I can't help but feel excited when I look at the people who have been invited by their driving stickers.
These...will all be...manpower in the future.
Xinzhou has a vast land and is particularly rich in mineral resources. Most of the minerals are rich ores, with low mining costs and extremely high quality.
What's more, there is enough cultivated land and pasture, at least in this era, even if it is to feed tens of millions of people, it is enough.
But now... what Xinzhou lacks most is people.
Compared to refugees, Zhang Anshi actually favored the relatives of prisoners more.
This is not because prisoners are easy to manage, but because in the Ming Dynasty, those who could be mentioned as family members of prisoners were actually either rich or noble.
People born in this family have spent countless resources on their cultivation since they were young.
Reading and writing are no problem for them.
People... still have to study after all. No matter what kind of books they read, even if these people can no longer hope for the imperial examination, after studying, it is far easier to learn other crafts and things to make a living than for people who are illiterate.
Much.
To put it harshly, even if he is just doing carpentry, an experienced craftsman who relies entirely on experience may not be able to create higher value in the carpentry industry than a person who is well-read in poetry and has considerable experience.
After all, experience can be cultivated slowly as long as you really do it.
But how to draw inferences from one example, how to use your brain in the process of woodworking, and improve the technology and production methods, this is far beyond the former.
The problem of the Ming Dynasty was precisely that the truly diligent people were unable to obtain educational resources.
But the dignitaries who have a lot of educational resources disdain production.
As a result, all production methods have created many brilliance, but no one is willing to record them, so they cannot be accumulated, and no one can summarize them, and in the end they are short-lived.
What Zhang Anshi lacked was not manpower, but a large number of people like Shen Kuo and Song Yingxing who were both concerned with production and knowledgeable.
It is a waste of resources to allow the educational resources accumulated by the people to be reduced to a tool for writing articles and titles.
But now, these people have all become sinners and fallen from the clouds.
Uncle Zhang was about to reward them with a meal and send them to Xinzhou to have a new life. They suffered a lot and were exiled for thousands of miles. After suffering, they finally had a place to live.
Now that they have been reduced to the lowest level of ordinary people, they have to rely on hard work to eat. Are you afraid that they will rebel?
But as long as they are willing to combine their knowledge with application in work, they will surely become the backbone of all walks of life.
Zhang Anshi walked to the execution hall of the imperial prison, inspected it, and then called Chen Li and Chen Daowen over, saying, "How many imperial prisoners are there now?"
"More than a thousand people, I'm afraid there are more than a thousand people in each province."
Zhang Anshi said regretfully: "So few?"
"Ah...this..."
Zhang Anshi said: "What I mean is...to eradicate all evil. Your Majesty's intention this time is to eradicate the weeds. Of course...you cannot unjustly accuse good people."
"I understand." Chen Li said: "Now...it's just the tip of the iceberg...I'm still trying my best."
Zhang Anshi nodded: "No problem, you can take your time. Now the total is more than 2,000 households. This family... Let me do the math... Can such a large family have more than a dozen people in one family?"
"I'm afraid there are more." Chen Daowen said from the side: "Your Highness...this is a big family. I have arrested many people and taken many family members. This family is not small. Many people have wives and concubines with several houses.
There are many children, probably... there should be thirty or fifty people in a household. There is also a man named Liu Jin, who is a gentry from Jiangxi. His brother-in-law is also a bachelor of Wenyuan Pavilion. There are nine of them.
Fang’s wives and concubines, that’s it… it’s not over yet…”
Zhang Anshi didn't react for a moment, so he subconsciously said: "What do you mean it's not finished yet?"
Chen Daowen said: "There are also many girls who live in the same house, not counting them. There are more than 20 children of this guy, and there are several brothers... They are not fuel-efficient lamps. There are nearly a hundred of them up and down.
Mouth."
Zhang Anshi was also shocked, and then he became angry and said angrily: "Damn it, ordinary people can't even marry a daughter-in-law, but they actually misbehave like this... Well, this person... Your Majesty has pardoned him, and he is here to stay.
