Daming: Mixed in Dangzhi County, Beiping

"Master, the old master sent someone to deliver a letter. Although the crops in my hometown can be irrigated with water from the stream beside the field, the stream will be watered out every two days.

This year’s crops won’t grow anywhere! "

With that said, the steward Guo Ang handed a letter to Guo An.

Guo An opened it and read it once, then sighed helplessly.

"If God doesn't rain, there's nothing I can do about it."

Guo Ang lowered his head and remained silent. This kind of important matter can only be handled by the master. He only needs to manage the affairs of the house.

Anyway.

No matter how severe the drought is outside, it will not affect the house.

"How are the crops in Jiangjun Mountain outside the city?"

Guo An asked again.

Guo Ang quickly said: "Reporting to the master, the food in the fields of Jiangjun Mountain has not been greatly affected by a few light rains.

However, it is not as strong as last year..."

"Well, as long as there is a harvest this year, that will be great!"

Guo An nodded slowly.

After a while, he remembered something and asked curiously: "I heard that several fleets have returned one after another within this month?"

Speaking of this, Guo Ang looked excited.

"Sir, it seems that more than ten fleets have returned. These fleets are carrying loads of goods, and each family has made several times the profit!"

"Master, the more than 20 large ships our family bought from Yan State will come back in a few days. Do we also want to start building a fleet?"

"Ok!"

Guo An nodded slightly, "You take the time to recruit nearly a hundred young people from the people in Jiangjun Mountain, and then find a hundred neighbors from Shunde Mansion who have a good relationship with my Guo family, and then let Xu Yong Just find a few hundred guards and more than a thousand sea people!"

"Sea people familiar with ships?"

Guo Ang's face turned bitter, but he still responded repeatedly, "Don't worry, sir, I will send people to find the sea people right away."

Guo An glanced at Guo Ang strangely and said: "There is no need to send people to search for it. You can go find Shen Zhuang and ask him to find some sea people. The sea people from Jiangxi and Fujian will do!"

"Yes, sir!"

Guo Ang was overjoyed and felt confident.

As for the remaining people, according to the current scale of Dingguo Palace, they can be easily dealt with.

However, with the return of those sea trade fleets, the entire Ming Dynasty's attitude towards overseas trade has inexplicably increased.

"Father, during this period, the merchants who came back brought back all kinds of spices and treasures. Not only did they earn back their capital, they even made a lot more.

Now the merchants in the capital and various states in the Ming Dynasty are very jealous. They are building ships everywhere, buying ships and goods, and preparing to go to Southeast Asia and the West for trade! "

In the Fengtian Hall, Zhu Gaochi reported to Zhu Di with a happy face.

"Moreover, in just these two months, the commercial tax collected by the Shipping Department amounted to more than 2.3 million taels of silver!

In the past few days, the officials from the Ministry of Revenue have been very impressive wherever they go..."

"Tsk!"

Zhu Di couldn't help but sneer, "No wonder, at the court meetings these days, all the officials from the Ministry of Revenue are in high spirits, while the other court officials also look like they dare to be angry but dare not speak out."

"Father Emperor Shengming!"

Zhu Gaochi quickly flattered, "As long as more and more merchants go to the sea, then my Ming Dynasty will receive tens of millions of taels of silver just from the annual tax on maritime merchants... The court will never be poor again!"

"Exactly!"

Zhu Di also nodded heavily, "I heard that Ding Guogong also purchased twenty sea ships from Yan State and planned to build a fleet to go to sea?"

Zhu Gaochi said slowly: "Dad, the teacher said that his fleet will only travel between Daming and Guozhou!"

Zhu Di smiled faintly, "Well! In that case, Guozhou should have a lot of good things that can make Duke Dingguo make money!"

Zhu Gaochi was shocked.

Zhu Di added: "However, if Guo Qing wants to build Guozhou, I don't know how many years it will take and how much money it will cost..."

"..."

Zhu Gaochi also nodded slightly.

"I heard that the first time the five thousand food households were sent to Guozhou, the teacher spent more than three hundred thousand taels of silver to purchase those grain supplies!"

Zhu Di raised the corners of his mouth slightly and did not continue.

"Both Lao Er and Prince Ning want to replace their vassal troops with new firearms and bombs. I don't agree. What do you think?"

"Changing firearms?"

Zhu Gaochi was stunned for a moment, frowned slightly, and after thinking for a moment, he said: "I remember, my father wants to form an army in the capital again, similar to the Shenji Battalion!"

"Ok!"

