Ming Dynasty: Zhu Biao's younger brother, the most rebellious son in history

Chapter 110 Zhu Biao: Brother Kai, I will give you all the money!

Kong Xixue had been running back and forth in Yingtian Prefecture to save his family. Now that a strong supporter suddenly appeared, Kong Xixue naturally wanted to tie the supporter to his side as soon as possible: "We will not talk about what is going on between your majesty and the prime minister, but when the prime minister comes back, the two must have had some conversations. Moreover, Prime Minister Li is a prudent person who will plan everything before taking action. This time he suddenly made such a big fuss, he must have been fully confident."

"The news is being spread now. I think Prime Minister Li wants to test his influence and then take his time to make plans after he enters the court."

To put it bluntly, all of this was Li Shanchang's conspiracy.

Therefore, it is most appropriate to go to Li Shanchang now.

Song Lian thought Kong Xixue's analysis made sense, but he felt that something was missing: "You said... could it be that the news that Li Shanchang was going to come back was deliberately spread by His Majesty?"

Zhu Yuanzhang?
This... Kong Xixue really didn’t think about it.

But now he had no time to think about these things. After thinking for a while, he said, "Your Majesty, did you do this on purpose? Do you want to see the power of Prime Minister Li in the court?"

If this is the case, then asking Li Shanchang for help would be like drinking arsenic.

Song Lian shook his head and said, "No, Prime Minister Li is now the Second Prince's teacher. Many people are disappointed in him. Even if he returns to the court, he will not pose a threat to Your Majesty."

What else could be the reason?
Song Lian thought about it and had some guesses in his mind:

I'm afraid that the reason Li Shanchang came back this time was because of the Kong family's affairs.

Kong Kejian made a lot of noise in Qi and Lu. It was said that their wealth covered an entire county, grain rotted in the granary, and Confucius' descendants colluded with the Japanese and robbed the people... Are these rumors groundless or are they true? Song Lian did not conduct a detailed investigation of these things, and he could not go to Qi and Lu in person to investigate the truth of the matter. He could only ask Kong Xixue:
"Recently in Yingtian Prefecture, there have been many rumors about your father. Are they true or false?"

What was supposed to come finally came... Kong Xixue's expression was a little bitter. What he feared most was that Song Lian would ask him this question, but for the sake of his family, he had to lie to Song Lian, an honest man: "Mr. Song, I have also heard some of those rumors. God can testify that our Kong family has passed down poetry and books and abides by our original intentions. We would never do such a conscienceless thing."

"Mr. Song, I think the person who spread these remarks is Lord Hu Weiyong. He is a complete villain. He can do anything to achieve his own goals!"

So, you must believe me, it is Hu Weiyong who is causing trouble.

Is it Hu Weiyong?
Song Lian thought about Hu Weiyong’s glorious deeds. You know what... the Second Prince’s most loyal dog could really do such a thing.

"okay, I get it."

Song Lian pondered for a while, and said to Kong Xixue: "It is not appropriate for you to go directly to Li Shanchang. Let me go first to test his opinion. If he is willing to help, you can come forward later."

Hearing this, Kong Xixue was overjoyed and quickly bowed to express his gratitude: "Okay, thank you Mr. Song for your kindness. I will thank you first. When my father comes to Yingtian in the future, I will definitely come to express my gratitude in person."

"No need to thank me. I am also a scholar. Confucius and Mencius taught me how to be a good person and helped me grow. This is what I should do."

Song Lian was alone and incorruptible. If he had been greedy for rewards, it would not have been Kong Xixue's turn. After all, he was a world-famous university scholar, and people who asked him for help were like carp crossing the river. He helped Kong Xixue only out of his high spirits.

The teachings of Confucius and Mencius are Song Lian's beliefs. Now that Zhu Kai has stirred up his inner beliefs, how can he let it go?
If Kong Xixue had not stopped him, he would have gone to Wuying Palace to find Zhu Yuanzhang.

This is Song Lian, a university scholar with a strange temper.

……

Qi and Lu, Laizhou Prefecture.

Zhu Kai had already built a castle out of Lego bricks. It was a Disney castle. Male and female Mickey Mouse were sitting in front of the castle, showing their affection. Zhu Kai had seen this many times, but it was the first time for Hu Weiyong to see it. When he saw the castle with a different shape, he thought Zhu Kai liked this kind of castle. He immediately patted his chest and promised: "Don't worry, Your Highness. I will mark out a piece of land in Quancheng Prefecture and build a palace like this for you."

