Zhu Houzhao asked Luo Xiang to bring the first batch of steam spinning machine equipment to Songjiang Province, which was the most developed area of the empire's textile industry and the area with the highest density of cotton cultivation.

However, with the rise of overseas trade in recent years, the demand for cotton yarn and raw silk has increased significantly, so that most of the farmland in Songjiang Prefecture and other areas is used to grow cotton and other cash crops.

However, this has also caused the price of cash crops to continue to fall, after all, with the use of chemical fertilizers and the progress of farming technology, the total demand for global trade has not increased rapidly, which has led to the income of the people in Jiangnan has been affected, and even has a downward trend.

The arrival of the steam engine spinning machine will undoubtedly increase the demand for cotton, and the increase in demand will naturally show that the price of cotton procurement will rise, thereby increasing the income of the people.

Moreover, in Zhu Houzhao's plan, after Luo Xiang came to Songjiang Mansion, he should immediately open a government-run weaving bureau.

Zhu Houzhao has abolished the craftsman registration system, and the business model of the Weaving Bureau has changed from the unpaid service of the officials and craftsmen of the Weaving Bureau to the employment service.

This also avoids the phenomenon of desertion of workers in the weaving bureau, so that the production of the weaving bureau can continue.

However, because of the backward production methods of the Weaving Bureau, a large number of workers taking on private work and backward management methods, etc., the profits of the Weaving Bureaus in Nanjing, Hangzhou, Suzhou and other places have not caught up with the private textile workshops.

Now, Luo Xiang is going to start a new government-run weaving bureau and prepare to change the state of low profits of the government-run weaving bureau.

Of course, the reason why Zhu Houzhao did not let Luo Xiang directly transform the old weaving bureau but went directly to Songjiang to open a new weaving bureau is naturally very simple, that is, the original weaving bureau is difficult to transform, and there are many eunuchs and government workers who rely on the original weaving bureau to eat, and even many fathers and sons and even grandchildren and grandchildren are in the weaving bureau.

If Zhu Houzhao wants Luo Xiang to change rashly, it will only make a large number of government workers who rely on the original weaving bureau for food unemployed.

Therefore, Zhu Houzhao asked Luo Xiang to reopen the Weaving Bureau, which is undoubtedly a better way.

Sometimes, the empire is too big and there are too many stubborn diseases, and it will be counterproductive to take drastic drugs.

However, Zhu Houzhao sent Luo Xiang to Songjiang to open a weaving bureau, which was already known to the Jiangnan gentry at this time.

"The inner court wants to open a weaving bureau in Songjiang, but I am afraid that it will forcibly lower the purchase price of cotton, and I am afraid that it will not hurt farmers!"

When Xu Jie, who was born in a big family in the south of the Yangtze River, went to Beijing to take the exam, he couldn't help but sigh when he saw the news that Luo Xiang was ordered to go south to open a weaving bureau published in the "Jingshi New Daily".

It's not just Xu Jie, who thinks so, many gentry in Jiangnan are thinking so, and some local gentry in Jiangnan have begun to use public opinion to publicize it so that the people know about it.

Jiangnan's high urbanization rate and high level of education mean that it is difficult for peasants in other regions to be organized to fight against the government.

Therefore, under the influence and organization of the gentry's public opinion, before Luo Xiang brought the steam engine equipment to Songjiang Mansion, the people of Jiangnan had already exploded, and they all gathered in front of the prefect's yamen to petition, demanding that Xiong Hu, the chief official of Songjiang Mansion, preside over justice and prevent Luo Xiang from opening a new weaving bureau in Songjiang Mansion.

"My lord, you can't ignore this matter, Songjiang Mansion is the world, and the people in the house are all engaged in planting cotton and picking mulberry, and now if the inner court really wants to increase the weaving bureau in Songjiang Mansion, it is bound to rely on the power to lower the purchase price of cotton and raw silk! When the time comes, we Songjiang Mansion people will have nothing to live for! I'm afraid of the people's rebellion! ”

At this time, the gentry of Songjiang Mansion had already poured out their worries about Luo Xiang, an official of the inner court, coming to Songjiang Mansion to open a weaving bureau.

Xiong Xun also knew that the eunuchs had many tricks and pretenders, and once they really wanted to lower the price of cotton and raw silk for the people, even the government could not help it, after all, it was the inner court.

