Ming Dynasty: What's wrong with being a leisurely crown prince?

Chapter 36 Zhu Di's sudden realization, Zhu Gaochi's tragic turn of joy

Zhu Gaoxu became instantly agitated upon hearing Zhu Di's question.

Zhu Gaochi was not lying to him; he was right. Zhu Di was indeed asking him about the construction of Beiping!

"Father, we must build Beiping! That is the place where you rose to power, and the capital of the Ming Dynasty should be in Shuntian, in Beiping!"

Zhu Di looked at the incredibly excited Zhu Gaoxu, especially the fiery look in his eyes, and for a moment he was at a loss for words.

He had only asked casually, just wanting to know Zhu Gaoxu's attitude, but this person was so agitated.

Zhu Di began to ponder this in his heart. Something was definitely amiss.

He gradually formed an idea. After all, moving the capital there would shift the military focus northward and increase the pressure on the border defenses. This seemed to be advantageous to Zhu Gaochi.

But soon, Zhu Di changed his mind.

He knew his own son well, and he suddenly asked Zhu Gaoxu, "In such a short time, how could this person not have thought of so much?"

Zhu Di immediately became very interested.

"That's right, that's what I think too. However, the construction of Beiping is a major undertaking that requires a lot of money, food, and manpower."

The construction of the imperial city cannot be completed in one or two years; it will take a long time, during which the imperial court will need to make continuous expenditures.

Second brother, since you've agreed to build Beiping, is there any way to resolve these issues?

Zhu Di asked the question casually, but he was actually thinking about it more on his own and didn't have any hope for Zhu Gaoxu at all.

Asking Zhu Gaoxu to come up with a solution was simply to make him realize the reality that he was incapable of handling state affairs.

After all, he was his own son. To refuse him outright would inevitably be a blow to Zhu Gaoxu and would also make the man overthink things.

Zhu Di himself had thought a lot about this matter, and many things were gradually becoming clearer. The next step was to start discussing it with the cabinet.

While Zhu Di was pondering these things, Zhu Gaoxu was so excited that he was trembling slightly.

That's right, that's right again! Zhu Gaochi was right! Zhu Di really was asking him how to solve the problem.

If Zhu Gaochi had any doubts before, he now had none.

Zhu Gaochi was both excited and alarmed by Zhu Gaochi's reaction, as he had anticipated Zhu Di's reaction.

Suppressing his excitement, Zhu Gaoxu said loudly, "Father, I don't think this is difficult."

"Hmm, I know... Hmm? It's not difficult? Tell me in detail."

Zhu Di hadn't paid much attention at first, but when he realized that Zhu Gaoxu had said it wasn't difficult, he was taken aback.

Looking closely at Zhu Gaoxu, who was now full of confidence, Zhu Di smiled, a smile of immense joy.

Does Zhu Gaochi have a solution? Isn't it difficult?

He absolutely had to listen carefully, which piqued his extreme curiosity.

Seeing the change in Zhu Di's expression, Zhu Gaoxu felt extremely pleased.

That feeling was what made him feel incredibly good.

Normally, Zhu Di would rarely ask him about state affairs, but Zhu Di's subconscious reaction just now was enough to explain this.

But today, he wants to show Zhu Di not to underestimate him; he is no longer the same person he once was.

"Father, the main problems to solve in building Beiping are money, food and manpower. As for the timber and other materials needed, they can be transported from other places by sea."

First, there's money and grain. The fastest way to obtain money and grain is to increase taxes.

But the people are suffering now. Father, you are implementing benevolent policies to alleviate their difficulties. How can you increase taxes?

However, without increasing taxes, the imperial court's expenditures would inevitably be strained.

However, in the Ming Dynasty, there was a group of people who had money and grain in their hands and paid very little tax. Now, we can take this money from them.

Once their money is collected, the imperial court will have funds to support this expenditure.

As for labor, that's even simpler.

Now Annam is stirring up trouble for our Great Ming, and in the north, the Tatars and Oirats repeatedly invade and plunder our borders.

The son believed that they could directly send troops to them, destroy Annam, attack the Tatars, and then bring all the prisoners back to build the imperial city.

If that's not enough, we can send troops to fight outside. We can use those barbarians outside to build our Great Ming Imperial City. That would be their greatest glory!

In this way, the labor shortage can be relieved, and there will be no need to conscript large numbers of laborers from various places, thus avoiding increasing the burden on the people!

Zhu Gaoxu spoke with great self-satisfaction, as if he were wielding power and pointing out the flaws in the world, displaying such high spirits.

At this moment, Zhu Gaoxu felt an extraordinary sense of comfort in every cell of his body; it was a truly wonderful feeling.

This was the first time he had spoken so eloquently in front of Zhu Di, and it was also the first time he had offered Zhu Di a national policy.

Zhu Di was somewhat surprised when he saw Zhu Gaoxu being so flamboyant.

He was surprised that Zhu Gaoxu could say such things, and also surprised that Zhu Gaoxu was so unfamiliar to him at this moment.

Yes, unfamiliar. This is not just about the unfamiliarity of these things, but about the unfamiliarity of their demeanor and all other aspects.

He had never seen Zhu Gaoxu like this before, so confident, full of energy, and spirited.

In the past, Zhu Gaoxu was always subservient to him, but this time it was completely different.

Just now, Zhu Di seemed to see his younger self in Zhu Gaoxu.

"So alike, so incredibly alike."

Zhu Di couldn't help but mutter to himself, feeling as if he were seeing himself in that instant.

Zhu Gaoxu already looked like him, and at that moment it seemed as if they were completely overlapping.

At this moment, Zhu Di's heart was filled with tenderness and doting affection for Zhu Gaoxu. The one most like him was indeed Zhu Gaoxu, his second son.

But in just a moment, Zhu Di had already put those thoughts aside.

Having gone through so much, and being an emperor, he still possessed a certain degree of emotional control.

He carefully considered Zhu Gaoxu's words, which both intrigued and puzzled him.

The reality is that these words were absolutely not something Zhu Gaoxu could have said, much less something he could have thought of.

That's what interests him.

"Second brother, you surprised me, you amazed me, but you also made me very happy. You've grown up."

Since you say you'll get enough money from those people, then tell me, how will you get it?

Zhu Di did not express any thoughts to Zhu Gaoxu; he was more concerned about how to proceed, which was the key.

Zhu Gaoxu, however, was immersed in joy. He had heard Zhu Di's mutterings earlier.

He had seen Zhu Di's change just now, and he had seen it with his own eyes up close.

That's why he was so excited, and for the first time he felt so close to that spot.

Zhu Di's praise was especially rare since the Jingnan Rebellion, and he was completely captivated by it.

However, when Zhu Di asked the question, Zhu Gaoxu's smile gradually began to freeze.

The more happy and excited I was just now, the more uneasy I feel now.

Zhu Gaoxu thought the matter was resolved, unaware that there was more to come.

Zhu Gaochi didn't tell him how to collect the money from those people!

He himself didn't know what to do next!