In the Ming Dynasty 1498, my restaurant connects two worlds.

Chapter 107 The Crown Prince's Physics Initiation (Part 1)

Guizhou, in the mountains.

Panzi and Fatty have completed the harvest of the first batch of terraced rice and related agricultural products, and the second convoy arranged by He Dayu is loading the trucks.

"What should I do if Brother Yi keeps not answering his phone?"

"I can't get through?"

"I got through. A woman answered, not Pearl, but her voice was quite nice."

"Huh? Xiao Yi has been kidnapped?"

"Have we entered the Black Bear Demon's Spider Cave?"

"What nonsense! Where would a Black Bear Demon have a Spider Cave?"

"What did that woman say?"

"She said Xiao Yi had made arrangements, and we should all be transported to the food factory managed by your father for secondary processing."

"If someone receives it, that's fine. I guess Brother Yi has taken on some secret mission again."

"Yeah, maybe Xiao Yi's discharge from the military is just a cover-up."

"Yes! The military region even called last time to ask about Xiao Yi..."

"Stop! Stop! Don't make wild guesses!"

"Yes, we're paid to work anyway, and Brother Yi won't skimp on our wages."

He Dayu knew that Song Xiaoyi's cooperation with the Western Military Region had never stopped. His first fleet of five vehicles was transporting fresh agricultural products from there, one vehicle a day. But he couldn't tell these two big mouths about this.

On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month of the eleventh year of the Hongzhi reign, as dawn broke, the capital was already enveloped in a biting cold.

A light snow fell quietly last night, turning the glazed tiles, the Golden Water River, and the palace walls of the Forbidden City white. The morning breeze swirled up the fine snowflakes outside the empty Donghua Gate.

A blue-curtained carriage was parked outside Donghua Gate, its curtains tightly closed and a thin layer of frost covering the carriage shafts.

Gu Lan, the Director of the Crown Prince's Palace, was wrapped in a thick cotton robe, constantly rubbing his hands and breathing on them to keep warm, while cautiously scanning his surroundings.

Song Xiaoyi, dressed in a deep blue crane robe, stepped forward, took out his waist token and hand warrant, and personally drove the carriage into the palace. The carriage was loaded with a full load of instant noodles.

Song Xiaoyi drove the carriage to the imperial kitchen first, unloaded the instant noodles, and then drove the carriage with Gu Lan to the entrance of the Crown Prince's palace.

Before long, very light footsteps could be heard inside the palace.

A small figure, wrapped in a thick mink coat and wearing a hat with warm ears, with only a pair of bright eyes showing, climbed onto the carriage with the help of a young eunuch dressed as a servant.

Before getting into the car, Zhu Houzhao lowered his voice, his excitement tinged with a hint of nervousness: "Teacher Song! Mr. Gu! Get in the car quickly, don't freeze!"

Song Xiaoyi greeted him with a smile, brushing the snow off his shoulder: "Your Highness, please don't rush, it's still early. Eunuch Wei, Brother Qian, please get in the carriage as well; hand warmers have been prepared inside."

"This..." Gu Lan and Wei Bin both hesitated.

"We're traveling incognito from the palace, so there aren't many rules. Too many rules would only alert those with ulterior motives. Do you all understand?"

Watching the two get into the carriage and close the curtain, Song Xiaoyi jumped into the "driver's seat," nodded to Mu Bin in the distance, and shouted "Giddy up!" to start the carriage off.

I've driven cars, trucks, and even tanks, but this is truly my first time "driving" a horse-drawn carriage. The novelty was palpable as the horse's hooves pounded on the snow-covered flagstones, producing a dull yet rhythmic sound. We exited through the Donghua Gate, where we met up with Wang Shu, the Prince Taibao, who had been waiting for us for a long time, and headed towards the southeast corner of the capital.

The destination of this trip is the Ministry of Works' Ordnance Bureau, a heavily guarded facility with furnaces burning year-round, and the most important research and development center for weapons and equipment in the Ming Dynasty.

