Chapter Seven: Rewards Are Truly Easy to Farm

“Exactly! This salt was indeed refined by my grandson...!” Zhu Xiongying nodded in acknowledgment. “There’s no other way—the palace salt is simply too poor in quality! Not only is it bitter, but it also contains so many impurities!”

If one were to eat such salt continuously, he feared one day it might prove fatal.

Satisfied with the answer, Zhu Yuanzhang laughed heartily. “Hahaha! Dear grandson, the salt in the palace is already the finest! The common folk only have coarse large salt stones, which contain even more impurities and bitterness!”

“Grandfather the Emperor always loves his people like his own children, so I tried to purify the crude salt to let the common people enjoy good salt!” The little boy squinted his eyes and offered this well-timed compliment.

With Old Zhu backing him up, Zhu Biao wouldn’t dare lay a finger on him!

“Hahaha...” As expected, Zhu Yuanzhang laughed out loud. “Good grandson, come here!”

“Alright!” After flashing a triumphant smile at Zhu Biao, the boy ran over to Zhu Yuanzhang’s side and boldly squeezed onto the dragon throne!

“Shh...” Zhu Biao and Yun Qi both gasped sharply.

Who could just sit on this throne whenever they pleased?

[Notification! Congratulations to the host for sitting on the dragon throne and terrifying Zhu Biao and Yun Qi. Reward: 100 jin of sweet potatoes and 100 jin of potatoes!]

Receiving the system reward, Zhu Xiongying shifted his bottom deeper into the seat.

“Xiongying, stop fooling around and get down!” Zhu Biao was nearly frightened out of his wits.

Could Father the Emperor be suspecting me of rebellion now?

“Grandfather the Emperor called me over. What’s wrong with sitting here for a bit...?” Zhu Xiongying pouted innocently. “I am the Crown Prince personally appointed by Grandfather. This position will be mine eventually; I’m just getting an early feel for it!”

“Hahaha! Yes! Our dear grandson is truly clever...!” Zhu Yuanzhang not only wasn’t angry but gently stroked the boy’s head, smiling warmly. “When your father and I have passed on, this seat will be yours!”

History records one phrase: Zhu Yuanzhang had only one true son—Zhu Biao.

The others seemed almost wild.

Similarly, among dozens of grandsons, only Zhu Xiongying appeared truly legitimate.

He probably couldn’t even remember the names of the others!

This showed how deeply he favored his eldest son and eldest grandson.

---

Zhu Xiongying blinked, his gaze shifting between Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao. After a moment, he suddenly asked, “Grandfather, when will you and Dad pass on?”

“Cough, cough...” The question stunned everyone into silence.

“You and Dad pass on together, okay? Then the throne can pass directly to me!”

“Cough, cough, cough...”

[Notification! Congratulations to the host for frightening Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao with words. Reward: six months of extended life!]

The system prompt sounded again, and the little boy’s eyes sparkled.

Damn!

If it were so easy to earn rewards by spooking Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao, why waste so much time with Lü?

If only he had come to Old Zhu sooner, he might have extended his life by six or seven years by now!

At the same time, his theory was almost confirmed.

The higher the status, the better the rewards from the system!

Just a few words earned half a year of life extension!

A small action earned sweet potatoes and potatoes.

The bounty was simply too generous!

Just as he puckered his lips, happily plotting how to get more rewards, Old Zhu, recovering from his cough, spoke, “Well... dear grandson... no need to wait for us to pass on. You can come whenever you want!”

“Thank you, Grandfather!” Zhu Xiongying jumped down from the dragon throne and thanked him with delight.

“By the way, dear grandson, I heard from your father that the method to regulate merchants by merchants was your idea?”

“That’s right!” The boy played with a brush on the table as he spoke.

Zhu Yuanzhang’s eyes lit up. “Could you write down the exact purification method? Then we can send people to refine it.”

Just as he finished speaking, the boy tossed a sheet of paper with drawings onto Zhu Yuanzhang’s face.

Zhu Biao immediately scolded, “Xiongying, don’t fool around!”

“I’m not fooling around. Didn’t Grandfather want the purification method? What, don’t want it anymore?”

“No, no, no... I want it! I want it!” Zhu Yuanzhang tore the paper from his face and carefully examined the sketches.

They weren’t random doodles but a set of purification instructions, expressed through drawings!

“Dear grandson! The palace has many top-tier painters! How about I find one to be your mentor?”

---

Even Zhu Yuanzhang, who came from humble origins, couldn’t help but frown at the crude drawing.

If one didn’t know, no one would realize it was a method to purify crude salt!

The first drawing showed two people setting up a pot over a fire.

The second depicted adding water and salt.

Then followed filtration and salt washing!

The images were highly abstract.

“Dear grandson! Are you sure this will yield salt as white and free from bitterness as you say?”

After reviewing the entire process, Zhu Yuanzhang found it hard to believe.

“Yeah! I’m just a kid; I couldn’t think of anything complicated,” Zhu Xiongying said as he dipped his brush into the inkstone and began sketching on another paper.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded. “That makes sense!”

“Oh, Grandfather, since I’ve already told you the purification method, once we make money, shouldn’t I get a cut?”

The salt trade was mostly controlled by the royal family.

Selling salt without royal permission meant prison time!

It was essentially a monopoly business.

Such businesses always made money!

Even a ten percent share was enough to live in wealth and comfort.

“Hahaha! Dear grandson, my money is your money. Why would I need to share it?” Zhu Yuanzhang laughed heartily.

However, Zhu Xiongying disagreed. “Grandfather, if that’s the case, the money you spend now is actually mine. Then give me back my money!”

After speaking, he reached out as if to take his money.

“Xiongying, you’re getting more and more ridiculous! Didn’t you just say you wanted to help your grandfather by researching the purification method? Now you want money too?” Zhu Biao couldn’t stand it anymore.

Even if he loved the child, he couldn’t indulge such nonsense!

“Yes, I gave the crude salt purification method to Grandfather! But now I want a share of the profits from purifying mineral salt!”

“What? Mineral salt can be purified...?”

As soon as the words came out, both Old Zhu and Zhu Biao furrowed their brows, stunned once again.