In the imperial palace in the capital, it was already late at night, but Emperor Hongzhi was not sleepy at all, he was staring at the simple globe made by Liu Jin at this time.

"Golden Continent, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, dozens of grain crops per mu, if it can really be introduced back, there will be no famine in my Ming Dynasty from now on."

Emperor Hongzhi has always been obsessed with the three high-yield crops of gold, for him, what gold, spices, precious stones, ivory and so on are not as attractive as the crops that yield dozens of acres per mu.

As the emperor of a country, he knew all too well the importance of food.

After more than 100 years of development, the population of the Ming Dynasty has grown many times, but the land and food have not changed, and this contradiction has become more and more acute with the growth of population.

Once there is a natural or man-made disaster, people will immediately be displaced everywhere, and the peasants who cannot survive in serious times will rise up, even though it is now known as Hongzhi Zhongxing, such a phenomenon is still very common.

"Your Majesty, it's time for you to rest."

At this time, Emperor Hongzhi's personal eunuch, who was also the eunuch of the celebrant seal, and Xiao Jing, who was the commander of the East Factory, came over and reminded.

If Liu Jin was here, he would definitely be able to recognize it at a glance, this person was the one who followed Emperor Hongzhi today and dressed up as a housekeeper.

"What I asked you to check, how about it?"

Emperor Hongzhi ignored it, his eyes were still staring at the globe, and he even held a ruler in his hand to measure it on the globe, and said to himself while measuring: "The distance between this Golden Continent and our Ming Dynasty is really far enough, there are several distances from the Ming Dynasty, but from the north of our Ming Dynasty to the northeast, here and the northwest of the Golden Continent are very close." ”

"Back to Your Majesty, it's been investigated."

Xiao Jing took a leather coat from the little eunuch beside him and gently put it on Emperor Hongzhi.

"Say it."

Emperor Hongji was still staring at the globe.

"Liu Jin is a native of Changli County, Yongping Prefecture, Beizhili, seventeen years old this year, and has been admitted to the Xiucai citizen, he lost his father at an early age, and was raised by his mother alone, smart since childhood, diligent and hardworking, and very filial."

Xiao Jing told the information he found about Liu Jin.

"Well, a filial person is not too bad."

After listening to the report of filial piety, Emperor Hongzhi nodded, he has always adhered to the policy and strategy of governing the country with loyalty and filial piety, and he still attaches great importance to a person's conduct, the most important of which is filial piety.

"Have you found that Xu Xiake's information?"

After thinking about it, Emperor Hongji asked again.

"Back to Your Majesty, I didn't find any information about Xu Xiake."

Xiao Jing shook his head and replied.

"It's normal if you don't find it, even if you find it, it's not a master, of course, it can't be ruled out that this Liu Jinzi has a name to fool us."

Emperor Hongzhi turned the globe and said: "I asked you to check the information of the past years, is this Liu Jin's statement about the monsoon true?" ”

"Back to Your Majesty, I have asked people to consult all the historical records from the Han Dynasty to the present, and it is indeed as Liu Jin said, once there is a famine, it will either be flooded in the south and drought in the north, or drought in the south and flooded in the north, and the time is also correct with what Liu Jin said."

"And as he said, every change of dynasty must have occurred in a year of famine, and it all began in the northern provinces."

Xiao Jing replied respectfully: "I also asked people to check the information left by Zheng He when he went to the West, and the climate in Annam, Siam, Luzon, and Nanyang is indeed very different from our Middle-earth. ”

"According to records, these areas are summer all year round, there is never snow or frost at all, and rice can indeed be harvested three times a year, and the yield is extremely high."

"It seems that this Liu Jin is not talking nonsense, empty words, this Golden Continent seems to really exist, and this sweet potato, corn, and potatoes should not be untargeted."

"Even though this yield may be exaggerated, but no matter what, if these three food crops can be introduced to our Daming, we can also have three more food crops, and the people can also eat enough."

Hearing the return of filial piety, Emperor Hongzhi turned the globe and locked his eyes on the Golden Continent, and at the same time carefully looked at the location of the Ming Dynasty, and then looked at the location of the Golden Continent, and had already made a decision in his heart.

"How much silver does it take to organize a fleet to go to the Golden Continent, and how did you discuss it with that Du Mingen?"

After thinking about it, Emperor Hongzhi asked about the matter of agreeing to organize a fleet to go to the Golden Continent with Du Mingen today, and now the imperial court is in financial difficulties, and the emperor does not have much money to spare.

"If you calculate according to ten Fu ships, you will need about 100,000 taels of silver if you are fully equipped with all the materials and manpower, and if you count the cost of the Fu ship itself."

"Because we are a partnership with Du Mingen, we only need to pay 50,000 taels of silver, of course, we can order the requisition of this lucky boat, except that the cost of the lucky ship is relatively cheaper, probably only 20,000 taels of silver is enough."

Xiaojing's memory is very good, and before he came to report, he had already memorized these things, and Emperor Hongzhi could quickly say whatever he asked.

"Since we are doing business with people, we will do things according to the rules of business, and we will do whatever we want."

"50,000 taels of silver, it's not much, just come out of the inside, if you can exchange these three high-yield crops, it is worth spending 500,000 taels, and 5 million taels of silver."

After hearing this, Emperor Hongzhi thought about it and said.

This treasury is not the same as the treasury, the treasury belongs to the emperor personally, it is private money, and it completely belongs to the emperor himself, and the emperor can use this money to eat, drink and have fun, and the courtiers will not care, and they will not have any opinions.

But the treasury is different, the treasury belongs to the state, can only be used for state affairs, the emperor wants to use the treasury money must be approved by the ministers, there must be a legitimate reason.

50,000 taels of silver can organize a good fleet to go to the Golden Continent, I have to say that the purchasing power of silver in this era is still very strong, after all, the silver of the Golden Continent has not yet flowed into the Ming Dynasty on a large scale, and the value of this silver is still very high.

Of course, in this era, whether it is the emperor's internal treasury or the treasury of the Ming Dynasty, there is not much real silver, and it is far from the huge amount of hundreds of millions of taels of silver that is often concealed when it is concealed.