I will kill him, but... Death penalty can be avoided, but living crime cannot be escaped. The whole family is neat and tidy, no one is missing, and they are all sent to me to be exiled in Xinzhou! Remember, they must be neat and tidy. After all, this person is
If Jin Gong's wife and brother were to leave some people behind and teach them to separate their flesh and blood, I would not be able to bear it."
Chen Daowen said: "Your Highness, don't worry, I understand."
Zhang Anshi said: "If there can be thirty or fifty people in one household, then there will be nearly one hundred thousand people... If some more imperial prisoners are captured... If there are two hundred thousand people..."
Seeing Zhang Anshi talking incessantly and getting more and more energetic as he talked, Chen Daowen was speechless and couldn't help but look at his uncle Chen Li, as if he wanted to see something from his uncle's face.
Chen Li glanced at Zhang Anshi and expressed his helplessness.
Zhang Anshi immediately said: "Okay, this matter... let's do it. The next thing is what you have to work hard on. I will not care about other things. But there are a few things you should keep in mind.
"
Chen Li and Chen Daowen quickly put away their minds and said seriously: "Please give me your instructions, Your Highness."
Zhang Anshi walked thoughtfully for a few steps before he said slowly: "First, these are imperial prisoners, and their families must be strictly monitored immediately. If one of them escapes, it will be a death penalty."
"Secondly, there is no need to teach them to suffer. They should eat and drink as they should, so as not to starve to death. If they are sick, they should be treated, and they should not be tortured unless necessary."
"Third..." Zhang Anshi paused, and then said: "This is the most important thing. Without an imperial edict or an edict from this king, no matter who it is, whether it is Dongchang, Wenyuan Pavilion or Liubu
No matter what, if you ask for family members, you won’t be able to give any of them.”
Chen Daowen suddenly opened his eyes and said in shock: "Your Highness...could it be that...there are still their party members in the court, maybe...trying to find a way to get them off the hook?"
Zhang Anshi looked at Chen Daowen deeply: "Is it unnecessary?"
Chen Daowen said solemnly: "Your Highness, don't worry, I understand. From today on, I will personally guard it."
Zhang Anshi smiled and said: "That's the case, then I, the king, will feel at ease."
Immediately, Zhang Anshi drove back home.
Chen Li and Chen Daowen went out of the imperial edict to see each other off in person. Watching Zhang Anshi's car gradually drive away, Chen Daowen still had admiration in his eyes and said: "Uncle, no, Governor, Your Highness is really thoughtful, why didn't I
Think about it? These imperial prisoners are all rich and noble, and have wide connections. There must be someone in the court to help them. From this, it seems that the pressure on our Jin Yiwei is not small. "
Chen Li smiled at him and said lightly: "Okay, stop thinking about it all day long and do your own thing."
Chen Daowen calmed down and said immediately: "Captain, I think we have to think of another way to mobilize the new members of the official school to guard. My eyelids are always twitching. After listening to His Highness's words, I feel even more fishy. Commander...
… Don’t you think that… there might be something big happening behind this?”
Chen Li glanced at Chen Daowen meaningfully: "You think it is possible."
Chen Daowen: "..."
On the other side, Zhang Anshi returned to his palace happily.
But at this time, Zhang San had already started organizing.
It was originally thought that the emperor had died, so everyone in the palace was dressed in mourning and the palace was decorated.
Now that I heard that His Majesty had come back to life, I felt unlucky and hurriedly removed it. The entire palace was extremely busy.
As soon as he saw Zhang Anshi coming back, Zhang San said: "Your Highness, you don't know..."
Zhang Anshi waved his hand: "Okay, okay, this king is from a fucking Jin Yiwei background, and there are roundworms in your majesty's belly. Is there anything else in the world that I don't know about? Stop showing off the nonsense news you heard in front of me."
Zhang San then smiled and said: "It's not...ahem...it's...the owner of Ma's Shipbuilding Industry...is here to visit."
Zhang Anshi was stunned for a moment, a little surprised, then frowned and said: "Is it the number one scholar?"
"Exactly."
Zhang Anshi nodded and asked, "Where is he?"