Of course, Xiong Xun also knew that these gentry were so concerned about begging him to prevent Luo Xiang from coming to Jiangnan to set up a weaving bureau, not because the interests of the people would be damaged, but because once the eunuch Luo Xiang really wanted to lower the purchase price of cotton and raw silk, he could export it at a lower price, and then he would occupy more foreign markets, and the gentry of Songjiang Mansion, who also began to trade in the open after the opening of the sea, would definitely suffer their interests.

But in any case, the damage to the people must be the most serious, after all, the price of cotton and mulberry leaves has continued to fall, and the profit margins of the people have been extremely shrinking.

What's more, now Xiong Hun has now seen this kind of public grievance, and there are already people kneeling outside the yamen of his mansion.

In this era, the people of the Ming Dynasty are still accustomed to kneeling down to ask the government to give them a way to live, but this is also the last compromise and trust, as the chief official of Songjiang Mansion, if Xiong Hun does not listen to the public opinion, the next step will lead to riots.

"The will of the people cannot be violated! This official will give an explanation to the people of Songjiang Mansion! ”

Xiong Xun resolutely changed into his official uniform, rode to the gate of the mansion, and shouted loudly: "Fellow villagers! The official has understood your wishes, you all get up, the official will go to stop the Great Horse Supervisor for you now, unless they step on the official, otherwise they will not want to come to Songjiang Mansion to open a weaving bureau! ”

When the people of Songjiang Mansion saw that the prefect Xiong Hun had made a promise, they were all busy and happy, and shouted one by one: "Master Xie Qingtian!" ”

Immediately, the people gave way.

And Xiong Hun left Songjiang Mansion City, preparing to intercept Luo Xiang on the official road.

Luo Xiang had just passed Shanghai County at this time, and was blocked by the people of Shanghai County, Songjiang Prefecture, and a group of people only shouted: "No weaving bureau is allowed!" No weaving bureau allowed! ”

Even, there were many people with sickles and hoes and sticks, one by one angry, as if as long as Luo Xiang took one step further, Luo Xiang and the relevant personnel behind him would be beaten to death.

Luo Xiang was also angry when he saw this scene: "What are these people going to do!" It is said that Jiangnan is a gentle and rich township, why are these people like Diao people! What do they want to do, do they want to resist the decree?! It is His Majesty's will to set up a weaving bureau, how can they have the final say! ”

However, Luo Xiang did not bring troops to Jiangnan this time, and could only temporarily return to Suzhou Mansion, and sent an official letter to Xiong Hu, who also served as a soldier, asking Xiong Hun to send troops to maintain law and order.

At the same time, Luo Xiang also secretly returned to Beijing to Zhu Houzhao, saying that the people in Jiangnan were fierce and intercepted the officials of the inner court for no reason.

……

However, before Luo Xiang's secret music arrived in the capital, Zhu Houzhao did not know that his first batch of steam engine equipment would be boycotted by the people of Songjiang Prefecture when it was shipped to Songjiang Prefecture to be used in actual production by opening a new weaving bureau.

The reason for the boycott was not because the steam engines were squeezing the foreign market share of their gentry's private textile workshops, but because they feared that the corruption of the eunuchs would shrink the profit margins of the common people of Songjiang Prefecture.

It was precisely because Zhu Houzhao considered the interests of the people that he did not rashly directly renovate the old weaving bureau, but he really did not expect that even if he sent someone to open a new weaving bureau, it would lead to the dissatisfaction of the people.

First of all, Zhu Houzhao originally believed that the application of the steam engine in the textile industry would only bring benefits to the people who planted cotton and harvested mulberry, because after the steam engine was applied to the textile industry, the scale of the textile industry would definitely expand, and the demand for raw materials such as cotton would definitely increase, thus solving the problem of saturation of the raw material market.

The revolution of the steam engine in the textile industry really damaged the textile industry in foreign countries such as the Philippines and Japan.

Because their textile productivity will be one era behind the Ming Dynasty, both in terms of quality and price will be inferior to the Ming Dynasty.

At that time, it will not be a problem for Daming's textile to rule the world at all, and furthermore, it will not be a problem for the people of Daming to monopolize the entire global cotton market.

