"Let's talk about the small aspect, which actually refers to the world of my Ming Dynasty, this small environment. As I just mentioned, the global environment is that Britain has taken advantage of its maritime superiority to occupy large colonies in Spain and France, and also occupies important ports and canals in global trade. ”

"Since trade is naturally inseparable from merchants, in recent years, the coastal sea trade has been extremely prosperous, and the coastal people, whether it is merchants, have all made a living by selling the sea. However, if we look at it from a long perspective, in fact, the merchants of our Ming Dynasty have never broken through the circle of tributary trade, and have truly integrated into the global trade. To give a very simple example, the quality of the lake silk in the south is so good that it is twice as profitable to sell in Luzon, and Nagasaki is several times as profitable as in Lusong, but it is at least ten times more profitable to sell America. ”

"But I can sell the lake silk directly to America and even the continent of Europa? No, because the important nodes of maritime trade are controlled by other countries, my Ming merchants cannot break through these places, and if they want to pass, they will at least need to pay high tolls, and it is very likely that the gains outweigh the losses. ”

"Therefore, despite the boom in maritime trade in recent years, maritime merchants seem to have made a lot of money, but their overseas business cannot be further developed, and without development means a slow death. The maritime giants in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong, they themselves have strong financial strength, and since they cannot expand outward, they can only turn inward. Huge capital is a sword of Damocles, a dangerous sword hanging over people's heads. ”

"If there is no good place for capital, it will either enter the usury industry, or hoard a large amount of land, and even manipulate people's livelihood and trade, which is an extremely dangerous thing."

Emperor Yongming was listening patiently, but his expression became more and more solemn: "You said for a long time, which means that the merchant's money has nowhere to go?" ”

Wu Yan thought for a while and replied cautiously: "It should be that businessmen put profit first, and the flow of capital to the land is not 'to get rich at the end and keep it by the original', but the income brought by the land is not bad, and the usury is even more so, but the court does not get any benefits from it." ”

"How?"

"Usury is the exchange between money and money, there is only interest in the middle, there is no tax, can the court collect the tax on usury? There is also land to high returns, in fact, it is not difficult, find a squire to cooperate, both preferential and exempt can also eat another head on gold and silver, not to mention that growing mulberry and hemp tobacco itself is more profitable than growing grain. ”

Emperor Yongming smiled when he heard this, but there was no smile in his eyes, but there was a hint of coldness.

"If that's what you say, such a merchant should be killed."

When Wu Yan heard the emperor say the word killing, he was secretly frightened: "Your Majesty, in fact, there is a better way than killing......"

Emperor Yongming looked at her coldly, as if judging the credibility of his words, and the imperial qi around him was instantly released.

When Wu Yan saw his expression, he couldn't help but feel a chill in his back, and the invisible pressure made his legs and feet a little weak, so he hurriedly continued: "The minister's intention is to crack down on the behavior of Tuntian by manipulating the price of land......"

“…… Continue," Emperor Yongming spat out two words for a long time.

In fact, Li also mentioned in the article that the imperial court decree can affect the land price, and one decree is not enough to influence, so two or three decrees will be issued until the land price is suppressed. In short, the price of land has fallen, the income is gone, and there will be no more people hoarding a large amount of land in their hands, unless they are fools. ”

"Moreover, the price of land has fallen, and the imperial court can also buy the land back at a low price, and the land is stronger in the hands of the state than in the hands of the big landlords."

"Sneer......" Emperor Yongming couldn't help but scoff: "Let me pay for the land? That's your idea? ”

"Uh......" Wu Yan choked, and didn't know how to answer for a while.

"That'...... Or just two or three years when the price of land rises and then sell it to the people who really farm the land? Actually, you can also be a tenant, this transaction should not be a loss, right......"

Emperor Yongming looked at her, the corners of his mouth hooked, bringing out a slight smile, but in Wu Yan's opinion, this smile was a little crazy.

"You don't have a good idea, so you might as well just kill it."

"Hey," Wu Yan sighed helplessly, and had to say, "Your Majesty, it's not better to boil frogs in warm water...... Interesting? ”

The emperor raised his eyebrows when he heard this: "Tsk, it seems ...... My female officer still has a set, boiled frogs in warm water? For the first time, I had heard of ......"

"Oh, by the way," Emperor Yongming remembered something again, and continued, "I have forgotten one more thing...... The son of the Cao family is coming to Beijing, do you know? ”

Wu Yan's heart jumped, as soon as he heard this name, his face turned slightly pale, and he couldn't help but ask: "Ah, he's back?" ”

Emperor Yongming smiled playfully, but did not answer.

After a while, he asked again: "Continue what I just said, I listen to you, the capital of merchants will come to China if they have nowhere to go, so what if there is a place to go?" ”

"Isn't building a road just a place to go?"

"That's right, but it doesn't explain the lack of silver, does it?"

Wu Yan tilted his head and thought about it, and had a bold idea in his heart: "Your Majesty, the minister has a bold idea, it is better to carry out the auction of land use rights as soon as possible, and stipulate that the merchants participating in the auction will hold cash and trade in silver, and then there will be silver?" ”

"There's a problem with your idea, the money you get is also the money of the imperial court, right?"

