"Your Majesty will leave the government affairs of the Ministry of Revenue to the prince, so I will naturally come to ask the prince." Huang Fu, the minister of the Ministry of household affairs, bowed.
Xie Jin asked confusedly: "Who wrote the memorial? Why is there an urgent need to escort so much grain?"
Huang Fu turned his head and said: "King Zhao, Your Majesty has asked the civilians and sergeants to build the Peking Palace. They have already left for Peiping. How much do these people earn per month?"
King Zhao?
Zhu Gaosui suffered a loss in the capital, and even lost thirty thousand taels. No wonder, but he seemed to have recovered his IQ. When the matter was brought before His Majesty, he could not fault it.
Huang Fu urged: "Is it possible for these civilians and soldiers to starve to death? Please ask His Highness the Crown Prince to take care of it quickly."
"The affairs of the Household Department have nothing to do with me. I am here only to report to His Highness the Crown Prince. The Governor of the Fifth Army urgently reports. What we are calling now is the military rations in Peking. If it does not arrive as scheduled, the border areas will also be in a hurry." Qi Guogong Qiu Fu added, clasping his fists. One sentence.
After saying that, the two bowed and left.
Came outside the palace,
Qiu Fu asked: "Is one month too long?"
"Don't worry, even if I give the prince another month, it will never be delivered!"
Huang Fu laughed and said: "The Duke of Qi does not know that water transportation requires the recruitment of people, and the people need to bring their own rations. Many people are unwilling to participate, so it is extremely difficult to recruit. Moreover, summer and autumn are the time of transportation, and all provinces rely on this It is a canal. There are many official and private ships in the river, which is often congested. In view of the siltation of the river, it is necessary to change the land route and prepare horse-drawn carriages. We will definitely not be able to get there!"
"So, these civilians and sergeants are going to starve to death, go and tell the King of Han." Qiu Fu's expression did not change.
At this moment in the East Palace,
Zhu Gaochi’s brows deepened: “Where is the congested river section?”
"The northern Jiangsu and Huainan sections are severely silted up. Not only these two places, Henan has been suffering from drought for a long time and the water level has dropped. I'm afraid the draft is not deep enough to carry much grain." Xie Jin was also worried.
Zhu Gaochi asked: "What if I ask my father to order dredging?"
"Your Highness, does he know why the prefectures and prefectures do not request orders for dredging? Too much corvee work will accumulate public resentment, and I am afraid that it will be too late. It can take as short as ten days or as fast as several months, and the manpower, material and financial resources required are immeasurable. The Peking Prefecture's The civilians and sergeants need to eat and receive rice. I'm afraid the King of Han will really succeed this time." Xie Jin sighed lightly.
Only then did Zhu Gaochi notice Zhu Zhanyong next to him.
"Zhan Yong, please go out first."
One month?
It will definitely not arrive. This is not just transportation time, but also includes preparing the water ships, gathering the people for the water transportation, and waiting for the people to come from all over the country. Most of the month has passed.
Zhu Zhanyong left the palace, found Lao Qi, and asked him to find a businessman who often traveled to the north. Then, a wealthy businessman wearing gorgeous silk and satin with autumn fat on his body appeared.
"I am Tao Fugui, whose name is Jinpen. I heard that you would like to meet me?" He cupped his hands and bowed.
Zhu Zhanyong asked tentatively: "Are you a Confucian scholar?"
"It doesn't matter if I failed the exam a few times, it doesn't matter if I don't mention it. Now Tao is just a businessman." Tao Jinpen laughed, not feeling ashamed at all for "falling" into business.
By the Yongle Dynasty, the status of merchants was not as low as expected, and there was a trend of abandoning Confucianism and pursuing business. The pottery and gold basin in front of you is the epitome of thousands of people abandoning Confucianism and pursuing business.
Zhu Zhanyong asked: "Have you been to the north within three months?"
"I've been there. I wonder what kind of business you want to do?" Tao Fugui was a little disdainful at Zhu Zhanyong's age, but he knew Qi Zhong's family background. When he heard Qi Zhong said that this was his young master, he didn't dare to neglect him.
Zhu Zhanyong said: "I don't do business, but I want to ask some questions."
Businessmen are better informed than the court.
Traveling all year round, whenever they heard of a shortage somewhere, they would transport goods to merchants. In some remote places, they even used merchants to convey news.
Hearing that he wanted to inquire about the market situation, Tao Jinpen's smile grew thicker: "It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. Business cannot be done without mercy. Whatever you want to ask, Tao will tell you everything."
"How are the food prices in the north?"
"It's slightly lower than the capital city."
“Can the rice noodles be filled?”
"Of course, Shandong is the granary of the north." Tao Jinpen seemed to understand his thoughts and said with a smile: "My little boss, if you want to buy out the rice and noodles in the north and control the price of grain, I would like to advise you to give up this idea..."
in this way,
The problem of water transportation can be solved.
Zhu Zhanyong didn't listen carefully to what Tao Fugui said next.
