The Ming Dynasty: Starting with taking Old Zhu on a journey to the future

After lunch.

Another hour passed, and Zhu Yuanzhang still hadn't returned to his study.

Lan Chen yawned and asked Wang Sancai, who was beside him, "Is there anything fun to do in the palace?"

"Qian and the others are getting a little bored."

Upon hearing this, Wang Sancai replied, "Reading cultivates character. What do you want to read? I can find it for you."

Do you have any novels?

Novels are also books.

Because Old Zhu founded schools, the literacy rate of the people improved.

This naturally provided fertile ground for the development of novels.

Now, the novel is popular everywhere.

Upon hearing this, Wang Sancai pondered for a moment before asking, "Anything is fine?"

"Anything is fine."

To be honest, he only knew that three of the Four Great Classical Novels were written during the Ming Dynasty.

Apart from that, he had not read any other novels from the Ming Dynasty period.

Wait a moment.

Wang Sancai handed a yellowed book to Lan Chen.

Lan Chen took it and glanced at it.

After looking through it, Lan Chen stared at Wang Sancai in surprise.

"I never expected Eunuch Wang to have such unique tastes."

Wang Sancai smiled calmly: "Just having some fun."

The book is about a protagonist whose wife died young, and who develops feelings for his handsome neighbor.

They're brothers by day and husband and wife by night.

Later, the protagonist married a beautiful 18-year-old wife.

The wife and the neighbor were also attracted to each other, but the protagonist not only did not stop them, but even arranged for them to stay together and watched from the sidelines.

This is not over yet.

Feeling guilty, the wife devised a plan to seduce her neighbor's mother into having an affair with her husband.

Four people shared a room.

That wasn't the end of it; later, three maids joined in.

Ultimately, he was reported for his wrongdoing and fled to the mountains to indulge in debauchery.

Apart from the protagonist, the rest died from excessive indulgence in lust. The ending is that the three of them appeared in a dream and were reincarnated as animals.

After the protagonist repented, the three were reincarnated as humans. In the end, the protagonist shaved his head and became a monk, admonishing the world...

I reckon this novel probably wouldn't have been able to be published without the following section.

The eunuch didn't have a penis, but he played quite perverted games.

Lost in thought.

Footsteps came from outside the door.

Wang Sancai hurriedly asked Lan Chen for the books.

"Lord Lan, His Majesty has returned! Such unpalatable reading must not be allowed to offend His Majesty's eyes!"

Lan Chen quickly stuffed it into his arms.

"That's right. I'll confiscate this disgusting material on His Majesty's behalf."

Just then.

Zhu Yuanzhang had already quietly walked to the door.

Seeing this, Lan Chen quickly stuffed the book into his arms.

Wang Sancai also looked nervous.

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned: "What are you hiding? Let me see."

Lan Chen feigned ignorance and said, "I'm not hiding anything, Your Majesty, you've misjudged."

Seeing this, Zhu Yuanzhang didn't hesitate and snatched it directly from Lan Chen's arms.

Wang Sancai was shocked to see this.

He immediately knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me!"

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at it, picked up the book, and sat down on the dragon throne.

Then I looked through it.

Husband (male) and neighbor (male).

Neighbors and wife.

The neighbor's mother and husband.

Looking at the contents, Zhu Yuanzhang frowned deeply: "How can you read such filthy books? Aren't you afraid of going blind?"

Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't bear to read any longer and closed the book immediately.

Then it was thrown in front of Lan Chen.

"Who brought this?"

Wang Sancai trembled all over. Seeing this, Lan Chen immediately admitted, "Your Majesty, I brought it. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't pay much attention to this.

"It's best if we don't find out that the content here is adapted from real people, otherwise we'll both be equally at fault."

"It's okay to look, but you absolutely mustn't do anything out of line."

This obscene book, despite its chaotic relationships, does not contain any content related to ethics.

Otherwise, if someone dared to publish something like this, they would be courting death.

Lan Chen nodded: "I will heed Your Majesty's teachings."

After saying that, Lan Chen continued to ask questions.

"Your Majesty, although I have some knowledge of economics, I would like to make the paper money appreciate in value."

"That's asking too much of people."

Zhu Yuanzhang was not surprised by this.

"At today's court assembly, the Censorate impeached you, saying that you are the son of Lan Yu and should be imprisoned in the imperial prison."

"Making the banknotes appreciate in value is merely a pretext for you to be out and about."

It turned out to be the case.

"But do you need a reason to release them? Aren't you the emperor?"

Zhu Yuanzhang calmly replied, "Of course we can release you without a reason, but there's no reason that can't shut up the Censorate."

"Only by having a title can we shut them up."

"In a few days, have someone write a memorial for you and submit it. After that, you don't need to worry about it."

A plan is still necessary, but whether or not it is implemented, and when it is implemented, is up to him to decide.

"Ghostwriting? Can't this humble subject write it himself?"

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't even raise his head.

He picked up the vermilion pen and murmured, "If your handwriting is neat and without any mistakes, then write it yourself."

"If it's written messily and crookedly, then find someone to write it for you."

There are requirements for the format of memorials to the emperor.

Obviously, Lan Chen, who only knows alchemy and cultivation, couldn't possibly have very good handwriting.

He hires someone to write it for him so that it looks better when he reads it.

"You don't need to worry about this."

"We don't expect you to help us with the devaluation of the paper money."

"Just get well soon, and in a few days, take us back to the past to see our sister."

Upon hearing this, Lan Chen coughed lightly.

"Actually, Your Majesty can also count on me a little."

Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang looked up at Lan Chen: "Relying on you?"

Lan Chen nodded: "Yes."

Although he was not confident that he could increase the value of the banknotes.

But it's not 100% impossible.

The devaluation of the paper money was mainly due to the lack of an anchor.

Theoretically speaking, as long as the Ming Dynasty circulates its own paper money, like the US dollar, anchored to gold and oil, it would be possible to achieve this.

Leaving aside the issue of the hegemony of the paper currency, at the very least, it can be guaranteed that its value will not continue to depreciate.

A moment of silence fell over the air.

Immediately following was Zhu Yuanzhang's mocking voice: "Don't even mention making the paper money appreciate in value. If you can prevent it from depreciating, I'll grant you a pardon."

They just give us things nobody wants.

It's like a get-out-of-jail-free card, as if it can absolve you of your crimes.

I could see the disdain in Lan Chen's eyes.

Zhu Yuanzhang also knew that the "golden token of immunity from death" never granted immunity from death; instead, it became a death warrant.

Whoever has it will die.

Seeing this, Zhu Yuanzhang changed his tune and said, "Since you don't want the pardon, then how about this: if you can really do it..."

"I'll agree to one thing you want, as long as it doesn't involve imperial power, I'll agree to anything, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Lan Chen immediately counted on two fingers: "Plus His Majesty's two princesses!"

This kid is quite greedy.

Zhu Yuanzhang did not hesitate: "Deal."

If Lan Chen can really do that, it wouldn't matter if both princesses married him.

The key is.

He didn't believe Lan Chen could do it.

In order to prevent the value of the banknotes from depreciating, he has repeatedly banned the use of gold and silver in private hands and cracked down on counterfeit banknotes over the years.

Instead of stopping the devaluation of the paper money, it exacerbated the devaluation.