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

Zhu Gaochi, Zhu Gaoxu, and the others looked at each other in bewilderment upon hearing this.

Why does what this kid is saying sound so mysterious?

Zhu Di stroked his beard and pondered for a moment.

"Zhanjun, you mean...?"

Zhu Zhanjun chuckled, a sly glint in his eyes: "Grandfather, Uncle, Father, Third Uncle, our Ming Dynasty needs to develop, and this rubber is a treasure."

"It will surely shine in all walks of life in the future."

"Carriage tires, shoe insoles, sealing devices, shock absorbers... what can do without it?"

"This is a brand new industry with a vast market."

He paused, and seeing that everyone was listening attentively, he continued, "However, if this rubber is to be durable and elastic, it must undergo a 'vulcanization' process."

"Simply put, sulfur is added to the rubber and then it is heated to make the rubber non-sticky, non-brittle, tough and wear-resistant."

"Sulfur?" Zhu Di raised an eyebrow.

"Exactly!" Zhu Zhanjun nodded. "Sulfur is an essential component of the sulfidation process."

"And the islands of Japan are dotted with volcanoes."

"Grandpa Emperor must know that volcanic areas are rich in sulfur."

"Their sulfur is like rocks and clods of earth, easy to mine and readily available, with astonishing reserves."

Zhu Gaoxu's eyes lit up, as if he had grasped something: "Zhanjun, you mean...we'll buy sulfur from Japan?"

"It's not just about buying." Zhu Zhanjun shook his head, his smile growing even brighter. "We're going to build a 'sulfur production line' from Japan to the Ming Dynasty!"

"The minor daimyo, powerful clans, and even ordinary people in Japan live a very frugal life due to a lack of resources."

"We'll pay them to mine sulfur, and we'll be responsible for purchasing and transporting it."

"Japanese workers are cheap and hardworking, so the cost is much lower."

Zhu Gaoxu immediately exclaimed, "Brilliant! Zhanjun! This idea is brilliant!"

"Let the Japanese mine for us; we can get a continuous supply of sulfur for a small fee!"

"This is much easier and cheaper than mining ourselves!"

Zhu Gaosui realized what was happening and nodded repeatedly: "That's right! Those short, scrawny fellows are dirt poor. Give them some money and food, and they'll be scrambling to do it! We can just sit back and collect sulfur!"

Yang Rong stroked his beard and pondered.

"Your Highness Prince Huai's method is indeed a win-win situation."

Zhu Di smiled as he listened to the praise, and his gaze toward Zhu Zhanjun was full of approval.

This kid is really quick-witted.

Zhu Gaochi, standing beside him, frowned and couldn't help but speak.

"Father, Zhanjun's plan may seem ingenious, but if we pay the Japanese to mine sulfur, wouldn't that strengthen their national power?"

"Why would our Great Ming Dynasty needlessly aid the enemy?"

"While this sulfur may be useful to our Great Ming, the money flowing into Japan may make their people slightly more prosperous and their military stronger. In the long run, wouldn't this be like raising a tiger to cause trouble?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di's smile faded slightly. He nodded and looked at Zhu Zhanjun: "What the Crown Prince says is not without merit."

"Zhanjun, you just said you wanted to 'lock down commerce, cut off funding, impoverish the people, and weaken their power' to severely punish Japan. How come it seems like you're now offering them money and food to support them?"

"Your statements seem somewhat contradictory."

Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui were stunned by the question. Their excitement cooled down, and they looked at Zhu Zhanjun with blank expressions.

Yeah, doesn't this sound like giving Japan a bribe?

Zhu Zhanjun chuckled, meeting everyone's gaze.

"Grandfather, Father, Eldest Uncle, Third Uncle, you are all still too young and too naive."

Everyone looked at each other.

Damn, how could this kid say something like that?

Zhu Zhanjun pretended not to see the expressions on everyone's faces and continued.

"Grandpa, Uncle, Father, Third Uncle."

"We let the Japanese mine and sell sulfur. It seems like we are giving them money, but in reality, we are putting a golden dog chain on them that they can't get out of."

"Japan has barren land and scarce resources, and its people are already suffering."

"What will those Japanese people do if our Ming Dynasty offers a high price to buy sulfur?"

"It's inevitable that entire families, villages, and towns will flock there to mine sulfur!"

Why?

"Because it's a quick and easy way to make money!"

"After a year of hard work farming, the harvest may not be enough to eat, and we still have to rely on the weather for our livelihood."

"But as long as you are willing to put in the effort to mine sulfur, you can exchange it for real money or food from us."

"Even a three-year-old understands this principle."

He paused, and seeing Zhu Di and the others nod slightly, seemingly lost in thought, he continued:

"In this way, within three to five years, tens of thousands of miners will gather in places throughout Japan suitable for sulfur mining."

"Those farmers who used to till the land will put down their hoes and pick up pickaxes."

"Those townspeople who ran small businesses also switched to trading sulfur."

"Even many minor lords and powerful clans, seeing the potential for profit, would invest money to build mines and organize manpower, all hoping to get a share of the sulfur business in our Great Ming Dynasty."

"Over time, people throughout Japan, from commoners to nobles, will gradually become dependent on this 'sulfur money' route."

"They made money and were indeed able to live a comfortable life for a while, even able to buy cloth, porcelain, tea and even grain from our Great Ming."

"But that's precisely the problem!"

Zhu Zhanjun raised his voice.

"When the whole country is only focused on mining sulfur for money, who would want to farm?"

"Japan already has very little arable land. If agricultural work is neglected, its food production will inevitably decrease sharply."

"At that time, they will have to rely more and more on importing food, clothing, and other necessities from our Great Ming. In other words, their rice bowl will gradually be in our hands."

"At this moment, our Great Ming Dynasty only needs to raise its hand slightly..."

He made an upward lifting gesture:

"For example, what would Japan do if it announced an increase in tariffs on imported sulfur, or directly restricted the amount of sulfur purchased, or even found a reason to suspend trade for a few months?"

Zhu Zhanjun looked at Zhu Gaochi and said with a smile, "Uncle was just worried about aiding the enemy, but actually the opposite is true."

"In the entire world, apart from our Great Ming Dynasty, which can absorb the huge amount of sulfur produced by Japan, no other country can use sulfur as efficiently as we can."

"Not to mention digesting the sulfur of Japan."

"At that time, our Great Ming Dynasty will impose tariff sanctions on Japan!"

"The Japanese people who relied on sulfur for their livelihood suddenly lost their income. The mines shut down, the shops closed, and the small landowners and daimyo who had invested heavily watched as the sulfur piled up like mountains but could not be sold. Their capital was wiped out, and they were heavily in debt."

"At the same time, because they have neglected agriculture for many years, their domestic grain reserves are limited. Once the channels for importing grain from the Ming Dynasty are cut off, grain prices will inevitably soar, and famine will immediately occur."

"The people had no money and no food, and lived in constant fear."

"The minor lords went bankrupt and squandered their fortunes, filled with resentment."

"Even the Japanese imperial court is overwhelmed by sharp declines in tax revenue and unrest among the people."

"At that time, our Ming Dynasty won't even need to lift a single soldier; Japan will descend into chaos on its own."

"This is a case of 'locking down merchants to cut off their wealth, and oppressing the people to weaken their strength.'"

"Once the economy collapses, public morale collapses, and national strength declines, how will they have the resources to harass our maritime borders again?"

"I'm afraid that by then, the Japanese king will be begging our Great Ming to buy his sulfur again!"