The Great Ming Demon Pill: Your Majesty, please address me as the Crown Prince!

About two or three days later.

The area outside Nanjing quickly became bustling with activity.

On the plot of land designated by Zhu Zhanjun, makeshift sheds sprang up and cement kilns emitted thick smoke.

Craftsmen recruited from various places learned to mix concrete and use new molds under the guidance of Zhu Zhanjun.

Zhu Yi and the others followed Zhu Zhanjun every day. Although they couldn't do much, they were backed by the highest-ranking nobles in the court. The invisible advantages of their connections and networks were self-evident.

Inside the construction site of the Great Bao'en Temple.

Zhu Zhanji listened to Jin Ying's report and couldn't help but sneer.

"That little rascal, I wonder what kind of bewitching potion he gave Grandpa."

"Instead of using readily available glutinous rice mortar, they insist on tinkering with something as unheard of as cement."

"He spends all day with his bunch of cronies, busy doing chores on the construction site, digging dirt and firing kilns. He doesn't look like he's overseeing the construction of a royal temple at all; it's more like country children playing house!"

"Such a huge project, and they just handed it over to him like that."

Zhu Zhanji stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the dust and smoke rising from the construction site in the distance, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"But it's fine this way."

"The more he acts up, the more reliable my side seems."

"I was in charge of material scheduling, craftsman registration verification, and money disbursement. Everything was done in a step-by-step and orderly manner."

"When his construction is delayed because of this damn cement, or when he builds something that doesn't look right, incurring the wrath of the Emperor and drawing criticism from the court and the public..."

He paused, a hint of pleasure flashing in his eyes.

"That was the moment when I, Zhu Zhanji, revealed my true abilities and turned the tide."

"At that time, the people will have their own judgment on who is the grandson who can truly share the Emperor's burdens and shoulder great responsibilities."

Thinking about it this way, Zhu Zhanji felt incredibly happy and pleased.

Jin Ying, who was standing next to him, immediately spoke up.

"Among the members of the Ming imperial family, who else but Your Highness can share His Majesty's burdens?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhanji couldn't help but laugh heartily.

Another half month passed.

Zhu Zhanjun continued to focus his energy on cement manufacturing.

This thing needs to be manufactured in an assembly line manner in the early stages, otherwise it will be troublesome to produce it later when the demand is extremely high.

However, in recent days, there has been a lot of private criticism of him at the Great Bao'en Temple.

After all, such a large project requires the mobilization of a significant number of laborers.

However, there was no progress whatsoever, which greatly displeased the officials of the Ministry of Works.

On the east side of the construction site of the Great Bao'en Temple, several temporary prefabricated houses were designated as the "Construction Department" office.

This is where the officials dispatched by the Ministry of Works and several chief craftsmen held discussions.

The room was filled with smoke.

Li Bingkun, a senior official in the Ministry of Works, threw the account book in his hand onto the table with a dull thud.

"Nonsense, utter nonsense!" He stroked his goatee, his brows furrowed. "Work has been underway for almost ten days, and considerable funds and resources have been spent. But look at what His Highness Prince Jiyang and his men are doing!"

"Digging soil, breaking stones, building those bizarre-looking earthen kilns! What does this have to do with building a temple?"

"Not a single shovelful of earth has been laid for the foundation, yet mountains of timber and stone are piled up but never used. All we see every day is billowing black smoke and flying dust—what a mess!"

The officials and clerks sitting at the lower end of the table echoed his sentiments.

"What Lord Li says is absolutely right." Assistant Minister Zhou Zheng shook his head and sighed. "I went to see that so-called cement yesterday. It was a grayish, muddy mess. Mixed with some sand and water, it's supposed to be better than glutinous rice mortar? I've never heard of such a thing!"

"The architectural methods passed down from our ancestors have been used for thousands of years; how can they be replaced by such childish things?"

"The key issue is the construction period!" another official said worriedly. "His Majesty has given us a five-year deadline. If things continue like this, it's uncertain whether it will be completed in ten years, let alone five."

"If the project is delayed due to the imperial decree, we, the officials of the Ministry of Works, will likely be the first to be punished!"

"To interrogate?" An elderly man with gray hair and beard, sitting in the corner, snorted coldly, his loud voice drowning out the murmurs of the crowd.

