Chapter 108: Ambition Ignited by a World Map

Old Zhu and his son exchanged bewildered glances. What on earth was the little one going to fetch?

Before long, they saw Zhang Yi running back, his small frame carrying a thick stack of papers. He placed them on the stone table, and the three of them leaned in, only to find the pages covered in scribbles.

"These are maps..."

Zhang Yi had drawn many of them. Old Zhu felt a vague sense of familiarity, yet he could not quite place them. The drawing methods of later generations were entirely different from those of the present era. These papers were merely Zhang Yi’s way of verifying his own capabilities: as long as he concentrated, he could slowly recall things he had glimpsed in his previous life. Drawing these maps served as an exercise for his memory. He had never expected to have the chance to show them to anyone today.

Zhang Yi had drawn all sorts of maps—world maps, and depictions of the shifting borders of various dynasties he had seen on video platforms. While drawing was a great memory exercise, even he had to put in some effort to dig up the world map from his recollection.

"This one!"

Drawn with a pencil, it lacked the precision of a printed version, yet it clearly marked the relative positions of nations across the globe.

"What is this?"

"In the eyes of a person from the future, this is our world map..."

Zhang Yi’s single sentence left all three of them stunned. The ancients’ concept of the world was largely confined to the Central Plains of China. While they knew of the distant Western Regions, India, Japan, and the Ryukyu Islands, most viewed China as the Middle Kingdom—the center of the world. Even in its current, battered state, the Ming Dynasty was the undisputed hegemon of the known world. Chinese dynasties, limited by productivity and geography, had neither the interest nor the capacity to focus on distant lands. However, when faced with an actual world map, the shock felt by Zhu Yuanzhang and the others was beyond measure.

"This is where our Shenzhou China lies, and this is roughly the current territory of the Great Ming..." Zhang Yi explained, pointing to the markings. "We are here, and the iron cavalry of the Great Ming is here... But you see, even in the context of the whole world, we occupy only a small corner. Beyond Tibet lie the world’s highest mountains, and below that is what we call India... Over here is where the Arab Empire once stood... And here is where those Westerners live! Japan has the silver mines that our Great Ming lacks most, and across the vast ocean, there are things that could change the fate of our nation..."

Zhu Yuanzhang, his son, and Empress Ma listened as if to a fantasy, hearing Zhang Yi describe the world as he knew it.

"Sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn... if these three things were to reach the Central Plains, ignoring the incompetence of the government, they could extend the life of the dynasty by decades!"

"What are those?"

"Crops that can yield thousands of catties per mu..."

Old Zhu gasped. Thousands of catties? Was the boy not afraid of biting his tongue? As a former peasant, he knew full well the limits of grain production. A poor harvest was one or two hundred catties; a good one, three hundred, was already the absolute limit. A crop that could produce ten or twenty times that amount, if planted on Ming soil, would drastically shorten the time needed for the nation to recover and prosper. Yet, such treasures lay across a vast ocean—an ocean so wide it seemed as if it could swallow ten Chinas.

The Emperor looked at the location of China, then toward South America, his eyes turning red.

"The people living there must be living like immortals!" To an old peasant, a land with such bountiful harvests sounded like a heavenly paradise.

"By the way, where did you say the silver mines were?"

Faced with a world map, the Emperor acted like a child, eagerly seeking guidance from Zhang Yi. Here were silver mines, there were gold mines, along with sweet potatoes, potatoes, and chili peppers... The world was so vast, and he desperately wanted to see it. Looking back at the map of China, his ambition to unify the realm seemed to cool slightly.

"Look at your father, he’s like a child with a new toy!" Zhang Yi and Old Zhu were hunched over, drawing circles on the map—a rather undignified sight. Empress Ma chuckled and nudged Zhu Biao, who nodded with a smile; it had been a long time since his father had taken such an interest in something.

Zhu Yuanzhang gazed at the resources on the map, his greed undisguised. Once the resources were marked, this was no longer a mere map; it was an emperor’s ambition and a man’s romance.

"The Pacific Ocean..." Eventually, Old Zhu’s reason triumphed over his emotions. As he stared at the Pacific, he felt a lingering frustration. Damn it, it was maddening to see such riches and not be able to reach them. He finally brought his gaze back to the "small" China on the map.

"With so many treasures hidden overseas, no wonder you said the sea ban is a loss for the Great Ming in the long run! But alas... the reach is too short!"

Old Zhu sighed deeply. He admitted he was tempted, but what of it? With the Great Ming in such a dilapidated state, dreaming of setting sail was madness. Without a vast, wealthy empire to support it, venturing out was akin to suicide.

Zhu Yuanzhang took a deep breath. "Now I understand what you meant. No law is immutable. Even if I must enforce the sea ban, I must leave the possibility for my descendants to sail."

The world was so big; to extend the life of the Great Ming, one had to plunder more resources from overseas. But this was not a dream for him to realize, but rather... Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Biao. The heir sensed the weight of the legacy in his father’s eyes and bowed almost imperceptibly. Without a word, the father and son completed a silent handover of their shared dream.

