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

The next day, Chun Tao carried Zhu Zhanji, led by Eunuch Wang and guarded by Li Wei, and began to "stroll" around the manor.

Most of the time, Zhu Zhanji would quietly rest on Chun Tao's shoulder or walk slowly on his own, simply looking with his eyes and listening with his ears.

They arrived at the edge of the field, where an old farmer was struggling to hold a simple plow and drive a thin ox to turn the soil.

The plowshare went very shallow into the soil, turning up large and hard clods of earth.

Upon seeing this group of people, especially Zhu Zhanji, who was being carried and dressed in fine clothes, the old farmer's hand trembled, the plow tip tilted, and he was so frightened that he immediately let go of the plow handle and knelt down in the mud with a thud.

The young man following behind him, holding the plow, also hurriedly knelt down, his forehead pressed against the cold, wet mud.

Seeing this, Chun Tao said gently, "Please get up, old man. The ground is cold. My young prince is just looking around. He won't bother you while you work."

The old farmer then stood up tremblingly, standing there helplessly, not daring to raise his head.

His son squatted silently to the side, his eyes sweeping over Zhu Zhanji's spotless little boots before quickly looking down.

Zhu Zhanji gently tugged at Chun Tao's collar. Chun Tao understood and asked with a smile, "Old man, plowing the fields must be hard work, right? How much can you plow in a day?"

The old farmer stammered, "Yes, yes, it is hard work. The ground is hard, and the plow is old. If one person and one ox can plow one and a half acres a day, that's already pretty good."

"Oh? If we had a more powerful plow, wouldn't it be faster and save some effort?"

The old farmer gave a wry smile and shook his head: "A good plow requires fine iron carefully forged by a blacksmith, and the wood must be sturdy. How can we, as peasants, afford such a thing? We're just grateful if we can make do with it and get by on the rent."

The numbness in his tone made Chun Tao feel secretly sad.

Upon arriving at the mill, one sees the waterwheel turning listlessly, slowly grinding a small amount of wheat grains with the stone mill, resulting in low efficiency.

Visiting farmers' homes gave Zhu Zhanji a direct sense of the dire situation regarding "fuel".

Inside the dilapidated stove, scavenged damp firewood and a small amount of low-quality coal were burning, billowing thick smoke that made people's eyes water.

The porridge in the pot was so clear you could see the bottom. When asked about how to keep warm in winter, the farmers looked embarrassed and said they slept close together, covered themselves with straw, and that firewood and charcoal were too precious to burn too much.

Following Zhu Zhanji's instructions, Chuntao asked detailed questions: grain prices, rent, daily necessities, and the condition of the children. At first, the villagers were apprehensive, but seeing Chuntao's gentle attitude and the fact that she was asking about their own difficulties, some of them gradually dared to whisper a few words of truth.

It's nothing more than meager harvests, heavy taxes, expensive and hard-to-find firewood and charcoal, and unbearable winters—every word and sentence reflects the heavy reality weighing on the shoulders of ordinary people.

After walking around the area, Zhu Zhanji returned to the small courtyard where he was staying. It was already dusk. He stood in the courtyard, watching the wisps of smoke rising from the rooftops of the farmhouses in the distance, thick yellow smoke rising from the chimneys, and remained silent for a long time.

Chuntao brought him warm water and said softly, "Your Highness, this estate is indeed a bit austere, so please don't overwork yourself."

Zhu Zhanji took the water, took a sip, shook his head, and said in a calm but clear voice that was not his age: "It's not troublesome, Chun Tao. You saw it and heard it."

"The land is too hard to plow; the grain is too slow to grind; even cooking over a fire is unbearably choking." He looked up at Chun Tao, "This is my estate, and these people are my farmers."

Chun Tao's heart skipped a beat. Looking at the young prince's overly calm profile, she suddenly realized that her trip to Xishan Manor might not be as simple as just "relaxing and looking at the peach blossoms".

"Eunuch Wang." Zhu Zhanji turned to Zhuang Tou, who had been waiting anxiously to the side.

"Your servant is here."

"There are a few things I need you to do."

Zhu Zhanji's tone was still that of a child, but it carried a commanding tone: "First, write down the names and skills of everyone in the village who has any craftsmanship—carpenters, bricklayers, blacksmiths, even those who only know how to weave baskets and make ropes—and report them to me."

Secondly, starting tomorrow, no one is allowed to approach the "black soil slope" on the back hill without my permission, and no one is allowed to dig up soil or rocks without authorization.

Third, find three to five of the poorest households, those most in need of work, and those who are most discreet. They must be honest, hardworking, and clean. Li Wei will help you choose. Once you've selected them, bring them to me.

The eunuch was filled with suspicion and uncertainty, unsure of what his young master intended to do, but he could only hurriedly reply, "Yes, this servant will take care of it immediately."

"Furthermore," Zhu Zhanji added, his tone carrying an undeniable air, "starting this year, my share of the rent paid by the estate will be waived."

"Your Highness, this, how can this be?" Eunuch Wang and Chun Tao spoke almost simultaneously, this gesture was truly unexpected.

"Yes, that's fine." Zhu Zhanji's voice was not loud, but clear and firm. "I've seen it. What I've collected is just a drop in the ocean for me, but for them it's a heavy burden to survive. Since they are my farmers, let them catch their breath."

He looked at Eunuch Wang, his dark eyes revealing a wisdom beyond his years. "Eunuch Wang, if you handle these matters well, everyone's lives will be easier, and perhaps winters won't be so hard to endure in the future."

This is what my grandfather and I both said.

The last, seemingly casual remark sent a chill down Wang Gonggong's spine, and he immediately bowed:

"This servant understands! This servant will certainly do my utmost to complete the task assigned by His Highness!"

The vague expectation in his heart suddenly became clear. This young master was not only kind, but also decisive and resourceful, and might even be carrying out the Prince of Yan's wishes! This estate was probably going to be different.

Eunuch Wang acted very quickly.

The next day at noon, a list with several names written in a crooked hand and simple descriptions such as "can weave baskets" and "can build stoves" was presented to Zhu Zhanji.

Also brought along were five households personally selected by Li Wei.

They were all farmers with families to support, living the hardest of lives, but their reputations revealed them to be honest, hardworking, and far from cunning.

This included the silent father and son I saw in the field yesterday; the father's surname was Han, and the son's name was Han Shitou.

Zhu Zhanji did not meet these farmers in person. Instead, he sent Chun Tao, accompanied by Eunuch Wang and Li Wei, to gather the heads of those households in the open space outside the courtyard.