King Luhuang of the Ming Dynasty: My father, Ming Taizu

The native was stunned for a moment, as if he had not expected Wang Dahu to ask his name. He hesitated for a moment, but still stiffened his neck and said loudly:

"Aru!"

Wang Dahu nodded and signaled the interpreter beside him to ask in the native language.

"Aru, we are guests from afar and we mean no harm to you."

The interpreter translated Wang Dahu's words into the indigenous language.

After hearing what the interpreter said, a hint of doubt flashed in Aru's eyes.

He looked at Wang Dahu, as if trying to see something from the face of this "distant guest".

Wang Dahu continued:
"We came here to look for a precious mineral. We are willing to coexist peacefully with you, learn from each other, and make progress together."

The interpreter once again translated Wang Dahu's words into the indigenous language.

Aru exchanged glances with the two natives beside him. They seemed a little surprised by Wang Dahu's words, and were somewhat skeptical.

In indigenous tribes, they rarely encounter such "reasonable" invaders.

Usually, those outsiders would simply rob their property and kill their people.

"You guys...are you really just here to look for ore?"

Aru asked in a stiff tone.

Wang Dahu nodded and said:

"Yes, we have no territorial claims here. We only hope to mine the minerals peacefully. At the same time, we can also provide you with the necessary assistance and support."

Aru was silent for a moment, as if weighing the pros and cons.

The two natives beside him were also talking in low voices, seemingly discussing something.

Finally, Alu raised his head, looked at Wang Dahu, and said:

"Okay, we trust you this time. But if you do anything to harm our tribe, we will make you pay the price!"

Wang Dahu smiled slightly, stretched out his hand and said:
"It's a word."

Alu also stretched out his hand and high-fived Wang Dahu to form an alliance.

At this moment, two people from different civilizations and races reached a temporary reconciliation and cooperation in this strange land.

Ying Tianfu.

Forbidden City.

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat on the dragon throne, playing with a string of jade rosary beads in his hand, his brows furrowed, looking worried. On the desk was a pile of thick memorials, one of which was particularly eye-catching, with the word "urgent" written on the cover in red ink.

It was a memorial about the repair of the Forbidden City. The memorial mentioned that the northeast corner of the Forbidden City had sunk and there were even tiny cracks on the palace walls. The craftsmen were worried that if the repairs were not carried out in time, there might be greater safety hazards. Therefore, they requested the court to allocate funds so that the repairs could be carried out as soon as possible.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the memorial and felt a little angry. When he chose Yingtianfu as the capital, he had concerns about the land near the lake. The land here is low-lying and the soil is soft, which is prone to sinking. However, at that time, the ministers in the court persuaded him, saying that Yingtianfu has a superior geographical location, convenient transportation, and beautiful scenery of lakes and mountains, which is a rare place to build a capital. Zhu Yuanzhang reluctantly agreed to build the capital here.

Now, as he expected, the Forbidden City has started to sink. This made him start to worry about future floods. If the lake overflows, wouldn't the entire Forbidden City be submerged? When Zhu Yuanzhang thought of this, he felt upset. If he had known this would happen, why would he have done this in the first place?

He took a deep breath and tried to calm his irritability. Moving the capital was a serious matter and required long-term consideration. He decided to consult with Crown Prince Zhu Biao first.

Zhu Yuanzhang suppressed his displeasure and summoned the eunuch to pass on his order: "Call the crown prince Zhu Biao to see the emperor."

Soon, the crown prince Zhu Biao came in a hurry. He was wearing a bright yellow dragon robe and a golden crown, looking very imposing. Zhu Biao was the eldest son of Zhu Yuanzhang. He was made the crown prince since he was a child and was always highly valued by his father. He was calm and generous, and he also had a good reputation in the court.

"Your son pays homage to His Majesty, Father. May I know what important matter Your Majesty has summoned me for?" Zhu Biao saluted respectfully.

Zhu Yuanzhang motioned for him to stand up without any formalities, and then handed the memorial in his hand to Zhu Biao: "Take a look at this."

Zhu Biao took the memorial and read it carefully. His brows gradually furrowed, and he obviously realized the seriousness of the problem: "Father, the sinking of the Forbidden City is indeed not to be underestimated. I think that funds should be allocated as soon as possible to repair it to ensure the safety of the palace."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, but sighed: "Repairs are important, but I am more worried about future floods. This area is prone to sinking. If there is a heavy rain and the lake overflows, won't the Forbidden City be in danger?"

