The candlelight in the imperial study of the Heart Cultivation Hall was dim.

On the huge dragon case in front of Emperor Chongzhen, there are two lit candlesticks, there are no bookcases and other things on both sides, there is a low cabinet in the corner of the wall, on which all kinds of books and several large porcelain jars with scrolls are neatly placed, and there is a bronze dragon elephant under the window lattice on the other side, the dragon elephant carries a simple copper brazier, and the vigorous charcoal fire in the brazier brings a little warmth to the wide study room without enough light.

Wang Chengen and Cao Huachun led Zhu Daolin into the wide imperial study, and Zhu Daolin followed Wang Chengen's instructions, took two quick steps, and knelt on the carpet about five meters in front of the dragon case: "Weichen Baoshanwei commanded Zhu Daolin to knock on the emperor, long live my emperor, long live, long live!" ”

Behind the wide dragon case, the young Emperor Chongzhen didn't seem to hear Zhu Daolin's report, and was still holding a red pen in the candlelight to review the chapter, Wang Chengen and Cao Huachun bent down slightly, respectfully standing in front of the side of the dragon case and waiting patiently.

There was silence in the imperial study, and Zhu Daolin, who was throwing himself to the ground, waited for more than ten seconds without responding, thought about it and slowly raised his head, and saw that Emperor Chongzhen, who was wearing a black gauze crown and a bright yellow robe, was writing very attentively at the desk, without paying attention to himself.

Wang Chengen and Cao Huachun stood in front of the side of the dragon case like puppets, and immediately understood that the young emperor was giving himself a horse, so he had no choice but to continue to kneel and wait, but a pair of deep eyes began to be dishonest, and after carefully looking at the young emperor with a white face and a thin face, he began to appreciate the specialized style of the imperial study, and finally stared at a few large porcelain jars on a low cabinet by the wall.

Cao Huachun quietly looked at Zhu Daolin, who was kneeling in the center, and saw him slowly straighten up and look around, without the slightest hint of awe on his face, and couldn't help but be secretly anxious.

Because the distance was too far, Zhu Daolin looked at the other side again, and Cao Huachun couldn't persuade him with his eyes. After thinking about it, he had to raise his left hand slightly, and quietly shook it to remind the bold Zhu Daolin to kneel well, but after shaking it a few times, he heard the sound of the emperor not lightly closing the fold, and then saw Zhu Daolin, who had been in a trance, turn his head and look at the emperor with a displeased face. was so frightened that Cao Huachun didn't dare to breathe, and Wang Chengen looked at Zhu Daolin who had lost his honor in surprise, and secretly complained.

"Zhu Aiqing, what did you look at just now?"

The young emperor's voice was quite thick, but there was a hint of coldness in his tone, which made Wang Chengen and Cao Huachun on the side worried.

Who knew that Zhu Daolin replied without scruples: "Back to the emperor, the minister was just admiring the three beautiful porcelain jars on the low cabinet on the wall, and felt that the blue and white pastel cloud dragon pattern porcelain jar in the middle was unique in shape, dignified and elegant, and it may be a rare royal treasure from the previous dynasty to the Zheng period." It's just that the light is too dim, and the minister doesn't dare to confirm it, if it's true, he can exchange it for 500,000 catties of copper when he gets it to Tianshu Pavilion. ”

"Bold!"

Cao Huachun and Wang Chengen scolded in unison, Zhao Huaizhong, who was holding the tribute at the door, and the three little fathers-in-law were so frightened that they knelt down immediately, and Zhu Daolin had no choice but to hang his head and kneel respectfully.

Emperor Chongzhen was stunned, but it didn't take long. The corners of his closed mouth turned up slightly, revealing a rare smile. He waved his hand to Wang Chengen and Cao Huachun, who were nervous and wanted to plead guilty, shook his sleeves, and looked at Zhu Daolin who was kneeling in front of him:

"Zhu Aiqing's vision is good, that porcelain jar is indeed the royal thing from the Yuan Dynasty to the Zheng Dynasty, although it is exquisite, but it is not as good as the porcelain in the Jingtai period of this dynasty. So, as long as you can send 500,000 catties of copper, what's the matter if I give it to you? ”

The eunuchs were shocked, they didn't expect the emperor, who had always been strict, to say such a joke.