………………
Back to the East Palace,
Zhu Gaochi and Xie Jin were still thinking about countermeasures.
Zhu Zhanyong said: "Father, rice is rice, and it is the same everywhere. King Zhao only said that he wanted five hundred thousand shi of grain, but he did not say whether he wanted grain from the south or from the north. Father sent someone to bring enough silver, and quickly Go north, purchase grain in Shandong, Hebei, Tianjin and other places, and escort it to Beiping Mansion, and the matter is completed!"
Zhu Zhanyong continued: "Canal transportation requires the use of many people, who have to do corvee labor and bring their own rations, which wastes money and wastes money. If the people leave their hometown, the fields will not be cultivated. This not only appeases the people, but also saves the court a lot of silver."
Zhu Gaochi woke up from a dream and slapped his thigh hard.
Yes, within a month, if you bring money and take the official road for more than ten days, you can reach Shandong. If you buy grain from Shandong, it will be quicker to take the official road to the northeast of Shandong.
There is no need to dredge the river channel.
"Zhan Yong, what a good idea!" Zhu Gaochi instantly felt like how could I give birth to such a smart son.
Xie Jin nodded after hearing this: "To transport silver to Shandong, fast horses and official roads will definitely be faster than water transport."
Zhu Gaochi breathed a long sigh of relief: "I'll go to the household department to ask for some silver."
Zhu Zhanyong stopped him: "Father, I need someone who can entrust me with important tasks for this trip."
Zhu Zhanyong stopped Zhu Gaochi.
Zhu Gaochi and Xie Jin also calmed down. Five hundred thousand shi of grain was converted into more than 200,000 taels of silver. Transporting such a large amount of silver taels requires trustworthy people.
This person also needs to be wise and flexible,
Loyal but dull civil servants can't do it, because they don't know what will happen on the way. When they arrive in Shandong, if they can't get enough food, how can they adapt?
"Zhan Yong, do you have anyone to choose?" Zhu Gaochi didn't even realize that he had begun to rely on this son.
Zhu Zhanyong had a candidate in mind, but he was not in a hurry to say it out.
……………
Yinglingfang, Beijing,
This is an inconspicuous small street in the capital. Most of the imperial officials of the fifth and sixth grades, as well as some low-ranking gentry, would live on this street.
Yang Shiqi was holding half a roast chicken in his hand. At this time, he was just Zuo Chunfang Zuo Zhongyun, and his salary was not much. Being able to eat a roast chicken was a blessing.
"I'm so sore. Please help me squeeze it."
"Why do you go to the palace every day? You will die every day when you go home. It's been a long time since you pampered me." The beautiful woman complained quietly, but she still lightly rubbed her shoulders.
What have you been doing recently?
Of course, he was compiling a masterpiece of literature. He bent down and wrote thousands of words every day, and his hand was almost broken when copying, but Yang Shiqi never talked about government affairs when he came home.
So much so that during this period of absence from work, Mr. Liu thought he was having fun outside.
"Okay, okay, sir, I'll just take it easy these few months." Yang Shiqi smiled helplessly.
"Humph, do you keep your word?"
Yang Shiqi nodded with deep understanding, but in his heart he wanted to stay for a few days. He asked with concern: "Where is Ji'er?"
"Are you going to study at someone's house?" the beautiful woman replied.
At this moment, Taiping North Street in Beijing.
Zhu Zhanyong was waiting on his horse.
Knowing who Taisun was looking for, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but be curious.
1: "Since he is Zuo Chunfang Zhongyun, he should be a Jinshi in the imperial examination during the Hongwu period. Why haven't we heard of Yang Shiqi?"
Zhu Zhanyong: "Taizu, this man is special. He is neither a Jinshi nor a scholar. He is a white man. He was recommended by others to become an editor in the Hanlin Academy. His wisdom is the same as Taizu. He learned it from traveling among the people."
Yang Shiqi lost his father when he was young, and his mother finally remarried an official, but the official was implicated by others and was ordered to be exiled by Zhu Yuanzhang... Yang Shiqi, like Zhu Yuanzhang, began to make a living in the community since he was a child, but he loved reading and made a living as a professor for students.
1: "How do you know him?"
Zhu Zhanyong: "Mr. Yang is Zuo Zhongyun of Zuo Chunfang. He taught me the Six Classics. Although this man is talented, he is... very lazy."
Gou is not a derogatory word, but rather means a person who has thought deeply and will not express his position easily.
The same is true,
Xie Jin was full of economics, but he died in the fight between Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Gaoxu. Yang Shiqi was especially wiser than him. He went through five dynasties and served as the chief minister of the cabinet for more than 40 years.
He only takes action at critical moments. Normally, it is impossible to tell whether he favors the prince or the king of Han, just like Zhu Zhanyong has seen the protagonists in Gou Daoliu's novels.
Zhu Yuanzhang and others seemed to have a partial understanding of the meaning of "Gou Qi".
