Li Dongyang was suddenly stunned by Yang Ling's words, at this moment, even if it was him, even in front of his colleagues and friends, he didn't dare to evaluate the Eight Tigers and Jiao Fang so unscrupulously, Yang Ling, as the party of the Eight Tigers and Jiao Fang, dared to speak so bluntly in front of himself, could he be crazy?

Li Dongyang's face was cloudy, and he chuckled lightly for a while and said, "Lord Yang speaks like this, aren't you afraid that the people in the inner court and Scholar Jiao will turn against you and become enemies?" ”

Yang Ling smiled and said, "Scholar Li is not afraid of being regarded as a villain who spreads rumors and slanders and sow discord, even if he knows about them."

Li Dongyang was stunned, and suddenly looked up to the sky and laughed. Yang Ling looked at each other with a smile: Since the two are talking in a dark room, no matter how they put their hearts in their hearts, it is impossible for these words to be passed on as evidence to affect their reputation and official prestige, Yang Ling can be open and honest, and Li Dongyang naturally does not have to have any scruples.

Sure enough, Li Dongyang smiled heartily, stroked his palms and said: "To this day, I can still hear such hearty words, especially from the mouth of Lord Yang, which really surprised the old man, Lord Yang said that he is visiting today, what is the purpose of his visit, please tell me directly."

Yang Ling smiled and said: "The righteousness of the avenue, in the final analysis, is just the benefit of it, this benefit is the benefit of the country, the benefit of the people, and the benefit of the individual.

Li Dongyang's eyes stared, stared at him and said, "What do you say about Lord Yang?" ”

Yang Ling took a long breath and said: "Xiaguan came back from Jiangnan, and felt that Jiangnan has been a rich land since ancient times, and it is no longer possible to make progress by relying on the fields alone.

Moreover, the Japanese invaders wreaked havoc on the coast, although they did not become a problem for the henchmen, but the people of the Ming Dynasty were disturbed by it, and the imperial court stationed heavy troops on the coast, passive defense everywhere, but could not prevent it, and the army spent a lot of money, but could not save the coastal people from fire and water, and all kinds of ills were caused by the sea ban.

The lower officials thought that if trade was banned, the root cause of the Japanese bandits could be eliminated, there would be no place for illegal smugglers, the imperial court could increase a large amount of taxes, and the people of Li could also profit from it, so why not? ”

Li Dongyang was greatly stunned, he only said that Yang Ling is now in power, and he wants to create some political achievements to establish his prestige, but he didn't expect him to choose such a difficult path.

Lifting the ban on trade is not necessarily a flawless medicine, but compared with the ban on the sea and commerce, it has many benefits, he has presided over the government for many years, standing at the highest place, which is naturally understandable, but to implement this policy, it is the government and the opposition resistance.

Even when he and Liu Xie presided over the government, they won the trust of Emperor Hongzhi, and knew that if they tried their best to persuade the emperor to lift the ban on trade, they would be burned if they didn't do well.

Li Dongyang and Liu Xie discussed the government in private, thinking of the intricate joints in the sea ban, and they couldn't help but shake their heads, thinking that the lifting of the sea ban was far away.

Although they are hard-working and capable virtuous ministers, they could not have imagined that more than 50 years later, the complete lifting of the sea ban has become a top priority, and with the unanimous support of the government and the opposition, it has been successfully implemented in the Ming Dynasty.

Li Dongyang lowered his eyes, gently raised the cup to his lips, and muttered silently.

Yang Ling knew that he still had to digest his own words, and even more so to guess his true intentions, so he waited quietly and did not urge. After a while, Li Dongyang took a sip of tea, put down the cup and said with a smile: "Does Lord Yang think that calming the sea and strengthening the country and enriching the people, lifting the sea ban is a good medicine that must be cured?" ”

Yang Ling said sincerely: "My lord, there is naturally more than one way to strengthen the country and enrich the people, but lifting the ban on trade is a good way, the sea is there, the sea line stretches for thousands of miles, and it is always difficult to ban Sino-foreign trade."