Although the pink one looks a bit sissy.

But Hu Weiyong thought that this was prepared by Zhu Kai for his two princesses. Women... must like these things.

"No, I'm just assembling it for fun."

After assembling, Zhu Kai disassembled the Lego bricks.

There is no point in keeping this thing, it is more straightforward to use an aircraft carrier and a military base: "Why, what do you want?"

"Have!"

After Hu Weiyong finished flattering Zhu Kai, he finally remembered that he had something important to discuss with him.

He immediately said to Zhu Kai, "Your Highness, didn't you tell me yesterday that if you want to get rich, you should build roads first. We can take advantage of the opportunity to build inns and restaurants along some key roads? I think that the money we found from the Kong family is not enough to build a few roads. After I went back yesterday, I couldn't sleep at night and tossed and turned. Finally, I thought of a better way. We don't have to use only our own money to build roads! We can also collect other people's money."

"Ah."

Zhu Kai was very satisfied with Hu Weiyong's answer. He was a man who was good at thinking. "Okay, we will contribute 30%, and the others will contribute 70%. Those who contribute to the road construction can choose roadside commercial houses with relatively good locations according to the amount of their contributions."

"Your Highness, you are right!"

Hu Weiyong's eyes lit up as well, as if he had found a soulmate: "Besides, the stall with the best location is ours. We can rent the house to them for operation. This way, we can use the money we have to build more roads."

It’s amazing that every official road in the Ming Dynasty had its own shops.

Every year, you can set aside a portion of the money to build roads. As more and more roads are built, the profits you earn will grow.

Thinking of the way of thinking proposed by Zhu Kai, Hu Weiyong admired Zhu Kai from the bottom of his heart.

Zhu Kai is a genius in business!

Shen Wansan?
He's a piece of shit!

He can't even find a reliable backer, so he is of no reference value at all.

Hu Weiyong gave Zhu Kai a thumbs up, his face full of admiration for him: "Your Highness, you are truly a genius, no one in the entire Ming Dynasty can match you!"

"Okay."

Zhu Kai felt that he was just sloppy. If it were future business tycoons, if they came to the Ming Dynasty, it would be a complete dimensionality reduction attack. Those people are the ones who can do business in a fancy way. He continued to say to Hu Weiyong: "Not every road is worth investing in. I will point out two roads for you: one is the land Silk Road connecting the Western Regions, and the other is the Maritime Silk Road opened up by the Song Dynasty. I remember it goes to Quanzhou, right?

These two roads are the most profitable ones. Please pay attention to them and keep them in our hands."

The Silk Road on Land and the Silk Road on Sea basically connected the entire cargo distribution center of the Ming Dynasty. By extending outward through these two roads, Zhu Kai's shops could be spread across the most prosperous sections of the Ming Dynasty.

Hu Weiyong was completely convinced by Zhu Kai, and nodded frantically, saying that he would definitely do as Zhu Kai said and strive to control the construction of these two roads: "Your Highness, don't worry, Weiyong will definitely live up to your trust."

While the two were discussing how to make a fortune, Mao Xiang came running over to report to Zhu Kai:

"Your Highness, the prince is here."

"My eldest brother is here?"

Zhu Kai smiled and said, "My big brother is here, why are you reporting to him? Let him in quickly."

Hu Weiyong's expression was not as good as Zhu Kai's. He felt that Zhu Biao's sudden arrival was just to confiscate the money of the Kong family from Zhu Kai.

"Your Highness, the prince must be here for the money, so you must be careful."

Don't delay making money.

"Bullshit! My elder brother is a modest gentleman, how could he care so much about money?"

Zhu Kai cursed back mercilessly, but then he felt that what he said was a bit one-sided, so he added: "If you want to talk about greed, it must be my father! My eldest brother came here because of my father's narrow-mindedness."

You can complain about Zhu Yuanzhang, but never doubt Zhu Biao.

This is an honest person.

Hu Weiyong heard what Zhu Kai said and said that he was right, but who doesn't know that the prince and Zhu Yuanzhang are of the same mind? His appearance here now, doesn't it mean that Zhu Yuanzhang is also here?
My master is too honest and has no sense of vigilance at all.

