Prince Chongzhen

Chapter 365: Your Majesty Suffers

“This road really needs repairing.”

Looking back at the rugged and difficult Ancient Tea-Horse Road, Zhu Cilang couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

In his time, humans had evolved from horrible upright apes that could only run on the ground to all-round creatures that could fly into the sky, go into the ground, go into the sea, and dig holes.

But at this time, not to mention the sky and the sea, even the mountains, rivers and water can become barriers blocking communication in all directions.

Fortunately, there is a saying: If people walk more, a path will naturally appear.

After thousands of years, there are finally one or two ancient roads less than ten feet wide that can be used for travel between the mountains at the junction of Sichuan and Guizhou. Such roads are called the Ancient Tea-Horse Road because of their purpose.

"Your Majesty, this ancient road is surrounded by rocks. It would cost a lot to repair and open it up."

After listening to Zhu Cilang's words, Fan Yiheng, who was accompanying him on this trip, hesitated for a moment and then gave a tentative answer.

He naturally knew that widening the ancient road would greatly strengthen the court's control over the southwest, but if he wanted to complete such a large project with manpower, he would not only have to mobilize a large number of strong men, but it would also take a very long time and a lot of money.

If it had been started thirty or forty years earlier, such a project would have been easily accomplished.

But now the court has not only lost half of its territory, but also has to focus all its energy on fighting the war. Once it is burdened with such a burden, no matter how much Your Majesty plunders, it will not be able to hold out for long before it eats up all the resources.

Therefore, even though Fan Yiheng knew that his relationship with the emperor was not that close, he still had to speak out a word of advice.

But Zhu Cilang was not a prodigal son like Emperor Yang of Sui. How could he not know that this was not a good time to build large-scale projects?
"Lord Fan, do you know that I am the rear guard?"

Zhu Cilang asked this question without any context, but it made Fan Yiheng, the Governor-General of Sichuan and Shaanxi, stunned.

He naturally knew that His Majesty's rear guard was a new-style team equipped with self-propelled muskets, and he also knew that this team had achieved some successes overseas and in Yunnan.

But now it is clearly talking about the development of the ancient Tea-Horse Road, which has nothing to do with this new team no matter how you look at it. So when he heard His Majesty's words, he was slightly stunned and did not answer directly at the first time.

"Then, Lord Fan, do you know how our Ming navy relies on to fight?"

"Your Majesty, as far as I know, the Royal Guards and the Navy both rely on firearms to fight."

"Well, then, Lord Fan, do you know what the most important thing about this firearm is?"

Zhu Cilang asked one question after another, but the Governor-General of Sichuan and Shaanxi became increasingly confused about the situation.

But after all, he had been in the Nine Frontiers, so he could always answer a few questions regardless of whether they were right or wrong. After seeing that there was nothing unusual in the emperor's expression, he told him all the key points about firearms.

"I think the most important thing is the equipment. If the craftsman is not good at it, then the firearms will hurt you. The second thing is the training of the soldiers. Most people think that firearms do not value training, but they do not know that the training is more about the whole body rather than the individual."

Having said this, Fan Yiheng paused, then he looked up at the emperor, and his slightly tense heartstrings finally relaxed.

But how could Zhu Cilang be talking about firearms themselves when he mentioned firearms at this time?

After the other party finished speaking, he stopped beating around the bush and gave a compliment before changing the topic to the real purpose.

"Lord Fan is indeed an expert on military affairs, but in my opinion, the most important part of a firearm is gunpowder."

"."

gunpowder.

It's gunpowder, of course.

Without gunpowder, a cannon is just a big lump of iron, and a musket is not even a convenient fire stick.

But what does this have to do with opening the road?
With this in mind, Fan Yiheng simply showed his hesitation on his face, and when the emperor's voice came again, he also understood the connection between the two.

China has a history of using gunpowder dating back thousands of years, and during the transition from the Yuan Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty, it was systematically used in wars.

But then again, despite the investment, the gunpowder consumption was far less than Zhu Cilang had expected.

Take the Chongzhen period for example. The six workshops of Wanggongchang could only produce about 800 tons of gunpowder a year. In France at the same time, the Vieux-Ville gunpowder factory alone could produce thousands of tons.

The huge difference in data can reflect the gap in productivity, but it can also represent the consumption of gunpowder and the scale of firearms use.

After all, the European armies at this time had basically reached the end of the weapons iteration. Firearms not only occupied an absolute dominant position in naval battles, but their dominance in land battles had also gradually been reflected.

