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

As dusk settled, an inconspicuous blue cloth carriage drove from the direction of Xishan Manor and quietly stopped at the back gate of Mingyue Tower.

Sun San was the first to get off the bus.

He was wearing an ill-fitting blue official's robe, with the collar buttoned up tightly.

After getting off the car, he stood in the alley, looked up at the newly hung plaque of Mingyue Tower, and let out a heavy sigh.

Physician Wu followed, leaning on his cane, and patted Sun San on the shoulder: "Go inside, Manager Qian is waiting."

Lin Xiuniang was the last to get off the carriage, clutching a small bundle tightly in her hand. It contained her records of flower dew production trials accumulated over the past few days.

Qian Lai was already waiting inside the door. When the three of them came in, he did not exchange pleasantries, but simply stepped aside to let them pass through the main hall, through the courtyard, and straight into the "Listening to Snow Pavilion" in the deepest part of the backyard.

That was the most private room in Mingyue Tower.

The doors and windows were tightly shut, and no candles were lit.

Qian Lai lit the oil lamp on the table and poured four cups of hot tea before speaking: "Master Sun, have you made up your minds?"

Sun San didn't say anything, but took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and placed it on the table.

That was Zhao Kang's ultimatum issued yesterday, in black and white:

"By the end of the month, 1,000 catties of Jingchuang Dew and 500 catties of Zuixian Brew must be delivered in full without error. Any further delays will be considered dereliction of duty."

Doctor Wu sneered, "Dereliction of duty? The copper allocated by the Ministry of Works hasn't even arrived yet, the refined charcoal is only 70%, and only half the promised manpower has come. Our three sets of equipment are running non-stop, and Master Sun hasn't slept for three days. I'd like to ask, who is derelict in their duty?"

Lin Xiuniang's voice was low, but every word was clear: "Dr. Wu, stop talking, it's useless."

Sun San raised his head, his eyes sunken, his voice hoarse:

"Manager Qian, is the young prince in the city? I'd like to speak to him in person."

"It's not a resignation," Sun San shook his head. "It's just that I'm incompetent and can't support the workshop. I've failed the opportunity Your Highness gave me."

Qian Lai looked at the ultimatum, then at the three tired faces, and remained silent for a moment.

"Master Sun, please have a seat." He stood up. "I'll go fetch His Highness."

When Zhu Zhanji arrived at Mingyue Tower, it was already completely dark.

Instead of entering through the main gate, he was escorted by Li Wei and led directly into the backyard through a hidden alleyway.

Chun Tao followed closely behind, carrying a dim, wind-blown lantern that only illuminated three feet below her feet.

The door to Tingxue Pavilion opened from the inside, and Qian Lai bowed to greet him.

Zhu Zhanji stepped across the threshold and saw Sun San, Wu Langzhong, and Lin Xiuniang stand up, looking flustered, like children who had done something wrong.

He walked straight to the head of the table, and Chuntao helped him sit on a raised chair.

He settled himself in before speaking:

"Master Sun, you've suffered so much."

At just this one sentence, Sun San's eyes suddenly reddened.

"Your Highness, I—" he choked up, then knelt down with a thud, "I have disgraced you."

Doctor Wu and Lin Xiuniang also knelt down.

Zhu Zhanji did not immediately call him to get up.

He looked at Sun San, this honest and simple craftsman, who had followed him all the way from the Xishanzhuang charcoal yard, turning "distillation" from blueprints into divine brew, and then from divine brew into cleansing dew.

In less than six months, his temples had turned a gray ring.

"Master Sun, why are you kneeling?" Zhu Zhanji asked calmly. "You have not only not disgraced yourself, but have actually made a great contribution."

He gestured for Chun Tao to help the three of them up and seat them, then turned to Qian Lai:

"Manager Qian, could you please tell me everything that has happened at the workshop these past few days, from beginning to end?"

Qian Lai accepted the order and, impartially, recounted everything that had happened since Zhao Kang took over:

The Ministry of Works' regulations stipulated thirteen articles, requiring daily reporting, three-day summarization, and seven-day cataloging; material applications had to go through three stages, with approvals often taking three to five days.

