Liu Bingzhong saw that Zhu Youzhen had no intention of being angry, so he had to sigh secretly, and no longer stopped Liu Gongzi from speaking, maybe the young emperor was really interested in what he had seen and heard overseas, and they were of the same age, and they were interested in similar things.

"Your Majesty, the grass people have been to a country called Guli......" Liu Gongzi showed his beautiful glutinous rice teeth again, if only these teeth grew in a woman's mouth, Liu Gongzi is not a woman, it's a pity.

"Guri? By the way, the last time Zheng He went to the Western Ocean, he died here, hey, after Zheng He, the Ming Dynasty did not have a large fleet for a long time. Zhu Youzhen sighed slightly.

"Your Majesty knows about the country of Guri?" Liu Gongzi was a little surprised, "Hasn't Your Majesty never been overseas?" ”

Zhu Youzhen smiled indifferently, "Although I have never been overseas, there are records in the classics of the Ming Dynasty, and it is not surprising that I know this, how about it, have you seen Zheng He's tomb?" ”

"I saw it, and the grass people went to worship it."

"It turns out that Liu Gongzi also admires Zheng He, who drives a big ship?"

"Zheng He was the first person in the Ming Dynasty to sail to the West, and I have admired him since I was a child."

"Ao, what else does Liu Gongzi have to see overseas? Let's hear it. ”

Liu Gongzi tilted his head and pondered for a while, "En...... Has Your Majesty ever heard of black tea? ”

"Black tea?" Zhu Youzhen was stunned, it seems that the black tea of Qimen, Anhui Province has not been made yet, right? "Is there black tea now?"

"Your Majesty, the grass people have indeed encountered black tea, and they have also drunk black tea." Liu Gongzi smiled lightly, and said in his heart, there is no such thing in the Ming classics, right?

Zhu Youzhen had to listen obediently, "Where did Liu Gongzi meet black tea?" ”

Liu Gongzi was a little proud, he smiled, "It's on an island called Ceylon." ”

"Ceylon?" Zhu Youzhen thought hard, and finally remembered that it was Sri Lanka in the future, "There is black tea on Ceylon Island now?" ”

"Well, there is black tea," Liu Gongzi felt that it was wrong, "Your Majesty is talking ......"

Zhu Youzhen realized that he had lost his words, so he quickly tightened his body and sat upright, "I mean, Ceylon Island has not yet become an independent state, right?" Is the island Portuguese or Dutch? ”

"Does Your Majesty really know about the island of Ceylon?" Liu Gongzi put away his smug look and tilted his head to think for a while, "Although there are a very small number of Dutch people on the island, the ones who really occupy the island are still Portuguese, all of whom are red-haired and speak bird language, which is difficult for outsiders to distinguish. ”

"Ao, Liu Gongzi is going...... Colombo? "Zhu Youzhen doesn't know what Colombo is called now, if Liu Gongzi doesn't know, then lie that it is a mountain in the north of the time, anyway, the people who have landed from Ceylon Island are all in the south.

"It's Colombo," Liu Gongzi looked at Zhu Youzhen with surprised eyes, and then glanced at his father Liu Shanzhong, and then lowered his voice and said: "However, Colombo was originally called Mango Port, and it is said that after the Portuguese came here, in order to commemorate their great navigator Columbus, it was changed to Colombo's ......."

"Haha," Zhu Youjian was relaxed on his face, but he gasped in his heart, he was going to go, the key was that he couldn't tell the source of his knowledge, and he blamed himself for not learning history well before, so he had no choice but to continue to fool, "Since you are here to do business, the navy of the Ming Dynasty will come here sooner or later, so ...... Ming's Detective ...... This is a militaristic event......"

"Zhi'er!" Liu Shanzhong saw that Zhu Youzhen was hesitant, and hurriedly spoke out to stop Liu Gongzi from questioning.

"Oh, I see!" Liu Gongzi was suspicious, and his eyes kept circling between Zhu Youzhen and his father.

"Exactly, these militaristic events, it is inconvenient to reveal too much for the time being, wherever the Ming merchants need to protect, there will be a Ming navy in the future," Zhu Youzhen finally passed the hurdle, "What else?" I believe that on the way to the West, there will be a lot of things that I don't know. ”

"And ...... Has Your Majesty ever heard of blacks? The kind of pitch black, better than ...... Someone blacker than charcoal. Liu Gongzi's eyes flashed again, he didn't believe that this kind of character Zhu Youzhen would also know.

"Negroes? Have you been to Africa? Zhu Youzhen's eyes widened and he looked at Liu Gongzi exaggeratedly.

Liu Gongzi completely stopped cooking, and he said lazily: "Dad's caravan went to the port of Aden to deliver goods, and I visited the port opposite, all of them are such black people, which is really boring." ”

Zhu Youzhen chuckled and shook his head, "I thought that Liu Gongzi would buy two black people to come back and have fun." ”

"What did the grass people do with those?" Liu Gongzi glanced at Zhu Youzhen, "Your Majesty is long in the Deep Palace, but you know everything about overseas, in this world, is there anything Your Majesty doesn't know?" ”

"Although I grew up in the deep palace, I have read a lot of books since I was a child, not only the hundreds of schools of history, poetry and songs, but also the rare classics of ordinary people, and I have a lot of knowledge," Zhu Youzhen laughed, "I also know that Liu Gongzi doesn't like needlework and female popularity, and likes to travel with his father's caravan......

"Your Majesty......" Liu Gongzi knew that his identity was discovered by Zhu Youzhen, and he blushed unconsciously, she lowered her head, fiddled with the corners of her clothes with her hands uneasily, and never dared to look at Zhu Youzhen again.

