Chongzhen asked, "Hong'er, Jiong'er, have you already decided that Lu Zhenfei and Kang Million are colluding?" ”

"Definitely." Zhu Cijiong said without thinking, "Lu Zhenfei first sold 500,000 stone grains to Kang million at a price of 9 yuan a stone lower than the market price, and then bought back the 50 stone grains at a price of 1.5 taels and one stone that was significantly higher than the market price. ”

At this time, Zhu Cihong suddenly said: "Father, the son understands. ”

"Brother, what do you understand?" Zhu Cijiong was stunned for a moment and asked.

Zhu Cihong said: "The quota of grain sent to Beijing by the eight prefectures in the south of the Yangtze River is 4 million stone every year, and this year's grain should have been relieved at the beginning of the year, but due to the thieves' capture of Henan and the interruption of Cao transportation, the first batch of 400,000 stone grain was stranded in Yangzhou, and the remaining 3.6 million stone grain was not solved. ”

"Later, the news of the fall of Jingshi spread to Jiangnan, and there was no need for Caoliang to be sent to Jingshi."

"It just so happened that at this time, Gao Jie, Liu Zeqing and Liu Liangzuo, the border troops of the three towns all flowed to the state capitals of Jiangbei, and the officials who stayed in the capital headed by Shi Kefa decided to sell 4 million Shicao grain in order to stabilize the three towns, and replaced it with a folded color to prepare for the army.

"The 3.6 million taels of silver are also what Gao Hongtu personally said to his father."

"In other words, the price of 9 yuan per stone was jointly agreed upon by the officials of Liudu, not Lu Zhenfei's arbitrary."

"So at least at this moment, Kang Shaojing spent 450,000 taels of silver to buy 500,000 stone grains to solve the urgent need of the imperial court, not only is it without fault, but it has a great achievement!"

"Hmm." Chongzhen praised, "The analysis makes sense. ”

Zhu Cijiong was unconvinced and said: "Then Lu Zhenfei spent 1.5 taels and one stone to buy the grain back, there is always a problem, right?" There is also Kang Wanwan, who earned 300,000 taels of silver from the imperial court in and out, which is also a fact after all, right? ”

"Third brother, don't worry, listen to me analyze slowly." Zhu Cihong smiled and said, "Lu Zhenfei spent 1.5 taels and one stone to buy back the grain from Kang Shaojing, which seems to be a loss, but it is not. ”

"Isn't that a loss?" Zhu Cijiong said, "It's a big loss." ”

"Actually, it's not a loss." Zhu Cihong said, "Let the grain merchants transport the grain to Shanyang, and then buy the grain directly from the grain merchants at a price of 1.5 one stone, and the final cost is 1.5 taels and one stone." ”

"But if you still follow the plan of the imperial court, you can buy grain from the provinces in the south of the Yangtze River."

"Even if you buy it at the parity price of 1 tael and one stone, after removing the drifting, the final grain sent to Shanyang is only half a stone, which means that the actual price is 2 taels and one stone, which is more expensive!"

"I believe that Lu Butang must have calculated this account, so he will buy grain directly from grain merchants."

But I didn't expect that this move directly offended the Jiangnan officialdom, because the officials in the eight prefectures and prefectures in Jiangnan had no chance to profit from it, how could they not be annoyed? That's why there are so many imperial historians who impeach Lu Butang. ”

"What's more important is that Lu Zhenfei broke the rules." Chongzhen added, "He skipped the cabinet of Zaisuke!" That's why he was besieged by the imperial historian, or Huang Jiarui slipped his head and threw this hot potato to Lu Zhenfei, but he himself withdrew, and Lu Zhenfei was also upright, and he only thought about transporting more grain to the front line, so he directly did what he wanted. ”

"But it's a fact that Kang earned 300,000 taels of blood after all, right?" Zhu Cijiong was still a little unconvinced.

"But people are doing legitimate business, what's wrong with making money?" Chongzhen said, "Jiong'er, you can't learn from your grandfather, because the businessmen make more money, they are red-eyed, so they are slaughtered as fat pigs." ”

"If you think businessmen are making more money and want to restrict them, that's fine."

"But you can't use the power in your hands to plunder other people's property, it's called unruly."

"What my father just told you yesterday and then forgot it? Those in high positions must learn to be in awe, reverence for the way of heaven, reverence for the rules, and be cautious in using the power in their hands. Chongzhen said, "It's easy to charge Kang Wan'an, and confiscating his family assets can at least solve two months' military salary on the front line in Xuzhou, but that's not how things are done." ”

"If a businessman is operating legally, their property should be protected."

Speaking of this, Chongzhen said again: "What's more, my father still pointed to these merchants to contribute taxes." ”

"What? Let the businessman contribute to the tax? Zhu Cijiong said, "Father, you want to levy business taxes?" Those civil servants should go crazy again, they will definitely not agree to your business tax. ”

Chongzhen continued to take care of himself: "Hong'er, Jiong'er, do you know how much income there was during the Chunxi period of the Southern Song Dynasty? More than 100 million! At comparable prices, it is equivalent to 100 million taels now! ”

"And how much do we earn in the Ming Dynasty? According to the comparable price, the maximum is 30 million taels! ”

"The territory of the Southern Song Dynasty is similar to the current territory of the Ming Dynasty, why is the tax so bad?"

"One of the most important reasons is that commerce flourished in the Southern Song Dynasty, and commercial taxes contributed more than eighty percent of taxes, so my father said that there is no agriculture, no stability, and no business is not rich!"

