"Master, the old lady sent a letter to send a letter, although the crops in my hometown can be watered with the stream at the edge of the field, but the stream will be watered at both ends in three days.

This year's crops won't grow anywhere! ”

As he spoke, the housekeeper Guo Ang handed a letter to Guo An.

Guo An opened it and looked at it, but sighed helplessly.

"If it doesn't rain, I can't help it."

Guo Ang bowed his head and was silent, this kind of big matter, the master can handle it, he only needs to manage the affairs of the house.

Anyway.

No matter how severe the drought is outside, it will not affect the house.

"How's the crops on General Mountain outside the city?"

Guo An asked again.

Guo Ang hurriedly said: "Back to my lord, the grain in the fields of General Mountain in the house has not been affected much because of a few light rains.

However, it is not as strong as last year......"

"Well, as long as there is a harvest this year!"

Guo An nodded slowly.

After a while, I remembered something, and asked curiously: "I heard that in this month, several fleets have come back one after another?" ”

Speaking of this, Guo Ang was excited.

"Back to the master, it seems that more than a dozen fleets have come back. These fleets are all pulling full of goods, and each of them has earned several times! ”

"Master, the more than 20 big ships that we bought from Yan Guo will come back in a few days, do you want to start forming a fleet?"

"Hmm!"

Guo An nodded slightly, "You take the time to recruit nearly a hundred young people from those people in Jiangjun Mountain, and then find a hundred neighbors from Shunde Mansion who have a good relationship with my Guo family, and then let Xu Yong find hundreds of guards, and more than 1,000 sea people!" ”

"Sea people familiar with ships?"

Guo Ang's face was bitter, but he still replied again and again, "Don't worry, master, the villain will send someone to find Haimin." ”

Guo An glanced at Guo Ang a little strangely, and said: "You don't need to send someone to look for it, you go to find Shen Zhuang, let him find some sea people, just the sea people in Jiangxi and Fujian!" ”

"Yes, Grandpa!"

Guo Ang was overjoyed, and he had confidence in his heart.

As for the rest, according to the current scale of the Dingguo Mansion, they are all easy to solve.

However, with the return of those maritime trade fleets, the atmosphere of overseas trade in the entire Ming Dynasty has inexplicably risen again.

"Father, during this period of time, those merchants who came back brought back all kinds of spice treasures, not only earned back the capital, but even made a lot more money.

Now the merchants of the capital of Beijing and the Ming Dynasty are very eye-catching, building ships everywhere, buying ships and goods, and preparing to go to the South and Western Seas for trade! ”

In the Fengtian Palace, Zhu Gaochi reported to Zhu Diyu with a happy face.

"Moreover, in just these two months, the commercial tax collected by the city division is more than 2.3 million taels of silver!

In the past few days, no matter where they go, the officials of the household department have been very energetic......"

"Tsk!"

Zhu Di couldn't help but sneer, "No wonder, at the court meeting in the past few days, all the officials in the household department are in high spirits, and the rest of the court officials also look like they dare not speak out." ”

"Father Emperor Shengming!"

Zhu Gaochi hurriedly flattered, "As long as more and more businessmen go to sea, then I can receive tens of millions of taels of silver just for the annual tax of maritime merchants...... The court will never be poor again! ”

"Exactly!"

Zhu Di also nodded heavily, "I heard that Duke Dingguo also purchased twenty sea ships from Yan State, and is going to build a fleet to go to sea?" ”

Zhu Gaochi said slowly: "Dad, the teacher said that his fleet will only come and go between Daming and Guozhou!" ”

Zhu Di smiled faintly, "Hmm! In this way, Guozhou should have a lot of good things that can make Dingguo Gong make money! ”

Zhu Gaochi was startled.

Zhu Di said again: "However, Guo Qing wants to build Guozhou, I don't know how many years it will take and how much it will cost......

“……”

Zhu Gaochi also nodded slightly.

"I heard that the first time I sent those 5,000 eaters to Guozhou, the teacher spent more than 300,000 taels of silver to buy those food materials!"

The corners of Zhu Di's mouth curled slightly, and he didn't continue.

"The second child and King Ning both want to replace the army of their domain with some new firearms and bombs, we don't agree, what do you think?"

"Firearm changers?"

Zhu Gaochi was stunned for a moment, frowned slightly, and after thinking for a moment, he said: "Erchen remembers that my father wants to form an army in Beijing again, which is the same as the Shenji Battalion!" ”

"Hmm!"

Zhu Di nodded slightly.