Those who build brigs can only kill my Ming people, and the sea ban can only ban my Ming people. As the saying goes, the ocean is like a cornucopia, because of the rebellion of the Japanese and abandoned this cash cow, as a result, the business is not passable, the merchant loses his physiology, so he turns to theft.

How are the signs of the rampant Japanese invaders now compared to the beginning of the sea ban? It's getting bigger and bigger. Where the interests of all walks of life are, so they are thieves, and the interests of the good people are also thieves in the sea, and adults have been in the cabinet for many years, so the old is all over the world, and they are very well-informed.

It is a crime to force a good person to be a thief, and it is a crime to kill the enemy by beheading the enemy, and it is a crime to use coastal officials to point to a deer as a horse, and to cover up the facts. Kou and Shang are the same people, both come for profit, the general rule of the city is to turn into business, the city ban is to turn into business, the ban on the sea is not lifted, and the disaster always exists.

Nowadays, tributary trade is limited to the imperial court, so private trade is prevalent. Smuggling was rampant among the maritime merchants and gentry along the coast, and if the maritime ban was lifted, the stubborn pirates would be eliminated and the people would be allowed to go to the sea to trade in the West and the East. Not only can the plague disappear, but also take this opportunity to prosper the people and strengthen the country, so why not? ”

Li Dongyang looked at Yang Ling, listened to him talk eloquently, faintly showed regret and anxious expression, and felt a little touched in his heart, the person in front of him may be good at scheming, or flattering the king, but he may not have the ambition to serve the court and benefit the people.

If he really covets power, he should put his heart on the court at present, and take advantage of the turmoil in the court to constantly install cronies, subdue people's hearts, and consolidate his own power.

He is now powerful, and he is in charge of the tax superintendent, controlling Zaiming's financial resources, but there is no need to take this risk, Liu Gong, Xie Gong, could it be that you all misunderstand his character? Forming a good fortune and conniving at the emperor to have fun is just a last resort for him to show off his chest and repay his burden?

Li Dongyang sighed softly and groaned: "The forbidden sea naturally has many drawbacks, such as the strong man, the Tang Dynasty, and the rich Song Dynasty, there has been no forbidden sea since ancient times, only I am the court."

Yang Ling listened to his loose tone, his heart was ecstatic, he stood up, and said angrily: "University scholar, the lower officials know that the lord and the hundred officials in the court have risen rapidly because of their talent in the next introduction, and there are many misunderstandings with the eunuch power from too close, Zhou Gong is afraid of rumors, Wang Mang is humble and has not usurped the time, and the hearts of the people have appeared for a long time, and they will not make many confessions now.

However, if the ban on the sea is lifted, the lower officials are really selfless, if this matter is really beneficial to the country and the people, and the customs and the Yamen of the Division, the lower officials are also willing to go to the emperor and hand over to the local officials for management.

My lord, since ancient times, it is difficult for foreigners to come from the sea, and now the shipbuilding capacity of foreign countries has been enhanced, and there are people from thousands of miles away to visit, and the public knows how about another hundred years? Anzhi This ocean moat can't be a smooth road at that time?

The Ming Dynasty built a Great Wall in the north, could it be that at that time, another Great Wall was built by the sea, and the descendants of China and Yan and Huang wanted to build walls everywhere and throw the great ocean to the Yi people? Do you want to be beaten everywhere in the morning? The sea area is also my Ming territory, and it should not be given up just because it is the responsibility to defend the territory! ”

Li Dongyang Huo Ran was moved, and after pondering for a long time, he said slowly: "Lift the sea ban!" ”

Yang Ling said: "The adult is a humble gentleman, so it is difficult to say, the lower officials make friends with the eunuchs, and they are full of reputation, so why did they come?" If the lord agrees, the other things will be done by the subordinates. ”

Li Dongyang glanced at him, suddenly stood up, and paced slowly in the room, Yang Ling saw him pondering for a long time, stopped and said: "The world is based on agriculture and free trade, if rice and grain flow out, what can I do?" Even if the government prohibits it, it is difficult to fortify it everywhere."

