In the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Youzhen, the eldest son of the emperor, listened to Wang Chengen's report and frowned. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info

Li Zhi opened his mouth widely, and as soon as he came up, he asked for six earl titles.

This count title with a different surname is really rare in the Ming Dynasty, and ordinary officials will not reach the point of being knighted in their lifetime. For example, in the seven years of the Apocalypse Dynasty, Xizong Zhu Youxiao only made three counts with different surnames. In fact, since Zhu Youzhen ascended the throne, in the 22nd year of the Chongzhen Dynasty, he only awarded the three counts with different surnames Zhou Kui, Hong Chengchou, and Cao Bianjiao and Li Zhi a prince with a different surname, and there were no other titles with different surnames.

Hong Chengchou's earl was also revoked because of the defeat of the Guan Ning army, and in fact, Zhu Youzhen only knighted three people.

It can be seen that the title is expensive in the Ming officialdom.

And Li Zhi asked Zhu Youzhen for six earl titles in one breath, and he wanted to choose the opportunity to send them to his subordinates.

Li Zhi thinks this title is an official title such as a general or guerrilla? Can it be distributed at will?

Zhu Youzhen couldn't help but take a breath.

Knocking on the armrest of the throne, Zhu Youzhen asked, "Can Li Zhi get 1.4 million stone grain?" ”

Wang Chengen arched his hand and said: "Back to the saint, Li Zhi can take it!" He took the slave maid to see the granary of Tianjin, which covers an area of more than 100 acres, built in the middle of Fanjiazhuang and the Tianjin Acropolis, and has a two-zhang high city wall outside. I don't know how much wheat was stored in the granary, at least five million stones. ”

Zhu Youzhen nodded and asked, "If there is grain, what price will it be sold to the imperial court?" ”

Wang Chengen replied: "The cheapest grain is spring wheat in Liaodong Province, which is darker in color and has a worse taste, but it can also save lives. The current market price of this winter wheat is 22 cents, but it is cheaper during the June harvest. In June, the king of the county bought it from the peasants in Liaodong for one tael or eight yuan for state protection, and now he is willing to sell it to the imperial court at this price. ”

One stone of wheat is really a very attractive price, compared with the price of two or two seven dollars of rice in Beijing, this stone of grain will save nine dollars of silver, saving one-third. 1.4 million stone of grain saved more than 1.2 million taels of silver for the imperial court.

You must know that Tai Warehouse's annual income is only a few million taels.

Zhu Youzhen had more than 3 million taels of silver, and he could afford to buy this spring wheat.

Zhu Youzhen's eyes lit up, and a look of joy appeared on his face. Sure enough, as long as Li Zhi is found, any difficulties can be solved.

After thinking about it, Zhu Youzhen asked: "The king of Tianjin bought grain in Liaodong and had to transport it to Tianjin, and the freight was expensive along the way. Now that it is sold to us at the purchase price in Tianjin, won't the king of Tianjin lose money? ”

Wang Chengen pondered for a moment and said: "Back to the emperor, the slave also asked the king of Tianjin County, and he said this at the beginning: he said that the emperor wants to save the people of Shaanxi Province, which is a matter of great benevolence and virtue." The imperial court does not have enough financial resources, and Tianjin should also make some efforts. Therefore, things like freight are not included in the price of grain. ”

Zhu Youzhen frowned and looked at Wang Chengen, with a look of disbelief. With Li Zhi's character, as long as he helps the imperial court, he will definitely want benefits. Transporting grain from Liaodong to Tianjin, a stone of grain costs at least one penny of silver, and 1.4 million stone is more than 100,000 taels of silver.

Zhu Youzhen looked at Wang Dehua.