Zhang San was the one who followed Zhang Anshi all the way, and he was a little more relaxed in front of Zhang Anshi than other servants, so he said truthfully: "Originally, I didn't teach him to enter. This is the palace of the Prince of Wuhu County, how can he be an idle person?
Are you coming as soon as you want? Your Highness..."
Zhang Anshi looked at him with a half-smile but not a smile: "Then he stuffed you with a little money, and you just invited him in?"
Zhang San was shocked and said: "Your Highness, but... it's not like this..."
But his tone was obviously getting weaker and weaker.
Zhang Anshi didn't say much, just smiled and said, "Where is he?"
"Arranged in the side hall."
Zhang Anshi nodded and continued walking inside.
When they entered the side hall, they saw someone getting up and hurriedly saluting Zhang Anshi. It was Ma Yu.
Zhang Anshi just said: "Excuse me from the ceremony. You know that I, the king, don't like...these false courtesy. Why...Mr. Ma smelled something again and suddenly came here."
Ma Yu smiled and said, "I heard some news."
Zhang Anshi sat down firmly, picked up the tea cup sent by the servant, took a sip of tea calmly, and then said: "Tell me."
Ma Yu said: "I heard... Your Majesty has captured many imperial prisoners. There are quite a few of them. All their clansmen will be exiled. And I heard... are they exiled to Xinzhou?"
Zhang Anshi immediately put down the tea cup and looked at Ma Yu warily.
Ma Yu got the news very quickly.
Ma Yu seemed to understand Zhang Anshi's intention and hurriedly explained: "Your Highness, don't be surprised. I only do business. I don't dare to interfere in the affairs of the court, and I don't dare to ask questions. It's just... In this way of business, information is also the most important thing."
, many times, a piece of news is enough to make people one step ahead of others, and one step ahead of others... means profit..."
Zhang Anshi agreed and said: "It is such a thing."
Ma Yu was quite candid, so Zhang Anshi did not continue to investigate further. He immediately picked up the tea cup and said, "Mr. Ma, did you see an opportunity?"
"Yes." Ma Yu nodded and said: "The students plan that Ma's Shipping will increase the number of shipping services from Xinzhou to Songjiangkou, Pearl River Estuary, and Denglai ports. The number of cargo ships will increase from 31 in the past to 60 per month.
The number of passenger ships has increased from nine to 30."
Zhang Anshi couldn't help but laugh and said: "This is a good thing that is mutually beneficial. So much manpower has suddenly been added, especially there are so many people who need to go to Xinzhou. If you go by passenger ship, you will definitely not lose money. If people go, you will inevitably have to pay for it."
Bring more things with you, this freight... you won't suffer any loss, Mr. Ma... seems to always find opportunities to make money."
Ma Yu continued: "This is only secondary. The first thing is to be able to contribute to His Highness. Otherwise, it will not be easy to send so many people to Xinzhou at once. Ma's Shipping will add some shipping
, but also for the sake of Xinzhou."
Zhang Anshi nodded: "However, I think that this is just a small profit after all. Mr. Ma is a big business person, so he will not run for this small business. After all, if there is anything else, don't get me wrong.
It’s not that I’m being unkind, I’m just used to being straight to the point.”
Ma Yu smiled. What Zhang Anshi said was really not flattering him. Ma Yu's Ma's Shipping Company is now considered a leader in the maritime shipping industry. It is even bigger than the second and third shipping companies.
It’s even bigger than all the trading houses combined.
Shipping is an asset-heavy industry, and the annual cost of purchasing ships is astronomical. Ma's Shipping Company also has the most abundant capital. Although it is not as good as Qixia Trading Company, its growth rate is staggering.
People like Ma Yu may not really appreciate this business of passenger and freight transportation.
Ma Yu smiled slightly and said, "Your Highness knows me."
He paused and continued: "This time, Mr. Ma also hopes to go to Xinzhou."
Zhang Anshi looked at him curiously and said, "Oh?"
Ma Yu said: "Mr. Ma also knows a little about the situation in Xinzhou, and it is said that it is not bad. This time... I would like to take this opportunity to take a closer look."
Zhang Anshi looked at Ma Yu meaningfully: "Why?"
