Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 146 A Super Gift from Zhu Yuanzhang
"Father, I accept!"

This position of school administrator should be filled by a child!

I wasn't hesitating just now, but rather thinking about how I could better contribute after becoming the Vice Minister of Education, and how to promote agricultural science and physics within the Imperial Academy.

Let them encounter fewer obstacles!

Prince Zhu Gang of Jin, who had been somewhat hesitant and shocked by what his father had said, was now hearing his father bring up the fourth prince, that despicable man, to make a fuss.

That immediately made him abandon all his thoughts.

He straightened his back and accepted the task with a serious expression.

The voice is sonorous and powerful.

He was full of vigor and determination, without the slightest hesitation.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but feel pleased.

He knows how to manage his third and fourth children.

"Okay, we knew it. Third brother, you're someone who's going to do great things."

We trust you to handle this, third brother!

"Third brother, you'd definitely do a better job than fourth brother in this position of school administrator."

"Father, you are wise!"

Zhu Gang straightened his posture even more.

"Father, I promise to complete the mission and do my best to do it even better."

Prince Zhu Gang of Jin was as if he had been injected with chicken blood.

The fourth brother, through his risky actions, made a significant contribution to dealing with the Japanese naval forces.

Look how smug he is!
Its tail is practically sticking up to the sky!
On our own side, if we don't achieve something and do things well, then we'll be in trouble.

That scoundrel, the fourth brother, who knows how smug he'll become.

How they would show off in front of me.

He had no idea he was also his brother!
This time, we must do things well and suppress the fourth brother's limelight!
Here, after talking to Zhu Gang about some things.

Zhu Gang left the Wuying Hall with a powerful stride, exuding fighting spirit.

Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but smile when he saw his third son's reaction.

The sons I had with my sister are all quite good.

Needless to say, Biao'er is exceptionally outstanding.

The second brother, although he suffered a serious illness while his sister was pregnant with him and took some medication that damaged his brain.

But this guy's talent in warfare is indeed very strong.

The fourth prince needs no further explanation; the Yongle Emperor is the best evaluation of him.

The fifth brother is obsessed with medicine.

After his death in his previous life, the fifth brother never had a peaceful life.

He was frequently demoted to Yunnan.

In that environment, the fifth brother was able to achieve so much in medicine.

This life will surely be even more extraordinary.

The third child is equally outstanding, competitive, and possesses a tenacious spirit.
He is intelligent and eager to learn, and he is resourceful in his work.

She's just a little narcissistic at times.

The rivalry between him and the fourth brother, their competition to see who was better, was a kind of love-hate relationship between brothers.

In reality, despite the fierce competition between him and the fourth brother, their brotherly bond is no less than that of others.

In their past lives, the third brother usually had the upper hand in their rivalry.

Even if it's just the two of them, they'll be stationed in the border region after that.

When facing the fourth brother, the third brother usually has the upper hand.

The fourth brother was somewhat afraid of the third brother.

One saying is that if the third son hadn't died before him...

With the third brother around, the fourth brother won't rebel.

Of course, history has no "what ifs".

But such an evaluation is enough to show how outstanding the third brother is.

After returning from Zhongdu, he arranged for his third son to attend the Imperial Academy.

It was all for the sake of cultural change, to prepare for the introduction of new disciplines such as agronomy and physics.

After so much preparation, it's time for the third brother to play his role.

The third son was an assistant instructor at the Imperial Academy.

Some things are much easier to handle naturally.

He believed in his son's abilities.

This son will certainly not disappoint me.

Next, the Ming Dynasty will become even more lively.

It's good when things are lively; some things are easier to handle and resolve when things are lively.

Let's see who comes out next.

We must not punish those who stand out, nor let anyone shed blood.

Without sacrificing their blood and heads to raise a flag, these new schools of thought would not have grown so smoothly.

Soaked in blood, paved with the heads of enemies.

Only then can it grow faster.

The struggle over the orthodox tradition has always been brutal, and so has the struggle over scholarship.

During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, under his leadership, Confucianism was suppressed and exclusively promoted.

It completely overwhelmed the other hundred schools.

