Chapter 15 Hong Kong

Zhu Qizhen still waited for Wang Zhen.

Zhu Qizhen asked, "How much silver is left in the inner treasury?" ”

Wang Zhen said: "Last year, gold and silver were exempted. Although there are all kinds of income in the palace, it is still unable to make ends meet, and now it is only 29.3 million taels. ”

Zhu Qizhen silently calculated, all kinds of rewards, and the consumption in the palace. In particular, the three major halls were built.

Zhu Qizhen has just become pro-government, so he naturally wants to win people's hearts.

How to win over, empty talk, it is useless. Naturally, it is real money, not to mention anything else, the reward for the soldiers of Luchuan is a lot of money.

It can be seen that for a long time in the future, the money in the inner treasury can only be seen less, not more.

Zhu Qizhen was stunned for a while. Wang Zhen cautiously asked, "Emperor, is there anything wrong?" ”

Zhu Qizhen seemed to wake up suddenly, and said: "In the future, all the twists and turns of the household department will go straight to the Qianqing Palace." ”

Wang Zhen immediately said: "The slave obeys the order. ”

Zhu Qizhen decided to raise the importance of financial issues.

He pondered the solution to the current food crisis, and the first thing that came to his mind was overseas food. So he asked Wang Zhendao: "Is Wang Jinghong still there?" ”

Wang Zhen said: "Your Majesty, the prince has already gone in the second half of last year. ”

Zhu Qizhen listened and sighed in his heart. said secretly: "There is one less old man who followed Zheng He to the sea. He continued to ask: "What son does Wang Jinghong have, a righteous son or something?" ”

Wang Zhen said: "Wang Jinghong's father-in-law has a step-son, but it seems that he has gone, and only one grandson has just served as a Jinyi Wei Qianhu. It's in Nanjing. ”

Zhu Qizhen said: "Let him go to Beijing." ”

Zhu Qizhen asked again: "Has Li Shimian been to Beijing?" ”

The corners of Wang Zhen's mouth twitched slightly when he heard this, but his voice remained unchanged and said, "It's been more than ten days." ”

Zhu Qizhen listened to it and said sharply: "Why don't you say it earlier." Then he remembered the festival between Wang Zhen and Li Shimian, and Wang Zhen pressed Li Shimian's recital, which was too simple.

Anyway, Li Shimian's arrival in Beijing is not a serious and urgent matter, and it is impossible to say that Li Shimian has already taken office in a few days, and Zhu Qizhen has not yet received news.

Although Zhu Qizhen felt a little uncomfortable in his heart, he didn't blame Wang Zhen much. Ling Wang Zhen immediately went to invite Li Shimian into the palace.

Wang Zhen was a little embarrassed and said, "Your Majesty, it's getting late. ”

It's almost evening.

Zhu Qizhen went to court every morning, and the speed was very fast, but it was a routine business, and he began to review the recitals in the morning, and at the same time summoned the ministers.

The ministers summoned at this time were all petty officials.

Before most of the county prefects took office, several people, or more than a dozen people, would be summoned by Zhu Qizhen.

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Under such circumstances, Zhu Qizhen only said a few words, and if he was diligent in government and loved the people, or if the people were hard to deceive, he would let them go down. Of course, if someone dares to report anyone to Zhu Qizhen at this time, Zhu Qizhen will also investigate carefully.

It's just that for most of the past six months, there has been no such stunned green.

In the afternoon, it was time to meet with the minister.

There are a lot of questions, Zhu Qizhen just looks at the twists and turns, and he can't figure it out, so he has to ask the ministers related to him to come over.

However, in the past few days, Zhu Qizhen has mainly talked in detail with people in the cabinet.

The financial crisis that Wang Zhi said was too terrifying, and Zhu Qizhen had been talking to him for a long time. Now it will take time to invite Li Shimian over.

It is estimated that after Li Shimian came over, it was time for dinner.

Zhu Qizhen said: "If you want to go, you will go." ”

Wang Zhen hurriedly went out.

Of course, when it was dark that day, Li Shimian arrived.

As soon as Zhu Qizhen saw Li Shimian, he said: "Mr. is old." ”

Li Shimian has been in Lingnan for several years, and he seems to be aging very quickly, and his hair is gray. His face also darkened a lot, and even his original strong temper softened. There is no shortage of power in the action.

