Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 476 Old Zhu Heads North! Strange Customs!
Yingtian Prefecture, Jinling City.

Old Zhu wandered around the city for more than half a month.

The Ming capital, which he personally built, now feels as unfamiliar as if it were from another world.

The former Jinling carried his ambition to unify the world, but the present Yingtianfu is bustling and noisy, with crisscrossing streets and alleys, and is no longer the same as he remembered.

The city walls remain majestic, but the bustling marketplace, the merchants gathering, and the changes in various buildings inside and outside the walls have made this former emperor feel a sense of alienation.

Not only the area around Jinling City, but the entire Yingtian Prefecture has undergone earth-shattering changes.

Zhu Yunwen understood a principle well: industrial production has its own laws and will naturally have a scale agglomeration effect.

For example, if a steam locomotive is forged in a factory in Yingtianfu, then the manufacturing of all related parts, from wheels to bolts, from boilers to gears, and even the tools and machinery needed to produce these parts, will surround the locomotive factory like stars around the moon.

Only in this way can artisans and merchants work together seamlessly, and production run smoothly like flowing water.

The reason is simple: if a locomotive factory finds that a part does not meet specifications, it must immediately communicate with the supplier.

If the supplier is nearby, the problem can be resolved quickly.

If a defect is discovered in the morning, an improvement plan can be negotiated and new parts produced by the afternoon, or even other suppliers can be found to remedy the situation.

However, if the supplier is thousands of miles away, it will take several days for the message to travel back and forth, and the production line will have to be shut down, which will waste time and increase costs sharply.

In the pursuit of excellence in industrial production, such inefficiency is tantamount to a slow poison.

Even in later generations, when information can travel thousands of miles in an instant, and telephone rings and emails can cross mountains and seas, industrial production still prefers to be concentrated in one place.

Around large factories, countless small workshops will always emerge, specializing in providing supporting parts.

Although information can be transmitted quickly, face-to-face conversations remain the shortcut to resolving difficulties.

Despite its advanced logistics, it cannot teleport like a thought.

At present, the Ming Dynasty has no telegraph or internet. Messengers travel slowly and carriages are slow. The necessity of industrial agglomeration is beyond doubt.

Therefore, the industrialization of the Ming Dynasty was largely the industrialization of Yingtianfu (Nanjing).

To facilitate management, Zhu Yunwen had no choice but to locate a large number of factories in Yingtian Prefecture, near Jinling.

This place is transforming into the industrial heart of the empire at an astonishing pace.

In other territories of the Ming Dynasty, although some factories have been built, most of them rely on the rich local natural resources, such as mining iron ore and coal, and have not yet formed a large-scale industrial system.

Shanghai, with its unique geographical advantages, has become a hub for international trade and has radiated goods to the inland areas through convenient water and land transportation.

Overall, apart from Yingtianfu, the industrialization process in other regions of the empire was still lagging behind, and it was difficult to find any new industries.

However, these places also indirectly benefited from the industrial prosperity of Chengdu and Tianfu, and shared in the fruits of progress.

The factories in Yingtian Prefecture were thriving, and their products were not only supplied to the local area, but were continuously sold to all parts of the country.

New types of machinery, such as steam engines, have gradually become widespread and have been applied to agriculture, transportation, and manufacturing, greatly improving production efficiency.

The cement-paved roads stretched out like a spider web, connecting the towns and villages of the Ming Dynasty, allowing even remote places to feel the pulse of the empire's heart.

The rise of the financial system has acted as a catalyst, multiplying social wealth. Grand projects that were once doomed due to lack of funds can now be started.

From this perspective, even though other regions were slow to industrialize, they could still reap the benefits of the times and bask in the glory of the empire's rise.

During his stay in Yingtian Prefecture, Zhu Yuanzhang witnessed firsthand the rapid changes taking place in this imperial capital.

Ultimately, he decided to sail north and embark on a new journey.

This was Old Zhu's first time boarding a steamship. The ship cut through the waves on the river, the roar of the steam engine was deafening, and the speed made Old Zhu's heart surge with excitement.

Old Zhu couldn't help but secretly admire his grandson Zhu Yunwen, who was indeed exceptionally talented, able to create such a miraculous creation.

The destination of this trip is the north.

Looking back, Old Zhu was a wandering monk who made a living by begging for alms in places like Henan.

Later, he joined the rebel army and initially fought in the central regions such as Haozhou. With his wisdom and courage, he gradually moved south to Jiangnan and eventually settled in Nanjing.

After successively eliminating the separatist forces of Chen Youliang and Zhang Shicheng, he established Nanjing as his base and firmly established himself in the imperial court.

In the Northern Expedition to destroy the Yuan Dynasty, he, with the bearing of an emperor, strategized and won decisive victories from afar.

