After the feast, the third lady returned to Honglu Temple, there was nothing for her here, she could pack up her things and prepare to return to Huacheng. After bidding farewell to the emperor, it is possible to leave.

After Zhu Yijun left, he went directly back to the harem, where there was still a woman waiting for him.

Since Qiqige was included in the harem, Zhu Yijun naturally would not put her aside.

The red candles in the palace are still very bright, Zhu Yijun looked at the slim Qiqige, a smile appeared on his face, and he reached out to hold her hand, Zhu Yijun could obviously feel that her hand was trembling.

"Do you know how to speak?" Zhu Yijun reached out and grabbed Qiqige's waist and asked with a smile.

Kikige's body stiffened, and he hesitated and said, "I can say a little." ”

In fact, Kikige's family was not a nobleman in Wara, so she couldn't speak Da Ming at all, and these simple words were learned by him along the way. Although I can't understand the words, there are some things that I don't need to speak.

Reaching out to put Qiqige on the bed, Zhu Yijun smiled and stroked Qiqige's body, and then closed the curtain.

Early the next morning, Zhu Yijun didn't get up early, and he was a little tired last night. Mongolian women are different from Han women, their bodies are strong, probably because they ride horses all day, and their impact resistance is very good.

Zhu Yijun was also happy this night, Qiqige wanted to get up, Zhu Yijun smiled and reached out and held her.

Putting on his clothes under Zhang Whale's service, Zhu Yijun instructed Zhang Whale: "The person sent to serve Concubine Gong is smarter, don't let me hear any messy things, otherwise you are the only one who asks." ”

"The old slave knows!" Zhang Jing hurriedly bowed down and replied, "Don't worry, the emperor." ”

Although Zhu Yijun's harem is now very harmonious, and the queen is the most favored, but in a place like the harem, things will inevitably be no less. A Varat woman like Kikige who suddenly appeared will be bullied if she doesn't get it right.

Zhu Yijun wanted to protect Qiqige, not because he was satisfied last night, but because it was a political need.

After listening to Zhang Whale's answer, Zhu Yijun nodded with satisfaction, and had breakfast under Zhang Whale's service, Zhu Yijun asked, "What's the matter today?" ”

"Back to the emperor, the northwest side has been on the fold again, and the scope of the drought there has expanded, and Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces are the most serious." Zhang Jing opened his mouth and said, "The governor of the three sides has asked the imperial court for tax reduction. ”

Shanxi and Shaanxi, hearing these two places, Zhu Yijun was a big head.

These two places were so famous at the end of the Ming Dynasty that the drought has been intermittent since this time, and it will be more serious in a few decades. Daming was not easy to resist this wave, and when he heard the news, Zhu Yijun was not even in the mood to eat breakfast.

"What is the constitution of the Cabinet?" Zhu Yijun glanced at Zhang Whale and asked.

"Back to the emperor, the cabinet means to reduce and exempt fifty percent of the taxes of Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces." Zhang Whale hurriedly spoke.

Fifty percent?

Zhu Yijun nodded, he also knew that this fifty percent was just the news that was released, and it couldn't be reduced all at once, otherwise what would he do in the future, leaving fifty percent waiting for the next reduction. Anyway, this year, there is no need to expect to collect taxes from Shanxi and Shaanxi: "Just do what the cabinet says!" ”

"Anything else?"

"Back to the emperor, Li Zhongxing has returned to Beijing." Zhang Whale replied.

Li Zhongxing is back?

"Pass him into the palace!" Zhu Yijun thought for a while and said.

In fact, many problems in the Ming Dynasty have been around for a long time, two of which are fatal, one is salt politics, and the other is Cao Yun. This time, the salt administration in Yangzhou has opened up the situation, and it is not a big problem to have Cao Yikui behind.

As for Cao Yun, this is the next problem for Zhu Yijun to solve.

Compared with sea transportation, the transportation cost is more than ten times higher, but there are too many people who rely on Caoyun to eat. Whether it is the rich merchants and gentry along the way, or the grain chiefs and transporters, compared to the salt merchants, these people are difficult to gnaw.

However, the drawbacks of the transportation are too great, and the cost of the transportation is borne by the grain households, including the freight, the transportation of military grain, and the cost of repairing ships, etc., all of which are levied according to the regular grain consumption.

Due to the corruption of the government administration, the accumulation of corruption in the government at all levels, and the emergence of miscellaneous factions that increase consumption one after another, the peasants' burdens are extremely heavy, usually two or three times or even four or five times the regular grain. Carriers, whether civil or military, are burdened with conscription.

The peasants were enlisted by the golden point, abandoned their industries in the time of famine, and they were overwhelmed by the wind and waves, and the officials extorted them, and they were bound to pay debts and compensation, and even their families were ruined.

But as soon as Cao Yun starts his whole body, the slightest carelessness will cause chaos, hundreds of thousands of big messes. Once used or instigated, it's over. This is also the reason why Zhu Yijun established Daming Shipping, to turn the Grand Canal into a trade route.

When the number of commodities shipped from the south of the Yangtze River to the northwest increases, and the profits become larger, the pressure on the grain to go by sea will not be so great.

The Internal Affairs Office in Yangzhou has opened its stall, and the rest is the northwest, making the northwest bigger, that's what Zhu Yijun wants. Although Zhu Yijun has only won Warat now, this has also opened a gap.