But what Zhu Houzhao did not take into account was that the interests of the gentry were affected, and once your government-run weaving bureau intervened in the textile market, it would naturally mean that part of the profits of the textile market would be transferred from the hands of the gentry to the hands of the government-run weaving bureau.

However, the corruption of the eunuchs gave the gentry the opportunity to transfer the contradictions, and they did not directly put forward their opposition to the inner court coming to Songjiang Mansion to set up a weaving bureau because they were worried about their profit margins shrinking, but said that once the eunuchs of the inner court came to Songjiang Mansion to set up a weaving bureau, they would only rely on the power to forcibly seize the interests of the people and lower the price of cotton.

The people of Songjiang Mansion are essentially peasants, a group that only cares about immediate interests, and a group that is easy to be bewitched, (there is no meaning to discriminate against peasants here, I am also a peasant, just an objective explanation), not to mention, the gentry are all their own clansmen, therefore, in the eyes of the people of Songjiang Mansion who listen to the wind is the rain, Luo Xiang and others who came to Songjiang Mansion to open a weaving bureau are here to take advantage of it.

Even the frustration caused by the loss of interests caused by the unlimited expansion of cotton planting area has also turned into anger against the resistance of the eunuchs of the inner court to set up a weaving bureau.

……

"Once the steam spinning machine is opened in the new weaving bureau, Daming's textiles will be more cheap and beautiful, and the local textile markets in Japan, the Philippines, Ryukyu and other countries will also be monopolized by us, but I think that I am afraid that the markets of these countries will not be able to meet the market capacity of my Daming's textiles, and we will have to sell farther away to open up the market in the Western Regions and even the West!" Otherwise, what should I do if the cotton planted by the people of the Ming Dynasty is unsalable, and what should I do if the textiles produced by the factory workshop cannot be sold! ”

At this time, Zhu Houzhao was still only talking to the cabinet officials on a macro level about the situation that the use of the steam spinning machine might bring, that is, it might increase the demand for overseas markets in Daming, and force Daming to open up more routes and occupy more overseas markets.

Wang Qiong, the first assistant of the cabinet, did not dare to discourage the enthusiasm of Emperor Zhu Houzhao, who had been an official for many years, had become more and more aware that whatever Shangguan said was right, and he had to believe it even if he didn't believe it.

Therefore, although he can guess that even if the so-called new technology has not yet been known by everyone in the world, it is not easy to implement it, because Jiangnan is different from Jingshi, the mountain is high and the emperor is far away, and the government is a bandit in the eyes of the gentry and people in Jiangnan, with a natural sense of distrust, let alone opening a weaving bureau, even if it is difficult to reform the old weaving bureau.

Of course, Wang Qiong still admires the wisdom of His Majesty the Emperor, after all, he can think of the old weaving bureau and it is not easy to transform it for a while, and simply start a new weaving bureau.

Wang Qiongzang was stupid and clumsy, and did not show in front of Zhu Houzhao that he knew the gentry of Jiangnan better than His Majesty the Emperor.

And Kang Hai is a scholar-type official, more idealistic than Zhu Houzhao, so naturally he can't think of this layer.

Yang Yiqing has been in the border town for a long time, and he doesn't know the intricacies of internal affairs, not to mention, he is also an old fox, like Wang Qiong, he thinks to himself, Your Majesty, you can say whatever you say, and the ministers all support and approve of it.

And Zhu Houzhao fortunately still has secret music to watch, as well as Jinyiwei's secret report to read, otherwise, he, the emperor, really can't expect to learn from several so-called historical ministers in his cabinet that after the appearance of the steam engine, the real reaction of the people at the bottom to this matter.

"Prevent the opening of a weaving bureau? Why do you want these people of Songjiang Mansion to stop it, even if the gentry of Songjiang Mansion stop it, it is understandable! After all, once the steam engine was used by the Weaving Bureau, it would naturally take away their profits, but I also issued an edict to allow private loans to buy new machines from the Royal Industrial Company!

Why did these gentry oppose it so much, and why did they oppose it to these common people, who cultivated cotton for agricultural production, and the new machinery for improving textile production, which would only benefit them.