Zhu Biao's expression became serious when he heard this: "Father, you are right. Then according to your opinion, what should we do?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was silent for a moment, then slowly uttered a few words: "Move the capital."

"Move the capital?" Zhu Biao was surprised, obviously not expecting his father to come up with such an idea. He knew that moving the capital was a national event, and it was not a decision that could be made lightly.

"Yes, move the capital." Zhu Yuanzhang said affirmatively, "I have thought about it. Although Yingtian Prefecture is prosperous, it is low-lying and flooded frequently. It is not a long-term solution. We should choose another place with high terrain and fertile soil as the new capital." Zhu Biao fell into deep thought after hearing this. He knew that his father's decision was always well thought out, but moving the capital was indeed a big deal and needed careful consideration. He thought for a while and said, "My father's idea is reasonable, but moving the capital is a big deal and needs long-term consideration. I think we can send people to survey the terrain and understand the local customs before making a decision."

Zhu Yuanzhang listened to Zhu Biao's suggestion and thought it made sense. He nodded and said, "You are right. We should not rush the relocation of the capital. Then let's do as you say and send people to survey the terrain first." He added, "This matter is of great importance. You need to personally select the right person to go."

Zhu Yuanzhang continued, "Regarding the location of the relocation of the capital, I have several options in mind, Beiping, Xi'an, Kaifeng, Luoyang, Fengyang, which place do you think is more suitable?"

Zhu Biao did not expect his father to suddenly ask about this matter. He had not thought about it much beforehand and was stunned for a moment. He quickly weighed the options in his mind. Beiping was located in the frontier, which was good for defense, but too remote. Xi'an had a long history, but it was located in the northwest, and transportation was inconvenient. Although Kaifeng and Luoyang were located in the Central Plains, they had been in war many times in history and were no longer prosperous. As for Fengyang, that was their hometown, and there was already a foundation for the construction of Zhongdu.

After hesitating for a long time, Zhu Biao finally spoke: "Father, I think Fengyang might be a good choice. Fengyang is the capital, and many palaces have been built there before, but they were stopped later due to financial constraints. Now, we only need to repair and expand on the original basis, which should save a lot of time and money."

Zhu Yuanzhang's brows did not relax after hearing this. He had expected Zhu Biao to give more far-sighted advice, rather than just considering saving money. He was slightly disappointed with Zhu Biao's answer, but he did not express it directly.

"Well, your idea makes sense." Zhu Yuanzhang said calmly, "But when it comes to moving the capital, more factors need to be considered, such as geographical location, strategic significance, economic development, etc. Fengyang certainly has its advantages, but it may not be the best choice."

Zhu Biao felt nervous after hearing this, knowing that he had not fully answered his father's wishes. He bowed his head and said respectfully, "Your Majesty is right. I was not thoughtful enough. Please forgive me."

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand and said, "Forget it. This matter requires further consideration. You can leave first. I will think about it carefully."

Zhu Biao bowed respectfully and left the hall. He knew that he had not impressed his father in this discussion, and he felt a little regretful.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Biao's departing back with mixed feelings. He had originally placed high hopes on Zhu Biao, hoping that he could take on more state affairs, but this discussion made him realize that Zhu Biao still needed more experience.

At this time, the eunuch came forward and reported: "Your Majesty, Prince Zhu Tan of Lu wants to see you."

"Oh? The tenth brother is here? Let him in quickly." Zhu Yuanzhang said.

After a while, Prince Zhu Tan of Lu came in and saluted, saying, "Your Highness, I pay my respects to you, Father!"

"Old Ten, you've come just in time!" Zhu Yuanzhang said, "I have something to discuss with you. What do you think about moving the capital?"

Zhu Tan was stunned when he heard this. Moving the capital?

Looking at his father's eager face, he suddenly remembered that in history, Zhu Yuanzhang was not very satisfied with Yingtianfu as the capital.

Later, in the 25th year of Hongwu, he sent Crown Prince Zhu Biao to investigate the feasibility of Kaifeng and Xi'an as the capital.

It was also at that time that Zhu Biao accidentally caught a cold on the road. Ultimately, due to his poor physical condition, he could not survive and died young.

This allowed Zhu Yunwen to take advantage and become the emperor.

Then he was easily overthrown by the fourth son Zhu Di, completely rewriting the history of the Ming Dynasty!
Zhu Tan looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and couldn't help asking, "Father, you suddenly asked this question, and I'm a little overwhelmed."

