"Your Majesty Shengming!"

Guo An casually flattered, and then said to Zhu Gaochi again: "Dare to ask His Royal Highness the Prince, I don't know how the cement straight road from Beijing to Shaanxi was built?" ”

Although he didn't understand why Guo An suddenly asked this, Zhu Gaochi hurriedly replied: "Teacher, a few days ago, there was news that only Pingliang Mansion and Fengxiang Mansion were left on the cement straight road, as well as the two sections of roads between Xi'an and Nanyang Mansion. ”

Speaking of this, whether it is Zhu Gaochi or Zhu Di on the side, they all exude a strong sense of pride.

Without any conscription, without the consumption of human power, and without the consumption of the state treasury, it took them more than a year to pave a flat and hard cement straight.

This cement straight road is about 2,000 miles long, far exceeding the Qin and Han straight roads.

Since then, the northwest of the Ming Dynasty has been directly controlled by the Beijing Division.

Such an achievement is enough for future generations to admire!

"Congratulations to Your Majesty, congratulations to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, such a magnificent way can be compared to the Grand Canal.

It will surely bless tens of thousands of people in the world, and the people of the world will inevitably pass it on by word of mouth, and the kings of future generations will also praise His Majesty and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince for this! ”

Guo An praised with sincerity on his face, and then said again: "After the completion of this road, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince can also form two teams again to provide relief through work!" ”

"Cash-for-work?"

Zhu Di and Zhu Gaochi both had bright eyes.

"In Daming, pave two cement straights?"

"Exactly!"

Guo An nodded slightly, "In the past, for fear of delaying farming, His Highness could only pave a cement straight road.

Today, the northern provinces are suffering from drought, and those people have no food to eat.

His Royal Highness recruited them and distributed them food every day, and these people could build cement straights for the Ming Dynasty for more than half a year, and they didn't have to worry about affecting farming, and they didn't have to worry about any dissent from the officials of the DPRK and China! ”

"Teacher's plan is very good!"

Zhu Gaochi was overjoyed.

Zhu Di asked: "Has Guo Qing ever thought about where to build a cement straight road?" ”

Guo An said directly: "Your Majesty, in less than a few months, it will be a cold winter, and the cement straight road in the north will not be paved in winter."

In this way, it can only be paved with a straight road to the south...... In the southwest of the Ming Dynasty, there is a seaway, which is not as affordable as coming from the southwest......"

After pondering for a moment, Guo An asked tentatively: "Your Majesty, how about paving the cement straight road from Beijing to Sichuan?" ”

"Sichuan?"

Zhu Di raised his eyebrows slightly, "Guo Qing knows that there are many mountains and valleys in Sichuan!" ”

Guo An said: "Your Majesty, use explosives to open mountains and build bridges when encountering water." If it is really steep, it can only be detoured, or wherever it can be paved, it will go. ”

Zhu Di squinted his eyes, thought for a while, and said: "To the west of Sichuan, there are the Wusi Tibetan tribes.

Jingshi is more than 3,000 miles away from Sichuan, and if a cement straight road is paved, Sichuan can be better controlled! ”

"Your Majesty Shengming!"

Guo An bowed his hand slightly.

Zhu Di asked again: "What about the other straight road?" ”

Guo An said directly: "Yunnan! ”

"Yunnan ......"

Zhu Di's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but ask with some concern: "From Beijing to Yunnan, can the construction be completed for more than half a year?" ”

"Can't!"

Guo An shook his head very dryly.

Zhu Di asked: "Then why did Guo Qing still pave a cement straight road to Yunnan?" ”

On the side, Zhu Gaochi found that he was originally responsible for it, but he couldn't intervene directly!

Guo An replied: "Your Majesty, Yunnan and Jiaozhi have a lot of grain!" Transporting grain from these places to the north requires a lot of manpower and material resources, and it is also very laborious.

However, if you bring the young and strong people of the north here, it is very simple.

Also, the further south you go, the warmer the winter weather gets! ”

"Yes!"

Zhu Di nodded directly, and then finally looked at Zhu Gaochi on the side.

"What does the prince think?"

You've all agreed, what else can I say no?

Zhu Gaochi sighed slightly in his heart, and could only say positively: "These two roads are the most suitable for cash-for-work!" ”

"So, do so!"

Zhu Di said.

"Sons obey orders!"

Zhu Gaochi hurriedly responded.

Zhu Di nodded with satisfaction, then looked at Guo An Guo An again, "Guo Qing has any other good plan?" ”

Guo An thought for a while, and then said again: "Your Majesty, Weichen thinks that the court also needs to encourage those businessmen and let them transport more grain from the south to the northern state capitals!"