The first stop for Crown Prince Zhu Houzhao's studies outside the palace was chosen by Song Xiaoyi not on a whim, but after careful consideration and discussion with her father.

Although my father, Song Shen, was only a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Works' Ordnance Bureau, he had actually been in charge of the Ordnance Bureau's affairs since last year.

This is the most common situation in modern times: the head of the department takes long-term sick leave, while the deputy is in charge of the work.

Song Shen, the father, did not have a talent for cooking, so he did not follow in his father's footsteps. Instead, after graduating from high school, he went to work in a factory making screws and later rose to the rank of a level seven technician.

During his two years in the Ming Dynasty, he not only became proficient in firearms casting and mechanical design, but also studied the "natural science" that came from the Western Regions.

The reception was personally arranged by the father, Song Shen, which not only ensured the prince's safety but also opened the door to the prince's knowledge of "investigating things to acquire knowledge" in the most concise and vivid way.

The carriage stopped at the secluded side gate of the Ordnance Bureau. Song Xiaoyi closed his eyes and focused his mind, sensing his surroundings. He thought to himself, "I should be careful, and not be as careless as I was the day I first entered the capital."

"Where is this?" Wang Shu got out of the car first, looked around, and asked.

"Wang Taibao, this is the Ministry of Works' Ordnance Bureau. My father, Song Shen, is a secretary in the Ordnance Bureau."

"I should have known this sooner; no wonder His Majesty protected you."

"Wang Taibao, this is not something to be said lightly. Xiao Yi did not obtain the position of Junior Chamberlain by virtue of his elders."

"You'll see later, Xiao Yi relies on his own strength."

"Haha~, young man, your words are sharp. I hope your skills can be as quick as your tongue."

"Just you wait and see." Song Xiaoyi was secretly pleased with himself. He refuted Wang Taibao again and took out his waist token, handing it to the guard who came out of the door.

After the guards verified the token, they quickly let them pass.

Inside the side gate, Song Shen's trusted craftsman waited for a long time by the wall and led Song Xiaoyi and the other four people who got out of the car into a separate courtyard inside the bureau.

"This is a prototype manufacturing plant for new equipment. Outsiders are strictly prohibited from entering under normal circumstances, but today it has been cleared out specifically for you, young master."

Upon entering, a unique, warm fragrance, a blend of charcoal, pine resin, tung oil, and metal, wafts over, dispelling the biting chill of the twelfth lunar month.

Although the courtyard was covered with a thin layer of snow, the fire in the stove under the eaves was burning brightly. It was Song Xiaoyi's first time here. He strolled around the courtyard, casually touching the objects, seemingly at random, but actually checking them.

A middle-aged official, dressed in a dark blue official robe, with a silver belt at his waist, tall, with a square face and piercing eyes, came forward to greet him. Even in the cold winter, there was a slight sweat on his forehead, indicating that he had just gotten up from the forge.

Upon seeing his son and Wang Shu, and then Zhu Houzhao, who was wrapped in a fur coat and had a lively look in his eyes, Song Shen was respectful but not humble. He only bowed slightly and said in a steady tone, "This humble official, Song Shen, greets Mr. Wang and the four young masters."

Wang Shu returned the greeting, "Lord Song, thank you for your trouble."

Zhu Houzhao looked at Song Shen with curiosity. In fact, he had seen him many times in the palace, but each time he had only seen his father talking to him from afar. This was the first time he had seen him so close.

Zhu Houzhao then looked at the steaming furnace and neatly arranged machine models in the courtyard and couldn't help but ask, "Lord Song, is this where the muskets are made? Why are the furnaces still burning in this cold weather?"

"Young Master, the Ordnance Bureau operates 365 days a year, its furnaces never extinguished," Song Shen nodded with a smile. "However, today, I will not invite you to observe the sharp blades and gunpowder, but rather to witness the workings of nature, the principles of the universe, and the laws governing the growth of all things."

After saying that, Song Shen beckoned, and his craftsmen brought over an exquisite wooden device.

Song Xiaoyi was also secretly curious: what exactly was the treasure that her father had so confidently recommended last night?