Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Grand Imperial Grandson Is Wealthy and Handsome

"Ten percent of the annual salt profits go to His Highness the Grandson?"

"Hiss... how much money would that be?"

"Since the refining technology is now controlled by the Imperial Court, salt merchants must acquire their supply from the government. Currently, from salt alone, the Court profits by over ten million taels! Wouldn't ten percent be one million taels?"

"One million taels every year? My goodness...!"

As the ministers analyzed Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang's words, they couldn't help but gasp.

In the past, mineral salt was considered toxic, so the common people relied on sea salt. Any merchant with a government permit could mine and sell salt themselves, reaping huge profits, while the Imperial Court received only a pittance in taxes.

Now, with the introduction of refined salt, the merchants' coarse salt had no market; they were forced to buy from the government and resell it, pocketing the difference. The profits were vastly different from before!

"Well? Duke of Xin? Do we have a wager?" Zhu Xiongying asked, hands on his hips, waiting for Tang He's response.

"Your Highness, if Old Tang won't bet with you, then I will!"

"Move aside! If Old Tang won't bet, then I will. Get to the back of the line!"

"Why should I...?"

Lan Yu, Xu Da, and Feng Sheng immediately began to bicker over the opportunity. Everyone had previously assumed this seven-year-old Grandson was joking, guessing he didn't even have a hundred taels to his name. They never imagined the boy was actually wealthy—extremely wealthy. A hundred times wealthier than any of them!

How could they miss such a chance to make money? Even if they lost, it would only mean changing a title; it wouldn't cost them a limb!

"You lot should step aside! I never said I wasn't betting!" Tang He wasn't senile yet; he wouldn't miss a chance to make a fortune. He looked down at the little boy, who didn't even reach his knees. "Your Highness, this old minister takes the bet! Please, reveal your method for preventing the wear on warhorse hooves!"

"No problem!"

The little boy made an "OK" gesture, casually tossing out a phrase in English. He trotted on his short legs over to Zhu Yuanzhang’s imperial desk, grabbed the finest wolf-hair brush, and began to sketch on a blank sheet of paper.

In moments, the shape of a horseshoe took form.

"Just find a blacksmith, have them forge it to this shape, and nail it to the horse’s hooves. That will easily solve the problem!" The boy held up the drawing and shoved it into the hands of Tang He, the Duke of Xin.

Seeing it, Tang He felt a sudden, ominous premonition. "This... this will solve it?"

"Of course!" Zhu Xiongying nodded firmly. "A horse's hoof has no nerve endings, much like our hair. Nailing a horseshoe on causes no pain! But without protection, the hoof wears thinner and thinner from long-distance running, eventually reaching the sensitive quick, causing pain that makes the horse unable to run or even walk."

The drawing circulated among the officials. After this explanation, they nodded, finding his reasoning sound.

"Without a horseshoe, a warhorse might not even last five years! With this, that won't happen, and their service life could extend to over twenty years!"

Before the boy even finished, the officials gasped again.

"Hiss... a warhorse lasting twenty years? I dare not even imagine it!"

"Indeed! Horses usually enter the battlefield at three, and after four or five years of use, they are basically spent. If they could really last twenty years, think of the money saved!"

"I never imagined that a problem which has plagued us for thousands of years would be solved by our young Grandson!"

"Incredible! Truly incredible...!" The officials sighed in wonder.

Zhu Yuanzhang let out a hearty laugh. "Hahaha! Minister Feng, order the Ministry of Works to forge these in bulk immediately and equip every warhorse in the army!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Feng Sheng, the Minister of Works, bowed to accept the order.

Zhu Yuanzhang could not stop smiling. "Hahaha, two small pieces of iron, and they will save our Great Ming two or three hundred thousand taels of silver every year! My grandson deserves great credit!"

"Grandfather Emperor, does this mean I have won or lost the bet?" The little boy tilted his head and asked.

"Hahaha! You should ask the Duke of Xin that yourself!"

He had already ordered the horseshoes to be made; his attitude was self-evident.

Zhu Xiongying turned his gaze toward Tang He. "Duke of Xin?"

"No, no, no! I am the Duke of Doubt!" Tang He waved his hands repeatedly, voluntarily changing his own title.

*Ding! Congratulations to the host for pranking Tang He. Reward: Six months of extended life!*

*Ding! Congratulations to the host for introducing the horseshoe to Great Ming ahead of time. Reward: A world map!*

Just as Tang He conceded, the system rewards arrived.

"My dear grandson, did an immortal tell you about this?"

"Something like that!" Zhu Xiongying replied flippantly.

"Your Majesty, since His Highness the Grandson is blessed by the immortals, he will surely achieve great things in the future. Perhaps he should be sent to the Great Learning Hall soon so he can contribute to the Court...!" Kong An, the Minister of Rites, proposed and volunteered himself. "This humble minister is untalented, but I am willing to personally tutor His Highness!"

The other civil officials cursed the old man for being cunning. The Grandson was already of noble status, wealthy, and handsome. Now that he was repeatedly performing great deeds, he would surely sit on the throne one day. Whoever was his teacher would surely rise to prominence!

It was a pity that such a golden opportunity had been snatched by this man. Kong An was a descendant of Confucius and full of scholarly knowledge, but anyone who made it to the imperial court was well-read. Teaching a seven-year-old child was an easy task! They only hoped the Emperor would refuse so they might have a chance to compete.

However, to their disappointment, Zhu Yuanzhang nodded without a second thought. "Good! I grant it!"

At the same time, Crown Prince Zhu Biao looked at Kong An and gave him a sympathetic glance. Of course, at this moment, Kong An had no idea what that look meant!