I will be the prince at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 74 Longjiang Shipyard ([-])

It was already [-]:[-] noon when we returned to the Wenhua Palace, Qingchan and Qingyu were cooking, Zhu Cixuan washed his face, sat on a chair to rest for a while, and began to eat.

After eating, Zhu Cixuan always felt as if he had forgotten an important thing. He closed his eyes and thought for a while, before he suddenly remembered that Jiangning has one of the largest shipyards in the world today, and that is the Longjiang Shipyard on the Qinhuai River. It is said that most of Zheng He's treasure ships and warships, large and small, were built by this shipyard.

So he and Cai Jiuyi and Mu Zhongliang led a thousand guards from the Eastern Palace to the Longjiang Shipyard outside Qingliangmen and Dinghuaimen. After leaving Qingliangmen, they arrived at the Longjiang Shipyard.

Zhu Cixuan looked around, and saw the river branching in front of him, reeds and grass stretching across the sky, and the terrain was open.In the distance stood several large wooden ships that had stopped working.

Zhu Cixuan led everyone into the shipyard and continued on. Why did Zhu Cixuan and others directly enter the Longjiang Shipyard?

Because the Longjiang Shipyard is surrounded by water on three sides and the outer city wall on one side, which encloses the entire shipyard, ordinary people cannot enter it, so the shipyard has no walls, and you can directly enter the shipyard when you come out from Qingliangmen.

The Longjiang Shipyard has a large scale, bordering the Yangtze River in the west, Qinhuai River in the east, the official gallery base in the first compartment of Yifengmen in the northwest, the left-behind right guard barracks base in the south, and the alfalfa field of the Jiangning Ministry of War and Pengcheng Bo in the north. Zhang Tian.

It is 430 meters wide from east to west and 1100 meters long from north to south, covering an area of ​​more than 50 square meters.

While walking, a group of people came out of the shipyard, as many as 50 to [-] people, and these people walked towards Zhu Cixuan and others.When the first person was still wearing the shabby official uniform of the Ming Dynasty, when he approached, Zhu Cixuan found that most of the group of people were dressed in rags and looked disheveled.

Wearing the shabby official uniform of the Ming Dynasty was an old man who looked about 50 years old, his face was covered with deep wrinkles.

He bowed his hands to Zhu Cixuan and the others from a distance, and said: "I don't know which lord is coming to visit, and the next member of the Ministry of Officials and Works, Wang Chengyuan, is very polite."

Mu Zhongliang stepped forward and said, "This is His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince of Ming Dynasty. You are still waiting to kneel down to see him."

Wang Chengyuan was taken aback, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince came in person, wondering if he and others would be punished for the crime of defecting to the Tartars and building ships for the Tartars.

Immediately leading the crowd to kneel down in fear, "Criminant Wang Chengyuan and Longjiang Treasure Shipyard's principal, promotion, and helpers see His Royal Highness the Crown Prince." A group of people behind him also knelt down on the ground. If you look closely, you will find , Most of them trembled slightly.

Zhu Cixuan hurriedly stepped forward, helped Wang Chengyuan up, and said: "Please excuse me, please get up quickly. Don't be afraid, everyone, this prince mainly came to see how you are doing recently, not to punish everyone. Let alone say that you are guilty , It is also the prince who is guilty of failing to protect everyone, letting everyone fall into the hands of the Tartars, and making everyone suffer.

However, it will get better in the future. I, Master Daming, took over Jiangning yesterday. If you have any difficulties in life, just tell the prince, and the prince will definitely solve it. "

Wang Chengyuan looked at Zhu Cixuan who was holding his hands tightly, his mouth trembled for a long time, and then he said cautiously: "Your Highness, are you really not here to punish us?"

Zhu Cixuan's face straightened, and he said: "Yes, the crown prince has kept his promise, and he is indeed here to visit you, not to punish you, so you can rest assured."

