Chapter 23: The Celestial Palace of Clouds

Inside the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

Zhu Youjian appeared, bringing with him Jianwen Zhu Di, which left Yongle Zhu Di momentarily speechless. The two Zhu Dis exchanged glances, both tacitly averting their eyes without a word.

"This isn't the best place to talk. Everyone, please follow me into the small world," Zhu Youjian said, glancing around and feeling the situation was a bit chaotic. With a wave of his hand, he opened a small barrier, enveloping everyone within.

Inside, clouds and mists swirled, exuding a thoroughly celestial atmosphere. A round table stood atop the clouds, upon which were arranged sixteen enormous dragon thrones from left to right, each inscribed with names such as Hongwu, Jianwen, Yongle, Hongxi, and so on, until at last, the thrones of Chongzhen and Hongwu met, forming a closed circle.

This was a new ability Zhu Youjian had gained after the country's fortunes had risen—he could now manifest anything he had seen and summon people from afar. With this small world at his disposal, it was no exaggeration for him to claim the powers of an immortal.

The current scene was inspired by a celestial palace from a fantasy drama Zhu Youjian had once watched—a grand, splendid spectacle, whose special effects, at the pinnacle of domestic productions, had left a deep impression on him.

"This is the realm of immortals! The realm of immortals!" the emperors exclaimed in awe, marveling at their surroundings. Though they were all supreme rulers, the most powerful men in the world, they now looked like country bumpkins seeing wonders for the first time.

"Ha, this thing is marvelous," Zhu Yuanzhang said, holding a cloud in his hands, grinning like a mischievous old man. When he noticed Zhu Youjian looking his way, he coughed and sternly rebuked the others, "Stop gawking! You all look like you've never seen anything before!"

"Yes, Father!" Both Zhu Dis obeyed at once, dutifully sitting on their respective thrones. Although Jianwen Zhu Di disliked the title "Jianwen," he had no choice but to accept it for the sake of clarity with his father.

Once all the emperors were seated, a magnificent, undulating landscape appeared at the center of the table, drawing another round of gasps.

"Gentlemen, look here," Zhu Youjian said, pointing. The vast map of Ming unfolded above the clouds, the view passing through layers of mist to focus on a worm-like stretch of territory.

"This is the Kingdom of Wa. In the southeast part of this region, there's a massive silver mine called 'Iwami,' and it's only the largest among many! The four islands of Japan contain one of the world's greatest concentrations of silver!"

"Grandson, our Ming empire is vast and rich, yet silver is so scarce. How can such a tiny place possess so much?" Zhu Yuanzhang, fully trusting his words, was nonetheless deeply curious.

"Because Wa is plagued by frequent volcanic eruptions, which bring forth all manner of rare minerals. Thus, the islands are rich in gold and silver." Zhu Youjian offered a brief explanation and continued, "The silver here is virtually inexhaustible. Annually, at least three million taels are produced—enough to supply Ming with currency for generations and, in the short term, solve the silver shortage!"

At least three million taels? Every year?

Upon hearing this, both Old Zhu Di and Zhu Si sat bolt upright, hands trembling with excitement. If Old Zhu weren't present, the two would have already been shouting to conquer Japan and seize the mines!

(Let's refer to Yongle as Old Zhu Di, Jianwen as Zhu Si, and Hongwu as Little Zhu Di from now on.)

"Destroy Wa, we must claim those mines!" Zhu Yuanzhang exclaimed, slapping the table in excitement—utterly determined. Even though he already knew of the silver yield, hearing it again thrilled him, for it meant the rise or fall of the dynasty itself.

"Of course. And it's not just about silver. In the future... Ah, Gaochi and the others are here. I'll bring them in now," Zhu Youjian broke off, reaching out to summon them.

Elsewhere in the palace, the confused, heavy-set prince and Zheng He, the head eunuch, were standing about in a daze. Suddenly, the scene before their eyes shifted; in the blink of an eye, they found themselves atop the clouds in a celestial realm.

Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang beckon and taking in the unimaginable surroundings, the portly prince grew anxious—could it be that his father's scolding, his own seat on the dragon throne, and meeting the founder were all signs that he had died? Had he run himself to death?

Impossible. How could a man die just from running? At worst, he'd collapse from exhaustion!

Old Zhu Di, feeling a bit embarrassed, barked, "Crown Prince, what are you standing there for? Come sit down!"

"Yes—yes, Father, I'm coming," the portly prince snapped out of it. Dead or alive, in heaven or wherever, he still had to obey his father—there was no escape.

With a wave of Zhu Youjian's hand, the prince and Zheng He were instantly placed beside Old Zhu Di's throne, still frozen mid-stride.

"Grandson, your abilities are truly divine!" Zhu Yuanzhang cried in awe, then surreptitiously nudged Zhu Biao, his expression saying: Our future grandson is amazing. I'm too embarrassed to ask him to be my teacher, but you're clever—learn what you can and teach me later.

Zhu Biao was bewildered. How was he supposed to learn any of this?

"Where were we?" Zhu Youjian asked.

Old Zhu Di reminded him, "Destroy Wa and seize the mines!"

"Right. This time we'll divide our forces. The naval routes and timing for each dynasty's actions will be planned by Zheng He. On land, we'll march through Goryeo and have them provide logistical and supply support—they're quite useless in combat anyway."

"Silver will be transported by sea. Each dynasty will send troops in turn, and the ships can be shared among the three courts."

"Moreover, in my own reign, we're researching a revolutionary device. Once it's complete, it will make silver transport for all dynasties incredibly efficient."

Zhu Youjian pointed, and a dragon-like train rushed around the emperors at lightning speed. The sight of such an epoch-making invention left everyone dumbstruck.

"Grandson, what wondrous device is this?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked eagerly.

It was clear he didn't really understand it, but he wanted it—the thing clearly moved faster than any horse!

"When the time comes, I'll bring you the finished product. The moment isn't right yet," Zhu Youjian replied mysteriously. The truth was, the steam engine hadn't been built, and he didn't know the principles behind it. If metallurgy in this era wasn't advanced enough, they'd have to combine the wisdom of several dynasties to develop it. Boasting about it now was harmless, and showing them the majesty of a steel train was no trouble—after all, building a steam engine and building a train were worlds apart.

"I see," Zhu Yuanzhang murmured, a little disappointed.

"In the Hongwu era, Wa was politically chaotic, with so-called generals each ruling their own domains. When the Hongwu armies march, there shouldn't be any real resistance. Any who fail to submit should be dealt with—after all, the Wa people are restless by nature, and their annihilation would be no great loss."

Zhu Youjian continued, "Chongzhen, if Wa hasn't provoked us, isn't it too much to attack and seize their mines?" Zhu Gaochi ventured to ask, though he was sorely tempted by the silver, to the point of wanting to mobilize the whole army.

Still, he felt this kind of plundering and slaughter was a bit excessive.

Zhu Biao felt the same, but trusted that Zhu Youjian must have his reasons, so he said nothing.

Zhu Yuanzhang and the Zhu Dis, on the other hand, had no qualms. As far as they were concerned, if the grandson wanted war, so be it. If he wanted Wa destroyed, it was the will of the immortal—a mandate from heaven.

"In centuries to come, the Wa people will invade China, massacre our people, burn, kill, and loot, plunging the nation into chaos and committing countless atrocities!" Zhu Youjian declared, drawing a deep breath, skipping over the three hundred years of Qing history in shame, and letting the others imagine Ming itself under attack.

"The accursed Wa! How dare they offend our great Ming! Truly, they must have a death wish!" Zhu Yuanzhang thundered, pounding the table, while the Zhu Dis were equally incensed.

Seeing the mood reach its peak, Zhu Youjian, knowing it wasn't quite enough, swept his arm grandly!

A harrowing, brutal scene unfolded above the celestial palace, as vivid as any film, plunging the emperors into its horrors.

Enough talk—let's watch the VCR!