The donkey cart transporting the swill slowly passed through the city gate. The city gate guards didn't even inspect the swill barrels, directly urging the donkey cart to leave quickly.
Ten li outside Yingtian Prefecture, Rosen was already waiting here.
Zhu Di emerged from the swill barrel, and Rosen immediately stepped back a few paces.
Zhu Di looked at Rosen a few more times, feeling hurt.
"King thought Mr. Rosen was not particular about details."
"Stinky is stinky, I don't care if you're particular or not. Here are the clothes I prepared for you, and there's a bathtub nearby. Hurry up and clean yourself."
Zhu Di didn't expect Rosen's arrangements to be so meticulous. Since his misfortune, no one besides his wife and children had been so considerate to him.
After a thorough wash, Zhu Di felt much refreshed, and his entire being was revitalized.
"This great kindness today will surely be heavily repaid in the future."
"Remember what you promised me." Rosen said solemnly, and at the same time, he took out a book and handed it to Zhu Di: "Shuntian Prefecture has many coal mines. This book records the uses of coal, steelmaking processes, and the manufacturing processes for new firearms. It also includes a distribution map of mineral resources around Shuntian Prefecture."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Di became even more curious about Rosen, cupping his hands in salute.
"I've done everything I can. Now it's up to your performance." Rosen waved his hand and turned to leave.
"Mr. Rosen, have you not considered what the outcome would be if King failed?"
"I have no losses. A mere bit of money is not enough to make me feel bad. At most, my son will retire due to illness and be dismissed from office. You are gambling with the lives of your entire family. If you win, you will rule the world. If you lose, your entire family, old and young, will perish together. So this question should not be asked of me, but of yourself."
Zhu Di spent ten days traveling two thousand li, exhausting five prized horses along the way.
"Fourth Brother." Xu Miaoyun, upon learning of Zhu Di's return, excitedly rushed through the Prince of Yan's Mansion and threw herself into Zhu Di's arms.
"Miaoyun, it's alright, it's alright. I'm back."
"Amitabha, Your Highness, welcome back." Just then, a black-robed monk walked in. The monk had inverted triangular eyes, yet his gaze held a steady calmness. He was the black-robed demonic monk Yao Guangxiao: "Your Highness, your return this time is sudden. We were not prepared at all."
In fact, Xu Miaoyun and Yao Guangxiao had already been planning to rescue Zhu Di, but unexpectedly, Zhu Di had returned on his own.
"Miaoyun, did someone deliver ten million taels to our Prince of Yan's Mansion a while ago?"
"Indeed, Fourth Brother. But is there a problem with this silver?"
Zhu Di thought for a moment and recounted the process of his acquaintance with Rosen.
Yao Guangxiao looked surprised: "So this Old Mr. Rosen sent King ten million taels of silver, and painstakingly rescued you from Yingtian Prefecture, all for the sake of making his son lose his official position and title?"
Xu Miaoyun was also shocked. What kind of bizarre request was this?
Zhu Di took out another book: "Great Master, take a look at this and see if it's feasible."
Yao Guangxiao opened the first page, which recorded the mining, uses, and detailed distribution of coal, very comprehensively. Then he turned to the second page, which had a map of the entire Shuntian Prefecture, marking the distribution of copper, iron, gold, and silver mines within the Shuntian Prefecture area.
"Your Highness, this book is?"
"It was given by that Mr. Rosen."
"This book is of great use! Now in King's hands, it's like adding wings to a tiger." Yao Guangxiao said excitedly: "It mentions a method called the assembly line, which can increase the speed of weapon forging by several times. If this method is used to manufacture firearms, a ten-thousand-man firearm battalion can be built in two or three months."
"Great Master, do you think there are other forces behind that Mr. Rosen?"
"No." Yao Guangxiao said with certainty.
"Why?"
"Imperial power, officials, gentry, and powerful families. The power in the world is already basically divided. This world cannot accommodate a fourth force."
"But ten million taels of silver is not something an individual can produce."
Yao Guangxiao patted the book in his hand: "Your Highness, have you forgotten what is recorded in this book?"
"I don't understand."
"I speculate that this person has a means to accurately survey various mineral deposits, which is why he possesses such wealth. To him, money is truly insignificant." Yao Guangxiao said: "Assuming there is another force behind him, then what they seek is nothing more than power and profit. Imagine if he were to give these ten million taels to the young emperor, could he exchange it for power?"
"Naturally, he could."
No one could refuse the astronomical sum of ten million taels.
"If there are other forces behind him, do they hope the emperor is weak or strong?"
"Weak."
"That's right, only an individual can be so willful, casually throwing money around."
"Then could there be a greater scheme?"
"If they had a greater scheme, they would choose to support someone else."
"Fourth Brother, I also feel that this Mr. Rosen is more like a willful person." Xu Miaoyun said.
"Do you also have that feeling?"
"From his conversation with you, it's not hard to see that he disdains officialdom and has no awe of imperial power." Xu Miaoyun said: "I am rather curious about this Mr. Rosen."
"You'll have a chance to meet him."
Now that Zhu Di had escaped back to Shuntian Prefecture, Zhu Yunwen would certainly issue an edict to apprehend him.
So, from the moment he escaped Yingtian Prefecture, there was no turning back.
Fortunately, the distance of two thousand li gave him two or three months of preparation time.
The most urgent task was to recruit soldiers and buy horses. King Zhu Quan still had tens of thousands of soldiers in his hands.
As long as Zhu Quan was willing to lend him troops, coupled with the steelmaking technology he possessed, he could then possess a powerful armed force in a very short time.
"I'm going to Zhu Quan's place. The matters in Shuntian Prefecture will be left to you all."
"Fourth Brother, you just returned. You must be exhausted from the journey. Why not rest for two days first?"
Zhu Di shook his head: "If I cannot borrow troops from Zhu Quan this time, then it will be very difficult for us to succeed. This matter should be done sooner rather than later; there is no time to delay."
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