Yang Ling breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "For example, today, who can match my Ming with rich and beautiful things?" Silk, tea, porcelain and other things drifted across the ocean, and a boat made dozens of times more profits, even if the imperial court couldn't help it, would the people sacrifice their profits and transport ordinary supplies?

The Ming Dynasty originally did not allow the people to use silver as currency, but the credit of the treasure banknote was insufficient, and the copper money was not enough, and the people had already widely used silver for trading. Today, the goods produced are more than they were at the beginning of the founding of the country, and silver is no longer enough, resulting in rising prices and poor people.

If a large amount of silver flows into Liuyi, it can not only be delivered to domestic circulation, but also can be purchased from the surrounding barbarian horses, cattle and sheep nearby, and the people have meat to eat in addition to rice, and now how many people can afford to eat meat? In addition, when the sea is banned, fishermen only have small boats that do not survive the wind and waves to fish in the offshore waters, and the huge ships that are forbidden to enter the sea are inexhaustible fish and rice granaries.

I think that at the beginning of the Great Song Dynasty, the people were rich, and the imperial court taxes were sufficient, but in the Song Dynasty, the fields were not as vast as my Ming Dynasty, and the yield per mu was not as good as my Ming Dynasty, and the people still ate far more than my Ming Dynasty."

Li Dongyang smiled and said, "The Great Song Dynasty is not as good as my Daming, but the population is far inferior to my Daming." What you said is also somewhat reasonable, the possibility of the people exporting rice and grain is indeed not large, but the purchase of cattle and sheep is subject to the control of foreigners, and fishing is difficult to cope with the survival of the people.

Jiangnan is the granary of the world, Suhu is ripe, the world is full, after the trade of silk, the profit of silk is dozens of times that of farmland, the people are greedy for quick profits, those who have land will abandon grain and plant mulberry, those who plant land will abandon the land and raise silkworms and weave cloth, the rest of the provinces are not good cultivation places, if the grain storage is insufficient, natural disasters [***] will provoke the people to change, how the official does not know after a hundred years, but the chaos that may occur in front of him must not be prevented."

Yang Ling was enthusiastic, thinking about the important opportunity related to the turning point of the country's history, but he did not think enough about the current situation of the Ming Dynasty.

However, when Yang Ling heard 'Suhu is ripe, the world is full', his heart is a little strange, isn't the saying of later generations often said 'the lake is ripe, the world is full', could it be that the world's granary has gradually migrated from the offshore to the mainland?

Yang Ling suddenly remembered that when Zhengde was in power, he had approved an excerpt for trying to plant high-yield rice in Annan, and the sweet potatoes that he had eaten as fruits when he was in the chicken song, he suppressed the excitement in his heart and bowed his hand to Li Dongyang: "Lord Li, if the lower officials can solve this food problem and turn the poor inland into a sufficient granary, will the lower officials be willing to support the lower officials?" ”

Li Dongyang looked at him, his eyes flashed, and he smiled: "The results of Annan rice trial planting have been sent back to Beijing, this rice seed is drought-tolerant and insect-relieving, and can increase the yield by one percent.

Yang Ling was happy in his heart, the corn sweet potato is very easy to grow, what sandy wetland, hillside grass can grow, if the farmer takes care of it again, the grain income in various places is not one percent, but more than double, how can this major event be forgotten all the time.

Now he just wants to hurry back and instruct his subordinates to search for this place where sweet potato buds are grown, since the imperial court has not yet widely planted this crop, it is obvious that most of the people do not know its important value, and they have taken the lead in promoting it, and what they say will be a little more confident.