In addition, even if the new weaving bureau will lead to layoffs in private workshops, I have also issued an edict, and Wu Wending, the governor of Nanzhili, will make proper arrangements! But in fact, the weaving bureau has not yet opened, and it has not yet led to layoffs, why are these people of Songjiang Province so resistant! ”

Zhu Houzhao asked a little puzzled, he didn't expect that the promotion of the new productive forces would encounter such great resistance among the people.

"How can the foolish people understand Your Majesty's good intentions, Your Majesty, don't worry, the people of the world will understand Your Majesty's good intentions."

Wang Qiong, the first assistant of the cabinet, was comforted, he naturally would not deny Zhu Houzhao, and would not say that the emperor you are too naïve, naively thinking that the people think that you are a good emperor, they will believe that the eunuchs in your inner court are good slaves, not to mention that the eunuchs and civil officials are all officials, and they are all profit-seeking officials, only that the gentry and officials transfer the crime of oppressing the people to the eunuchs, and it will also make the people change color when they hear the inner court.

"Never despise the people, there must be a reason why they do this, Yang Qing, you are from Zhenjiang, you should have a better understanding of what the people in Jiangnan think, tell me your opinion on this matter."

Since Zhu Houzhao became more and more tough, the officials of the imperial court have become more and more cunning, as long as they don't take the initiative to ask, they won't take the initiative to show themselves.

Yang Yiqing didn't expect Emperor Zhu Houzhao to ask him, and he was a little flustered for a while, for fear that his answer would not satisfy Emperor Zhu Houzhao.

Those who are officials are all for their own interests, Yang Yiqing naturally doesn't really want to find the real answer, and now he is just secretly thinking about what answer His Majesty the Emperor already has in his heart, and he can't answer differently from His Majesty, which will only make it seem that he and His Majesty have different opinions, and let His Majesty despise himself.

Yang Yiqing thought to himself, His Majesty said not to despise the people, so let's seriously analyze the people.

Thereupon.

Yang Yiqing replied: "Presumably, the people are worried that the new weaving bureau will take away their profits. ”

Zhu Houzhao nodded, Yang Yiqing's answer was not an answer to the point, at least he thought so, because anyone could guess that the people would prevent the opening of the Weaving Bureau must be worried that the new Weaving Bureau would take away their benefits, otherwise why would the people stop it.

But Zhu Houzhao admitted that Yang Yiqing's answer was slightly valuable.

Zhu Hou looked at Wang Qiong and Kang Hai: "Two Aiqing, what do you think?" ”

Yang Yiqing breathed a sigh of relief, although he didn't know if the emperor was satisfied with his answer, but at least he didn't annoy the emperor.

Wang Qiong decided to pretend to be crazy and stupid, but also to mention His Majesty appropriately, after all, he was the first assistant of the cabinet, and he couldn't seem to be as useless as Yang Yiqing, and said some nonsense that His Majesty the Emperor could know.

So, Wang Qiong first bowed his hand: "The minister just said something wrong, and first asked His Majesty to forgive his sins, the minister actually said that the people are stupid people, which is really stupid, but just now the minister thought about it carefully, not the people are dull, but the gentry are stupid!"

The gentry and others thought that the opening of the weaving bureau in the inner court would definitely benefit the people, but they did not know that the opening of the weaving bureau and the use of steam engines could take away the great profits of overseas. ”

As soon as Wang Qiong said this, Kang Hai first understood: "Your Majesty, although what the first minister said is right and wrong, it is not that the gentry are stupid, nor that the people are dull, but that most of the eunuchs in the inner court are misbehaving and taking advantage of the people, and it is also possible to check the vigilance and hatred of the people. The minister thought that His Majesty could send the minister to start a new weaving bureau. ”

Zhu Houzhao could already hear it at this time, among the three ministers, Kang Hai was the most sincere, and the other two were obviously pretending to be crazy and stupid, Wang Qiong was better, and reminded himself around the corner, but he reminded Kang Hai by the way, so that Kang Hai directly said his understanding of Wang Qiong's meaning.

But Wang Qiong is very angry with Kang Hai now, he can now see from the expression on Zhang Zhong's elongated face that he was miserable by Kang Hai, and he obviously did not directly say that the corruption of the eunuchs led to the dislike of the inner court, but Kang Hai said his understanding, making Zhang Zhong think that his foreign courtiers were turning around and weakening the power of their inner court officials.

