Zhu Di: My fourth son is a great emperor of all time?

Chapter 116 A Complete Money-Grubber

“Your Highness, the Jiangnan and Fujian regions are merely conveniently located. I have already reached an agreement with several maritime merchants, and next month several ships of the ‘Xunzhu’ will be dispatched to the Southeast Asian countries. Spices, ivory, and even exotic Western items can all be obtained in exchange. The real big profits are from overseas.”

Zhu Gaoshuo nodded. This was exactly what he wanted. The domestic market was already saturated. Only by venturing into the vast ocean could he support the grand blueprint for his industrial empire.

He sat up, his gaze falling on the huge nautical chart hanging on the wall: "Yes, maritime trade is the lifeblood. But..."

He abruptly changed the subject, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly: "Recently, several cargo ships bound for Southeast Asia have reported significant damage during the voyage. Pearls are delicate and cannot withstand rough seas and humidity. Even with the best wooden crates, oiled paper, and packing materials, some pearls arrive with damaged luster or even cracks. Southeast Asia is hot and humid, making them even more susceptible to mold. If this continues, our reputation will be damaged, and our profits will be greatly reduced."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiuping's smile faded, and her delicate brows furrowed slightly: "This is indeed a difficult problem. I have also heard that those merchant ships from the West seem to have some special sealing methods? Their goods, especially those that are susceptible to moisture, are preserved much better."

"Exactly!" Zhu Gaoshuo's eyes flashed with a sharp light. Talking to his wife was so easy; he could easily steer the conversation in that direction.

"I have consulted some surviving ancient books and also inquired with experienced old sea merchants. It is said that in the far west, there is a magical substance called 'rubber,' which is extracted from the sap of a special tree. This substance is exceptionally flexible, waterproof, and resistant to both cold and heat. If it could be used to wrap pearls, seal ship cabins, or even make waterproof cloth to cover cargo, it would greatly reduce losses!"

As he spoke, he stood up and paced back and forth: "It's not just pearls! If such a thing truly exists, the performance of our muskets, the sealing gaskets of our cannons, the transmission belts of our machinery, and even some critical parts of our ships will undergo a qualitative leap! Just imagine, if watertight compartments could be perfectly sealed, how much would the ship's survivability be improved? If our soldiers' waterproof rain gear could truly be impermeable, how much more likely would we be to win at sea?"

Zhang Xiuping was attracted by the prospect he described, but then she realized the key point: "Your Highness, does our Great Ming have such a divine object? It seems that we have never heard of such a thing being used on a large scale in the Southeast Asian countries."

Zhu Gaoshuo stopped in his tracks, his eyes becoming deep and sharp: "As far as I know, the 'rubber' tree is native to South America, thousands of miles away, and is not native to China. To import it would be as difficult as climbing to heaven! Even if we could obtain it, the journey would be long and the cost would be enormous, making it an unsustainable solution."

He walked to the desk, picked up a drawing he had prepared beforehand, which depicted various strange and unusual tools, and pointed to one of them, a tool that resembled a scraper.

"Therefore, I am thinking, given that Heaven has bestowed upon the Great Ming Dynasty such a vast land and abundant resources, surely there is something to replace it? The properties of rubber are nothing more than its flexibility, elasticity, and sealing ability. Our ancient Chinese ancestors possessed boundless wisdom; surely there is something similar that can be used!"

"Has Your Highness already made progress?" Zhang Xiuping pressed.

"Yes!" Zhu Gaoshuo said decisively, his finger pointing heavily to a circled tree-shaped pattern on the drawing.

"Eucommia ulmoides!"

"Eucommia?" Zhang Xiuping was a little puzzled. She knew that Eucommia was a kind of medicinal herb, and that the bark could be used to strengthen muscles and bones and nourish the liver and kidneys.

"That's right! It's Eucommia ulmoides!" Zhu Gaoshuo's eyes gleamed with the light of discovering a treasure.

