Although there are all kinds of palace lanterns hanging high, when Jiang Tian walked into the Hou@ Palace for the first time, he could still feel a completely different atmosphere from the outside world. www.biquge.info In order to save money, the palace has been using the palace maids and eunuchs left over from the previous dynasty, and then dismissed some old and frail people who returned to their hometowns to retire. Fortunately, the emperor himself does not have any concubines, and there is only one prince, so the largest palace complex in the world is even more deserted.

Jiang Tian came to a side hall next to the Qianqing Palace this time, there were already candles flickering inside, and several charcoal braziers were lit, at this time the flames were booming, and as soon as he entered, a hot wind came to his face. After taking a closer look, he happened to see that King Ji was already sitting upright and looking at himself, he knew that he could not behave in front of the emperor, but in front of these serious ancient people, he couldn't behave too casually.

Jiang Tian, who was helpless, had no choice but to lift his robe and kneel: "See His Royal Highness King Ji!" ”

"Excuse me!" King Ji was also not polite, and waited for him to salute before he said: "Today is just a family banquet set by His Majesty, and it doesn't have to be like this. ”

Jiang Tian scolded secretly in his stomach, since it is a family banquet, there is no need to salute, you still let me kneel before I said it, this is definitely intentional.

As soon as he stood up, he heard a hearty laugh: "Since you don't have to salute, why didn't you say it earlier?" ”

Not to mention Jiang Tian now, King Ji has to stand up and prepare to kneel and bow down in a proper manner.

Emperor Zhang Tao said impatiently: "Okay, okay, there are no outsiders today, so I don't have those stinky rules." ”

Jiang Tian was pondering, do you say I kneel or not? Then he caught a glimpse of King Ji standing up again as soon as he bent down, so he decided to follow his boss and just put on a show.

After Zhang Tao sat on the main seat, he first said to his younger brother: "Your sister-in-law is talking to your daughter-in-law, and she will come in a while, but we will eat this dinner." ”

Zhang Qian hurriedly apologized, saying that his wife was ignorant and had to join in the fun, causing trouble to the imperial sister-in-law. However, Jiang Tian could see that he was a lot more relaxed, after all, there were no men and women at the same table in a big family.

Zhang Tao turned his face and said to Jiang Tian again: "I really bothered you today, I can't enjoy the lights at home with Zhumei, but I was called to have a banquet with the two men." ”

Jiang Tian was also real, and directly said his troubles: "It's better to be here, save yourself at home and watch them play tricks and fight around." ”

The emperor brothers smiled at the same time, and Zhang Tao laughed unscrupulously: "You dare to say this only here from me, and you are not afraid of being blown by those women after you go back?" ”

"Pillow wind?" Jiang Tian thought for a while: "There are only two people in total who I accept the house, and the others are just hired workers, so they don't have that chance." ”

This time it was the other two's turn to be surprised, after working together for so long, you kid accepted the two of them? Then why is it spread in the streets and alleys that there are noses and eyes, saying that your kid has changed countless people overnight?

Hearing their doubts, Jiang Tian had no choice but to say his plan, he was not a wood, and he could see that these people were interested in him, but it was just out of a vassal relationship, not that he had anything attractive about them that made them obsessed. Even the two that he accepted were also because he felt that he had to be responsible, so Jiang Tian had always wanted to find an opportunity to marry these people off, but later after knowing that they would not be able to obtain this kind of freedom in Jiang's mansion no matter what, Jiang Tian changed his mind, and he didn't dare to say that he would definitely be able to give them happiness, at least let them have no worries about food and clothing and no one would bully them.

Listening to this explanation, Zhang Tao was silent for a while, that is, Zhang Gan, a typical figure in feudal society, was a little impressed by Jiang Tian, he knew that the girl who leaned on the Red Mansion had no inferior quality, and could not lose his heart in the midst of the beauty, which showed that this person also had some ability.

"Alas...... Women's emancipation is easier said than done! Zhang Tao poured himself a glass of wine: "The whole world except for ......"

