"Since there is an old way, it must not be difficult to dredge. It's just that it's past the busy farming season. When the river is connected, you can still sail to the sea. Zhou Nan didn't think that dredging the Empress Dowager Xiao River was a difficult task, besides, if the river was dredged, transporting materials from the sea to Yanjing would greatly save manpower and financial resources.

Yu Zhang stood up happily, took a deep look at Zhou Nan, and said, "Thank you for making it complete." If the river is smooth, Yanjing will benefit more! But I don't know when the pony is going to start dredging? ”

"Empress Dowager Xiao's River is at least four or five hundred miles long, right? If you want to dredge, it is not a trivial matter. It is always necessary for the imperial court to prepare enough food and money before the edict can be ordered to start construction in nearby states and counties. Speaking of which, I still have to ask Lord Yu about this matter, Lord Yu is in charge of political affairs, what can be cultivated, but it is clearer than me, who eats food and doesn't care about things. "To be honest, Zhou Nan had never understood such a big project before, so he naturally kicked the ball to Yu Zhongwen.

But Yu Zhang didn't ask his father, but just said to Zhou Nan with a smile: "Since it was said by the concubine, it will naturally be cultivated." Tomorrow I will tell my friends about this good deed, so that they will be happy with it. ”

Looking at Yu Zhang's expression, Zhou Nan had a feeling of being fooled: Yu Zhongwen organized this family banquet and let his son and grandson take turns to play, so as to recommend his children and grandchildren to himself.

The three generations of the Yu family, Yu Zhongwen needless to say, can be regarded as a loyal minister who thinks about the people, when Mao De came to Yanjing, he lived in the Yu family, when Mao De returned to Bianjing, Yu Zhongwen also gave Zhao Ji a wooden box containing grains, of course, Zhao Ji treated the people well.

Yu Shen also seems to be the kind of smart since he was a child, but he is bent on studying geography and water conservancy, which gives Yu Zhongwen a headache. Even this Yu Zhang, who became a businessman, listened to what he said just now, and naturally he was a well-known businessman in Yanjing City.

But fortunately, Yu Zhongwen is still open-minded, and he did not force his children and grandchildren to become officials, but just wanted his grandson to have a chance to show his ambitions.

Zhou Nan turned his head to look at Yu Liyan, only to see Yu Liyan smiling and silent, as if he had already seen it. Yu Min easily interjected and said: "Big Daddy, Daddy, since you have invited the horse and the princess to come, you should let the horse and the princess taste these delicacies prepared, where are these official affairs not enough to say in the court, but also to save at home to say?" ”

was robbed by his granddaughter, Yu Zhongwen was also happy, smiling and toasting to Zhou Nan and Yu Liyan frequently, Yu Liyan didn't drink, just used tea instead of wine, the five of them talked and laughed and drank, and finally Zhou Nan brought the wine, and then dispersed.

Yu Liyan originally wanted Zhou Nan to go back to his capital governor's office to rest, but he saw that Zhou Nan was drinking, and there was no maid around him to serve. Those guards, one by one, are okay to fight, if you want to serve carefully, you can't even compare to half a silver screen. Uncle Xiao Lao Liu has a maid who serves there, but it is late at night, and if he goes to knock on the door, he will disturb his uncle. Helpless, Yu Liyan had no choice but to take Zhou Nan back to the palace, and in a side hall outside his bedroom, he cleaned up a bedroom and gave Zhou Nan a rest.

Zhou Nan was just a little drunk, washed himself, and didn't sleep, only said that he wanted to drink the tea brewed by Yu Liyan, and Yu Liyan asked Yinping to fetch the tea set and tea.

