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

Zhu Zhanjun's words left everyone speechless and wide-eyed.

Zhu Yi scratched his head and chuckled, "Your Highness, how can our brains compare to yours? Stop keeping us in suspense and quickly give this treasure a resounding name!"

Li Heng, Zhang Mao, and the others nodded repeatedly, looking expectantly at Zhu Zhanjun.

Zhu Zhanjun paced back and forth beside the bicycle for a moment, feigning deep thought, before suddenly turning around and looking intently at everyone: "Since it needs to be high-end, classy, ​​and meaningful... I think we should call it 'Azure Phoenix'!"

"Qingluan?" Everyone was taken aback, pondering the name.

"Yes, the Azure Phoenix!" Zhu Zhanjun patted the carriage seat and explained, "The Azure Phoenix is ​​a mythical bird, a messenger of the Queen Mother of the West, symbolizing auspiciousness, nobility, and swiftness."

"Our bicycles don't need animal power; they fly on their own. Aren't they just like the blue phoenix soaring through the nine heavens, light and swift, perfect for delivering messages and getting around?"

He got more and more excited as he spoke: "And the name itself sounds elegant, almost ethereal!"

"When our 'Azure Phoenix' brand bicycles are launched on the market, scholars, writers, and wealthy young men will immediately think that the name is elegant and sophisticated."

Everyone looked at each other.

Does this have any style?

........................

A few days later, a piece of wasteland on the outskirts of Nanjing suddenly became lively.

Dozens of horse-drawn carts loaded with timber, stone, bricks and tiles drove in one after another. Amidst the flying dust, craftsmen and laborers shouted as they began to lay the foundation and erect the wooden frame.

Not far away, a huge wooden sign was erected, with several eye-catching characters written on it in vermilion lacquer: "Qingluan Bicycle Workshop".

The news spread like wildfire, quickly reaching every corner of Nanjing.

"Have you heard? His Highness Prince Huai has acquired a huge plot of land outside the city to build a 'rubber factory' and a 'bicycle factory'!"

"A rubber factory? Bicycles? What are those things?"

"Hey! I heard it's a two-wheeled vehicle that doesn't need horses and can run on its own! It's called a 'bicycle'! And the wheels are made of 'rubber,' they're really soft!"

"Good heavens, what new and strange thing is His Highness Prince Huai up to this time?"

"That's right! I have a distant cousin who works in the Ministry of Works. He told me that His Highness Prince Huai has really gone all out this time. He's recruited several hundred craftsmen and laborers, and the wages he's paying are 20% higher than the market rate!"

"Really? Then what are we waiting for? Let's go see if there's any work available!"

For a time, many idle craftsmen, carpenters, blacksmiths, and even ordinary laborers flocked to the bustling construction site on the outskirts of Nanjing.

The establishment of the workshop was mainly planned by Zhu Zhanjun himself, while Zhu Yi, Li Heng, Zhang Mao and others each transferred several capable old stewards from their mansions to be responsible for the scheduling and management of specific affairs.

Zhu Zhanjun divided the entire "Qingluan Workshop" into several areas.

A vacant lot near a water source has been designated as a "rubber processing area".

Several huge brick and stone pools will be built here to soak and wash the milky white latex harvested from rubber trees. A baking room and a rolling shed will also be built next to it to process the treated rubber into sheets or strips.

Another, more open flat area is the "bicycle assembly area".

The planned workshops stretch out in a continuous row, divided according to the production process: frame forging, wheel assembly, rubber tire fitting, parts grinding, and final assembly.

Zhu Zhanjun even personally drew many simple tool blueprints, allowing blacksmiths to try to create some special clamps and wrenches to improve assembly efficiency.

In addition, there were warehouses specifically for storing timber and iron, as well as shantytowns where craftsmen and workers temporarily lived.

"Your Highness, according to your drawing, the drainage ditch of this rubber treatment pool needs to be dug deeper, otherwise the waste liquid will not flow out completely," an experienced bricklayer foreman said to Zhu Zhanjun, pointing to the drawing.

