"Crackling ......"

The sound of firecrackers is one year old, accompanied by the sound of firecrackers, and the new year is the twenty-first year of the apocalypse.

It's just that compared with previous years, this year's New Year's Day can not make people so happy.

Last year's drought took many jobs away from the city, and most of the people who took their jobs were migrant workers who couldn't stand the drought.

Even though such jobs have only been robbed for a month or two, for many, everyone earned a little less last year.

It is easy to go from thrift to luxury, and it is difficult to go from luxury to thrift.

In the face of lower incomes, many people naturally do not have much thought about the New Year.

However, compared to adults, young children continue to go door-to-door in their alleys and neighborhoods, for the caramel and a share of the red envelopes.

The people in the city don't have the heart to celebrate the New Year, let alone the people in the countryside.

Throughout last year, many people did not even have enough rice and wheat to feed their families.

Although I have had a bumper harvest for so many years and saved a lot of silver, I will always eat empty when I eat my deposits.

Therefore, if nothing else, this year they will have to go to the city to work again to earn money to buy food.

The people didn't have the heart to celebrate the New Year, and the court naturally didn't have the heart to celebrate the New Year.

"Last year, nine provinces, including Beijing, Shandong, Henan, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Hexi, Guangxi, Guizhou, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi, suffered severe drought, and four provinces were hit by locusts."

"In the winter and winter months, there was a great hunger in various places, and the people moved their families one after another, and the number of fields and shells exempted by the national dynasty reached more than 564 million mu, and more than 42,760,000 stones of grain were given to the fields every year."

"Counting the 47,420,000 taels of taxes, commercial taxes and the net profit of the imperial store, the annual income of the field after the fold is more than 80,250,000 taels."

At the grand court meeting of the Emperor's Palace on the Zhengdan Festival, as Li Changgeng, the head of the household department, reported on the financial situation of the imperial court last year, the faces of the hundred officials were also a little more comfortable.

I thought that the annual membership was less than 50 million taels, but now it seems that overseas farming has not been affected, and it still contributes nearly one-third of the land to the Ming Dynasty.

Coupled with the rise in grain prices, as well as the various taxes and imperial store revenues that have not been hit hard, the Ming Dynasty still barely reached 80 million taels of annual income in this difficult year.

"This year, we will buy back 67,354,370 mu and 6 cents of land in the 13 provinces of the Central Plains, recover about 37 million taels of tax evasion from the gentry in various places, and purchase more than 342 million taels of land silver and redeemed silver."

Li Changgeng broke out another shocking data, but in the face of this string of data, many officials in the court couldn't stop twitching the corners of their eyes.

Zhu Youjian would issue banknotes, which the officials did not expect, and the officials did not expect, let alone the gentry.

The Banknote Printing Factory, which was like a flowing banknote, printed 350 million taels of banknotes in less than a year.

Fortunately, after paying all the gentry, the banknote printing factory stopped printing money, otherwise the officials doubted whether Zhu Youzhen wanted to repeat the situation of the second treasure banknote.

"This year, the imperial court needs to issue 42 million taels of silver to distribute last year's salaries to hundreds of officials, soldiers and horses, teachers, and officials."

"Secondly, the Governor's Office of the Five Armies should pay 13 million taels as military salaries and 5 million taels as military expenses."

"Of the 16 railways in the Ministry of Industry, nine have not yet been completed, and 18 million taels will be spent."

"The tractors of the armament institute have been produced, and it will cost 9.4 million taels."

"Therefore, this year's basic expenses alone need 87,400,000 taels, and there is still a deficit of 7,150,000 taels of silver."

Li Changgeng's words made people feel embarrassed, although Daming's taxes this year reached 80 million taels of silver, but with the gradual expansion of the plate, Daming needs to spend more and more money.

The accumulation of more than 7 million taels of silver, which is placed in the Wanli period, I am afraid that it can make the Hubu Shangshu worry and die.

"Positions are often closed in various places, and 30 million stones of grain are released by the royal store, and then the profits are transferred by the royal store to the household department."