Speaking of this, he remembered that his brother was also beside him, so he had to seal his mouth with wine: "You kid is also a blind coax, if you really want to push these girls out of the door, what awaits them can only be tragedy." ”

In fact, several people have been talking all the time, so don't look at the dishes gradually served up but no one moved the chopsticks, of course, Zhang Tao, the emperor, didn't eat it, and others also wanted to eat it first. Zhang Qian found that his brother had fallen into a state of compassion again, and besides, he had never understood why women should be liberated? So he hurriedly comforted.

"Brother Huang, today is a festive season, so let's not mention those unpleasant things."

Zhang Tao also knew that he couldn't shake the inertia of society for the time being, so he didn't dwell on this issue: "That's true, today is to celebrate the festival, and secondly, to thank you for making the mirror, you have done me a great favor." ”

Jiang Tian had already learned the general situation from Wu Yuan, but it was not good to expose the fact that the other party was a strict wife in front of others, so he had to humbly say that this was what he should do, and it was his duty to share the emperor's worries. As he was talking, he heard a voice in his ear: The queen has arrived! So he could only follow Zhang Gan to get up and leave his seat again, ready to pay a big salute, and Zhang Tao didn't dare to say anything about it. So Jiang Tian could only kneel on the ground, listening to the pleasant sound of a ring crashing in his ears, and lowered his head and couldn't move. Does he want to shout "Queen auspicious" in his heart? Later, I was afraid that this kind of spoof would not be accepted by Zhang Tao, so I had to give up. Jiang Tian, who stood up again, stared at King Ji tightly, this guy didn't dare to sit down, and he couldn't do it until the queen beckoned them to sit down.

"This must be His Majesty's junior brother, Lord Jiang Tianjiang, right?"

When Jiang Tian heard this, he had to stand up again and reply: "Back to Niangniang, the next official is Jiang Tian." ”

"Well, it's a talent!" The queen looked at him happily: "I didn't expect you to have such ability at such a young age, you can make Xiyi's crystal mirror, it seems that I am still a talented person!" ”

Jiang Tian hurriedly said modestly: "Niangniang has won the award, in fact, it is all thanks to the teacher's teaching, but the lower officials have only learned these clever things, and the methods of the war formation and the Qi family governing the country are very negligent." ”

The queen nodded: "There is a specialization in the art industry, you and Your Majesty also complement each other in terms of literature and martial arts, and others will do the things of marching and fighting, you just need to make better things." ”

Jiang Tian hurriedly said yes, and then after a few words of greeting, the queen got up and said goodbye, it is said that because the princess of King Ji also came, the women wanted to open a single table. In fact, the man can't wait for her to leave quickly, maybe King Ji will bring his wife with him. It was only then that Jiang Tian dared to raise his eyes and peek at the queen, although he was also in his thirties, but it could be seen that not only was he well maintained, but his appearance was definitely worthy of the reputation of the Oiran back then, but there was always a strong woman's demeanor between his eyebrows, no wonder Zhang Tao was a little afraid of his wife.

After the queen left, the meal officially began to eat, don't look at it as a festival, the emperor in line with the principle that there are no outsiders so they can be thrifty, just add two more dishes on the basis of four dishes and one soup. But none of these men paid attention to eating.

"Now that the patent is registered, when are you going to build a factory to produce mirrors? It is also a daily complaint that the money is not enough to spend. Zhang Tao drank a little wine lightly and then pointed to his younger brother and said, "If you need anything, ask him, just build the factory as soon as possible." ”

What is this? Shareholders' meeting? Jiang Tian thought so, and then shook his head regretfully: "It's not that I don't want to, but I can't produce flat glass in large quantities now, so even if I build a factory, the output and cost can't be reduced." ”

Originally, Zhang Qian couldn't interject about this kind of topic, but Zhang Tao insisted on letting him act as an agent for the factory, so he had to ask, "Why is this so?" Is there a way to make glass? ”

Jiang Tian, who was savoring an abalone, hurriedly put down the chopsticks in his hand: "It's not impossible to make flat glass on a large scale, but the cost of investment is too high, I'm afraid of ......"

