Zhu Di: My fourth son is a great emperor of all time?

Chapter 101 The Steel Beast Possesses Extraordinary Power; The Li Hai Clan Returns to Xunzhou

Zhu Di watched in amazement as the woman on the sky manipulated her one-armed figure, sometimes extending it, sometimes bending it, and sometimes moving it.

In the blink of an eye, they moved a rock the size of a house!
"Such incredible power is entirely controlled by a woman!"

Zhu Di couldn't help but marvel, and at the same time, he couldn't help but think that if such a giant beast could be transported to the battlefield, let alone its monstrous strength, its appearance alone would be enough to frighten many barbarians!

What's more, this behemoth has a body of steel! It's impervious to swords and blades! It can be described as an invincible divine weapon!

The fourth brother has such a huge beast, but he only uses it to move stones and build houses?
What an idiot!
Besides excavators, Prince Qi also personally drew up blueprints to construct comfortable buildings; his architectural designs have survived to this day.

Zhu Di had no interest in architectural blueprints. With nothing else to do, he shifted his gaze and glanced around at the imperial kitchen.

"Forget it, let's just leave."

The dog obeyed, but he was already too hungry to feel any hunger anymore.

They ordered the palace maids to work together to remove the imperial meal, ensuring the dog could not escape.

Because he is Zhu Di's current close confidant and attends to His Highness, there is absolutely no rule against him leaving at will.

During the construction process, Prince Qi organized experienced craftsmen to teach and instruct others, forming a master-apprentice system that ensured Xunzhou had more skilled house builders.

With housing and jobs providing food, Xunzhou's population naturally began to increase.

[When ordinary people are well-fed, watered, and have entertainment, they naturally start making babies.]

Zhu Di chuckled.

That makes sense, but the fourth brother, all he did was to create a baby... huh?

wrong.

The birth rate increased, and with more children came corresponding problems. We'll discuss that later; let's first talk about the population of Xunzhou. After Prince Qi was enfeoffed in Xunzhou, the population quickly grew to over 500,000.

How many? !
Half a million? !

How was it born?

If a woman's belly ruptures, it might be too late!
[These 500,000 people are not only born naturally, but also migrated from other places.]

For example, the Li Hai people, who were originally nomadic seafarers, and various maritime bandit gangs, all voluntarily left their ships for land and became citizens of Xunzhou.

The origins of the Lihai people are currently debated, but that's not important. What is important is that they are a large population with extensive experience in maritime survival! Fishing? Sailing? Diving? All of these are commonplace for them!

With the addition of the Li Hai people, Xunzhou not only gained a larger population but also a richer food source. More importantly, we gained a highly experienced seafaring force. Our hydrological surveys alone have expanded outwards by five hundred nautical miles!

The Lihai people had always wanted to go ashore, but Xunzhou was resource-poor and plagued by miasma. Life at sea was far more comfortable for them than for the Lihai people.

[Furthermore, several previous prefects of Xunzhou lumped the Lihai people together with the pirates and carried out massacres against them, causing the Lihai people to fear the Ming Dynasty.]

[It was Prince Qi himself who boarded the ship and went out to sea, appealing to the emotions and reasoning of the Li Hai people. He first allocated a piece of sea area, allowing the Li Hai people to live on their ships and then trade and do business on land.]

Gradually, they realized how good life was on land, and their drifting fishing boats were transformed into permanent homes.

Of course, we can still see some Lihai people living on boats. However, they live in different places, and their lives are no different from those of the Han Chinese.

When Zhongzu first arrived in Xunzhou, food was scarce, and the seafood caught by the Lihai people and some fish found only in the open ocean became a very important food source.

The Lihai people.

Zhu Di did indeed see reports from officials near Xunzhou in his memorials.

They are free-spirited and have no fixed abode, living on boats. When they occasionally attack, they flee after a single blow, making them extremely difficult to capture.

Zhu Di had a headache just thinking about the contents of these memorials. So many places were inhabited by the Lihai people, whom he couldn't control.

Now, obediently become the fourth prince's subject?
No, that's not right. The fourth prince is also a prince of his own rank. In essence, he's a subject of the Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, Zhu Di could not easily lose his temper.

He could only frown and hurriedly write the two characters "Li Hai" on his desk to remind himself.

Yes, this is something that will happen in the future, which means that we can seize the opportunity!

"Summon the Crown Prince to the palace."

Zhu Di finally made up his mind that he needed to find someone to share the emperor's burdens. Who was the most suitable person? Of course, it was the crown prince.

When the crown prince entered the palace, panting, a video was playing on the sky showing the Lihai people bringing their catch to the port for trade.

"Father, where is this bustling place?"

Zhu Gaochi's question was poorly phrased, and the only response he received was a glare from Zhu Di.

But at least the dog was allowed to watch over Zhu Gaochi's seat.

"Just sit and watch."

Zhu Gaochi thanked the emperor, but after sitting for less than two seconds, he jumped up.

"This...this...this is Xunzhou? Fourth Brother's Xunzhou?"

Zhu Di glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.

The eldest brother is usually calm and collected; he's definitely not this loud and boisterous. It seems he knows what's going on and is watching my reaction.

"Hmph. If it's not Xunzhou, then where is it?"

Zhu Gaochi was obviously acting; he knew he was in Xunzhou the moment he entered. Not only did he know it was Xunzhou, but he also knew that the harbor was located at the southernmost tip of Xunzhou.

But he couldn't say it out loud; his father must have had a reason for calling him here. Since that reason was unclear, he could only wait and see.

More importantly, the old man only called himself; there was no second son or eldest grandson, so things are hard to say.

Frequent trade took place at Xunzhou Port. To prevent chaos and promote trade, Zhongzu established a series of trade rules.

For example, if a fair scale is installed in a seaport, and there are discrepancies between different weighing instruments, this one will be used as the standard.

[A unified opening and closing time was established. Seafood not available for sale could be sold at the port's unified market. Proceeds were split between the market and the fishermen.]

The harbor is frequented by merchants and fishermen, and even ordinary people love to come and see what's new and interesting. That's why Xunzhou Harbor even has a harbor restaurant.

This area is home to branches of major restaurants and eateries throughout Xunzhou. Each branch operates independently, with its own cuisine and free trade. Come to Xunzhou Harbor to savor Xunzhou's unique specialties.

Such tempting food has made Xunzhou Harbor bustling with people.

"Boss, what do you think?"

Zhu Di began to test Zhu Gaochi.

Zhu Gaochi swallowed hard: "It looks delicious."

Zhu Di knew that his eldest son was playing coy.

He's not some fool who only cares about food!
"Sigh, not a single person tells me the truth. How did we end up living this kind of life?"

(End of this chapter)