Train

...

In the blink of an eye, two days passed.

The solar photovoltaic panels of the Ming Dynasty had already been laid out, and the construction of hydroelectric and wind power facilities was proceeding in an orderly manner.

With the establishment of the cabinet system and the guidance of experts and professors from the future, Zhu Yuanzhang's workload was drastically reduced, so he directly headed to the modern era.

Meanwhile, Crown Prince Zhu Biao took a group of young nobles to farm the land in the suburbs.

"Old Li, why did you come over too?"

Inside the Zhu family villa, Zhu Yuanzhang was watching TV with Empress Ma and the others.

Outside the door, Li Shimin arrived with Empress Zhangsun, Sizi, and Chengyang.

"Didn't Sizi and Chengyang say they wanted to come over and play with Miaojin? So I just brought them straight here," Li Shimin said.

Xu Miaojin.

She was Xu Miaoyun's younger sister and the third daughter of Xu Da, the Duke of Wei of the Ming Dynasty. She was over a decade younger than her sister. Now, in the eleventh year of Hongwu, Xu Miaojin was about the same age as little Sizi and Chengyang, all around three or four years old.

Empress Ma had brought Xu Miaojin over yesterday, and she got along quite well with Sizi and Chengyang.

"I'm not asking why you came to my place, but why you ran from the Tang Dynasty to the future. You're an emperor, after all. Instead of staying in the Great Tang to review memorials, you run to the future every single day?" Zhu Yuanzhang spoke again.

In truth, by saying this, he just wanted to take the opportunity to show off his newly established cabinet system to Li Shimin.

Unexpectedly, Li Shimin chuckled and said, "Look at what you're saying. Aren't you, Old Zhu, also the Emperor of Ming? If you can run to the future, why can't I?"

"Is it the same? I have the cabinet to help me," Zhu Yuanzhang retorted.

"Are you implying that I don't have a cabinet?"

Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang frowned. "Since when did the Great Tang have a cabinet? Isn't that my fourth son's..."

"Wait a minute, did you steal my fourth son's cabinet system?"

Li Shimin was displeased. "How can you call it stealing? I am merely taking reference. Do you understand what taking reference means? Didn't you, as a father, also adopt your own son's system?"

"I am his father, so of course I can use it. Your Great Tang is separated by hundreds of years, how do you have the nerve?"

"If he is willing, I could actually take your fourth son as my godson," Li Shimin said.

"Bullshit! You want my son to acknowledge you, Li Er, as his father?"

Li Shimin chuckled. "So what? I am the dignified Emperor Taizong of Tang, the strongest carbon-based lifeform of the 7th century, the governor of Asia, and the boss of the Eastern Hemisphere. In martial prowess, I captured two kings in one battle at Hulao Pass; in civil administration, I brought about the Reign of Zhenguan. So many people want to be my godson but don't even have the qualifications. Are you saying it would wrong your fourth son?"

"Heh, my fourth son isn't much inferior to you. He personally led five campaigns into Mobei, performed the rites at Mount Langjuxu, sent seven voyages to the Western Seas to spread the prestige of our Great Ming, and made dozens of countries submit without a fight."

"My, my, my. Last time you were about to whip him, and now you're bragging about him. You, Old Zhu, are too much of a hypocrite, aren't you?"

"So what if I like having double standards? Do you have such an excellent son for you to have double standards about?" Zhu Yuanzhang wasn't angry; instead, he became proud.

"You stinking beggar, do you dare say my sons are not excellent?" Li Shimin grew displeased.

"Excellent where? The crown prince who rebelled? Or the Prince of Wei who killed his son to pass the title to his brother? Oh, and there's also the one who made you a cuckold..."

"Didn't your son rebel too? Didn't your crown prince die young as well? Furthermore, you're a stinking beggar who used to be a monk! You only conquered the world by marrying into your wife's family!"

Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang became even prouder. "Thank you for the compliment. I went from a beggar to an emperor. May I ask, over the thousands of years, who else has done that?"

"Chongba, what are you two doing?"

"Erlang, is there anything you can't talk over nicely?"

Empress Ma and Empress Zhangsun quickly spoke up to stop them. Otherwise, if these two were allowed to keep arguing, they would probably end up in a real physical fight.

Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang and Li Shimin immediately quieted down. They sat on opposite ends of the sofa, ignoring each other.

At this moment, outside the villa door, Qin Ning walked in with Qin Fei.

She handed a small box to Zhu Yuanzhang. "Uncle, you had your eyesight tested when you came yesterday. This is the pair of glasses I had made for you. Put them on and try them."

"Haha, thank you, Xiao Fei. I've really troubled you."

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and took the glasses case. Last night, he had dinner here and they talked about glasses. He mentioned that after reviewing memorials for all these years, his vision was getting blurry, and he couldn't see distant objects clearly.

Qin Fei directly had someone bring over an optometry machine, measured his vision, and had this pair of glasses made for him.

"Good, good, good. I haven't seen this clearly in many years."

After putting on the glasses, visible joy appeared on Zhu Yuanzhang's face. In his heart, he couldn't help but marvel once again at the technology of the future.

"Has the Great Tang started laying down railways over these past two days?" Qin Ning asked Li Shimin.

Hearing this, Li Shimin nodded. "Yes, but because electricity hasn't been widely popularized yet, we might have to use the coal-burning ones for the railways at first."

"That's fine. Even the most primitive steam trains aren't slow. Their average speed can reach a hundred kilometers per hour. Calculated at such a speed, it is enough to travel back and forth across the Great Tang within a single day."

Qin Ning nodded and continued, "I talked on the phone with Elder Zeng last night. According to him, they have already planned out four railways for you as a start. From north to south, west to east, northwest to southeast, and northeast to southwest, they will be laid out in an asterisk pattern. They will be completed in half a year at most, and other routes will be slowly added later."

"It will only take half a year?" Li Shimin was surprised.

This was much, much faster than he had anticipated.

"If it were in the past, it naturally wouldn't be this fast, but now that we have technical support from 'Weixing', half a year is actually considered slow," Qin Ning smiled.

"What railway? What train?"

At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang shamelessly leaned in.

"This is a bit troublesome to explain. Xiao Fei, find a video and project it onto the TV so they can see for themselves," Qin Ning said.

"Okay, brother."

Qin Fei nodded, then took out her phone and searched for a video about the developmental history from steam trains to modern trains, projecting it onto the TV.

After watching it, Zhu Yuanzhang's face was instantly filled with excitement. "I want it! Mr. Qin, our Great Ming also needs to lay down railways!"

"Don't rush. Xia Fei will arrange all these things for you," Qin Ning said.

At this time, Xu Miaoyun and Li Lizhi, who had gone out to the mall with Cheng Weiyang in the morning, returned.

As the three walked into the villa, Cheng Weiyang was seen holding the hand of a little girl who was just a few years old.

The little girl was curiously sizing up everything here with a pair of innocent eyes. Cheng Weiyang spoke up, "Qin Ning, when we came back, we saw her standing outside the door. Changle and Sister Miaoyun both said they didn't recognize her, so she probably isn't a princess of the Great Ming or the Great Tang. But judging by her attire, she should be a princess."

Hearing this, everyone's gaze couldn't help but size up the little girl.

Looking at her attire, Li Shimin spoke in astonishment, "Jacquard silk, chain-stitch embroidery, and alternating colors of profound black and crimson... this seems to be... a symbol of nobility from the Qin Dynasty?"