My Pen Pal Zhu Yuanzhang

Chapter 29: No such worldly desires

Mao Xiang was hit hard during this period.

His Majesty asked him to mobilize all the strength of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate a man named Li Han.

With the name and handwriting, it shouldn't be too difficult. Besides, finding people is the Jinyiwei's specialty.

This is the first time since the establishment of Jinyiwei that all its strength has been used to find one person!
Even when Your Majesty was investigating Hu Weiyong, he did not mobilize such a large force.

Hey, the Jinyiwei are using all their strength. No matter who you are, why don’t you surrender?
Then he encountered the biggest career crisis since he started his career!
I can’t find it. I can’t find it at all!
There are a lot of people named Li Han, both men and women, young and old, and even a few Semites who also call themselves Li Han.

But no one's handwriting matched!

I was full of confidence at the beginning, but now, let alone seeing people, I can’t even see a hair!

My self-confidence has been seriously challenged!

However, the monk named Daoyan was found and imprisoned by imperial decree, which could be considered as a way for Mao Xiang to save his reputation.

But I’m afraid Li Han is not a god, otherwise, how could there be no trace of him at all despite the Jinyiwei’s full-scale search?

He is your Majesty's number one henchman. How can he be worthy of your Majesty's trust if he is so incompetent?
No, this guy called Li Han, I, Mao Xiang, will find you even if it costs my life!

Then he was summoned by Zhu Yuanzhang.

When Mao Xiang learned that there was no need to look for Li Han, he was devastated.

Your Majesty, are you kidding me?

At this moment, Mao Xiang had an absurd illusion that "We are ready to fight to the death, why does Your Majesty surrender first?"

However, when Zhu Yuanzhang asked him to focus his investigation on Mobei and Liaodong, Mao Xiang became excited again.

Your Majesty is preparing for another Northern Expedition, and is targeting the Jurchens?

The opportunity for our Jinyiwei to make achievements has come again!
Mao Xiang had already begun to follow Zhu Yuanzhang before Zhu Yuanzhang conquered Yuan Dadu.

In terms of seniority and achievements, he is indeed a lot inferior to Xu Da, Li Wenzhong and others, but Mao Xiang also wants to make progress.

Who says that your Majesty’s lackeys cannot be granted the title of Duke?

……

After sending Mao Xiang away, Zhu Yuanzhang did not immediately start replying. Instead, he gave the samples sent by Li Han to the craftsmen in the palace and ordered them to use the best and most precious materials to make 100 pieces.

The craftsman was also puzzled. What kind of hobby is His Majesty? He made small samples of the ancestral temple and made these small items...

Your Majesty, do you still have a childish nature, or do you want to go and play with your grandson?
Of course, the power of heaven is unpredictable, and it is best not to guess what His Majesty is thinking. The craftsman honestly followed Zhu Yuanzhang's instructions and did it respectfully.

After everything was done, Zhu Yuanzhang was finally able to calm down and write a proper reply to Li Han.

This time, Li Han's letter almost changed his worldview. Although it made him more determined about some things, his confusion and doubts also unsurprisingly increased.

The first thing to be solved is the problem of government orders not being implemented.

Government orders were not communicated and all kinds of government information were transmitted too slowly. This was not only a shackle on the Ming Dynasty's politics, but also a shackle on all dynasties in Chinese history.

Of course, ordinary government affairs are fine, and there are slow ways to do things.

It's like a new official taking office in a county. It is possible that the old magistrate has already stepped down for a long time, while the new magistrate is still on the road leisurely enjoying the mountains and rivers.

The local people will continue to live their lives as usual, and it won't have much impact.

But in an emergency, it can be fatal.

Just like the flood in Dongting Lake this time, if the news was transmitted too slowly, it would really result in deaths!
And many people will die!

It is not known whether Lao Li has any good solution to this problem, and Zhu Yuanzhang does not have much hope for it. After all, this problem has existed for thousands of years, and one cannot expect Lao Li to solve it alone.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang still had some hope for Li Han, after all, Li Han could create miracles. There was also the problem of the vassal kings. If the Ming royal family developed to the end and really became a national cancer that was lazy, extravagant and lustful, wouldn't Zhu's descendants be ruined?

When it came to issues concerning future generations, Zhu Yuanzhang dared not be careless and could only humbly seek advice from Li Han.

After all, as a parent, which one doesn’t want their offspring to be stronger than the previous one?

In addition, there is also treasure banknotes, which is also a more urgent matter.

He began to issue Baochao in the eighth year of Hongwu. At that time, one string of Baochao was equivalent to one thousand copper coins. Now it is the fifteenth year of Hongwu, only seven years have passed, and one string of Baochao is only worth six hundred copper coins.

What Li Han said in the letter is gradually becoming a reality!

I need to discuss this matter with Lao Li.

As for lifting the sea ban and developing maritime trade, Zhu Yuanzhang had no idea at all.

Lifting the maritime ban was simple, it was just a matter of a word from Zhu Yuanzhang. Although there would be resistance, no one in the Ming Dynasty dared to disobey Zhu Yuanzhang's wishes.

But what happens after the maritime ban is lifted?

Should we open up the trading ports completely or do it step by step? Who will be the preferred trading partner and what issues should be paid attention to?
We, Old Zhu, are completely in the dark because our eyes are covered.

I could only write down some of my rough ideas in the letter and then slowly learn from Li Han.

After writing the reply, he waited for the craftsman to finish making all the small items, and then ordered people to check them carefully several times, until they were confirmed to have no defects, and then they were sent to Li Han together.

……

Li Han was browsing Bilibili in the store when suddenly a message popped up on WeChat.

"Lao Li, we are having a high school reunion. As the most talented person in the class, you must come!"

The person who sent the message was my best friend from high school, named Xu Nian, a cute little fat boy.

Unlike Li Han who likes historical antiques, Xu Nian's favorite things are military, machinery, radio and the like.

In today's terms, he is called a military fat otaku.

When they were in high school, they could be called a pair of great talents, one literary and one military. Later, Li Han was admitted to Nanjing University to study history, while Xu Nian was admitted to Nanjing University of Science and Technology.

The two of them were just trying to get hammered for their own interest.

After graduation, Li Han inherited the family's antique shop, while Xu Nian continued his graduate studies and joined an ordnance unit after graduation. Due to the nature of their work, the two gradually had less and less contact.

I didn't expect that after not contacting each other for a long time, the fat boy Xu Nian would take the initiative to send me a message.

If the two brothers haven't seen each other for a long time and want to have a good reunion, Li Han is still looking forward to it.

It’s just a class reunion. Haha, I’m not very interested. Our Old Li needs to look after the shop.

"ding dong"

Xu Nian sent another message.

"Old Li, the party was hosted by the class beauty Li Momo, and she specifically asked you to be there. I think you had a crush on her back then. I heard that Li Momo doesn't have a boyfriend yet, so why don't you hurry up!"

"See you at Zijinshan Courtyard at 7 o'clock tonight!"

Li Han looked at the WeChat message, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He had long forgotten what happened in high school. Besides...

I, Old Li, still want to rebuild the Ming Dynasty and don't have any worldly desires.

Just as I was about to reply to Xu Nian's message, suddenly, the mailbox emitted a faint blue light.

Some people say that seeing the word "class reunion" is just an old cliché. Ha, am I the kind of person who can only write old clichés?

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(End of this chapter)