The strongest eldest son of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 62 Old Zhu: So this is what it feels like to be rich!

Several sons of Hanlin Academy scholars got into a fight at the entrance of the Chamber of Commerce over the last few sweet potatoes. These usually gentle and refined scholars were now red-faced and unwilling to give in. In the end, someone suggested a poetry contest, with the winner getting the sweet potatoes. This became a laughing stock in Nanjing, but it also made the sweet potatoes even more sought after.

Even the concubines and princes in the palace often asked people to buy sweet potatoes from Zhu Ji Merchants Association. For a time, the aroma of roasted sweet potatoes even wafted into the depths of the palace, becoming a delicacy sought after by the royal family and nobles.

In just half a month, the Zhu Family Chamber of Commerce made a fortune, with a continuous influx of gold and silver, all of which eventually flowed into Zhu Yuanzhang's private coffers—the Inner Treasury.

It is important to know that the Inner Treasury was a eunuch institution in the Ming Dynasty that was in charge of the royal family's gold, silver and precious treasures. It was also the royal family's private treasury. It was mainly maintained by income such as gold and silver, and it had been empty before, but now it has become full because of sweet potatoes.

On this day, Zong Yonghe, the head of the Inner Treasury, rushed into the palace, clutching an account book in his hand. His face was full of excitement, and even his bow seemed somewhat hurried: "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Great joy! Great joy!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was sitting by the cement path in the Imperial Garden, looking at the scenery before him. Hearing this, he looked up and asked with a smile, "Oh? What's the great joy? You seem so excited."

Zong Yonghe held the account book in both hands and handed it to Zhu Yuanzhang, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty, this is the account of Zhu Ji Chamber of Commerce for the past half month. Please take a look!"

"We've earned a full thousand taels of gold, which translates to countless amounts of silver. The Imperial Treasury is now overflowing, and we no longer need to worry about the royal expenses!"

As he spoke, he kept praising, "These sweet potatoes are truly a marvel! Not only do they taste amazing, but they can also generate so much money. Your Majesty has an exceptional eye for talent, finding such a treasure!"

Zhu Yuanzhang took the account book, carefully flipped through a few pages, and looked at the dense numbers on it. His smile grew even brighter, and he was filled with excitement.

He had only guessed that sweet potatoes were rare and would make money, but he never expected to make so much. He recalled that the Imperial Treasury had been empty before, and even the daily expenses of the royal family had to be carefully considered. Now that it was suddenly full, he was overjoyed.

In the past, the annual income of the inner transport warehouse was no more than one million taels of silver. The income in just half a month is equivalent to a long period of income in the past.

"Great! Great! That's wonderful!"

Zhu Yuanzhang slapped his thigh repeatedly, his tone full of pride, "I knew it! Yao'er's recommendations would never be wrong!"

Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang's delighted expression, Zong Yonghe's curiosity grew even stronger. After hesitating for a moment, he cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, if I may be so bold as to ask, where did you find this amazing sweet potato? How come I've never seen such a wonderful thing before?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang pondered for a moment, lost in thought:

Zong Yonghe, who is in charge of the Inner Treasury, is my most trusted "money bag". In the future, Zhu Yao will have many things that can make money, and he will definitely have a lot of cooperation with Zong Yonghe. There is no need to hide this matter.

So he slowly began to speak, recounting in detail how he had taken Zhu Yao as his adopted son and how he had received sweet potatoes and cement roads from Zhu Yao. He even specifically mentioned that it was Zhu Yao who suggested selling the sweet potatoes at a high price, which allowed him to reap such a substantial profit.

Upon hearing this, Zong Yonghe's eyes lit up instantly, his face filled with shock and admiration, and he developed a great interest in Zhu Yao.

To be able to come up with such amazing things as sweet potatoes and cement roads, and to have such a keen business sense, this young master Zhu Yao is no ordinary person.

He immediately knelt down with a thud, kowtowed several times, and said urgently, "Your Majesty! I implore you, please take me to see Young Master Zhu Yao!"

"Your Majesty, I am truly curious about the appearance of such a prodigy. I would like to ask you in person how you managed to find such a miraculous object and how you made your business so successful!"

Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but laugh when he saw Zong Yonghe's eager appearance. He waved his hand and said, "Get up, get up. Since you want to see Yao'er so much, we'll take you to Chenzhou in a while so you can meet him."

Upon hearing this, Zong Yonghe was overjoyed and quickly kowtowed again to express his gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Your Majesty! I will certainly learn diligently from Young Master Zhu Yao and will never disappoint Your Majesty!"

Seeing Zong Yonghe's eager expression, and remembering that he himself had long been itching to see Zhu Yao, Zhu Yuanzhang pondered for a moment, then smiled and nodded, officially agreeing.

As night fell, the palace was quiet. Zhu Yuanzhang lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. A smile he couldn't hide lingered on his lips, and joy shone through his eyes.

Empress Ma, unable to sleep either, was kept awake by his antics. She turned to him, looking at him with a puzzled expression: "Chongba, it's so late, why aren't you asleep? You're tossing and turning, and you keep smiling. What's wrong?"

Zhu Yuanzhang turned around, took Empress Ma's hand, and grinned from ear to ear, his voice filled with joy: "Sister, you have no idea how happy I am, I really can't sleep!"

"Look at that cement road. It's been paved so smoothly in the Imperial Garden. It's very practical. We no longer have to walk on that bumpy dirt road."

"And those sweet potatoes! They earned over a thousand taels of gold in just half a month. In all the time we've been emperor, this is the first time the Imperial Treasury has had so much money. I wake up laughing in my sleep; I can't sleep at all!"

He paused, swallowed hard, and his tone became urgent again: "Also, we want to eat Yao'er's hot pot. We haven't had it for half a month, and our mouths are so dry!"

"No, no, the more we think about it, the more we feel that Zhu Yao is like a treasure. Every time we go to Chenzhou, we can find something new. Cement roads, sweet potatoes, hot pot, and that whip technique, every single one of them is a pleasant surprise."

With that, Zhu Yuanzhang sat up abruptly, his eyes resolute: "We can't wait any longer! We have to go to Chenzhou right now! We have to find Yao'er right now!"

"Now?"

Empress Ma was stunned by his sudden decision. She quickly sat up and said with a helpless expression, "Chongba, are you crazy? It's late at night now, the palace gates are already closed. Leaving the palace without permission is against the rules. If the ministers find out, there will be a lot of gossip."

"Moreover, traveling at night is not only unsafe due to the bumpy road, but it's also pitch black outside, making it difficult to even see the road. Furthermore, as the emperor, it would be disrespectful for you to travel privately at night!"

Empress Ma pointed out the many problems with his late-night departure from the palace and advised him to calm down.

Zhu Yuanzhang, however, did not care at all. He waved his hand and said confidently, "It's alright! With the palace gates closed, Erhu is agile and can lead us out of the palace quietly without being discovered."

"The journey is bumpy, so let's prepare fast horses and travel through the night. We should arrive in Chenzhou by dawn."

"Rules? Our rules are the rules!"

"As for the impact, as long as we do it discreetly, who will know?"