After Fengyang Governor Lu Kun set off for Beijing, Ying Tian's Governor Shen Li and Fujian Governor Jin Xuezeng also began to set off for Beijing one after another.

Unlike Lü Kun, who opened a government-run paper-making workshop, Shen Li opened a government-run equipment workshop in Suzhou, specializing in building more advanced churning trucks and merchant ships to sell to civilians and ordinary merchants.

Because since the further opening of the sea, the trade volume between Daming and the surrounding areas has increased, and the demand for more advanced equipment of Daming has also increased. Therefore, in order to solve the employment problem of the displaced people, Shen Li, with the power of the government, concentrated a group of craftsmen to specialize in making equipment and developing new equipment, instead of letting each craftsman work alone in different workshops as before.

For Jin Xuezeng, it is to see too many Fujian civilians who go to sea to do business, especially after the imperial court adopted tax protection for domestic merchants, more people went to sea to ship in Haojing.

However, most of the people who go to sea have big ships, and most of the civilians cannot afford to buy big ships to go to sea, so the risk of accidents at sea is very high.

Therefore, Jin Xuezeng took advantage of the fact that there was nothing to do in the sea now, and transferred some warships to set up an official ship merchants to recruit ordinary businessmen who needed to go to sea to do business, and regularly transported them to Haojing, Annam, Japan, Champong and other places, and these ordinary businessmen only needed to pay ship fares of different specifications.

In this way, ordinary merchants who could not afford to buy large ships and hire many professional sailors could also go to sea to do business, and the government could also increase their income by collecting ship fees, and the protection provided by key warships was also of better quality, which could prevent the threat of pirates, and sailors could also increase their income by providing some value-added services to the merchants on these ships.

There are even different levels of cabins, and if you give a lot of money, you can also enjoy the sound and color services provided by the widows specially recruited and trained by the ship company.

As a result, as soon as the official ship China Merchants Bank opened, there were many customers who took care of its business, and even many wealthy people also used it as a way of tourism and entertainment, even if it was not for business, they would go on some luxuriously decorated ships to visit Haojing, Dongying and other places, anyway, the official ship guaranteed the safety of life, and they were naturally not afraid.

Like Lu Kun, Shen Li's and Jin Xuezeng's practices both harmed the interests of local gentry and wealthy households.

Originally, advanced equipment and large ships that could go to sea were the means of production monopolized by the wealthy gentry in addition to the government.

Therefore, before the bureaucrats such as Lu Kun, Shen Li, and Jin Xuezeng did not let the power of the imperial court and government come to an end, whether it was domestic trade or foreign trade, even if they used legal means, even if the big gentry did not take advantage of it, ordinary businessmen could not compete with the big gentry, but now the government has come out of the scene and given the advanced means of production directly controlled by the government to ordinary businessmen in the form of cooperation or lease, which naturally makes these big gentry lose their advantages and increase the difficulty of monopolizing the market.

this day.

It is the wax moon of the eleventh year of Wanli, and the winter is stronger.

The dead branches and leaves fell all over the courtyard of the Shoufu Mansion, only Lamei spit out the fragrance early, and the fragrant Shen Shixing sniffed it carefully.

"Yuanfu, what Shen, Lu, and Jin are doing is destroying the foundation of the world, and it is not a gentleman's behavior, how can there be a reason for the government to do business and compete with the people for profit!"

And Shen Shixing was pruning the plum branches while sniffing, and he also listened to the noise of Li Zhi, the Shaoqing of Taifu Temple, in his ears.

"It hasn't been long since this dynasty focused on business, and many systems are not mature enough, so Ru Pei, don't be too anxious to reject the new phenomenon, maybe he is competing with the people for profit on the surface, but in fact, it is convenient for the people."