"Yes, the minister knows that it is the money of the court, and the money of the court can also be deposited in the ticket number to earn interest, which is called a large deposit of the agreement, and the interest can be higher. Isn't there no silver to redeem the ticket number, and with this silver you can redeem it, so that there is no money on the market? And the imperial court can still get interest, wouldn't it kill two birds with one stone? ”

Who told you that the imperial court does not have a central bank, and if there is a central bank, you can adjust the amount of money, and you will not fall into deflation, and you will be so annoyed.

Emperor Yongming looked at her strangely, thinking that it could still be like this?

"Are you sure you can...... Such? He was still a little suspicious.

Wu Yan nodded affirmatively and said, "Sure, of course, it would be best if the imperial court had its own ticket number." ”

The emperor didn't speak for a long time, but just gently tapped the armrest of the dragon chair with his fingers, as if he was thinking about a problem, and Wu Yan didn't dare to disturb him.

I waited for a long time before I said, "Okay, I'm tired, you should also retreat." ”

Wu Yan had no choice but to give a salute and leave......

Back at the residence, Zhao Shounu greeted him and said, "Yan Sizhen, Xiaohuo has been here, and he brought a letter, saying that you are in a hurry......

When Wu Yan heard this, he understood that he had asked Li Daoru to write something for Xiaohuo to bring it.

"Okay, got it," Wu Yan replied, and then hurried into the house and closed the door. Picked up the envelope and opened it to look at it, wrote a lot, and had to memorize it, she thought about it, first called Zhao Shounu in, and then explained, and then sent her out, closed the door again, and stayed in the house alone to work hard.

I memorized it for a while, but I felt that I couldn't remember anything, and it took me a stick of incense to barely remember just one paragraph. She sighed softly, oops......

Thinking that His Majesty suddenly mentioned Cao Shuyu, his mind was confused...... Is he going to Beijing? What do you do in Beijing?

My mind was a mess, and I couldn't find a way to solve it for a while...... She simply put down the letterhead, got up and left the table, found a thin blanket and spread it on the open space in the room, meditated on the floor, and prepared to do a set of yoga to relax.

She closed her eyes, and at this moment she no longer thought about the Cao Gongzi in her mind, but remembered a soothing yoga music, and gradually, her whole body and mind entered a meditative state.

Early the next morning, Wu Yan only felt 'refreshed', and even though she had memorized the exam content for almost a night, she only took a nap in the early hours of the morning.

In fact, she didn't know that she still had two big dark circles under her eyes, Zhao Shounu naturally saw it, thinking that she stayed up all night and worked so hard, she couldn't help but admire. Sure enough, he is a celebrity in front of His Majesty, and he is worthy of His Majesty's favor for this effort.

How did she know that Yan Sizhen worked so hard in order to cope with the exam.

It was still early when Wu Yan came to Guozijian, she was so surprised that she had arrived early, did the sun come out of the west today? She couldn't help but laugh at herself in her heart, how could she be so positive in the past? Even the morning ritual can be avoided as much as possible.

Then there was a crackling and tossing...... After the toss is over, there is always that day every month - the monthly exam day.

————————

【Du Yuqi】

Cao Shuyu didn't plan to take the waterway, but at the request of a friend, he escorted Du Yuqi's master and apprentice into Beijing by the way.

The ship has already traveled to Pixian, and has already crossed the Yellow River, and is about to enter the boundary of Shandong. On this May day, it is the busiest time of the year on the Cao River, and the passenger boats are not moving fast, but they are not stuck, but this speed makes the people who take the boat inevitably not have a trace of boredom.

Cao Shuyu came to the deck, only followed by a small servant, standing on the deck, he looked at the water and sky in the distance. The clouds accumulated in the sky were thick, obscuring the red sun for seven or eight minutes, as if a thin veil had been draped.

Although this kind of daylight is not dazzling, but looking at it always makes people feel sticky, and he doesn't like this kind of weather very much after all.

Cao Shuyu was tall, standing there with a jade tree in the wind, he was so simple in his clothes, still wearing a flowing scarf, and two thin bands swaying with the wind.

Du Yuqi looked at Cao Shuyu like this, and couldn't help but think of a person and a man when he was young.

She was also bored in the cabin, and wanted to come out to breathe, so she also came to the deck with a snowsuit. As soon as he raised his eyes, he saw Cao Shuyu there, hesitated slightly, but it was only a few breaths, and he stepped forward again.

Cao Shuyu heard movement behind him, turned around and saw that it was them, so he smiled slightly and said, "Master Du, it's early." ”

This Du Yuqi is a legendary woman, although she has five out of forty, but her appearance and figure are as young as a girl, no wonder she can still play Du Liniang at such an age, especially famous for "Leaving the Soul", as soon as she appears, she is like a beautiful woman, and she is absolutely pitiful.

Cao Shuyu saw the woman in front of her, she didn't use powder, but she had a pair of deep and faint eyes, how many things of the world were hidden in it? The two spring mountains, containing boundless beauty, can't help but make people reverie......

It's just that he remembered another woman, but with two thick eyebrows......