Chapter 1374: Farewell, Wealthy Prince!

Pukou City, East River Wharf.

Drums and music sounded together, playing a lingering, melodious farewell tune. It seemed the music of parting had moved Heaven itself, for a fine, misty rain began to fall. In the fine rain, the clear breeze, and the farewell melody, the orderly red-coated soldiers were silently boarding their ships. The relatives seeing them off crowded a little way off, sending up wave after wave of hoarse, heartbroken shouts and weeping.

This was a parting of life and death!

Because the red-coated soldiers boarding the ships were all New Continent military households following the wealthy prince Zhu Hehao to settle on the New Continent. It could not be said they would never return in their lifetimes, but for fifteen years they were not permitted to leave the New Continent — every red-coated soldier boarding the ships had signed a contract: for fifteen years they were not allowed to leave their assigned garrison-farm lands. After fifteen years, their roots would be sunk deep in the New Continent. How many of them could still make the ten-thousand-li voyage back to the Great Ming to reunite with their families?

And besides, even if they did return to the Great Ming, how many of their family members would they still be able to see?

Their families had long since been shattered and scattered in the Ming-Shun War. Their hometowns, too, they could never return to.

Du Mulan, Du Mumian, and Du Muxin, the three siblings, had by now also cried themselves into three tear-soaked figures. Standing on the deck of the Pacific great sailing ship Xinzhou, they waved their arms with all their might toward the crowd seeing them off in the distance. They were now people without a home. Their household registration in Shizhu County, Chongqing Prefecture, Sichuan Province, was gone, replaced by a green United States household register. The two sisters Du Mulan and Du Mumian both belonged to Zhu Hehao's guard battalion, so they held Hua Estate registration. The youngest, Du Muxin, was to go settle in the Great Basin — that was truly a wild and savage land!

According to the accounts of Zhu Hehao's household retainers who had been to the New Continent, the meat-filled buns in the Great Basin had no bun — only great chunks of beef. When you got tired of beef, you could only shoot pigeons for food. There were far too many pigeons there; if your archery was good enough, you were sure to eat until you vomited! If you got tired of beef and pigeon, you could only go fishing in the America River. The fish in that river were so numerous it was outrageous — you could catch them without even using bait. One kind, called the American perch (the very perch sold in later generations' markets), was quite tasty. But eat too much of it and it also turned fishy.

In short, life in the Great Basin was very hard. One had to be prepared to endure hardship!

On the long wharf stretching out into the surface of the Yangtze, a father and son were slowly walking toward the Xinzhou. Guarding the wharf were officers and men of the Great Ming Imperial Guard Army. Seeing the father and son approach, they all stood at attention and saluted. This father and son were, of course, the Son of Heaven of the Great Ming, Zhu Cilang, and the King of the United States, Zhu Hehao.

Today was the day Zhu Hehao left the Great Ming and set out on the ten-thousand-li road eastward!

Perhaps it was also the day of Zhu Cilang's eternal parting from his eldest son.

Toward this son, Zhu Cilang's feelings were truly somewhat complicated. This son had shown extraordinary intelligence from childhood. As he grew older, he also displayed very high financial acumen and emotional intelligence, and his results at the Military Academy were outstanding as well. What was even rarer was that he also had a very capable mother, who had long since prepared a huge sum of money for him.

If the position of Crown Prince could be won by talent alone, then among Zhu Cilang's sons, the one who could prevail was undoubtedly this wealthy prince.

But Zhu Cilang was a Twenty-Five Filial Son!

How could he not guard against one of his own sons turning out to be exactly the same kind of filial son?

And Zhu Hehao absolutely had the potential to become a Twenty-Five Filial Son. From childhood to adulthood, he had always been the kind of big-brother leader surrounded by a circle of little brothers — he was a wealthy prince, after all! And he was smart, good at building connections, and even looked especially like a boss. How many devoted admirers this kind of person had at the Military Academy — you could figure that out with your heel.

If Zhu Cilang had given him the position of Crown Prince, how many young officers graduated from the Military Academy would have become his die-hard followers?

Zhu Hexing, by contrast, fell far short. He was the kind of run-of-the-mill fellow who had simply stepped in dog shit and gotten lucky. It could not be said he was terribly bad, but placed in the elite-filled Military Academy, no one would think he was particularly dazzling. Instead, everyone thought the nickname "Lucky Boy" that Zhu Cilang had given him was very fitting. He was just especially lucky, that was all!

However, until Ding Yuying appeared, Zhu Hehao had still had a chance to become Crown Prince. As long as Zhu Hexing truly reached the point of disappointing Zhu Cilang, the Crown Prince would have to be replaced.