"After all, I have too many common people, Rao is in business, and small merchants and hawkers also account for a large part, they can not be cut too heavily by the imperial court, but they also need the imperial court to help them become rich and giant, otherwise, with their own power, I am afraid that they will not be able to become a rich giant businessman after a lifetime of hard work, and those who can become rich and giant businessmen can only be suddenly nobled in their families."

"Therefore, since the imperial court wants to value commerce, it is not only convenient for small merchants and hawkers in terms of commercial taxes; The government must provide them with loans, technology, and institutional convenience, and even organize them to guide them in the name of the government. ”

Shen Shixing said something to Li Zhi earnestly.

After hearing this, Li Zhi glanced at Shen Shixing's back with a disappointed face, and after thinking about it, he said: "But persuading farmers and mulberries is fundamental, will this make the bureaucrats in the world only know how to value business and make profits, and forget about farming and mulberry, and even drive the cultivators away from the fields and into the workshop." ”

"Nongsang doesn't need to be persuaded, the cultivator will be diligent! As for whether the bureaucrats will abolish agriculture and merchant, it depends on how the imperial court controls it, and also depends on the amount of money brought by the peasants and merchants. ”

"Don't worry about the sky, you have to believe in the officials of the world, after all, everyone is a Shilin person, if even we don't believe in ourselves, how can we make Your Majesty believe in us, and the people believe in us?"

Shen Shixing smiled after he said.

Li Zhi said yes, then clenched his fists, glared at Shen Shixing's back fiercely, and then said in a respectful tone: "Subordinates take their leave!" ”

"What does Shenwu County say?"

Li Sancai hurriedly asked Li Zhilai about Li Zhilai after Li Zhi came to meet him that night as promised.

Li Sancai lowered his face and said: "This old man clearly supports the three governors, on the surface, he wants to wait and see what happens, but in fact, he is deliberately conniving!" It's the same as he connived at Wang Xue's development. ”

"How can this be, don't other people also look at business starts?"

Li Sancai asked disappointedly.

Li Zhi said: "I don't know, but his eldest son not only did not participate in the big competition this year, but also worshiped under the Duke of Jiguo." ”

Syllable!

Li Sancai suddenly snapped up: "No wonder the holy decree has recently been promulgated to encourage scholars to go out of the customs and go to sea to win the fame of the nobles, this Shenwu County is to cater to the nature of the Son of Heaven, but it is really well-intentioned!" ”

"I decided to go to Fang Shuxiang and change the court."

Li Zhi said.

Li Sancai was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and looked at Li Zhi: "What are you going to do?" ”

"Naturally, he helped Fang Shuxiang to bring down Shenwu County, and Fang Shuxiang did not advocate supervising and handling the practice."

Li Zhi said.

Li Sancai thought for a while and said: "You still have to be cautious, it is taboo to change the court." ”

"What's this, good birds choose trees to perch on."

Li Zhi didn't listen, and stopped Fang Fengshi on the day Fang Fengshi returned to the official residence, and asked Fang Fengshi to see him alone.

So, Fang Fengshi took him into his official residence and asked him, "What's the matter with the public?" ”

"In the past, the public was praised by everyone in the world for the sake of preserving holy virtues, and the subordinates also deeply respected the courage of the public, and also knew that the public was the pillar of the dynasty and the country, and the public was not harmed by traitorous ministers, so I came to inform the public that Shenwu County intends to let the official Qi Shichen and the same party participate in you, so that the public will be impeached for the controversy over the practice of the governor Fu Xing, and let the Duke of Ji Guo be in charge of the Privy Council to become a single minister!"

Li Zhi spoke.

Fang Fengshi squinted his eyes after hearing this, looked at Li Zhi, and only after a while did he get up and walk to the bookshelf and flipped through the books and said with a smile: "That's okay, the old man has long had the intention of being a minister, and although Ji Guogong is a military minister, he has no domineering spirit, and he knows that the soldiers have a strategy, and it is also suitable to be in charge of the Privy Council." However, I have received your kindness, you go back, I will not tell anyone that you have come. ”