PFC Chapter 23 Building roads in Jinling?! Dad, are you crazy?!
Chapter 23 Building roads in Jinling?! Dad, are you crazy?!
The three princes ate their hotpot meal with great enthusiasm, their bellies round and full. After putting down their chopsticks, they could no longer contain themselves and began to clamor around Zhu Yuanzhang.
"Father...we've eaten, we'd like to go for a walk outside to digest our food!"
Zhu Shuang spoke first.
Zhu Gui chimed in, "Yes, Father, we promise we won't cause any trouble, we'll just stroll around for a little while and then be right back!"
Zhu Su also whispered, "Father, I want to go to the mountains outside the city. Maybe we can find some rare herbs. Please allow us."
Looking at the expectant eyes of his three sons, Zhu Yuanzhang pondered for a moment, then nodded: "Alright, you are allowed to go out, but you are not allowed to run around or cause trouble, or you will be severely punished when you return!"
"Thank you, Father!" The three were overjoyed and quickly bowed before turning around and excitedly leaving the mansion.
Watching their departing figures, Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head helplessly, turned to look at Zhu Yao, his smile fading slightly, and his tone becoming serious: "Yao'er, besides wanting to eat your hot pot, there's something else I'd like to discuss with you this time I've returned."
Zhu Yao nodded quickly: "Father, you said it. As long as I can do it, I will do my best."
"It's that book about road construction that you mentioned. After Father went back, he gathered all the craftsmen under his command and tried to develop cement repeatedly according to the methods recorded in the book, but they failed every time."
Zhu Yuanzhang frowned, his tone full of frustration, "Either the cement produced is not strong enough, or it simply does not meet the standards for construction."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yao looked puzzled and asked, "How could it not work?"
"Dad, the material ratios, firing temperature, and grinding methods are all clearly written in my book. As long as you strictly follow the steps, the cement you make will be perfectly fine for repairing houses and courtyards."
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Zhu Yuanzhang's face. He rubbed his hands together and said somewhat awkwardly, "Actually... Father didn't intend to use it to repair houses or courtyards. Father intended to... use it to repair roads."
"What? Road construction?"
Zhu Yao's eyes widened in shock, and he instinctively raised his voice, "Dad, are you crazy?!"
"Building roads in Nanjing, and using such a new method at that—if Old Zhu finds out, there will be a huge problem!"
He stepped forward and said urgently, "Father, think about it, what Old Zhu hates most is someone using manpower and resources to build roads without authorization. If someone reports you for having ulterior motives, we father and son will probably be devoured by Old Zhu!"
"Moreover, Zhu Yuanzhang is suspicious by nature and ruthless. Even court officials are severely punished for the slightest mistake. We are just ordinary people. To build roads on our own would only anger the emperor. We absolutely cannot do that!"
Zhu Yuanzhang's lips twitched as he listened, his face full of speechlessness. Looking at Zhu Yao's serious expression, he couldn't help but roll his eyes: "Yao'er, you're wrong about that. In your mind, is the image of Old Zhu... ah, I mean... the emperor really that bad?"
"Father, I'm not trying to criticize you, but everyone knows the current emperor's temperament. He'd rather kill a thousand innocent people than let one guilty person go free. We can't take that risk!" Zhu Yao insisted, his voice full of worry.
"What do you know!" Zhu Yuanzhang said impatiently, raising his voice. "Building roads is a good thing that benefits the country and the people. I... I just wanted to do something practical for the people. How did that become treason?"
"But that's Old Zhu's business, it's not our place to do it!" Zhu Yao retorted, and the two argued back and forth, neither willing to give in.
Just as the two were arguing and the atmosphere was becoming increasingly tense, Liu Bowen slowly stepped forward, coughed lightly, and said, "Young master, sir, please calm down and listen to me."
Upon hearing this, both men stopped arguing and turned to look at Liu Bowen. Zhu Yuanzhang's tone softened slightly: "Old Liu, you speak."
Liu Bowen smiled and said, "Young master, you may not know this, but the master did not build the road on his own. He obtained the road construction contract from the imperial court through some maneuvering. He did not use the people's manpower and financial resources on his own."
"If you, young master, could provide technical support in cement production to help Master complete this order, not only would you not offend the Emperor, but you would also make a fortune. You would be doing a good deed for the country and its people, and you could also build up your family fortune. Why not do it? Isn't that right, Master?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang nodded repeatedly and said to Zhu Yao, "Yes, Yao'er, Old Liu is right. I received the order from the imperial court, so I'm not building the road on my own. You can rest assured."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yao's shock vanished instantly, his eyes lit up, and his worry disappeared. He quickly stepped forward and said eagerly, "So it can make money! Dad, why didn't you tell me sooner!"
He patted his chest and said confidently, "Dad, don't worry. I have a ready-made cement production workshop and several professional construction teams. The craftsmen are all experienced veterans. Just hand over the project to me, and I'll take care of it all!"
"I guarantee it will be built to the highest standards. The roads will be sturdy, durable, and easy to pass through. They will absolutely not bring shame to you, Father, and the imperial court will not find a single fault with them!"
Seeing this, Zhu Yuanzhang smiled with satisfaction and quickly said, "Good! Good! You truly are my good son! Now let's talk about the price. How much is the cement and the construction team for you?"
"Father, for the sake of our father-son relationship, I won't cheat you. One hundred and twenty strings of cash for every mile of road, including cement and construction costs!" Zhu Yao said, his eyes darting around.
"What? One hundred and twenty strings of cash per li? Yao'er, you're going to empty my savings!" Zhu Yuanzhang frowned instantly, his tone full of heartache. "Forty strings of cash per li at most, not a single coin more!"
"Father, forty strings of cash wouldn't even make a few buckets of cement! Just the lime, clay, and iron ore powder needed for one mile of road, plus the kiln workers, stonemasons, woodworkers, and mule transport, it wouldn't be enough to get it down to less than eighty strings!" Zhu Yao quickly retorted, "At least one hundred strings, no less!"
"Sixty strings of cash! Any more than that, and I'll have someone else do it!" Zhu Yuanzhang gritted his teeth, his tone resolute.
"Ninety strings of cash! Father, this is already a loss-making endeavor. Any less and I'll starve!" Zhu Yao said, looking aggrieved but refusing to budge.
Liu Bowen stood there, watching the father and son haggling. A slight smile played on his lips as he thought to himself: "An old fox and a little fox, their haggling is exactly the same."
Seeing Zhu Yao's resolute expression and remembering his own eagerness to repair the road, Zhu Yuanzhang sighed helplessly and finally relented: "Alright, alright, ninety strings of cash it is! But you'd better do it properly for us. If there's even the slightest problem, I won't forgive you!"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yao's face instantly lit up with a smile, and he nodded hurriedly, "Father, don't worry, it's guaranteed to be foolproof, even stronger than a city wall!"
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Yao's joyful expression, and although his heart ached—building ten li would cost nine hundred guan, enough to buy nine thousand shi of grain, enough to feed three thousand farming families for a whole year—the thought that a wide and sturdy road would soon be built made most of his heartache dissipate. At least his wish could be fulfilled and the road could be built.