Thinking of this, he smiled lightly: "Lord Li doesn't have to worry, the lower officials have a way to solve the problem of insufficient grain reserves in Daming, and then your lord will be willing to support it?" The lower officials are not talented, and the emperor is favored by the emperor and the current emperor, but he has no credit for the country, if he can do this important thing for the benefit of the country and the people, his remaining wishes are enough. ”

Li Dongyang glanced at him in surprise: "What a big breath, grain cultivation depends on the land and the sky, and the existing rice millet is impossible to increase the yield in a large amount in an environment with poor land and unsuitable climate, this Yang Ling's tone is too big, right?" ”

He suppressed his curiosity and smiled calmly: "Okay, if Lord Yang can accomplish this big thing, he will be the first hero of the Ming Dynasty, compared to the expansion of the territory and the merits of a hundred battles, the old man naturally wants to fully support it, but."

He sighed and said: "The old man is old, not as good as the young and strong, he has been feeling tired from time to time recently, and it is very difficult to read the ordinary recitals, Scholar Jiao is much older than the old man, and the official can't bear to let Scholar Jiao be too hard, the cabinet has too many regular affairs, and no one shares worries, even if he has the heart to help the adults remove obstacles, I am afraid that he will not be able to do it."

Yang Ling was stunned, Li Dongyang's words didn't seem to shirk, but also seemed to shirk, what kind of medicine was he selling in his gourd? Yang Ling looked intently and saw Li Dongyang clenching his fist and coughing lightly, but a hint of cunning flashed faintly in his old eyes, and he couldn't help but suddenly realize.

He secretly laughed and scolded the "old fox", but said with a smile: "Lord Jiao has just entered the cabinet, and the government is supported by Lord Da Lai, no wonder the Lord can't be thorough, I heard that the Lord recommended Yang Ting, a bachelor of the James Mansion, and Lord Yang to join the cabinet, and the lower officials also feel that Lord Yang is talented and politically extraordinary, and is a suitable candidate for a scholar, I think the emperor will definitely agree to Lord Yang's entry into the cabinet."

With Lord Yang to share your worries, when the time comes, the coastal ban will be lifted, the envoys will be received, the laws will be formulated, the troops will be pacified, the ships will be supervised, the customs will be set up, and other major events, presumably the adults will be able to take care of them."

Li Dongyang stroked his beard and said, "I hope that if it is as Lord Yang said, then the old man will rest assured."

The two looked at each other and couldn't help but smile at each other.

"Sweet potato, haven't you heard of it? Well, it's also called sweet potato, sweet potato, and sweet potato, or haven't you heard of it? ”

Yang Ling sighed, turned around and wanted to leave, the short and fat rice grain shop owner scratched his head, and suddenly shouted, "This son, are you talking about sweet potatoes?" ”

"Sweet potato? What is a sweet potato? Maybe it's also a name", Yang Ling thought in his heart, turned around sharply, and smiled happily: "It's possible, take it out and show it to me, as long as I look at it, I'll know if it's it."

He came to visit Li Dongyang wearing a casual clothes, but that high-end clothes can't be hidden, plus he is accompanied by eight strong and vigorous subordinates, even in Beijing, the leader of the faction is not everywhere in Beijing, and the owner of the rice grain store does not dare to underestimate him.

He smiled wryly, and said with a huff: "Childe, that thing is cheap and cheap, the profit is very small, and there are few people who buy it, so the small shop doesn't sell that thing, but the grain and oil shops in the north of the city may sell it." ”

Cheng? Yang Ling knew that most of the people living in that area were poor, and sweet potatoes were indeed cheap things in the later generations, could it be that they were still rare and worthless at this time? He immediately threw up his hand excitedly and said, "Thank you boss, I'll go and have a look."

Yang Ling walked out of the store, four sedan chair men carried over the green sedan chair, Yang Ling got into the sedan chair and ordered: "Go, go to the east of the city, visit the rice grain store."

The sedan chair man didn't know what it meant when the old man came out of the university scholar's mansion and walked around the grain shops all over the city, and thought to himself:

Could it be that the university scholar's family has run out of food? Maybe, I heard that Scholar Li is a Qing official, with hundreds of people in his family, and the court's income is low, seeing that the weather is cold, it is miserable enough to run out of food. But our master slammed the door a little, why can't you send potatoes to others to eat, can you stand eating that thing for a winter?

