The north is covered in snow, thousands of miles frozen, and is desolate and desolate.
The temperature in Beijing has also dropped to its lowest point, and countless poor families and homeless people who lack wages and carbon emissions freeze to death every day.
Emperor Chongzhen had to allocate some money, food and materials from his internal funds for relief, but there were too many monks and too little food, which was better than nothing. It could only serve as a psychological comfort. After all, he took action. Although he didn't save many people, it was at least better than not hearing anything.
Qian is much stronger, and this is the biggest difference between him and Hun Jun.
A squeaking sound came from nowhere.
Zhu Youjian, who was noisily reviewing the memorial, was upset and wanted to send the Jin Yiwei to check carefully who was making the noise and disturbing him. Even if he was not sentenced to beheading at the market entrance, he would at least be hit with fifty big boards!
But Zhu Youjian still restrained his violent impulse and did not take any action.
Because he knew what the strange sound came from - a gramophone.
A mechanical device specially used to play record recordings, and has the function of recording sound on an empty record and copying the recording on one record to another. It is the most popular product recently launched by Xujiazhuang and has become popular among the entire upper class.
Fashion products.
As long as you have a gramophone, you can not only buy some professional music, opera and storytelling records to listen to at home, but you can also buy some blank records and burn some well-sung songs, operas, etc. that you have heard.
Can be enjoyed and listened to multiple times.
In short, the gameplay is very rich, and it has already set off a wave of trends among the upper class of the Ming Dynasty. It will be a very honorable thing for anyone to have a gramophone at home.
And Zhu Youjian not only knew very well that at least half of the gramophones on the market in the capital were produced in royal shops. The purchase price was 3,000 silver dollars per unit, and the sales price to customers was at least 8,000. The profit was higher than that of bicycles.
In addition, vinyl records are also a business that can bring long-term profits.
In just two or three months, Zhu Youjian's internal funds brought in profits of more than half a million silver dollars.
This made Zhu Youjian have to sigh, Xujiazhuang deserves to be the best at doing business. Even in the cold winter when everyone is a cat, he can still launch some popular products and always find ways to make money out of people's pockets.
.
Because of this, even if he was disturbed by the noise from the gramophone outside the palace, Zhu Youjian would not take any punishment or warning measures. He was always short of money and would not destroy the business of his imperial shop.
So what is Chongzhen agitated about, and what is affecting his mood?
Rogue bandits.
Still a bandit.
The imperial court's war mobilization has been going on for several months. He has spent more than five million yuan in food from internal funds, more than two million yuan in food from the Ministry of Household Affairs, and three million silver dollars borrowed from Xujiazhuang, totaling thousands of dollars.
More than half of the ten thousand yuan in food and supplies has been spent during this period. It is rare for the imperial army to be generous to those who participated in the encirclement and suppression of the bandits. I only hope that they can respond to the imperial court's expectations and produce some major results.
This is like someone betting heavily on a lottery ticket. They definitely want to see good results as soon as possible and win the big prize immediately. At least they want to see a return commensurate with the amount of the bet.
But Chongzhen's card-playing skills have never been very good.
My luck was very bad and I lost one game after another.
Therefore, the young Chongzhen not only hoped to get more money and food, but also extremely longed for one thing - victory.
He desperately needs a major military victory to prove that Ming Dynasty can still be saved, to prove that his efforts can be rewarded, and to prove that Ming Dynasty is still on his side!
It's just that this weather is not suitable for fighting. No matter how anxious he is, he can't force a fight at this time.
He has really overcome a lot of the shortcomings of young people being impatient.
He also firmly believes that if he spends these tens of millions of money on food, he will definitely see some expected results, and he will no longer be as helpless as before.
"Your Majesty, a great victory in the Taihang Mountains, a great victory in the Taihang Mountains!"