The goods of the Ming Dynasty can be sold to the north through Wara, and you must know that there are tribes such as Transkhalkha in the north.

The northwest is the opportunity that Zhu Yijun wants, an opportunity to revitalize the overall situation.

When Li Zhongxing entered the palace, it was not early, and Zhu Yijun also approved a lot of twists and turns, and when he saw Li Zhongxing coming in, he put down the folds in his hand, moved his body, and waved his hand to signal Li Zhongxing to be exempt.

"Aiqing Yangzhou's errand is well done, and I am very relieved." Zhu Yijun said with a smile.

"Thanks to Your Majesty's blessings, the ministers are fortunate not to be dishonored!" Li Zhongxing hurriedly said.

"Merit will be rewarded, I am not a foolish emperor, I have already asked people to prepare a reward for you, and when this time the matter in the northwest is over, I will give you the title of a baron." Saying that, Zhu Yijun's face became serious again: "You went to the Internal Affairs Office to see Mao, right?" ”

Hearing this news, Li Zhongxing suddenly became excited, and hurriedly said, "Thank you, Your Majesty Longen!" After thanking him, Li Zhongxing said again: "The minister has seen it, it is really a good thing, and the sweater woven from the wool is really a good thing." ”

Sweater, this is a way out that Zhu Yijun found for the women of Daming.

What is the representative of the smallholder economy? Men farming and weaving, men farming, and women weaving represent the main sources of income for a family. If one of them hadn't been missing, the house would have collapsed in half.

With the development of the textile industry, there will inevitably be many women who will not have a living as a weaver.

But it doesn't matter, they can switch to knitting sweaters, they can do it at home, and Zhu Yijun is ready to vigorously promote sweaters and sweaters.

Not to mention anything else, the warmth of the Ming army has always been a problem, and the cost of fur fur is too high, and it is not something that soldiers can wear at all. As for cotton clothing, cotton cultivation has always existed, and cotton textiles are also very developed, such as Songjiang cloth.

However, this thing occupies arable land, and the imperial court has been curbing large-scale cotton cultivation.

There is not enough food to eat, and if cotton is grown, there is no land to grow food. There will be less food in the Ming Dynasty, so don't think about padded jackets. The advantages of sweaters and pants are highlighted, and with the addition of woolen gloves, they are very warm.

The sweater and pants inside and the woolen coat outside can solve the warmth problem of a large part of the branch.

If Zhu Yijun wants to buy a large number of sweaters and pants, then many women can rely on this to make money. This is also a way to stimulate domestic demand, the people of the Ming Dynasty are too poor, and some have never even seen silver in their lives.

Where does the money come from, I want to find a way to live for them, if it is not for the lack of money, Zhu Yijun is ready to build the road.

In later generations, infrastructure construction will always be a good way for the government to stimulate domestic demand, and the people will definitely be unwilling to do it if they are forced to build roads, but if you give money, you will see if the people are willing to do it, but Zhu Yijun has no money.

There is no place to borrow, but this time Zhu Yijun is ready to get a vote.

Thinking of money, Zhu Yijun suddenly remembered something and said to Li Zhongxing: "How much silver did Li Aiqing bring back this time?" ”

Li Zhongxing went to Yangzhou to sell the salt factory, although it was only a ten-year management right, but it was also a lot of silver! Coupled with the franchise fee of Daming shipping and the store, that's a lot of money!

Li Zhongxing hurriedly said: "Back to Your Majesty, the minister got a total of 7.8 million taels of silver in Yangzhou this time. ”

Among them, the salt shop sold a total of 3.8 million taels, the shipping total was 2.2 million taels, and the salt shop collected a total of 1.8 million taels. Among them, the salt field obtained 3.8 million taels of silver, and according to His Majesty's will, 2 million taels were allocated to the Ming Royal Money Bank. ”

"Two million and twenty taels of silver were transported by ship, and all of them were transferred."

"The salt shop got 1.8 million taels of silver and the salt shop got 1.8 million taels of silver, a total of 3.6 million taels, all of which were escorted into Beijing by the ministers."

Zhu Yijun glanced at Li Zhongxing and asked, "With so much silver, the price of salt won't skyrocket, right?" ”

"Back to Your Majesty, no, it will be down by two percent compared to before." Li Zhongxing hurriedly replied.

Zhu Yijun sighed, in fact, he also knew why it had fallen, because the money was squeezed out from Xungui and Xunqi and the clan. In the past, it was impossible for salt merchants to get salt directly, they needed to go through the hands of nobles and relatives.

The salt introduced by Xungui and Xunqi was basically sold to salt merchants at a high price.

To put it bluntly, the silver that Zhu Yijun made was given to Xungui and Xunqi by salt merchants. Now this money has been taken away by Zhu Yijun, and the amount taken away is less than before, and the price of salt can be reduced by two percent.

However, Xungui and Xunqi suffered heavy losses this time, and directly lost a lot of money.

Zhu Yijun took advantage of the case in Hejian Mansion to hit Xiningbo Mansion, so that Xungui and Xunqi didn't make trouble this time, but the light shock is not good, and the combination of grace and power is the king's way! Tapping on the table, Zhu Yijun looked at Li Zhongxing.

"Did I tell you about the woollen mill?" Zhu Yijun looked at Li Zhongxing and asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty said it!" Li Zhongxing nodded.

"You've heard about the business license in the capital, right?" Zhu Yijun asked again.