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

When Eunuch Liu entered the courtyard, this was the scene he saw.

A child, exquisitely beautiful and dressed simply yet exuding an air of nobility, sits peacefully under the sparse shade of trees in springtime, reading a book. The surrounding simplicity seems to serve as a backdrop to highlight his focused concentration.

He nodded inwardly. He had long heard that this eldest grandson of the emperor was exceptionally intelligent and loved reading. Today, upon meeting him, he was indeed calm and composed, unlike any other child.

"This servant Liu An pays his respects to His Highness the Crown Prince! Long live His Highness!" Without hesitation, Eunuch Liu lifted his robe and bowed, and the captains behind him also knelt down in unison.

Zhu Zhanji seemed to finally look up from between the pages of his book, a perfectly timed "surprise" on his face. He put down the book, stood up, and said in a clear, childlike voice, "Please rise, Eunuch Liu. Everyone, please rise. Did Mother send you, Eunuch Liu?"

"Indeed!" Eunuch Liu stood up, beaming, and then took out a letter printed with lacquer from his robes, respectfully presenting it to the emperor.

"Her Majesty the Crown Princess is in good health, but she is concerned for His Highness and has specially sent this servant to inquire after his well-being. Furthermore, she has great news to report to His Highness: His Majesty has ascended the throne in Nanjing and changed the era name to Yongle!"

"Your Highness is now the eldest grandson of the Emperor, and your status is unparalleled! Her Majesty said that once the situation in Nanjing is stabilized, His Majesty may make a northern tour or summon Your Highness. For now, Your Highness is kindly requested to stay at the estate, take good care of yourself, and study to understand the principles of life."

Zhu Zhanji accepted the letter with both hands, a genuine smile spreading across his little face: "Grandpa Emperor has really become Emperor! That's wonderful!"

He acted like a grandson simply delighted to hear of his grandfather's great achievement, then asked with concern, "How are Mother and Father? Nanjing is so far away, was the journey safe?"

Eunuch Liu answered each question, his words overflowing with respect for the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince.

He then gestured to his attendants to bring over several boxes, which contained clothing, books, writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, and some fine food prepared by Zhang.

"Her Majesty knows that His Highness is frugal, but the necessary expenses cannot be lacking, so she specially ordered me to send them over."

Zhu Zhanji had Chuntao accept the gift and thanked her.

Eunuch Liu then casually glanced around the courtyard and asked with a smile, "This estate is quite quiet, suitable for Your Highness to study, but it's rather remote and simple. Is Your Highness finding it comfortable? The people in the estate seem quite dutiful to me."

Wang Zhen's heart was in his throat.

Zhu Zhanji nodded naturally: "I'm used to it. It's very quiet here. Looking at the mountains and fields is more interesting than in the mansion. The villagers are all very nice, and Eunuch Wang takes good care of us."

He seemed to remember something, "Oh right, Eunuch Liu, I saw a kind of black stone in the back mountain. The villagers said it's called 'coal.' It produces a lot of smoke when burned. I think I mentioned it in a book."

If handled properly, this kind of stone can produce less smoke and burn longer. I wonder if there are any craftsmen in Nanjing or Beijing who are skilled in this?

His question was naive, as if it were just a curious thought stemming from reading, and mentioned casually.

After a moment's thought, Eunuch Liu smiled and said, "Your Highness is truly well-read. Coal is available everywhere and is indeed used by the common people, but as Your Highness said, it produces a lot of smoke and is of poor quality, so the upper class uses it less."

"As for artisans who are skilled in this craft, the Ministry of Works may have relevant records. There are probably also skilled artisans in the Imperial Workshops in the capital. If Your Highness is interested, I can keep an eye out for them later."

"Then I thank you in advance, Father-in-law." Zhu Zhanji gave a smile that was appropriate for his age, tinged with a bit of embarrassment.

"I just asked casually. I thought that since there is such a thing as a mountain behind the manor, if we could figure it out, the villagers might have an easier time in winter."

Eunuch Liu repeatedly praised His Highness for his benevolence, but in his heart he thought that His Highness the Crown Prince was indeed as benevolent, filial and intelligent as rumored, and also interested in the details of people's lives. No wonder His Majesty and the Crown Princess loved him so much.

As for the matter of coal, he considered it merely a child's momentary curiosity and did not think much of it.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Eunuch Liu took his leave, as he had to rush back to Beiping to report back.

Before leaving, he specifically called Wang Zhen over and whispered instructions for a while, mainly to ensure the safety of the eldest grandson of the emperor, to serve him carefully, and to report any needs in a timely manner.

After seeing off Eunuch Liu and his entourage, Wang Zhen wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and returned to his courtyard, where he became even more respectful and cautious towards Zhu Zhanji.

The young prince handled the situation with ease, not only without making any mistakes, but also used the conversation to lay the groundwork for a possible "new use of coal" in the future. His quick wit is nothing like that of a three-year-old.

Zhu Zhanji seemed oblivious, picking up the book again, with only a barely perceptible curve at the corner of his mouth.

The arrival of Eunuch Liu was a small "stress test," and the result was satisfactory. He was able to establish his persona as a "child prodigy, studious and benevolent," and the other party did not suspect Zhuangzi's unusual behavior.

But this also reminded him that with the change in his status, he would attract more and more attention from all sides, and the "small actions" of Xishanzhuang would have to be more secretive and efficient.

A few days later, good news came from Sun San's side.

After several adjustments, the new fuel-efficient stove was finally successfully tested! With the same amount of firewood, the fire was stronger, the cooking time was shorter, and most importantly, the smoke was reduced by more than half! Sun San was so excited that he danced with joy, and even the two old craftsmen who helped him were amazed.

The sixth coal briquette formula tested by Han Shitou, after being air-dried, had a firm texture. When placed in the improved stove for testing, it produced a stable and long-lasting fire with very light smoke and almost no pungent odor.

"Your Highness, it's done! It's really done!" When Sun San was secretly summoned, his fatigue couldn't hide his excitement. He presented a piece of burnt but basically intact coal briquettes and a wooden board with recorded data.

Zhu Zhanji carefully examined the burning of the coal briquettes and listened to Chun Tao's account of the experiment and data, and his mind was made up.

Although this was only the most primitive prototype of honeycomb briquettes, it was already a significant improvement for this era.

It proved the usability of Xishan coal after simple processing and also verified the feasibility of improving the stove.

"Master Sun, you've worked hard." Zhu Zhanji had Chuntao take out a small ingot of silver and give it to Sun San as a reward.

"Next, we need to do a few things. First, while ensuring secrecy, select two or three households that are the most impoverished, have the most dilapidated houses, and are also the most reliable, and help them secretly renovate their stoves according to the new method."

Second, use what we think is the best method to prepare a batch of such coal briquettes. The quantity doesn't need to be large, but the quality must be high.

Third, compile a detailed list of steps and precautions for modifying the stove and making coal briquettes, including any lessons learned from failures; the more detailed the better.

Sun San took the silver, his hands trembling slightly. This was equivalent to more than half a year's income in previous years.

He kowtowed deeply, saying, "I understand! I will certainly do it well!"