Chapter 290: New City

Three days later, Zhou Wang Fu.

Zhu Su locked himself in the study for a full three days.

The table was piled with medicinal herbs, medical texts, notes, blueprints; discarded drafts lay scattered on the floor, and the air was filled with the mixed scent of various herbs.

His eyes were blood‑shot, yet his spirit was unnervingly exhilarated.

"Done."

He set down the herb pestle in his hand and let out a long sigh.

On the desk were three bowls, each containing a freshly brewed herbal decoction of varying shades.

Beside him stood several imperial physicians of the Imperial Hospital, each wearing a face of reverence.

"Prince, the effect of this medicine… truly miraculous. I, the senior court physician, have tested those few herbs; it indeed matches the miasma symptoms, the combination is exquisite, far stronger than the Imperial Hospital's old formulas."

An elderly imperial physician said in a trembling voice.

Zhu Su waved his hand and said, "Don't rush to praise yet; have someone send it to the South Sea for a trial, to see the actual results."

"Yes."

"Also, this prescription is divided into several types for different miasmas—damp‑heat miasma, cold‑damp miasma, mountain‑mist miasma… all clearly marked, so people can follow it without mixing them up."

Zhu Su pointed to another bowl and said.

"Yes."

The imperial physicians cradled the prescription and the decoction, and withdrew very carefully.

Zhu Su leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

He hadn't slept much for three days and three nights; the fatigue was real.

But his heart was glad.

The Second Prince's returned prescription saved another group of people.

He suddenly recalled his childhood, when the Second Prince had just been recognized as a legitimate heir; he was still young, and only thought that Second Prince was simple‑minded, strong, and could eat a lot.

Later the Second Prince fought wars, earned merit, was ennobled as a prince, took a wife, had children, and then went to Australia to expand the frontier.

All the way, the Second Prince never stopped.

And what about himself?

He had loved medicine since childhood; Imperial Father scolded him for being idle, but the elder brother protected him, and the Second Prince never said a word, only each time he brought back those blueprints and prescriptions, someone would specially deliver a copy to him.

He knew that was the Second Prince helping him.

Supporting him in pursuing what he loved.

Zhu Su opened his eyes and looked at the sky outside the window gradually darkening.

"Second Prince, I will definitely master these prescriptions and ensure that Great Ming never again loses anyone to miasma." he whispered.

Outside, dusk closed in on all sides.

The lights of Zhou Wang Fu lit up one after another.

May 20th, Yingtian Prefecture Wharf.

A steamship slowly set sail, its bow pointing south.

On board were the first batch of miasma‑preventing medicinal herbs and prescriptions, as well as a letter from Zhu Biao to Mu Ying.

At the same time, another ship headed southeast.

It was a vessel bound for Australia, also carrying transcribed prescriptions and a handwritten letter from Zhu Biao.

"Second Prince, respectfully,

The prescription has been received; the Sixth Prince treats it as a treasure, spent three days behind closed doors perfecting it, and has already sent it to the South Sea for trial.

Over in Australia, the miasma is presumably abundant; the prescription is attached to the letter, and if you need it there, you may have the army doctors compound it according to the formula.

Shuang Er is still obedient; that kid has been troublesome since childhood, and even in Australia he probably won't settle down. Keep a close eye on him and don't let him cause trouble.

All is well at home; Xiong Ying studies diligently, Huan Huan often talks about you, Jiong Jiong cries every day that he wants to see kangaroos, Guanyin Nu is in good health, so rest assured.

Take care.

—handwritten by Brother Biao

The sea wind was strong, and the sails were fully billowed.

The letter paper lay quietly in the cabin, gently rocking with the waves.

In the distance, sea and sky merged into a line.

The fleet sailed into the distance.

Sailing toward the continent that Great Ming is gradually developing.

May 25th, Australia.

Zhu Yong stood on the newly built city wall, gazing at the endless mountains of mines and the bustling crowd in the distance.

The city had just received a name… "New City".

Simple, straightforward, yet fitting.

The city was small; its walls were built of cement and stone, two zhang high and one zhang thick, enough to repel the natives' assaults.

Inside the city, dozens of wooden houses had been erected, along with barracks, warehouses, a craftsmen's workshop, a kitchen, and a camp specifically for holding captives.

Outside, the mines were filled with clamor; countless natives, under the foreman's command, were extracting ore, loading carts, and transporting it.

A simple track ran from the mines straight to the wharf, and ore carts glided along it, saving much labor.

"Second Prince!"

A shout came from behind.

Zhu Yong turned around and saw Zhu Shuang sprint up the city wall, drenched in sweat, but with an excited smile on his face.

"Second Prince, we've found another iron ore deposit down the mountain, bigger than the previous one!" Zhu Shuang ran up to him, panting.

Zhu Yong looked at him and smiled.

The kid has been in Australia for almost a month, following him east and west every day, scouting mines, surveying terrain, rounding up natives, handling all sorts of chores.

At first he complained about being tired, about hardship, about the food.

Yet complaint aside, he never missed a single task that needed doing.

Now he's a bit darker, a bit thinner, but his spirit is far stronger than when he was in Xi'an.

"Go take a look." Zhu Yong turned and walked down along the wall.

Zhu Shuang followed behind, still talking nonstop.

"Second Prince, that iron ore is open‑pit; the cliff is covered with reddish‑brown Stone, Zhang Wu said the grade is high. I had people take a few pieces and will send them back to the Ministry of Works for inspection…"

Zhu Yong listened, nodding occasionally.

When they reached the foot of the wall, Zhang Wu was already waiting at the gate with a horse.

The two brothers vaulted onto their horses and galloped toward the mine.

Half an hour later, they arrived before the newly discovered iron ore.

The cliff was steep; exposed rock glimmered dark‑red in the sun, dense and layered, stretching beyond sight.

Zhu Yong dismounted, walked over, picked up a piece of ore, hefted it, and glanced at it in the sunlight.

"The grade is indeed high; mark it. When the second batch of craftsmen from Yingtian Prefecture arrives, we'll prioritize mining this deposit." He handed the ore to Zhu Shuang with a smile.

"Understood." Zhu Shuang took the ore and wrapped it carefully.

Zhu Yong looked up, gazed at the mine, then at the bustling crowd in the distance, and fell silent for a moment.

"Shuang'er, you've been in Australia for a month; how does it feel?"

Zhu Shuang froze for a moment, then thought seriously.

"Tiring, hard, but… quite interesting."

"Interesting?" Zhu Yong turned to look at him, genuinely puzzled.

Zhu Shuang nodded, pointing at the distant mine and said, "When I was in Xi'an, every day was just reading reports, listening to briefings, handling all that chaotic stuff."

"It was the same routine back and forth, and the annoyance was killing me."

He paused, then added, "It's different here; everything is new. The mine was discovered by ourselves, the road built by ourselves, the city erected by ourselves."

"Even though it's tiring, there's a sense of achievement."

Zhu Yong looked at him, a faint smile tugging at his mouth.

The kid has truly grown up.

"Then work hard; this continent is still vast, enough for you to toil for decades." He patted Zhu Shuang's shoulder and laughed.

Zhu Shuang grinned, "Second Prince, don't worry; I'll definitely manage Australia well."

In the distance, the sea breeze blew, carrying the fresh scent of eucalyptus.

The setting sun sank in the west, stretching the brothers' shadows long and long.

The twilight over the Australian continent was tranquil and majestic.

And the future of this continent had only just begun.