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

Chapter 102 Canned Food and Bean Sprouts, The Fourth Brother is Actually Setting Off on a Long Voyage

Zhu Di suddenly began to lament that none of his sons were as close to him as he was.

Sometimes I just want to have a chat with my son, but it's filled with suspicion. It's as if there's a vast chasm separating us!
Zhu Gaochi was thinking roughly the same thing.

He was telling the truth; he had thought of something, and realized how delicious it was.

But he also knew that although his father said he wanted the warmth of an ordinary family, he had never stopped thinking about the affairs of the royal family.

So Zhu Gaochi cleared his throat and continued, "Fourth brother, you've been enjoying these things in Xunzhou. I wonder if you've thought of us and sent us some?"

"You're thinking about eating this?!"

Zhu Di's expression had softened considerably.

"It's such a long journey, the goods would all rot by the time they arrived by sea!"

Zhu Di waved his hand repeatedly: "If anyone's going to eat it, it's you. We're not going to eat this rotten fish."

Zhu Gaochi laughed heartily: "I could eat it even if it were dried into a salted fish!"

"You should eat less, given your health!"

Zhu Di was pleased, finally seeing some semblance of normal father-son relations.

Little did they know that Zhu Gaochi was calculating how much silver these seafood goods could be exchanged for, and how much gold and silver flowed through these ports every day.

Even without calculating it in detail, he knew that the number was frighteningly large.

This is just Xunzhou Port; given Lao Si's personality, there must be other ports as well.

After all, this is the fourth child. Zhu Gaoshuo, a clever little devil since childhood.

He was already capable of having three burrows when he was three years old.

Sometimes, even when fish are in port, sales can be slow. In such cases, they are canned for long-term storage.

Canned food? Zhu Di was curious. Fish that could be stored for a long time, wouldn't that be salted fish?
Canned food is made by processing fish, sealing it in a metal container, and then heating the container in water. This process cooks the food and allows it to be stored for at least two years.

Two years?!
Or is it seafood that is prone to spoilage?
Zhu Gaochi jumped up immediately: "This is a great idea!"

"What's so good about it!" Zhu Di poured cold water on his enthusiasm. "Do you know how much iron ore the Fourth Prince has? We don't have any of this iron sheet! We don't have the ore, and we can't manufacture it! What a load of rubbish!"

It's not that there are no minerals, it's that there are absolutely no abundant minerals.

The current iron ore reserves are barely enough to supply enough for armor; how many taels of silver would it take to produce a complete set of armor?

Not to mention manufacturing firearms.

Zhu Di was frustrated.

How come none of the many prefects discovered the iron ore before the fourth prince?

Where did this fourth brother get the iron from?
[There are actually many mineral veins underground in Xunzhou. After Prince Qi organized the excavation, large-scale iron smelting was carried out, which is why there are so many ironwares in Xunzhou. It is said that the kitchen knives in Xunzhou are all made of Xunzhou iron, and famous chefs love to use them.]

This guy has so much ore that he can forge kitchen knives from refined iron!
"Boss, you're saying that Fourth Brother has so much iron and so many men, it's not like he's just using them for a rebellion, is it?"

Zhu Di also opened his heart and spoke frankly with his son.

But to Zhu Gaochi, these words sounded harsh and dangerous.

"The fourth son is your son, so I'm sure he wouldn't dare."

Zhu Gaochi thought to himself, "He wouldn't dare to rebel against you, but he would rebel against my son!"
Zhu Di realized he had misspoke, so he waved his hand and changed the subject: "Sigh, we really can't understand what the fourth prince is thinking."

"It's hard to say what will happen in the future. Now that we know there are mines in Xunzhou, it's a good thing. I'll order people to search for the veins right away."

Zhu Di nodded in agreement.

However, Xunzhou is far away and the mountains are high, and it's unknown when the mineral vein will be found. Meanwhile, in the Prince Qi's mansion, looking at so many metal products in the sky, along with the complete commercial chain, Zhu Gaoshuo felt utterly hopeless.

Is Tianmu really not giving itself any way out?

Based on his understanding of Zhu Di, he would definitely seize Zhu Gaochi, this precious treasure, to discuss matters.

These two can't come up with anything good when they're together!
Needless to say, they must have already organized a team to go to Xunzhou to look for iron ore.

Zhu Gaoshuo began to realize that his plan was probably not going to work, and he would have to improvise.

Just then, Wang Ao returned.

What he brought back was good news.

Zhang Xiuping agreed to the marriage!

"Then let's make preparations. The engagement is set, so let's perform the six rites as soon as possible and get married soon."

Wang Ao wondered if his playful Prince Qi had truly settled down.
"Why are you looking at me? Go do your errands. Stop standing there."

Zhu Gaoshuo was feeling down and really didn't want to waste any more words with Wang Ao.

Wang Ao had no choice but to prepare in accordance with the proper procedures.

Zhu Gaoshuo was left alone in the room again. He stared at the screen, wondering what else it was going to show the old man.

After all, he's seen business, electrical engineering, and now mining. The old man probably has absolutely no trust in himself anymore.

If he knew what he was really planning to do in Xunzhou—industrial, military, and maritime systems—the old man would probably put him under house arrest immediately.

Many people might think that canned food is just for seasoning nowadays, adding flavor to dishes. However, back then, preserving food was extremely important.

First, it can be used to stave off hunger when there is no other food.

Secondly, it enabled the transport of goods to distant places for trade. This greatly expanded Xunzhou's commercial map and brought in considerable revenue.

Third, it allows people on long voyages to eat a variety of different foods.

[It should be noted that at that time, sailors on long voyages often suffered from a strange illness. They would experience fever, chills, and body aches, eventually becoming bedridden and delirious.]

For a long time, this was a major problem that restricted our navigation.

After arriving in Xunzhou, Prince Qi immediately ordered people to begin researching treatments, and eventually discovered the root cause.

Sailors on long voyages rarely get fresh fruits and vegetables, lacking an element found only in vegetables—yes, vitamin C!

The solution is simple: provide the crew with more nutritious meals and supplement their diet with plenty of canned food.

Meanwhile, vegetables were grown on board, and soybeans were also brought along so that they could sprout beans for consumption at any time.

In this way, Xunzhou's development of long-distance shipping has met some of the necessary conditions.

Zhu Di, his face dark, asked Zhu Gaochi, "Did you hear that?"

"Listen, I heard you, you want to eat bean sprouts." Zhu Gaochi nodded repeatedly. Bean sprouts are delicious.

"Who asked you about bean sprouts!" Zhu Di slammed his hand on the table, making even the dog tremble.

"He wants to sail far away! He wants to develop his career at sea!" Zhu Di pointed to the window, as if the boundless ocean lay outside.

His voice trembled, and his fingers trembled with excitement.

"Father, please don't get agitated. Take care of your health." Zhu Gaochi, of course, heard him. He had actually guessed it long ago.

Otherwise, what would the fourth brother want to do at Xunzhou? See the sea view?
(End of this chapter)