The rulers of the early Western Han Dynasty revered the Huang-Lao philosophy.

The Huang-Lao school of thought also shone brightly, surpassing the others.

All of this has proven that the dissemination and development of knowledge cannot be separated from the support of imperial power.

Now, as the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, I must vigorously support these fields of learning.

I just don't believe that we can't let new students eat at the table.

We must not let them flourish!
On this road, whoever blocks his way dies!
He didn't have the time or patience to get entangled with these pedantic scholars.

……

"Haha, I also have some good news to tell you, consider it a New Year's gift!"

The first day of the Lunar New Year in the ninth year of the Hongwu reign.

Zhu Yuanzhang was in a good mood as he looked at his children who had come to wish him a Happy New Year.

"The main hall is also closed for the holiday."

School will resume on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, after the Lantern Festival!

Upon hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words, the many people present, including Prince Chu Zhu Zhen and Prince Qi Zhu Fu, were first taken aback, and then they couldn't help but cheer.

They shouted that their father was wise and benevolent.

This New Year's gift is better than any other gift.

Even New Year's money isn't as good as this gift.

It truly touched their hearts.

During the Hongwu reign, it wasn't just the emperor and his officials who were implicated.

Under the influence of Zhu Yuanzhang, the notoriously eccentric ruler, his sons were also extremely eccentric.

It's just a passive rolling, not an active rolling.

According to Lao Zhu's rules, we only get three days off a year.

Not only the emperor, but also all the court officials, had to follow this rule.

His sons, who attended classes at the Great Hall, also only had three days off a year.

Old Zhu adjusted the class schedule earlier.

The start time for school in the morning was delayed by half an hour.

According to the current schedule, the time for class, which was supposed to start at 6:30, has been changed to 7:30.

They also got out of school half an hour early.

According to the current time, it has changed from 7 pm to 6 pm.

To reduce the burden on her sons.

However, the holiday was not extended.

Zhu Yuanzhang had considered giving his sons, who were attending school, a holiday long before this.

However, he never said it.

I'll tell my sons on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Give them a nice New Year's surprise.

Looking back now, I think my consideration was pretty good.

Looking at these little ones, cheering and jumping for joy, I know that my gift has touched their hearts.

If we had told them beforehand, it wouldn't have had such a good effect.

"Not only that, starting this year, the Dabentang will begin its holiday on the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month."

The holiday ends on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month of the following year!

With a "whoosh," Zhu Zhen and the others, who were already extremely happy and excited, exclaimed after Zhu Yuanzhang's voice fell.

They couldn't help but cheer again.

That was incredibly inspiring.

I couldn't be happier.

The gift from Father is truly enormous!

"From now on, we will implement a ten-day rest period, with one day off every ten days."

That is, go up to the ninth heaven and rest for a day.

When there are short months, the last ten days of the month consist of eight days of work followed by one day of rest.

The surprises weren't over yet; Old Zhu gave us a huge giveaway this time.

In addition to holidays, regular months also begin to have only one day off per week.

Inside the Wuying Hall, another round of cheers and jubilation erupted.

"Also, every year when the wheat ripens, there is a half-month wheat harvest break."

During the autumn harvest, there is a two-week autumn break.

Summer vacation starts in June and lasts for a month.

Zhu Zhen, Zhu Fu, Zhu Zi and the others were stunned on the spot.

His little face was filled with disbelief.

They were stunned for a good three or four breaths before they came to their senses, and then another round of cheers broke out.

It practically ripped the roof off!

These were Zhu Yuanzhang's sons, who usually dared not be too unruly in front of him.

At this moment, everyone was overjoyed.

Forget about everything else, they couldn't help but cheer.

After all, before this, they only had three days of vacation a year!
For the rest of the time, unless you are sick or have some other special reason, you should go to the main hall to study.

Rain or shine.

But now, their own father, the emperor, has suddenly shown great mercy and granted them so many holidays. How could they not be thrilled?

As for Zhu Shuang, Zhu Di, and Zhu Su, these three were graduates of the Dabentang Academy.

At this moment, he heard his father's words and the cheers of his younger brothers.

