Chapter 126: Drive Out of the Palace
"Okay, I understand." Zhu Chong rubbed his forehead and began to think of a solution.
Knowing that there are problems at the mine, of course we have to solve them. Now that the cement has been produced, of course we will make it cheaper for ourselves first.
The first cement road in the Ming Dynasty starts here!
Zhu Chong’s idea was very simple, which was to build a cement road directly from the mine to the official road in the capital.
In this way, the transportation of coal will no longer be a problem, the craftsmen will be liberated, and the transportation of coal will no longer be a problem that restricts the Baochao Tizhusi. The day he hopes for, when coal becomes money, will come sooner.
However, building a road is not something that can be done on a whim. First, it must be approved by the court.
After all, the cement has been sold to Zhu Yuanzhang, so if we want to build the road, we must first pass Zhu Yuanzhang's test.
Zhu Chong was just worried about having no reason to make money from Old Zhu, and now he has such a good excuse, it would be a waste not to use it!
After all, Lao Zhu also has a stake in the coal mine. The sooner the coal mine can be developed to its maximum extent, the more necessary it is to build a cement road. The cement road can also be used to shut up certain people.
Those who question whether cement roads will affect the Ming Dynasty will shut up completely after seeing the real purpose of cement roads.
On the second day, after the morning court, Zhu Yuanzhang returned to his imperial study and was about to review the memorials when the eunuch came to see him and bowed to report.
"Your Majesty, the Director of the Treasury and Banknotes Administration, Zhu Chong, requests an audience."
"Huh?" When Old Zhu heard the eunuch's report, he was stunned for a moment, and then he realized who it was.
Didn't I just meet Zhu Chong yesterday? Why is he here in the palace today? Has he figured out some new way to get money from me? Is he still obsessed with that 200,000 strings of cash?
Old Zhu was muttering in his heart. The eunuch knelt on the ground for a long time without getting an answer, so he repeated it again.
"Do you know why he is here?" Old Zhu reacted and asked casually. As a result, the eunuch broke into a sweat after asking this question.
How could he know what Zhu Chong was doing here? Even if he wanted to ask, he didn't dare to.
If it were any other fifth-rank official, it would be fine for the eunuch to ask, but the other party was Zhu Chong, Zhu Yuanzhang's biological son. He wanted to see Zhu Yuanzhang, so would the eunuch dare to stop him?
Seeing that the eunuch was silent, Old Zhu suddenly realized what was happening. He didn't make things difficult for the eunuch and waved his hand, saying, "Let him in."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" The eunuch was as if pardoned, and hurried out to invite Zhu Chong in.
"Your Majesty, I am Zhu Chong. I am honored to meet you!" Zhu Chong came in and saluted Old Zhu in a pretentious manner.
Old Zhu frowned at Zhu Chong and said, "Second brother, why are you coming here instead of staying in your Baochao Tizhusi?"
"Your Majesty, I have an important matter to report. I beg for your approval!"
Afterwards, Zhu Chong explained the transportation problems existing in the coal mine to Lao Zhu one by one, and finally added.
"Your Majesty, I believe that if we want to maximize the effectiveness of the coal mines in a short period of time, it is absolutely necessary to build a straight road from the mining area to the capital."
"This will, firstly, allow those in Yingtian Prefecture who are skeptical of cement roads to truly see their benefits. Secondly, it will allow Your Majesty to quickly reap the benefits of the coal mines and supplement the national treasury. Thirdly, my Treasury and Banknotes Administration will be able to complete Your Majesty's instructions sooner."
"This will achieve three goals at once. I once again implore Your Majesty to first provide me with cement to build this straight road."
"Hmm?" Zhu Yuanzhang frowned immediately when he heard Zhu Chong's words. He was weighing what Zhu Chong said and how much benefit it would bring to himself.
Old Zhu is becoming increasingly confused about his son. He doesn't believe that Zhu Chong came to see him simply to ask him to build the road.
However, the three things Zhu Chong said did make him excited. The most important thing was that Zhu really needed to use a concrete road in the open to block the opposition voices in the court.
The cement road is related to the Northern Expedition, which is something Zhu Yuanzhang has already decided on. However, when it comes to its actual implementation, there are many obstacles. It is not something that can be done immediately just because Zhu Yuanzhang says it can be done.
But Old Zhu couldn't think of a way to solve the problem for a while. As a result, he was reminded by Zhu Chong, and Old Zhu suddenly saw the light. However, he always thought that his second son came to him for more than just to build a road.
"Well, you're right." Old Zhu pondered for a while, but couldn't figure out Zhu Chong's intention. He hesitated and said, "Then you can do it yourself and let the Ministry of Works cooperate with you to build this road, right?"
"Your Majesty!" When Zhu Chong heard Old Zhu's tone, he secretly cursed Old Zhu for being cunning, but on the surface he showed a sad face.
"I have calculated the approximate distance from the capital to the mining area. It is approximately thirty miles. The terrain along the entire road is complex, and the amount of cement and labor required is definitely not a small amount."
"This isn't just about making cement blocks. Building such a long road is a massive undertaking. Even if I can work with the Ministry of Works to produce the cement, the costs involved are huge..."
After hearing what Zhu Chong said, Old Zhu finally understood and asked Zhu Chong cheerfully, "So, you're here to ask us for money to build the road?"
"Your Majesty, I am doing work for you. You can't always send hungry soldiers to do things, right?" Zhu Chong negotiated with Old Zhu with a playful smile.
"Get lost." Old Zhu slammed the table lightly. "You little bastard, you act recklessly. You want people, we can give them to you, but if you want money, we don't have a penny. Find a way to get it yourself. Get out of here right now and don't embarrass yourself in front of us!"
"Ah, no, Dad, this is boring..." Zhu Chong was anxious. Old Zhu had ordered him to leave, and he was still planning to bargain with Old Zhu!
"Get out, Mao Xiang, kick him out for us, and make sure he leaves the palace!" Old Zhu was angry, and his voice turned cold.
"Your Highness the Prince of Qin, please don't make things difficult for me!" The next second, Mao Xiang appeared in front of Zhu Chong like a ghost, with a smiling face.
Damn it, he really is smiling at people one second and then turning his face against them the next!
Zhu Chong had no choice but to leave the imperial study under Mao Xiang's relentless pressure and walk out dejectedly.
"Your Majesty, the King of Qin is truly in a difficult situation. The Ministry of Revenue and the Palace are all out of money. You should think of other options and stop staring at His Majesty!"
Mao Xiang even spoke up for Zhu Yuanzhang, which made Zhu Chong sneer at him.
The richest people in the Ming Dynasty complained about being poor. What else could I do?
He really was given 50% of the shares for free. Why not ask the Queen for it? An idea suddenly occurred to Zhu Chong, but he quickly dismissed it.
If Zhu Yuanzhang knew that Zhu Chong went to the Queen to ask for money, he would probably make him pay double the amount immediately.
But the coal mine is in such a bad state now. Zhu Chong boasted to Old Liu and others that construction of a cement road leading directly to the capital would begin in a few days. But now nothing has been achieved. What should we do?
Walking out of the palace gate slowly, Zhu Chong looked at the palace wall in the distance, and suddenly his eyes lit up.
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