Four hundred and ninetieth chapters release the prohibition
The old man looked at Du Guangan suspiciously, and after a while he swallowed and said helplessly: "I am willing, but who knows if he has the final say? How can any high-ranking official pay attention to us?"
Du Guang'an couldn't help but smile bitterly, "Old man, I am indeed not a high official, but this one is different. He is the prime minister of our Ming Dynasty. He has a high and powerful position, so he is right!"
When the old man heard this, he became even more suspicious. His old eyes were full of suspicion.
The biggest official?
So young?
There is no hair on the mouth, I don’t believe it!
Fortunately, Jiang Nan was wearing men's clothes for convenience, so the old man didn't notice, otherwise he wouldn't believe it.
"Um...I, I still have to work...you guys, if you don't mind, just stay and eat!"
"Need not."
Zhang Ximeng said decisively: "Old man, we still have things to do, and it is really inconvenient to eat... I will come back when you have gained something."
The old man looked slightly embarrassed and muttered: "Well, that's so rude! No, it can't be like this."
No matter what the old man said, Zhang Ximeng firmly refused.
The old man could only agree and wait until autumn to treat guests.
Du Guangan was a little surprised and secretly asked Zhang Ximeng, "Xiang Zhang, how did you know to refuse?"
Zhang Ximeng laughed and said: "It's not like I've never been to the countryside... The people are simple, and foreign guests must be well entertained. Whatever is at home will be brought up. Now they are in such difficulty, if I eat a meal from them
, someone will starve. And if I give them something, they won’t ask for it, they will just think I’m looking down on them. It’s better not to bother them.”
Du Guang'an nodded, "Mr. Zhang is right... but Mr. Zhang promised them that when the Queen of Autumn comes... I guess they will keep it in mind. If Mr. Zhang doesn't come then, I guess they will be disappointed."
Zhang Ximeng smiled, "Who said I won't come? Not only do I want to come, but I also want to celebrate the harvest with everyone... In the past few months, one of the most important things for us is to build trust with the people.
, truly making the military and civilians one family."
Du Guangan's eyes lit up, and his admiration for Zhang Ximeng increased a few points.
In fact, from Jia Lu's perspective, Zhang Ximeng and Du Guang'an are not that far apart. Du Guang'an admired Zhang Ximeng's theory at the beginning. He decided to join the army because he wanted to expel the barbarians, restore China, and achieve great achievements.
However, by some mistake, he embarked on the road of water control.
It just so happened that the road to water control led to the same goal, and he and Zhang Ximeng came together again. It can only be said to be fate!
"Xiang Zhang, the current situation really requires the army and the people to be united... It's just that it's hard for a clever woman to make a living without rice. She also needs money, food and livestock. You have also seen that there is an entire village without even a single livestock. They rely entirely on their hands and manpower. It's really...
It’s too difficult.”
Zhang Ximeng nodded vigorously, "I know all this, don't worry, I will still find a way."
After bidding farewell to Du Guang'an, Zhang Ximeng visited a few more villages and took a look around the situation. He could only say that they were similar. Without exception, they were all extremely poor and difficult.
Jiang Nan sighed and said: "In books and plays, it is often said that a family has only four walls. I think that is enough to be poor. But when we go to these places, who has a house with four walls?"
Zhang Ximeng smiled helplessly, it was indeed true.
The vast majority of people live in broken shacks made of wood, weeds, and leaves.
The whole family only had one bowl, and it was broken.
Both boys and girls are naked.
They were really naked and hungry, no exaggeration at all.
"It is true that we must act quickly to improve people's livelihood as soon as possible. Delaying time is killing people!" Zhang Ximeng sighed.
Jiang Nan smiled slightly and suddenly said: "Prime Minister Zhang, you said that so many people live in such misery... What's the point of spending a huge amount of money just to hold an exaggerated wedding? Will it make you feel guilty?"
Zhang Ximeng said sincerely and sincerely: "When people drown, they drown, and when others are hungry, they themselves are hungry. Jiang Tiju's level is really high, and Xiaosheng is so overwhelmed!"
Jiang Nan rolled her eyes at him, "Why are you so young?"
You want to remind me how young you are, right?
It's a pity that those who know your identity will probably ignore your age, and you will grow old before you get old, just like a little old man!
Jiang Nan suddenly looked at Zhang Ximeng and laughed.
Zhang Ximeng was startled, "I, I am loved by everyone, and the flowers bloom when they see you, right?"
Jiang Nan was even more speechless. It turned out that this guy had another problem... he was narcissistic, so stinky!
Sure enough, if you get close, there are no saints, and Mr. Zhang is nothing more than that. Jiang Nan chuckled and said: "It's better to go back quickly, do business, sell those bonds quickly, raise money to save the people, we have to be worthy of our official status."
Clothes."
Faced with the urging from his future wife, Zhang Ximeng did not dare to be lazy.
He quickly wrote down his observations and presented them to Zhu Yuanzhang.
It is very difficult to control floods in the Central Plains.
"Lord, what we need to do is to divert water into the river and the sea. This requires extensive digging of ditches to divert water and dredge it... In addition, some low-lying fields must be dug from the outside to raise the land. As for those who are really
In low-lying areas, we need to dig deeper and build reservoirs to store water for irrigation. Floods should be released during the rainy season to prevent the Yellow River from flooding again and destroying farmland."
Zhu Yuanzhang has been doing farm work since he was a child. Although his status has become more and more noble in recent years, he has always been doing it himself... He knows very well how much it will cost to dig countless ditches and build thousands or even tens of thousands of reservoirs in the vast Central Plains.
energy!