In the face of Li Changgeng's words, Zhu Ciran, who still had 150 million Shi Changping grain in his hand, did not panic at all.

After giving the order, he glanced at Zhu Youzhen, who was standing in the hall and wearing a crown robe, and felt a little relieved after seeing the other party nodding.

When Li Changgeng got the order, he didn't say anything more, and the other five ministries, the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and the cabinet naturally didn't say anything, after all, the Great Dynasty Meeting was not a court meeting for deliberations, and except for important things, nothing else would be mentioned.

Li Changgeng can say so much at length because the household department is the first priority of the Ming Dynasty, and its affairs are also the biggest state affairs, which is the biggest reform since the new policy of King Qi.

"Since it's okay, let's disperse."

Seeing that no one stood up to say something, Zhu Ciran didn't want to delay the hundred officials to go home for the New Year, so he opened his mouth and motioned to Honglu Siqing to announce the dissolution of the dynasty.

"Scattered ......"

"Bell!"

"Hooray, hooray, hooray......"

With the ringing of the bell announcing the dissolution of the dynasty of Honglu Temple, Zhu Ciran, Zhu Youzhen and hundreds of officials made a gesture to the dragon chair to express their respect for the emperor who was far away in Nanjing.

The officials withdrew from the shift, and Zhu Youzhen and Zhu Ciran walked to the back door of the Huangji Palace, where Zhu Ciran couldn't help but show a dependent side.

He looked worried, not only because of the people and the court, but also because of his two younger brothers.

Standing on the white marble steps, Zhu Ciran was wearing a heavy crown robe, and he always felt that Uncle Qi was very tall:

"Uncle, you said that this year's drought ......"

"It's going to continue, so don't slack off." Zhu Youzhen stretched out his hand to help him, and at the same time said:

"But you don't have to worry too much, you should be much better if you survive this year."

"Besides, even if 30 million Shichang Closing Grain has been sold right now, there are still 120 million Shichang Closing Grain in the hands of the imperial court."

"This grain can be sold in batches next year, the year after, and then new grain can be purchased."

"After the next year, the dynasty only needs to maintain 50 million stone to keep the grain in the warehouse, and then increase it by 5 million stone every year."

In Zhu Youzhen's memory, it seems that since the end of the thirteenth year of Chongzhen, there has never been a disaster affecting a province in various places, which is also one of the reasons why the Manchu Qing Dynasty was able to consolidate the customs after entering the customs.

It's not that the people are doing well, but that after the disaster subsides, the people can barely survive, so naturally they won't rebel again.

"Having said that, every time my nephew sees his uncle's financial means, he can't help but bow down."

The reasons for the fall of the Ming Dynasty and other dynasties were similar, but they were not similar.

The fall of the Ming Dynasty was mainly due to natural and man-made disasters, followed by financial and self-corruption.

Although Zhu Youzhen could not eliminate natural disasters, he was able to eliminate man-made disasters and solve the problems of finance and corruption in the Ming Dynasty at the same time.

Among them, especially finance is the most important means, because the treasury is abundant, so Zhu Youzhen can let the Ming Dynasty continue its life.

However, Zhu Youzhen's economic methods are ineffective, because his methods are mainly promoted by conquest and internal grain transshipment trade.

Among them, Zhu Youzhen was able to predict the specific drought situation in various provinces, and then the method of storing grain in advance shocked many officials of the household department.

However, even if the trade after the grain is stored, it can only be maintained by the Ming Dynasty, and it cannot be strong.

Zhu Youzhen's main economic means were to rely on overseas colonies and expand overseas markets, as well as to forcefully rectify and reform the various tax collection departments.

At present, one salt department can provide 12 million taels of annual income to the Ming Dynasty, and other wine and tea divisions can also provide 8 million taels of annual income.

These three divisions alone can provide a quarter of the financial revenue of the Ming Dynasty, and this does not include the mining divisions that open their own mines.

If the gold and silver of the Mining Division can be put into the market every year, then together with the Municipal Division, the five divisions of Daming can provide nearly half of the tax revenue.

Counting Huangdian, this year's agricultural tax in Daming actually only accounts for about 40% of the fiscal revenue.