"I have consulted numerous pharmacopoeias and records, and personally inquired with experienced pharmacists. When the bark of the Eucommia ulmoides tree is torn, it produces many silvery-white, elastic filaments! These are Eucommia ulmoides resin! Although this substance is not as strong or readily available as the legendary 'rubber,' it possesses excellent elasticity and a certain degree of sealing. More importantly, it is a tree native to my Great Ming Dynasty! The climate of Xunzhou and the surrounding mountains is perfectly suited for the growth of Eucommia ulmoides!"

He unfolded another diagram, which depicted a proposed process for extracting Eucommia ulmoides resin.

"I have ordered the search for wild Eucommia ulmoides forests in the mountains of Xunzhou, and the establishment of Eucommia ulmoides gardens for large-scale transplanting and cultivation! We will extract this sap from the bark of the Eucommia ulmoides tree! Then, like making lacquerware, we will study how to solidify, shape, and modify it!" Zhu Gaoshuo's tone was filled with an unquestionable determination.

"The loss of pearls during export is a major challenge we must overcome. Eucommia gum is the key for us to establish ourselves locally and solve all the problems related to 'rubber'. With it, our pearls can travel across the ocean intact, our ships can be more robust and safer, and our firearms can be more sophisticated and reliable."

Looking at the flame burning in her husband's eyes, a familiar light belonging to pioneers, Zhang Xiuping got up, walked to Zhu Gaoshuo's side, picked up the Eucommia ulmoides extraction diagram, examined it carefully, and her eyes also ignited with fighting spirit.

"I understand, Your Highness. Rest assured, the craftsmen at the Pearl Workshop are most experienced in handling colloids, shaping and polishing. I will personally lead them to participate. This Eucommia ulmoides colloid will surely become another trump card for Xunzhou."

The capital city, the warm chamber of the imperial palace.

Zhu Di put down the secret report from the southeast coast, which detailed the popularity of the "Xunzhu" in Southeast Asia and the troubles caused by transportation losses. A barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips.

"Fourth Prince, what are you up to with the Eucommia tree again?" Zhu Di asked Huang Yan, who was standing to the side, seemingly casually.

Huang Yan immediately bowed, his voice high-pitched and clear.

"Your Majesty, it seems that Prince Qi has discovered a tree called Eucommia in the Xunzhou mountains. Its bark resin has special properties and is intended to be used to solve the loss of pearls during sea transport. It is also said to be used for sealing instruments. Prince Qi's residence has already enclosed land for transplantation, and the commotion is quite significant."

"Eucommia ulmoides glue?" Zhu Di pondered the unfamiliar word, his fingers tapping lightly on the rosewood armrest.

He recalled the seemingly simple yet incredibly lethal weapons used by the people of Xunzhou in the sky, their exquisite coordination, and how Lao Si's insight always seemed to find places others wouldn't think of.

"Hmm," Zhu Di responded faintly, saying no more.

He picked up his teacup, skimmed off the foam, and already understood: the pearl industry was something he had tacitly approved or even secretly promoted to grow, because he saw its enormous role in stabilizing the coastal areas, uniting the people, and of course, the substantial tax revenue.

Now that pearl exports have encountered a bottleneck, the fourth brother's solution is to develop a local "glue".

Although it sounds a bit far-fetched, since it was the fourth brother who wanted to do it, and it seems to be for the purpose of "selling pearls" better, he sounds like a complete money-grubber.

Zhu Di put down his teacup and turned his gaze southward.

An invisible order had already been issued through the channels he controlled: the Eucommia ulmoides seedlings needed by the Qi Prince's Mansion in Xunzhou should be allowed to pass through all passes without any obstruction. If any local officials or gentry tried to obstruct the acquisition of land for planting trees, they would be punished for "obstructing the procurement of tribute goods by imperial merchants".

He didn't say anything explicitly, but he had done what he was supposed to do.

(End of this chapter)