I was stunned and speechless, and my heart was bleeding.

No way... so many holidays all year round?! Is Father still half asleep?

Is this something the Emperor would do?
Why didn't we catch this good time?

Which of us hasn't studied at the main hall for at least seven or eight years?

For the past seven or eight years, I've truly been getting up earlier than the chickens and going to bed later than the dogs.

They worked from dawn till dusk, studying relentlessly, heaven knows how they got through it all.

Finally, their father took pity on them and allowed them to finish their studies at the Great Hall early, sparing them from this torment.

Facing his younger brothers, he could stand tall, proud, and look them over with the eyes of someone who had been there all along.

Look at these brats, continuing to endure the same tormenting days we all went through in the main hall.

This feeling is simply indescribably amazing.

But who would have thought that this would only take less than a year?

My own father, the emperor, has suddenly started giving me a huge holiday!

During the Lunar New Year holiday, we had a break of almost a month.

Summer harvest lasts half a month, autumn harvest lasts half a month, and then there's another month of summer heat.

Add another three-day weekend every month.

Then there are the holidays that my father mentioned, such as Qingming and Mid-Autumn Festival.

If you calculate it all out in a year, these brats will have a vacation of about four months!

How can they be happy, and how can they possibly feel at peace?
Why is it that we didn't get to enjoy any of these good things?
We've suffered all the hardships ourselves.

With the passing of his family and others, the Emperor's demands on the Grand Hall have also decreased.

Not only did they give them so much vacation time, but they also made them skip an hour of school every day.

No need to work from dawn till dusk like before.

too bitter!
Our lives are so miserable!
Looking at his eldest sons, Zhu Yuanzhang deeply sympathized with their feelings.

I can understand it very well.

Wasn't he the same way when he was studying in modern times?
When he was in elementary school, the houses were still tiled.

As a result, after graduating from elementary school, a building was built around the former elementary school.

In junior high, the dormitory was full of beds, the kind of large communal sleeping area with bunk beds.

Fifteen or sixteen people in one small dormitory room.

As a result, after he graduated from junior high school, the dormitory conditions changed.

It became a room for eight people.

In high school, the classroom only had ceiling fans.

After graduation, all the classrooms were equipped with air conditioning...

The feeling was indescribable.

However, looking at his sons, he also felt the same emotions he had experienced in the modern world because of his actions.

His mood suddenly improved.

Sure enough, this is something only a biological father would do.

……

"Fourth brother, we have another task for you."

This is also a very difficult task.

Even if you had your third brother do it, he might not be able to finish it.

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, after handling some matters...

Zhu Yuanzhang summoned his fourth son.

"Father, please tell me what it is."

Leave this to me!
I will definitely handle it perfectly!
If anything is done poorly, Father, you may hold me accountable; I will have no complaints!

Zhu Di was initially hesitant and uncertain about why his father had summoned him.

But then he heard his father say that even if that wretched third son were to do this, he might not be able to do it well.

Zhu Di immediately perked up.

Without even asking any questions, he immediately agreed.

We can be as resolute as we want, and as decisive as we want.

As the saying goes, "One trick is all you need to succeed in the world."

This tactic works really well against my third and fourth children.

Seeing his fourth son's reaction, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

Extremely satisfied.

Like a fox that has stolen a chicken.

This is quite different from the image of Emperor Hongwu in the minds of the people.

"It is indeed a very important matter."

Fourth brother, some people in our Ming Dynasty want to rebel.

"Rebel against your father!"

Upon hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words, Zhu Di was startled and filled with disbelief.

"Father...is this true?"
Who is so audacious as to rebel against the Emperor?
Where are the traitors?
I will immediately lead my troops to raze them to the ground!
Exterminate their entire clan!

After the initial shock, Zhu Di jumped to his feet.

His entire body radiated a palpable killing intent.

In Zhu Di's eyes, this was simply a joke!
It's something that's simply unimaginable and unforgivable!
My own father, the Emperor, such a powerful ruler, such majesty.

These are the people who strive for the prosperity of China and the strength of the entire world.

