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

After seeing Manager Liu off, Qian Lai turned and went into the backyard.

He needed to report to his employer immediately.

After listening to the report, Zhu Zhanji remained silent for a long time.

Then he closed his eyes.

In my mind, the resource map flickered slightly.

Below the "Exchange" technical node, two of the three lines of text subtly changed color.

Unlock condition: Own your own silver vault (0/1) - Gray

Unlock condition: Gain the trust of at least three merchants (1/3) - one bar lit up.

Unlock condition: Complete one intercity money transfer (1/1) - All highlighted

He opened his eyes, a slight smile appearing on his lips.

Two things are still missing: the trust between the two businesses, and ten thousand taels of capital.

He looked at Qian Lai: "Manager Qian, tell Manager Liu to introduce a few more friends. As long as they can issue a bank draft, no matter the amount, they will be considered our customers."

"Yes."

For the past two weeks, everyone at Mingyue Workshop has been working non-stop.

On Sun San's side, the prototype vehicle from the Ministry of Works had been delivered. The officials from the Ministry of Works who were inspecting it tested it again and again, and in the end they only said one sentence: "This vehicle is even better than we expected."

Before Sun San could even feel happy, he started thinking about something new.

A prototype of the detachable carriage has been completed.

He modified an old car and installed his own designed "quick-release clips".

Unloading the carriage takes only fifteen minutes; loading another carriage also takes only fifteen minutes.

He had someone write this down so he could report it to his employer next time.

On Wu Langzhong's side, the rust-preventive oil test has entered the second phase.

He discovered that when wound cleansing lotion is mixed with tung oil and a small amount of beeswax, and then applied to ironware after boiling, the rust prevention effect is much better than simply using oil.

He tried painting a few farm tools and left them outdoors to be exposed to the wind and rain.

Half a month later, the farm tools that had been coated were shiny and new, while those that hadn't been coated were covered in rust.

He wrote down the recipe, intending to compile it into a book and report it to the young prince.

On Lin Xiuniang's side, the six newly recruited female workers have already gotten started.

She broke the process down into three steps: soaking, filtering, and bottling.

Each step is handled by a dedicated person, and she alone possesses the core formula.

Production increased from 500 bottles per month to 800 bottles per month.

The samples from Southeast Asia have been shipped, heading towards Bohai aboard the Shen family's merchant ships.

That evening, Yang Pu came again.

Zhu Zhanji went out to greet him, and Yang Pu was already sitting down in Tingxue Pavilion, looking somewhat tired.

"Uncle Yang, what's wrong?"

"Nothing much, just came from the Ministry of Revenue." Yang Pu took a sip of tea. "That old man Li Qing is worrying about money again."

Zhu Zhanji did not respond.

Yang Pu looked at him and suddenly said, "Zhanji, is your Mingyue Trading Company doing well lately?"

Zhu Zhanji's heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly calm: "Uncle Yang, it's alright. I just received an order for 10,000 taels from the Shen family."

"Ten thousand taels?" Yang Pu's eyes widened slightly. "The Shen family is quite generous."

He suddenly lowered his voice: "The Ministry of Revenue is short of silver right now, and Li Qing is trying every possible way to get it. If your business could establish a connection with the Ministry of Revenue..."

Zhu Zhanji's heart stirred.

"What does Uncle Yang mean?"

"It doesn't mean anything," Yang Pu stood up. "It was just a casual remark. Figure it out yourself."

He walked to the door, then turned back: "By the way, there's news from the Northern Inspection Tour. His Majesty will return to the capital at the beginning of next month. At that time, His Majesty will personally see all those roads and carriages you've prepared."

After saying that, he stepped out the door and disappeared into the night.

Zhu Zhanji stood at the door, watching his retreating figure.

The Ministry of Revenue is short of silver.

Grandpa Emperor is coming back.

The money exchange incident may be happening even faster than expected.

The monthly meeting will be held on November 25th.