Zhu Gaochi replied: "In this way, the second child and King Ning's army will not be able to replace them with new firearms!" ”

Zhu Di didn't say much, and said again: "King Ning wants to go to sea to attack the feudal kingdom, what do you think?" ”

Zhu Gaochi bowed, "Dad, when the sea was opened, you said that as long as all the vassal kings of the Ming Dynasty guard their respective domains, they can go to sea with the three guards.

Although King Ning is the king of Sai, he is also the king of the domain! ”

"That's it, that's it!"

"The sons and daughters are at the discretion of their father."

"The construction of the city of Wuliangha Sanwei will also be handed over to you!"

"Yes, Father!"

"And ......"

……

"Your Highness, Your Majesty has allowed those businessmen to go to sea for business?"

In the Dingguo Mansion, Guo An couldn't help but be surprised after listening to Zhu Gaochi's words.

Zhu Gaochi's expression tightened, and he hurriedly asked, "Teacher, I don't know what's wrong with this?" ”

"It's very wrong!"

Guo An shook his head with a heavy face, "Your Highness, if the wind and rain are smooth and the grain is harvested, these businessmen will take a lot of young and strong people to the sea to trade, it can be regarded as a good thing."

However, now that Daming is still in a drought, Daming is already short of food, but these businessmen are still taking so many young people to the sea, and no one cultivates, so won't Daming be even more short of food?

After the autumn harvest, many of the state capitals in my Ming Dynasty failed to harvest grain, the grain in the granary was decreasing day by day, and the people had no food, but these merchants were transporting the grain overseas, wouldn't that be a disaster on top of a disaster......

"It must not be like this!"

Zhu Gaochi hurriedly shook his head heavily.

Immediately, he was embarrassed again.

"Teacher, but the sea ban has been opened, and many businessmen have been overseas, making a lot of money, so that those gentry and businessmen are extremely red-eyed, and they all go to the sea in groups...... At this time, if it is to restrict or prohibit those merchants and gentry from going to sea to trade......

I'm afraid that not only those gentry and businessmen do not agree, but even the household department and those people who want to go to sea to make money do not agree! ”

Guo An smiled lightly.

"Your Highness is too worried, Weichen didn't stop them from going to sea!"

Zhu Gaochi's eyes lit up, "What does the teacher mean?" ”

Guo An said: "What the minister means is to limit the amount of grain that those merchants carry on board when they go to sea......

For example, how many people are on the ship, and the food they carry can only be eaten by them back and forth, and there is no surplus food, so as not to sell food to the barbarians.

In addition, they can also be asked to bring back at least half of the grain they have brought out when they return, and the food from overseas ......."

"Your Highness, in order to encourage these merchants to bring back more grain from overseas, they can be exempted from the commercial tax on these grains.

It is even possible to exempt the commercial tax on goods that are as large as grain!

Of course, it only refers to the price, not the quantity......"

In this way, under the pressure of the court, those merchants will inevitably bring back a lot of grain.

If they have a spare space on the ship and can't find suitable goods, they will bring back some more grain in order to save some business taxes......"

"Teacher's plan is very good!"

Zhu Gaochi's face was suddenly overjoyed.

Immediately, after talking about the construction of the city and Liaodong again, Zhu Gaochi left in a hurry.

In the Fengtian Palace, the merchant reported the grain transportation to Zhu Di in detail.

After listening, Zhu Di shouted directly: "Yi Lost, go and summon the Hubu Shangshu and the left and right waiters!" ”

"Slave obeys!"

Yisha hurriedly left.

Zhu Di said with emotion: "On top of these things, Dingguo Gong will always have such an unexpected vision!" ”

"yes!"

Zhu Gaochi also nodded in agreement.

Soon.

Hubu Shangshu Yuxin, the left waiter Wang Chun and the right waiter Xia Yuanji followed behind Yishiha and hurriedly walked in.

"Weichen Yuxin see Your Majesty! I've seen His Royal Highness the Crown Prince! ”

"Wechen Wang Chun (Xia Yuanji) ......"

After seeing the ceremony, Yu Xin, Wang Chun, and Xia Yuanji looked at Zhu Di with a puzzled expression.

"I have heard that there are many gentry and merchants now, and when they see that those who go to sea make a lot of money, and this year's drought will cause the people to fail to harvest their fields, so there are many ......

In order to prevent the grain of the Ming Dynasty, it was taken out by these merchants, and the court should restrict it......"

With Zhu Di's narration, the expressions of Yu Xin, Wang Chun, and Xia Yuanji were first happy, and then their faces were full of solemnity.