It doesn't matter if Zhang Zhong has this meaning, Wang Qiong is worried that Emperor Zhu Houzhao will have such worries, worried that the foreign courtiers are still trying to take away the rights of the inner court.

And Kang Hai also said the inner purpose of the civil officials who wanted to take away the power of the inner court, although the reason was very good, but Wang Qiong believed that Kang Hai would not have good fruits to eat, because His Majesty would not be willing to let the inner court hand over power.

Wang Qiong is now waiting to see Kang Hai's jokes, whether Kang Hai is now driven out of the palace by His Majesty the Emperor who is furious with Long Yan, or whether he will be slandered by Zhang Zhongjin in the next few days, and then dismissed.

Zhu Houzhao was not angry, and he was not ready to let Kang Hai be dismissed, at this time, he only sighed in his heart:

"This is the Ming officialdom!

Even the ministers will only choose to speak for you, at most they will only remind themselves that if they are not a smart emperor, they will not be able to understand the real reason from the mouth of such a minister.

But it is an official like Kang Hai who directly says it as soon as he thinks it through is easy to offend people, and Gu Dayong behind him is obviously unhappy, and he will not give up using these eunuchs because they are rejected by the people."

Zhu Houzhao had to admit that when he was an emperor in ancient times, he thought that as soon as he raised his arms, the officials below would respond in droves, and it was impossible to popularize new things one by one.

Because, even if he is the emperor, there is no guarantee that every official can be with him and only think about the interests of the country.

In the final analysis, officials still take safeguarding their own interests as their primary purpose, that is, they must first keep their black hats before they talk about national interests, and even if they are forced to talk about national interests, they dare not say too bluntly, so as to avoid offending too many people.

But in any case, the words of the three ministers still made Zhu Houzhao understand some reasons, and began to understand that this was related to the people's distrust of the eunuchs, and in the final analysis, it was also caused by the decline in the credibility of the inner court.

Zhu Houzhao doesn't know how honest Luo Xiang is, although the officials of the inner court will be impeached by the imperial historian, and they can also be suspended for further investigation, but Luo Xiang has not been impeached by the imperial historian yet.

But Zhu Houzhao knew that now he had to let the people not have this concern.

"The bell must be tied to the bell, since the people think that the officials of the inner court are here to exploit them, then take this opportunity to change the influence of the officials of the inner court, Kang Hai, the intention is to buy cotton and other crops at the price of fifty percent of the supermarket price Luo Xiang will be publicized, and through newspapers and periodicals, the people of the entire Songjiang Mansion and even Nanzhili will know that Luo Xiang came to Songjiang Mansion to open a weaving bureau to solve the problem of unsalable cotton in Songjiang Mansion and increase the income of the people!"

After Zhu Houzhao finished speaking, Wang Qiong sighed in his heart, and said in his heart: "It's over, Your Majesty is really the Lord of the Heavens, and his careful thoughts have been seen by him, otherwise he would not have let Kang Hai draw up his will, obviously, Kang Hai bluntly said that His Majesty would be more useful, but on the contrary, he and Yang Yiqing were despised by His Majesty, and now his position as the first assistant is in jeopardy!" ”

Yang Yiqing also completely understood at this time what the answer Emperor Zhu Houzhao wanted, but he was not as disappointed as Wang Qiong, he just sighed in his heart: "It is not easy to be a close minister of His Majesty in the cabinet!" ”

……

After Luo Xiang received Zhu Houzhao's edict, he immediately began to follow it, and first posted the notice of buying cotton and raw silk at a high price.

The people were stunned when they knew this.

"Didn't you say that these eunuchs sent by the imperial court would lower our purchase price, how could it suddenly become like this! Is this true? ”

The people talked about it, but because of this notice, the obstacles to the new weaving bureau were indeed reduced a lot.

At this time, some gentry engaged in the textile industry in Jiangnan were greatly surprised, because they did not expect that the imperial court would directly raise such a high purchase price, which meant that they could no longer organize the people to prevent the imperial court from opening a new weaving bureau.

However, there are also some Jiangnan gentry who are insisting, shouting: "These are all false notices, they are the great masters of the inner court who come to fool people, how can they buy them at a high market price of fifty percent!" It's simply impossible! ”