"That's why the legitimate interests of businessmen should also be protected."

"Just as the imperial court protects the people, the peasants, and the craftsmen."

"Shinong and industrialists, although their status is high and low, they are essentially the people of the Ming Dynasty, so as a monarch, you should protect the interests of all the people."

While talking, Li Ruolian returned to the camp again.

Chongzhen beckoned Li Ruolian to come over and asked, "Is everything done?" ”

"It's all done." Li Ruolian said, "All the 800,000 stone grain gathered at the Shanyang Canal Wharf has been bought, and it will be sent to Xuzhou in a few days, and there is no need to transport troops, and the grain merchants themselves will be responsible for sending it to Xuzhou." ”

Chongzhen nodded, and said solemnly: "Li Ruolian, this matter has been revealed, don't have a next time, you remember, you are not a civil official, you are my retainer, and the commander of the Jinyi Guard!" ”

"Yes, the minister wrote it down." Li Ruolian breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing Li Ruolian leave, Zhu Cihong and Zhu Cijiong were a little confused, what is the situation?

Why couldn't the two of them understand the conversation between his father and Li Ruolian just now?

Chongzhen patiently explained: "The civil official group has been overturned by officialdom for a long time, far more vicious than you imagined, they set up a dead end for Lu Zhenfei this time, if they can't kill Lu Zhenfei with this knife, they are likely to try to create chaos, causing the grain ship to capsize, and even direct arson is not ruled out, Lu Zhenfei can't raise food, it is still a dead end." ”

Zhu Cihong continued: "But my father only asked Li Ruolian to take one sentence, and he broke this dead end!" ”

Chongzhen nodded and said: "In the final analysis, they first thought about breaking the rules, ignoring the lives and deaths of the soldiers of the border army of the twenty-eight towns on the front line of Xuzhou and millions of displaced people, and only cared about initiating party disputes and excluding dissidents, this is unruly!" If they don't follow the rules first, don't blame me for not following the rules and starting a big prison! ”

Zhu Cihong seemed to have gained something when he heard it, but Zhu Cijiong looked confused when he heard it.

Behind a simple sentence, there is such a complicated confrontation hidden?

"Wang Daban." Chongzhen beckoned Wang Chengen to come over again, and said, "Go and inform Hu Guozhu to pull out the camp, we will go south overnight tonight!" ”

"The old slave commands." Wang Chengen turned around and left.

Zhu Cihong said: "Father, don't you plan to see Lu Butang again?" ”

"It's gone." Chongzhen said, "Just let him do the errand with peace of mind, it is still the most important thing to transport the grain to Xuzhou." ”

After a pause, Chongzhen said again: "But Hong'er, you reminded me that Lu Zhenfei doesn't have to see him, but that Kang million is still worth seeing." ”

"Kang million?" Zhu Cijiong asked, "What did my father do when he saw him?" ”

"To get on the good side, of course." Chongzhen sighed and said, "Speaking of this, I can't help but mention the two pits that your grandfather dug back then, first exiled the wealthy businessman Shen Wansan, and then the piece of the board was not allowed to go to the sea, so the image and reputation of our old Zhu family in the hearts of businessmen are really not good." ”

……

The reputation of the old Zhu family in the hearts of businessmen is really poor.

So after receiving Chongzhen's dictation, Kang Shaojing even handed over the will to the old servant, and in the will, Kang Shaojing divided his property.

The arrangements were made, and Kang Shaojing changed into an old cloth dress to see Chongzhen.

Kang Shaojing thought that Chongzhen was looking for him to settle the account of Caoliang, after all, he made a difference of 6 yuan.

However, what Kang Shaojing never expected was that after the audience, Chongzhen never mentioned the matter of the grain, but talked to him about business matters.

Chatting and chatting about knives.

Chongzhen asked: "There is a Zhang Da dog scissors shop in Yangzhou City, has Kang Weng heard of it?" ”

"I've heard of it." Kang Shaojing said, "This is a shop specializing in scissors and kitchen knives, the quality of the knives is excellent, and the reputation in Yangzhou is also excellent." ”

Zhu Cijiong said: "Why such a name? ”

Kang Shaojing said: "Because the name of the shopkeeper is called Zhang Da Dog, he is not elegant enough, so he changed it to Zhang Da Dog." ”

"Zhang Da Dog, Zhang Da Dog, what's the difference between these two names?" Zhu Cijiong smiled, "It's not all one tune." ”

Chongzhen said: "But I heard that the quality of the kitchen knives made by Zhang Da Dog Scissors Shop is really good, when Gao Jie committed Yangzhou, a thief soldier once grabbed the city wall, and was cut off by a guy who took the kitchen knife of Zhang Da Dog Scissors Shop, is this true or false?" ”

"It's true, the grass people still know the fellow." Kang Shaojing, "is a chef in Qingyutang, his knife skills are superb in the whole Yangzhou, and the kind of large kitchen knife he used at that time." ”

"There's such a thing." Chongzhen said, "It seems that I have time to visit this scissors shop." ”

After chatting with Chongzhen for a long time, Kang Shaojing's vigilance was reduced, and he said casually: "Actually, it's nothing, the waist knife of the War Bureau uses ordinary wrought iron, and it has hardly been forged, and the refined iron used for the kitchen knife in Zhang Xiaodog's scissors shop has been repeatedly forged dozens of times, and the two cannot be compared at all." ”