"High?" Zhang Tao looked at him unbelievingly: "How tall can it be?" ”

Jiang Tian calculated for a moment, and then said, "At least fifty thousand taels!" ”

"What?" Zhang Qianxian frowned: "How can it be so expensive?" ”

"This is what I said after I downsized, a lot of equipment has to be customized, of course it will be very expensive, but if it can be put into production, let alone a mirror, even a super-sized glass plate will not be a problem. Both of these things are treasures wherever they are placed. ”

Zhang Tao, who understands what industrialization is, naturally will not lose his temper like Zhang Gan, but he is concerned about another question: "What is the cost of the mirror you tried to produce this time?" ”

Jiang Tian thought for a moment and then said, "Counting the failed scraps, it is equivalent to two hundred taels of silver!" ”

This time, Zhang Qian was taken aback again: "You said that the big mirror that can sell for tens of thousands of taels of silver only costs two hundred taels!" ”

Naturally, the queen was presented with a washbasin-sized mirror, and that's not even counting the price of a hardwood frame. So Jiang Tian had no choice but to nod: "There are too many scraps, and the price of mercury is high now, otherwise it can be cheaper." ”

Zhang Qian, who only knows how to go into battle to kill the enemy, is really a little incomprehensible, can it be said that those Xiyi can make a hundred times the profit every time they are trafficked in mirrors?

Zhang Tao discussed the issue of industrialization with Jiang Tian: "I remember that if factory production can be carried out, the cost should be reduced a lot, and then wouldn't everyone in the Central Plains be able to use glass mirrors." ”

As soon as Jiang Tian heard it, he knew that his predecessor was starting to make two mistakes again: "The mirror is different from table salt, and it is not a necessary thing for the people, so don't consider reducing the price for the time being, we can now make a small amount of some now, and then cash out at a high price, and use the profits to invest in the flat glass factory, and then decide according to the market situation when the cost is recovered." And this mirror is also a precious thing in Europe, and before they can produce glass bigger than ours, the mirror can even be sold back to Europe, which can make more money than exporting a shipload of porcelain! ”

Jiang Tian's statement touched Zhang Tao, he is worried about not being able to expand foreign trade, because you open the market, but let the supply of goods appear tight, except for porcelain, other bulk commodities do not need a long production cycle, and mulberry picking and silkworm raising will also occupy limited arable land, if you can really open up the market in industrial products, it is indeed much better than the existing trade pattern. It's just that he thought that after mastering the glass manufacturing process, he would be able to produce all kinds of glass products, but he didn't expect that the common flat glass in later generations would also become a high-end commodity.

Although Zhang Qian, because he was educated by Confucianism since he was a child, originally disdained this kind of pursuit of interests, but his long-term military life made him understand how much it would cost to feed a standing army that could fight at any time, and that if there was no adequate military salary, he would repeat the mistakes of the previous Ming Dynasty. Now if you want to protect your own country, you can't still use such an unbearable guard, right? So he understands his brother's behavior of thinking about making money when he's fine.

"By the way, there is another thing, if you want to start processing glass on a large scale, then the existing diamond knife is not enough, and you have to consider importing more spare." Seeing that a good dinner party had turned into a work meeting, Jiang Tian could only say goodbye to the delicacies regretfully: "In addition, I heard that some Spaniards have recently used fake silver coins to pass off as real coins, and they have been exposed several times, if you can, please let them transport the counterfeit money over in a centralized manner, how many we want!" ”

This time, the other two were confused, knowing that it was counterfeit money? But Zhang Tao immediately reacted: "You know the secret of counterfeit money, right? ”

Jiang Tian nodded: "The Spaniards found a metal when they were mining in South America, although it was also shiny silver, it was not silver, and it was surprisingly hard, because it was useless, so they made it into fake money and went back to deceive people, but this is just that they have no eyes." ”

Zhang Tao interrupted him a little impatiently: "Don't sell the key points. ”

"The point is, the scientific name of this metal is platinum, commonly known as platinum!"