Eunuch Wang Chengen hurriedly entered Dongnuang Pavilion and said with excitement: "The imperial army led by Yang, Wang, and Deng hurriedly marched for more than a thousand miles from Jingxing into the Taihang Mountains and went straight to the base of the rogue bandits. They annihilated fifty bandits in a few days.
Yu Wan later joined forces with the Tianxiong Army from Daming Prefecture and blocked the remaining bandits in the Taihang Mountains. Finally, they found traces of the bandits in Fenghuang Mountain and defeated them in one battle. The entire thirty-six battalion of bandits were wiped out!"
"Your Majesty, we have won. Our imperial army has won! The rogue bandits Zijin Liang Wang, Zuo Jinwang, Lao Huihui and other bandit leaders have been captured and are being escorted to the capital. They are either tortured or beheaded, all under the solemn decision of your majesty.
!Your Majesty, even if there are still a few remnants of the rogue bandits who have ravaged the Central Plains, they will not make any big waves. Thanks to Your Majesty’s great blessing, such good news comes at the beginning of the new year. Doesn’t it mean that the Ming Dynasty will turn around and ZTE will be rejuvenated?
It’s in front of you!”
Wang Chengen knelt down before him and congratulated him with tears in his eyes.
"We won, really we won?"
Zhu Youjian was stunned, with a look of disbelief on his face. He also annihilated more than 500,000 bandits and even captured Zijinliang and other thieves in the capital. Is this possible? Is this true?
Wang Chengen quickly handed over the victory memorial written by General Yang Yufan, and the soldier who had returned from the front line who was responsible for conveying military information was also called in by Wang Chengen and asked him to report face to face on the specific situation of the Taihang Mountain victory.
The confirmation process took more than an hour.
Chongzhen asked someone to bring a map, and asked dozens of questions in succession. Some areas were repeatedly asked and confirmed, such as the number of enemies annihilated, how did more than 500,000 enemies come from, and whether there were any good killers.
Phenomenon such as taking credit?
The soldier answered all the questions fluently and gave reasonable explanations.
"Your Majesty, a great victory, a great victory in Taihang Mountain!"
At this time, Zhang Fengyi, the Minister of War, and other officials entered the palace, and through the channels of the Ministry of War, they learned about the military situation of the Taihang Mountain victory, which further confirmed the authenticity of this victory.
Zhang Fengyi said excitedly: "The rogue bandits suffered an unprecedented heavy blow. Thirty of the thirty-six battalions of bandits were captured or killed. Only Gao Yingxiang, Luo Rucai and a few other bandit leaders broke through. All the bandits were lost and it was difficult to establish a momentum. When spring comes,
After that, we will continue to increase the intensity of encirclement and suppression, draw shadows and figures, spend a lot of money to capture the remaining bandit leaders, and exempt Shan, Shaanxi, and Henan from taxes for three years. Your Majesty, from now on, the rogue bandits will definitely be eradicated and will no longer be a problem!"
"Okay! Okay! Okay!"
The young emperor Zhu Youjian cheered repeatedly, rubbing his hands and his face flushed with excitement, "Victory, this time the imperial army really won. The three generals Yang, Wang, and Deng did not let him down, and neither did Lu Xiangsheng's Tianxiong Army."
He was disappointed, but in a short period of time, it brought him a hearty victory!
reward.
These heroes must be heavily rewarded!
There is also a reward for Wang Chengen, the first companion to deliver the good news.
The soldier who fought bloody battles on the front line and sent reports of victory will also be rewarded.
And the officials of the Ministry of War who confirmed that the victory was true should also be well rewarded.
Even the eunuchs, maids, guards, etc. who served in Dongnuan Pavilion also took advantage of it, and no one was rewarded with fifty silver dollars.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"The Ming Dynasty will be victorious, long live your Majesty!"
Everyone bowed down to thank him, and everyone cheered.
Next, Chongzhen, who was still in a state of excitement and ecstasy, threw away the imperial pen in his hand and stopped approving memorials and the like. He immediately gave himself a holiday. Damn it, how could he be in the mood to deal with memorials now?
