Dingxi Saltworks.
Mr. Cui Tian Laosi couldn't help but burst into tears when he heard that the young man in front of him was Zhu Yunwen's eldest son, Zhu Wenkui, the crown prince of the Ming Dynasty, who came to visit him and the saltmen on behalf of his father.
The salt workers are all thinking about Zhu Yunwen's good work. If he hadn't changed the regulations of the salt field, the life of the salt workers would still be in dire straits. Although the days are a bit tiring now, they will no longer be as bitter as sea water.
Zhu Wenkui looked at the spacious house and couldn't help but said to Tian Laosi and others: "My father once talked about the hardships here, saying that the house you live in is low and damp, and when the tide comes, there are still many salt and stove households." Encountered an unexpected incident..."
Tian Laosi nodded repeatedly.
Yanding Zhang Hu interjected: "Yes, dozens or hundreds of people died every year in the past, but since Emperor Jianwen came here, the imperial court allocated a sum of money for us to build it." There is no need for long embankments to divert water, and there is no need for salt guards to guard low-lying areas. We are where we are today, all because of the emperor’s grace.”
Many salt collectors expressed their gratitude to Zhu Yunwen.
Zhu Wenkui watched this scene and was deeply touched.
What is greatness?
My father is great. He has changed the lives of countless people and made their lives easier. The people will miss him and remember him well. , everyone always smiles when talking about him.
】
I also want to be spoken out with a smile, and I also want to be remembered in their hearts.
The pen of history books is not as good as the human heart.
Tian Cuicui brought a basket of fresh vegetables and handed them to Zhu Wenkui: "This is what we grew at home. The emperor once said it was very delicious. You can take it back as a token of our appreciation."
Zhu Wenkui was a little embarrassed and looked at Yang Pu: "Sir, if I take it, does it count as accepting a bribe?"
Everyone laughed when they heard this.
Yang Pu smiled and said seriously: "Prince, this is their most simple feedback without selfish interests or requests. It is naturally not considered a bribe. Your Majesty misses the people's hardships, and the people miss your Majesty's kindness. This is a good story. ah."
Zhu Wenkui happily took the basket.
Yang Pu lost no time in teaching: "Wherever the people's hearts aspire, victory can be achieved."
Zhu Wenkui recited silently, "Wherever the people want, victory can be achieved, and the road can be achieved." He felt that there was a power taking root in his heart, and the road to the future seemed to have a direction.
It has to be said that with a teacher like Yang Pu accompanying him and teaching him, Zhu Wenkui became more mature mentally, and could better understand the suffering of the people and the principles of serving the government and loving the people.
After leaving Dingxi Salt Field and returning to Gaoyou City, when passing by a street, a group of White Lotus cultists suddenly appeared. Ping An and Yang Wen were both battle-hardened warriors, so they did not pay attention to such petty quarrels. Although Zhang Bing was a civil servant, he had already had a lot of courage due to his ups and downs in the officialdom.
Shen Chen, who was guarding Zhu Wenkui and Han Xiayu, had not yet ordered Lu Qian, Xu Jiufeng and others to deal with this group of people. Ji Gang, who was responding to Zhu Wenkui, had already rushed over with his people.
What a good Ji Gang, with the steel knife in his hand, he can sweep invincibly, and those who stand in his way will die.
Han Xiayu turned pale with fear when he saw the bloody scene. Zhu Wenkui blocked Han Xiayu's gaze with his body, and looked at the brave Ji Gang with his eyes through the gap between the guards.
"This person can take the second place in the martial arts rankings, he still has some abilities."
Yang Pu whispered.
Shen Chen was a little disdainful and snorted: "With his little ability, is he really good? Xu Jiufeng, tell me."
Xu Jiufeng looked at Ji Gang's killing and analyzed: "The sword skills are not sharp enough. He can obviously kill people with one sword, but he has to push him around. The footwork is a bit superficial, and the power comes from the ground. Obviously he is not as good as the martial arts test. You see With this knife, he could obviously kick away the one in front with his feet, and then flick away the one behind him, but he chose to use the knife. Look, he was a little embarrassed. Putting aside the scouts, these people were knifed one by one. When the knife rises, it kills, and when the knife falls, It's killing, it's killing when you raise your hand, it's killing when you lower your hand..."
Yang Pu regretted that he had spoken too much, and said to the excited Zhu Wenkui: "You are the prince, you don't dare to do such rough work."
Zhu Wenkui felt his blood surge and he was a little excited: "I heard that my father had a fight..."
Yang Pu was speechless.
Zhu Yunwen has been in fights, and he has ended up personally not once or twice, but he never had a fight without someone from the security bureau by his side. As for you, you are still young, so you can't be a bad example.
"Keep alive!"
Seeing that Ji Gang was almost killed, Zhang Bing stepped forward and shouted.
Ji Gang must have been crazy about killing. He couldn't hold back his knife and directly cut off the neck of the last White Lotus cultist. Then he stepped forward in blood-clothed clothes and saluted: "Helan City Guards Commander Shi Jigang greeted the prince. The prince was frightened and his ministers were slaughtered. All monsters."
Zhu Wenkui walked out from behind the guard, looked at Ji Gang, then at the more than 20 dead people, and only said: "Notify the Gaoyou Security Bureau. People, find out the identities of these people and let’s return to Beijing immediately. We can’t occupy the dock for too long and delay the merchants’ transactions.”