In Hu Weiyong's eyes, Zhu Kai is an upright boy.

"Big brother!"

When Zhu Kai saw Zhu Biao, he walked towards him with a hearty laugh. Zhu Biao looked at Zhu Kai coming over and also smiled.

The two brothers hugged each other, and after letting each other go, Zhu Biao hit Zhu Kai on the shoulder and said, "You brat, you always cause trouble when you come out, and it's a big one." "No matter whether it's a big or small thing, it's nothing in front of us brothers."

Zhu Kai and Zhu Biao walked side by side into the house and instructed Mao Xiang and Jiang Lin at the same time: "Mao Xiang, go and arrange for my eldest brother's entourage to rest. Jiang Lin, go and arrange the food and welcome my eldest brother."

"Yes!"

Mao Xiang and Jiang Li took the order and left. Hu Weiyong wanted to follow them, but was kicked by Zhu Kai and kicked away.

I'm chatting with my brother, why are you still joining in the fun?
……

The dishes were prepared by Jiang Li, and the wine was brought out by Zhu Kai from the super ocean freighter: two barrels of dark beer.

The two brothers each held a bucket, and neither drank from the other's. They sat together, arms around each other, singing little songs, and it was very lively.

It can be seen that the two brothers are very excited about moving this big tree in the Kong family that no one has moved, but they still have the necessary concerns.

That's the Kong family!

It has a longer history than any noble family.

Moreover, Confucius is the idol of scholars all over the world, and his every word and action is regarded as a guiding principle. If one wants to completely eliminate his influence, one cannot be too impatient for quick results, otherwise it will backfire.

Zhu Biao drank so much that he kept burping: "This wine tastes good, but it's too uncomfortable to keep going to the toilet."

Isn't this a waste?

"That's how wine is, brother. You'll get used to it after you drink more."

Zhu Kai looked at Zhu Biao and asked, "Brother, did Dad ask you to come this time?"

"Dad asked me to come, but even if he didn't let me come, I would still like to come and see Brother Kai."

Zhu Biao was an honest man, especially in front of Zhu Kai: "Brother Kai, you did a good job. You uncovered a stubborn problem, which is a good thing for us. But I am also worried that you hate evil and hate evil. If you push the Kong family too hard, it will cause them to counterattack."

"To deal with the Kong family, we need to do it little by little, just like heating up warm water slowly. They are unwilling to resist in a familiar environment, so losing some of it is okay. By the time they want to resist, they will no longer have the chance."

Zhu Biao was talking about the boiling frog theory. Zhu Kai agreed with it: "Brother, I hate evil, but I don't want to kill innocent people. Kong Kejian and some others are greedy for money. They should be cut into pieces, but do the people in their family members have to die? And I agree with some of Confucius' words. It's just that some people use his Analects as a tool to make money. These people are the ones who deserve to die."

"There are more than just the Kong family who deserve to die like this."

After hearing Zhu Kai's words, Zhu Biao felt relieved. He had always thought that Zhu Kai was impulsive, but he didn't expect him to say such sincere words.

I have to say, Zhu Kai is right!
Zhu Biao asked, "How do you want to punish them, Brother Kai?"

"usage!"

Zhu Kai said two words, "Whoever is guilty should be punished. Those who deserve to be beheaded should be beheaded, those who deserve to be imprisoned should be imprisoned, and those who deserve to be forced to perform labor service should be forced to perform labor service. Kill them fairly and justly, so that the people of the world will be convinced."

"usage……"

Zhu Biao shook his head and said to Zhu Kai, "Brother Kai, since you value the law so much, why don't you obey it? Do you know how many places have reported you since you came from Yingtian Prefecture to Qilu? Riding a horse on the street, beating up vendors, eating without paying...Brother Kai, you've gone too far!"

"Ah ha ha!"

Zhu Kai felt a little embarrassed after hearing this.

He just enjoyed the feeling of being an outlaw: "Nonsense, that was done by Mao Xiang and Jiang Li, it has nothing to do with me. I am the second prince of the Ming Dynasty, the head of the royal family, and I would never do such a thing."

"..."

Zhu Biao was also helpless. Every time Zhu Kai left his name, it was Mao Xiang and Jiang Li's. But what's the use? If he really checked it out, it would eventually lead to Zhu Kai.

But Zhu Kai just refused to admit it, which made him very angry.

