Chongzhen is suspicious by nature, this is famous, even if what you say is reasonable, he will doubt it, not to mention that what Zhang Bin said is not reasonable at all.

He changed his gentle attitude, his face was flat, and he said coldly: "Without food, you can also exterminate pirates?" Tell me how to suppress it. ”

When Zhang Bin heard this, he chuckled in his heart, if he really accompanies you like a tiger, this is good, Chongzhen was angry.

Of course, you need food to fight a war, and who will work hard for you if you don't have food!

Zhang Bin wanted to say: "You are obviously asking me, if there is no food, can you come up with a way, and it is not that there is no food and salary to exterminate the pirates, I mean that there is a way, not that there is no food and salary can also exterminate the pirates!" ”

However, you can't say that, if you say that, it will add fuel to the fire, no matter how reasonable it is, Chongzhen will probably not be happy.

He thought about it, pretended to be frightened, bowed and saluted again and again: "The emperor forgives the sin, it is because Weichen did not make it clear, what Weichen means is that there is no need for the imperial court to allocate food and salary, and Weichen can go to Fujian to raise food and salary." ”

When Chongzhen heard this, his face softened, and he asked curiously: "Oh, how to raise food, you don't want to go to Fujian to go to the rampant extortion, that's not good!" ”

Zhang Bin hurriedly smiled and said: "How dare Wechen levy and expropriate, that is to drink water to quench thirst, Wechen naturally will not do that, Wechen wants Fujian merchants to voluntarily donate food." ”

When Chongzhen heard this, he became even more curious, and he couldn't help asking: "Voluntary, what kind of voluntary law, the food and salary needed to exterminate the pirates is not a little, will they voluntarily donate so much?" ”

Zhang Bin did not answer, but arched his hand and said: "Weichen is bold, please ask the emperor to find a map of Fujian." ”

Chongzhen couldn't help but be curious, and directly turned back to Cao Huachun behind him and said, "Companion, hurry up and get a map of Fujian." ”

Cao Huachun is sweating for Zhang Bin at this moment, if Zhang Bin angers the emperor, he may be able to find a way to save Zhang Bin, but Zhang Bin's future is definitely over.

Fortunately, Zhang Bin was clever and did not contradict the emperor, which seemed to arouse the emperor's curiosity at this time.

Map, Cao Huachun naturally knew where it was, he turned around quickly, walked quickly to a bookshelf, stretched out his hand and pulled out a scroll of map, unfolded it and glanced at it, and then immediately walked to Chongzhen, respectfully spread the map on the desk.

Chongzhen glanced at the map, and then beckoned, "Come, come and talk to me." ”

Hearing this, Zhang Bin hurriedly bowed down to the desk, slowly stretched out his hand, and carefully pointed to the Zhongzuo Institute on the map and said: "The pirate Zheng Zhilong occupies the Zhongzuo Institute in fact, he wants to block the exit of Yuegang and monopolize the trade between the Ming Dynasty and overseas countries. ”

The approximate location of the Zhongzuo Institute is in the current Macau, and the Moon Port is the current Haicheng Town, Longhai City, Zhangzhou, which means that the Zhongzuo Institute is just stuck in the mouth of the Moon Port.

Yuegang is the time when the Longqing Dynasty switched, the foreign trade port designated by the Ming Dynasty, that is to say, if you want to go to sea and do business with other countries, you must go through various procedures in Yuegang, otherwise, you will be punished as a criminal!

Yuegang, Chongzhen naturally knows, but at this time, Yuegang has long lost as much income as Longqing and Wanli Dynasty, and the Apocalypse Dynasty, Yuegang also pays taxes and silver of several thousand taels every year, it is a chicken-ribbed place, why should the pirate Zheng Zhilong take the risk of blocking the exit of Yuegang?

