Volume One, Chapter 8: Zhu Biao: My Son Xiongying Has the Potential to Become a Great Emperor!

“Enough, enough, stop talking for now. My head’s starting to ache,” Zhu Biao said with a wry smile, rubbing his temples to halt Jiang Lin’s lesson.

Then, he picked up another piece of tomato and popped it into his mouth, clearly delighted.

“Hmm... I think I’ll just enjoy the food!”

“Your Highness, don’t just eat the tomatoes—try some of this fish-flavored shredded pork,” Jiang Lin said, pointing with his chopsticks to a dish on the table.

Zhu Biao glanced over. The fish-flavored shredded pork looked as appetizing as it smelled.

He took a bite—and was stunned almost to numbness.

“This... this meat is incredibly fragrant! What’s this dish called?” Zhu Biao exclaimed, eyes wide with curiosity as he looked at Jiang Lin.

Jiang Lin replied softly, “Your Highness, this dish is called fish-flavored shredded pork.”

“Master Jiang, how did you manage to make fish taste like pork?” Zhu Biao asked in amazement.

“Or perhaps it's actually made from pork?” Jiang Lin chuckled.

Zhu Biao was momentarily speechless, his expression one of slight confusion.

“Well, about three hundred years later in the Ming Dynasty, there was a merchant family in Sichuan who adored fish and were very particular about their seasonings. One day, the lady of the house finished cooking fish but had some leftover sauce. Not wanting to waste it, she stir-fried shredded pork with the remaining seasoning,” Jiang Lin explained the origin of the dish.

Zhu Biao nodded in understanding. “I see~”

Then, his gaze shifted to the plate of hot and sour shredded potatoes—a dish he had never encountered before.

He took a bite; the potatoes were crisp and delicious.

“Hmm... these shredded potatoes are quite tasty, quite different from the tomatoes,” he remarked.

Hearing this, Lady Chang beside him tried a bite and was immediately captivated by the flavor, quickly piling more onto her plate.

“I want some too, I want to eat the shredded potatoes,” little Zhu Xiongying said, stretching out his short arms but unable to reach.

Jiang Lin smiled and used his chopsticks to place some shredded potatoes into Zhu Xiongying’s bowl.

“The ways to prepare potatoes are quite varied. You can shred them, slice them, or cut them into chunks,” Jiang Lin continued.

“By the way, Xiongying, the chips you just ate are also made from potatoes.”

“Wow! Really?” Zhu Xiongying’s eyes lit up.

“Potatoes truly are amazing, just like Father—they can do anything!”

“Ha ha ha...” Zhu Biao laughed at his son’s enthusiasm, then turned to Jiang Lin and asked, “Master Jiang, tell me, when will the Ming Dynasty have potatoes?”

“Potatoes, like tomatoes, originally come from South America. They will be introduced to the Ming Dynasty from Europe over two hundred years later,” Jiang Lin replied.

“There are quite a few treasures from South America,” Zhu Biao mused.

Jiang Lin smiled. “South America was discovered by Europeans during the Age of Geographical Exploration.”

“This discovery connected humanity across continents, breaking the relative isolation between regions and uniting the world as a whole.”

“Actually, before the Age of Geographical Exploration, the Ming Dynasty once undertook a grand maritime expedition.”

“It was an unprecedented feat in world navigation history and significantly promoted economic and cultural exchanges between China and foreign lands.”

“The leader of this expedition was named Zheng He, and thus it is known in later generations as Zheng He’s voyages to the Western Seas.”

“Oh? Master Jiang, who is this Zheng He?” Zhu Biao’s interest was piqued, and he leaned closer.

Jiang Lin nodded. “Zheng He was a eunuch. Some say his original surname was Ma, but after achieving great merit, the emperor bestowed upon him the surname Zheng.”

“Which emperor initiated Zheng He’s voyages?” Zhu Biao asked further.

“Emperor Yongle did,” Jiang Lin answered.

“Emperor Yongle was the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty.”

At this point, Jiang Lin stopped, unwilling to say more.

There was no way he could tell Zhu Biao that Emperor Yongle was his fourth younger brother who had usurped his son’s throne!

But to be honest—

Zhu Yunwen, the emperor before Yongle, was indeed quite incompetent, reckless even!

Generally, reducing the power of the princes was common practice in every dynasty, but this one went too far, leaving no room for survival and driving his own uncle’s entire family to self-immolation.

All the princes were terrified, fearing they would be next.

Unaware of the full truth, Zhu Biao turned to look at Zhu Xiongying with a look of satisfaction.

The third emperor of the Ming Dynasty—wasn’t that his son Xiongying himself!

Ha ha ha, my son Xiongying is destined to be an emperor!

Looking over the entire history of China, only a handful of emperors earned the title of “Great Emperor.”

Xiongying had far-sighted vision, expanding overseas and glorifying the might of the Ming Empire!

Unfortunately, the fleets dispatched only sailed to the Western Seas, not to Europe, South America, or other places.

Like the elder Zhu, Zhu Biao held his son in great esteem.

Anything Xiongying accomplished, he regarded as excellent.

Moreover, hearing from Jiang Lin that later generations called Xiongying Emperor Yongle showed just how outstanding his achievements were, surely leading the Ming Dynasty to prosperity.

Suddenly, Zhu Biao’s appetite surged. He piled his bowl high with dishes, then tasted the candied sweet potatoes and drank a large bowl of corn and pork rib soup.

The candied sweet potatoes were fragrant and sweet, crispy outside and soft inside.

The corn and pork rib soup was savory and delicious.

In short, all the food was incredibly tasty.

Zhu Biao didn’t speak further but pointed to the candied sweet potatoes and corn rib soup.

Jiang Lin immediately understood and began to explain again:

“Your Highness, these two are sweet potatoes and corn, both originally from South America.”

“However, unlike potatoes and tomatoes, corn was introduced to the Ming Dynasty through Europe.”

“Sweet potatoes, on the other hand, arrived about two hundred years later when a Ming scholar named Chen Zhenlong risked his life to secretly bring sweet potato vines aboard a ship. After many trials, he successfully cultivated them in his hometown of Fuzhou, where their cultivation spread widely.”

“This made sweet potatoes an especially important famine relief crop in the Ming Dynasty.”