The Ming Dynasty's food problem must be solved, and now that the harsh winter is approaching, the problem of the cold is also imminent.

In ancient times, people kept warm by either sitting by a fire or wearing more clothes.

However, even if you wear a lot of clothes in the cold winter, it won't keep you very warm.

It was just too cold.

The only effective way is to make a fire, but some firewood and charcoal don't burn very well.

People living in the mountains may be better off as they can use local materials, but for people in areas with scarce timber resources, or those living in county towns, obtaining a large amount of firewood for heating is somewhat unrealistic.

The main reason for this is that the wood burns too quickly.

Often, the timber that takes a whole day to painstakingly cut down can only be used for about three days.

After thinking about this problem, Zhu Yunwen asked Zhao Qingzhu, who was standing beside him:

"What do you use for heating in your household during the winter?"

Zhao Qingzhu said, "Charcoal is very warm, but most ordinary people can't afford it, and poor people can't even think about it."

For ordinary people, being able to burn some wood for warmth is already considered good enough. For the poor, even cutting down some wood is not so easy.

Even if some manage to cut down firewood, they'll take it to the city to sell, earning a meager income just to make ends meet. They certainly wouldn't use it for roasting themselves.

Compared to warming oneself by the fire, eating is more important. After all, being cold may not necessarily kill you, but being hungry will definitely kill you.

Zhu Yunwen nodded slightly, then said:

"You know what coal is, right?"

Zhao Qingzhu thought for a moment and said:

"I've heard of it. It's said to be highly poisonous and difficult to ignite. If it is lit, it will produce a strong, pungent smell that is unpleasant. If you inhale too much, you will experience dizziness, weakness, nausea, and vomiting."

It's not usually used for heating; at most, it's used for boiling water and cooking. However, due to the difficulty of mining it, almost no one mines it on a large scale.

Another reason is that this type of stone is found underground in the mountains. Many people believe that large-scale mining would trigger natural disasters and bring calamity. Therefore, few people would consider using it for heating.

Zhu Yunwen snorted and said:

"Ignorance, utter ignorance. In a few hundred years, the West will be able to use this thing as a power source for steam engines and build coal-fired steam trains. And here we are, still so ignorant."

Zhao Qingzhu asked in confusion:

"I don't quite understand what you're saying."

Zhu Yunwen took a breath and then said:

"It's okay if you don't understand now; you'll understand someday. It seems we need to start promoting coal mining as well. Otherwise, just solving the people's food problem won't be enough to ensure their well-being. If we can't solve the problem of heating in winter, the number of people who freeze to death will be astronomical."

One must walk the road step by step, and do things one by one.

At this moment, Zhu Yunwen undoubtedly had one more thing to do.

He couldn't possibly accomplish all of these things in a short period of time; he could only keep them in mind.

The journey to the north wasn't very long, but because it was so cold, we traveled very slowly.

Once inside Beiping Prefecture, Zhu Yunwen discovered that many people were waiting to greet him outside the city gates.

Upon closer inspection, two people stood at the very front of the crowd. One of them looked to be about forty years old, of average build, but with a commanding presence. He was wearing a light yellow python robe and was clearly the fourth prince, Zhu Di.

The burly man next to him was Zhu Yunwen's old acquaintance, General Fu Youde.

He was openly punished by Zhu Yuanzhang and sent here to recruit soldiers and train new recruits.

In reality, he was summoned by Zhu Yunwen to suppress Zhu Di.

At this moment, General Fu Youde smiled, a genuine and heartfelt smile.

The smile on Zhu Di's face seemed somewhat forced.

However, it's understandable that he was dissatisfied with Zhu Yunwen no matter what.

It's unrealistic to expect him to show a genuine smile.

At this moment, Zhu Yunwen rubbed his face and then forced a smile, which made Zhao Qingzhu cover her mouth and chuckle.

Then Zhu Yunwen dismounted, stretched out his hands, and walked toward Zhu Di with great excitement.

He shouted from a great distance:

"Fourth Uncle, my dear Fourth Uncle, it's been so long!"

Zhu Di also walked over laughing and grabbed Zhu Yunwen's hand, saying:

"Third nephew, it has indeed been a long time since we last met. Your fourth uncle misses you very much."

They looked at each other with emotion, but each had their own ulterior motives.

After this touching exchange between uncle and nephew, Zhu Di grasped Zhu Yunwen's arm with one hand and said:

"Come, follow your fourth uncle to the Prince of Yan's mansion. Your fourth uncle has prepared a lot of delicious food and is just waiting to treat you. You must be tired from your journey."

Zhu Yunwen said with a smile:

"Uncle, you flatter me. I have come all this way to bother you, and I hope you will not mind."

"What are you saying? I'm happy you're here, how could it be considered harassment? Of course, I don't mind at all."

At this moment, Fu Youde also stepped forward and bowed to Zhu Yunwen:

"Greetings, Your Highness the Third Prince!"

His expression had become somewhat indifferent, and the very sincere smile he had given earlier was gone.

After all, they had to be more discreet in front of Zhu Di and not let him see that they had a good relationship, so as not to arouse suspicion.

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