However, Zhu never set foot on northern land again.

As the creator of the new empire, Zhu Yuanzhang was well aware of the importance of the power center and dared not stray too far from it.

At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, the court was turbulent and unpredictable, with factional struggles surging like undercurrents, and the slightest carelessness could lead to the downfall of the dynasty.

The reason why Hu Weiyong's power was able to expand quietly was precisely because of this complex and cruel political game.

Under such circumstances, Emperor Zhu walked on thin ice, sparing no effort to protect his imperial power, taking each step cautiously and heavily.

The empire's foundation is not yet secure, and any oversight could render years of hard work futile.

Today, Zhu Yunwen governs the country effectively, the Ming Dynasty is peaceful and prosperous, and the court and the people are well-governed.

With his heavy burden lifted and no more worries, Zhu Yuanzhang was certain that his dynasty was as solid as a rock, and thus conceived the idea of ​​traveling around the country.

He decided to head north for three reasons.

Firstly, the North was the place where he wandered and begged for alms in his youth. As people grow old, they inevitably miss the old days and want to revisit their old footprints and walk the paths that carried their youth and trials.

Secondly, witnessing his grandson Zhu Yunwen's effective governance and diligent efforts, his longing for his deceased son Zhu Biao grew stronger, and he yearned to set foot on the land Zhu Biao had walked before his death.

Thirdly, he wanted to personally observe the landscape outside Yingtian Prefecture, investigate whether local officials were loyal to their duties, and whether there were any malpractices of deceiving superiors and concealing information.

Previously, Lao Zhu had toured the Jiangnan region, visiting Suzhou, Songjiang, Shanghai and other places, experiencing their prosperity and beauty.

Now he plans to travel to the Loess Plateau in the north to seek out different scenery and customs.

In fact, Old Zhu harbors an even more distant dream.

Travel overseas to explore that distant new world.

According to the national policy set by Zhu Yunwen, many of Zhu's descendants were sent overseas to expand the territory and spread the prestige of the Ming Dynasty.

Old Zhu is a person who values ​​family ties extremely much.

However, in order to support Zhu Yunwen's grand plan for governing the country, the old Zhu suppressed his personal feelings and publicly expressed his approval of the policy, without showing the slightest opposition.

But deep down, he still misses his children and grandchildren.

Whenever he thinks of his children and grandchildren who are far away in foreign lands, an endless longing wells up in his heart, as if countless threads of tenderness are being pulled invisibly.

However, the journey overseas was long and treacherous, and Zhu Yunwen firmly opposed his risky voyage at sea in his old age. In this era without accurate weather forecasting, navigation relied entirely on experience and the will of heaven; if they were unfortunate enough to encounter a typhoon, the ship could be destroyed and everyone could perish.

Even without a typhoon, the raging waves at sea are enough to violently rock the ship, and Old Zhu is too old and his body cannot withstand such torment.

With no other option, Old Zhu had to suppress his longing for the time being and choose to continue his tour on land.

The North, a place that holds his early memories, became the destination of this trip.

Upon entering the north, the scenery suddenly changes, quite different from the prosperity of the south.

Apart from the Yangtze River embankment, which has been carefully reinforced with steel and cement, and the old road, which was once paved with half bluestone and half mud bricks, now transformed into a wide and flat cement road, the rest of the landscape still retains its appearance from decades ago.

The houses are still the same old-fashioned mud-brick and tile houses, with no sign of modern buildings.

The fields are crisscrossed with paths, just as they always have, exuding the fragrance of the earth.

The only thing that surprised Lao Zhu was that countless saplings were planted on both sides of the road and on the hillside.

Although these seedlings have not yet grown into towering trees, they have already covered the vast land with a layer of lush greenery, just as the vitality of an empire is silently sprouting.

Old Zhu was secretly amazed.

As an emperor who rose from humble beginnings, he was well aware of the hardships of the common people, especially their thirst for firewood.

In his early years, he issued several edicts to plant trees and create forests throughout the country, hoping to spread greenery, stabilize the land, and ensure the safety of the people, but the results were minimal.

Driven by the need to make a living, people often cut down trees before they are fully grown, as firewood is scarce.

The Ming Dynasty had a vast territory with villages scattered like stars. Even with strict laws and severe punishments, it was difficult to eradicate the practice of private warfare.

Over time, Old Zhu had no choice but to give up.

When he was in Yingtian Prefecture, he saw rows of green trees along the newly built cement road, but he only thought that the trees were kept safe because the yamen runners patrolled closely to deter thieves.

Now that he was in a rural area north of the Yangtze River, there were no strict officials to manage the trees, yet the saplings were still growing strong. How could he not be curious?

Old Zhu ordered the coachman to stop the carriage in front of an ordinary house by the roadside.