We must celebrate immediately, get high as much as we can, and tell everyone in the palace the good news of the victory in Taihang Mountain!
…
now.
Inside Kunning Palace, there was a tense atmosphere with a strong smell of gunpowder.
Because the emperor's favorite Concubine Tian Guifei had a quarrel with Empress Zhou, the master of the harem, over a matter of principle.
"Sister, what's wrong with me using my personal money to buy a gramophone in the imperial store to listen to for myself? I can't buy it at the wholesale price of three thousand silver dollars, so I have to pay eight thousand silver dollars to the main store, right? Other sisters in the palace like to play phonographs.
Ma Diao is playing cards, and I can't play with them, so why don't I just want to listen to opera on the gramophone?" said Concubine Tian.
"Sister, the current situation in the country is difficult, how can you spend extravagantly and promote the atmosphere of enjoyment in the palace? Your Majesty works hard at night to deal with the difficult affairs of the world, and you have a lot of gray hair, but you insist on buying a gramophone and only care about your personal enjoyment. How can this be done? How can it be better?
Give the money to Your Majesty, and when the world is at peace and prosperous times come, you can buy whatever you want."
Empress Zhou persuaded her with earnest words.
"How can I, a woman, influence the world's major events? Sister, just tell me whether I am allowed to buy a gramophone. If not, I will ask someone to buy it from another store." Tian Guifei said firmly. As soon as the phonograph came out, it aroused her concern.
Note that the winter is long and there is nothing to enjoy. The gramophone is the best pastime. And her father is a wealthy businessman in Yangzhou and is never short of money. It is good that she can bear to buy it until now.
"you--"
Queen Zhou's chest rose and fell violently, and she said with a stern expression: "Come here, bring me a whip! I am the master of the harem, I don't believe I can't cure you, an ignorant concubine like you."
"Fight! Just beat me to death. I must buy the gramophone anyway!" Concubine Tian held her neck tightly and refused to give in.
The atmosphere in Kunning Palace was extremely oppressive. The eunuchs and maids lowered their heads and did not dare to breathe. No one ran to get a whip, because these two most important women to the emperor, no matter who wins or loses in a quarrel, the one who is in the most danger
It's all them ants.
"Zitong, my beloved, what are you doing?" Fortunately, Zhu Youjian walked in at this moment and asked with a strange look on his face.
"Your Majesty, I just want to use my own money to buy a gramophone, but my sister wants to treat me like a harem..." Concubine Tian threw herself into Chongzhen's arms, and she started crying with rain.
"It's just a gramophone. Buy it! I'll pay for it for you and I'll send someone to buy it right away."
Zhu Youjian comforted the woman in his arms and said.
"His Majesty!"
Queen Zhou stamped her feet and said dissatisfiedly: "Tian Xiuying is so ridiculous, how can you let it go?"
"It doesn't matter. How can a mere phonograph ear ruin any major national affairs? Zitong, tell me what you want, and I'll have someone buy it for you! The imperial army won a great victory in the Taihang Mountains and annihilated more than 500,000 bandits! Such a happy event
, let's celebrate it properly and don't have to worry about it like in the past." Zhu Youjian said with a big wave of his hand.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! God bless Huangming!"
Empress Zhou couldn't help but look happy and quickly picked up the blessing. Everyone also congratulated her.
Immediately, the entire palace was in an atmosphere of cheers and joy.
Zhu Youjian also showed unprecedented generosity. In the harem, no matter who made the request, he readily agreed, such as Concubine Tian's gramophone, a fox fur that Queen Zhou liked, and Concubine Yuan's women's mechanical watch.
, all the telescopes that Prince Zhu Cixi wanted were met, plus the gifts for the eunuchs, maids, and guards, etc., it cost two to three hundred thousand taels in a short time, but he was happy, he was happy, such a big victory, he must pass