They wanted to think about it, but they didn't dare to say it, so they lifted Yang Ling and strode towards Beicheng District. The sedan chair squeaked to the north city, turned into the tattered slum, and finally found a rice grain store, and a family dressed as a family member waved his hand, and the small sedan chair stopped.

He looked around alertly, motioned for the brothers to disperse, and then walked to the sedan chair and whispered, "My lord, the grain and oil shop has arrived."

Yang Ling leaned on the sedan cushion and fell asleep. Last night he stayed in the snow plum room, this little girl in the boudoir has the most tricks, has always been the most courageous, yesterday I don't know how bold, I have not been able to bear to ask, she actually shy to answer to the court to serve.

It seems that Xuelimei has also made preparations, and has already learned the recipe heard in the flower hall, and cleaned and lubricated it with pig fat mixed with the essential oil extracted from almonds.

Yang Ling was like a treasure, holding the young buttocks like the first peach, only to feel soft and greasy, Zhang Chi had a way, and then listened to Xue Limei's tactful moaning like crying, this night was a little more ruthless, Yang Ling also knew in his heart that this little girl was so flattering, what was she worried about.

Women, it's not enough to have a heart sometimes, it's actually quite necessary to talk nonsense to them, Yang Ling naturally knows this truth, and after being happy, he hugged the delicate and timid body and whispered with her warmly until the second half of the night, coaxing Xiao Nizi's heart to bloom, and she cried happily.

Fanzi called a few times, but did not see the adult answer, and hurriedly opened the sedan curtain, only to see Yang Ling reclining on the sedan chair to sleep Zhengxiang, Fanzi hurriedly tiptoed down the curtain, signaling everyone to wait carefully, don't wake up the adult.

Unexpectedly, there was no movement here, but there was a quarrel in the grain and oil shop, and only a man's voice shouted: "Let's go, you are called Huazi, if you want to beg for food, I gave you brown rice, why are you still noisy here?" If you come to bewitch the public and deceive my mother, I will send you to the government for investigation."

With the voice, a small boss in a cotton robe led two men out of the store, the two were wearing tattered black robes, and the dirt had not been changed for a long time, and the weather was getting colder, and it was really a little pitiful.

The two beggars were both thin and tall, and from behind, their red, yellow, and yellow hair did not resemble those of the Central Plains. I only heard a beggar say in a strange tone: "Boss, we are not beggars, we are God's messengers, we are spreading the gospel to you, your mother believes in God, you can be redeemed, you can get peace of mind".

Before he could finish speaking, the little boss glared and scolded, "Fuck, what God? Is there a Jade Emperor? You red ghosts, hurry up and let me go, and then affect my business here, don't blame me for being rude."

Another blond-haired, black-robed man was pushed down the steps and said, "Don't insult God, God tells us that we are all brothers and sisters who love each other, O lost lambs."

He was about to sigh with emotion, but the little boss hit him with something, and covered his head and cried out in pain, when the other red-and-yellow-haired man couldn't help but raise his voice and argue loudly.

The head of the squad told the two groups of people to make louder and louder noises, and was about to step forward to drive them away so as not to wake up Yang Ling, Yang Ling had already heard the sound and woke up, he opened the sedan curtain and frowned: "What's the matter, who is arguing?" ”

Before he could say a word, the red-haired man turned around with another blonde man, Yang Ling couldn't help but be stunned when he looked at the two of them, such a strange-looking man he had only seen in Huguo Temple since he came to Daming, wasn't it those Western missionaries?

Yang Ling hurriedly got up and got out of the sedan chair, and said with a smile: "Two priests, I haven't seen you for a long time."

Walking in and seeing the appearance of these two Western missionaries, I saw that the black robes were becoming more and more dilapidated, and the two of them were full of vegetables, it seemed that they were very miserable, Yang Ling couldn't help but be surprised: "Two, you are, haven't you been living in Huguo Temple?" The emperor, that good man, donated three thousand taels of silver and sesame oil money to the temple, why did he drive you out? ”

(To be continued)