The house was simple and unadorned. Several elderly men sat by the door, basking in the warm winter sun, chatting casually.

Old Zhu got out of the car, intending to go forward and ask some questions, when suddenly he saw a group of children running out from behind the house, their laughter as clear as silver bells.

Upon seeing Old Zhu and his carriage, they gathered around and exclaimed in unison, "Honored guest, good fortune has arrived! We wish you wealth and prosperity, and longevity and good health!"

The children's voices, though innocent, were melodious and rhythmic, and their auspicious words fell like pearls on a jade plate. Their lively smiles added to their charm, bringing joy to everyone.

Old Zhu smiled slightly, feeling a warm glow in his heart.

Unexpectedly, the children all stretched out their little hands, palms up, and said in unison, "Honored guest, please give us a red envelope!"

Their expectant gaze held a naive slyness, and their voices were clear and straightforward.

The smile on Old Zhu's face froze instantly, and he was speechless for a moment. The dignified and supreme emperor was caught off guard by a group of children "asking for red envelopes" on this country road.

Jiang Huan and Ji Yuan were about to step forward to protect the emperor when they were surrounded by a group of lively children and unable to move.

In desperation, Yoshigaki had no choice but to pull out a stack of brand-new Ming Dynasty banknotes from his pocket.

The children's eyes gleamed with excitement, and they instantly abandoned Old Zhu, swarming towards Ji Yuan.

Seeing this, Jiang Huan breathed a sigh of relief.

As the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he bore the heavy responsibility of protecting the supreme emperor and dared not relax for a moment.

Were these children instructed by someone to deliberately entangle Old Zhu, creating an opportunity for the villains to plot against him?
In this rural area, any slight movement could conceal a hidden danger.

Yoshigaki distributed the precious notes to the children one by one, one note per child, each with a face value of one hundred coins.

The children received the money with great joy, bowing and thanking the patrons while repeatedly chanting auspicious phrases such as "May your blessings be long-lasting" and "May your wealth flow in like a river."

After getting what they wanted, they scattered like a flock of jubilant birds, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

Upon seeing this, several old men sitting idly in front of the door couldn't help but clap their hands and laugh.

An old man squinted and chuckled, saying, "Our distinguished guest is truly generous! He gave the children a hundred-coin note! Normally, passing merchants would at most give a one-coin red envelope; they've never seen such generosity!"

Another elderly man chimed in, "It's obvious at a glance that our distinguished guest is a wealthy merchant who does big business; he wouldn't care about such a small amount of money!"

He jokingly cupped his hands and said, "This old man is itching to see you. How about you grant me a picture, as a lucky charm? I wish you boundless happiness and longevity!"

After saying that, he actually stood up and bowed respectfully to Old Zhu. Although the gesture was slightly exaggerated, it revealed the cunning of a countryman.

The old man had already discerned that Old Zhu possessed an extraordinary demeanor and was undoubtedly the backbone of this group. Ji Yuan, who was distributing the money, was merely a steward or a servant, and naturally bowed to Old Zhu to ask for his reward.

Seeing this, the other elderly men followed suit, laughing as they stood up and vying for "red envelopes," uttering flattering words like "May the noble person live a long and healthy life" and "May the family prosper."

Yoshigaki had no choice but to take out a few more hundred-cash notes and distribute them to the old men one by one.

The elderly people who received the money were all beaming with joy.

One of the elderly men called out loudly to his wife, instructing her to quickly serve hot tea and properly entertain these generous guests, in order to fulfill her duty as a host.

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and asked curiously, "When I was young, I traveled all over the country and saw all kinds of customs, but I have never seen the custom of asking passing merchants for red envelopes."

"Your place is quite unique, very different from other places."

Upon hearing this, the elderly men burst into laughter.

An elderly man with white hair stroked his beard and explained, "Haha, esteemed guest, you may not know this, but in previous years there was no such custom of asking for red envelopes."

"Back then, the mountains were high and the roads were long, so only bandits and robbers dared to block the road and demand money."

"They were scoundrels who shouted things like, 'This mountain is mine, these trees are mine, if you want to pass, leave your toll!'"

"Things are different now! In the prosperous Ming Dynasty, the country is peaceful and the people are content. Doors are left unlocked at night, and no one picks up lost items on the road."

"With government officials patrolling day and night, the national highway is in perfect order. Who would dare to commit robbery on the road?"

"Besides, highway robbery is the business of bandits. How could we, law-abiding farmers, do such a heinous thing?"

He was old and his voice was weak. He spoke for a while and then stopped to catch his breath. After a while, he continued, "If they encounter merchants passing by, the villagers will let them stay at their homes, serve them a bowl of hot rice and a pot of tea."

"Everyone has their difficulties when they're away from home. If you can lend a hand, you should."

……

(End of this chapter)