Chapter 66 Honor the Bet

Waiting time is always long.
At first, everyone showed considerable interest in the experimental furnace and its method of smelting iron.
However, as Zhu Xiongying explained the process and they watched the smelting unfold, that initial enthusiasm began to fade.
Time ticked away drop by drop. With the sun sinking toward the horizon, there was still over an hour left before the appointed time.
"Imperial Grandfather, it is getting late. How about we head back to rest? The wager can be revealed tomorrow just as well," Zhu Xiongying walked up to Zhu Yuanzhang, speaking with genuine concern.
Hearing this, Zhu Di hurriedly chimed in with a taunt: "Could my good nephew be afraid of losing, and thus seeking a premature escape? But Fourth Uncle must say, I rather prefer that unruly and defiant look you wore just moments ago."
Facing Zhu Di’s provocation, Zhu Xiongying remained completely unfazed. Calmly, he replied: "Fourth Uncle might not realize this, but I have a modest grasp of medicine. The night chill in the forest is heavy, and Imperial Grandfather is advanced in years; it is not advisable for him to linger here for long."
Then, sweeping his gaze across the gathering of high-ranking officials, he reminded them: "The same goes for all of you. Time waits for no man—it would be wise to take care of yourselves!"
Turning back to Zhu Di, he added: "Who said anything about conceding defeat? We can simply take the wooden basin back with us. There is no rule stating we must stay right here to unveil the result."
Upon hearing these words, a wave of exasperation washed over Zhu Di.
If they could have just carried the wooden basin away the entire time, why hadn't this mischievous brat said so earlier, making a whole group of officials waste a massive chunk of their day?
Zhu Yuanzhang was deeply moved by his eldest grandson's thoughtfulness and readily nodded in agreement.
After Zhu Xiongying gave a few final, brief instructions to the soldiers, he accompanied Zhu Yuanzhang and the cluster of court ministers back.
Imperial Palace.
Zhu Yuanzhang stood at the highest seat, while the courtiers flanked both sides, leaving the central floor entirely open for the Imperial Grandson Zhu Xiongying and Zhu Di, as they awaited the final verdict.
With the hardened block of cement tipped out of the wooden basin and laid bare before everyone's eyes, Zhu Xiongying broke the silence: "Fourth Uncle, do you intend to test this yourself, or shall we have someone else do it?"
Without a word of reply, Zhu Di picked up the massive iron sledgehammer he had readied long in advance.
No explanation was needed; everyone instantly understood that the Prince of Yan intended to handle this personally.
Especially given the exaggerated, intimidating size of the hammer in his grasp—even walking onto a battlefield with it would be enough to strike terror into the hearts of the enemy.
To the assembled ministers, this was entirely making a mountain out of a molehill.
They figured that even a solid chunk of freshly smelted iron would be hammered out of shape by such a blow, let alone whatever this strange mixture of cement was!
Meanwhile, news of the commotion had naturally reached Zhu Yunwen's ears.
Even though he held the privilege of standing to the side as a spectator, his heart was filled with a deep, lingering resentment toward his elder brother.
He could not comprehend how things, which had been so entirely in his favor, had ended up in today's state.
How had that sickly weakling of the past seemingly turned into a completely different person? Could it truly be that he had won the favor of the immortals?
Zhu Di hoisted the sledgehammer with one hand and said with a sneer: "If you want to admit defeat now, it might still not be too late. I only hope you won't be crying like a baby after Fourth Uncle delivers this single blow!"
With all the advantages seemingly on his side, he certainly had grounds to be arrogant.
In response, Zhu Xiongying merely curled his lip slightly and replied: "Fourth Uncle, while your physique is sturdy enough, I must still offer a word of warning: you had best use your full strength, and make sure you don't end up injuring yourself!"
With that, he stepped back and retreated to Zhu Yuanzhang's side, as if fearing he might get caught in the collateral damage.
Zhu Yuanzhang pulled his beloved grandson behind him for protection, then snapped at his son: "Stop dithering and dawdling! Make it quick and clean!"
At his father's command, Zhu Di swung his arms wide and brought the heavy iron sledgehammer crashing down toward the block of cement.
"Clang!"
A dull, heavy impact echoed through the hall.
Yet, the scene of flying shrapnel and shattering debris that everyone had imagined failed to materialize.
"Clatter!"
Due to the sheer force of the rebound, Zhu Di was forced to drop the iron hammer directly onto the floor.
His hands trembled slightly, and the webs of his palms burned with a sharp, stinging pain.
