Xu Guangqi, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, introduced the situation, but he didn't know Ji Qingwen's intentions, squinted a pair of old eyes, and looked at Ji Qingwen with suspicious eyes.

Ji Qingwen frowned and said: "Three tributes a year, each tribute is a hundred colored brocades, and the total amount of silk given by the Ming Dynasty is three hundred horses per year...... Your Majesty, do you know what is the price of the tribute silk produced by the Suzhou Weaving Yamen in the international market? ”

This question was obviously beyond the scope of Emperor Chongzhen's knowledge, which made the emperor who wanted to save face look dazed, but he was embarrassed to say that he didn't know.

Wen Tiren still understood the emperor's thoughts, and hurriedly said: "Lord Ji, the emperor has a lot of opportunities, and some things may not be able to bow down, otherwise what do you want us courtiers to do?" If you have something to say, just say it. ”

Ji Qingwen nodded and said, "Go back to the emperor." The colored brocade of Suzhou Weaving Yamen is extremely sought-after in the international market, and the price after being transported to various countries is also slightly different. For example, if it is sent to Siam, Timor, and Malacca in the South Seas, one horse is five hundred taels of silver; It was transported to Burma through the tea and horse passage, and it was six hundred taels of silver; If it is sold to Western Europa through Westerners, it is even more difficult to find. As for North Korea...... Korea is the closest to Japan, and it is slightly cheaper to sell it to Japan, but it is worth more than three hundred taels of silver a horse......"

"What!" Emperor Chongzhen exclaimed, "It's so valuable? Three hundred pieces of silk can be worth so much 100,000 taels of silver in Korea and Japan? ”

Ji Qingwen said: "Yes, the emperor." However, last year, the Ming Wu army under the command of the minister weaving Yamen went north and south to fight two bloody battles with the Manchurian Tartars and the White Lotus bandits, and the military expenditure increased exponentially. As a result, the price of silk in the market has also fallen, especially in Japan, where it is estimated that the price has fallen by half. ”

Ji Qingwen's description of the relationship between supply and demand involves the most basic principles of the market economy and the price system, but the truth is very superficial, and even the ancients could understand the meaning after a little thought.

Therefore, Emperor Chongzhen listened very carefully, and when he heard Ji Qingwen pause, he asked: "Quick, what do you mean, and then go on." ”

Ji Qingwen arched his hand and said, "Your Majesty, the minister's meaning is very simple. The DPRK envoy Choe said that the DPRK's domestic finances are tight, and although there are natural disasters and foreign causes, it has a lot to do with the sharp drop in the price of the brocade that our country has given them. ”

Hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen's face suddenly became extremely ugly, and he looked sideways at Cui Youhai and said, "You, tell me, is what Ji Qingwen said true?" ”

Cui Youhai didn't dare to admit it, and he didn't dare to deny it, so he could only say: "The minister has been stationed in the Celestial Empire for a long time, and many things in the country are not clear

Chu ......"

"Humph! You don't know anything else in North Korea, and if you lack money, you will ask the Celestial Empire to ask for it, you know this idea very well! Chongzhen didn't save face for Cui Youhai at all.

It is said that Emperor Chongzhen is moody, and Cui Youhai finally saw it today-Fang Cai was still joking and joking with himself, but in a blink of an eye, he was already full of emotion-so frightened that Cui Youhai couldn't sit or stand, and he was embarrassed beyond words.

Cui Youhai's attitude is equivalent to admitting Ji Qingwen's questioning.

I only heard Emperor Chongzhen sneer and said: "Okay, the Heavenly Empire sees that your North Korea is just a small state, and it never hesitates to reward." It is good that you should take out what I have given you and sell it...... Hum! Okay, do business until you get up......"

Cui Youhai couldn't sit still anymore, so he hurriedly got up and said: "Your Majesty, you really despise the country and the small people are poor, only by coming up with such a way can you barely maintain it, and please forgive the saint!" ”

If you put it on others and dare to beat Emperor Chongzhen's idea, even if Emperor Chongzhen is gracious and not punished, at least a scolding of the head and face is indispensable.

But Cui Youhai is not a courtier of the Ming Dynasty, and he still has the identity of a Korean envoy, which makes Emperor Chongzhen give him some face, and said angrily: "I hate others the most for not telling the truth." If you do this, I can't go unpunished......"

