just shown seemed to be just an illusion for everyone.

This founding emperor, who was tough his whole life, would never allow himself to be absent from court assemblies even for a moment!

As the ruler of all people under heaven, he should set the most upright example for the entire Ming Dynasty!

【Yes! 】

The three tigers responded with all their might, their voices loud and firm, their heroic spirit exactly the same as when they first followed Zhu Yuanzhang to conquer the world!

The princes all agreed and followed suit.

Following behind Zhu Yuanzhang, who strode confidently through the deep palace corridors, the princes suddenly felt an indescribable sense of absurdity.

Are they really worthy of being the emperor's sons?

Zhu Yuanzhang

My life—

Born a commoner, he traveled around begging for alms, became a valiant general in the righteous army, conquered Yingtian, defeated Chen Han, unified Jiangnan, established the Ming Dynasty, pacified the four seas, and enjoyed the reign of Hongwu.

Governance —

Centralized power, revised laws, established the Embroidered Uniform Guard, cracked down on corruption, and was diligent and honest in governance.

For the people—

He allowed the people to recuperate, built water conservancy projects, issued fish-scale maps, promulgated paper money, and opened up the market for salt.

For treatment—

He paid homage to his ancestors, stopped the practice of offering captives as tribute, supported the elderly, promoted filial piety and brotherly love, encouraged agriculture and sericulture, exempted those in arrears, pardoned those sentenced to death, burned cruel instruments of torture in prisons, commended honest and capable officials, dismissed corrupt and cruel officials, crushed wicked and violent criminals, protected the good people, and governed the world with benevolence and love...

Even now, though the emperor has long since fallen ill from years of diligent governance, his posture remains as upright and unyielding as a pine tree on a cliff. Looking back at these people, these are the emperor's own sons, yet they possess not a trace of the talent and domineering presence that an emperor should have.

In comparison, they are truly ashamed to be sons.

Moreover, it is likely that all the descendants of the Zhu family in later generations will only be able to look up to his supreme glory forever in front of this founding emperor.

The group finally arrived at the main hall.

Passing through two rows of solemnly standing civil and military officials, Zhu Yuanzhang slowly ascended the steps, each step seemingly touching the hearts of his ministers.

The emperor's eyesight had long been failing, and he could no longer see things as clearly as he once did.

Yet his gaze seemed to see right through to the depths of everyone present, leaving no room for any secrets, and no one dared to meet his eyes.

[Greetings, Your Majesty!]

The officials all knelt down to offer their congratulations, their voices booming like thunder, echoing throughout the palace.

Zhu Yuanzhang's cloudy eyes, though possessing an intimidating, eagle-like gaze, slowly swept over the entire court, as if he were surveying the vast land under his rule and the people of the world.

Rise!

Thank you, Your Majesty!

According to the Ming Dynasty's system of honoring the left, all the princes were seated on the right side, except for Zhu Yunwen, who stood on the left side in the position of honor.

The officials and civil servants were already used to this and had no surprise at all.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat ramrod straight on the dragon throne, without the slightest hesitation, and went straight to the point, loudly demanding, "My esteemed ministers, what are your thoughts on this strange phenomenon that has recently occurred within the territory of the Ming Dynasty?!"