This was a successful conference, an unprecedented conference, a fruitful conference... The emperor's courtiers, together with people from all walks of life, talked about the future of the Ming Dynasty.
We discussed food security, judicial justice, and educational equity... His Majesty truly heard the voice of the people and made up his mind to relieve the people's worries, help the people, and solve practical difficulties.
"You all come here and take a look."
Zhu Di pointed to his writing desk, on which there were several large characters carved with a knife: food, justice, education.
When Xu Jingchang saw it for the first time, he lamented in his heart that a good golden nanmu table was a waste. Next time he goes to the palace to purchase, he can just get Zhu Di a red rosewood table.
Even if a good thing was given to him, it would be a waste. It would be better to put it in the Xu Mansion!
As for the other courtiers, they all frowned and sighed.
"I cannot remain indifferent to the aspirations of the people and the concerns of the people. As my close and loyal ministers, you must do your best without any ambiguity."
Zhu Di stared at Xia Yuanji and said, "What arrangements does the Ministry of Household Affairs have?"
Xia Yuanji hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue has sent personnel overseas to prepare for the construction of overseas granaries. The matter of building overseas granaries has been put on the agenda. The Ministry of Revenue has allocated a special fund to purchase land."
Zhu Di nodded and said, "What if they don't sell it?"
"They will sell it!" Xia Yuanji said firmly.
Zhu Di frowned, and Xu Jingchang coughed beside him and said: "Your Majesty, if they buy porcelain and silk from the Ming Dynasty, they must also be allowed to purchase land, balance the trade, and get what they need. They have no reason not to agree, and our envoys will properly communicate with them
Discussed in detail.”
Zhu Di thought for a while and finally understood what Xu Jingchang meant. He was unwilling to open the door. Naturally, someone would help them figure it out. Zheng He's fleet was not just for business.
"Well, that's good!" Zhu Di was very satisfied. "As a minister of the Ming Dynasty, you must be brave and martial, have the spirit of pioneering and enterprising, and have the ambition to overcome obstacles. All other yamen must also learn from the Ministry of Household Affairs."
Xia Yuanji got a lucky break.
Zhu Di immediately asked the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Punishment.
"I will care about the things that the people care about. The people can't keep an eye on you, so I will keep an eye on you. If there are any mistakes, I will not be polite."
It can be heard that since claiming to be the emperor of the common people, Zhu Di has become more confident in his speech.
All the princes present, except Xu Jingchang, frowned deeply and sighed.
Fooled again.
And he also fell into a bad trap!
In the past, officials always liked to use the banner of the people to admonish the emperor and ask for orders for the people.
There is a mystery hidden in this. The officials and the people stand together, and it is the emperor who needs to be restrained. In this way, the officials have sufficient legitimacy and can point their fingers. For the sake of the people, I am unscrupulous.
But now His Majesty has seized this commanding heights, and the Emperor represents the people, supervises the officials, and forces the ministers to do things.
This time it was like putting all the officials on the fire.
Therefore, the courtiers need to restrain the emperor, but they also need to pretend to be powerful and bossy.
But now, the logic is undergoing complicated changes. The status of courtiers is different from that of the past. It is hard to say how much changes there will be.
Everyone can only be cautious and do things quickly, so as not to let the emperor get caught.
The courtiers were busy, the emperor had set targets for himself, and Xu Jingchang suddenly felt relaxed.
Looking around the court, the most relaxed person is his General Secretary.
Obviously, some people were unwilling to let Xu Jingchang take some time off, such as Zhu Zhanji who came over.
"Cousin, you want to help me."
Xu Jingchang rolled his eyelids and said helplessly: "What are you going to do? Do you think you can't learn it, or can't you read the article?"
Zhu Zhanji shook his head and said: "No, it was Grandpa Huang who asked me, as a grandson, what can I do to benefit the people?"
"Then what?"
"Then I told Grandpa Huang that we should make meat available to the people."
Xu Jingchang smiled and said: "Yes, being able to eat clothes and eat meat is also the way of prosperity in the eyes of sages. This is a good answer."
"What a good thing!" Zhu Zhanji burst into tears, "That's what I said. I thought I would do everything after becoming the emperor. But I didn't know that Grandpa Huang had settled a score with me."
Xu Jingchang was greatly surprised, "Your Majesty still settles accounts? How did he settle accounts?"
"The emperor said that there were 60 million people registered in the Ming Dynasty. If we want these 60 million people to eat meat, we have to raise millions of big fat dolphins. He said, let me start now.
, if you can’t do it well, then..."
"Just what?"
"Just find another grandson of the emperor." Zhu Zhanji looked at Xu Jingchang bitterly, "Cousin, you have to help me! In my heart, you are my biological father! We have the deepest relationship...