Although this year's income is small, grain prices are very high, making up for a large part of the shortfall in agricultural income.

Therefore, even if the drought ends, the proportion of land in Daming's finance may only be restored to 50%, because other tax departments are developing very rapidly.

Zhu Youzhen estimated that in the twenty-fourth year of the Apocalypse, the annual income of the Ming Dynasty could reach 100 million taels of silver, and the land tax representing agricultural taxes accounted for less than 50 million taels.

As for the countries of the clan system under the Ming Dynasty, even if the Qi State is counted, their total annual income will not exceed 40 million taels.

In other words, the Ming Dynasty, which is similar to the United Nations, actually has a fiscal income of 140 million taels.

The combined income of other countries in the world that are independent of this system is only 60% of the income of the Ming Dynasty.

Daming, who has this volume, even if there is no technological iteration, can crush other countries on the three continents of Europe, Asia and Africa in the future.

Whether it can win the world or not, this is a test of how long the Great Ming Sect system can last.

If you can survive to the railway to West Asia and Eastern Europe, then the basic problem is not big, if you can't survive, then you can only pray that the Ming will not perish in the civil war, and the Han people will not fall from the throne of world hegemony again.

It can be said that such a large economy is a great test of the ability of those in power.

Zhu Ciran did not dare to say that he could master such a dynasty and push it to a more prosperous one.

In his opinion, he may only be able to rely on the old book left by his Uncle Qi Wang to barely maintain the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty.

After the descendants of the future, if there is no emperor and general with the talent of Uncle Qi, then this old book is probably a matter of three generations.

"Don't be presumptuous, I just went to Qi country, and after I went to Qi country, I will still put forward the economic suggestions of the Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Youzhen responded to Zhu Ciran with a smile, this answer made Zhu Ciran cheer up a lot, what he was most worried about was that his Uncle Qi Wang would not return and not say anything, so he would no longer ask about the internal state affairs of the Ming Dynasty.

His worries are necessary, because the current Ming is not peaceful.

It is true that most of the gentry have been swept away and all of them have migrated overseas and outside the customs, but the problem is that the biggest threat to Zhu Ciran's father and son is still there.

As long as the Yanshan faction, which controls thirty percent of the soldiers and horses in the army and forty percent of the officials in the world, is still there, it will be difficult for their father and son to sleep.

What the Yanshan faction wanted was for the King of Qi to remain in power, so as to ensure that the Emperor would not depose the King of Qi after he became a vassal of Qi.

Now it seems that the king of Qi is a vassal is certain, but although the king of Qi is not in the Ming Dynasty, his policies can be implemented in the Ming Dynasty all the time.

Zhu Ciran is not stupid, their father and son are not capable of taking smooth measures to suppress the Yanshan faction, once suppressed, it will inevitably cause turmoil.

At that time, my own Uncle Qi Wang may have to run back from overseas to continue wiping his butts for the father and son.

Therefore, he understands what his role is, and he actually has only one role, and that is "Xiao Gui Cao Sui".

What Zhu Youzhen did, he did.

Not only did he have to prohibit the people below from revising the New Deal, but he also had to forbid his own father from amending the New Deal.

While prohibiting it, he also had to get some policies from the Qi State and his Uncle Qi Wang who could correct the mistakes of the Ming Dynasty in time.

To put it bluntly, all he has to do is to "become" another "King of Qi".

"Yanshan's affairs, you don't have to worry too much, I will deal with it, so that the impact of the people who stay in Daming is minimized."

Zhu Ciran didn't say anything, but Zhu Youzhen had already felt it, he opened his mouth to comfort Zhu Ciran, and Zhu Ciran was relieved when he heard this.

However, after this breath of relief, he smiled bitterly and said, "My nephew has one more thing to say to Uncle Qi Wang. ”

"Is it the matter of King Yong and King Ding?" Zhu Youzhen can guess without Zhu Ciran saying it.

Zhu Cijian and Zhu Cijiong will graduate from the Fuxue this year, and as the vassal kings, Zhu Youzhen arranged employment for them is to recover the vast territory east of the Ural River by the Northern Army.

