Zhu Yuanzhang was very happy, after all, Zhu Yunwen was very capable and had now shown such a creative side.
Something like cement was something Zhu Yuanzhang had never even considered before, but now Zhu Yunwen had managed to create it.
Moreover, it can be laid on the road at the lowest cost. This constructive behavior is enough to prove that Zhu Yunwen can do more useful things for the people.
Standing on the cement floor, Zhu Yuanzhang felt extremely proud and honored.
After all, the more capable Zhu Yunwen is, the more suitable he will be for this position. As long as Zhu Yunwen is capable, it will definitely be a good thing for the Ming Dynasty and for Zhu Yuanzhang.
At this moment, a commoner nearby spoke up:
"It has to be His Highness the Crown Prince! He actually invented something like this. Now we don't have to worry about our shoes getting muddy when we go out shopping in the capital. We can even go out and stroll around on rainy days."
Another person spoke up:
"Yes, His Highness the Crown Prince is truly a lucky star sent to our Great Ming by Heaven. Every single thing he does is genuinely beneficial to the people. How can we not support such a future heir to the empire? The future of the Great Ming is bright!"
Listening to the discussions of the people around him, Zhu Yuanzhang's smug expression deepened.
He straightened his back, grinned, and thought to himself that giving the position of the Ming Dynasty's crown prince to Zhu Yunwen was simply the best thing he had ever done in his life.
He was even somewhat looking forward to seeing how many more surprises Zhu Yunwen would bring him next.
At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang also realized that Zhu Yunwen had been changing some of the environment and rules of the Ming Dynasty.
Now that the environment and rules have changed considerably, we begin to break through and create new things to build and develop the Ming Dynasty.
...
The construction of cement roads was in full swing, and the Ministry of Works established many cement plants around the capital.
At the same time, orders were issued across the country for former coal mines to begin producing cement, and other workers were put into the construction of local cement roads.
The plan was for local governments to cover the costs, while the imperial court would fund the main roads throughout the country.
This sum of money was controlled, and costs were kept to a minimum.
However, the imperial court still needs to contribute a significant amount, as this is a massive project that will consume a considerable portion of the national treasury.
Therefore, the Minister of Revenue approached Zhu Yunwen several times, expressing that the road construction was indeed too expensive and hoping that Zhu Yunwen could reconsider and find a way to solve part of the funding problem.
Zhu Yunwen also knew that this problem needed to be solved and dealt with. Although road construction could benefit the people of the Ming Dynasty and enhance the strategic planning of the Ming army.
This could significantly enhance the overall strength of the Ming Dynasty.
However, the money problem must be solved temporarily, otherwise excessive consumption of the Ming Dynasty's treasury could lead to a financial crisis, which would also affect the foundation of the Ming Dynasty.
This point must be taken seriously, because Zhu Yunwen also understood that the decline of the Ming Dynasty in its later years was largely due to its financial problems.
Therefore, Zhu Yunwen had to prevent problems with the national treasury as soon as possible; money must not be scarce.
After careful consideration, Zhu Yunwen decided to issue an order for local government offices to organize a policy of road repairs without compensation.
In general, road construction benefits the people more, so as long as the people contribute their efforts and participate in road construction, it can greatly alleviate the financial burden on the Ming Dynasty.
At that time, the Ming Dynasty will only need to be responsible for the costs of manufacturing cement and transporting it.
As for road construction, only local officials took the lead and organized the people to participate collectively.
The world is vast, and there are many people; every place has a large population.
Each area only needs one person from each household to work for one or two days to attract a huge amount of labor.
Therefore, as long as this matter is implemented, it can save costs for the imperial court, reduce the budget, and speed up the road construction process.
As long as the cement supply is available and the entire local area participates in the construction, it is believed that the paving of the cement road can be completed to the greatest extent possible and at the fastest speed.
Both the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue felt there was nothing wrong with this policy.
However, Zhu Yunwen was still a little worried that if the policy were implemented, the people would be quite resistant to it.
However, the reality was beyond his expectations. When the order was proclaimed to the world in Zhu Yunwen's name, the people were surprisingly unanimous and willing to support Zhu Yunwen.
And their emotions were all very high.
The people expressed their full support for Zhu Yunwen's policy on the nationwide construction of paved roads.
This deeply moved Zhu Yunwen. What he didn't know was that the people were even more grateful to him, because Zhu Yunwen had done an immense favor for the people of the world.
Firstly, it broke the monopoly of land held by gentry, wealthy families, and landlords, allowing every commoner to own land.
Secondly, Zhu Yunwen spent a great deal of money sending people to the Western Ocean to find various foods that were easy for the people to grow and that would yield large harvests.
This also reflects the perspective of ordinary people and shows that the government is thinking about their needs.
Even now, with road construction, the people are the ones who will directly benefit.
The people knew that Zhu Yunwen was acting in their best interests, that Zhu Yunwen and the court had made many sacrifices, and that the road construction would benefit them.
He understood even more clearly that if the imperial court were to bear the entire cost of this road construction, it would create a crisis for the national treasury.
Therefore, the people were willing to contribute their share. After all, there were so many people in the world. As long as each household contributed one laborer to work for a day or two, there would be no loss but many benefits. It was definitely a profitable deal.
Therefore, the people surprisingly supported Zhu Yunwen unconditionally.
Zhu Yunwen was very happy to have the support of the people.
Therefore, the imperial court immediately implemented the order, and cement plants around the capital and in some other places began to produce cement at full capacity for use throughout the country.
People from all over the country spontaneously followed the government's instructions to transport stones and sand and use various tools to clear the official roads.
First, lay a layer of pebbles at the bottom. Then, after the cement arrives, mix the remaining pebbles and sand and spread them on the ground.
The project is very simple, and the process is easy to learn.
Therefore, the people did a very good job, and in just one month, the main roads throughout the Ming Dynasty were repaired.
The thickness is around several tens of centimeters, and the width of the main road can be maintained at six meters.
After the main roads of the Ming Dynasty were completed, some branch roads began to extend from these main roads in some places.
In short, the people of the land are all working with great enthusiasm. The court and the people are of one mind in doing this.
This made Zhu Yunwen, the Prince of Jianwen, even more worried.
Because he discovered that Zhu Yunwen's position seemed to be becoming more and more secure!
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