Zhu Di nodded slightly.

Zhu Gaochi replied: "In this case, the second brother and King Ning's army will not be able to use new firearms!"

Zhu Di didn't say much, and said again: "What do you think of King Ning's intention to go to sea to attack the vassal state?"

Zhu Gaochi bowed his hands and saluted, "Dad, when the sea opened, you said that as long as all the vassal kings of the Ming Dynasty guarded their respective vassals, they could go to sea with three guards.

Although King Ning is the king of Sai, he is also the king of a vassal! "

"That's it, then it's accurate!"

"My son, I will let my father make his decision."

"I'll leave it to you to build the city of Wuliangha Sanwei!"

"Yes, Father!"

"besides……"

……

"Your Highness, Your Majesty allows all those merchants to go overseas for trade?"

In Duke Dingguo's mansion, Guo An couldn't help but look surprised after hearing Zhu Gaochi's words.

Zhu Gaochi became tense and asked hurriedly: "Teacher, is there anything wrong with not knowing this?"

"It's very inappropriate!"

Guo An shook his head with a serious look on his face, "Your Highness, if the weather is good and the food harvest is good, these merchants will take many young people to go to sea for trade, that can be considered a good thing.

However, the Ming Dynasty is still in the midst of a drought. The Ming Dynasty is already short of food, but these merchants are still taking so many young people to the sea with no one to farm. Doesn’t the Ming Dynasty lack food even more?

After the autumn harvest, many state capitals in the Ming Dynasty had a grain shortage. The grain in the granaries was decreasing day by day. The people were without food, but these merchants shipped all the grain overseas. Wouldn't it be adding to the disaster... "

"This must not be the case!"

Zhu Gaochi quickly shook his head heavily.

Immediately, he looked embarrassed again.

"Teacher, but the sea ban has been lifted. Many merchants are already overseas and making a lot of money, which makes the gentry and merchants extremely jealous, and they all go to sea in groups... At this time, if the merchants and gentry are restricted or prohibited from going to sea for trade... …

I'm afraid, not only the gentry and merchants disagree, but also the Ministry of Household Affairs and the common people who want to go overseas to make money! "

Guo An smiled softly.

"Your Highness is overly worried. The ministers did not prevent them from going to sea!"

Zhu Gaochi's eyes lit up, "What does that mean, teacher?"

Guo Andao: "What I mean is to limit the amount of food that merchants can carry on the ship when they go to sea...

For example, how many people are on the ship? The food they carry is only enough for them to eat for one round trip. No extra food is allowed. Be careful to prevent them from selling food to the barbarians.

In addition, you can also ask them to bring back at least half of the food they bring out. When they come back, they must bring back at least half of the food from overseas..."

"Your Highness, in order to encourage these merchants to ship more grain back from overseas, the commercial tax on this grain can be exempted.

You can even be exempted from commercial taxes on goods as much as food! Of course, it only refers to price, not quantity..."

"In this way, under the strong pressure of the court, those merchants will inevitably bring back a lot of food.

If they have free space on the ship and cannot find suitable goods, in order to save some business taxes, they will transport more grain back..."

"Teacher, this is a great plan!"

Zhu Gaochi suddenly looked overjoyed.

Immediately, Zhu Gaochi left in a hurry after chatting again about the construction of the city of Wuliangha Sanwei and Liaodong.

In the Fengtian Hall, he reported to Zhu Di in detail the matter of merchants transporting grain.

After listening, Zhu Di shouted directly: "Yi Shiha, go and summon the Minister of Hubu and the left and right ministers!"

"The slaves obey the orders!"

Yi Shiha hurriedly left.

Zhu Di said with emotion: "On top of these things, Ding Guogong always has such an unexpected foresight!"

"Yes!"

Zhu Gaochi also nodded with approval.

soon.

Yu Xin, the Minister of Household Affairs, Wang Chun, the left minister, and Xia Yuanji, the right minister, followed Yi Shiha and hurried in.

"The humble minister Yu Xin has met your Majesty! I have met His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"

"Wei Chen Wang Chun (Xia Yuanji)..."

After seeing the ceremony, Yu Xin, Wang Chun, and Xia Yuanji looked at Zhu Di with puzzled faces.

"I heard that there are many gentry and merchants now. After seeing those who go to sea to make a lot of money, and the drought this year, the people's fields will not harvest, so there are many...

In order to prevent the Ming Dynasty's food from being taken away by these merchants, the court will serve as a restriction..."

