RPAGF Chapter 99 The father and son each had their own thoughts and schemes against each other.
Chapter 99 The father and son each had their own thoughts and schemes against each other.
Unexpectedly, Zhu Yao immediately shook his head and resolutely refused, his attitude being very firm.
"Father, this won't do. This is my exclusive patent, and it must not be taught or promoted for free."
"If you weren't my father, I wouldn't even be able to see you today, and outsiders would have no chance to see you at all."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned for a moment, his face full of confusion, and he frowned and asked in bewilderment.
"Patent? What is a patent? I've lived most of my life and never heard of such a thing."
Zhu Yao patiently began to explain clearly what a patent is and what intellectual property rights are.
"A patent is a product of one's own hard work and unique skills, and belongs exclusively to that individual."
"If others want to learn and use it, they must pay a price; this is what it means to respect knowledge and originality."
"People in the world cultivate the land by imitating ancient methods and make work by sticking to old systems, but I innovate and bring forth new ideas. This skill should be valuable."
Zhu Yuanzhang frowned as he listened, finding it utterly absurd and secretly thinking it was fallacious reasoning.
"Skills should benefit the people and bring blessings to all living beings. Your act of hoarding them for personal gain is far too stingy."
Empress Ma, standing to the side, gently shook her head and spoke softly, firmly standing on Zhu Yao's side.
"Chongba, you've misunderstood this time. Yao'er's words are all reasonable."
"Ordinary farmers toil in the fields, and craftsmen diligently create tools; they can still earn money and food to make a living."
"Yao'er poured his heart and soul into creating this unique skill, expending countless hours of thought and effort. Why should he just give it away for nothing?"
"Only when original skills are profitable will people be willing to devote themselves to research and innovation."
"If everything is taken for free, no one will be willing to put in the effort to innovate in the future, and the world's skills will only stagnate."
Zhu Yuanzhang was speechless after Empress Ma's words. After a moment of silence, he looked at Zhu Yao again.
He suppressed his confusion and tentatively asked the question seriously.
"Then let me ask you this: if the imperial court wanted you to hand over this farming technique, would you be willing?"
Zhu Yao raised the corners of his lips slightly, revealing a clear and worldly smile, and spoke frankly.
"Simple. As long as the money is right, everything is negotiable. If the money is sufficient, all the technology will be provided."
Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "How much silver do you want to give me this technique?"
Zhu Yao pondered for a moment, then casually stated an amount, "Ten thousand taels of gold!"
The exorbitant figure was blurted out and then landed with a thud, momentarily freezing the air around them.
Zhu Yuanzhang's pupils suddenly contracted, his heart clenched, and his face contorted with extreme pain.
Seeing this, Zhu Yao chuckled and slowly added a sentence, making his intentions clear.
"Father, don't even think about buying it. This price is specifically reserved for His Majesty."
"I'm going to extort a fortune from that stingy, all-powerful Hongwu Emperor!"
Zhu Yuanzhang was speechless upon hearing this, his lips twitched violently several times, and his face turned pale and then red.
He knew he was being manipulated and schemed against by his adopted son, but he couldn't retaliate, leaving him feeling extremely frustrated.
He simply turned around, flicked his sleeves, and walked away, unwilling to stay and suffer any more.
Zhu Yao watched Zhu Yuanzhang's indignant departure and turned to look at Empress Ma with an innocent expression.
"Mother, what's wrong with Father? Is he really angry?"
Empress Ma couldn't help but smile, her eyes crinkling as she gently comforted her with a soft voice.
"It's alright, it's alright. Your father's temper is easy to soothe; he'll calm down in no time."
Zhu Yuanzhang hurried back to his bedroom, closed the door behind him, and could no longer hide the frustration on his face.
He sat down in the chair, pursed his lips, and muttered a complaint under his breath, his face full of helplessness.
"That brat is getting more and more arrogant, daring to ask for exorbitant prices from us. He's really grown wings!"
"He's starting to scheme against his father!"
Empress Ma walked slowly over, poured him a cup of tea, and offered her words of comfort with a gentle smile.
