My Pen Pal Zhu Yuanzhang

Chapter 129: Lao Li, I wish you a happy new year

The end of the year is approaching, and this winter is exceptionally colder than in previous years. However, the people of the Ming Dynasty no longer have to worry about hunger and cold as in the past.

Nowadays, every household uses an iron coal stove, opens a small chimney on the roof, and fills it with a few coal balls. The house suddenly becomes warm and not choking, just like spring.

In particular, the emergence of honeycomb briquettes has greatly facilitated people's lives.

As more and more coal mines are discovered and mined, coal production continues to increase and prices become cheaper, making it affordable for ordinary people.

Moreover, compared with the charcoal used in the past, the honeycomb coal produced from the factory is cheap and easy to burn. Burning seven or eight pieces a day can keep you warm all day long.

Now every family is preparing for the New Year, and many families have bought sugar. Nowadays, sugar can be regarded as the most favorite food of the people of the Ming Dynasty.

I have never seen white sugar before. Although it is not cheap, it is the New Year, so I grit my teeth and buy some. The children are happy and the adults can try something new.

Life is getting better and better, and the people are grateful to the current emperor from the bottom of their hearts. It was he who, against all odds and despite the opposition of a number of civil officials in the court, built factories and established official technical schools, allowing the people to live a good life.

Of course, they learned all this from the newspapers.

However, there is a saying among the people that His Majesty received guidance from an immortal and created so many magical objects, which brought about earth-shaking changes in everyone's lives.

Many people also worshipped this immortal at home, but they had no idea what he looked like, so they made statues of him according to their own imaginations.

The images of immortals are quite varied, including male and female, dragons and unicorns. Some even believe that the immortal is a thousand-year-old turtle that has attained enlightenment and become an immortal.

Zhu Yuanzhang just smiled about this and did not interfere too much. As for the common people, it didn't matter if they believed in some superstitions. They just wanted peace of mind and safety for their families. With Lao Li's merits, he was worthy of the incense of thousands of families.

Besides, it was Lao Li who didn't paint his portrait.

However, something that happened recently was something he could not tolerate.

Someone is actually using Lao Li's name to defraud people!

This group of people said that Lao Li was the Lingbao Master, a disciple of the Wuji Mother. He could not bear to see the suffering of the people, so he secretly came down to the mortal world to save them from suffering.

The current emperor has created so many good things, all of which were given by the Great Master Lingbao.

As long as the people join the religion and offer regular offerings, they can receive the blessing of the great master Lingbao, and be reborn in paradise after death, where they will live freely and at ease forever.

Many common people were cheated out of all their property, and many young girls were also defrauded by this group of people in the name of exorcism and body purification.

This made Zhu Yuanzhang furious. Not only did this insult Lao Li's reputation, it was also a slap in the face of Lao Zhu!
Even if Old Li is free and easy and doesn't care about these things, he, Old Zhu, must stand up and uphold justice for Old Li!

He immediately ordered Mao Xiang to capture the whole gang and put them all in the imperial prison. After severe torture, the main culprit was beheaded and displayed to the public, while the accomplices were exiled 3,000 miles into the desert.

Fortunately, this matter was discovered early and did not cause much stir among the people. In addition, due to timely newspaper publicity, the people also understood the harm of cults.

Now that the desert has been pacified, Goryeo is also under the control of the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Yuanzhang is secretly happy, especially Goryeo's grateful look.

Goryeo was eager to trade with Ming Dynasty, and Ming Dynasty also wanted to use trade to control Goryeo's economy.

In Lao Li's words, Goryeo was the first supplier of raw materials to the Ming Dynasty, and also the first target that the Ming Dynasty harvested by taking advantage of the scissors gap.

Goryeo was a model for a Ming-dominated trade system and could go down in history. Years later, he officially prepared to lift the ban on sea trade and develop maritime trade.

Zhu Di was very interested and the most active. Zhu Yuanzhang knew what he was thinking. Since he couldn't be a vassal king, he wanted to expand his territory overseas.

Xu Da, Li Wenzhong and Tang He also fully agreed. The ideas of these three war maniacs were the same as Zhu Di's. They were already invincible on land and wanted to go to sea to show off their power.

Moreover, Xu Da was very interested in steamships. He followed Li Min to the shipyard almost every day, touched and looked around, and constantly asked Li Min to install cannons on the ship.

This gave Li Min a headache. It was simple to install cannons on a steamship, but your Lordship required the cannons to have a firing rate as fast as a needle-shooting gun. That was too much!
Except for these nobles who were the first to come into contact with computers and other things, other nobles and princes lacked interest.

However, what gave Zhu Yuanzhang the most headache was the issue of how to organize.

Li Han once said that in order to prevent nobles and princes from becoming shackles on the economic development of the Ming Dynasty, checks and balances should be adopted. But how should checks and balances be implemented specifically?
He was puzzled and decided to ask Lao Li.

This day happened to be the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, which was also the last day of court in the 15th year of Hongwu, and all civil and military officials had to go home to celebrate the New Year.

Zhu Yuanzhang was quite generous. He rewarded each of his ministers with ten kilograms of sugar and ten kilograms of sweet potatoes, so that they could have a good New Year.

Needless to say, white sugar was available. Although the ministers' salaries increased after industrialization, they were not yet at the point where they could eat it whenever they wanted.

Sweet potatoes and potatoes are even rarer. They are now only grown in Guangdong, Guangxi and Qiongzhou Island. They are very rare, but after the New Year, their cultivation will be promoted nationwide.

Moreover, I have heard that these two things taste amazing whether they are fried, deep-fried or grilled. I heard that the Fourth Prince and the Grandson Zhu Yunwen were fighting over them.

If I bring these rare items home, I'm afraid my wife and concubines will complain less and admire me even more.

In order to prepare for the New Year, everyone in the palace was busy. On the contrary, Zhu Yuanzhang, who was usually the busiest, became the most leisurely person at this time.

Inside the bedroom, the coal fire in the newly built stove was burning red, sweeping away the coldness in the hall. Zhu Yuanzhang drank tea comfortably, spread out his pen and ink, and began to write.

"Old Li, the New Year is coming, we are here to wish you a happy new year in advance.

Now that the desert has been settled, the people in the north no longer have to worry about the Mongols coming south to plunder, and the people in the Central Plains no longer have to worry about invasions by foreign races.

Come to think of it, for thousands of years, what neither the Emperor Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of Han, nor Emperor Taizong of Song could do was realized in the Ming Dynasty. Old Li, you have made a great contribution!
It is a blessing for the Ming Dynasty to have your help!
According to the plan, Goryeo was also under the jurisdiction of the Ming Dynasty, and Liaodong was also incorporated into the territory of the Ming Dynasty. Everything was developing in a good direction.

After the New Year, we planned to start maritime trade. However, how to organize the nobles and princes, and how to make them check and balance each other, was a problem that stumped us, Zhu.

I have no idea what it is, so I have to ask you for help.

I remembered that the New Year is coming soon, and I still have to trouble you. I feel a little sorry for it, so I prepared some gifts for you, just a small token of my respect."

After writing, he placed the letter and the gift on the Buddhist table, until a blue light flashed and the table was empty.

He put a lot of thought into this gift and had started preparing it a long time ago, thinking of giving it to Li Han during the New Year to give him a big surprise.

I think Mr. Li will be shocked when he sees this!

Thinking of this, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but burst into laughter.

(End of this chapter)