"Aren't several uncles in the fiefdom?"

The prince of the Ming Dynasty, once he became an adult, had to go to the fiefdom, and he was not allowed to return to Beijing without the emperor's edict.

Only Fuwang Zhu Changxun is an exception.

Zhu Changxun is the youngest son of Emperor Wanli, the younger uncle of Zhu Youxiao and Zhu Youzhen, and is especially favored by his father Emperor Wanli. Emperor Wanli was ready to pass the throne to Zhu Changxun, but the ministers in the court firmly disagreed on the grounds that "Zhu Changxun is not the eldest son" and asked Emperor Wanli to pass the throne to his eldest son, that is, Zhu Changluo, the father of Zhu Youxiao and Zhu Youzhen.

For this matter, the Wanli Emperor and the ministers have been in a stalemate for decades, and have not set up a prince, and the Wanli Emperor has not been in court for decades, and has specially hid in the palace to make people, but Zhu Changxun has been staying in Beijing, and the dollar has gone to the fief. It wasn't until Emperor Wanli was seriously ill that his ambitions had been smoothed out by the ministers, and Zhu Changluo was appointed as the crown prince. After the death of Emperor Wanli, Zhu Changluo became the Jingtai Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and Zhu Changxun, the king of Fu, also had to go to his fiefdom Luoyang.

"I'm afraid that the emperor has already issued an order to summon a few uncles to Beijing. When the time comes, His Royal Highness will have to go to thank a few uncles. ”

Wan'er is good, not only will Zhu Youzhen be served comfortably, but also be an internal housekeeper, so that Zhu Youzhen can concentrate on his own great cause of saving Ming.

February 6, the sixth year of the Great Tomorrow Apocalypse (1626 AD), is Zhu Youzhen's sixteenth birthday, and it is also the day when Zhu Youzhen marries the princess Zhou Yufeng.

Early in the morning, Wang Mujiu was busy with a group of big soldiers in the Xinwang Mansion. In fact, there is nothing to be busy with, all the rituals are all from the Zongren Mansion, and even the bride price is from the Zongren Mansion. Zhou Yufeng's new house has long been newly decorated, and the entire Xinwang Mansion is full of red happy characters and lanterns, which is even more lively than Xinyuan.

It's boring to wait for the princess to pass through the door, if there is a vertical and horizontal at this time, Zhu Youzhen must choose to go to the vertical and horizontal to find a historical novel to see.

The groom's official Zhu Youzhen had nothing to do, so he had to chat and drink tea with a few uncles who rushed back from the fiefdom.

"Virtuous nephew, I heard that you have set up a cement factory and a red brick factory in Beijing, and you have made a lot of money, right? My Hengzhou is mountainous, the property is poor, and the people live in poverty. When will you go to Hengzhou to set up some cement factories or something, so that the people of Hengzhou can also live a good life? ”

Guiwang Zhu Changying was the first to return to Beijing, and was very surprised by Zhu Youzhen's nonsense, how can this kid look like himself when he was young? It's cement and red bricks again, it's entering the barracks, and it's Shandong exterminating the Japanese, where does he get the ability? However, it doesn't matter if anything else matters, what matters is whether you can make money or not.

"Uncle Gui, if you want the cement factory to repair Hengzhou, I'm afraid it won't work now. No one buys the cement that is produced! The production of cement requires a lot of capital. "For the people of Hengzhou? Zhu Youzhen Ning Yuan believed in the matchmaker's mouth. Of course, he hopes to promote the cement plant to the whole country and build a large number of cement roads in Daming.

But now is not the time. The development of the commercial value of cement is not a matter of one or two days, and no one is willing to spend money on building cement roads now. "I don't know if Uncle Gui can say that the political envoys of Donghu Guangbu, or the local businessmen, will build a cement road from Wuchang to Changsha?"

"What's the use of building concrete roads?" Zhu Changying knew that it was too difficult to say that it was too difficult to move the lake and spread political envoys. But when it comes to attracting local celebrities, there is still some hope. But at least, you need to know the use of cement roads, or how to sell cement to others?

"Between Wuchang and Changsha, there are dense rivers and lakes, the roads are tortuous, and it is even more muddy and difficult to walk on rainy days. In fact, between Wuchang and Changsha, there is no high mountain barrier, if you can build a cement road from Wuchang to Changsha, you can shorten the distance of more than 2,000 miles to six or seven hundred miles, only three percent of the original, which greatly facilitates the passing businessmen and pedestrians. For the specific situation of the cement road, Uncle Gui Wang can go to Dongzhimen to have a look if he has time. Zhu Youzhen turned to Huiwang Zhu Changrun, "Uncle Huiwang's fief is in Jingzhou, closer to Wuchang and Changsha, I don't know if Uncle Huiwang is intentional?" ”

"What about the cement plant?" Zhu Changrun is more concerned about how to divide the silver, his family has a large population, and he really doesn't have much money.

