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

Chapter 52 Send it to Li Shanchang
Then, this sentence was passed down layer by layer and finally reached Zhu Yuanzhang's ears.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Feng Sheng's reply to Li Shanchang and couldn't help but sigh. He said to Yuan Qi, "Feng Sheng is such a jerk. How can the land issue be known to outsiders?"

After complaining, Zhu Yuanzhang asked Yuan Qi to take out an envelope, and then wrote on the envelope: From Li Shanchang, Duke of Korea.

After finishing writing, he threw the pen aside and said, "Okay, send it to Li Shanchang."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Yuan Qi took the letter and slowly walked out.

After a while, he returned to the hall and stood there quietly.

Gradually, the only sound left in Jinshen Hall was the sound of Zhu Yuanzhang reviewing memorials. It was quiet, extremely quiet.

……

The second northern expedition after the founding of the Ming Dynasty was a foregone conclusion. With Zhu Yuanzhang's order, the Ming Dynasty started running like a machine. The precision parts began to turn, pushing the Ming Dynasty's chariot rumbling northward.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang was now very angry because his troops were ready, but he had no food.

How can this be!

War is all about logistics and baggage. Now that there is a shortage of food and fodder, how can we fight the war?
Zhu Yuanzhang immediately summoned Zhu Biao, who was in charge of logistics, as well as Wang Guangyang, Zhao Yong and others to the palace.

Song Lian also came to file a complaint.

Zhu Yuanzhang's sons are not studying again, especially Zhu Chong and Zhu Gang. After they heard that Zhu Kai would take them out to play, they even refused to go to school. They really deserve to be beaten.

However, there were important matters at the court right now, so he could only wait until Zhu Yuanzhang had dealt with state affairs before filing a complaint.

Zhu Biao, Wang Guangyang, and Zhao Yong stood in the hall. Zhu Yuanzhang didn't care at all that Zhu Biao had lost weight due to his busy schedule, and he directly scolded him: "How do you do things? If you can't handle such an important matter as food and fodder, what do you want me to use to march north?"

"When have we ever been short of food during our marches or battles?"

Zhu Biao was scolded so badly by Zhu Yuanzhang that he could not even raise his head. Listening to Zhu Yuanzhang's scolding, he felt very aggrieved. He had obviously worked very hard, but the grain could not be collected in full. What could he do?
When the Ming Dynasty was first established, there were holes everywhere.

Aren’t all the taxes in the national treasury used to fill the holes?

In the past, the national treasury had an income, which Zhu Yuanzhang spent lavishly. Now that there is no food, you just know how to curse. Don’t you think about how those grains were taken out of the national treasury?

Zhu Yuanzhang cursed at Zhu Biao and said, "What's that expression on your face? Let me tell you, even if you become skinny and bony, if you don't get the job done, you're still a waste!"

Wang Guangyang and Zhao Yong stood by, not daring to say a word. Zhu Yuanzhang taught Zhu Biao that it would be better for them not to express any opinions.

"I, I'm trash, okay?"

Zhu Biao felt very aggrieved. There was no food in the treasury, but you asked me to prepare food and fodder for the 200,000 troops heading north. Don't you understand that a good cook cannot cook without rice?

You are not a waste, please invite Li Shanchang back. Do you dare?
Zhu Biao said to Zhu Yuanzhang with resentment: "The treasury is empty, and the Ming Dynasty needs food everywhere. What can I do?"

The Ming Dynasty was going to march north, and raising food and fodder was a difficult problem. Li Shanchang, who was building the imperial city in Fengyang, could not have been unaware of this. If he truly cared about the Ming Dynasty, he would have written a letter to Zhu Yuanzhang, suggesting ways to raise food and fodder.

But Li Shanchang hadn't made any move. He was waiting for Zhu Yuanzhang or Zhu Biao to ask questions. But the Zhu family was stubborn. No matter how difficult it was, they would not ask questions to a man who resigned and returned home. When Wang Guangyang, Zhao Yong, and Song Lian heard Zhu Biao's resentful words, they immediately realized:
Want bad things!
Your Highness the Crown Prince is still not steady enough.

