Mid-October, the tenth year of Hongwu.
Zhu Yuanzhang had been free of the negative status "Cricket Fighting" for more than two months, and every aspect of Great Ming had been wound taut once more.
That afternoon, after returning from outside the city, Zhu Biao went to see Zhu Yuanzhang in the Western Side Hall of the Hall of Heavenly Favor.
"Your son pays his respects, Father!"
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, then asked directly, "How is construction progressing at the Treasure Shipyard?"
As it happened, Zhu Biao had gone to inspect construction at the Treasure Shipyard that afternoon on Zhu Yuanzhang's orders.
Even given Great Ming's present size, building the Treasure Shipyard was a substantial undertaking. It also concerned Great Ming's maritime frontier policy, so its importance went without saying.
Thus, Zhu Yuanzhang sent Zhu Biao to inspect it every ten days, and had even gone himself once in September. First, he could only rest easy after seeing it with his own eyes; second, it demonstrated the importance he attached to the Treasure Shipyard.
Zhu Biao said, "The administrative offices and some supporting workshops have been completed. Five building docks are currently being excavated and constructed, and work is also underway on the Tongjiang Sluice Gate, which requires the most time and labor."
"According to the Treasure Shipyard superintendent's estimate, everything should be completed by next summer at the earliest, or next autumn at the latest, when construction of seagoing ships can begin."
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly.
He had looked into the matter of shipyards.
Under normal circumstances, building a shipyard this large from scratch would take at least two years.
But the Longjiang Shipyard was near the capital, and some of its workshops were already located around the Three-Fork River in Xiaguan. Both transferring craftsmen and allocating materials were extremely convenient, which was why the project would take only a little over a year.
Moreover, the construction of the Treasure Shipyard alone revealed just how much manpower, material, money, and grain this undertaking demanded.
Great Ming had only been founded ten years earlier. Calling this project "a drain on the people and the treasury" was no exaggeration, and that was one reason Zhu Yuanzhang had previously never considered establishing an Ocean Navy to eliminate the sea raiders.
In fact, as officials had gradually taken notice of the Treasure Shipyard over the past few months, several had submitted memorials remonstrating against it, only to receive a scolding from Zhu Yuanzhang.
By now, no one dared remonstrate over the matter-many officials of Great Ming knew that once Zhu Yuanzhang had made up his mind, anyone who persisted in opposing him might be suspected of harboring sinister intentions, thrown into prison, or even lose his life.
For example, in the ninth year of Hongwu, Ye Boju had cited a solar eclipse, changes in the stars, and other celestial phenomena in a memorial opposing the enfeoffment of imperial princes. Zhu Yuanzhang had imprisoned him, and he had eventually died there of injuries and illness.
"The Treasure Shipyard concerns our national policy for the maritime frontier. Not only must you inspect it every ten days, you must also have the other officials keep a close eye on it. Above all, the source and destination of every allotment of money, grain, and materials must be crystal clear. Do not let certain people seize this opportunity to line their pockets," Zhu Yuanzhang instructed gravely.
Zhu Biao replied, "Your son understands."
Zhu Yuanzhang had intended to say more, but his expression suddenly shifted slightly, and he said, "If there is nothing else, you may withdraw."
"Your son takes his leave."
After bowing, Zhu Biao withdrew from the Western Side Hall.
Before stepping out, he glanced at Zhu Yuanzhang. Seeing that his father appeared to be pondering something, he could not help recalling how Zhu Yuanzhang had inexplicably become obsessed with cricket fighting during the three months from early May to early August.
Father is much more pleasing to the eye when he takes affairs of state seriously.
He could not help sighing inwardly.
Come to think of it, Father seems to have gone two months without fighting crickets, but those few crickets are still being kept in the Eastern Side Hall.
Who knows when Father will remember them... should I find a chance to secretly let them go?
Worried that Zhu Yuanzhang might become obsessed with cricket fighting again, Zhu Biao could not help entertaining an "unfilial" thought...
The Rebel Army Group.
[Liu Bang: Another month has passed here. How much time has passed on your ends?] [Zhang Jiao: Nearly a month has passed here this time as well.] [Liu Bang: Zhang Jiao, have you recovered?] [Zhang Jiao: Thanks to the treatment and prescription Brother Zhu sent by letter, I have more or less recovered now. Is Brother Zhu here? I have yet to thank you.] [Zhu Yuanzhang: No need for thanks. So long as you did not die of illness in Guangzong.] [Liu Bang: Old Zhu, why haven't you said how much time has passed on your end?]
Seeing that only a month had passed for each of the other two had already left Zhu Yuanzhang somewhat resentful. Now that Liu Bang pressed him, his resentment grew even stronger.
[Zhu Yuanzhang: More than five months have passed here!] [Liu Bang: Five months? Hahaha, Old Zhu, it seems this Rebel Army Group really does "favor" you!]
That Liu Bang! Sure enough, he is making fun of me again!
Zhu Yuanzhang grew even more displeased.
Suddenly, an idea struck him.
[Zhu Yuanzhang: Emperor Gao of Han, a whole month has passed. Has your Great Han managed to make that microscope?]
As soon as he asked, Zhu Yuanzhang could no longer keep the corners of his mouth from rising.
He was certain that Liu Bang had not yet managed to make a microscope.
Even Great Ming had needed several months to make one. The craftsmen of Former Han were less skilled than those of Great Ming, and their supplies of materials were less abundant. With only a single short month, if they could still make a microscope, he would write his surname Zhu upside down!
