Volume One, Chapter 34: Presenting the Little Fan, The Five Conquests of Mongolia!

Zhu Di, who had been full of skepticism toward Jiang Lin, was now deeply impressed.

"Is... is this an invention of the future?"

In just a short while, the entire room had become cool and comfortable. Good heavens! Could this truly not be a magical treasure from the heavens? It was completely beyond Zhu Di's imagination. No one could have guessed that a simple, common household air conditioner from the future would leave the Yongle Emperor so thoroughly shaken.

Zhu Biao sighed with emotion: "I never expected that people of the future would possess such capabilities; it is like sorcery."

Zhu Di nodded in agreement: "This air conditioner makes one feel cool; my entire body feels much more comfortable. If I had this, I wouldn't have to worry about being unable to sleep during the sweltering summer nights. Alas... it is a pity that I cannot own one!" He sighed with regret.

Seeing Zhu Di's disappointment, Jiang Lin smiled and produced another item from his system storage.

"Your Highness, the Prince of Yan, while I cannot provide you with an air conditioner, I can give you a small fan. Though its cooling effect is not as powerful, it will certainly help alleviate the heat. Take it with you when you leave later!" Jiang Lin said with a smile.

Zhu Di stared at the small fan in Jiang Lin's hand with intense curiosity and ventured to ask: "Brother Jiang, may I try this small fan?"

"Of course!" Jiang Lin handed the electric fan to Zhu Di.

Zhu Di took the device and tested the three buttons one by one. The speed of the blades increased, and the breeze became stronger.

"What is happening?" Zhu Di was startled by the sudden change.

Jiang Lin laughed and explained: "Your Highness, do not worry, it is quite safe. The three buttons you pressed correspond to three different levels of wind power."

"I see!" Zhu Di nodded in understanding, his interest in the gadget growing rapidly.

Nearby, Old Zhu was equally astonished. What had he just heard? Was this electric fan truly so remarkable? It could change wind speeds at will, and most importantly, its compact size meant it could be carried anywhere—useful whenever one felt hot. Although it lacked the cooling power of the air conditioner, having a small fan by one's side was far superior to waving a hand fan. Thinking of this, Old Zhu felt a growing desire for this cooling miracle.

Before Zhu Di could react, the electric fan vanished from his hand.

"Fourth son, don't you know to offer good things to your father first?"

"Well... Father, if you need it, please take it!" Zhu Di looked on with reluctance but had no choice but to nod in pain.

Jiang Lin had no choice but to take out five more units and some spare batteries from his system storage.

"No need to scramble, there is enough for everyone. Your Majesty, you should also take some for your respective family members! By the way, when the fan stops spinning, it means the power is out, and you will need to replace the batteries."

He flipped the fan over, removed the two batteries, and reinstalled them to demonstrate to the father and his three children. "How about it? Do you three understand now?"

All three nodded in unison, then picked up their fans and operated them. Soon, the fans began to spin, emitting a refreshing breeze, and expressions of comfort and enjoyment appeared on their faces.

Just then, Zhu Di brought his empty bowl to Jiang Lin. "Brother Jiang, could you serve me another bowl? I would like some more!"

"Fourth son, does the palace not provide you with breakfast? Is one bowl not enough?" Zhu Yuanzhang frowned, his expression showing a hint of disdain.

Zhu Di explained: "Father, it is not my fault; these noodles are simply too delicious."

"Hahaha..." Jiang Lin could not help but laugh. "Your Highness, it has nothing to do with what you are eating; it is simply because you have a large appetite. I suspect you would eat even pig slop with great relish."

"What did you say? Who eats pig slop?" Zhu Di's face changed, and he stood up abruptly.

Zhu Biao hurriedly held him back: "Fourth brother, please calm down."

"Don't speak so recklessly! My fourth brother has a fiery temper. If you provoke him, we won't be able to save you!" Zhu Yourong poked Jiang Lin with her elbow, whispering a warning.

Jiang Lin curled his lips: "I am not speaking recklessly. Your Highness, you truly did eat pig slop. At the time, when the Jianwen Emperor wanted to strip the princes of their power, you feigned illness and madness to protect yourself. You went out into the streets to fight people for food, spoke gibberish, wore a padded quilt while sitting by a charcoal fire in the heat of summer, and eventually spent several years eating pig slop in a pigsty..."

When these words fell, everyone present fell into silence. Old Zhu and Zhu Biao looked at Zhu Di with expressions of pity. The great Prince of Yan, to save his own life, had been forced to feign madness and even eat from a pigsty.

All of this was because of Zhu Yunwen! That little brat! If he weren't only one year old, Old Zhu would truly have liked to give his grandson a sound beating.

"It is alright, Your Highness. Although you ate pig slop for several years, you ultimately conquered the empire. For you, isn't this actually quite an interesting anecdote? Tell me, isn't it so, Yongle Emperor?"

Zhu Di was startled and immediately quieted down, stealing a glance at Old Zhu.

Old Zhu looked at Jiang Lin and said slowly: "Jiang Lin, continue telling us about the fourth son's performance during his reign."

Having received the Emperor's command, Jiang Lin's voice grew louder.

"Yongle Emperor, people of the future have cursed you as a usurper and a traitor, and others have criticized you for being obsessed with warfare. Even you felt deeply sinful and spent your life atoning for these accusations!"

"You led five personal campaigns against the Mongols, weakening their strength significantly and ensuring the security of the Ming Dynasty's northern borders. This series of military actions rendered the Mongol tribes unable to threaten the Ming for a long time. It also strengthened the rule of the Ming, allowing the people to witness its might and fostering a sense of identity with the dynasty."

Hearing this, Zhu Di raised his head sharply, passion in his eyes, his blood boiling. "I... am I that formidable? That powerful? I actually made the Mongols wail in defeat!"

"Hahaha, fourth brother, you have not brought shame to our Zhu family!" Zhu Biao proudly patted Zhu Di on the shoulder.

Zhu Yourong also looked at Zhu Di with admiration: "Hee! Fourth brother is truly amazing; that is wonderful, you have brought honor to the Great Ming!"

Facing the praise of his elder brother and younger sister, the typically tough Zhu Di lowered his head in embarrassment.

This moment of bashfulness from the tough man made Jiang Lin laugh again: "Let me give you the details! The first campaign decimated the Tatars, forcing them to submit and pay tribute in horses; the second dealt a crushing blow to the Oirats, who did not dare to invade the Ming borders for years."

"The third campaign directly terrified the Arughtai tribe into fleeing from Xinghe, refusing to engage in battle, forcing you to return to the capital in triumph!"

"The fourth campaign led to the surrender of Arughtai's subordinate, Ashi Temür, to the Ming army, and the Tatar prince Yesi Tugan also surrendered, whom you enfeoffed as the 'Loyal and Brave Prince' before returning home."

"As for the fifth campaign..." Jiang Lin's voice trailed off.

Zhu Di frowned: "Why did you stop? Did I fail that time?"