This man was a master craftsman specially appointed by the Ministry of Works. His surname was Lu and his given name was Pan. His ancestors for three generations were all imperial craftsmen, with superb skills and high moral character.

His face was somber. "What I fear is not just punishment, but the tarnishing of our skills and the discarding of our ancestral methods like worn-out shoes!"

Lu Pan slammed the teapot heavily on the table, then glanced around at his fellow master craftsmen, who also looked displeased: "You are all top figures in your craft, having repaired palaces and built mausoleums. Which of your projects didn't adhere to ancient methods and strive for perfection?"

"Now look what's happened! A mere brat, leading a bunch of spoiled brats from noble families and some clueless apprentices he's found out of nowhere, is tinkering with some weird contraptions, leaving us all hanging! He hasn't even bothered to ask us for advice!"

"Master Lu is right!" another master carpenter chimed in, his tone indignant. "Does His Highness the Prince of Jiyang even consider us old folks? We don't understand his methods of investigation, nor do we want to!"

"All we know is that building temples and pagodas relies on rules, experience, and genuine skill—every cut and every brick and tile! It's not playing with mud or child's play!"

"Exactly!" Everyone nodded in agreement.

Listening to everyone's complaints, Li Bingkun felt even more anxious.

As the official in charge of the Ministry of Works in this area, he faced the greatest pressure.

On the one hand, he dared not disobey the emperor's will and the Prince of Jiyang.

On the other hand, he was also well aware of the rules and risks inherent in traditional practices.

In his view, Zhu Zhanjun's ideas were completely castles in the air.

"Gentlemen, please calm down." Li Bingkun rubbed his temples. "His Highness Prince Jiyang is, after all, supervising the construction by imperial decree, and is currently enjoying great imperial favor."

"He was young and impetuous, so it's not surprising that he had some novel ideas."

"Perhaps...perhaps that cement really does have a miraculous effect?"

He himself didn't sound very confident when he said that.

"A miraculous effect?" Lu Pan scoffed. "Lord Li, you are an educated and reasonable person."

"Why can glutinous rice mortar last for thousands of years? It's the crystallization of the wisdom of countless ancestors! That grayish mud, once dried, becomes even harder than glutinous rice mortar? And it dries quickly? Isn't it afraid of disintegrating when it rains?"

"Let me tell you this: if that thing is used to build the foundation and walls, this Great Bao'en Temple won't just be remembered for generations, it might even stand for ten years without collapsing. If that happens, I'll gouge out those eyes and stomp on them!"

"Master Lu, be careful what you say!" Li Bingkun was startled and quickly stopped him, but the other master craftsmen in the room nodded in agreement.

The atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

At this moment, a clerk hurried in and reported, "Lord Li, gentlemen, His Highness the Crown Prince has returned from inspecting the supplies warehouse and is on his way this way."

Everyone's spirits lifted.

Zhu Zhanji was in charge of supervising the construction, and was in charge of practical matters such as materials, artisan registers, and funds. These days he often came to the Construction Department, and his actions were quite methodical. He also treated master craftsmen such as Lu Pan with great courtesy, asking them questions and giving them plenty of face.

Compared to the elusive Prince Jiyang, who only cared about tinkering with "cement," the difference in their abilities is immediately apparent.

Before long, Zhu Zhanji entered with two attendants.

Today he was dressed in an apricot-yellow casual outfit, with a gentle smile on his face. Although he was not old, he already had a certain composure.

"Lord Li, all the masters are here." Zhu Zhanji cupped his hands in greeting, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "I just went to see a new batch of golden nanmu wood. The quality is excellent. Master Lu is indeed an expert; the material he selected is very compliant with regulations."

Lu Pan and the others quickly stood up and bowed, their expressions softening slightly: "Your Highness is too kind; it's our duty."

Zhu Zhanji walked to the head seat and sat down, accepting the hot tea offered by Li Bingkun. He gently blew on it and asked casually, "When I came in just now, I seemed to hear you all discussing something? Have you encountered any difficulties in the project?"

Li Bingkun and Lu Pan exchanged a glance. Li Bingkun sighed and subtly reported everyone's concerns, especially regarding the "cement" and the progress of the project.

Zhu Zhanji listened quietly, tapping his teacup lightly with his fingers, his smile unchanged, but his heart was filled with joy.