He asked puzzledly: "Why did the pirate Zheng Zhilong block the exit of Yuegang, Yuegang's annual income is only a few thousand taels of silver, he can knock down the Zhongzuo in one fell swoop, how can his subordinates have tens of thousands of people, for a few thousand taels of silver to take such a big risk, isn't it?" ”

Of course, the annual income of Yuegang is more than a few thousand taels of silver, Longqing Dynasty, the Fujian City Ship Division of Yuegang is still in charge of the Fujian Chengxuan Political Envoy Division, after layers of greed, it can also hand over tens of thousands of taels of silver every year, and its profits are abundant, you can imagine.

In the early years of Wanli, Zhang Juzheng and Feng Bao took the Yuegang Fujian City Ship Division under the direct management of the imperial court, and the tax and silver paid by the Yuegang Fujian City Ship Division were rising, and in the ninth year of Wanli, the tax and silver paid by the Yuegang Fujian City Ship Division reached more than 510,000 taels, which was called "the South Treasury of the Son of Heaven".

It's a pity that Zhang Juzheng died of exhaustion in the tenth year of Wanli, and Mingshenzong resented him for being too strict with himself when he was alive, not only cut all his rewards, raided his home, but also demoted his partner Feng Bao to Jinling to grow vegetables, Yuegang Fujian City Bosi lost the supervision of these two people, and gradually became the treasury of the palace stewards and eunuchs, and most of the tax silver was corrupted by eunuchs at all levels, and the ten that were handed over to the treasury were not saved!

In the later period of Wanli, Yuegang Fujian City Bosi could still pay tens of thousands of taels of tax silver, and in the year of the Apocalypse, after Wei Zhongxian took power, it directly became thousands of taels, and the seriousness of corruption in this can be imagined.

It seems that Chongzhen doesn't know the cat in it, after all, he is still young, and he has not undergone a formal imperial education, it is purely to catch ducks on the shelves, and he can know that this place in Yuegang is already good.

What Chongzhen lacks is money, from the first year of Chongzhen to the seventeenth year of Chongzhen, he has never had a surplus, he is short of money every year, and he continues to increase the salary, training and salary, or he can't make ends meet, if he can get money, he should be very happy.

Thinking of this, Zhang Bin lowered his voice and said mysteriously: "Your Majesty, Yuegang's income must be more than a few thousand taels, if Weichen is responsible, Weichen guarantees that he will pay 500,000 taels of tax and silver to the emperor every year!" ”

Chongzhen heard this, and was really excited, 500,000 taels, which is not a small amount, you know, now, Daming's annual tax is about five million taels, this time it is one percent more, how can he not be excited!

The wall has ears, and the palace is full of Wei Zhongxian's people at this time, and he has already heard it from Zhang Bin's words, the eunuch sent by Wei Zhongxian to the Fujian City of Yuegang must have been greedy for money!

He stared at Zhang Bin, lowered his voice, and asked excitedly, "Is this true?" ”

Zhang Bin also lowered his voice and swore solemnly: "How dare Weichen deceive the emperor, if he can't pay 500,000 taels of taxes and silver every year, Weichen will be punished by the emperor." The reason why Wechen is confident that Fujian merchants will voluntarily donate food and salary is precisely because of Yuegang. ”

When Chongzhen heard this, he asked with interest: "Oh, how do you do this article?" ”

Zhang Bin pointed to the map and explained carefully: "Now Zheng Zhilong is stuck at the exit of Yuegang, so that Fujian merchants cannot go to sea to do business and make money, they must be very anxious, if Weichen proposes to raise donations, they will definitely respond, of course, if they want them to donate a huge amount of money, this alone is not enough." ”

Speaking of which, Zhang Bin deliberately sold a pass.

Merchants are profit-seeking, if you want them to pay for nothing, it is basically difficult, even if they are in a hurry, they will donate a few hundred taels at most, after all, it is the affairs of the imperial court to suppress pirates, even if they don't donate money, the imperial court has to find a way to exterminate the pirates.

Therefore, in order for them to donate a huge amount of money willingly, they must be given corresponding benefits.

So, what benefits can Zhang Bin give them?