"Hmm, that makes sense. We'll change it according to your suggestion." Zhu Zhanjun readily agreed and added, "Also, the baking room needs to be well-ventilated, and smoke and fire must be kept out of reach, as rubber is flammable."

"Yes, Your Highness, rest assured, we understand."

.......................

Half a month later.

Qianqing Palace.

outside the temple.

"Zhanjun, is this the bicycle you've been working on for so long? It looks really good!" Zhu Di circled around the several "Azure Phoenix" bicycles placed in front of him, reaching out to touch the shiny frame and the wheels covered in black rubber, his eyes full of novelty and admiration.

Zhu Gaoxu, standing to the side, smiled with pride and said, "Father, Zhanjun is such a clever boy; he always manages to come up with something new and interesting."

"I visited his residence a few days ago and saw him riding this carriage around the courtyard. It doesn't need horses; he just pushes off with his feet and it goes fast and steady!"

Zhu Gaosui bent down and carefully examined the bicycle's structure, especially staring at the connection between the chain and pedals for a long time, his face full of doubt: "Third nephew, this...this thing can really move by itself? Just by pedaling with two feet? How come it doesn't fall over?"

Zhu Zhanjun chuckled and stepped forward to hold the handlebars: "Third Uncle, this is all about balance."

"Look, these two wheels are in a straight line. When a person sits on it, their center of gravity is stable, and when they push off with their feet, the inertia carries them along."

"Would you like to give it a try?"

Zhu Gaosui, eager to try, rubbed his hands together, stepped forward to hold the handlebars, and straddled the carriage like Zhu Zhanjun.

He was already quite burly, and the bicycle looked rather small under his legs, but he didn't care and pushed off the ground with his right foot.

"Ouch!"

The carriage veered to the side, and Zhu Gaosui quickly braced himself with his left foot to avoid falling, which drew a burst of laughter.

Zhu Di stroked his beard and laughed heartily, "Gao Sui, you're an old man, and you still can't learn this thing?"

Zhu Gaosui blushed and, stiffening his neck, said, "Father, this is the first time for me! The first time!"

He tried a few more times, still not convinced, and although he was still unsteady, he was at least able to take a few steps.

Zhu Gaochi, standing to the side, looked at this novel contraption with a hint of interest in his eyes.

Zhu Zhanjun chuckled.

"Uncle, why don't you give it a try?"

Zhu Gaochi nodded and carefully stepped into the carriage, with Zhu Zhanjun supporting him steadily from behind.

Zhu Gaochi tried pedaling a few times, and the car moved forward slowly. Although the speed was slow, it was much more stable.

He rode half a lap, and because of his large size, it was quite strenuous for him to sit on the bicycle; a thin layer of sweat had already appeared on his forehead.

After a while.

Zhu Gaochi stopped, seemingly lost in thought.

"This thing is wonderful; it really saves effort."

"If this method were widely adopted, it would greatly benefit the people's travel and the messenger's delivery of messages."

Zhu Di watched his eldest son's somewhat clumsy yet enthusiastic manner from the side.

He suddenly spoke up: "Zhanjun, let me try it too."

"Father, you..." Zhu Gaoxu said with some worry.

Zhu Di waved his hand dismissively and laughed, "What? Am I inferior to you all?"

He strode forward with a powerful stride, and Zhu Zhanjun quickly straightened the carriage.

Zhu Di was agile and, despite being over fifty, he nimbly flipped onto the bicycle, gripped the handlebars with both hands, straightened his back, and looked ahead. After only a couple of tries, he found his balance, and with alternating pedaling, the bicycle steadily circled around the open space in front of the palace!

The wheels rumbled, and the hem of a dark robe fluttered slightly in the wind.

Zhu Zhanjun was amazed.

Damn, this scene is too beautiful.

If he were to paint this scene, he would be witnessing history.