From this point of view, if Zhu Cilang wants to make up for this lesson, while he is working hard to manufacture muskets and cannons, he must also increase the production of gunpowder.

It is easier said than done.

In the final optimal formula of seven saltpeter, two carbons and one sulfur, except for charcoal which is easier to obtain, the other two are considered scarce materials for Zhu Cilang.

This is not to say that the Ming Dynasty did not produce these. The key point is that these production areas are either in the hands of the Tartars or are extremely difficult to transport.

Just like sulfur, most of the naturally occurring sulfur comes from Japan and Yunnan, and the remaining amount has to be extracted from pyrite produced in Guangdong and Yunnan.

As for saltpeter, there are three production areas: Shandong, Shanxi and Southwest China. Except for the two that fell into the hands of the Tartars, the others cannot escape Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan.

It was obvious that if firearms were to be used on a large scale, the southwest was the only way to go.

If you want to transport these things out, you need a smoother road.

Otherwise, given the high cost, who can afford to fight a war relying solely on firearms?

"Your Majesty is knowledgeable and far-sighted. I really admire you. I really admire you."

Fan Yiheng was transferred to many places, in charge of both the military and the people. Such rich experience made him feel that he was knowledgeable and far superior to ordinary people.

But when Zhu Cilang told him everything about the gunpowder formula and mineral origins, this sixty-year-old minister could only listen attentively.

Holy King.

He is truly a holy king.

Governor Fan looked at the young face and couldn't help but have such thoughts in his mind.

Before, he only knew that His Majesty was quite good at political struggles and military strategies, but he never thought that this Crown Prince who grew up in the deep palace was so knowledgeable about the products of the Ming Dynasty.

He knew very well that although scheming and tactics were essential abilities for a good emperor, they were just techniques. The real way was to understand the people under his rule.

This may sound counterintuitive. But if you think about it the other way around, those emperors who were wise and powerful in the first half of their lives made many stupid decisions after being confined to the deep palace. Wasn't it because they lost control of the empire's situation?
Knowing this, Fan Yiheng could get a glimpse of the whole picture from Zhu Cilang's words about gunpowder. But when he was about to flatter him a few more times, a large group of people came to meet him with drums and gongs.

"Old minister Qin Liangyu leads all the Han officials in Chongqing to welcome the emperor."

Following a burst of vigorous and powerful shouts, a group of ministers dressed in official uniforms of various colors knelt on the ground under the leadership of Qin Liangyu.

Seeing this, Zhu Cilang naturally lost interest in popularizing scientific knowledge to Fan Yiheng. He then rode out on his horse and arrived in front of the welcoming team in less than four or five breaths.

Although he went north to find out the situation in Chongqing, he only planned to stay in Qijiang County and had no intention of entering Chongqing City.

But who would have thought that after the various forces in Chongqing understood the court's intentions, they had been keeping an eye on Zunyi. When he was about to lead his troops into the Ancient Tea-Horse Road, the petition to welcome the emperor had already been passed on.

In such a situation, there was also the scene where Qin Laozhuguo led the officials of Chongqing to welcome the emperor.

"Old Zhuguo can wait in Chongqing, why did you come to Qijiang?" Zhu Cilang said as he took two steps forward and came to Qin Liangyu. After holding her arms, he continued, "How can I feel at ease if something goes wrong?"

Zhu Cilang should show enough respect to such a loyal and old minister who is well-known throughout the world, whether out of utilitarian considerations or from the bottom of his heart.

Normally, your Majesty's performance would make a subject weep with gratitude.

But who would have thought that after these words fell, Qin Liangyu not only did not act according to the rules, but instead looked directly at the face of the Ming Emperor in a rather disrespectful manner.

Zhu Cilang is not a person who pays attention to red tape, but this is not an ordinary time after all. Every move of him and his ministers can be appreciated by those who are interested.

At this time, Qin Liangyu actually did such a disrespectful thing in front of the emperor. To put it simply, it was because she was old and stupid and could not react in time. But if you think about it more deeply,
Thinking of this, although the smile on Zhu Cilang's face did not change at all, there was inevitably some inquiry and doubt in his eyes.

He remembered very clearly that the Shizhu Tusi headed by Qin Liangyu was a loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty. Even though her husband died in the government prison, she still fought for the Ming Dynasty and made many contributions.

Why?