In other words, Zhu Ciran's two good brothers are also going to the battlefield, although in Zhu Youzhen's opinion, they will not encounter any danger, but for Zhu Ciran, who has not been on the battlefield, he can't help but be a little worried.

"I want my uncle to put them in Li Dingguo or Li Zicheng's battalions of soldiers and horses."

Zhu Ciran was very worried about the two, but he also knew that if they did not experience wind and rain, it would be difficult for the two of them to serve as the western screen of the Ming Dynasty in the future, and garrison the frontier for the Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, even if he was worried, he still asked Zhu Youzhen to arrange the two under Li Dingguo and Li Zicheng, who might serve as pioneers.

Such a move made Zhu Youzhen feel a little relieved.

"Okay, I'll do what you say." Zhu Youzhen bowed slightly, and Zhu Ciran saw that Zhu Youzhen was fine, so he couldn't help but invite:

"Uncle, do you want to go to the East Palace? You haven't met your niece-in-law yet......"

Zhu Ciran asked cautiously, but Zhu Youzhen shook his head when he heard this:

"That's your daughter-in-law, what kind of system am I going to see?"

"If you have the heart, give birth to an imperial grandson as soon as possible, and let the imperial brother be the imperial grandfather, you can also take the opportunity to take the imperial grandson to visit me in the Qi Palace."

"Good!" Hearing Zhu Youzhen's words, Zhu Ciran smiled innocently.

Seeing this, Zhu Youzhen also knew that the East Palace was probably happy, so he couldn't help complaining: "You kid, it turned out that a trap was set here." ”

"Before I reported the good news to my uncle, my uncle guessed it, and it was worthy of my uncle." Zhu Ci burned cheaply and sold well.

In this regard, Zhu Youzhen could only helplessly say: "When will I give birth?" ”

"It should be around August this year." Zhu Ciran responded, and Zhu Youzhen also bowed his head and said: "I will go to the 100-day banquet." ”

"Where's the first birthday party?" Zhu Ciran was using his child's first birthday banquet to test whether Zhu Youzhen would leave early.

"I will go, too." His little caution had already been seen through by Zhu Youzhen, so after answering, Zhu Youzhen gave up his hand and signaled that he was leaving.

"Uncle walks slowly......"

Seeing that Zhu Youzhen was not entangled with himself, Zhu Ciran could only give gifts respectfully.

He watched Zhu Youzhen walk away, and remembered the answer he had just gotten, and his heart couldn't help but feel a little more comfortable.

So, he couldn't help humming a little happily and walked towards his East Palace.

This deviant and dissolute behavior was recorded one by one by the living officials who were hiding not far away.

At the same time, Zhu Youzhen also walked out of the palace and took a carriage to the street.

While waiting for the road to pass, he deliberately looked at the crowd on the street.

The population of the capital is still large, but it is no longer as lively as last year and the year before the Chinese New Year.

It can be seen that last year's days were not friendly to the people, so that even during the New Year, many people are still worried.

"After surviving this year, it has started to get better......"

Looking at the unsmiling people on the sidewalk, Zhu Youzhen sighed in his heart, and at the same time, he couldn't help but feel guilty about this year's farmers.

He can make the people's lives better, such as taking out the grain in his hand at once to stabilize the price of grain.

But the problem is that although this can make people comfortable this year, it may not be next year.

If he had been a woman, it would have been impossible for the people to maintain population growth in this great drought environment.

At present, all the hidden households in the world are being investigated, and in fact, there are not too many fish that have slipped through the net.

Counting the Han people overseas and vassal countries, the number of Han people in the Ming Dynasty has reached about 165 million.

Although compared to Zhu Youzhen's estimated population of 150 million Han Chinese, this is not much of an increase in population.

But when the drought passes, the population of the Ming Dynasty will definitely usher in a long-term population explosion like other countries in the mid-to-late seventeenth century.

Judging from the situation in the previous life, the Ming Dynasty may reach a population of about 300 million or even 400 million in sixty years.

】

Zhu Youzhen has done everything that should be done, and the rest of the people only need Xiao Guicao casually.

