In the palace with yellow tiles, tables and chairs dyed with vermilion lacquer and wood were covered with gold-threaded yellow cloth. A large case in front of the hall held some memorials and the Crown Prince's favorite tea, Nanshan Chunhong.
It was black tea produced in Wuyi Mountain. They were picked in early spring in the south of the foothills of the mountain. It smelled elegant and the prince liked it so much that he even named it himself.
Standing in front of Zheng He was an elegant middle-aged man with a slightly gray beard and white hair, but full of bookishness and high energy. It was Yang Shiqi who was called one of the Three Yangs by later generations.
"Your Highness, why did you summon us two here?"
Summoning Zheng He and himself at the same time, Yang Shiqi felt that it might be a big deal.
Zhu Gaochi's face is full of smiles. Once the fat man smiles kindly, it makes people feel like his face is full of happiness.
"Come here, bring the things up."
The two eunuchs took out the things. It was the kettle and the bamboo stick wheel that Zhu Zhanzhen had demonstrated before. The eunuchs fiddled with it for a while before making it look like Zhu Zhanchang had done before, and then lit a fire to boil the water.
"Your Highness, what is this?" Zheng He asked curiously. He did not expect that the prince called them both here to see this strange thing.
"Zhan Zhen told me this thing is called a steam engine."
Yang Shiqi and Zheng He looked at each other in surprise: "Fifth Master?"
"You two take a look at this thing first."
As the water boiled, the lid was pushed open. This time, the lid was quite powerful. With good luck, it moved up and down three times, causing the wheel to spin nearly a circle before stopping.
Zheng He's face was already full of surprise.
"This!! Your Highness!!"
It was rare to see this adventurer so surprised that he didn't even say the whole thing. He obviously understood the function of this thing better than the civil servant Yang Shiqi, who was still confused by the monk beside him.
Yang Shiqi didn't realize its purpose and said speechlessly: "Your Highness, what is the purpose of this kettle?"
Zhu Gaochi explained proudly: "My fifth child said that when the water was boiling, the kettle lid was pushed open, so he thought that if the lid could be restrained from moving up and down, he could use this device to drive the wheel.
He calls this a connecting rod, and this kid has a wonderful idea, so I just wanted to find you two to take a look."
Yang Shiqi still didn't quite understand its value, but Zheng He calmed down his mood: "Your Highness, could you please ask the Fifth Young Master to come to my house? There are many skilled craftsmen who build ships in the house. If you bring them to the palace, there will be many
If it is inconvenient, please condescend Your Highness the Fifth Prince to come to my residence."
Zhu Gaochi smiled and was extremely happy: "What? Do you think the device he made is useful?"
Zheng He just took a look at it and already had the prototype of this thing in his mind: "Your Highness, if it can really succeed, there will be no need for horses to drive a car and no need to wait for the wind to drive a boat."
"What you said is exactly the same as what Zhan Zhen said." Zhu Gaochi smiled even more. Who doesn't want his son to be outstanding?
Seeing that Zheng He was a little anxious, Zhu Gaochi waved his hand: "Don't worry, let's leave that kid alone for two days. This kid is most likely to bite his nose and face. He will be arrogant if he holds him too high. I'm afraid he won't be able to change it in the future. Five
I ordered him to go to your house, Queen of Heaven, and you first find some skilled craftsmen, and you can also bring these things back to your house."
"Your Highness is wise."
He thinks carefully about everything for his son, which is admirable as a father.
After talking about the steam engine, Zhu Gaochi sat back and said, "There is one more thing to discuss with you two."
The face that was full of smiles just now turned serious, and it was obvious that he had something serious to say.
"The palace city in Peiping is under construction, and the current progress of moving the capital is still good. However, His Majesty has to sail to the West and conquer Mobei, and the national treasury may not be able to support it." Zhu Gaochi shook his head repeatedly as he spoke.
Zheng He said nothing, but Yang Shiqi had to speak: "Your Highness, after preparations were made in February last year, Your Majesty led the army from Peiping to conquer Mobei in June and defeated the Oara army. It has only been more than a year since this happened. Why did it happen again?
The idea of the Northern Expedition."
"In the battle in the twelfth year of Yongle, although the Wala was defeated, our army suffered extremely heavy losses. It had only been more than a year since the battle of Hulanhuwenwen, and we had Liaodong intelligence on the border. The Wala troops were somewhat ready.
If you are preparing to invade the border, you should be prepared day and night and do not neglect it."
Yang Shiqi was astonished: "Wa Laxian has accumulated strength again and wants to invade our border with the Ming Dynasty? This group of Mobei barbarians really don't remember to fight. If they don't exterminate their tribe, they will always think of violating our border."
Zhu Gaochi nodded: "Your Majesty has already drafted a decree to order the vassal kings of Zhou, Jin, Qin and other vassals to select five thousand infantry and cavalry each to go to Zhending for training this winter. He also asked the garrison generals of Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Datong, and Liaodong next year
In the spring, I went to Zhending and Dezhou to practice together."
"Your Majesty is going to..."
"As early as this winter, or as late as next year, we should conduct a personal expedition again. If Oara does not invade the border, we can still conduct a small-scale raid. If Oara dares to invade the border, according to my father's temper, a personal expedition by the emperor is inevitable."
The four words "imperial expedition" mean that he, the prince who supervises the country, needs to get a lot of money to provide supplies for his father. Zhu Gaochi was exhausted every time he went on the Northern Expedition, but it was also because of what he did every time.
They were all excellent, so Zhu Di dared to rest assured about the Northern Expedition.
"Your Highness, the war has just ceased for more than a year. Although the national treasury is not empty, it will never be able to support His Majesty's personal expedition. Jiangnan taxes have already made the people miserable because of the last expedition. If it is increased again, it will arouse public resentment.
Absolutely not."
"But you should also know your Majesty's temper. If Wala goes against the border and doesn't fight back, I'm afraid he will become furious."
Yang Shiqi hurriedly knelt down and said: "Your Highness, for the sake of the common people in the world, please reduce all expenditures from now on to avoid insufficient preparation for the outbreak of war."
Zheng He listened to the two people's words and understood that today's plan was not just to let him see Zhu Zhanzhen's little invention, but to ask him to stop the project of going to the West first and spend the funds.
Let it out.
"Zheng Qing, do you have any good ideas?" Zhu Gaochi asked as expected.
Zheng He saluted with neither humility nor arrogance: "What your Highness said is absolutely true. Zheng He is not good at financial management. Everything is subject to the orders of Your Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince, and he should do his best."
Zhu Gaochi was a little unhappy, but he didn't show it: "After you two return home, you can think of more ways to share your worries."
"I am terrified."
After the two of them retreated, Zhu Gaochi lamented again: "Dad, I really want to do it all at once. Next year, we will have another Northern Expedition and a voyage to the West. How can the national treasury support it?"
As a prince, everyone envies him, and his second and third brothers are very envious of him, but not everyone can do this. He has a lot of things to do every day, especially one who likes to go to war and hopes that all nations will come to congratulate him.
Dad, in one word, he has to make money and save money for his father, and his father is reluctant to replace him.
At this time, he was really looking forward to the realization of his son's fantastic steam engine.
"If I could drive a carriage without horses and sail a boat without wind, I might be able to save twenty-three percent of my expenses."
Zhu Gaochi didn't know that he still thought conservatively in these 23 times.