Firearms and shipbuilding are two complementary technologies. If the Ming Dynasty wanted to compete at sea, powerful artillery was indispensable. Zhu Di and Mu Ying were extremely enthusiastic about increasing investment in the development of firearms, and Zhu Su was also very eager for the Ming Dynasty to quickly build ships and start large voyages.
The three of them hit it off immediately, and after Lao Zhu met with Feng Sheng and other generals on the expedition, they all asked to see Lao Zhu outside the Jinshen Hall so that they could advise him and request more investment in building ships and refining firearms.
"I understand what you mean." After listening to the advice of the three nephews, Lao Zhu rubbed his brows in rare fatigue. "We can see the benefits of firearms through the battle reports from the north and the south."
"Our Ming Dynasty has also successfully captured Yunnan. We can indeed start building a fleet and go overseas."
"But these two things cost a lot of money. The north and the south have just finished fighting. Let us think about it..."
Zhu Su was stunned when he heard this. Lao Zhu always acted vigorously and resolutely. How had he ever seen him look so miserable? After a thought, he guessed some possibilities, and asked tentatively: "You said that, could it be..."
“Has our Ming Dynasty’s treasury really reached its limit?”
"It's not as if the mountains and rivers are exhausted." Lao Zhu waved his hand. "It's just that I really need some time to recuperate."
"Well, we also want to send people on a long voyage as soon as possible. First go to the American continent to get back the divine seed you mentioned. This way, our Ming Dynasty will no longer have to worry about starvation." Everyone present was an insider. , Lao Zhu also spoke frankly.
Perhaps because he felt that he shouldn't be so affectionate in front of his sons, he cheered up after a while and said, "You don't have to worry about this!"
"We have already discussed a way, but we still need some time to think about it. Firearms and ships are the foundation of our Ming Dynasty's future, and we must not abandon them lightly. We will get the money early and invest in these two Got in."
"...Yes." Zhu Su could only salute. But there is a trace of worry in his heart. Does Lao Zhu want to rectify some of the nine tribes and collect corruption wealth to support the country's scientific and technological development?
Although the money of corrupt officials cannot be scraped off...but the money gained in this way cannot last long after all.
The supply of technology should be sustainable and customized.
"Being an emperor is indeed a hard job." Zhu Su sighed as he walked out of the palace with Mu Ying and Zhu Di. "You have to worry about political and military affairs, and you have to be careful that you are surrounded by tigers and wolves on all sides."
"We finally won the battle, but the treasury is out of money... Alas, everything is not easy."
"The Ming Dynasty has not been established for a long time, and the people are still suffering. They should recuperate and recuperate. These major events that affect a hundred years can only be put aside temporarily." Mu Ying also said. But thinking of the power of muskets and artillery, I couldn't help but sigh with regret.
What the Ming Dynasty took over from Bei Yuan was a mess that was waiting to be renovated. In his own lifetime, if he could wait until the Ming Dynasty became extremely powerful, he could lead an invincible fleet to go overseas as the fifth brother said, and become famous in all directions. That day?
"Dad said that he already has a way, and he can only wait for a while." Zhu Di said. He was even more anxious than Zhu Sumuying. He wished that tomorrow the Ming Dynasty would have millions more new guns and artillery, so that he could directly destroy the Beiyuan Dynasty and march westward.
Mu Ying had her own palace, and Zhu Su and Zhu Di were also assigned their own palaces when they opened the palace as a reward. After leaving the palace, the three brothers made an appointment to talk again in the near future, and then parted ways. When Fang returned to Prince Wu's Mansion, he saw the old eunuch Xiang Deng coming up to him quickly: "Your Highness, the Third Highness has just come here."
"Third brother?" Zhu Su was startled, and then he was overjoyed: "Third brother is back too? Where is he?"
"Your Highness, Third Highness, is busy with travels. It seems that as soon as Fang returns to the capital, he will come to see you, Your Highness." Xiang Deng said. "But when I saw that Your Highness was not in the mansion, His Highness left immediately and hurried to the Imperial Manor outside the city."
The third brother, Zhu Fan, had previously invited himself out of Beijing and returned to Fengyang, the central capital, to inspect on behalf of the elder Zhu. As for what he really wants to do, even Lao Zhu doesn't know yet. He also has his palace in the city. Now, as soon as he arrived, he didn't even return home, but hurried to Huangzhuang. Could it be that something happened?
Zhu Su did not dare to neglect, so he quickly had his horses harnessed, and while it was still light, he galloped towards the Imperial Manor at the foot of Bifeng Mountain.
After asking some farmers on the side of the road, I found out that as soon as the third brother came back, he went to the steel-making experimental site in the back mountain. Zhu Su also rushed there. When he arrived, he saw a familiar figure commanding a group of craftsmen. Zhu Su couldn't help but feel happy and called out: "Third brother!"
"Huh?" Zhu Fan heard this and turned around. His royal robes were already dirty, his hair was in strands, and there were still a few traces of carbon ash on his face. When he saw Zhu Su, Zhu Fan looked extremely happy. He walked a few steps quickly and came up to him: "Lao Wu! Long time no see. I was just thinking about where to find you!"
"The third brother is the one. The second brother and the fourth brother went to Suzhou to look for me. Why don't you come with me?" Zhu Su looked at this brother up and down and dusted off his clothes.
Among the many brothers, apart from Zhu Biao, this third brother is the most stable. If the second brother and the fourth brother were the same as him in the past in the main hall, this third brother was the one who wiped the butts of their brothers. In the past, I copied the homework assigned by my master from this third brother.
When it comes to closeness, they are not inferior to Zhu Xi and Zhu Di.
"Hahaha, you are protected by your second brother and fourth brother, which is enough when you think about it. I stay in Beijing because I have more important things." He said this, and took out a broken brick from behind like a magic trick: "Look, Old Five, what is this?"
"This is..." Zhu Su picked up the broken brick and looked left and right, but couldn't see any clues. Seeing that his well-informed brother didn't even know about it, Zhu Fan looked proud and said with a smile: "This is a refractory brick! It's a good thing that your brother and I finally found after many visits!"
"Refractory bricks?" Zhu Su was stunned. Only then did he realize that many of the blast furnaces used for experimental steelmaking had been dismantled by Zhu Fan's craftsmen.
"Could it be..."
"Not bad." Zhu Fan looked excited and excited. "Since you left, I have followed the notes you left to investigate step by step why these blast furnaces cannot produce high-quality steel."
“Finally, I found out that the problem lies in the furnace temperature!”
"Furnace temperature?" Zhu Su's pupils trembled, and then he remembered that the color of the molten iron refined in the blast furnace here seemed to be different from what he had seen in the popular science in his previous life.
It's just that in the past, he was more focused on things like cement and glass that could get returns in the short term. He didn't pay much attention to the relatively long-term technical investment of steelmaking. After setting up the blast furnace, he asked the Ministry of Industry to The craftsmen do their own research.
Therefore, I did not investigate in detail.
Of course, maybe it's because the steelmaking blast furnace is dirty and hot, and I'm used to being lazy, so deep down I don't want to come here to explore more. Unexpectedly, this third brother actually took his place and searched for the reason for the failure of steelmaking.
Seeing the dirt all over Zhu Fan's body, Zhu Su pursed his lips and punched the third brother's arm with his fist.
(End of chapter)
