Chapter 26: The Prince Is, After All, Still Too Young

"Your Highness, the preparations for 'Heaven on Earth' are complete. They are asking if you would like to inspect the site?"

Inside the Qianqing Palace, just after Song Zong had departed, Ma Sanbao entered with a joyful expression to deliver his report.

Zhu Yunwen looked up from the mountain of memorials on his desk. After a moment of contemplation, he shook his head indifferently. "No need. Tell them to proceed according to the plan. I will naturally go there when it officially opens in a few days."

"Very well, I shall convey your message to them at once," Ma Sanbao replied, preparing to leave.

"Wait." Zhu Yunwen called him back and instructed, "Go to the Ministry of Works and summon Du Ze."

"As you command, Your Highness."

Ma Sanbao acknowledged the order and stepped out of the Qianqing Palace. Watching his retreating figure, then glancing at the towering stacks of memorials, Zhu Yunwen could not help but let out a sigh.

"Sigh! I truly don't know what the Old Emperor was thinking, clutching every single detail in his own hands. Is he trying to exhaust every future monarch to death? Or does he truly believe that every successor can be like him, remaining full of vigor while sleeping only two or three hours a day?"

He shook his head again. "No, this cannot continue. If I remain trapped by these trivialities every day, how will I ever accomplish anything else?"

Once the thought took root, Zhu Yunwen lost all interest in continuing to review the memorials. He rested his chin on his hand and began to ponder.

Had the Hongwu Emperor not already left his secret chamber, seeing Zhu Yunwen’s reaction might have been enough to make him "rise from the dead" in a fit of rage, only to hang his grandson up and thrash him for three days and three nights.

Time slipped away, and it was not until Ma Sanbao’s voice returned to his ears that Zhu Yunwen was pulled from his deep thoughts.

"Your Highness, Minister Du of the Ministry of Works has arrived."

"Let him in," Zhu Yunwen said, composing himself.

Soon, Ma Sanbao led a man of about forty years of age into the room. The visitor approached the imperial desk and bowed deeply.

"Your subject, Du Ze, Minister of Works, pays his respects to Your Highness."

"Minister Du, there is no need for such ceremony. Sanbao, provide a seat," Zhu Yunwen said with a faint smile, gesturing to his attendant.

Ma Sanbao quickly brought over a cushioned stool. "Minister Du, please, have a seat."

Du Ze was uncertain why he had been summoned. Feeling uneasy, he did not dare to sit, standing awkwardly by the stool, feeling quite at a loss.

Seeing this, Zhu Yunwen laughed. "Minister Du, do not be nervous. Sit down first, and then we shall talk."

Only then did Du Ze cautiously sit, his back held straight as a rod. "I do not know what instructions Your Highness has for me. As long as it is within the capability of the Ministry of Works, I will do my utmost."

Du Ze was held in high regard throughout history. While not necessarily a legendary genius, even the demanding Hongwu Emperor had praised him for being "honest, steady, and never exceeding the bounds of propriety." This was a testament to his diligent and grounded nature.

Zhu Yunwen held no prejudice against him and said with a smile, "Minister Du, I have indeed called you here for a few matters. If you can handle them well, you shall be handsomely rewarded."

"Please, Your Highness, give your orders."

"Excellent!" Zhu Yunwen stood up from the dragon throne, stretching his slightly stiff body before speaking. "The first matter is this: I want you to issue a decree in the name of the Ministry of Works to the entire realm. All skilled craftsmen, whether they are subjects of the Great Ming or not, are welcome to report to the Ministry of Works.

"Those who are hired will be given generous rewards and substantial wages. Even those who are not selected will have their travel expenses reimbursed by the Ministry. Furthermore, if a Ming subject of the artisan class is selected, they will have the opportunity to break free from their artisan status..."

When the Hongwu Emperor founded the dynasty, he had taken a census and established rigid hereditary household registrations for every class of person. Merchants’ children were forbidden from taking the civil service examinations or wearing fine silks. Soldiers belonged to the military class, and their descendants were bound to that status for generations, unable to change it by any means. Artisans were similarly bound; even if their children showed great academic promise, they were barred from the examinations for life.

While these measures might have seemed logical at the start of the dynasty, their rigidity became increasingly apparent over time, causing the imperial court to inadvertently lose a great deal of talent. Though the Hongwu Emperor’s original intentions were noble—for instance, barring merchants' children from office to prevent collusion, and keeping artisans in their class to preserve technical skills—Zhu Yunwen knew how to resolve and circumvent these issues. There was no need to blindly follow the old ways.

"Your Highness, this... is this not perhaps too radical a move?"

Bound by the limitations of his era, Du Ze stood up from the stool in alarm as soon as he heard the first request, his face filled with hesitation as he tried to advise against it. In his heart, he was already guessing that the purpose behind this was simply the new Emperor’s desire to scour the world for craftsmen to build toys for his own amusement.

"Oh? Minister Du, if you think there is something improper, please speak your mind." Zhu Yunwen remained tolerant, as he knew full well that technology was the true engine of progress.

Seeing that Zhu Yunwen showed no signs of annoyance or anger, Du Ze ventured further. "Your Highness, you may not know this, but all the skilled craftsmen in the realm have long since been brought into the Ministry of Works by the late Emperor. If Your Highness wishes to have something made, there is no need for such grand efforts. I dare guarantee that if you state your requirements, the Ministry can provide the finished product within three days..."

"Oh!" Zhu Yunwen’s eyes lit up. He picked up a sheet of xuan paper from his desk. On it were drawn some rather peculiar patterns, appearing to be some kind of complex contraption, far more intricate than an ordinary child's toy.

Ma Sanbao stepped forward, took the paper, and, at a gesture from Zhu Yunwen, handed it to Du Ze.

Du Ze took one look at the drawing and couldn't help but frown. He thought to himself that his guess had been correct: no matter how decisive the new Emperor appeared in court, he was, in reality, only a fifteen-year-old boy. Having just ascended the throne, he was already unable to resist the urge to indulge himself. And to think he had conjured up something so unnecessarily complicated just for play.

"Well, Minister Du, can the Ministry of Works produce this?" Zhu Yunwen asked.

He was naturally unaware of Du Ze's inner thoughts, and even if he were, he would not have bothered to explain. In truth, what he had given Du Ze was not a toy; the blueprints depicted a set of drive shafts, springs, and other small mechanical components.

In his previous life, Zhu Yunwen had been an engineering student. He understood the vital importance of industry to a nation, and for all these years while he lay in wait, he had struggled to recall the designs for simple machine tools. What he had provided were the blueprints for the components of a simple water-powered lathe. With this, he could eventually produce more advanced machinery. Furthermore, with a lathe, he could produce gun barrels, leading to significant advancements in firearms.

Zhu Yunwen firmly believed in the saying that "political power grows out of the barrel of a gun." Once he possessed a formidable army, he would no longer have to fear those who might oppose him.

Of course, Zhu Yunwen did not explain to Du Ze what was on the blueprints. Explanations would be infinitely troublesome; rather than wasting his breath, it would be far more practical to let the results speak for themselves once the items were completed.

While forcing progress was not ideal, sometimes it was a necessity. As for whether it could be made, or whether Du Ze was willing to make it, that would depend on the choice made by the Minister of Works.