As Zhu Di narrated, Yu Xin, Wang Chun, and Xia Yuanji looked happy at first, then solemn.

Then, his face was full of surprise, joy, and admiration...

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

"Your Majesty is far-sighted and this plan is brilliant!"

Hearing this, Zhu Di opened his lips slightly, and then nodded slightly, taking the credit for this matter on himself.

Beside, Zhu Gaochi's eyelids trembled slightly.

"Do you think this strategy is feasible?"

Yu Xin quickly said: "Your Majesty, this strategy is definitely feasible! ... I have also heard that many places overseas are very suitable for growing food.

However, those barbarians were not proficient in the method of growing grain. They just sprinkled grain seeds on the fields at will and allowed the crops to grow as they pleased.

Despite this, the food grown is enough to fill their stomachs!

If we, the merchants of the Ming Dynasty, buy food from them, it will definitely stimulate those barbarians to grow food.

In this way, there will be no famine this year or next spring and summer! "

Wang Chun and Xia Yuanji opened their mouths but didn't say much.

Now, no matter what, since there are already many gentry, they have begun to think of going overseas for business.

Then, if this policy is implemented, it should not encounter much opposition from the gentry!

Zhu Di nodded with great satisfaction, "In this case, the Ministry of Household Affairs will refine and refine this policy and submit it to be implemented as soon as possible!"

"The minister obeys the order!"

Yu Xin, Wang Chun, and Xia Yuanji quickly raised their hands and saluted.

Immediately, he left quickly.

According to the grain reserves of the Ming Dynasty, even if the autumn harvest fails, people will still have food at home before winter.

The time when famine begins is at the end of winter, or in the spring and summer of the following year.

If this policy is implemented as soon as possible, those merchants should be able to transport thousands or even tens of thousands of dan of grain overseas during the winter.

Although it's not much, if those gentry and merchants don't know how to sell grain overseas, the two together will be a lot!

At least.

At critical moments, it can save the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

soon.

Less than a day.

The Ministry of Revenue sent the memorial regarding the merchants' shipping of grain to the cabinet.

Zhu Gaochi immediately handed the memorial to Zhu Di.

Day two.

Regarding the preferential policies for maritime trade merchants to transport grain by ship, they were announced.

Suddenly.

All the gentry and merchants who went to sea for trade were confused.

"Brother Wang, what should we do? Our fleet has already loaded five thousand stones of grain!"

"Move it down! Keep enough food for everyone on the fleet like me for a year, and move all the extra food down!

In addition, go buy some tea, porcelain, sugar, silk and other goods..."

"Oh, isn't the court abusing people! It took a lot of effort to move it onto the ship, but it needs to be moved down again!"

"Be patient, it's not what the notice said, it's just because there will be a drought this year, and we need to keep enough food in the country to avoid food shortages!"

"If there is a food shortage, with the food we have saved, we might be able to make a fortune..."

"Be careful!"

"How can you say something that is so offensive to someone? Moreover, if I go to sea now, I can make several times the money. I don't have to worry about being squeezed by the officials, so why do I have to do such unconscionable things? Woolen cloth!"

"Hahaha, brother Wang and brother Li, don't panic, I was just talking casually!"

"Brother Liu, you must not do such illegal things. I heard that there are even guards stationed in the Shipping Department of this city.

If found out, it would be a direct crime of beheading! "

"Then, the family was exiled to Guozhou?"

"Hahaha……"

All the merchants couldn't help but laugh in unison.

Now, the incident of Jinyiwei confiscating his family, annihilating his family, and exiled Guozhou has become a joke among the people of the Ming Dynasty.

"General, spare your life. I have really forgotten this, otherwise I would never dare to risk beheading and the whole family being exiled to transport more than half a ship of food!..."

Suddenly, a howling sound attracted the attention of a group of merchants on the pier.

At the inspection office, a group of soldiers from the Shipping Department detained the merchants on the ship with fierce expressions on their faces.

The merchant's face was filled with fear.

"Half a boatload of extra grain, you said you forgot it, do you think I'm a fool?"

The leading general had a stern look on his face and showed no mercy at all.

He took the merchant and reported it to the chief officer of the Shipping Department, and then took him directly to the execution place.

With a scream, the merchant's head fell to the ground.

All the gentlemen around the dock couldn't help but feel cold and trembling.

So decisive!

Although they had seen this scene before, when they saw it again, they all felt trembling in their hearts!

These soldiers of Shibo Division are so ruthless!

soon.

Some merchants hurried to their ships!

...(End of chapter)