The Ming Dynasty: The most ruthless imperial grandson, Old Zhu begged me not to kill him.

Chapter 194 The Sheep Eat Man Plan

Zhu Yuanzhang said this with a straight face.

"With our good grandson around, who wouldn't feel at ease?"

Crown Prince Zhu Biao pursed his lips, as if Zhu Yuanzhang hadn't said that just now, and things had changed again so soon.

Now they are heading further and further south, and by the time they return, the grandson of the emperor, Zhu Xiong Ying, may be able to ascend the throne directly.

Cao Guogong Li Wenzhong, Liang Guogong Lan Yu, and Wei Guogong Xu Da are discussing the quota for entering the capital.

Since it is a military exercise, it is natural to select all the most elite troops of the Ming Dynasty.

Nowadays, most of the Ming Dynasty's most elite troops are stationed in border areas.

If we were to transfer them here, not only would it take a lot of time and money for the round trip, but if there were any problems on the border, it would likely lead to a shortage of troops on the border.

Therefore, the dukes discussed and decided to select troops from the Five Military Commissions and the Southern Zhili region, which were nearby.

The task of selecting soldiers was entrusted to the three of them. Zhu Xiong Ying told them about some of the methods of military parades in later generations and instructed them to train in those methods.

The three men were overjoyed upon hearing this, believing that training in this way would definitely make the military appearance more orderly.

Just as the group was discussing, Yang Siyi, the Minister of Revenue, came in again.

"Your Highness, you must stand up for this old minister. This military exercise will cost a lot of money. In addition to the money allocated to the docks before, the money is being spent too quickly. If this continues, the income we have before will not be enough to last a year!"

Yang Siyi was extremely depressed.

I thought that so much money would last for a while, but who knew that building a navy and selecting a dock would be such a costly undertaking.

The other officials, like cats drawn by the scent of fish, came to his Ministry of Revenue office every day seeking his approval for payments.

But his money was limited; it couldn't possibly satisfy everyone.

Zhu Xiong Ying thought for a moment and then said with a smile.

"It's just about making money. There's plenty of money to be made on the northern grasslands. With the envoys from the various northern tribes here, our Great Ming can certainly make a killing from them!"

Xu Da and the others standing nearby were taken aback by what Zhu Xiong Ying was saying. They wondered what he meant. Duke Xu Da of Wei seemed to have guessed something and whispered something.

"Ever since our Great Ming drove the remnants of the Yuan Dynasty back to the northern deserts, we have restricted the trade of important commodities such as salt, iron, and tea. These are all explicitly prohibited by His Majesty. Xiong Ying, you must not even think about such things!"

"This is aiding the enemy!"

The others nodded in agreement. They could discuss other matters, but they would not waver in the slightest on this matter.

If they were to give all the scarce resources of the Northern Yuan to them, although they could gain a lot of money in the short term, it would also make the remnant Yuan tribe, which they had worked so hard to destroy, stronger again, which was something none of them wanted to see.

Zhu Xiong Ying sighed and looked at everyone.

"Don't worry, I know that, but I need something else!"

“There is a lot of wool on the grassland. These things are useless. The local tribes usually collect the wool and burn it. It’s such a waste. We can buy all of this wool!”

Everyone was extremely puzzled upon hearing this.

Wool is arguably the most useless thing on the grasslands. Mutton can fill your stomach, and sheepskin can be used to keep warm, but wool really doesn't have much use. They just don't understand why people would spend money on something useless.

"Xiongying, what's the use of this wool? What's the point of us spending this money to buy it?"

Zhu Xiong Ying clapped his hands, and a eunuch brought over a piece of clothing from the side.

"Gentlemen, what do you think of the quality of these clothes?"

The group touched the clothes, wondering what they were made of. Lan Yu picked them up and put them on, then patted them down.

"Your Highness, what are these clothes made of? They're so warm! They're much better than those linen or silk clothes!"

"This is a wool garment I made using wool. It has good warmth retention. The key is that wool is everywhere on the grasslands, and the raw material is cheap. The crucial point is that I am the only one in the world who can make this kind of garment from wool. What do you all think of this business?"

Everyone's eyes lit up when they heard this; it was indeed a great idea.

Duke Xu Da of Wei touched the woolen garment.

"I wonder if these kinds of clothes can be supplied to the military?"

Duke Xu Da of Wei's first thought was for the soldiers in the north.

The northern climate is cold, and defending the border during this season is extremely difficult. Every winter, many soldiers freeze to death.

Even though they transported a large amount of firewood northward, it was only a drop in the ocean.

If such woolen garments could be supplied to the northern army, the fighting capacity of the northern army would be greatly enhanced.

"Don't worry, this kind of thing isn't complicated to make. I have the technology in my hands now, so I can definitely mass-produce it!"

"Moreover, by bringing back a large amount of wool, we can also let the people on the grasslands taste some benefits, so that they will raise a large number of sheep instead of warhorses!"

"Given this shift in power, the number of cavalry in the northern grasslands may not be much greater than the number in our inland areas in the future!"

Everyone nodded in agreement; it was indeed a good idea.

"But how can we be sure that the people of these northern tribes will fall for it? These people are very shrewd. They might raise the price of wool after they find out about this, and we might not be able to profit from it!"

Zhu Xiong Ying continued.

“Wealth can be a powerful motivator. Other tribes are drinking and eating meat, while your tribe can only eat chaff and wild vegetables. This disparity will naturally cause problems. Moreover, nowadays, each tribe on the grassland has its own territory and it is difficult for them to gather together. If handled properly, this wool trade might be able to further escalate the conflicts in the north!”

"As for the general public, they can also sell it. We can take some out and sell it to those powerful families at a high price. These people have a lot of money. Let's take this opportunity to make them bleed a little!"

"Once it's almost done, we'll lower the price of these wool coats and sell them to ordinary people!"

"Many people froze to death last winter. If wool clothing becomes more widespread, I believe fewer people will die from the cold!"

Yang Siyi and the others were extremely excited when they heard this; it was a brilliant idea that would kill two birds with one stone.

At this moment, Yang Siyi had already come up with a variety of ways to make money. With these ideas, the Ministry of Revenue's crisis would be easily resolved.

At this moment, he found Zhu Xiong Ying increasingly pleasing to the eye. When it came to making money, His Highness the Crown Prince was truly unparalleled; he was practically the God of Wealth for their Ministry of Revenue.

(End of this chapter)