Of the ten new craftsmen, five couldn't even light a fire, yet they had to first learn to "pay homage to their superiors and follow the rules"; Zhao Kang's catchphrase was "That's your problem."

Zhu Zhanji listened quietly, then suddenly asked Sun San:

"Master Sun, what time do you miss the most?"

Sun San paused for a moment, thought for a long time, and then said, "I miss the beginning the most. In the cave, there were only the three of us: myself, Lao Wang, and Lao Li. No one was rushing us or caring about us. Your Highness would give me a drawing, and I would ponder it for three days and make it. I was so happy that I couldn't sleep all night."

As he spoke, a light appeared in his eyes: "Back then, I was thinking every day about how to make the liquor stronger and produce it faster."

If you fail, try again; if you succeed, write it down. It's tiring then, but exhilarating.

Zhu Zhanji then asked Physician Wu, "Doctor Wu, what about you?"

Doctor Wu smiled wryly: "I miss the night I treated Hu Zi's wound the most. Master Sun brought me some strong liquor, and I thought it was bad for my health. But the next day, the wound scabbed over. I thought to myself, if this stuff can save more people, my life will be worth it."

He paused, then continued, "But now, I fill out more forms than I see doctors every day. The wound-clearing ointment uses the proportions of more than a dozen herbs, which I have recorded in the ledger. But Lord Zhao said, 'All prescriptions must be recorded in detail and archived, and must not be kept privately.' I don't know whether I should hand them over or not."

Zhu Zhanji turned to Lin Xiuniang: "Lady Lin, what about you?"

Lin Xiuniang clutched the bundle and said softly, "Your Highness, I fondly remember the day I first tasted the jasmine dew. There were just a few dried flowers, soaked in the last bottle of wine."

The next day, when they opened the door, the whole house was filled with a fragrance. The woman thought to herself, "If only my husband were still alive, and could smell this fragrance."

She looked up, her eyes slightly red: "But now, women are busy with work and reporting numbers every day, and they rarely even touch flowers anymore."

The Listening Snow Pavilion fell silent.

The candlelight flickered, illuminating four tired, aggrieved, and unwilling faces.

Zhu Zhanji remained silent for a long time before finally speaking in a very soft voice:

"Master Sun, Doctor Wu, Madam Lin, have you ever considered leaving the workshop?"

All three of them were stunned.

"It's not about resigning from your post," Zhu Zhanji said, emphasizing each word. "It's about working in a different place, a place without Lord Zhao, without rules, and without deadlines. You can just focus on your studies, experiment and make mistakes, and bring your ideas to life one by one."

He added, "That place is called Bright Moon Workshop."

Sun San opened his mouth, unable to speak for a long time.

Physician Wu asked cautiously, "Your Highness, will His Highness the Crown Prince agree to this?"

"I'll figure something out about Father," Zhu Zhanji said.

"You only need to think about one thing: if such a place really existed, would you be willing to come?"

"I'm willing!" Sun San almost shouted, then realized he'd overreacted and awkwardly shut up, "What I mean is..."

Zhu Zhanji smiled.

This was the first time he had smiled tonight.

"Then it's settled." He turned to Qian Lai.

"Manager Qian, Mingyue Tower is your territory. Say something."

Qian Lai had been listening quietly the whole time. At this moment, he stood up and bowed deeply to Sun San and the other two.

"Master Sun, Doctor Wu, and Madam Lin, I, Qian, dare to invite you three to join Mingyue Tower."

"The row of rooms in the back building were already empty, so it would be perfect to clean them up and turn them into workshops."

The room was bright and clean, much more spacious than the kiln's cave dwelling. Entry and exit were through the back door, guarded by Li Wei's men—it was top secret. Raw material procurement went through Manager Guo's channels, more than three times faster than the Ministry of Works.

He added, "Whatever wages the workshops pay, Mingyue Tower will pay double, plus profit sharing and year-end bonuses. If the three of you agree, I will have someone clean the house tomorrow."