The Young Dragon of the Ming Dynasty: Bound to an Industrial Blueprint from the Start

Zhu Zhanji nodded, then tried to gesture westward with his small hand, mumbling, "Zhuang, Zhuang, play." He deliberately pronounced "Zhuang" and "Xia" in a similar, indistinct way.

Zhang was taken aback: "An estate? An estate? To play with?" She remembered the Emperor's earlier mention of bestowing an estate, and a thought struck her: "Zhanji wants an estate, so he can go and play?"

Zhu Zhanji nodded vigorously, his finger still stubbornly pointing westward.

Looking into her beloved son's bright, expectant eyes, and recalling His Majesty's earlier words about bestowing a manor upon him, Zhang felt a sudden sense of clarity. She realized that this was a mother's heart being connected with her child's; her son had actually "asked" for a reward on his own, which surprised and amused her.

She walked back to Zhu Di's side and said respectfully, "Father, Zhanji seems to particularly like the scenery in the west."

I've heard that the clear snow on the Western Hills is a scenic wonder of Yanjing. I wonder if there's a suitable small village to the west? It would be convenient for Zhanji to visit and experience it when he's older.

Zhu Di waved his hand and said, "West Mountain? What a great place! I remember there are some royal estates there. Gao Chi, check if there are any vacant or small estates along the Shui Ding River in West Mountain, and bestow them upon Zhanji."

Zhu Gaochi readily agreed, and the matter was settled.

A few days later, the formalities were completed, and the "Huishan" imperial estate and its more than one hundred tenant farmers were officially transferred to the name of the eldest grandson, Zhu Zhanji.

My meager income is nothing special, which is perfectly reasonable.

The head eunuch was an honest and simple old eunuch. When he was called to kowtow and express his gratitude, Zhu Zhanji was being held by Zhang Shi.

He seemed to be playing with a small cloth tiger unintentionally, but the tiger's tail always pointed to the wooden box representing the land deeds and account books presented by the head of the estate.

Zhang saw it all and understood.

The son seems to have some "ideas" about this estate.

Time flies, and several months later, Zhu Zhanji learned that his grandfather Zhu Di had finally lost his patience and declared war on his nephew in Nanjing.

However, none of this had anything to do with him, a baby who was just over one year old.

His greatest "achievement" was finally being able to walk relatively steadily and speak.

The process seemed "natural".

One day, Zhang was holding him while they looked at pictures and pointed to a horse in the picture book, saying "horse." Zhu Zhanji then clearly repeated "horse."

Zhang was pleasantly surprised. She pointed to a few simple objects, and he was able to accurately repeat them, even saying short sentences like, "Mother, look, birds are flying."

In less than half a month, he was able to converse fluently, with a level of accuracy in his vocabulary and clarity in his logic that far surpassed that of his peers, and was even better than many five- or six-year-olds.

The entire Prince Yan's residence was astonished, and the saying that "the eldest grandson is a child prodigy reincarnated" quietly spread.

Zhu Zhanji had anticipated this.

He deliberately controlled the scope of the "child prodigy" label: early speech, good memory, and curiosity about books and new things, but never any insights that were ahead of their time.

A smart and studious child—this is the first layer of protection he has created for himself.

With the problem of speaking resolved and the ability to take action initially established, he began to systematically advance his "cover" plan.

Primary objective: Zhu Di's study.

At this time, the Jingnan Campaign was at a critical juncture. The situation on the front lines was not going well, and Zhu Di was busy with important military and national affairs, so he was not often at home.

Zhu Zhanji seized the opportunity and, with his short legs, "staggered" into his grandfather's study.

At first, the eunuchs and maids were so frightened that they hurriedly tried to carry him out, but he sat down on the ground and pointed to the rows of books on the bookshelf, saying in a childish but unusually clear voice, "Book, Zhanji, look."

Zhu Di happened to return early that day and witnessed this scene at the door.

The little grandson was sitting on the ground, his little face upturned, staring longingly at the bookshelf. The longing in his eyes was unlike that of a two-year-old child.

Zhu Di was inwardly amazed. He waved to stop the palace servants who were about to carry him away, strode in, and looked down at his grandson: "Zhanji, do you want to read a book?"

Zhu Zhanji nodded vigorously, pointing to a thick copy of "The Veritable Records of Hongwu" on the top shelf: "Big, good book."

Zhu Di was amused by his earnest little face and, wanting to test him, had a eunuch bring down a relatively simple illustrated version of the Thousand Character Classic and handed it to him: "Do you recognize it?"

Zhu Zhanji took it, opened it with a serious air, pointed at the words on it with his little finger, and actually began to read it aloud, albeit haltingly: "Heaven, Earth, Black, Yellow, Universe, Cosmos, Flood, Wilderness." Although slow, he read it without missing a single word.

Zhu Di's eyes widened as he looked at Zhang, who had rushed over upon hearing the news: "Did you teach this?"

Zhang quickly replied, "Father, I only teach him some simple words and phrases on a daily basis. Zhanji has a good memory and often looks at picture books, asking this and that."

"A photographic memory? A talent for applying knowledge to new situations?" Zhu Di looked at his grandson, who was already flipping through the book on his own, his brows slightly furrowed as if he were really "studying" it, and he was more and more pleased.

His grandson, Zhu Di, should be this intelligent!

"Good! Good! Since my dear grandson likes books, you can come to this study anytime." He glanced at the numerous military and political documents in the study and added.

"The library in the Western Garden of the palace had an even richer collection of books, covering everything from astronomy and geography to agriculture, industry, medicine, and divination."

Grandpa's giving you a token, allowing you to come and go as you please, and see whatever you like!

A jade token carved with a coiled dragon and with a warm, smooth texture was thus hung on Zhu Zhanji's belt.

This is not only a key to the treasure trove of knowledge, but also an excellent talisman. For a child prodigy grandson who is obsessed with books, any "outrageous" words or deeds seem to have a reasonable explanation.

Once Zhu Zhanji gained freedom of movement, he was no longer satisfied with just his study and library.

As a military stronghold and the future capital, Beiping Prefecture had a large number of government-run artisans and a full range of workshops.

He became "fascinated" by the artisans who made all sorts of interesting things.

Today I went to Liulichang to watch the firing of colored glazes, tomorrow I sneaked to the Armory to watch the blacksmiths forge knives, and the day after tomorrow I went to the Weaving and Dyeing Bureau to see the huge jacquard machines.

Chun Tao, the maid who took care of his daily life, and Li Wei, the young guard specially bestowed by Zhu Di, became his most direct "victims" and helpers.

Chun Tao is sixteen or seventeen years old. She is thoughtful, quick-witted, and a reliable person carefully selected by Zhang.

Li Wei was in his early twenties, with a lean build and a quiet demeanor, but sharp eyes and excellent martial arts skills. He was chosen by Zhu Di from the imperial guards to protect his beloved grandson.

The two initially felt quite pressured about this "playmate" job. The eldest grandson of the emperor was of noble status and was a lively, active, and very opinionated child. If he were to get hurt, no one could bear the responsibility.