Chapter 496: Warships

The festivities went on until evening, and only then did everyone disperse. Zhu Youxiao also made his way to the quarters that had been prepared for him.

That night, Zhu Youxiao enjoyed a rare moment of relaxation.

After seeing those warships, he could see the future of the Great Ming.

One day, sooner or later, the Great Ming's warships would sail out from here and become an invincible fleet sweeping across the world.

He had been busy for so many years, working diligently and conscientiously for so many years—all for this obsession in his heart.

Now that he had finally seen hope, how could Zhu Youxiao's mood be anything but good?

At the same time, he was filled with hope, his heart brimming with the passion of striving. He absolutely had to do this well.

Early the next morning, Zhu Youxiao rose at the crack of dawn.

Although he hadn't done much these past two years, when it came to exercising his body, he had never dared to slack off.

He had to live a few more years—Zhu Youxiao constantly reminded himself of this.

Thanks to his body clock, he woke up very early this morning. After a lap around the grounds, he practiced boxing and ran in the courtyard.

Qi Yuangong led the men standing guard nearby, not daring to slack off in the slightest.

The surrounding guards were the same—every one of them watched with the utmost care.

Zhu Youxiao said nothing about it.

No matter where one was, one could not afford to be negligent.

Zhu Youxiao took the towel Wei Chao handed over and wiped his face.

This towel had only been developed in the past two years. Made from wool, it was soft and absorbent—perfect for wiping one's face.

After the towel was introduced, it became wildly popular. It could be said to be an essential item in aristocratic households, and its price remained high to this day.

A single towel like this sold for enough to buy a full set of silk clothing. At this time, it was simply a case of scarcity driving up value.

The Imperial Household Department ran the business shrewdly, and Zhu Youxiao didn't interfere with such matters.

After wiping his face, Zhu Youxiao tossed the towel back to Wei Chao and asked, "Is there anything going on?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty," Wei Chao said hurriedly, "the two Honored Song gentlemen are already waiting outside."

"What are they here for?" Zhu Youxiao was taken aback and asked, "Could something have happened?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, they have come to pay their respects to Your Majesty." Wei Chao said once more.

There was nothing improper about the Song brothers' conduct—after all, when the Emperor came to your territory, you should always come to pay your respects in the morning.

It was just like being a child at home. There was a saying about "morning and evening greetings"—in plain terms, in the morning and evening you must go pay respects to your parents. You go in the morning to offer greetings, and before bed at night you also go to ask after them.

When facing the Emperor, one naturally had to maintain this same attitude.

After thinking it over, Zhu Youxiao said, "Then prepare breakfast. Call them in and have them join me for the meal."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Wei Chao obediently acknowledged.

Wei Chao couldn't help but feel some emotion inwardly—His Majesty truly did think highly of the Song brothers.

One had to know that in such situations, His Majesty would usually just send the ministers away. Summoning them in for an audience was already a great favor.

But now His Majesty was actually summoning both Song brothers in and even having them eat together with him. This was no longer simply a matter of favor—just how favored did a minister have to be to receive such treatment?

Still, Wei Chao didn't dare say anything. He turned and walked outside. He needed to bring the two Song brothers in quickly and not waste any time, or it would incur His Majesty's displeasure.

After tidying himself up briefly and changing into a fresh set of clothes, Zhu Youxiao saw the two Song brothers walk in from outside.

Seeing the two about to perform the formal salute, Zhu Youxiao directly waved his hand to stop them.

He said, "We're not in the capital, nor in the great hall. In private, let's dispense with the formalities. It so happens I'm about to have breakfast—you two may join me."

The two Song brothers exchanged a glance, both feeling somewhat awkward.

One had to know—they had come to pay respects to the Emperor. It was perfectly normal for the Emperor to grant them an audience; this was originally supposed to be a win-win affair.

But with His Majesty putting it that way, it sounded as if the two of them had come just to mooch a meal—and had even timed their arrival for mealtime.

Still, that thought only flashed through the Song brothers' minds before they quickly bowed together and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

After the two Song brothers took their seats, Wei Chao ordered the servants to bring up the food.

Zhu Youxiao's breakfast had always been very simple. This morning there was rice porridge and steamed buns, two eggs, and several kinds of cold dishes.

Because someone had to test the food for poison, the porridge was already lukewarm by the time it was served.

This was actually a method Zhu Youxiao had come up with himself. After the food taster sampled everything, all the dishes would be placed in an insulated box.

Below the insulation was hot water, keeping the food from going cold. Though the taste wasn't as good as fresh from the pot, at least it was hot.

Many things were just right to eat at this temperature—like the bowl of rice porridge in Zhu Youxiao's hand. Smooth and palatable, it tasted excellent, and Zhu Youxiao ate with great relish.

