british government,

The story of Zhang Xi's horse theft spread like a tornado, and soon Li Zhilu heard about it. He knew the location of the hunting ground, but he didn't know who it belonged to.

Wearing a plain snow-white skirt, Li Zhilu's beautiful eyes trembled under her smooth forehead: "What else did he take?"

"Miss, he also took some silver. I sent someone to check. He hired hunters to catch deer and roe deer." The housekeeper stood beside him and murmured in a low voice.

Zhang Fu sighed: "I'm afraid it was Zhu Zhanyong who ordered it again."

Li Zhilu Zhen lowered her head slightly and raised her head to look at Zhang Fu who was deep in thought: "Eldest brother, he will always be favored by his adoptive father in the future. Zhang Xi is naughty and clever, but you, eldest brother, although he did not expressly support the crown prince.

, but this time he ordered General Zhu to go north, and the King of Han could not help but face his elder brother."

"Among the sergeants who are repairing the palace in Beiping, many of my father's old troops are suffering from injuries and illnesses. I can't just sit back and watch their wives and children go hungry." Zhang Fu treats his subordinates very well, just like Zhang Yu, so when charging into battle, the soldiers will risk their lives.

Life follows him.

He paused and continued: "The King of Han can't take care of me now. The Southern Pass Guard came to report. At this time, many envoys from foreign dynasties followed the censor to pay tribute. Zheng He is about to return to Beijing."

Zheng He, he will lead the fleet to supply supplies in Guangzhou, and first send envoys to Yingtian via the post road to inform the emperor first, and the emperor will consider whether to send envoys to greet him. These will take time to prepare.

Zheng He will arrive in Beijing in the next few days.

When Zhu Zhanyong came back from the hunting ground, he found that many merchants were pouring into the capital. He guessed that Zheng He was coming back and the price of silk would rise sharply?

Lao Qi's face turned sallow and he guessed Zhu Zhanyong's intention: "Your Highness, the price of silk has not gone up..."

Zhu Zhanyong found that he had fallen into a misunderstanding.

The silk transaction is divided into two stages. The first stage is to purchase it in the Ming Dynasty, and the second stage is to transport it to foreign countries such as England for sale. In the first stage, transportation costs are not incurred, so the price will not increase.

The price increase is the second step!

Fan merchants also continued to suppress the price of silk. Fan merchants were not stupid. The lower the price, the higher the profit. There would always be some heartless merchants who would sell the silk, and the price of silk was instead driven down.

It's over.

Are you going to lose all your fifty thousand taels?

Zhu Zhanyong originally thought.

Zheng He's return to Beijing would cause the price of silk to rise sharply, and he signed a three-year contract with silk farmers, but it was not expected... Fanshang were all shrewd. At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang witnessed this scene and knew the cause and effect.

The voice sounded concerned.

1: "If there are more than 7,000 silk farmers in the capital, and they cannot allocate silver, the matter will definitely be reported in the imperial court, and it will be brought to the attention of the Fourth Brother."

Twenty-three, four, five and three are all online in their respective dynasties.

Although they each have their own abilities.

But it is true that I also learned a lot from Zhu Zhanyong.

Lu still doesn't understand.

Lu: “Why did you hoard raw silk in the first place?”

Zhu Zhanyong: "Hey, I was misled. I thought that the price of silk would increase when Fan merchants came to China to purchase it. But they took away the silk at a low price. When the Fan merchants returned to Fan country, they paid six to seven times, or even more than ten times.

Sold at twice the price.”

This time Lu also understood.

Not to mention Sanwu.

As for silk, since Zhang Qian went to the Western Regions as an envoy in the Han Dynasty, the price of this stuff has been comparable to gold.

But now, Fanshang also knows how to lower the price. Because of the existence of the boneless businessman, it has really been suppressed. Zhu Zhanyong originally sold the price at a 10% increase. Not to mention the silk silver next year and the year after that, he will still lose a lot of money.

A pen of silver.

San asked with concern: "How do you want to plan?"

This time, Zhu Zhanyong was really questioned.

Lao Zhu said nothing at this moment. If something goes wrong when he becomes emperor in the future, there will be more than one. His expression at this moment is unmoved. He wants to see how his grandson will deal with it?

If the gentry won't sell, the merchants won't be able to do anything.

Therefore, the top priority... is to find those boneless silk merchants.

Zhu Zhanyong's thoughts changed quickly, and he ordered Lao Qi to find a well-informed businessman, an old acquaintance, who was the golden basin last time, the wealthy Confucian businessman who looked a bit like the God of Wealth.

After hearing Zhu Zhanyong's plan, Tao Fugui laughed: "Little boss, you want to unite with those silk merchants to stabilize the price? You can't do it, even if the prince comes, because the King of Han... also sold it."

At the end of the sentence, he moved closer.

"Big golden basin?!"

Zhang Min's surprised voice came from behind, and it sounded like he was an acquaintance with Tao Fugui, who froze when he saw him like a rabbit seeing an eagle.

"Your Highness, what are you doing with him? This guy is a liar."

"So what about the Duke's palace? Under the emperor's feet, the Duke must also be reasonable!" Tao Fugui frowned, as if he had been greatly insulted.