Thinking so, his carriage also arrived at the gate of the Qi Palace.

After skillfully getting out of the car, Zhu Youzhen immediately saw two generals with waist cards of the Northern Army standing at the door.

"Your Highness, the Mandu Governor and the Sun Dudu have been waiting for you for a long time."

Seeing the arrival of King Qi, the two stepped forward to make a move, and Zhu Youzhen also bowed slightly when he heard this: "It's hard work." ”

"Humble... Humble duty... It's all a lowly thing. The two of them got Zhu Youzhen's response, and they were immediately so excited that they couldn't even speak, which was enough to see Zhu Youzhen's status in their hearts.

"Let's go to the big kitchen in the house to eat something and wait."

Zhu Youzhen explained with a smile, and then walked into the Qi Palace, leaving only the two who were talking excitedly after he left.

However, compared to the two of them who were more excited, Man Gui and Sun Yingyuan, who were sitting in the carrier hall at the moment, had their eyebrows slightly wrinkled, as if they were worried about something.

Even if Lu Wenzhao and the three of them chatted with them from time to time, the two of them looked absent-minded.

The five of them are old friends, and they don't care about these side details, but they are also curious about why the two of them are like this.

"His Royal Highness Chitose ......"

When there was a sound of singing at the gate of the palace, the five people subconsciously stood up, and after a while, Zhu Youzhen also walked in.

"Your Royal Highness Chitose ......" The five people saluted respectfully, and Zhu Youzhen raised his hands and asked the guards at the door to take off his crown clothes for him, and at the same time explained to several people in the hall:

"Don't hold a shelf, after so many years, you know my temperament."

"Yes...... Man Gui and Sun Yingyuan breathed a sigh of relief, even they couldn't help but feel a lot of pressure when facing Zhu Youzhen.

"Tell me about this visit."

After changing out of the crown robe, Zhu Youzhen walked to his place and sat down in a round-necked robe.

Even if it was just an ordinary pear blossom wood chair, he felt like he was sitting on the dragon chair.

Although he is not an emperor, he is far superior to the emperor.

"Your Highness, we are here to inquire about the situation in the Qi Kingdom."

Man Gui and Sun Yingyuan didn't have the idea of adding to Zhu Youzhen's yellow robe many years ago, but they were worried about going to an underdeveloped place like Huang Long.

In this regard, Zhu Youzhen smiled, even the three people next to him couldn't help laughing, and Lu Wenzhao even laughed:

"If you had said it earlier, I would have shown it to you."

Lu Wenzhao said, and then personally walked in front of the "Da Ming Kun Yu Wan Guo Quantu" behind Zhu Youzhen, he pulled the picture scroll, put away the "Da Ming Kun Yu Wan Guo Quantu", and revealed a street scene map after that.

Different from the traditional techniques of the Ming Dynasty, the style of the painting is filled in with the sketches created by Zhu Youzhen.

In this picture, which is five zhang long and three zhang high, it can be said that it vividly describes the economic prosperity and people's life of a city.

"This is the "Imperial Ming Qi State Xijing Fan Drawing" jointly completed by the students of the Fine Arts Department of Shun Tianfu School last year, and it is a landscape map that really draws Xijing City to you."

After Lu Wenzhao's words were finished, Sun Yingyuan and Man Gui's curiosity came up.

They wanted to come forward to take a look, but they were afraid that they would behave inappropriately, and their hesitant appearance was seen by Zhu Youzhen, and they couldn't help but quip:

"If you want to see it, why do you do so many little women?"

"Hey...... This must be done with your grace, Your Highness. ”

Sun Yingyuan and Zhu Youzhen have known each other for the longest time, so they naturally dare to respond to jokes.

After responding, the two of them also became bold, and they walked in front of the picture, and what appeared in front of them was a vivid Xijing City and the suburbs of Xijing City.

Since the horizontal scrolls of the Ming Dynasty were all looking from right to left, they couldn't wait to go to the far right, ready to look from the far right to the far left.

The two took a closer look, from right to left, the first thing that caught their eyes was the spring countryside, followed by ......