Zhang Bing looked at Zhu Wenkui in surprise, who was not afraid. He was just a child, but he was not afraid of dead people or this bloody scene?
Zhu Wenkui is naturally afraid, but Zhu Yunwen has taught that as the prince of the Ming Dynasty, he must not reveal his timidity and fear in front of outsiders. The more tragic and rapidly changing events he faces, the more he needs to be calm and controlled. Own.
It was difficult, but Zhu Wenkui did it.
Someone will take care of the mess.
Zhu Wenkui returned to Gaoyou Pier, took a boat south, passed Yangzhou and entered Jinling.
Kunning Palace.
Zhu Yunwen looked at the aggrieved Zhu Wenkui and Han Xiayu who was crying, and couldn't help but feel worried.
Ma Enhui felt very distressed and complained to Zhu Yunwen: "Children from common people's families are still separated from their parents at the age of ten. The emperor was cruel enough to send Kui'er out to travel at such a young age. He suffered so much and was assassinated twice. What if he suffered a little bit? How can I, my concubine, be alive after being injured, and how can I explain it to the Queen Mother?"
Zhu Yunwen rubbed his eyebrows, sighed and said, "Isn't this a good time to come back..."
"emperor!"
Ma Enhui was very angry, took Zhu Wenkui, and left with Han Xiayu, apparently to complain to the Queen Mother.
have to.
Zhu Yunwen was taken away before he could ask the child how he felt, and before he could arrange to write a short essay of 3,000 words.
Sitting on a chair, I opened a book casually but had no intention of reading.
Zheng He and Li Su of the navy brought back a large amount of chromium ore, roughly estimated to exceed three million kilograms, and also brought 60,000 kilograms of gold.
Gold ore and chromium ore are rich ores and easy to mine.
Li Su suggested sending more manpower to Africa for mining, but Zhu Yunwen had not yet made a decision. There are humans in Africa at this time. Should Africans be used to mine minerals for the Ming Dynasty?
But if this is the case, didn’t the Ming Dynasty just embark on the colonial path? What is the difference between it and the colonial expansion of the West?
From the bottom of my heart, Zhu Yunwen didn't like the Western colonial style. They had a bandit logic. As long as they wanted to get it, they would do anything to frame it, tell lies, create accidents, shout out "catch the thief, catch the thief", blockade and containment. , prohibiting cooperation and launching war.
All actions are not incomprehensible, because what supports their strength is colonialism. They have been accustomed to enjoying this colonial dividend and using all available means to raise the people of the conquered areas like livestock. , and then obtain all their wealth and realize their own wealth growth and development.
From this logic and fundamental point of view, the West is absolutely untrustworthy. No matter what they say, no matter how nice their smile is, no matter how humble they appear, for politicians, it is all false and will kill you, take away your wealth, destroy your culture, and humiliate you. Wife and daughter, enslaving your descendants is their most ingrained thinking.
If the Ming Dynasty adopted Western-style colonial expansion, it would naturally be able to achieve primitive accumulation in a short period of time and provide great support for industrial and commercial development.
But will this kind of colonial behavior have a profound impact on the behavioral logic of the people of the Ming Dynasty, so that a hundred years later, the Ming Dynasty will be used to colonization, plundering resources, and expansion? ???????????? ???To become a country of robbers, hooligans, and shameless people?
This result was somewhat difficult for Zhu Yunwen to accept.
But if there is no expansion, no colonization, and only relying on the navy and caravans to accumulate primitive capital, then the development of the Ming Dynasty will become very slow.
Zhu Yunwen hesitated.
After all, Africa is not the big and small Ryukyus, nor is it an island country in the east. It doesn't matter if it is conquered, controlled, or colonized. After all, it is next to the Ming Dynasty. It is easy to control and it is convenient to send people there. But Africa is very far away, and a round trip takes three years.
If it weren't for chrome ore, Zhu Yunwen wouldn't want to set his sights on distant Africa, which is too far away after all.
However, if Ming Dynasty does not take Africa now, establish a stronghold early and maintain a force, then Africa will become a European colony.
Is the time still far away?
No, not far away.
Nine years later, Portugal will send troops to conquer Ceuta in northern Africa, completely opening the era of Portuguese maritime power. A colonial empire is about to enter the stage of history.
At this time, there was really not much time left for Daming.
If I don’t want it, others will want it too. In that case, why shouldn’t I?
Zhu Yunwen used a simple logic to break through the entanglement. If this is the case, then let the Ming Dynasty take Africa.
"Pass on Li Su."
Zhu Yunwen made up his mind and got up to go to Wuying Palace.
Li Su stayed in Wuying Palace for a long time and did not leave until dark. Shortly afterwards, Longjiang Shipyard received an urgent order to speed up the transformation of treasure ships and strive to complete the steam transformation of a batch of treasure ships and Dafu ships before December.
All the navy officers and men who were going on a long voyage rushed home. For half a year, wives were not allowed to report back to the navy unless they were pregnant.
Li Su had no time to rest and held a meeting to find suitable candidates to follow him to Africa.
According to Zhu Yunwen's arrangement, Ming Dynasty needed to build three cities in central and southern Africa within five years to ensure the safety of the minerals in southern Africa, while developing northward and finally holding on to the canyon.
This process may not be smooth, and some countries in Africa will not sit still. Without strong power and someone who can take charge of the overall situation, it may be difficult to gain a long-term foothold.
Li Su needs a helper, no, a superior.
