Zhang Ximeng stared at the list, looking at it again and again, with a happy smile on his face. Four million banknotes, to him, is really not a big deal.
But Zhu Ying was able to achieve this result, which was enough to make Zhang Ximeng very happy.
He reached out and patted Zhu Ying's shoulder, which was not generous.
"Boy, do you know how much hope your elder brother has for your trip to Lingnan?"
Zhu Ying's whole body was shaken. He wanted to say something, but it slipped on the tip of his tongue. He just nodded and hummed slightly, just like the poor little girl who huddled next to Zhang Ximeng back then.
The stinky brother has become a good boy.
Zhang Ximeng sighed: "Zhu Ying, what I told you before is almost in the category of skills. Now let me tell you some truth! Why do you think I am not willing to develop industry and commerce in Jiangnan and other places?"
Zhu Ying still didn't answer, just lowered her head and listened silently.
"Because the models of industry, commerce and agriculture are naturally in conflict. Farmers seek stability, pay attention to growing and eating themselves, and are self-sufficient. Businessmen, on the other hand, are chasing profits everywhere, borrowing chickens to lay eggs, and making money from the price difference. Agriculture collects summer and autumn taxes a year.
, commerce requires taxes every day, and requires countless management and intrigues with businessmen to collect money. Moreover, industry and commerce often rely on agriculture as the source of raw materials. If industry and commerce flourishes, they must snatch labor from agriculture, and it is still fifteen or sixteen years old.
, the best quality labor force under the age of thirty.”
"Silk, cotton, tea plantations, mines... If we really open up, money will be made, but what about the food gap? What about the ten or twenty million people? In this world, you can buy food if you have money.
Even if you buy food, how can you ensure that it can be distributed smoothly? If you don't plant rice in the south of the Yangtze River, but plant mulberry trees, produce more silk, and enrich the national treasury, what will be the result? I'm afraid that before the national treasury is filled, refugees will be everywhere.
, the people rebelled!"
"Therefore, in densely populated areas, we absolutely cannot encourage the development of commerce on a large scale, and we must even suppress industry and commerce in order to maintain the stability of the world. Confucianism has always emphasized agriculture and suppressed commerce, which is not unreasonable. Or to put it simply, they are based on reality.
Understand, the safest way to come up with it!”
Zhu Ying was shocked and couldn't help but raise her head and look at Zhang Ximeng stupidly.
The eldest brother formed his own family, explained history, redefined the principles... Why did he recognize Confucianism?
This makes absolutely no sense!
"Zhu Ying, the safest way is not necessarily the best idea. From the Qin and Han Dynasties to the present, how many reincarnations have we experienced? Confucian scholars have repeatedly hit the wall but refuse to find new ways. This is why I despise them.
Where!"
"If it doesn't work in the Central Plains, won't it work in other places? The road of equalizing land can only feed the people. If we want the country to be rich and the people strong, there is still a long way to go. And once the world is at peace, the population will multiply.
, or in just a few decades or two or three generations, we will be able to occupy all the land, and the food produced will not even be enough to fill our stomachs! When I promoted land equalization, no one said this, and neither did I.
I don’t know. But what can be done? There is always time to solve the problems decades from now. If we don’t implement land equalization, we won’t be able to survive even now.”
"Moreover, Zhu Ying, have you ever thought about why we need to implement enlightenment? Let school children go to school?"
Zhu Ying was stunned, "Is it because of reading?"
"That's right! But we can look at it from another perspective. Going to school requires costs. Should we have a lot of children and dig in the soil, or should we have fewer children and train them to become talents? This is a choice that can be discussed. Starting a school The direct effect is naturally to cultivate talents, but it can also relieve the pressure on some people and land. But these are not enough, we need to find better ways."
Zhu Ying was stunned. He felt more and more that his elder brother had deep thoughts and good intentions.
“Is this method Lingnan?”
"Absolutely! Even though industry and commerce have had many consequences, there is one thing that no one can avoid. Industry and commerce really make money! Even the most conservative scholar-officials understand how to get rich through industry and commerce. We want to make the country rich. A strong army cannot be separated from industry and commerce."
"We must not only take advantage of the advantages of industry and commerce, but also avoid the impact...what do you think we should do?" Zhang Ximeng asked with a smile.
Zhu Ying stared blankly and clenched her fists for a long time, "I understand, so I have to focus on Lingnan."
"Yes! Lingnan is still sparsely populated, and overseas businessmen gather in Guangzhou. The conditions for developing industry and commerce are much better than other places. Moreover, the sky is high and the emperor is far away. In that place, the respect for official positions is not so important. Otherwise, you go Look in Shandong, even being an ordinary clerk in a government office is more prestigious than having a hundred thousand guan in your pocket."
Zhang Ximeng said with a smile: "In addition to the talents under our administration during the imperial examinations, the most foreign ones are from Shandong. Therefore, the story of a million silver taels I told you also has a premise, that is, the universal pursuit of wealth. Promoting the rich, that works. Do you understand?"
"Understood!" Zhu Ying said seriously: "Brother, I understand everything now. I never thought that I would shoulder such a big mission... But don't worry, brother, since it falls on me, I will not back down. , I will definitely try my best to do it well!”
Zhu Ying was extremely serious, and Zhang Ximeng nodded happily. Maybe this is why he dotes on this brother!