With more encouragement, let them bring back more overseas food when they come back! ”

Hearing this, Zhu Di's eyes narrowed slightly.

"How to encourage?"

"Your Majesty, for businessmen, the only way to lure them is to use profits!"

"Business tax again?"

Zhu Di's eyes widened.

"Exactly!"

Guo An nodded slightly and said, "Those businessmen are only doing business because of profit." Only interests can make them spontaneous. ”

"Hmm!"

Zhu Di also nodded slowly, "In this matter, we will instruct the Household Department and the Tax Department to handle it!" ”

Guo An said again: "Your Majesty, Weichen is worried that there will be officials from the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Department of Taxation who will collude with the interests of those local gentry to obstruct this matter!" ”

Zhu Di's expression froze, "We have already investigated so many officials......"

Guo An said directly: "Your Majesty, during the Hongwu period, there were more officials who were investigated!" ”

Zhu Di's face stiffened.

Corrupt officials are inexhaustible, and he can't do anything!

"What can you do?"

Guo An hurriedly said: "Your Majesty forgives your sins, and there is no good way for Wei Chen, just advise that Your Majesty can improve the status of some businessmen, so that they can have the strength to confront those gentry!" ”

Zhu Di sneered, a little disdainful, "All the officials of the Ming Dynasty are from the gentry family, how can those businessmen fight against them?" ”

Guo An: "......"

After a while, Guo An said: "Your Majesty, I don't know if you can let Shang Jia have the right to tell Jinyiwei?"

Businessmen walk in all directions, and they are also the most observant of words and feelings, and have the best understanding of the situation in the states and counties of Daming.

If there are officials who are corrupt, these businessmen know best than Jinyiwei and Yushi! ”

"The right of the merchant to inform?"

Zhu Di's eyes lit up.

On the side, Zhu Gaochi was also full of interest.

Now, after seeing the role of the merchants and the brutality of those gentry and officials, their favorability towards the merchants has directly improved a lot!

"In addition, in order to encourage merchants to make secret reports, His Majesty may establish a system of rewards.

His Majesty may give a reward, or money, or meritorious service, and if it is meritorious, and the meritorious service reaches a certain level, the children of the merchant can be freed from the merchant status, or allow them to be given some useless official positions......

Since ancient times, the merchants have been oppressed and exploited by the officials and gentry, and the merchants have long hated those officials and gentry to the extreme, if Your Majesty can keep those businessmen secret!

In this way, even if His Majesty's reward is not much, these merchants will be very active in telling those officials and gentry about the lawlessness......"

The more he listened, the brighter Zhu Di's eyes became.

"That's a brilliant plan!"

After listening, Zhu Di couldn't help but applaud, and then looked at Guo An with a strange face.

"I didn't expect Guo Qing to be so ruthless to these officials and gentry!"

Guo An smiled slightly, and said lightly: "Your Majesty Mingjian, although Weichen also belongs to the gentry and magnates, Weichen still understands that only when the Ming Dynasty is prosperous and strong, we magnates will have a better life!"

Especially in the face of these catastrophes and epidemics, if someone favoritizes and kills more people, the more severe the epidemic will be, even if it is me and other powerful people, or even ......"

Saying that, Guo An hurriedly patted his mouth, "Even a prince like Weichen can't protect himself and his family!" ”

"Hmm!"

Zhu Di nodded thoughtfully, "For this matter, Guo Qing will write a specific charter!" ”

"Weichen writes?"

Guo An was stunned, as if he couldn't believe it, he had said so much, and he still had to write it himself?

"You brought this up, only you know best!"

Zhu Di said lightly, it was already a matter of his royal life, so he would not allow Guo An to be so lazy.

Guo An's eyes rolled, and he hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, Weichen will only say some empty words and general things.

However, if you talk about the details, on figuring out people's hearts, and formulating these detailed things, compared to Master Daoyan, Weichen is ashamed of himself! ”

"Dao Yan Mage?"

Zhu Di was stunned, "Now, Master Dao Yan is in the East Palace, right?" ”

"Exactly!"

Guo An hurriedly said.

The matter of offending people has already been brought up by him.

If he is allowed to formulate it completely, isn't it to let the powerful officials and gentry in the whole world target him?

He hasn't prepared to be a lonely minister yet!

Zhu Di glanced at Guo An deeply and nodded slightly, "In this way, let Master Daoyan try this charter first!" ”

For Master Daoyan's schemes, Zhu Di also recognized it very much.

It's just that after so many years, Monk Daoyan is not keen on scheming, and he seems to have forgotten Monk Daoyan!