3: "Then why are you looking for his son?"
Yang Ji, Yang Shiqi's beloved son, was a violent and violent dandy. Especially after Yang Shiqi became a high official, he killed more than a dozen people for fun.
Yang Shiqi didn't know it. By the time he found out, it was already too late, so he could only take the blame and resign in tears, otherwise he could still be the chief minister for a few more years.
Zhu Zhanyong: "You will know in a moment."
Wu: "Boy, you are still a salesperson. What I can't stand the most in my life is people like you who half-talk. Interesting, interesting."
Zhu Zhanyong calmed down his mind.
Because some of the Hou Erdai who had dispersed had come back, Chen Zhao said excitedly as if he was claiming credit: "Your Highness, I have found the person!"
"Go and call Zhang Xi and the others," Zhu Zhanyong ordered.
Soon, Zhang Xi and others also came.
In a secluded alley.
"I...I tell you, my father is an official of the imperial court...you don't have to pay money to go to Cuiyue Tower. You have three entrances and three exits to the wealthy family. Do you, the sons of the gentry...dare to fight with the officials?" Yang Ji was not afraid of the other party at all.
There were so many people, they started shouting.
The people do not fight with the officials.
No matter how well-off the gentry is, they can't compete with the officials of the imperial court. They say that they are smart for their crimes, but in fact, I am not easy to mess with, and I will definitely take revenge on you.
only……
"He actually said that he was this famous dandy." Fang Tongda looked at Zhang Min excitedly.
Zhang Shi, Chen Zhao and others were usually playboys who did all kinds of evil and were well-known in the inner city. When they heard Yang Ji's words, they couldn't help but laugh, as if they had found something new and interesting.
Zhang Min asked: "Then do you know Zhang Hunshi?"
Yang Ji shook his head in a daze.
"Where is Chen Xiaoyan?" Chen Zhao asked.
Yang Ji shook his head.
"Where's Fang E coming?" Fang Tongda asked.
Yang Ji still shook his head.
"Ah, you don't even know us, so you dare to call yourself a dandy?" Chen Zhao looked surprised and puzzled.
Zhu Zhanyong looked at the young man who had been beaten in an unsuccessful attempt. The old man next to him, who was beaten all over and bruised, and whose face turned pale with fear, seemed to be his father.
"There is nothing for you to do here. Leave quickly."
The young man and the old man nodded and left in a hurry.
Zhang Mian looked back and looked at Zhu Zhanyong: "Brother, Brother, what should we do next?"
"Hit him!"
Zhang Xian and others rushed forward, punching hard to the flesh, and making their feet feel windy.
According to Zhu Zhanyong's experience, he shouldn't use such simple and crude methods. He should reason with him, but the reason probably doesn't make sense, so let's fight.
Just like when a person stands at the foot of an insurmountable giant mountain, he feels that he is small and not omnipotent.
Yang Ji was beaten until he huddled on the ground.
Zhang Xi looked at Zhu Zhanyong and asked excitedly: "I bought a dozen spotted deer, let's go hunting."
"Take him with you." Zhu Zhanyong agreed.
Arrive at Dongyuan Hunting Ground,
Only then did Yang Ji know what it means to be rich, with a small lake with sparkling water, lush reed grass, water birds and wild ducks rising from the wild grass from time to time, and groups of spotted deer and deer hiding in the mountains and forests... such a big and beautiful hunting ground.
Yang Ji is not stupid.
He quickly guessed their identities. No wonder when he threatened them, the other party not only did not panic, but even found it funny.
now,
Yang Ji's sense of superiority disappeared. He also wanted to ride, but he didn't have a horse. He could only look at the man who had beaten him with envy, jumping up and running wildly.
At this moment, Yang Ji also wanted to join them and become one of them.
But,
These people actually had armored followers, and they were obviously the sons of the Duke. Although his father was a court official, he could kill a fifth-rank official by throwing a brick at the Meridian Gate.
At this moment, Yang Ji redefined Dandy.
Zhang Xi released a dozen spotted deer, and Chen Zhao released a few deer and a dozen rabbits. Too many rabbits would affect the ecology, and some eagles had to be bought... There were still a lot of shortages of wild animals.
However, Zhang Xi and others marked a spotted deer, hunted in a group, and chased each other. The one who hunted the deer was the winner, and they had a lot of fun.
Finally, Fang Tongda shot the deer.
The dandy leader Zhu Zhanyong saw that it was almost done and looked at Yang Ji: "Do you want to join us?"
Yang Ji was at a loss, but looking forward to it.
Zhu Zhanyong pointed to Zhang Xian and others in front of him: "They are also doing evil in the capital. His name is Zhang Hunshi, but he is very good to the old, weak and disabled soldiers. His name is Chen Xiaoyanwang, and he will not bully those who are weaker than himself.
Man, he calls Fang Eilai, and he never deceives women from good families... Their fathers are very brave people. If you want to join us, you must abide by my rules! Do you understand?"