Zhang Ximeng pushed the list back to Zhu Ying and said with a smile: "These four million strings may seem like a lot, but when it comes to actually using them, they are so stretched that they are nothing. You also need to learn how to use Lingnan merchants and even overseas merchants." Financial resources. Set up factories, workshops, establish trading houses, organize fleets, and trade overseas... If you need land, you can start shopping around, especially looking for soft persimmons with thin skin and big fillings. If you are short of people, start with them. You Do you understand what I mean?"
"clear!"
Zhu Ying simply replied: "Brother, in fact, I have never dared to say that if you send other people, especially those who claim to be knowledgeable, not many of them can really do things. But under my hands, That's different. How many people are willing to do anything for money! To be honest, someone has already set out to investigate the situation. After hearing what the elder brother said, I became more courageous. Is it true that some places around? Can I do it too? You're welcome?"
This kid looked like he was jumping for joy and couldn't wait. Zhang Ximeng finally saw through it. I don't know how much evil this brat has been holding in his stomach!
"Zhu Ying, let me remind you that you can do whatever you want with other things, but you must be careful to appease the Li people in Hainan. No matter what, don't cause trouble for me! Otherwise, your godfather may not be able to protect you!" Gu Na
Zhu Ying was startled, didn't the eldest brother seem to be lying?
He thought for a while and suddenly laughed, "Brother, I'm here to seek wealth, not to die. If I'm really stupid enough to kick the rolls horizontally and vertically, and offend a lot of people, I might as well hang myself on the Meiling Mountain! Don't worry.
Well, I understand. When you go to Lingnan, you must first determine who is a friend and who is an enemy, who can be roped in to cooperate, and who must be eradicated and solved... Anyway, even if I can't see clearly, there are still people like Gong Bosui.
What! Three cobblers are like Zhuge Liang, I will listen to suggestions. And I will write to my elder brother regularly. If anything happens, I will ask my elder brother for advice. Don’t worry, I am not a child anymore. I will take care of things.
It can be done!”
Zhang Ximeng nodded, but still couldn't help nagging, "I can only give you a rough idea, and you may be nice now, but it may not be the same when you get there! All in all, you have to know that you are doing something unprecedented.
When it comes to things, you need to have a foresight and be humble enough. You need to put yourself lower and think about things more carefully."
The dignified Prime Minister Zhang took the trouble, just like an old woman, giving repeated instructions, breaking apart all kinds of truths, crushing them into pieces, and explaining them to Zhu Ying over and over again.
It was especially rare that Zhu Ying was not bored, but listened carefully, not daring to let go.
At the end, Zhu Yingcai said: "Brother, I'm leaving. Logically speaking, I don't need to worry about your affairs. But I see that you haven't gotten married yet, you are just alone, and you were sick again some time ago. I'm really scared.
No one will take care of you. Promise me, marry a good girl, so that when I come back, I can hold my eldest nephew in my arms!"
Unexpectedly, Zhang Ximeng's face turned slightly red, but he did not refute anything, but nodded slightly.
"I'll figure it out."
Seeing that his eldest brother had listened, Zhu Ying was overjoyed. He smiled and said: "Brother, I stole so much salary from you in the first few years. It's all because I'm ignorant. You're getting married soon, so you can't live without money. I'll give it to you
You should be prepared. This is not repaying a debt! We, brothers, just keep talking about this and treat it as my share of the money paid in advance. It’s just a trivial matter."
Zhang Ximeng nodded slightly, but didn't take it seriously. Zhu Ying gave him an envelope, and Zhang Ximeng asked him to put it on the table.
"What I have told you needs to be sorted out, written into a memorial, and handed over to your godfather. You should also prepare a little bit, don't rush around."
Zhu Ying agreed and turned around.
On the other side, the examination for the criminal justice department has also ended.
I have to say that this subject really produced a lot of outstanding students.
Needless to say, Li Shanchang's son passed the test and got second to last in the exam, even worse than Jiang Ke.
But he didn't need to care, because the one who came last was more famous. He was Fang Guan, the son of King Fang Guozhen of Yue!
Fang Guozhen was so happy after learning that her son had crossed the border!
Whether it's a big banquet or a flowing banquet, no matter whether they are dignitaries or ordinary people in the city, they come to eat when they pass by. What they want is the atmosphere!
"Our old Fang family is quite talented in both civil and military affairs!"
It is worth mentioning that Feng Guoyong's son and daughter actually passed the exam together and joined Zhu Ying's team, and everything went south.
Some of the people from the Commercial Special Section, including Jiang Ke, also followed Zhu Ying south.
This is a group of people who have gathered the best of the entire Ming Dynasty... There are all business and legal talents, as well as a large group of sleeping dragons and phoenixes, plus the children of important civil and military officials.
They all gathered around Zhu Ying, and everyone understood this time.
Yingtian Street, find out who the father is!
Our Marquis of Xiping is the leader of the dandy, the first among all the virtuous people!
Such a large group of people left Yingtian in a mighty manner. Zhang Ximeng didn't go to see them off. Was it because he didn't care? No, after all he had said, there was no point in wasting any more saliva.
Men should be more straightforward after all.
But having said that, Zhang Ximeng still felt empty. After he finished writing the suggestions for developing industry and commerce to Zhu Yuanzhang, he was about to take a rest, but suddenly he found the envelope left for him by Zhu Ying.
"This brat has stolen so much of his salary, how much can he pay back?"
Zhang Ximeng tore it open at will, and a bill fell out of it. When he picked it up and looked at it, Zhang Ximeng immediately rubbed his eyes.
"It's actually...three hundred thousand guan!"
Zhang Ximeng's hands began to tremble unconsciously...