Zhu Yunwen nodded and said:

"That's right, bicycles are more suitable for young people, while tricycles are more suitable for older people."

"By the way, Grandpa, if you really can't ride a bicycle, why not try a tricycle? You only need hands and feet to ride a tricycle."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang blushed, feeling that his self-esteem had been severely insulted and damaged.

So he began to speak:

"No need. I think I can handle a bicycle. As for a tricycle, it's too easy and unnecessary."

Zhu Yunwen rolled his eyes, thinking to himself, "You're really too proud to admit it, you're just making yourself suffer."

So, that afternoon, Zhu Yuanzhang continued riding his bicycle.

Unfortunately, I can never coordinate my hands and feet, nor can I keep my eyes on the road ahead. I always have to look down at my feet or at the steering wheel.

This is a problem that many beginners cannot overcome. Once cyclists can get rid of the habit of looking at the handlebars and pedals and can calmly look ahead, then they have truly achieved full-body coordination in controlling the bicycle.

Clearly, Zhu Yuanzhang could not do that.

...

The next morning, after discussing state affairs at court, Zhu Yunwen ordered all civil and military officials to gather in the square outside the main hall.

I showed them the hundred bicycles and the hundred tricycles.

First, he gave them a demonstration, and then Zhu Yunwen spoke:

"My grandfather and I are considerate of the hard work of our officials doing morning exercises every day, so I specially developed a mobility vehicle, which is what you see here."

In the future, officials can use these vehicles to travel to the morning court, increasing their speed and avoiding excessive time spent on the road.

Upon hearing this, the officials immediately began to discuss among themselves, even though they still did not understand how to use the so-called tricycle and bicycle in front of them.

But since it was Zhu Yunwen who proposed it, there must be some benefits.

Officials viewed this as a very good thing, because providing officials with sedan chairs and sedan bearers came with conditions.

In the imperial court, apart from some high-ranking officials, ordinary officials were not qualified to even think about using sedan chairs.

Although the county magistrates in the local areas had very low ranks, the areas they governed were so vast that they were provided with sedan chairs due to the special nature of their positions.

Therefore, officials in the capital, unless they held high positions of power, were generally not entitled to be carried in sedan chairs.

Therefore, on ordinary days, before dawn, they would quickly get ready and walk into the palace to attend court.

If owning this so-called personal transportation vehicle can truly reduce the burden of walking and make going to the morning court and traveling more convenient, then that would be an absolutely wonderful thing.

So, Zhu Yunwen then demonstrated to them how to ride a bicycle and a tricycle.

When the tricycle was demonstrated, everyone marveled at it, thinking it was amazing. They were incredibly surprised that it could be easily started and carried people very far with minimal effort, while the rider remained completely relaxed.

So while people were shocked, it was still within their acceptable range.

But when Zhu Yunwen rode a bicycle, everyone was shocked.

It's unbelievable that two wheels can keep it from tipping over.

As a result, the officials of the imperial court all felt that bicycles were much more interesting than tricycles.

That's just how people are; they're less interested in things that are easily understood by others.

It's quite interesting that a bicycle, with its two wheels, doesn't tip over and can maintain stability by pedaling and controlling the steering wheel.

It was quite challenging, so the expected scene of officials being interested in tricycles didn't materialize; instead, everyone signed up for a bicycle.

At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang stood up with his hands behind his back and said:

"I want to advise everyone to think carefully. Not everyone can ride a bicycle. Let me give you an analogy: a bicycle is like a wild horse; it's not easy to control."

You need skill, quick reflexes, and a clever mind; all of these are indispensable for you to coordinate your body and then take control of it.

The key point is this: there's a difference between a bicycle and a wild horse. With a wild horse, being able to tame it doesn't mean you're great. And not being able to tame it doesn't mean you're incapable.

After all, it's a beast; it has different thoughts and different temperaments. Sometimes, no matter the outcome, the blame doesn't necessarily lie with the person who tamed the wild horse.

But this bicycle is different. It doesn't have its own thoughts; it's just a simple tool. If you can ride it well, then you're skilled. If you can't ride it well, then you're not good enough.

Clearly, Zhu Yuanzhang was pretending to be an expert at this moment, repeating what Zhu Yunwen had said earlier, which made Zhu Yunwen, who was standing to the side, somewhat amused.

Zhu Yuanzhang's words indeed won the approval of the officials, and they did a good job of saving face for him.

So Zhu Yuanzhang said to those officials:

"So we advise you, if you are older, have poor mental agility, or poor physical coordination, don't ride a bicycle. Instead, ride a tricycle steadily, it's much more comfortable."

If you also try to ride a bicycle, and it takes you a while to learn, but others have already mastered it, wouldn't you lose face?

His remarks, made from the perspective of an expert, immediately garnered the approval of the officials.

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