Then, his face was full of surprise, joy, and admiration......

"Your Majesty Shengming!"

"Your Majesty is far-sighted, this plan is very good!"

Hearing this, Zhu Di's lips opened slightly, and then nodded slightly, taking the credit for this matter on himself.

On the side, Zhu Gaochi's eyelids trembled slightly.

"Do the three Qing families think this policy is feasible?"

Yu Xin hurriedly said: "Back to Your Majesty, this strategy will definitely work!" …… The minister also heard that many places overseas are very suitable for growing grain.

It's just that those barbarians are not proficient in the method of growing grain, they just sprinkle grain seeds in the fields at will, and let the crops grow at will.

Still, the food they grow is enough to fill their stomachs!

If I buy grain from them, it will inevitably stimulate those barbarians to grow grain.

In this way, there will be no famine this year, or next spring and summer! ”

Wang Chun and Xia Yuanji opened their mouths and didn't say much.

Now, no matter what, since there are already many gentry, they have begun to move the idea of going to sea to trade.

Well, this policy should not be opposed by too many gentry when it goes out!

Zhu Di nodded with great satisfaction, "In this way, the household department will refine and improve this policy, and then submit it to it and implement it as soon as possible!" ”

"Wechen obeys!"

Yu Xin, Wang Chun, and Xia Yuanji hurriedly bowed.

Immediately, he walked away quickly.

According to the grain storage of the Ming Dynasty, even if the autumn harvest is poor, before the winter, the people will still have food to eat at home.

And when the famine begins, it is at the end of winter, or in the spring and summer of the following year.

If such a policy is implemented as soon as possible, in the winter, those merchants should be able to ship back thousands or even tens of thousands of stone of grain overseas.

Although it is not much, if those gentry and merchants do not sell grain overseas, these two add up to a lot!

At least.

At critical times, it can save the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

Soon.

Less than a day.

The Ministry of Household sent to the cabinet a piece of information about the merchants' and merchants' grain shipments.

Zhu Gaochi handed over the piece to Zhu Di as soon as possible.

Day 2.

Regarding the preferential policies for the transportation of grain by ships of maritime traders, they issued a notice.

Suddenly.

All the gentry and merchants who went to sea to trade were all stunned.

"Brother Wang, how is this good, our fleet has already loaded five thousand stone of grain!"

"Move down! Leave enough food for a year for everyone in the fleet, and bring down the extra food!

Also, buy some tea or porcelain, sugar, silk, and other goods......"

"Alas, the court is not a bad person! I finally moved it on the boat, and I need to move it down again! ”

"Bear with me, the notice didn't say it, it's just because there is a drought in Daming this year, and you need to keep enough food in the country to avoid a food shortage!"

"If there is a food shortage, we may be able to make a lot of money with the food we have saved......

"Be careful!"

"How can such a thing be said by someone who has been poked in the back? Moreover, if I go to sea now, I can earn several times the money, and I don't have to worry about being squeezed by those officials, so why do I have to do such a thing that loses my conscience! ”

"Hahaha, Brother Wang, Brother Li, don't panic, the younger brother is just talking casually!"

"Brother Liu, don't do such a crime, I heard that in this city, there is also a Jinyi guard.

If it is found out, it is directly the crime of killing the head! ”

"Then, the family was exiled to Guozhou?"

"Hahaha......"

All the businessmen couldn't help but laugh very tacitly.

Now, the matter of Jinyiwei raiding his family and exterminating his family and exile Guozhou has become a ridiculous phrase among the people of the Ming Dynasty.

"This general spares his life, the villain really forgot, otherwise he would never dare to risk the great crime of killing his head and exile his whole family to transport more than half a boatload of grain! ……”

Suddenly, a howl attracted the attention of the merchants on the dock.

At the inspection office, a team of soldiers from the city department escorted down the merchants on the ship with fierce faces.

And the merchant was full of fear.

"Half a boatload of extra food, you said you forgot, when Ben will be a fool?"

And the general who was the leader had a cold face, without any mercy.

Pulling the merchant, he reported to the chief official of the city, and took him directly to the place of execution.

With a scream, the merchant's head fell directly to the ground.

The gentry around the entire dock couldn't help but feel cold and shivering.

So decisive!

Although they had seen this kind of scene before, they all felt trembling in their hearts when they saw it again!

These generals of the City Ship Division are really ruthless!

Soon.

Some of the merchants hurried to their ships!

…… (End of chapter)