When his gaze finally landed back on the block of cement, his pupils contracted sharply, filled entirely with disbelief and shock.
He had struck with his absolute tenth-tenth strength—even a boulder of the hardest granite would have been smashed to pieces under his hands.
Yet, the block of cement resting before everyone's eyes bore nothing more than a faint, shallow white scratch on its surface, remaining entirely intact and undamaged as a whole.
Zhu Xiongying poked his little head out from behind Zhu Yuanzhang's back and chirped: "Fourth Uncle, are you alright? Pray be careful not to sprain your aged waist."
Li Shanchang stepped forward to the side of the cement block, reaching out to gently stroke its surface with trembling fingers.
He then dropped abruptly to his knees before Zhu Yuanzhang, crying out in fervent praise: "Heaven preserves us, Your Majesty preserves us! The lands of Jiangnan are saved!"
Immediately following, he petitioned: "Your Majesty, I humbly beg your permission to take this divine creation and lead the flood-control works in the Jiangnan region. May Your Majesty grant this request!"
No one paid any attention to Li Shanchang; all eyes remained fixed squarely on Zhu Di.
Zhu Di's complexion was utterly ghastly, verging on the humiliating inability to step down gracefully.
Restrained by his imperial father's stern and displeased gaze, he could only force an expression of calm and say: "A bet is a bet, and Fourth Uncle concedes this wholeheartedly. It is truly a great fortune for Great Ming to have obtained such a treasure!"
Seeing his son voluntarily acknowledge defeat, Zhu Yuanzhang burst into hearty laughter: "Good... good... what a magnificent cement, what a miraculous divine creation!"
"Li Shanchang, hear my decree!"
Li Shanchang hurriedly knelt straight, speaking with utmost reverence: "This subject is here!"
"I appoint you as the Governor of Jiangnan Flood Relief, exclusively charged with managing the water disasters and the construction of river dikes in Jiangnan. Before the flood season arrives next year, you are to complete the construction tasks without fail. Should you fail, there will be no pardon for your head!" Zhu Yuanzhang's tone brooked no argument, nor did it leave any room for negotiation.
"This subject... accepts the decree!"
Only after receiving the order did Li Shanchang snap back to reality, realizing that he had been far too eager to impress and had acted somewhat impulsively.
The Jiangnan region was vast, and finishing the construction of all the dikes within a single year filled him with deep apprehension and a lack of confidence. He could only cast an imploring glance toward the Imperial Grandson, hoping the boy might offer some guidance and put in a good word for him before His Majesty.
Noticing his eldest grandson hiding behind his back and refusing to utter a sound, Zhu Yuanzhang grew somewhat impatient, reaching out and pulling the boy straight to the front.
His aged face bloomed like a fully opened chrysanthemum as he coaxed: "My dear grandson, things have reached this point. Shouldn't you now hand over this divine creation..."
The implication was clear: it was time to hand over the formula or the method for making cement. Yet, to demand a treasure from his own grandson right in front of a hall full of courtiers—
Even the Emperor of Great Ming, Zhu Yuanzhang, felt his old face burning with sudden heat.
Zhu Xiongying shook his head back and forth like a rattle-drum and protested: "No! Fourth Uncle hasn't paid me my wager yet. Besides, cement is my precious treasure; how could I simply hand it over to others? Imperial Grandfather, you had best put it out of your mind."
What?
Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze locked onto Zhu Di like a hunting falcon, sending a fresh wave of panic and unease through the Prince of Yan.
Zhu Di hastily stammered out: "Imperial Father, this son will dispatch men to have the silver sent over immediately! I will certainly not default on the debt!"
Though ten thousand taels of silver was not an astronomical sum, parting with it still caused Zhu Di a sharp pang of financial grief.
At the same time, his level of vigilance toward this clever nephew of his notched up yet another level.
With the matter of the wager settled, Zhu Yuanzhang once more fixed his hungry gaze back upon his eldest grandson, looking remarkably like a wolf in grandmother's clothing.
Ingratiatingly, he wheedled: "My good grandson, the method was your idea, and the divine creation was brought forth by you. Now that Imperial Grandfather has agreed to adopt your proposal, why are you suddenly becoming so stingy?"
Fearing that his eldest grandson might act willful, he quickly resorted to gentle persuasion: "Besides, the Jiangnan region belongs to our Great Ming as well. Those commoners are our subjects, all members of the Zhu family clan. Can you bear to watch them continue to suffer through floods year after year?"