"Your Majesty, the grass people are guilty of death! The grass people should not deceive Your Majesty! Liu Shanzhong took the first step, knelt down in front of Zhu Youzhen's chair, and knocked his forehead on the gold brick.

"Deception? Did Liu Dongzhu deceive me? Zhu Youzhen raised his right hand and motioned for Liu Shanzhong to get up, "Don't be frightened, the knowledge I learned in the classics is the previous knowledge, and the son-in-law's experience is the current overseas situation." ”

Liu Shanzhong thought about it, he didn't say that Liu Qianzhi was his son, he was grateful in his heart, and he couldn't wait to hit the wall of the Qianqing Palace, "Caomin writes that Your Majesty is magnanimous, long live Your Majesty, long live, long live!" Liu Shanzhong kowtowed to Zhu Youzhen three more times, and then slowly got up and gestured to Liu Qianzhi with his eyes.

Liu Qianzhi held back her shame, got up and bowed down in front of Zhu Youzhen, "People's daughter Liu Qianzhi, knock to see Your Majesty." ”

"No courtesy, flat body," Zhu Youzhen smiled at Liu Qianzhi, "In the palace, how is it better than overseas?" ”

It turned out that His Majesty had long known that he was a woman, and Liu Qianzhi's faded crimson resurfaced on her pretty face again, "Your Majesty......" She flew a roll of her eyes at Zhu Youzhen, but she didn't dare to look directly at Zhu Youzhen, but her eyes fell on her toes.

"Haha," Zhu Youzhen retracted his gaze and glanced at Li Yusheng and Liu Shanzhong, "When the two proprietors came to Jingshi, they wouldn't just talk to me, right?" ”

Li Yusheng then remembered this serious matter, and he took out a large handful of silver tickets from his arms, "Your Majesty, the grass people have gone to sea twice, and they have earned a total of two or three million silver, which is the share of the grass people's filial piety to His Majesty, a total of one hundred and eighty thousand taels." ”

"One million eight thousand taels?" Zhu Youzhen was stunned, although he knew the high profits of overseas trade, he didn't expect to make so much money, he didn't take the silver taels, and said with a smile: "Li Dongzhu wants to bribe me with this book?" ”

"The grass people don't dare!" Li Yusheng made a gesture of kneeling down and pleading guilty.

Zhu Youzhen stopped Li Yusheng, "In three years, I have earned three million, and overseas trade is really a huge profit!" No wonder Xiyi is desperate to look east. ”

The silver ticket in Li Yusheng's palm still fell in the air, "Your Majesty, the grass people are engaged in overseas trade, one is due to the complete lifting of the sea ban by Your Majesty, and the other is due to the strength of the Ming Dynasty. ”

Zhu Youzhen is still lamenting the huge benefits of overseas trade, but he is not far from accepting Li Yusheng's kindness, now the Ming treasury is overflowing, and the royal industry is thriving, Zhu Youzhen is not short of money, "Li Dongzhu's intentions, I understand, but the profits don't need to be given to me, hand them over to the Ministry of Taxation!" ”

"Yes, Your Majesty." Li Yusheng took back the silver ticket, and there was undisguised disappointment in his eyes.

Zhu Youzhen thought of the Dutch East India Company, as if the state accounted for less than 20% of the dry shares, and the East India Company had to feed a large number of troops by itself, but Li Yusheng's trading company was under the protection of the South China Sea Fleet, except for the necessary security bodyguards, the security cost was much lower than that of the East India Company, thinking of this, he said to Li Yusheng: "Li Dongzhu, the tax rate of the Ming Dynasty industrial and commercial tax is 15 tax 1, but the profits of overseas trade are high, and they need the protection of the navy, so the profits should be handed over to 20% in accordance with the provisions of the "Industrial and Commercial Tax"! ”

"Your Majesty......" Li Yusheng and Liu Shanzhong glanced at each other, both of them confused.

"Li Dongzhu, Liu Dongzhu, now that the treasury is full, I don't want your hard-earned money for the time being, if necessary, I will not be polite to you," Zhu Youzhen knew the reason for the disappointment of the two, the status of Ming merchants is not high, although businessmen can spend a lot of money, but they have no rights, and there is no security guarantee, the more money, the more people are red, if they can be close to the emperor, they are the uncrowned king of businessmen, "The two proprietors have abundant funds, they can build bridges and roads, donate money for education, and do more good deeds for their neighbors." ”

"Your Majesty, the grass people have been taught," Li Yusheng was keenly aware that Zhu Youzhen implemented compulsory education in the five central and southern provinces and built roads on a large scale, which was the time for his own performance, "The eldest son of the grass people followed the grass people to trade overseas, but the second son of the grass people is based in Guangzhou, and after the grass people return to their hometowns this time, they will allocate special silver taels to build roads in the local area and assist the government to establish schools." ”

"Li Dongzhu so arranged, I am very relieved, I remind a point, everything must be done according to the ability, but there must be a long-term plan, just like doing business, must not be anticlimactic," Zhu Youzhen said, "Shinong businessmen, the status of businessmen is not high, this is probably also related to the nature of businessmen to pursue profits, if businessmen can use legal means to make money, and can properly repay the society, under the condition of capital allow, appropriately do some practical things for the people, the prestige of businessmen can be improved." ”

"Your Majesty, the grass people know, and the grass people are ashamed." Li Yusheng sighed, worthy of being a king, thinking not about the enrichment of his own money, but about the people of the world.

"Buddhism has a cloud: all living beings are equal, and they are all Han people, so why should people be divided into three, six, nine and so on? I make every effort to improve the social status of businessmen, advocate equality for all, you businessmen themselves, but also cherish your feathers, abide by the laws of the Ming Dynasty, do not fight for black money, ignorant money, and work hard, why not eliminate the difference in identity? ”