Zhang Qian was okay, he didn't know what platinum was, but Zhang Tao gasped: "This is true!" ”

"That's right, I saw this kind of money from the Liu family's son, he just thought it was fun to use it for everyone to identify, but I saw it at a glance." In fact, Jiang Tian didn't tell the truth, he knew that this incident was purely an article he had seen in later generations, and he had mentioned this bit of trouble in Spain back then, and it was indeed a joke at the time, until that day the pervert pinched a fake silver coin and despised Spain's filthiness, which made him remember that there was such a thing.

"Since that's the case......" Zhang Tao looked at his younger brother: "Brother, you just come forward and say, if those guys use this kind of fake money to pay the bill, we will cut off their trade rights, but if this kind of money is sold alone, the price is negotiable." In order not to let them see the clues, they said that we would use this fake silver to make jewelry, and then deceive the Mongols in the north. ”

Zhang Qian agreed, although he didn't understand the use of this kind of thing called platinum, but he still had to resolutely implement it. But he didn't know that the improvised excuse made many Mongols scratch their heads in later generations. According to the classics, the Spaniards sold a large amount of platinum to the Central Plains, and then made jewelry to deceive the Mongols, but many people in the mood of Taobao to find the ancestral jewelry at home, but basically did not find the shadow of platinum, which has become another unsolved case in history. It wasn't until 300 years later that the ban on a certain archive was lifted.

The feast of big fish and meat was quickly withdrawn, and everyone in front of them was replaced with a bowl of Lantern Festival, which was also considered to be a suitable meal. But the chatting servants have long lost their interest in eating, after determining the mirror sales and the preparation of the glass factory for a period of time in the future, Jiang Tian thought that he could breathe a sigh of relief, and then hurriedly finished eating this bowl of rice balls and went home to sleep, which Cheng thought that Zhang Tao did not let him go.

"Before the Chinese New Year, Japan sent an envoy, and the emperor's puppet gave some souvenirs to pay New Year's greetings, and I also returned some gifts so that he could have a good New Year." Speaking of which, Zhang Tao picked up a spoon and scooped a Lantern Festival into his mouth, and it was not too much to describe it as a cow chewing peonies: "But his envoy mentioned another thing, they want to import a large number of swords from us, and if they can, they also want to buy standard muskets." ”

Jiang Tian thought to himself, this is your main intention to come to me today, right? But I heard Zhang Qian speak first: "Did the imperial brother promise them?" ”

Zhang Tao shook his head: "I want to hear your opinions first." ”

Jiang Tian didn't know what the other ministers meant because he didn't usually do government affairs, but if even King Ji didn't know about it, it would prove that the emperor suppressed this request. The main reason why the ministers did not dare to know was that they wanted to make this deal, and they could not show the slightest trace. What's the point of asking for your own opinion?

Zhang Qian, who was over there, spoke first: "Your Majesty, according to what my brother has seen, if the king wants to buy some weapons and sell him, it will be this musket......"

Zhang Tao turned his head to look at Jiang Tian, and then didn't speak, which meant that he wanted to ask you what you think of this question.

Jiang Tian thought for a while and then said with a smile: "Since we don't want to land in Japan for the time being, then the sale of arms doesn't have to be limited to the emperor's family, we can completely count the silver while maintaining the balance of the Japanese warlords, and when they need to be in chaos, we only need to increase support for one party." It's just that this job insults the reputation of Confucian righteous men and gentlemen, and it is necessary to find a reliable person who can carry the black pot for the imperial court. ”

With a simple reminder, Zhang Tao immediately realized the advantages of doing so, a warlord-dominated Japan was only temporarily calm because of the strength of the Tokugawa family, and if the Central Plains turned to support his political enemies, then a visible arms race would be vigorously staged. Not only is there a lot of money to be made, but it can also eventually contribute to civil strife in Japan, where can you find such a good thing!

Then Zhang Taole, who was in a good mood, said: "Since you have such knowledge, brother Xian, and you have a good relationship with them, then you are fully responsible for this matter!" ”