Looking at the other person's eyes that seemed cloudy and clear, Zhu Cilang's mind was spinning rapidly, but he hadn't caught any clues yet. He saw two lines of hot tears pouring out of the old woman's eyes, and then a hand full of wrinkles touched the long scar on his face.

"Your Majesty, you have suffered."

Originally, Zhu Cilang wanted to avoid it.

On the one hand, there is an adult soul hidden in his body. On the other hand, as the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, it is not appropriate for him to be fondled like a baby.

But at this moment, Qin Liangyu had clearly revealed her true feelings. What other choice did he have except to try his best to comfort her?

"It's okay. Many Ming soldiers sacrificed their lives. I was just hit once, but it's not worth much."

It is not known whether Qin Liangyu was confused due to emotional fluctuations or because she was lost in her own thoughts and forgot to respond to the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

After Zhu Cilang said this, she did not respond, but just said according to her own thoughts: "The late emperor held you in his arms back then, and never thought that the child who just learned to walk would become the pillar of the Ming Dynasty."

Hiss~~~~~.

Qin Liangyu's voice was not loud, but after what had just happened, not only did the ministers around her prick up their ears, but even the sound of drums and music behind them had stopped.

Under such circumstances, her voice was clearly heard by everyone, followed by several sounds of people sucking in their breaths of cold air.

"The ground is cold, Lao Zhuguo, get up first."

Zhu Cilang glanced behind Qin Liangyu with a little embarrassment, and then the officials from Chongqing, who were curious about the matter, lowered their heads again.

It would be fine if it happened to other people, as all you'd hear was some disrespectful words.

But Ma Wannian was the grandson of Qin Liangyu. Even though he knew that His Majesty was unlikely to blame the Ma family for this sentence, he still resented his grandmother in his heart.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I am older than the ancients."

"It doesn't matter."

In response to Ma Wannian's apology, Zhu Cilang just smiled. Then he exerted a little strength with his arms, and after helping Qin Liangyu up, he asked another question in a very friendly manner.

"Old Zhuguo has seen me?"

After Ma Wannian's disturbance, Qin Liangyu came back to her senses and explained in detail after hearing this question.

When the Tartars surrounded the capital, she personally led her elite troops to Beijing after receiving the imperial edict to assist the king. When the Tartars retreated and the siege of the capital was lifted, she met the two-year-old Zhu Cilang by chance.

"Your Majesty's features are quite similar to those of the late emperor. When I saw you today, I was reminded of the late emperor. I was quite disrespectful to Your Majesty in my words. I hope Your Majesty can forgive me for my stupidity."

Having said that, Qin Liangyu was about to kneel down on the ground again, but how could Zhu Cilang really let her bow again?

As for the saying that "his eyebrows and eyes are quite similar to those of the late emperor".
He was not sure whether Qin Liangyu really thought he looked similar to Chongzhen, or whether she simply wanted to use her reputation to avoid potential trouble for the leader of the Ming Dynasty's revival.

After all, no one knows whether Qin Liangyu has ever seen the young Zhu Cilang, and the statement that his features are quite similar to XX is too subjective, and those who could serve as witnesses have all become subjects of the Tartars.

It is true that people have to believe whatever Qin Liangyu says.

However, Zhu Cilang could guess the motivation behind her words.

After all, this female general who had been fighting for half her life could no longer ride a horse or draw a bow, but she still tried her best to make up for it when she sensed possible troubles in the future.

"What are you saying, old pillar? You have been fighting for the Ming Dynasty since the time of your great grandfather. If it is true, I am allowed to follow Lord Ma and call you grandma. It is a bit strange to say that you are forgiving me."

As Zhu Cilang's rather gentle voice spread, the atmosphere in the room suddenly relaxed.

Afterwards, someone with foresight started playing the drums and music again, and the scene of welcoming the emperor immediately became lively.

The process has reached this point, and the next step is to meet with a group of Han officials under the guidance of Qin Liangyu.

At this point, each chieftain fully expressed to the Ming Emperor that they were in Cao's camp but their hearts were with Han.

After all, there have been almost no imperial troops stationed in the chieftain's territory since ancient times, and Zhang Xianzhong's small court was built in a hurry and did not establish contact with the officials under the chieftain's rule.

Under such circumstances, there was nothing wrong with them saying that they were just pretending to be nice to Zhang Xianzhong.

But among such a group of people, it is inevitable that half of them will feel embarrassed.

"I, the judge of Chongqing Prefecture, Jing Shaoru, pay my respects to Your Majesty!"

(End of this chapter)