"
"okay!"
Xu Jingchang hurriedly stopped Zhu Zhanji, but he couldn't let the child talk nonsense.
"Let's analyze it. To raise so many dolphins, you need space, labor, and fodder... I guess you can't even raise a thousand dolphins. There's no chance!"
Zhu Zhanji grinned widely, "Cousin, you can't just die without saving me. Cousin, I'm going to point my finger at you!"
"Okay, stop arguing."
Xu Jingchang said: "You have to use your brain. I have been teaching you for so many years, but you still don't make progress. Your Majesty wants the people to eat more meat, and he didn't say what kind of meat it is. This standard is not in our hands."
Zhu Zhanji was dumbfounded and looked at Xu Jingchang, "No...Cousin, how can we tell the difference between meat? Pork ribs and pork belly?"
"Confused!" Xu Jingchang said: "Let me ask you, does fish count as meat?"
Zhu Zhanji's eyes widened and he thought for a moment, "Should it be counted?"
"What about chickens and ducks? Does it count?"
"It should also count."
"What about eggs and duck eggs?"
"It counts."
“What about vegetarian chicken and vegetarian meat?”
"It doesn't count...it doesn't count!" Zhu Zhanji shook his head quickly, "Cousin, don't go too far! If vegetarian chicken counts as chicken, then soy sauce counts as oil. You are confusing right and wrong!"
Xu Jingchang's old face was slightly red, "Vegetarian chicken does not count, the previous ones all count... We need to work hard now. First, you have to figure out which kind has the highest meat production rate."
"Meat production rate?" Zhu Zhanji asked curiously: "Is it just to see how much meat can be produced after killing?"
"This is just one aspect. It also depends on how much feed you feed and how long it takes to slaughter." Xu Jingchang said with a smile: "As long as His Highness can study and understand these things, it will be enough to explain to His Majesty."
Zhu Zhanji nodded repeatedly, "Cousin, are you familiar with me?"
Xu Jingchang said: "It's hard to talk about it. I just raised stuffed ducks. You know this!"
Zhu Zhanji was stunned for a long time, gritted his teeth and said: "Cousin, you are too insidious!"
Xu Jingchang rolled his eyes in anger, "This bastard is really shameless, I shouldn't fucking care about you, it's best to let Zhu Di destroy you!"
Zhu Zhanji didn't care about anything anymore, so let's do it quickly.
He directly expropriated a manor outside the city.
As far as the eye can see, there are many roses and camellias planted. They are blooming in bright purple and red, which is really beautiful.
However, when Zhu Zhanji came, he said directly: "I shoveled them all, not a single one was left!"
The person in charge of the operation was frightened, "Your Highness, the Crown Princess asked me to plant this. In a few days, I will come with Your Highness to enjoy the flowers!"
"So it's my mother? No matter what! The Tian family doesn't allow these fancy things, so I shoveled them all away. Don't worry, my mother will definitely like what I do."
Zhu Zhanji forced these people to shovel all the flowers in his eyes... I have to say, he was really a filial son.
Then Zhu Zhanji ordered that the craftsmen who breed ducks from Xu Mansion be invited over, and they started working in this royal manor.
On this day, Crown Princess Zhang invited Queen Xu to come outside the city to enjoy the flowers. Queen Xu called Huang Yunfang again, and even Xu Xianzhong came out.
The little guy was chubby and had a big head, almost like a two-headed toy. Empress Xu hugged Xu Xianzhong and was reluctant to let go.
"Grow up quickly. When you grow up, you will be able to assist your great-grandson. Our Zhu and Xu families will support each other from generation to generation. Father will be with us for life. That is the best thing."
Xu Xianzhong obviously didn't understand this. His black eyes moved around, and suddenly he saw a group of geese in the distance. This guy became energetic.
In Queen Xu's arms, she squeezed the chrysalis hard, "Catch it, I want to catch it!"
Queen Xu had to let go, and Xu Xianzhong's legs fell to the ground, and he jumped up with a cry.
The goose can be called a bully, and it is a nightmare for children, but obviously little boy Xu is not one of them... When he could walk, he would chase the peacock, and now he can chase the goose.
There was also a big male goose that stretched its neck and made a hissing sound, obviously dissatisfied.
Just when the big goose lowered its head and stretched its neck to pounce, someone grabbed it by the throat without knowing what was going on, and then gave it a hard shake, and the big goose fell out.
After I got up, I felt dizzy, and my confused eyes seemed to be asking me who I was, where I was, what a fucking ghost!
Xu Xianzhong became even more excited, and bravely rushed forward with the pace of chasing death and north... Everywhere he went, he perfectly explained what it means to be restless.