North Korea is not a small country in East Asia, but compared to the behemoth of the Ming Dynasty, North Korea is just a small pig in front of an elephant, and as long as the elephant moves its limbs slightly, the pig can be crushed into meat sauce.

Therefore, Cui Youhai was really frightened, and hurriedly knelt down and begged for mercy: "Ask the saint for mercy, ask for the saint's mercy!" ”

But I heard Zhou Yanru get up and say: "Your Majesty, the minister has a few words, I don't know if you can talk to the saint face to face?" ”

Chongzhen glanced at his eyes and said, "You have said it, what's the matter?" ”

Zhou Yanru said: "These few words, the minister asked the emperor and the minister to answer alone. ”

"Is there something important that no one can hear?" Chongzhen asked.

Zhou Yanru was very resolute and replied, "No." If the emperor can't allow it, the minister would rather not say it. ”

Chongzhen is a person who likes to drill the horns of the bull, glanced at the people in the Qianqing Palace, and asked: "Except for Cui Youhai, all of them are my ministers, can't they all listen?" ”

Zhou Yanru's face was as calm as a pool of stagnant water, and he arched his hand and said: "It's not that no one, only Lord Ji Qingwen can listen here, and others listen to it, lest they leak the news." ”

At the mention of Ji Qingwen's name, Chongzhen's mood seemed to be better, and he said: "It's okay, then I will give you this face, you, and Ji Qingwen, come with me." ”

Ji Qingwen has

He agreed blankly, followed Emperor Chongzhen's ass and turned to a screen, but heard Chongzhen say to Zhou Yanru: "It's okay here, right?" If you have something to say, just say it. ”

Zhou Yanru arched his hand and said, "Thank the emperor for Longen." What the minister wants to say is that although the small country of Korea is cunning, but it borders China and Manchuria at the same time, if it is because of the expressions of a few silk horses, it is not properly restrained, so that it completely falls to the Manchurian Tartars, then the gain will outweigh the loss......"

As soon as he mentioned the Manchurians, Chongzhen's heart tightened, and after a little contemplation, he felt that what Zhou Yanru said was indeed reasonable: "Zhou Aiqing is the words of the old man to seek the country, and I just can't swallow this breath." This small North Korean country is just too annoying. ”

Ji Qingwen said: "The emperor can rest assured, the minister may have a way to govern North Korea......"

Chongzhen's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he asked, "Oh? What's your best idea for a dog? Tell me quickly. ”

Ji Qingwen scratched his head, and suddenly remembered the precedent of Yuan Chonghuan promising the emperor to Pingliao for five years, but was taken by Emperor Chongzhen in the third year, and felt that it was better to be vague.

So he squeezed out a flattering smile and said, "It's still that the minister doesn't speak rigorously, and the minister hasn't come up with any way yet." However, although the emperor can rest assured, it will not be long before the ministers will make the Koreans suffer, and it will not affect the overall situation of Liaodong to deal with the Manchurian Tartars......"

Somehow, the key word to discuss the problem has changed from Korea to Manchuria, which reminded Emperor Chongzhen of Yuan Chonghuan's matter, and suddenly changed the conversation and said: "By the way, aren't you going to meet together at this time, don't you want to interrogate Yuan Chonghuan with me?" Why haven't you mentioned it for a long time? ”

Isn't this the emperor, you always have to pull us to eat, so you haven't found a way to speak?

However, openly fighting with the emperor is undoubtedly asking for his own death, Zhou Yanru can only reply: "Yuan Chonghuan's case involves a lot of things, although the ministers want to report to the emperor, but Cui Youhai is present, and the ministers can't say much." ”

Chongzhen was quite reasonable, and said: "There is some truth in what you say, but I blame you for my mistake." Okay, you're all well fed and drunk, right? I will dismiss Cui Youhai, and you will be able to report calmly. ”

Ji Qingwen only drank one bowl of wontons a day today, and after rushing to the palace, he only ate a bite of lightly scraped roast mutton, and there were not a few drops of oil and water in his stomach at all, he was already dizzy with hunger, but for the sake of Yuan Chonghuan's affairs, he could only hold on, and it was not too late to have a full meal after leaving the palace.

So Emperor Chongzhen led Zhou Yanru and Ji Qingwen to come out from behind the screen again, only to see Wen Tiren, Xu Guangqi, Gao Qiqian, Cui Youhai and others present, sitting or standing or kneeling, as if time had stopped, and still maintained the original appearance in the same place.

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