Zhang Xi shouted: "Believe it or not, I'll beat you up!"

"If you hit me, hit me. The worst I can do is study hard for ten more years and wait until I win the first prize before impeaching the British Duke!" Tao Fugui held his head and lay on the ground, looking like he was going to fight me.

This guy actually has the idea of ​​​​abandoning business and becoming a Confucian scholar.

Iron-bone pottery and gold basin?

At this moment, Zhu Zhanyong temporarily put aside the issue of silk prices and said to Zhang Shi, "Do you recognize him?"

"This guy, this guy is a liar. Even though he dresses brightly, he actually doesn't do business. He deceived me once, and my sister found out."

It turned out that after Tao Jinpen failed the examination, he set up a stall to sell writing instruments, and found a dozen people to line up, claiming that he could write strong and vigorous calligraphy. This naturally attracted the attention of Zhang Shi, a dandy, and Tao Jinpen asked him to take it home first. After a few days of asking for no money, Zhang Shi's pen broke without writing a word. He was so sorry that he gave Tao Jinpan a dozen taels of silver as compensation.

Zhu Zhanyong finished listening.

**, this is a talent.

"Hmph! I only said that I would lend it to you for a try, but I didn't say that I would sell it to you. It is my favorite pen, and it was the one that got me admitted as a scholar! It's worth the money, and besides...I will definitely redeem it at a high price." The voice was already gone. Inaudible, as if at the end of the street.

Tao Jinpen wanted to gain a foothold in the capital, but he had no chance. The dozen taels he spent were used to buy gorgeous clothes. He was penniless, but he was still willing to help others. He believed that one day he would be able to help others in the capital. You will meet noble people.

Zhang Xi turned his head and looked at Zhu Zhanyong: "Your Highness, he is really a liar."

"Um…"

Zhu Zhanyong said nothing and turned back to the palace.

…………

Fengtian Temple,

The vassal envoys and merchants were paying tribute to the Ming Dynasty for the first time. There was no way to lead them, so they could only follow the censor of Zheng He's fleet all the way north from Guangzhou. Now they have reported to the Ministry of Rites.

At this moment, in the main hall, in addition to Zhu Di, there were also officials from the Sixth Ministry and Dongge Grand Scholar.

"Your Majesty, the envoys from Ryukyu Zhongshan, Mangara, Xiaogelan, Sumentara, Shannan, Boluo and Aru are paying tribute. The Ministry of Rites is placed in Honglu Temple. According to the time, Zheng He should be in the capital soon."

Zheng Ci, the Minister of Rites, said loudly that since it was the first time he paid tribute, he read out the names one by one so that His Majesty could know which vassals were paying tribute.

Zhu Di was in a mixed mood. He was both happy and surprised. He never expected that Zheng He would really come back. This was the first time in history! The Celestial Empire sent large ships to visit various countries to declare the power of the Celestial Empire!

I did it!

This feat alone is enough to go down in history!

Zhu Di started to laugh. He, who had always been serious about his words, was silent for a moment and said repeatedly: "Okay, okay! When Zheng He's ship arrives at Songjiang Mansion, the Ministry of Rites will go to greet him on my behalf."

Zheng Ci seemed hesitant, but His Majesty spoke, and he could only agree: "I obey the order, but Your Majesty, the envoys brought many merchants to the capital, and they suppressed the price of silk."

"The imperial court does not compete with the people for profit," Huang Fu, the Minister of Household Affairs, retorted.

"Sir Huang, this matter is also related to the imperial court. Silk is cheap and hurts farmers. Merchants buy it at a lower price, usually from six taels a piece to three taels. Merchants charge raw silk from the people at a lower price. The imperial silk tax

?" Zheng Ci asked back.

"Isn't there a silk merchant who has contracted the people's silk money for three years? The money will be advanced first, and the raw silk will be collected later. What is Mr. Zheng worried about?" Huang Fu said in a calm voice.

Zhu Di had a sullen face. He had been on the border for a long time. He knew that the price of silk sold to barbarians could increase four or five times. How could he allow merchants to use the blood and sweat of ordinary people to earn so much silver?

Jie Jin raised his head, as if he could see Zhu Di's thoughts, and said with concern: "Your Majesty, this move is indeed abominable, but the law says that you cannot live in the future and drive up prices, but it did not say that you cannot lower prices. Now that the envoy has arrived in Beijing, if you suppress

It’s too cruel, I’m afraid I won’t dare to come next year.”

Zhu Di hummed and gave up the idea of ​​formulating a new law for the time being.

Zhu Gaochi looked worried. Based on his political literacy, he could guess who this matter would eventually fall on, and who else could it be? Of course it was his son Zhu Zhanyong.

Never lose money!

This was what Zhu Zhanyong was thinking at the moment. He went to the Shangyi Supervisor in the palace, and then went to the Jia Ziku where silk tributes were made from various places to finally confirm something.

Zhu Yuanzhang was curious.

1: "What are you looking for?"

Zhu Zhanyong: "During the Hongwu period, Taizu restored the dress system. Merchants could only wear brown and gray linen clothes, and women could only wear green and peach... The people had a poor understanding of colors and were limited to cyan, brown, and dark gray.

, red, purple, black, green, orange, etc., there are not many noble colors.”
To be continued...