"This is indeed a major event that will take decades. Mr. Zhang, I am afraid that even in our lifetimes, we may not be able to see the day when we are done."
Zhang Ximeng is more open-minded than Zhu Yuanzhang, "Everything is difficult at the beginning. What we need now is that we start to do something... The flood has lasted for more than a thousand years, and it only takes a few years to solve it, which is too disrespectful to the flood."
Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and said, "Sir, what you are saying is... we have something that we want to tell you."
"My lord, please speak clearly."
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "This time, sir, we have to celebrate our wedding no matter what. Drinking is probably unavoidable. We want to withdraw the ban on alcohol. What do you think, sir?"
The prohibition on alcohol is not Lao Zhu's original creation. In fact, whenever there is a war and people are in dire straits and have no food to eat, there is a prohibition on alcohol.
During the Three Kingdoms period alone, there were five major bans on alcohol.
Cao Cao has banned it, Liu Bei has banned it, Zhuge Liang has also banned it... It can be seen that this is the consensus of all parties.
Unlike these predecessors, Zhu Yuanzhang's prohibition on alcohol was complete, and for this reason he even beheaded one of Hu Dahai's sons... Of course, Lao Zhu's prohibition on alcohol was only aimed at the reality of lack of food and clothing. If Yanyun was restored, restoration would
In China, he also wanted to drink Yanshan with his officials and get drunk.
It makes sense to abandon alcohol prohibition now, but it is a little too early after all.
"Lord, what is the deeper meaning of this move?"
Lao Zhu paused and then said: "Someone told us that if the prohibition on alcohol is relaxed and merchants are allowed to make wine, it can indeed fill the national treasury deficit and raise a sum of money quickly... Sir, you should know that we are still unwilling to be restricted.
For businessmen!"
"My lord, have you ever thought about how much food consumption will be increased if the alcohol prohibition is relaxed? What if food prices rise?" Zhang Ximeng asked rhetorically.
Lao Zhu said: "Of course we know this, why don't we ask sir if it is feasible?"
Zhang Ximeng lowered his head, thought carefully, and suddenly thought of an idea.
"Lord, we can change our thinking!" Zhang Ximeng suddenly had an idea and said with a smile: "We will not abolish the prohibition on alcohol, but we stipulate that the food produced in the newly restored areas will not be within the restrictions of the prohibition on alcohol."
This was a bit convoluted, but it took Lao Zhu a long time to figure it out.
"Sir, what you mean is that if the grain is produced in the Central Plains, it can be used to make wine, right?"
"That's right! Lord Shengming!"
Zhu Yuanzhang's face turned dark, "Sir, how can there be food in the Central Plains now?"
"That's why we ask merchants to pay money to cultivate the fields and produce grain and make wine!"
"This... seems to be a good idea." Zhu Yuanzhang lowered his head and thought about it carefully... There is no need to say how profitable the wine is. Jiangxiang Technology is the eternal god!
Especially after ten years of strict alcohol prohibition, a barrel of wine can be exchanged for ten taels of gold.
At this time, whoever has a drink will be the God of Wealth.
But now there is finally a gap... The grain in the Central Plains can be used to make wine. Now that the Central Plains is short of food, we can farm in the Central Plains and produce more grain!
"Only those who open up fields in the Central Plains and grow grain can make wine... Or only by purchasing at least 200,000 yuan of Central Plains Renaissance Bonds can we authorize the purchase of grain from the Central Plains to make wine." Zhang Ximeng said with a smile: "This total amount of winemaking also needs to be controlled.
You can’t just brew as much as you want. And because it will take at least until after autumn, or even next spring, to harvest the grain and brew it into fine wine, it will take more time, and we have room for change.”
Zhang Ximeng's move is a variation of the Kaizhong method. If he can produce one million shi of grain, 300,000 shi of wine, and the remaining 700,000 shi, he will make a lot of money.
Zhu Yuanzhang was deeply convinced, "Sir, he has thought of everything, bonds, wine, food, farming... so many things, he has cleverly put them together, it is really brilliant!" Lao Zhu sighed, he didn't like it very much in the past.
Now it seems that the merchants' methods really need to be worked on.
There is no doubt that Zhang Ximeng's move was equivalent to pouring a bucket of fierce oil on the fire.
Originally it was just a wedding invitation, and all the businessmen got was reputation.
But if it is tied to brewing, it will be a real benefit, and it will be a benefit that no one can refuse.
There is no need to worry about selling the bonds this time.
"Sir, you are indeed thoughtful, but it seems a bit aggrieved that this matter has to be done at your wedding."
Zhang Ximeng said with a smile: "My lord, I don't know, Jiang Tiju told me that if it is just luxurious and empty, with a large number of guests, what is the difference between that kind of wedding and the rich fight in the Jin Dynasty? It is most tacky! But if we can help the people, countless people will survive."
No matter how many years pass, this wedding will be a memorable one. I think Jiang Tiju is very knowledgeable!"
Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes widened and he was quite surprised. After a while, he smiled and said: "Sure enough, only Jiang Tiju is worthy of Mr. Zhang! I wish you a long life together in advance!"
"Thank you, Lord." Zhang Ximeng.
Zhu Yuanzhang was still unfinished. He suddenly stood up, rushed to the table, and said to Zhang Ximeng: "Sir, tell me, what do you want me to write for you... We will cover all the couplets with the word "Fu" in your home!"