"No law is immutable. I have remembered this. I don't know what other emperors will do, but from now on, this shall be the family law of the Huang clan! It is a pity, though, that I will not live to see the day our Ming warships set sail!" Old Zhu touched the map, reluctant to let it go.

"In fact, plundering the world’s wealth does not necessarily require war. The goods of the Great Ming are themselves rare commodities. If we utilize maritime trade well, the Great Ming can plunder the wealth of the world through its ports!"

Zhu Yuanzhang pondered this. It was an idea worth trying, though recovery remained the top priority. He could set such matters aside for now. His gaze, previously unfocused, drifted over the Bohai and Yellow Seas, where the dots on the map caught his attention.

"What are these?"

"Those are reefs and islands," Zhang Yi answered honestly.

Zhu Yuanzhang gasped. "You can even mark these? Even the tiny reefs..."

Zhang Yi smiled. The ancients could hardly imagine that future mapping and surveying had essentially uncovered everything visible on land, leaving no room for concealment. Upon receiving Zhang Yi’s confirmation, a wild idea flashed through Zhu Yuanzhang’s mind.

"Can you give me these maps? Or I can pay you for them..."

"If you want them, Uncle, just take them!" Zhang Yi knew the value of these maps, but he didn't care much. Centuries had passed since his time; rivers had changed course, and the maps were not one hundred percent accurate. Even so, they would be immensely useful to Old Zhu. It mattered little to him; these were just rough drafts he had doodled.

"And these?" The Emperor handed the rest of the drafts to Zhang Yi, who identified them one by one. Zhu Yuanzhang gathered all the papers, feeling immensely satisfied.

By now, the sky had grown dark. Guards reminded the Emperor that it was time to return to the palace. Old Zhu felt there was much more to ask, but the time was not right. As he stood up, Empress Ma, sensing his thoughts, took Zhang Yi’s hand.

"Thank you for today. Another day, I will have your uncle host you, and you can come to our residence to chat!"

"I look forward to it!" Zhang Yi agreed and saw them off.

"You, come with me in the carriage!" Zhu Biao had intended to leave his parents to themselves, but Zhu Yuanzhang pulled him inside.

"What is your take on the sea ban?"

"Your son believes that Zhang Yi’s words make sense. From a realistic standpoint, the sea ban is imperative. The North is the key; as long as the Northern Yuan exists, a sword hangs over the head of the Great Ming. We truly have no energy to look elsewhere."

Zhu Yuanzhang replied, "But this matter truly makes me uneasy. I started as a cavalryman; I defeated Chen Youliang, and the Northern Yuan is within my grasp. Yet, these remnants make me retreat—I am not comfortable with that!"

"Your Majesty, have you had new thoughts after seeing the map?" Empress Ma knew him best; she had seen the look in his eyes when he stared at the Bohai and Yellow Seas.

"Indeed. I had intended to endure it, but Zhang Yi’s map has given me ideas." Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the map, a trace of fury in his eyes. "The Japanese pirates and the remnants of Zhang and Fang’s forces—I never wanted to swallow this humiliation. The pirate menace has existed since the end of the Yuan Dynasty. Those people are ghosts, vanishing the moment they run to the sea! But with Zhang Yi’s map..."

He pointed to the reefs and islands. "Where else can they run?"

Pirates were hard to catch because they left no trace. In the vast ocean, finding a single island or reef was a Herculean task. To those who made their living at sea, charts were matters of life and death, and Zhang Yi’s map could very well change the fate of those pirates. It was a map, not a sea chart, but it was enough to track them down.

"Father, do you mean to lift the sea ban? You want to..."

"No, the sea ban must remain. Its purpose is not just to strike at pirates, but to cut off the wealthy families of Jiangnan from tax evasion and private maritime trade. The Great Ming cannot withstand such turmoil right now." Zhu Yuanzhang remained calm, his mind not clouded by the promise of resources. "But as Zhang Yi said, no law is immutable. I will maintain the ban, but the Ming navy must not be entirely abandoned. Even if we must suffer and endure poverty, we must preserve the seeds of our naval power, waiting for the day I can turn back and settle the score! Chen Youliang left me a great legacy; it would be a shame to let it gather dust."

"Chongba, you were never truly willing to give up!" Empress Ma held his hand, smiling. Though Zhu Yuanzhang had won the Battle of Lake Poyang, it had been a hard-fought victory. The enemy’s shipbuilding and maritime technology were far ahead of the time. Previously, the Great Ming had no need for such technology for its Northern Expeditions, but now, the Emperor decided he would no longer keep it hidden.

"This army shall be called the Xuanwu. It may endure in silence for a time, but one day, it will stir the seas for the Great Ming!"

Empress Ma was right; Zhu Yuanzhang was not a man to give up. Without Zhang Yi’s map, he might have accepted the future as foretold and laid down his arms for the time being. But now, his ambition was not so easily extinguished.