Song Yingsheng and Song Yingxing also ate with gusto. After all, when dining with His Majesty, what one tasted was no longer just the flavor.

After the three finished eating, the leftover scraps were cleared away and warm tea was brought up.

After taking a sip of tea, Zhu Youxiao looked at the two Song brothers and said, "I came over this time to take a look, and I'm very satisfied. The two of you have done well."

"Once matters here come to a close, the rewards and honors will be issued. As for your official positions, they likely won't be adjusted for now. But I don't believe it will be too long."

The two Song brothers were ministers Zhu Youxiao valued greatly—naturally, he couldn't leave them here watching over a shipyard.

Using them this way was actually somewhat wasteful. But replacing them now was something Zhu Youxiao truly couldn't feel at ease about.

After a period of time, once the shipyard was fully on track and the first batch of warships was launched, he would transfer the Song brothers away.

"I truly can't rest easy leaving this place to others, so I can only ask you brothers to bear with it for now." Zhu Youxiao said once more, his tone very gentle, with a faint trace of guilt.

The two Song brothers quickly said, "To serve Your Majesty loyally and to contribute to the Great Ming is what we brothers have always wished to do. No matter what we do, we brothers will never complain."

Zhu Youxiao nodded with satisfaction and said with a smile, "If all the officials under heaven were like you two brothers, how could the Great Ming fail to prosper and flourish?"

The conversation between sovereign and ministers had been recorded by those nearby. In the future, all of this would be written into Zhu Youxiao's veritable records.

The words and deeds of an emperor, this scene of harmony between sovereign and minister—naturally, it would be described with great emphasis.

Of course, the ministers' utter loyalty and the Emperor's broad-mindedness—these things would be written about with even greater emphasis.

After finishing that topic, Zhu Youxiao directly changed the subject and said, "The reason I came here this time, besides seeing the warships you've built, is to bring you the people from the Hundred Crafts Institute."

"This matter is now classified. Even if you know about it, you must not leak it."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The two members of the Song family answered with solemn expressions.

In truth, the Great Ming had many secrets—whether in the Hundred Crafts Institute or elsewhere, even the shipyards held countless secrets.

In the past, no one paid much attention to such things, but now the court had dedicated anti-leak laws.

Whoever leaked a secret would face severe punishment. If someone deliberately sold secrets for money, that was a crime punishable by the execution of one's entire family and the wiping out of one's clan.

Everyone who entered the Hundred Crafts Institute or the shipyards received this kind of education. It could be said that management was extremely strict—people were everywhere, and every step had someone guarding it.

Under such circumstances, the Song brothers naturally understood what the Emperor was talking about, so they respectfully gave their assurances and waited for Zhu Youxiao to tell them the secret.

"You wouldn't know this out here, but the Hundred Crafts Institute has actually developed a new type of gunpowder." Zhu Youxiao looked at the two Song brothers and said, "This gunpowder is far more powerful than what we currently use. As a result, the cannons have greater range and greater power."

"In addition, the Hundred Crafts Institute has used this gunpowder to forge a new type of cannon—a breech-loading cannon with fixed metal ammunition. I imagine the two of you are no strangers to this."

"It's just that the difficulty that had never been overcome before has finally been conquered now. I want to equip this cannon onto the warships, along with new firearms and new rocket projectiles."

"As for the other weapons you want for your warships, you can also discuss them with the people from the Hundred Crafts Institute. This time, among the accompanying personnel, I have brought craftsmen from the Hundred Crafts Institute for you—you can discuss these matters with them."

"I won't be taking these people with me when I leave; they'll stay here with you. In short—if you need people, I'll give you people; if you need money, I'll give you money. You just need to get the job done well for me."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The two Song brothers quickly answered.

No one had expected that His Majesty would bring such news.

For the two members of the Song family, this was good news. As long as the warships were fitted with the new cannons, their power would naturally be extraordinary. However, it would require constant experimentation and continuous adjustment, so it would also take some time.

But for the two Song brothers, time was not a problem. Although it would delay their departure for a while, that didn't matter—as long as they could get the job done well, that was enough.

The two Song brothers did not believe that if they worked hard at the shipyard and achieved results, His Majesty would fail to promote the two of them.

His Majesty had always employed people without sticking to convention and always promoted based on merit alone. With the shipyard being a place His Majesty valued so highly, if they handled things well, they would certainly receive important appointments.

With the matters mostly explained, Zhu Youxiao brought the people over. For Zhu Youxiao, this matter was now complete—the rest was up to the Song brothers.

As for Qingdao, it was time to leave.

Coming to Qingdao had never been about doing anything major—it was just to take a look. Now that he had seen it and was satisfied, and the arrangements had been made, it was naturally time to leave.

This place was never Zhu Youxiao's destination. It was time to go.