"If skills are given away for free, who will be willing to dedicate themselves to research and innovation in the future? His reasoning is very clear."
In a flash, a new idea suddenly came to him, and a sharp glint appeared in his eyes.
"We won't buy it!"
"As long as someone thoroughly understands the entire set of farming techniques and pulley machine manufacturing methods, they can promote it throughout the world."
"Whom do you intend to send to learn it? The artisans of the court or the civil and military officials?"
"We definitely can't do it ourselves. Firstly, we're getting old, and our minds aren't as sharp as young people's. We can't learn these intricate techniques."
As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly remembered the three of them, his eyebrows relaxed instantly, and a smile appeared on his lips.
"Aren't the second, fifth, and thirteenth brothers here?"
"Let them stay in the Liu residence every day, learning closely from Yao'er. This way, they can easily learn skills by observing and learning from him."
Upon hearing this, Empress Ma frowned and said:
"This method is feasible, but secretly learning it like this is suspicious of deceiving Yao'er, which is really inappropriate."
Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand, "Haven't we fooled this kid enough times already? One more time won't make a difference!"
"My son and I each had our own agendas and were calculating against each other, so we're even. There's no question of us owing each other anything."
Empress Ma nodded. "That's true. You two, father and son, are both very insightful. Neither of you loses out."
Zhu Yuanzhang: "Sister, you stay inside and cover for us while we go find the second brother and the other two to discuss this."
After saying that, he quietly left the Liu residence.
......
At that moment, the three brothers Zhu Shuang, Zhu Su, and Zhu Gui were gathered together. Upon seeing Zhu Yuanzhang arrive, their faces immediately lit up with joy.
"Father! This place is too harsh! We have to build houses and repair walls ourselves!"
"The school rules were extremely strict, the workload was incredibly heavy, and even the slightest mistake could result in being punished with a beating by the teacher!"
Zhu Yuanzhang quietly observed his three sons, noting that they had dark skin, strong builds, and more upright postures.
He showed no joy on his face, but instead spoke in a serious tone, giving instructions on important matters.
"From now on, you should get close to Yao'er, try to please him, and learn farming skills from him."
Upon hearing this, the three brothers' faces fell instantly, and they waved their hands repeatedly, their faces full of reluctance.
Zhu Yuanzhang had anticipated this, and immediately offered a bait, making a solemn promise.
"If only I could learn the true teachings of your elder brother Zhu Yao."
"We grant you permission to leave this wretched land of Chenzhou immediately and return to Jinling! Furthermore, you will be granted the authority to establish your own government and govern your own territory."
Upon hearing this, the three of them changed their previous resistance and immediately bowed and accepted the order, their expressions excited and their responses crisp and clear.
Zhu Yuanzhang looked solemnly at his three sons and once again made a weighty promise.
"In addition, if the three of you can persuade Yao'er to agree to enter the court and assist the government, then..."
"We have an unparalleled reward in store for you; in the future, the three of you will have priority in choosing the territories you are granted!"
These words ignited the passion of the three princes, and their eyes instantly turned bloodshot, their faces filled with excitement and fervor.
Zhu Shuang, with his impatient and flamboyant nature, was the first to clasp his hands in a fist and bow, his tone firm and resolute.
"Father, rest assured! Your son will do everything in his power to deal with Zhu Yao... no! Deal with my elder brother!"
Zhu Su, gentle and meticulous by nature, followed closely behind, his expression solemn, and calmly offered his agreement.
"Your subject will keep in mind Your Majesty's decree and will certainly stay close to my elder brother, diligently learn his skills, patiently persuade him, and never slacken."
The youngest, Zhu Gui, was impulsive and straightforward. He scratched his head, grinned, and loudly declared his opinion.
"I promise! I'll definitely make my brother happy, and I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"
Zhu Yuanzhang was quite satisfied to see that the three men were full of fighting spirit, but he was afraid that if they stayed here too long, Zhu Yao would discover their weakness.
He gently raised his hand, gave a few words of advice, turned around and left quickly, hurriedly returning to the Liu residence.