"That's great, that's great." Old man Wang Chengyuan burst into tears, crying for a while and laughing for a while.

"Master Wang, I see that everyone is dressed in rags and looks disheveled, but are there difficulties in life?"

"Your Highness doesn't know anything. Ever since the Tartars took over the Longjiang Treasure Shipyard, they just forced us to build ships day and night, never caring about our life or death. Not only did they not pay us food, but they only provided two meals of porridge every day. Not full, more than half of the original 6000 people in the shipyard died of starvation or illness, and now there are less than 2000 people left." After speaking, Wang Chengyuan burst into tears.

Zhu Cixuan's heart was also sour, his eyes were red, he patted the back of Wang Chengyuan's hand, and said loudly:

"Everyone has suffered, but it will be different from today, because my Master Daming has recovered Jiangning and driven the Tartars away, and everyone will no longer be hungry or warm.

The crown prince announced that from now on, the Longjiang Treasure Shipyard will return to our Daming Royal Family. All those who work in the Treasure Shipyard will be paid at least two taels of silver per person per month, and the shipyard will manage three meals a day to ensure that everyone can eat enough. "

Wang Chengyuan suddenly looked up at Zhu Cixuan, and said excitedly: "Really?"

Cai Jiuyi was also in agitated mood, the crown prince loves the people like a son, it is really the blessing of the people, the blessing of Ming Dynasty.He stepped forward and shouted: "Confused, how honorable is His Royal Highness, what he said speaks volumes, of course it is true."

With a smile on the corner of Zhu Cixuan's mouth, he glanced at Cai Jiuyi. This Cai Jiuyi was quite careful, even though he was a martial artist. He was speaking against himself, and he was afraid that what he said would not count.

Cai Jiuyi saw Zhu Cixuan looking at her with a smile, her heart shivered, and then she scratched her head with a naive smile.

Zhu Cixuan's face was serious, "Cai Jiuyi listens to the order."

Cai Jiuyi was pretending to be silly and smiling, when she suddenly heard Zhu Cixuan yelling, she was stunned, and quickly lowered her head and clasped her fists in salute, "Minister, Cai Jiuyi listens."

"Cai Qianhu, take my waist card and go back to find the prince's guest, Mr. Chen Gong, and ask him to transfer 4000 taels of silver and [-] shi of rice to you. Then you lead a thousand soldiers under your command to bring all the tents and bring the silver coins to you. And the rice was escorted over.

Hurry up and come back, from now on you will guard the Longjiang shipyard for the prince, protect the craftsmen of the shipyard, and don't let them be bullied and harassed, understand? "

"Understood, understood." Cai Jiuyi replied quickly.

"Well! The 4000 taels of silver are all exchanged into two taels of one ingot, go! The prince is waiting for you here."

"Yes, my minister will leave." Cai Jiuyi turned around and rode on the horse, galloping towards the gate of Qingliangmen.

Then, Zhu Cixuan smiled and said to Wang Yuancheng: "Later, the silver and rice will be escorted over. Each craftsman in the shipyard will be given two taels of silver, and you can buy some clothes. Each household will also be given a stone of rice so that the family members will no longer go hungry." .”

"Thank you, Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness, thousand years old, thousand years old, thousand years old." Wang Chengyuan and the officials of the shipyard behind him, all with smiles on their faces, fell to their knees and shouted loudly.

"Okay, okay, everyone, don't kneel down, get up." Zhu Cixuan and others got up, and said: "Wang Yuanwailang, now the shipyard still has those officials from my Daming, call them all over."

Wang Chengyuan smiled wryly and said, "Your Highness, all the officials from the Ming Dynasty at the shipyard are here."

Zhu Cixuan was taken aback for a moment, and then suddenly, he stretched out his hand and patted Wang Chengyuan's shoulder to show comfort.yes!There were less than 6000 people left in the original shipyard with more than 2000 craftsmen, and the fate of other officials can be imagined.

(End of this chapter)