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand and said, "I just think Yingtian is not suitable to be the capital, and I want to change it to another place. What do you think?"

Zhu Tan pondered for a long time before he spoke slowly, his voice revealing calmness and wisdom: "Father, you mentioned the matter of moving the capital. I feel that this is a serious matter and needs to be carefully considered from many aspects. Is the reason you want to move the capital mainly because of the low-lying terrain of Yingtian Prefecture, frequent floods, and the safety risks of the Forbidden City?"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly, with a hint of approval in his eyes: "That's right. Old Ten, you can see this, which shows that you have a good understanding of national affairs. Although Yingtian Prefecture is prosperous, the disadvantages of the terrain and the worries of floods make me uneasy day and night. The safety of the Forbidden City is even more related to the foundation of the royal family and the country."

Zhu Tan nodded, his expression solemn: "I deeply sympathize with your worries, Father. Moving the capital is indeed urgent. As for the location of the relocation, I have thought about it and think that Xi'an, Kaifeng, Fengyang and Luoyang each have their own advantages, but also have many disadvantages."

He paused and continued to elaborate: "Xi'an, known as Chang'an in ancient times, has a long history and is easy to defend but difficult to attack. However, since the Tang Dynasty, the economic center has gradually moved eastward and southward, and Xi'an is no longer as prosperous as it used to be. Today, Xi'an is located in the northwest border, with a relatively backward economy, insufficient grain production, and is far away from economic centers such as Jiangnan. If the capital is moved here, I am afraid that the national economy will be difficult to support."

After hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang frowned slightly and motioned Zhu Tan to continue.

"Kaifeng is located in the Central Plains, with convenient transportation and developed economy. It was once the ancient capital of many dynasties. However, Kaifeng is close to the Yellow River. The water of the Yellow River comes from the sky and rushes to the sea without returning. River floods are common in history. Moreover, Kaifeng has a flat terrain and no strategic location to defend. There are also great military risks." Zhu Tan said with a worried look on his face.

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed, obviously aware of the drawbacks of Kaifeng.

"Luoyang is also an ancient capital with a long history and profound cultural heritage. But Luoyang, like Kaifeng, has average terrain, which is not conducive to military defense. Moreover, Luoyang is also located near the Yellow River, and the threat of floods cannot be ignored." Zhu Tan continued to analyze.

At this point, he paused for a moment, as if weighing what to say next. Then, he slowly began to talk about Fengyang: "Fengyang, as my father's hometown, naturally has extraordinary sentimental value. However, from a practical point of view, Fengyang does not have the conditions to be a capital in terms of economy, geography, and military. Fengyang is located inland, with inconvenient transportation and relatively backward economic development. In addition, there is no natural barrier to defend militarily, making it difficult to resist foreign invasion."

Zhu Yuanzhang listened to Zhu Tan's analysis and could not help but secretly admire his foresight. Although Zhu Tan rejected four candidate locations for relocating the capital, each of his analysis hit the mark and convinced people.

"So, Old Ten, do you have any idea of ​​a suitable place to move the capital?" Zhu Yuanzhang finally couldn't help but ask.

Zhu Tan took a deep breath, his eyes flashing with determination: "Father, I think Beiping may be a suitable choice."

"Beiping?" Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyebrows slightly, obviously quite interested in this proposal. "Tell me why you think Beiping is suitable as the capital?"

Zhu Tan explained solemnly, "Beiping is located at the strategic point of the northern frontier, with the Yanshan Mountains to the north and the vast hinterland of the North China Plain to the south. This geographical location is conducive to military defense against foreign invasions and to the control and management of the northern frontier areas. In addition, Beiping is relatively close to economic centers such as Jiangnan, which is convenient for material transportation and economic exchanges. The prosperity of Jiangnan can provide strong economic support for Beiping."

He paused and continued, "Beijing's climate is relatively good, with four distinct seasons and suitable for living. This is an important consideration for the royal family and officials. In addition, as the capital of the Yuan Dynasty, Beiping already has a certain foundation for urban construction. We can repair and expand it on this basis to save time and money."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded secretly as he listened to Zhu Tan's explanation. Although he had considered Beiping as a location for relocating the capital before, he had not analyzed its advantages as deeply as Zhu Tan did. Now it seems that Beiping is indeed an option worth considering. (End of this chapter)