Zhou Nan sat on the bed and asked with a smile: "Yelu shopkeeper, I want to listen to you carefully today, how much of the business does Han Ji leather goods occupy in Yanjing City?" ”

Seeing that Zhou Nan suddenly asked about Han Ji's leather business, Yu Liyan covered his mouth and smiled: "Small shop, how dare you bother you, the king, to ask?" Han Ji leather goods, roughly calculated, only accounted for forty percent of the city's business. ”

Zhou Nan couldn't help but be surprised, he didn't expect that all of Yu Liyan's shops accounted for nearly half of all the businesses in Yanjing City, "Then isn't your princess already rich?" Don't know what kind of business you do a lot? ”

Yinping happened to come in, and when he heard Zhou Nan's words, he couldn't help but say, "Don't you tell the shopkeeper Han?" ”

"I just remember that there were leather goods, sheep, camels, spices, etc., but I don't know the details." Zhou Nan said, "Listening to the shopkeeper Yu in Yu's mansion today, I learned that the commercial goods in the Yanjing area are not only coming through the boundary river, it seems that most of the goods of this shopkeeper Yu came from the waterway, so I asked the princess." ”

Yu Liyan first let Yinping open the tea set and began to boil water, before saying to Zhou Nan: "The goods needed by the Great Liao have always been exchanged from merchants from the Southern Dynasties and Western Regions. Needless to say, the caravans of the countries in the Western Regions all went from Gaochang to Yizhou, passed through Juyan, crossed the Hetao, arrived at Xijing, and then came to Yanjing from Xijing, or went directly from Xijing to Zhongjing, and finally arrived in Shangjing. ”

Zhou Nan nodded, this is probably the so-called Grassland Silk Road.

"If you want to get the commercial goods and treasures of the Southern Dynasty or Champong, Cochin and other countries, there are two roads: water and land. Han Ji leather goods are only because they are small profits but quick turnover, and the commercial goods are in and out in groups, if they take the waterway, the time is long, and there are many inconveniences, so they are all taken by land. Like the Yu family's business, most of them are porcelain, lacquerware, spices, etc., and every time they change hands, they are very profitable, so they are willing to take the risk of taking the waterway. ”

"I see." Zhou Nan is right to think about it, like if Han Ji leather goods are transported to the Great Song Dynasty, just on the ship, I don't know how many diseases and deaths will be made, let alone making money.

"What's more, taking the sea route is only after going out to sea from the mud, or trading with the merchant ships of the Southern Dynasties at sea, or sneaking into the Dengzhou of the Southern Dynasties to go ashore, and trading with the people of the Southern Dynasties on the seaside, most of them are seized by the officers and soldiers of the Southern Dynasties, and it is not a long-term solution." Yu Liyan said with a sigh.

"The last time I consulted with you, I first chose a border city as a place to trade with merchants from all over the world, so as to provide a fair, just, and safe place for these merchants to trade. No matter which country a merchant buys and sells legally, his people and wealth will be protected by my Xinliao army, and my Xinliao only collects 20% of the commercial tax, and my Xinliao merchant does not have to risk trading in neighboring countries. ”

"That's for the best, of course. This is the case with the three streets and six cities in Yanjing City and the horse market in the north of the city, but the taxes collected are extremely heavy. That's it, and it has attracted countless vendors. Without him, just because of the word stability. If Zhou Lang can achieve fairness, justice, and safety for merchants, it will definitely be more lively than Shangjing at the peak of Daliao. While speaking, Yu Liyan had already brewed tea, poured a cup, and handed it to Zhou Nan.

"At that point, I'll have to buy you some new tea in the market first." Zhou Nan said greedily smelling the tea while holding the teacup.

"It's easier to build a mountain customs city and a place for trading. Only this kind of rice thing seems simple, but in fact it is difficult and abnormal. This time I went to Wuqing, Zhou Lang couldn't be strong, so he came back early if he couldn't plant, and slowly thought of a way. Yu Liyan was still worried about Zhou Nan's rice planting, and persuaded Zhou Nandao.

"Don't worry! I went to Wuqing this time, not to plant rice with my own hands, but to look at the terrain over there first to see how to renovate to the point where rice can be planted; As for the matter of planting rice, there are 30 farmers who stayed behind to recruit. Zhou Nan comforted Yu Liyan and said, but Zhou Nan didn't have any confidence in his heart.