There are people who are rebelling against the emperor.

Is there no justice left? Is there no conscience left?
These are the things my own father, the emperor, did.

Throughout history, few emperors have been able to compare to him.

It's infuriating that someone would still rebel like this!
Those who rebel must be severely punished!
Father is right. If someone wants to rebel against Father, it is most appropriate for me to take charge.

That third brother, that bastard, can't do this kind of work.

At the same time, I felt particularly pleased.

The emperor trusted him more and more, and even asked him to handle any rebellions that occurred.

This is the greatest recognition of my abilities from my father.

It was also proof of his father's trust in him.

Zhu Yuanzhang was very satisfied with his fourth son's reaction.

"The rebels are those many maritime merchants we summoned at Tianjie Temple before the New Year."

It was them?
How dare these people do such a thing?!

"Father, I request permission to go and wipe them out!"

The news he received from his own father, the emperor, was far too unexpected.

When he learned from his father, the emperor, that someone was planning a rebellion.

Zhu Di's first thought was of the generals and commanders in the army, or some of the people in the anti-Japanese naval force who had been dealt with before.

Or perhaps some coastal garrisons are planning a rebellion.

These people have the reason, the ability, and the courage to do this.

Who would have thought it would be these maritime merchants!
These people have really gone too far!
They dare to rebel?

They dare to rebel!

"Fourth brother, these people's rebellion hasn't even started yet."

But we're certain they'll rebel.

However, not everyone among these people will rebel.

He would not personally rebel.

Instead, there will be a group of people hiding behind the scenes, instigating rebellion.

Using others as pawns.

This matter needs to be carefully examined.

Try your best to distinguish who is an enemy and who is a friend.

Minimize accidental injuries...

Next, we'll do it like this here..."

As Zhu Yuanzhang spoke, he lowered his voice and told Zhu Di about his considerations on this matter…

Half a day later, Zhu Di left from the Wuying Hall.

On the surface, nothing seemed amiss, but deep down, she had already made up her mind...

These maritime merchants in Jiangnan are far too arrogant and domineering!
The emperor was soft-hearted and gave them a chance.

As a result, many of them were oblivious to their fate, ungrateful, and shameless.

They still want to play the rebellion card!
Since that's the case, let's give Jiangnan a good cleaning!

Do these people really think that rebellion is so easy to start?

Do you really think that just because some of them weren't directly involved, they can't be punished?
Do they really think they can do whatever they want just because they can control a large number of people?
Investigating a case requires evidence, but rebellion is possible; all you need to know is a location!

Zhu Di didn't mind killing a lot of people.

If he does that, his reputation will definitely suffer.

Later on, because of his status as a vassal king and the fact that his actions had affected the interests of many people, he would be targeted by numerous officials.

But Zhu Di didn't care; he impeached him if he wanted, and targeted him if he wanted.

As long as my father understands me, this is not a problem!

He was willing to fight for his father, the emperor, and to contribute to the prosperity of China!
……

Many workshops in the Jiangnan region also closed for the Spring Festival.

The many people working in the workshops were all celebrating the New Year with great joy.

However, after the New Year, many people were not happy.

Because many workshops had not yet resumed operations by the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

When asked, they were told that the workshop could no longer operate and there was no profit.

Every day you open it, you lose money.

When asked what happened, they wouldn't say.

They only said they didn't want to lose money.

As for when the workshop will start operations, that is also unknown.

This has caused great anxiety among many people.

In the Jiangnan region, the silk weaving industry and numerous workshops were very developed.

Many people make a living by working for others.

If you don't work, you won't have a source of income; if you don't have a source of income, you won't have food to eat.

The whole family would be unable to survive.

These must be the wealthy merchants who run these workshops; they don't want to give them a way to survive.

Which of these workshop owners isn't incredibly wealthy?

In the past, those who ran workshops made a lot of money.

Why are you suddenly saying you're not making money anymore?

Does this mean I have to spend every day I'm open for business?

Everyone was puzzled.

Then news came that the emperor was going to establish a Maritime Trade Office and collect six-tenths of the taxes from maritime merchants…

(End of this chapter)