In this winter of the twenty-fifth year of Zhaohua, the climate in Yujing City seems to be colder than before.

On November 15, the first snow since the beginning of winter fell, and this snow fell for three days, turning the entire Yujing City into a world covered in snow.

It's beautiful.

But such beauty is for those who have no worries about food and clothing.

Even in Kyoto, there are many poor people who have difficulty getting enough food.

This first snow was followed by three days of sun.

When the snow melts, it's even colder, cold to the bone.

Charcoal fires had already been lit in the homes of the merchants, but in the large low houses in the northwest corner of Yujing City, only a few wisps of smoke could be seen when cooking.

It is the slum of Yujing City.

There are more than 40,000 households and more than 150,000 people there!

These people usually earn a living by doing chores for the families of the wealthy.

Women go to help big families with laundry, clean the yard, and so on.

Men with some strength often wait in the markets at the West Gate or the North Gate, waiting for the merchants who come to Kyoto to be a palanquin driver or lead the way, or to help carry the goods.

Nowadays, more and more people are coming to Kyoto to do business, and their incomes have increased slightly compared to the past, but it still does not change their poor fate.

There are fewer porridge and more monks, even if there is a little more porridge now, there are not a few more grains of rice in everyone's bowl.

When the three days of sunny weather passed, Kyoto ushered in a second snowfall.

Bigger than the first one.

It's been four days!

Looking at this lead-gray sky, it seems that there is no sign of stopping.

Li Chen'an in the imperial study.

Roast on fire.

Tea is boiling.

Listening to the words of Li Wenhou, the head of Tobe, who had just returned to Kyoto.

“…… Your Majesty, the country of Wu should not be underestimated! ”

"Chen never understood that as soon as the trade between Wu and Ning was opened, the goods of Wu were obviously better than those of our Ning country!"

"The minister has not only been to see Dongxu City, but also to the towns he passes through along the way!"

"Whether it's ironware or porcelain, or even silk that our Ningguo is proud of...... Compared with Wu Guo, at least we don't have any advantage in price! ”

"Now that a large number of merchants from the Wu Kingdom have entered Yudan City, Yudan City has never been more lively."

After a pause, Li Wenhou looked at Wen Zhuanyu with a serious face, and his eyes fell on Li Chenan's face.

"But what follows is a large number of various commodities in the country of Wu!"

"The minister stayed in Yudan City for a day."

"Many Wu merchants have opened shops in Yudan City, and the ministers have visited them one by one, and our merchants in Ningguo are miserable!"

"Because Wu Shang's things are not only of better quality, but the price is half lower than that of our Ning Shang's similar goods!"

"Yudan City is just the starting point for their goods to enter the Ning Kingdom!"

"It's winter, and their goods can't enter the hinterland of Ningguo in a big way for the time being."

"But they're transporting goods from the country of Wu!"

"The minister thought, after the spring of the next year, after the road is clear...... Our business in Ningguo may usher in a catastrophe! ”

"Wu regrets this person, it seems to be rude, but in fact he is brave and strategic!"

"He became the emperor of Wu, and the minister thought that he was more ambitious than his Lao Tzu, and he was ...... to our Ningguo Not a good thing! ”

"So the minister thinks that if it's still too late, let's quickly close the Boundless Pass, even if it is a breach of the contract, it is better than a catastrophic blow to the business of the entire Ning Kingdom!"

Wen Zhuanyu also looked at Li Chenan very seriously at this moment.

He didn't expect the merchants of the Wu Kingdom to come so quickly, and he didn't know if the merchants of the Ning Kingdom would be able to withstand this test of life and death.

Li Chen'an poured tea.

The look on his face was still relaxed.

Handing over two cups of tea, he pointed to the white snow outside the door, and said with a smile:

"You see, at the beginning of winter, all the flowers that have been carefully waited for have withered."

"But the plum in my plum garden is proudly blooming at this time."

"It's the same with business."

"Closing the door is like cultivating flowers in a greenhouse."

"They look beautiful, but they can't stand any wind chill!"

"Why should I sign a trade agreement with Wu?"

"It is to make the businessmen of Ningguo clear that they do not fundamentally improve the quality of their goods, and try to reduce costs, and in the future competition, they will ...... Nothing! ”

"I understand your concerns, isn't it just that the wolf is coming."

"Sooner or later, this wolf will come, so it's better to come sooner."

"Look at it from a different angle."

"The cheap and high-quality goods of Wu Kingdom enter Ningguo, and the people of Ningguo can buy better things with less money, which is beneficial to the people!"

"And our merchants in Ningguo, if they still want to lie down, they will make money...... They will understand that it is a dream! ”

"If they want to survive and go to Wu to earn money, they must face the competition head-on!"

"It is necessary to pay attention to craftsmen to improve equipment and improve production efficiency!"

"In the long run, this will positively affect the minds of Ningguo businessmen, and capable businessmen will face this competition head-on and make the quickest adjustments."

"As for the businessmen who don't have the skills...... If you should go out of business, you will go out of business, otherwise it will be a waste of resources. ”

This can be regarded as an explanation of his intention to open the country, and it can also be regarded as an explanation for Li Wenhou and Wen Zhuoyu.

But Li Chenan didn't want to explain this in depth today, because he asked Wen Zhuanyu to come and have other things.

He looked at Wen Boiled Rain, and only then did the expression on his face become solemn.

"I took a look at yesterday's report."

"People have frozen to death in the northwest......"

"I asked Zheng Wang, the commander of the Imperial Castle Division, and he said that this kind of thing actually happens every year, and that place is home to the poorest people in the whole of Kyoto."

"I thought about it carefully last night, I can't die anymore,"

Before he finished speaking, Li Wenhou interrupted him with a sigh:

"Your Majesty, the court has indeed known about this matter, but the emperor knows that there are 150,000 people in that place!"

"How?"

"Even if it's soup kitchen, how much food do you need in a winter?"

"If you give some food to the most needy families...... This was done before, and as a result there was a serious riot in that place, and more people died! ”

"Families who get food can't keep it!"

"Robbed, killed, and even exterminated for that little food!"

"The emperor should have done something good when he first ascended to the great treasure, but the household department was also nervous!"

"The Academy of Sciences is a gold-swallowing beast!"

"As soon as the minister came back, Huang Xiumu, the secretary of the Ministry of Industry, was the first to find the minister, saying that the Academy of Sciences, you are urgent, you still can't stop work in this winter, and you urgently need five million taels of silver!"

"The minister dares to say, can that thing stop for a while?"

"The household really doesn't have a lot of silver, and I can't stand your toss like this!"

Wen Zhuanyu looked at Li Chen'an again, thinking that this was already the second snow in Kyoto, and the twists and turns on the side of the North Desert Road were almost there at this time.

There is a snow storm over there every year!

It's really difficult for Li Wenhou to be a household secretary!

But Li Chenan waved his hand:

"I'll lend you money!"

When Li Wenhou heard this, he suddenly rejoiced in his heart-

Homecoming!

He has been playing with the idea of returning to the garden, but he didn't expect Li Chenan to take the initiative to say it himself!

This country is his, what can you talk about borrowing or not?

He sighed for three breaths and said one word decisively:

"Good!"