If it can be negotiated, the little nephew will arrange for people to go to Huguang, and the two Wang uncles will be responsible for land acquisition and raising silver. Instead of farmland, the cement plant needs to be built on a hillside site. As for the profits, Zhu Youzhen swept the faces of the two of them so that they could hear clearly, "Pay the tax according to the standard of fifteen taxes and one tax on cultivated land, and the rest of the part, the two uncles Wang each take four shares, and the younger nephew is young, so he will share a little less, accounting for two percent." Do the two uncles have any opinions? For the promotion of cement, Zhu Youzhen is not for the purpose of making money, he has a bigger game of chess in his heart, so let the two princes take more advantage.

In fact, if the cement road from Wuchang to Changsha is repaired, businessmen, celebrities, the government and the common people will see tangible benefits, especially in the places where the reservoirs and ditches in the south of the Yangtze River are dense. These waters are neither wide nor deep, but pedestrians cannot wade through them, especially in autumn and winter.

"I'm afraid that the political envoy will not agree." Zhu Changrun's eyes were already shining with the light of grabbing, but he was a powerless prince, and he had no savings, so it was indeed not easy to say that he was a political envoy.

"The benefits of building cement roads to the local area have just been said by my nephew. Along the cement road from Wuchang to Changsha, the fast horse can be reached in two days, even if you take a carriage, it is only three or four days. In addition, there is another benefit," Zhu Youzhan saw that the two princes were moved, and desperately tried to find some high-sounding reasons for them: "The vast number of households in the lake occupy more and more land, and the more and more people have no land to cultivate. If these landless peasants work in cement factories as workers or participate in the construction of cement roads, they can be paid and can support their families, and there will be no unstable factors on the ground in Huguang. ”

"Okay, nephew, as soon as we can raise money to build the road, we will immediately start the cement factory." Guiwang Zhu Changying immediately made a decision, his economic strength far surpassed Zhu Changrun, and his local prestige and contacts were better than Zhu Changrun. In addition to being a political envoy, he can also mobilize local celebrities to participate.

"Wait. Nephew, this cement factory can't live without my share, right? Seeing the profits that the two younger brothers were about to make, Zhu Changhao, as the elder brother, was backward, and after this village, there was no store.

"Uncle Rui Wang, your fief is in Hanzhong, far away from the lake! Huguang's cement factory, you are afraid that you will not be able to reach it. "The transportation in this era is extremely backward, and Zhu Changhao simply sent people to Huguang to get profits, and it took a year and a half, and most of the profits obtained were reimbursed as travel.

"That virtuous nephew, can you go to Hanzhong to set up a cement factory?" Zhu Changhao is still not giving up, who doesn't drill into it if he has money to earn, that's a fool.

"Then it's up to you, Uncle Rui. Shaanxi takes Xi'an as the center, with a total of four important military towns of Guyuan, Ningxia, Gansu and Yansui, if Uncle Rui Wang can persuade Shaanxi to build cement roads, such as Xi'an to Guyuan Town, or even to Ningxia Town, the little nephew can open a cement factory in Hanzhong. "There are nine important military towns on the northern border of the Ming Dynasty, including four in Shaanxi Province, which shows the importance of Shaanxi in the north. If concrete roads can be built in Shaanxi, we will certainly be able to speed up the allocation of troops and materials in Shaanxi.

"This one is too hard. What if I convince them, though? "Zhu Changhao is prepared with both hands, if he can convince the civil and military officials in Shaanxi, he will make money; If you can't convince them, you have nothing to lose.

"If Uncle Rui Wang can convince them, of course the cement factory can do it. Like the cement factory in Huguang, Uncle Yinzirui Wang came out, and the younger nephew was in charge of technology and craftsmen. In addition to the taxes to be paid, Uncle Rui Wang accounted for 60% of the profits obtained by the cement factory, and the little nephew accounted for 40%. Zhu Youzhen believes that Shaanxi is too poor now, let alone building roads, and the people can eat enough to burn high incense. Although he especially hopes to build roads in Shaanxi, he has no money, and a qiē is just a dream.

"Okay, that's a deal. I'll plan it when I get back. Zhu Changhao got a similar agreement with his two younger brothers, and he was very satisfied. In fact, Zhu Youzhen is right, there are more places in Shaanxi that need to build roads, and if he succeeds, he will definitely earn more money than his two younger brothers.

"Virtuous nephew, does this king also have to raise money to build roads before he can co-establish a cement factory with his virtuous nephew?" Although Fuwang Zhu Changxun used polite words, his tone was quite disdainful.

Zhu Youzhen looked at this uncle who almost became the emperor, fat, he was too fat, and he didn't know what Emperor Wanli liked about him. Perhaps it was Emperor Wanli who was particularly fond of his mother, Concubine Wan, and loved the house and Wu, so he desperately wanted to pass the throne to him. However, it's not like it, if he didn't have anything outstanding, Emperor Wanli wouldn't spend his life fighting with his ministers.