Li Shimian saluted and said, "Your Majesty, the old minister is old. Six out of sixty this year. It's already unbearable for the imperial court. ”

Zhu Qizhen heard this and said, "Is Mr. going to abandon me?" I'm young, and I need someone like my husband. Even if Mr. is willing to give up, it will also be on the face of Taizong, Renzong, and Xuanzong. ”

Li Shimian listened to it and said: "Your Majesty's intentions, the minister knows, please rest assured, the minister will never mention the matter of Zhishi from now on." ”

Zhu Qizhen breathed a sigh of relief, asked Li Shimian to sit down, and said, "Mr. is from Xin'an, how is Xin'an doing?" ”

Speaking of Xin'an, Li Shimian's expression was complicated, he seemed to be a little happy and a little helpless, and said: "Your Majesty ordered that after the opening of the sea in Xin'an, the Nanyang ships coming from the old port will be more than one day a day, especially in the monsoon season, hundreds of ships a day, almost blocking the river. Moreover, the people from the South Seas are extremely mixed with all kinds of people, some are traitors and criminals, and they are mixed in, and even some of the gentry of this dynasty are held by thieves. It's really unbearable and unbearable! ”

"The minister thinks that it is urgent to rectify Xin'an Port."

"Even if Your Majesty does not summon the minister, the minister still has something to say, Tuen Mun Port is already overwhelmed, and it is too close to Xin'an, and even some people are mixed in the ships and fled to the South Seas."

"The minister thought that he should choose another port in a remote place, and separate himself from the people. The way of the people of Essaiah to flee. ”

When Zhu Qizhen heard this, he thought that something terrible had happened in Xin'an. It's just law and order. Zhu Qizhen knew that the population of Xin'an County had increased by tens of thousands for a while.

With so many people gathered, with the management level of this era, it is normal for accidents to occur, and it is not normal for accidents to occur.

Although Zhu Qizhen didn't care too much about this matter.

He doesn't care about the so-called people fleeing overseas.

After all, relying on the mountains to eat the mountains, relying on the water to eat the water, relying on the sea to eat the sea, since the sea can bring wealth, then the people's yearning for the sea is irresistible.

But for Li Shimian and these people, it is absolutely unacceptable.

Emperor Taizu built a stable agricultural country, so opening the sea to get so much money and grain, in Li Shimian's opinion, is not as important as the escape of the people of Xin'an County.

Zhu Qizhen is not easy to deny.

Because it is not only Li Shimian's view, but also the opinion of most conservative civil officials, and most of these conservative civil officials are die-hard loyalists of the Ming Dynasty.

For example, this one, he has returned to his hometown in history. However, after hearing about the Tumubao Incident, he also sent his son to the imperial court, asking for the selection of troops and generals, and the expedition to welcome back the emperor. Even grief was excessive, and he passed away within a few days.

Zhu Qizhen could only follow him and say, "But I don't know where Mr. chose?" ”

Li Shimian said: "There is a small island in the south of Xin'an County, named Hong Kong, because of the production of fragrant wood and got the name, the minister has seen the island, the island is not small, and there is a natural harbor, the minister thinks that the merchants trade on the island, and they have to use a boat. It is not only convenient for taxation, but also prevents people from going to sea. ”

Zhu Qizhen never expected that the name of Hong Kong would be told to him by others in this era.

But it's natural to think about it.

Because Xin'an is too close to Hong Kong. Within the scope of Xin'an County, Li Shimian's choice of ports is not large.

Hong Kong is naturally a high probability time.

Or the original cause of this incident also lies in Zhu Qizhen.

If Zhu Qizhen didn't choose Xin'an at the beginning, but other counties, it is estimated that what comes up today must not be Hong Kong.

"It's fate, anyway, there won't be any Victoria Bay in this life." Zhu Qizhen said: "Since Mr. wants to do so, where is there anything wrong with me." ”

It's not a big deal.

In fact, there is no problem if it is not played, but after all, Xin'an Customs is hooked with the central government, and it must always be reported to the top.

Zhu Qizhen said: "I don't know how Xin'an is in the market, but I have heard that now Xin'an is known as Little Guangzhou." ”

Li Shimian had to admit: "Xin'an is prosperous, every time the south wind comes, tens of thousands of people are gathered in the city within a few days, and Xin'an City is almost overwhelmed, and it is ready to build another new city." The annual tariff is more than 500,000 taels. In the minister's opinion, there is still a lot of room for development. ”

"In time, it is not surprising that the silver of Xin'an Customs has exceeded one million taels, and it can be called the South Treasury of the Son of Heaven. Before the minister came, Xin'an had a million silver taels in stock. It's just that the minister thinks that the Son of Heaven is rich all over the world, and it is not appropriate to compete with the court for profit, and the customs should be attributed to the household department of the court. ”