“That makes sense. You’ve been in the capital for a while now, so you must know that the Crown Prince’s education is different from that of the other princes,” Zhu Yunying said with a smile. “We can take Qi’er with us and let him be the Crown Prince’s study companion. As for Lin’er, he can go to the main hall with the other members of the imperial clan and the heirs of dukes. As long as his second uncle isn’t with him, that kid won’t do.”
Mu Chun was naturally grateful but also amused and exasperated. His eldest son becoming the Crown Prince's study companion was undoubtedly an unparalleled honor. However, his younger son entering the Grand Hall along with other members of the imperial clan and the heirs of dukes was already beyond the usual scope.
As for the "elder brother-in-law" complaining about the "younger brother-in-law," Mu Chun didn't dare to interrupt. The elder brother-in-law was a wise and powerful emperor, while the younger brother-in-law was the most notorious playboy in Yingtian Prefecture.
Looking at Mu Chun, Zhu Yunying said, "You are the Duke of Qian of our Great Ming Dynasty, so it is indeed not good for you to stay away from Yunnan for too long. Go back in a while and take some of our firearms with you. We will have the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War prepare them for you. Remember to suppress the barbarian rebellion. If those chieftains commit any illegal acts, remember to use troops to suppress them and not let them become too powerful."
This is now the important matter. These are some of Zhu Yunying's requirements and expectations for Mu Chun, and this is one of the tasks of the Mu Prince's Mansion in Yunnan.
Mu Chun also said solemnly, "Your Majesty, none of the garrisons in Yunnan have the ability to smelt and forge firearms. Can the court prepare them?"
The casting of firearms in the Ming Dynasty was not actually entirely controlled by the Ministry of Works or the Twenty-Four Offices of the Imperial City; some garrisons also had the ability to cast firearms.
For example, Pingyangwei in Shanxi has been a famous iron smelting center since the Tang and Song dynasties. It can now cast iron cannons with a caliber of 21 centimeters. These cannons have a large caliber, thick barrel walls, and their performance in terms of ammunition capacity and range far exceeds that of the bronze cannons of the early Ming dynasty. They are the most powerful heavy artillery pieces available today.
Although these one-meter-long iron cannons were relatively inexpensive to cast and could be mass-produced, the casting process was prone to defects that could cause them to crack. Even with advanced casting techniques, iron cannons were often not as durable as bronze cannons.
“We know these things. The southwest does need garrisons that can forge firearms.” Zhu Yunying smiled and said to Mu Chun, “But there are some things you should understand. Firearms are a nation’s most important weapon and should not be spread around.”
Ultimately, there are some technologies that the Ming Dynasty cannot afford to spread. They cannot be allowed to enter the lives of ordinary people, let alone be spread to foreign countries.
Currently, the firearms of the Ming Dynasty are basically manufactured under the supervision of the Ministry of Works or the Twenty-Four Offices, and then distributed to various garrisons. There are indeed some transportation costs involved, but this method also facilitates the secrecy of the technology.
Zhu Yunying continued to instruct Mu Chun on some tasks that needed to be done. In addition to further developing Yunnan, he also needed to consider suppressing the barbarians and chieftains. At the same time, he suggested that the states of Annam should be given some minor provocations to put pressure on them while also causing internal strife. This was also to prepare for future military expeditions by the Ming Dynasty.
In the inner palace, Xu Miaoqing laughed, "Your imperial brother is, after all, the elder brother, and he should show the demeanor of an elder brother in front of you. He actually likes to eat mangoes, but he is not comfortable submitting a memorial to the throne, nor is he embarrassed to tell you. When the Duke of Qian goes back this time, have him send some mangoes as tribute from time to time."
Zhu Xi and Zhu Yue were both stunned; neither of them knew that their elder brother liked to eat mangoes.
Seeing her two sisters-in-law looking bewildered, Xu Miaoqing continued, "He's the older brother, so he always gives you the best things. He's also the emperor. If people outside find out he likes mangoes today, tomorrow there will be people offering them everywhere. That's not good. Just keep these things in mind. At most, he'll just complain a little."
Zhu Yue said with a grin, "My brother is complaining about us today, but he might give us some good things tomorrow. My sister-in-law is really something. We didn't know what my brother liked all these years. It's all because we were careless and only thought about ourselves."
“He is the older brother, so naturally he should,” Xu Miaoqing patted Zhu Xi and Zhu Yue’s hands and said, “But we also feel sorry for him. As the emperor, we must always be careful about our words and actions. Also, you should not spoil Yin’er too much, especially with those ponies. Don’t send any more. Your brother was complaining the other day that the Imperial Stables are full of ponies.”
Zhu Xi wouldn't listen. It was only right for the Imperial Aunt to send some miniature horses to her Crown Prince nephew!
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