"Uncle Fu's fief is in Luoyang, it's a prosperous place, can Uncle Fu still be able to look at this little money?"

"Haha, haha." Zhu Changxun laughed presumptuously, but no one was serious with him. "Who doesn't love silver? But...... This king really likes this little money. If this king himself repairs the road in Bafu, Henan, virtuous nephew, you will calculate, how many silver taels are needed? ”

The other three princes were silent, their eyes all looking at the snowflakes outside the window.

Zhu Youzhen secretly thought that Emperor Wanli really gave this Fu King a lot of money as compensation for not becoming the emperor. However, it is really beneficial for the country and the people to be able to repair all the roads in Henan's eight provinces, and for the sake of this, I don't have to worry about him.

"That depends on how Uncle Fu Wang repairs. If you go south from Luoyang, you will go to Huaiqing through Nanyang; From Luoyang to the east, through Kaifeng to return to Germany. This south and east add up to about 1,500 li, and according to the calculation of 100 taels of silver per li, it takes 150,000 taels. Then take Kaifeng as the center, go north through Weihui to Zhangde, and go south to Runing, which is another thousand miles, and requires 100,000 taels of silver. A total of 250,000 taels is required. This is the shortest mileage, if Huaiqing and Runing, Zhangde and Guide are connected, it will increase by 100,000 taels. ”

"Guide is too remote, and this king does not repair this section. As for connecting Huaiqing with Runing, Zhangde and Guide, let's leave it to others! Good things can't be done all at once. "King Fu doesn't seem to care about silver at all, it's more than 200,000 taels. But he resolutely refused to build the road from Kaifeng to Guide.

"I'm afraid King Fu doesn't have much land in Guide, right?" Zhu Changying was most disgusted with King Fu's true character as a local tyrant, and took the lead in counterattacking.

It turned out that King Fu's land was all over Henan, so it is no wonder that he was enthusiastic about building roads.

"Uncle Fuwang, if you really don't want to repair, then, Kaifeng to the front line of Guide, and the little nephew will repair it. However, the little nephew doesn't have much money now, and after Uncle Fu Wang repairs the road from Luoyang to Kaifeng, the little nephew will extend the road to Guide. In addition, Uncle Fu Wang repaired roads, these things are beneficial to businessmen and the people, although the little nephew is poor, he is also very supportive of Uncle Fu's behavior, and the little nephew is willing to sell the cement to Uncle Fu Wang at a price of 20% off. "This is a great thing to build a road, don't let a few uncles talk about it, Zhu Youzhen has to make some sacrifices, but he doesn't know if he can raise funds to build the road. As for the cement discount, it is estimated that it will not be discounted, that is, it will make less money.

"The virtuous nephew is really kind-hearted. However, the road from Nanyang to Huaiqing, the king is not willing to build, and there is not much land for the king here. I wonder if the three royal brothers are willing to fix this paragraph? This is to do something good for the people, and the three royal brothers cannot be missing. "Zhu Changxun is still aggressive, and he didn't take the three brothers in his eyes at all, who made them not support him as the prince in the first place?

asked me to use the money to build the road, I was already living a tight life, and I wanted to ask for some pocket money from Zhu Youzhen. Zhu Changrun was so frightened that he was in a cold sweat, and he blurted out: "Our fiefdom is not in Henan, why do you want us to go to Henan to build roads?" ”

"What's wrong with not being in Henan? Henan is not the land of the Zhu family anymore? Zhu Changxun finally found his pleasure, Zhu Changying criticized him just now, and now they are the same, without profits, who will make useless investments?

"A few uncles and princes, everyone is their own people, and they can't let outsiders see jokes. Today is the big day for my little nephew. Who built this section of the route will be discussed later. It's not early now, eat first, the little nephew hasn't seen a few uncles for a long time, and today the little nephew has a few glasses of toast to a few uncles. Ying Yuan, prepare the wine and food. Zhu Youzhen raised his voice and said to Xu Yingyuan outside the hall.

"Haha, I'll fix the road! Who made my fief in Luoyang! Let me see how many of the royal brothers have done to benefit the people in their fiefdoms! Ha ha. "Although 200,000 taels is not a decimal number, Zhu Changxun doesn't care too much, he just wants to see how many royal brothers are down." As for this wine, I still have something to do in the afternoon, so let's let the three royal brothers drink it first! There is no good wine in their fiefdoms. Three royal brothers, drink more, don't live up to the good intentions of the virtuous nephew. Virtuous nephew, I will come again in the evening to drink your wedding wine and accept the visit of the two newlyweds. Zhu Changxun arched his hand, didn't look at everyone again, and walked out of the hall. As he bowed, his body had turned out of the hall, as if something of special importance was waiting for him.