In the blink of an eye, it was early summer, and the weather was hot again.

On this morning, rushing to the cabinet in a sedan chair, Zhang Juzheng suddenly felt exhausted. There is hardly a single thing that he has done since he took office that he must not offend people. Looking back on the ups and downs along the way, trying to accomplish something, even a small reform, is full of huge resistance. It's too hard and too hard to do something.

Just then, the sound of newspaper sales from the side of the road interrupted his thoughts.

"Sell newspapers, sell newspapers, look at today's "Morning News", Miss Sun Fu eloped with someone, and Master Sun was angry and reported to the official to take ......"

Listening to the shouting of the newsboy outside the sedan car, Zhang Juzheng's brows furrowed

frowned, then opened the sedan curtain and asked.

"What's this shouting out there?"

"Back to the master, what is sold is the "Morning Post", and the newspaper remembers that it is all short new things in the family, what monks are still vulgar, and the nuns are all heartfelt, either the young lady has a private meeting with the lover, or some novels or something......"

The servant's words made Zhang Juzheng raise his eyebrows and snort.

"It's only the common people in the market who look at these filthy things......"

When he lowered the curtain, the newsboy shouted again in the faint distance.

"The price of coal in Beijing has risen, and the poor are living in hardship......"

It's just that Zhang Juzheng, who was thinking in his heart, naturally didn't hear this, and for him, there are too many things to worry about in national affairs, and those dirty and messy things are naturally difficult to attract his attention.

However, as the first assistant, sometimes some small things will still be put in front of his case, just like now, Zhang Siwei and he reported this small matter.

"In the past half a month, the price of coal in Beijing has risen from the first 100 catties of silver to 100 catties and 3 cents, and it seems that it will continue to rise, and many poor people in Beijing have no cooking fuels......

Although Zhang Siwei's words were a bit exaggerated, the matter of the price of coal rising by 30% was still placed in the cabinet and in front of Zhang Juzheng.

"The capital is the center of the world, the people's lives can not be separated from firewood, rice, oil and salt, this firewood is the first, the capital is a million, firewood depends on coal, the price of coal will naturally affect the lives of the people, the lower officials are worried that the price of coal will continue to rise, but there is no good plan for a while, so they have to trouble the first assistant."

Zhang Siwei's deference and respect made Zhang Juzheng quite useful, among the auxiliary ministers, the biggest threat to him was Zhang Siwei, after Lu Tiaoyang became a minister, he sat in the position of the second assistant in terms of seniority. Once the first assistant changes, the first person to replace the first assistant is the second assistant - Yan Song replaced Xia Yan, Xu Jie replaced Yan Song, and Gao Gong replaced Xu Jie, as for him replacing Gao Gong, he was replaced by the first assistant from the position of the second assistant...... From the bottom of his heart, in the eyes of Zhang Juzheng, the ministers have always been a threat, and the biggest threat is Zhang Siwei, but Zhang Siwei has always been very "tame". It made him happy that he was in the position of second assistant. But that doesn't mean complete peace of mind.

But on the other hand, Zhang Siwei's meticulous report made Zhang Juzheng quite useful. Hearing his report on the shortage of coal in the capital, Zhang Juzheng thought for a moment, and then asked.

"When I was in winter last year, I didn't hear that there was a shortage of coal in the capital, why is there not enough coal now that the weather is hot?"

"Shoufu, speaking of this, it is also because of the fashionable honeycomb coal and new coal stove a while ago, the honeycomb coal and stove are really convenient to use, there is no need to use charcoal to raise the fire all day long, as long as the fire is smoldering, open the air door when cooking, and then replace it with a piece of honeycomb coal after cooking, and then close the air outlet, the coal is so stuffy, it can be stuffy all night without extinguishing the fire, and the next day the tuyere is opened, you can continue to use, because it is convenient, and it is cheaper than firewood. All of a sudden, there was not enough coal. ”

Zhang Siwei's words made Zhang Juzheng vaguely seem to remember, as if the family had also switched to a coal stove a while ago.

"When you say this, I really have some impression that the honeycomb coal stove is used to save money and money, and the people are naturally willing to use it, and it is not surprising that the coal is not available."

Responding casually, Zhang Juzheng said again.

"Ziwei, since there is not enough coal, don't those coal shops know to buy more coal?"

"Shuntianfu has inquired, the coal shop is also anxious, and the coal factory is the same, it's not that they don't want to buy more, but the coal kilns in Mentougou and other places are in the mountains and can't be transported, so there is no way to do it in a hurry."

"That's ......"

Seeing that Shoufu hadn't said anything, Zhang Siwei put on a look of embarrassment and said:

"Shousuke, allow the subordinate to take the liberty of making a suggestion."

"You say,"

"Coal prices are rising, the people's hearts are unstable, and Jingshi is valued by the world and cannot afford to lose. Therefore, the lower officials thought that it was possible to release a batch of coal stored in the imperial court to stabilize the market price to solve the urgent needs of the people. ”

"It's not a long-term solution."

Zhang Juzheng's eyes flashed with a hint of imperceptible approval, and Zhang Siwei proposed a solution, indicating that he knew how to do this, but he still came to report it, indicating that his scheming was his own.

"It seems that he is still a cautious man."

Zhang Juzheng said in his heart.

"There is only so much coal in the government, and there is always a time when it runs out. The key is to get the coal out. ”

"Shoufu, actually, Xia Guan has one more thing to say."

Zhang Siwei looked at Zhang Juzheng as he spoke, and then spoke.

I don't know if Shoufu has heard that for a while, the British government has been reclaiming land along the roadside of Mentougou to the capital, saying that it is going to build a "fast road for transporting coal", and the lower officials have asked people to inquire that the British public has set up a "Jingxi Road Mining Company" earlier, saying that it is mining and transporting coal in Mentougou. ”

Zhang Siwei's words made Zhang Juzheng smile and say:

"This Zhang Rong, these years have really become a good business, the price of coal in the capital has just risen, he has to build roads and open mines, it is really profitable, but this is good, if he can mine the coal and transport it into Beijing, it will also save the court some trouble."

Because the British Duke faded out of the court after being impeached that year, and focused on business, Zhang Rong's actions now do not make people feel new, but Zhang Siwei said as if he was telling a joke.

"Shousuke, tell me a joke, Xia Guan heard that his fast road is a railway, and said that he wanted to let the fast horse run on the railway."

"Railroad?"

Zhang Juzheng was stunned for a moment, and then said after a while.

"It doesn't matter what road he is, as long as he can transport coal into the capital, you go and inform those people, don't make a fuss about building roads or something because of the British government, get up early and open the door seven things, firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea, this firewood is the first, if they talk nonsense and cut off the people's firewood road, there will be chaos at that time."