"Your Majesty Shengming!"

Guo An hurriedly flattered.

……

"Let the monk make such a charter?"

In the East Palace, after listening to Zhu Gaochi's words, the white and chubby Daoyan monk was taken aback.

Which thief is this who wants to kill him?

Zhu Gaochi said with a sincere face: "Father said that the master had great wisdom, so he deliberately handed over this matter to the master!" Although the businessmen are profit-seeking, they also have a great effect on the Ming Dynasty.

Although the Ming Dynasty has to rely on the officials and gentry to rule the world, these officials and gentry are relying on the Ming Dynasty to be inseparable from them, so they have been deceiving the superiors and subordinates, exploiting the people, and making difficult fortunes for the country, which is very hateful!

Therefore, the power of the officials and gentry should be supervised and restricted by the merchants! ”

"Your Majesty Shengming!"

Dao Yan is also well aware of the harm to those officials and magnates.

"It is a good deed to raise the status of the merchants and limit the power of the officials and gentry.

Such a thing will inevitably not be approved by the court! ”

"It's okay!"

Zhu Gaochi shook his head slowly, "This matter is between Jinyiwei and Shangjia, and it has nothing to do with the hundred officials!" ”

"It's good!"

Master Dao Yan nodded slightly, his eyes flickering.

"Tomorrow, the monk will hand over the charter to His Highness!"

"There's Master Lao!"

Zhu Gaochi's face was overjoyed, and he left immediately.

"Amitabha!"

In the hall, Master Dao Yan sighed slightly and muttered to himself in a low voice.

"Dingguo Gong behaves like this, aren't you afraid of being hated by the officials and gentry all over the world?"

……

And on the other side.

Yuxin, the head of the household department, and the tax division Shilangzhong, hurried into the palace.

"Exempt the northern regions from paying taxes for a year, and use the commercial tax to encourage merchants to transport grain to the northern state capitals?"

After listening, Yu Xin directly praised it.

As for the tax clerk on the side, what else do you want to say?

However, Zhu Di and Yu Xin did not give him any chance to interject.

"This matter, wait for the last charter as soon as possible!"

"Wechen obeys!"

Out of the palace gate.

The tax officer Lang Zhong said anxiously: "Duke Yu, exempt the northern provinces from paying taxes for a year, and then use the commercial tax to encourage those merchants to transport grain to the north, so I don't know how much less tax will be collected this year!"

At the end of the year, what about the year-end bonuses of hundreds of officials and the year-end bonuses of various vassal kings?

Even, what about the military salary of the border pass Beijing Division? ”

"Moreover, the drought in many northern provinces is not the end of this year's cold winter, and there will be spring ploughing ...... next spring."

Before he finished speaking, the face of the tax clerk froze.

Yu Xinzheng looked at him inexplicably.

"This kind of thing is not the responsibility of the tax department!"

The tax clerk smiled, his eyes flickered, and he hurriedly explained, "Duke Yu, the imperial court has just become rich in the past two years, and the lower officials are also worried that the court will be struggling again because of this matter!" ”

Yu Xin smiled lightly, "In this way, Han Langzhong is really worried about the country and the people!" ”

Tax Division Shiro Center Nakachimatsu.

Yu Xin said again: "It's just that now, how can the court still be poor, as long as the sea trade continues, there is still the sweet potato ......"

"Sweet potato?"

The tax clerk looked puzzled.

Yu Xin didn't continue, but sneered.

"Han Langzhong, after the incident of Songjiang Mansion, His Majesty and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince no longer have such trust in the hundred officials.

Especially, when it comes to taxes, money, and food, even those state capitals are thousands of miles away from Beijing!

But, if no one doesn't know, only oneself can do nothing!

Otherwise, in the end, not to mention the good future, the family is not as good as the wealth that is easy to accumulate, not to mention in an instant, the old and young in the family will either be killed or exiled to Guozhou! ”

The tax officer's face changed slightly, but he quickly returned to normal and forced a smile.

"Thank you for the teachings of Duke Yu, the officials are loyal to the monarch and patriotic, and love the people like sons, and they will definitely not be like those officials in Songjiang Mansion, who exploit and oppress the people!"

Yu Xin sighed softly, "I'm afraid that I can't help myself!" ”

The tax division Lang Zhonggang wanted to continue to explain, but Yu Xin had already gone away.

"After all, nowadays, people's hearts are not ancient, students can report their teachers, and fellow villagers can also report their fellow villagers for the sake of their families......"

The tax clerk suddenly stiffened in place, and the expression in his eyes changed, and finally turned into a firmness.

