It was a bit of a surprise, mainly because it seemed that Da Zhu was sick, which caught Zhu Xiong Ying off guard.
Old Zhu was probably caught off guard at this point. Sending Zhu Xiong Ying to Tianjin wasn't just about him wanting his grandson; he was also understandably nervous and worried after receiving a secret report.
While the affairs of Japan and Korea were important, the development of Beiping was indeed crucial. However, in Zhu De's heart, his beloved son was the most important, which was a key reason why he was eager to return to Beiping.
With a heavy heart, Zhu Xiong Ying did not rush back to Beiping immediately; he needed to remain in Tianjin to oversee the situation. Now that Old Zhu had returned to Chengdu, the task of overseeing the canal transport center fell to Zhu Xiong Ying. Especially since the Iwami region had been largely captured, and silver mining was about to begin, he couldn't afford to let things fall apart at this crucial moment.
Although the situation in Beiping was extremely important, Zhu Xiong Ying also had his own priorities.
Even if Beiping were built at a leisurely pace, there would be enough time. But Goryeo and Japan were different; they had to be captured and stabilized immediately. These places could not be allowed to fall into chaos. Given that Yingtianfu was relatively far away, Zhu Xiong Ying would have to be stationed in Tianjin.
Zhu Xiong Ying felt it was necessary to stay in Tianjin, since it wasn't far from Beiping and many things were progressing smoothly. There was no need to constantly monitor the situation; as long as Tianjin was stabilized for the time being, Zhu Xiong Ying dared not make any further moves.
Freedom, often, is not so free, even though Zhu Xiong Ying seems to have a lot of power in his hands.
Although he was somewhat worried, Zhu Xiong Ying still felt he needed to do some things well. Now he needed to guard the north, not only considering the construction of Beiping, but also consolidating his territories in Japan and Korea.
“It’s autumn now, I need to think about what to do when it’s rainy,” Zhu Xiong Ying muttered to herself, looking at the raindrops outside as she made her plans. “I remember seeing the Qin Straight Road when I went to the grasslands before, this is something I can consider.”
The Qin Straight Road is no joke; it's over 1,500 years old, yet it still holds value in Inner Mongolia.
Regarding Beiping and Tianjin, Zhu Xiong Ying felt that, putting everything else aside, the road from Beiping to Tianjin absolutely had to be repaired. This was because Beiping would undoubtedly need more grain and people in the future, highlighting Tianjin's importance as a transit point for the Grand Canal; a good route was essential for this.
“The prisoners in jail can’t just eat for free; they still have to work.” Zhu Xiong Ying stroked his chin, his fuzzy beard now slightly visible. “Rather than sitting and being confined in jail, they’d be better off working for me. Let them go to labor camps; they’ll still be undergoing labor reform.”
Such cheap labor is a necessary consideration; it's said that there will be some factories in the prisons in the future. As long as they don't starve or die from overwork, Zhu Xiong Ying has no psychological burden. He won't give the criminals too good a treatment, making them feel that going to prison is a pleasure; such a thing simply doesn't exist.
“Some forced labor and such need to be considered. I’m not planning to build the Great Wall now, so let me build roads.” Zhu Xiong Ying continued to mutter to himself, “This matter still needs to be considered. To get rich, build roads first.”
Whether or not Zhu Xiong Ying got rich wasn't actually his primary concern; the importance of the transportation route was far too significant.
The Qin Straight Road is something we can't even imagine right now, but it's a necessary consideration as a major transportation route from Beiping to Tianjin. The sections of the Qin Straight Road in Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, and Gansu are also worth considering connecting.
Regardless of the era, poor transportation is always a bad thing, especially for unified dynasties, as poor transportation would naturally reduce their control over local areas.
"Infrastructure maniac, infrastructure is indeed too important." Zhu Xiong Ying smiled wryly, somewhat worried. "Qin Shi Huang built the Great Wall, Emperor Yang of Sui built the Grand Canal, and who knows, there might be another Emperor Zhu who builds roads all over the country. Wait a minute, Emperor Zhu also refers to my imperial grandfather, so the infamy will probably fall on him again."
Zhu Xiong Ying was considering it carefully. Since they were going to build a road, his first thought was asphalt. But that wasn't practical, so he decided on cement.
However, Zhu Xiong Ying didn't really know how cement was made. But he did know that lime already existed in this era, and there were records of its use in China dating back to the 7th century BC.
“When we have more money in the future, we really need to consider expanding domestic demand.” Zhu Xiong Ying sat in his study, constantly writing, drawing and analyzing. “People in this era like to save their money. Whether the banks make changes or not is not something we can rush, but we must expand domestic demand.”
Expanding domestic demand often requires government intervention, and infrastructure investment seems like a very good decision.
Building roads and water conservancy projects is not just about expanding domestic demand, but also about improving people's lives and agriculture. In fact, in an agrarian civilization like China, with thousands of years of agricultural traditions, it cannot be changed overnight.
Zhu Xiong Ying was fairly aware of this, and he wasn't in a hurry to take on a big problem all at once.
"The Institute of Foreigners at the Imperial College might be a minor matter, but my basic scientific research department is the most important." Zhu Xiong Ying stared blankly at the brush in his hand. "Gunpowder needs to be manufactured, and firearms need to be improved. These are not easy tasks."
Let's mobilize the official forces. Zhu Xiong Ying is now considered part of the official force; he's the third most powerful figure in the Ming Dynasty. Although compared to the top two, Zhu Xiong Ying wields far less power and can be easily subdued.
Compared to others, Zhu Xiong Ying wielded far too much power, and his will was something most people dared not defy. Moreover, even if Zhu Xiong Ying's power was insufficient, the two people ranked ahead of him would almost always support his plans—that was enough power.
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