Zhu Yuanzhang is angry now. Just let him vent his anger. Why bother to contradict him?
Wang Guangyang immediately helped Zhu Biao to make up for it, and at the same time, he tried to calm Zhu Yuanzhang down: "Your Majesty, we have already raised two months' worth of food and grass for the 200,000-man army. When the army marches north, the food and grass will be enough for half a year."

It has been agreed in the court that the army will start the northern expedition in the first month of next year. It is only July now, and there is less than half a year left. By then, it will not be a problem to raise half a year's worth of food and fodder.

"How can we have enough food and fodder for half a year?"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Biao, but answered Wang Guangyang's question: "We need to prepare at least one year's worth of food and grass for an army of 200,000."

Zhao Yong also said quickly: "Your Majesty, the autumn harvest and next year's spring harvest can also meet the army's needs for a year's campaign."

"The food and fodder must be sent before the troops move. Can it be that the Ming soldiers are fighting in the front and we can't even gather enough food?"

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't listen to all this. He just wanted to educate his son who talked back to him. It was all Zhu Kai's fault. Zhu Biao must have been led astray by him.

Zhu Biao looked at Zhu Yuanzhang who was about to get angry, and couldn't help but think of Zhu Kai's potatoes and sweet potatoes that produced dozens of dan per mu. Without thinking, he said, "If Dad can increase the grain yield by more than ten times per mu, why should we worry about the food for the Northern Expedition?"

Zhu Yuanzhang, who was angry at the time, laughed out loud when he heard Zhu Biao's words: "Bullshit, how can one produce more than ten dan of grain per mu? It's nonsense. You have been in the palace for too long, and you don't even know what the people harvest every year."

It seems that we have to find a way to let Zhu Biao go out and gain some experience.

Those sour scholars in the palace are about to drive Zhu Biao stupid.

Song Lian couldn't help but speak up: "Your Highness, there is no grain in this world that can produce dozens of dan per mu. Your Highness, please don't talk nonsense."

Having said that, Song Lian was thinking in his heart that he would find a way to improve Zhu Biao's understanding of the world in the future. If Zhu Biao said such ignorant words as "the yield of grain per mu is dozens of stones" in front of all the civil and military officials in the court, wouldn't it be a laughing stock?
His position as crown prince is not even stable.

"Dad, Mr. Song, it's not that I stayed in the palace for too long, but you only saw what was in front of you, but didn't know to look at what you didn't see."

Zhu Biao had Zhu Kai's words to rely on, so he spoke to Zhu Yuanzhang with more confidence: "It's not that there is no such thing as a land that can produce more than 20 dan of grain per mu, but it will take a long time to promote it."

"What? Really?"

Zhu Yuanzhang stood up from his seat in surprise, and the eyes of Wang Guangyang, Zhao Yong and Song Lian were all focused on Zhu Biao.

Zhu Biao spoke so confidently, was he sure of anything?

Zhu Yuanzhang's breathing became heavy. He looked at Zhu Biao and asked, "Where did you see it?"

Zhu Biao replied, "My second brother planted it in the vegetable garden managed by my second uncle. He told me there was some, so I believed him. My second uncle also said that this was their third experiment in planting, and the failed varieties in the second experiment weighed eight or nine hundred kilograms."

Second brother?

The most naughty second prince of the Ming Dynasty?
Is this the biggest disaster that will happen to the Ming Dynasty in the future?
The looks Wang Guangyang, Zhao Yong and Song Lian gave Zhu Biao changed immediately.

I feel ridiculous.

The Crown Prince usually seems to be a smart and rational person, how come he becomes so ignorant and brainless when Zhu Kai is involved? Zhu Kai says yes, yes, who does he think he is?
(End of this chapter)