And on the other side.

Yu Xin's face was also full of solemnity.

"To help the victims, Your Majesty does not use the local gentry or local officials, but only thinks of the merchants!

However, the merchants are all a group of profit-seekers, can they be more reliable than those gentry? ”

"It's just a pity that the sweet potato has just begun to be cultivated, otherwise, how can there be so much trouble?"

……

Following.

The two articles of association were sent to Zhu Di.

The monk Daoyan and the Hubu Shangshu Yu Xinzhi wrote the charter, which made Zhu Di very satisfied.

"Very good, very good!"

praised a few words again and again, and shouted directly to Yisha on the side, "Go and summon Dingguo Gong and Wang Zhen!" ”

"Slave obeys!"

Soon, the two eunuchs walked quickly towards the Dingguo Mansion and the Jinyi Guard Yamen.

Hearing the eunuch's words, Guo An and Wang Zhen did not dare to slack off, and hurriedly came to the palace.

"Weichen Guo An see Your Majesty, see His Royal Highness the Prince!"

"King Weichen really sees Your Majesty, and sees His Royal Highness the Prince!"

"Two Aiqing, hurry up and be exempt!"

Zhu Di said with a happy face, and directly handed the charter written by Dao Yan to Guo An and Wang Zhen.

"This ......"

Looking at the above content, Wang Zhen looked surprised.

Guo An, on the other hand, was full of satisfaction.

"Your Majesty, Master Dao Yan is indeed a high-ranking monk!"

Hearing this, Wang Zhen's expression was even more weird.

He used to be a member of the Yan Palace, and he was also very familiar with Master Daoyan.

It's just that Master Dao Yan actually wrote such a charter, and listened to the will of the Duke of Dingguo, this matter seems to have something to do with him?

Zhu Di asked, "Wang Zhen, what do you think of this matter?" ”

Wang Zhen hurriedly bowed his hand, "Back to Your Majesty, Wechen didn't understand these things for the time being, but Wechen will definitely act in accordance with Your Majesty's will!" ”

Zhu Di nodded slightly, and then said: "Let's ask you, can the Jinyi guards in the entire Ming state capitals honestly accept the secret reports of those businessmen?" ”

"This ......"

A trace of embarrassment flashed on Wang Zhen's face, and then he saluted Zhu Di with a face full of shame.

"Your Majesty forgives your sins, Weichen does not dare to deceive Your Majesty, most of the Jinyi guards are a group of men in the army, and they often despise businessmen, and even oppress.

But this matter is related to His Majesty's plans, and Wechen will definitely talk to them seriously! ”

Zhu Di asked expressionlessly, "Can you make sense?" ”

Wang Zhen was stunned for a moment, and he was speechless.

Zhu Di looked at Guo An on the side again, "What other good plan does Guo Qing have?" ”

Guo An sighed lightly and arched his hand: "Your Majesty, Weichen thinks that those businessmen can hand over the secret information to the postmen of the various state capitals, and let them bring them to the capital together."

After being inspected by the stewards of the Chamber of Commerce, including the ministers of the Chamber of Commerce, the secret music will be given to His Majesty, and His Majesty will distribute it to the Jinyi Guard! ”

"Yes!"

Zhu Di nodded directly.

Wang Zhen was also relieved.

Zhu Di looked at Zhu Gaochi again, "Those postmen are all the prince's people, and this matter will be handed over to the prince!" ”

Zhu Gaochi hurriedly said: "Please rest assured that my father and emperor will explain carefully!" ”

Zhu Di looked at Guo An again, "Guo Qing, how to let those businessmen know about this, and how to make them believe in this, I will leave it to you!" ”

Guo An hurriedly replied.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, there are many businessmen in the world, and many of them are from the families of those officials and gentry.

Wechen will let the Chamber of Commerce carefully distinguish it, and then hand over the charter to them for review! ”

"Hmm!"

Zhu Di nodded with satisfaction.

"It's just that, in order to increase the credibility of the charter, Wechen implores His Majesty to put a small seal on it!"

Zhu Di's face froze.

"Seals?"

Guo An nodded with a straight face, "Exactly!" ”

Zhu Di stared at Guo An for a long time, then nodded slowly.

"Yes!"

"Your Majesty Shengming!"

……

After returning to the mansion with the charter, Guo An instructed the housekeeper Guo Ang: "Send someone to find Shen Zhuang, the steward of the Chamber of Commerce!" ”

"Yes, sir!"

Guo Ang responded, and hurriedly sent someone to the Maritime Trade Chamber of Commerce.

……

(End of chapter)