"Okay, big brother, don't you know me? When have I ever bullied the people? If I did, there must be a reason."

Zhu Kai clenched his fists and said, "I just punished the evildoers on behalf of the law."

Seeing Zhu Kai's expression of "I'm not wrong" and "others are the ones who are wrong", he simply didn't mention it anymore. As for Zhu Kai's suggestion that the Kong family should be dealt with without involving others and only the main culprit should be held accountable by law, Zhu Biao took it to heart.

As for whether the survivors of the Kong family will retaliate in the future, Zhu Biao is not worried. As long as you can kill your ancestors, you don't have to worry about those little kids causing trouble.

Whether it is Zhu Kai or Zhu Biao, they both have a heroic spirit that fears nothing.

After talking about how to deal with the Kong family, he turned the topic to the Kong family's wealth: "Brother Kai, I heard that you confiscated the Kong family and made a fortune?"

Zhu Kai felt a little embarrassed when he heard this, and said with a wry smile: "What kind of fortune is this? It's just a small amount of money."

Although Zhu Kai had said during his conversation with Hu Weiyong that he would give the money to Zhu Yuanzhang to fill the national treasury, when the time came, Zhu Kai still did not want to give the money away so easily.

It’s not that I’m reluctant.

But I just feel uncomfortable handing over the money like this.

"Your money is just a small amount?"

Zhu Biao's eyes widened. "That's the treasury revenue of the Ming Dynasty for fifteen years. You call that small money? Brother Kai, I heard that the money found in Kong Kejian's house alone covered the streets of Lu County. What are you going to do with this money?"

“I plan to build a road.”

Zhu Kai did not shy away from saying it, and said to Zhu Biao: "I plan to use this money to build a road from Baishuizhou in the south, to Yanjing in the north, and to the Western Regions in the west, running through the artery of our Ming Dynasty."

When Zhu Biao heard Zhu Kai's words, his eyes widened immediately.

It is impossible for him not to know how much benefit the road will bring.

Thinking about the money in Zhu Kai's hand, Zhu Biao could conclude that this money was not enough... Thinking about Zhu Kai's great goal, Zhu Biao's eyes flashed fiercely: "Brother Kai, don't worry, if there is not enough money for road construction, I will pay for it for you!"

What?
When Zhu Kai heard what Zhu Biao said, he was stunned.

I didn't say the money was not enough!
Or has the big brother become a bad guy and wants to share the profits from road construction?

Zhu Kai didn't even think twice and wanted to refuse Zhu Biao: "Brother, I will find a way to deal with the money issue myself, ahem... You know, when I was doing business before, I also saved a lot of money, right... Hehe, money is useless when you keep it in your hands. It can only be called money when you spend it."

"Brother Kai, it's already this time, why are you still so stubborn!"

Zhu Biao sighed. He really didn't know what to say to his brother: "Brother Kai, road construction is not as simple as you think. Building roads through mountains and bridges over rivers are all problems that must be faced when building roads. To solve these problems, huge manpower and material resources are needed. Do you understand?"

Some people may say that if it is purely for business, wouldn't it be better to build a road connecting the West? There are so many mountains blocking the north and south, there is no need to invest huge manpower and material resources to build a road. If you want to do business, can't you just go by sea? There is a natural passage, and it doesn't cost much.

Indeed, sea transportation is cheap, economical and affordable.

But why do we still need to build roads on land?

There is no other reason, the strategic location is important.

Zhu Kai knew that the wars in the next two to three hundred years would be fought on the ocean. If they only transported supplies by sea, it would be easy for the enemy to seize their lifeline. Moreover, fighting an ocean war relied on a strong national force behind it. Materials from all over the country had to be transported to the coast to support the navy's operations.

Therefore, road construction is imperative.

The amount of money invested in this is impossible to estimate, but the money seized from the Kong family is definitely far from enough?
Zhu Kai doesn't mind spending money, and this kind of project cannot be calculated in terms of profit.

It is not possible to leave it to businessmen, so we can only rely on the power of the Ming Dynasty court to accomplish these tasks.

This was a very difficult job, and the Ming Dynasty's treasury was not rich, let alone building roads. Zhu Yuanzhang was willing to do something that would benefit the country, but he did not have enough money, so he had no choice but to give up.

But now, Zhu Kai stood up and said he wanted to do it.

(End of this chapter)