Zhu Daolin's face was full of admiration: "The emperor has taken such pains for the sake of the country. Where do you dare to be a courtier? ”

"Let's start spring next year, the minister will find a way to send 500,000 catties of copper, this porcelain jar in the Zhengzheng period is still here, although it is only a porcelain jar, it is not as exquisite as the porcelain of several official kilns of this dynasty, but in the eyes of the minister, this is a trophy, condensing the great achievements of Taizu and the glory of my Ming army, and its value is far from being measured by money."

Emperor Chongzhen's eyes lit up when he heard Zhu Daolin's words, but in the blink of an eye, it dimmed again: "It is very rare for Aiqing to have such an insight, I am deeply relieved to hear it!" It's just that for more than ten years, disasters have continued, internal and external troubles, and national affairs are difficult, and the four official kilns of this dynasty may have been abandoned for many years. ”

Wang Chengen and Cao Huachun looked at each other, and then looked at Zhu Daolin together, fearing that he would not understand the emperor's good intentions, and once again spoke nonsense.

Zhu Daolin knelt very uncomfortable, I don't know whether the emperor was intentional or unintentional, he never let him be flattened, but talked to him about the official kiln, and had no choice but to continue to kneel:

"Your Majesty, although the four official kilns have been abandoned for many years, many private kilns have been built on the edge of the two official kilns in Jingdezhen and Shaoxing in the east of Jiangxi, and these private kilns have long exceeded the official kilns in the Apocalypse in terms of scale and quantity, and in Zhangzhou, Fujian, Chaozhou, Panyu and other places in Lingnan, there are large-scale private kilns that burn porcelain all year round."

"As far as the minister knows, from the early years of the Apocalypse to the present, the porcelain sold overseas every year is about 1.5 million pieces to 2.2 million pieces, and the ordinary one-foot-high porcelain vase is priced at 4 taels of silver per piece, and if it is sold with the mark of Jingdezhen official kiln and Shaoxing Yue kiln, the price of each piece is 8 to 12 taels of silver, even if the lowest price and quantity are calculated, the total value of the porcelain sold by my Ming Dynasty every year is not less than 6 million taels of silver."

"Even if the emperor is sympathetic to the people and follows the 30 tax 1 customized by Taizu, 300,000 taels of silver should be handed over to the treasury every year, but now with the millions of horses of silk and millions of quintals of tea sold overseas, the tax silver handed over to the treasury every year is less than 50,000 taels of silver, doesn't the emperor think it is too undeserved?"

There was silence in the room.

Emperor Chongzhen's face sank like water, and Cao Huachun and Wang Chengen knew that they could no longer stop the conversation between the two monarchs and ministers, so they simply bent down and bowed their heads motionless.

After a long time, Emperor Chongzhen finally suppressed the anger in his heart, quietly exhaled turbidity, and calmly looked at Zhu Daolin, who was kneeling in front of him: "Zhu Aiqing, what has your Jiangnan New Army trained into?" ”

"Back to the emperor, in two months, the first batch of more than 9,800 recruits can form an army, most of which will be handed over to the Marquis of Longping to fill the vacancy of the Jiangnan Army Division, and a small number will go to Baoshanwei. The second batch of 12,000 recruits will complete their training in February next year, one-third of which will supplement Xinchengbo's Nanjing City Defense, one-third will replenish Wei Guogong's Jiangnan Naval Division, and one-third will be transferred to Baoshanwei to make up for the shortage of Baoshan Guards. ”

Zhu Daolin bullied the emperor for not understanding military affairs when he was young, and casually said the recruit distribution plan.

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