Queen Xu quite admired this guy, he was quite interesting!
It’s just that the face of Princess Zhang beside her turned dark. What’s going on?
Did I come to the wrong place?
Where are my camellias?
Where have the roses and peonies gone?
At this time, Zhu Zhanji came out, with sweat on his forehead, chicken excrement on his satin boots, and panting.
"What are you doing?" Ms. Zhang asked accusingly.
"No, no, I just raise some poultry and livestock." Zhu Zhanji replied obediently.
"What about the flowers I planted? Where have they gone? Have you thrown them away?"
"How could it be! I don't waste things." Zhu Zhanji said with a smile: "I put all those flowers, branches and leaves in the pond to fertilize."
"Retting?" Zhang didn't understand yet.
"It is piled together with the excrement of chickens, ducks and geese. After a while, it can be spread on the ground. The grain that grows can be used as feed to feed more chickens and ducks... Mom, do you think I am smart?
?" Zhu Zhanji introduced happily.
Where did you notice that Ms. Zhang was furious, and all the flowers she had spent so much effort to grow were ruined by this traitorous son.
"Zhu Zhanji, you, you burn the harp and boil the crane, you are so irritating!"
With that said, Mrs. Zhang rushed over and was going to beat Zhu Zhanji hard... Zhu Zhanji was so frightened that he ran away quickly. He knew that I couldn't do this, so he surrounded Queen Xu.
"Mother, you can't hit me. This is all done by the emperor. He asked me to do something that benefits the country and the people. If I don't do it, I will be the crown prince... I can't be the crown prince, and you can't be the queen mother either.
This is for your own good, kid!"
"You're talking nonsense... Even if you, the unfilial thing, are destroyed, I still have several sons!" Ms. Zhang was really furious and she spoke indiscriminately.
Queen Xu saw this and had no choice but to wave her hand and stop them.
"Stop arguing, Zhu Zhanji, why are you messing around like this?"
Zhu Zhanji shook his head and said: "Grandma Huang, you are wrong. I am not messing around, I have figured out the way."
"What doorway?"
"I found that with the same feed, it is easier for poultry to grow meat. The slowest to grow meat is cattle. The fastest to grow meat is chicken."
Queen Xu was puzzled, "What is this?"
"Royal Grandma, you still don't understand such a big discovery!" Zhu Zhanji said proudly: "This means that if you raise chickens, you can use the same feed to get more meat... You know, right?
, Master Meng said that ordinary people with fifty clothes and silk can eat meat, but he didn’t say anything about meat, chicken is also meat!”
"I also plan to dig a fish pond and put some fish in it to see if the fish will grow meat quickly..." Zhu Zhanji said with a smile: "If I figure out how to let the people eat more meat, I guess
Not considered Holy Lord Mingjun?”
Zhang was so angry that she glared at Zhu Zhanji fiercely, "What kind of Mingjun Holy Master? Burning harps and boiling cranes, you are just as stupid as Jie and Zhou."
Zhu Zhanji flattened his mouth and did not argue with the angry old lady.
Empress Xu, on the other hand, thought about it seriously and then asked: "Grandson, are you really sure about this?"
"No!" Zhu Zhanji said honestly: "I have spent all the money in my hand. To study such a big thing requires a lot of money, unless I can get my father to give me my New Year's money."
Queen Xu smiled and said, "It's just New Year's money. If you can do this well, I'll give you the money."
"Is the Imperial Grandmother willing to give you money?"
"Well!" Queen Xu said with a smile: "Since it is something that benefits the country and the people, I can't turn a blind eye. Let's do this. I will give you two hundred thousand taels first. Do you think it's enough?"
Zhu Zhanji thought for a while and then said: "The initial investment is almost the same, but I don't know how much it will cost later."
Queen Xu smiled and said: "No matter how much it is, just come to me."
Zhu Zhanji happily agreed.
Mrs. Zhang, however, looked at Empress Xu, feeling aggrieved and said, "Mother, don't spoil this kid, he is just messing around."
Queen Xu shook her head. At this moment, Xu Xianzhong ran over dragging a goose about the same size as him. The little guy grabbed the goose by the neck and shouted, "Stew, stew and eat!"
When he ran in front of everyone, the goose's neck had already shown a strange angle, and the ten-pound goose was already close to death. Huang Yunfang saw it in her eyes, and she just wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl in... My son,
Don't embarrass your father!
Empress Xu, on the other hand, was quite satisfied.
"Good boy, what a warrior!" Queen Xu glared at Zhu Zhanji, "Why don't you go and stew the goose? Listen, you have to serve us well so that you can get the money, otherwise I won't give it to you for free."