Ma Yu said: "To be honest, there is only one thing I hope... Ma's Shipping Company plans to enter Xinzhou on a large scale."
Zhang Anshi said: "Really?"
He looked a little more serious on his face, looked at Ma Yu, and said: "Mr. Ma, just tell the truth. In Xinzhou... I have always treated everyone equally. If it is just because of... entering Xinzhou in a large scale, I want to
Taking the opportunity to please this king and teach me what kind of favors I can give you, this... is not acceptable."
Ma Yu shook his head: "The common people have taken a fancy to business opportunities and have nothing to do with His Highness."
"Business?"
Ma Yu nodded and said: "The grass-roots people have said before that they have some understanding of the situation in Xinzhou. At least the information they have now is that the land is vast, there are no foreign enemies, and the minerals are rich. Now the towns everywhere have begun to take shape.
.The grassroots people have always wanted... Ma's ships to enter the West and other places."
"It's just that... most of the Western vassal countries have a dangerous environment, and there are many native people around them. They usually attack each other. Therefore, the countries have a huge demand for firearms and steel, although the demand for production and shipping is not
It’s small, but it’s only secondary after all.”
Ma Yu paused and continued: "Xinzhou is different. Xinzhou is stable and has been mainly engaged in reclamation, mining, construction, and production. Moreover, from the perspective of shipping, Xinzhou is closer to the Western countries, such as
If we build ships in Xinzhou, open routes to the Western countries, and supply the needs of the Western countries, the cost is actually comparable to that of the Ming Dynasty. After all, mineral deposits are much cheaper than those of the Ming Dynasty. In the future, smelting will definitely be
The pillar of Xinzhou.”
"What's more, Xinzhou may be as profitable as the Ming Dynasty at the moment. But Xinzhou is a barren land after all. In the future, once the population increases, in the long run, today's investment may be far less than that of the Ming Dynasty.
Far inferior. After all...Although all industries are prosperous in the Ming Dynasty, after all...many industries are probably overcrowded and the competition is not small. And Xinzhou...has more places to use."
After hearing this, Zhang Anshi couldn't help but laugh and said: "So, you want to make arrangements in Xinzhou in advance?"
"Exactly." Ma Yu said: "In the Ming Dynasty, ordinary people have always invested in shipping. But shipping alone is not enough. We have to compete with other shipping. Buying ships alone is still a big risk. Today
Ma was able to raise funds and buy ships on a large scale, but other shipping companies were not satisfied with the situation.
School ㄒ bad mo 旆ǎ fade embedded 嘞呔 !?
"Mou Ma heard that... when he came from Xinzhou, there was a kind of iron-hulled ship that stopped at Songjiang Port. It was made in Xinzhou. He even heard that Xinzhou was planning to move a steam engine onto the ship. This matter
, but it has greatly inspired the common people."
He looked very serious and continued: "Nowadays, there are quite a lot of applications for steam engines. Many workshops use them to replace manpower and horse power. Since it can be used to make cars, it can also be used to replace manpower and water power for textiles."
, then... why not put it on a boat? Maybe it will even become popular in the future. "
"If this is the case, then it would be terrible. How much steel does it need to be smelted to build new ships every year? In addition, now that the New Deal is coming, it is only a matter of time before all provinces roll out railways. How much steel is needed?
In the whole world, only the iron ore in Xinzhou has the cheapest mining cost and the best quality. But if the ore is transported to Songjiangkou for sale, the transportation cost is not small. Then... the most likely thing is,
In order to meet the Ming Dynasty's demand for steel, large-scale smelting will occur in Xinzhou to smelt the ore into high-quality steel and transport it to Songjiang or Zhujiang to supply the needs of the Ming Dynasty."
"In addition, there is shipbuilding. Once the steel required for shipbuilding increases significantly, the biggest cost of shipbuilding in the future may be steel. If we wait for the steel to be smelted in Xinzhou and transported to Daming's dock to build ships, this will not only be time-consuming
It is laborious and will greatly increase the cost. So the most likely possibility is... to manufacture it nearby. After the steel is smelted in Xinzhou, it will be directly transported to the shipyard in Xinzhou, made into a ship, and then delivered."