Qian Lai opened the ledger, his voice steady, but unable to hide his excitement:

"This month's income: The second batch of goods from the Shen family, amounting to 3,000 taels, was received; the additional order for Bingbu Jingchuanglu, amounting to 500 taels, was received; the sales revenue from Zuixianniang 'Ya Niang' was 420 taels; the retail revenue from Hualu was 130 taels; and the exchange fee income was 4 taels."

"This month's expenses: Lin Niangzi's workshop expanded production and purchased dried flowers and spices, with an expenditure of 380 taels of silver; Master Sun's workshop conducted trial production of detachable carriages, with an expenditure of 120 taels of silver; Doctor Wu's workshop conducted rust-preventive oil testing, with an expenditure of 45 taels of silver."

"Monthly balance: 5,113 taels of silver."

He closed the account book and looked at Zhu Zhanji.

Zhu Zhanji closed his eyes and entered the resource map in his mind.

Below the "Exchange" technical node, the three lines of text have changed to one.

Unlock condition: Own your own silver vault (0/1) - Gray

Unlock condition: Gain the trust of at least three merchants (3/3) - All lit up

Unlock condition: Complete one intercity money transfer (1/1) - All highlighted

One last thing is missing: 10,000 taels of capital.

He opened his eyes.

"Five thousand taels," he said softly. "In another two months, it should reach ten thousand."

Qian Lai nodded emphatically.

"Manager Qian, from now on, we can loosen the restrictions on remittance services a little. The handling fee will remain the same, two taels for every thousand taels. We are not looking to make money, but only to build a good reputation."

"Yes."

"Also," Zhu Zhanji looked at Sun San, "Master Sun, if the detachable carriage project is successful, can it be sold for money?"

Sun San was taken aback, then immediately understood: "What does the master mean?"

"The Ministry of Works needs grain transport wagons, but the people need horse-drawn carriages that can transport goods, carry people, and do all kinds of work."

Zhu Zhanji said, "If we could create a 'multi-purpose carriage,' with interchangeable carriages—a cargo box for hauling goods, a sedan chair for carrying passengers, and a luggage compartment for traveling—would be ideal."

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone present had their eyes light up.

Sun San rubbed his hands together: "Master, I'll give it a try!"

Zhu Zhanji nodded and then looked at Wu Langzhong.

"Dr. Wu, if the rust-preventive oil is successfully developed, who can we sell it to?"

After thinking for a moment, Wu Langzhong said, "Sell them to blacksmith shops, to carriage and horse dealerships, to border troops. They can be used wherever iron tools are needed."

"Then let's keep trying," Zhu Zhanji said. "If it succeeds, hand it over to Manager Qian to sell."

Finally, he looked at Lin Xiuniang.

"Madam Lin, can we increase the yield of the floral dew any further?"

Lin Xiuniang thought for a moment: "Go back to the employer and hire six more female workers. They can produce 1,500 bottles a month."

"Then recruit them," Zhu Zhanji said. "The two thousand bottles from the Shen family must be delivered within three months. If we don't have enough manpower, we'll provide the money."

Lin Xiuniang nodded emphatically.

Zhu Zhanji stood up.

"Let's call it a day, we'll get together again next time."

The four men rose and bowed.

That night, at the Crown Prince's residence.

Zhu Zhanji lay on the couch, unable to sleep for a long time.

He closed his eyes and entered the resource map.

The "foreign exchange" technology node is still waiting for the final ray of light.

He tried to delve deeper into his consciousness.

At the edge of the map, in those previously blurry areas, some new points of light began to faintly appear.

To the south, in the direction of Yingtian Prefecture, a bright spot of light appeared; that was where the silver was located.

To the north, in the direction of Xuanfu Town, several points of light are flashing. That is where the border troops are located, and also where the Emperor is.

To the east, in the direction of the sea, there is a faint glimmer of light—the direction of the South Seas, the direction of the Shen family's merchant ships, an unknown direction.

He closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

Outside the window, the autumn wind blows gently.

The lights of Mingyue Tower flickered faintly in the direction of the back alley.