Unfortunately, Ding Yuying as Crown Princess was far too satisfactory to Emperor Zhu, and she also allowed Emperor Zhu to cultivate her with confidence — a Crown Princess from a humble background could not possibly incite the elites of the Military Academy to launch a coup and overthrow Zhu Cilang.

Her origins were far lower than that Catherine, and Zhu Cilang was no Peter III, and Zhu Hexing was certainly no Peter III either.

With a Crown Princess capable of assisting Zhu Hexing, Zhu Hehao naturally ought to leave the Great Ming — best if he never came back!

Father and son were both shrewd people. Both understood this reasoning, and neither would ever state it plainly.

"Imperial Father, once your son leaves, I do not know when I will be able to return," Zhu Hehao said, stopping in his steps. The Xinzhou was right before his eyes. He turned his head to look at his father, tears glistening in his eyes. "I entrust my mother to Imperial Father."

"Understood," Zhu Cilang said, forcing out a slight smile. "Your mother has always been your father's favored consort. These past few years, because of the press of government affairs, I have only slightly neglected her. Now that the roving bandits have been basically pacified and all under Heaven is at peace, We can also find time to keep your mother company more."

Zhu Hehao spoke again: "Your son hopes that the second and fifth brothers can be transferred in enfeoffment to the New Continent. Brothers with one heart, together opening up new territory."

Zhu Cilang's fifth son was the Prince of Ao, Zhu He'ao, the son of Empress Wu Sanmei. Zhu Hehao did not ask for his own full brother Zhu Hezhen, but instead asked for this Zhu He'ao — naturally in order to seize a "hostage" in his hands, so as to restrain Wu Sanmei somewhat, lest Wu Sanmei and Wu Ake join forces against his own mother.

Zhu Cilang smiled and shook his head: "There is no need for that. We will handle it well — rest assured! Besides, He'ao still has a good destination; he will not go to the New Continent. Later, We will send the second and fourth to help you. From now on, the New Continent will depend on you three brothers!"

Having once again obtained Zhu Cilang's assurance, Zhu Hehao was finally at ease. He smiled and said to his father: "Imperial Father, your son will never let you down!"

Zhu Cilang nodded and smiled: "We will see you off here. I wish you a smooth journey!"

Zhu Hehao dropped to his knees with a thud before Zhu Cilang, then kowtowed several times and said: "Imperial Father, take care of your health. Your son takes his leave here!"

With that, he stood up and strode toward the Xinzhou.

Zhu Cilang watched his eldest son board the Xinzhou, then turned and walked toward the Yangtze riverbank — because East River Wharf was a seagoing-ship wharf, and seagoing ships required deeper draft, the wharf extended toward the middle of the river, connected to the bank by a long wooden bridge.

On the riverbank were still Zhu Hexing, Ding Yuying, Wu Ahuan, Ahai, Zhu Hekun, Zhu Hezhen, Zheng Chagu, and others. They had all come to see Zhu Hehao off on his long journey, and now every one of them was shedding tears. Of course, some were truly crying and some were faking it. Among them, Ding Yuying was faking it, while Zhu Hexing, his mouth wide open, was wailing quite sorrowfully — it did not look like an act.

"Lucky Boy, Yuying, accompany Us back to the palace!"

Watching the Xinzhou and more than ten other great sailing ships hoist sail and depart, Zhu Cilang called Zhu Hexing and Ding Yuying to ride with him in one carriage, while also having Wu Ahuan and Ahai accompany Zheng Chagu in another carriage. The whole family left the wharf together.

"Lucky Boy, Yuying, are you prepared to take up your posts in Tianhe?"

In the carriage, Zhu Cilang asked about the matter of Zhu Hexing and Ding Yuying going to Tianhe Prefecture.

"We are already prepared," Ding Yuying answered.

"Yes, prepared!" Zhu Hexing also said.

"What have you prepared?" Zhu Cilang asked.

Zhu Hexing said: "Your son has transferred a batch of officials from Shizhu and Fengdu in Sichuan to accompany us, and has also requested the transfer of a batch of veterans from the Imperial Guard Army."

"And you?" Zhu Cilang asked Ding Yuying.

"Your daughter-in-law has transferred a batch of people from the Jabusi Trading House — all capable of getting things done." Ding Yuying said, "I have also met with the retired Grand Secretary Shen."

Transferring officials, transferring troops, transferring trading-house staff, and even meeting with Shen Tingyang — all of this was naturally permitted by Emperor Zhu. This was both an exercise and an assessment. Up to now, their performance had been passable and proper.

Zhu Cilang nodded. "Very well, We understand. You two should also set out as soon as possible! We give you one year to settle those roving-bandit garrison-farm households, then return. Remember, this is a task for the two of you — you must work together with one heart to accomplish it."

(End of Chapter)