Wang Dehua, the eunuch of Dongchang, saw that the Son of Heaven had doubts, and arched his hand and said: "Holy Lord, Li Zhi built a railway in Liaodong. According to Fanzi's report, the cost of transporting grain by rail is extremely low. In the past, dozens of ox carts and horse-drawn carts were required to haul half a month's worth of grain, but now they are transported by rail, and a locomotive can be transported to Jinzhou Port in a few hours. ”

"In the past, it cost one penny or even two coins of silver to transport a stone of grain from Liaodong to Tianjin, but now I am afraid it only costs one penny of silver. Even if it is 1.4 million stone of grain, it is only more than 10,000 taels of freight. ”

Hearing Wang Dehua's words, Zhu Youzhen and Wang Chengen were slightly surprised.

Saving one or two dollars in freight to a penny, the efficiency of this railway is really too strong. The freight of more than ten or even more than 200,000 taels of silver has become more than 10,000 taels, and all the money saved is white silver.

More than 10,000 taels of silver is a small amount of money for the current Li Zhi.

Only then did Zhu Youzhen understand that the reason why Li Zhi was so generous was that he didn't spend any money at all.

Wang Chengen realized at this time that he had been tricked by Li Zhi, and he really thought that Li Zhi was dedicated to contributing to the imperial court and was willing to take the initiative to bear the huge freight.

But the railroad is a good thing. Liaodong produces millions of grain a year, saving ninety percent of the freight, which will save tens of thousands of taels of silver for Liaodong's grain every year? This king of Tianjin is really the reincarnation of Lu Ban, no, I'm afraid that even the reincarnation of Lu Ban does not have such a means to invent so many novel and effective things.

Zhu Youzhen seemed to be pondering the power of the railway, and did not speak for a while.

Can this railway also be repaired in Beizhili, Shanxi and Shaanxi?

Thinking about it, Zhu Youzhen stood up and walked to the glass window to look at the scenery in the palace.

"Six earldoms..."

Wang Chengen arched his hand and said: "Saint, the king of Tianjin said that these six titles will be reported to the imperial court by Tianjin at that time, and the imperial court will confer them according to the traditional ceremony. ”

After thinking about it, Wang Chengen said: "And the king of the county is not arbitrarily sealed, but to be awarded to meritorious officials who are solicited from the outside world." For example, Zheng Kaicheng and Zhong Feng destroyed the Japanese state, and the king of the county was willing to grant the two the title of earl. ”

Zhu Youzhen smiled and said: "If you destroy Japan, you will be crowned Bo, and if you level Annam and Siam again in the future, won't I have to seal six marquis in Tianjin?" ”

Wang Chengen and Wang Dehua looked at each other for a while and did not speak.

Now that Li Zhi has defeated the combined fleet of Hongyi and Yingyi, it is not difficult for him to move south. Maybe they will really attack southern countries like Annan.

If Tianjin had six marquis and a group of nobles, then Tianjin's weight within the Ming Dynasty would be even higher. The pattern of the Ming Dynasty's internal and external importance may still have to continue.

However, if Li Zhi goes to the south, then how far will my Ming territory expand?

Wang Chengen didn't dare to say any more, and stood aside with his hands down, waiting for Zhu Youzhen to make a decision.

Zhu Youzhen opened the glass window of the Qianqing Palace, let the cold wind outside the window blow in, and thought for a long time.

"If Shaanxi Province succeeds in changing the law and increases the endowment by two percent, the Tai Warehouse can increase its income by 400,000 taels of silver a year."

"If we can't succeed in disaster relief this time, not to mention the failure of the new festival in Shaanxi, I am afraid that the people of Shaanxi will be displaced and cannibalistic. At that time, my achievements in Shaanxi will disappear along with the famine. ”

"Li Zhi conquered overseas Korea and Japan, and did not hand over overseas taxes to the imperial court, and I was not prepared to reward him for these expeditions. However..."Shaking his head, Zhu Youzhen said helplessly: "That's it, Li Zhi wants six earl titles, just give them to him." ”

Zhu Youzhen waved his dragon robe and said: "Huang Degong, the chief soldier of the Beijing battalion, came back and asked him to organize a grain transportation team to transport cheap wheat from Tianjin to Shaanxi as soon as possible to relieve the refugees in Shaanxi!" ”