[Liu Bang: Your old man here hasn't even found suitable crystal yet. How could we make a microscope? However...]
Liu Bang stopped halfway through, clearly drawing out the suspense on purpose.
Zhang Jiao could tell that Liu Bang and Zhu Yuanzhang were competing over the microscope. Feeling it would be inappropriate to side with either, he remained silent.
Zhu Yuanzhang, however, thought Liu Bang was bluffing and pressed him directly.
[Zhu Yuanzhang: However what?] [Liu Bang: The craftsmen of my Great Han have made another quite useful object. It lets you see distant things as though they were close, and I have named it the Thousand-Li Telescope!]
See distant things as though they were close?
The Thousand-Li Telescope?
Zhu Yuanzhang mulled over those words, then connected them with the microscope's function and quickly thought of something.
[Zhu Yuanzhang: By seeing distant things as though they were close, do you mean magnifying distant sights that look very small?] [Liu Bang: You could put it that way.] [Zhu Yuanzhang: How far can it see?] [Liu Bang: With the one in my hand, I can make out a person's silhouette ten li away.]
A Ming-era li was actually more than a hundred meters longer than a Western Han li. Although Zhu Yuanzhang did not know this, hearing that the Thousand-Li Telescope could make out a person's silhouette ten li away still astonished him.
From his experience leading troops in his youth, even someone born with exceptionally keen eyesight could only make out a person's silhouette three or four li away.
By that reckoning, the Thousand-Li Telescope Liu Bang described could nearly triple the observation range of military scouts!
With such an object, especially if its range could be increased further, it would be much easier for Great Ming's mounted scouts to locate the Remnant Yuan's troops and encampments on the steppe!
With that thought, Zhu Yuanzhang forgot all about competing with Liu Bang and asked him directly.
[Zhu Yuanzhang: Could Emperor Gao of Han explain exactly how this object is constructed?] [Liu Bang: Of course...]
After obtaining the Thousand-Li Telescope, Liu Bang had made time to meet the craftsmen who possessed the Mohist legacy and questioned them in detail about it. He therefore knew its construction thoroughly, and now "told" the group everything, point by point.
After reading it, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhang Jiao both hurried to write it down.
Once Liu Bang finished explaining the Thousand-Li Telescope, he remembered the microscope.
[Liu Bang: Old Zhu, has your Great Ming made a microscope yet?]
Seeing Liu Bang ask about this, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately perked up.
[Zhu Yuanzhang: Of course we have. I have even used that microscope to look at a cricket's thighs, tiny creatures in water, and my own fingers.] [The Buddha said that a drop of water contains eighty-four thousand creatures. Those were no empty words. This world is filled with tiny things and creatures invisible to the human eye. Even seemingly clean water and the human body have many of them.] [So if you want to fall ill less often, you must drink water that has been boiled, and wash your hands and bathe frequently...]
Zhu Yuanzhang began expounding on the discoveries and conjectures he and Zhu Biao had made.
Although he meant to show off, he genuinely taught Liu Bang and Zhang Jiao a good deal.
Only after Zhu Yuanzhang and Liu Bang finished discussing the Thousand-Li Telescope and microscope did he ask about the Yellow Turban Army's situation.
Zhang Jiao did not particularly mind playing a supporting role to the two of them. He clearly understood that his abilities, and even his knowledge, fell far short of Liu Bang's and Zhu Yuanzhang's. Being able to associate with them through this Rebel Army Group, and even receive their help, already counted as Yellow Heaven's Favor.
[Zhang Jiao: It has been nearly a month since I led more than a hundred thousand Yellow Turbans from Guangzong into the Taihang Mountains. We are now building stockades and clearing land in the mountains, while sending elite troops outside to attack estates and fortified manors, so that we can stockpile provisions and supplies for the winter.] [About ten days ago, my third brother Zhang Liang learned that the Han Army under Dong Zhuo had failed in its attack on Xiaquyang. He then led ten thousand troops of the Yellow Turban Army out of the mountains, intending to support my second brother and the Xiaquyang Yellow Turbans as they broke out.] [Because we misjudged the enemy, the breakout failed. Only my second brother and several thousand elite Yellow Turbans escaped. My third brother Zhang Liang also... fell in battle.]
After reading those messages from Zhang Jiao, Liu Bang and Zhu Yuanzhang both fell silent for a time.
To Zhu Yuanzhang, the historical accounts he had read of the late Eastern Han had been stories from a thousand years ago. He had known neither Zhang Jiao nor Zhang Liang, and they were "rebels" of the Late Han besides. Reading of their defeat and deaths in the histories had stirred little feeling in him; at most, he had offered a few detached remarks.
But now Zhang Jiao was someone he knew, someone with whom he had even formed something of a friendship. Hearing that his third brother Zhang Liang had fallen in battle stirred a different feeling.
I wonder what ends await those old brothers who helped me establish Great Ming. How many will die campaigning against the Remnant Yuan?
As Zhu Yuanzhang was thinking this, activity stirred in the group.
[Administrator: The "Rebel Army Q&A" segment will begin shortly. Please prepare to answer the questions!] [Liu Bang: Old Zhang, everyone must die someday. My condolences.] [Zhu Yuanzhang: My condolences.]
Zhu Yuanzhang offered no further consolation. He entered those two words, then waited for the group's question.