On the way back home, a strong wind blew, and Guo Zongyi was shocked to realize that he had broken out in a cold sweat. Coupled with physical and mental exhaustion, he fell ill that night.
He couldn't figure out the meaning of Guo Wei's last words and why his tone was so lonely.
But it is certain that the words are not only referring to Wang Jun, but also to Aye and himself.
Inexplicably, endless fear arose in his heart, and for the first time in his life, he experienced the shock of accompanying you like a tiger.
Perhaps Guo Wei's doting on him these days blinded his eyes. He only thought he was a loving grandfather, but he forgot that he was still the emperor of the Zhou Dynasty, a monarch who could take life or death.
The love for licking the calf is true, and the emperor’s power is also true.
Guo Zongyi was raised in the mansion for three days before he recovered. He was ordered to keep silent about this matter. He could not fail at this juncture, but he knew that Guo Wei could not hide it.
When he recovered from his illness, Cao Han hurriedly came to see him.
"Your Highness." Cao Han bowed after entering the door, his tone was urgent, but when he looked up and saw Guo Zongyi's slightly pale face, he hesitated for a moment.
"If you have something to tell me, since when did you become such a mother-in-law?" Guo Zongyi said dissatisfied.
"Yes." Cao Han responded, hesitating for a long time. When Guo Zongyi was getting angry with the waiting, he finally said: "The Ministry of War did not lend us the camp in the south of the city."
"Didn't you say that Wang Renyu had already agreed!?" In desperation, Guo Zongyi became angry and scolded.
Cao Han was so frightened that his legs went weak and he fell to the ground. He hurriedly explained: "Wang Renyu agreed and said he would help organize manpower to clean up the camp. But just now, when I went to the Ministry of War to find them for delivery, Wei Xun, the Minister of War,
But he said that there were still a small number of left-behind troops stationed in the camp, and he refused on the grounds that "the soldiers should not mix with the people." I argued with him, but he said that Wang Shangshu had moved to Prince Shaobao yesterday, and now Wei Xun was in charge of the Ministry of War.
No matter what, I turned around to look for Wang Renyu, but he was ill and couldn't come out. I marked..."
"Okay." After half of listening, Guo Zongyi became a little impatient. It seems that he has a very impatient temper, just like his father.
"Wei Xun works according to the regulations, so you can't force it. Don't worry about borrowing money for now. Wang Renyu is over seventy this year, and his semi-official position has been planned for a long time. But if it is revealed at this juncture, someone must have deliberately done it for him.
You are stumbling upon us." Guo Zongyi sneered.
Seeing that his superior had the same view, Cao Han hurriedly nodded and said: "Your Highness is wise, how can such a coincidence happen in this world? Furthermore, if the transfer was transferred yesterday, can it be completed today? The Ministry of War is idle now, but
After all, it is a part of the state and the dynasty, so there is no such efficiency in handover. Moreover, Wei Xun, a young minister, how can he have the courage to reject the matter that the old minister has decided with you? There must be some evil instigation behind this."
Guo Zongyi didn't answer. He knew who was instigating him. He heard that Wang Jun, an old actor, had submitted another petition for divorce yesterday. After being rejected, he immediately took action. He had bypassed the Ministry of Works before. This time he
So the Ministry of War was mobilized, and they really did everything they could.
It's just that now there are no empty courtyards in the capital that can accommodate so many people. Now he can only find a way to move the remaining troops, so Wei Xun has no legitimate reason to stop him.
But the power to mobilize troops lies with the Privy Council, and the Privy Council envoy is Wang Jun. For a moment, he felt that his brain, which he had just woken up, started to hurt again...
Rubbing his temples vigorously, he asked Xiang Lu Duan: "When will the refugees arrive in Beijing?"
"The first batch of 30,000 people will arrive in Beijing in six days. In addition, the West Hall received a report yesterday that two more groups of people set off from Xingzhou and Jizhou respectively, with 35,000 people from Xingzhou and 40,000 people from Jizhou.
The roster is on the way, but people will not arrive in Beijing until about 15 days," Lu Duanhui reported.
The West Hall is the name given to the offices of the seconded officials in the West Courtyard. These days, they are led by Li Fang, Lu Duan, and Xue Juzheng. The construction planning of the refugee city and the raising and dispatch of materials all depend on their efforts.
"One hundred and five thousand people, more than half of what we predicted." Guo Zongyi said thoughtfully.
Turning around, he ordered Cao Han: "If you have nothing to do now, please lead another hundred guards in the mansion and assist Chai Wang in transporting supplies for the time being."
"Provoke." Cao Han said in a seductive voice. He failed in his errand and had no energy to speak.
Just as he was about to leave, Guo Zongyi stopped him: "I can't blame you for this, don't take it to heart."
Cao Han then turned from sorrow to joy, sang a song loudly, and left with the wind at his feet.
After Lu Duan left, he worriedly asked: "Your Highness, the new city still needs refugees to build it. Before that, what will happen to their residences?"
"Isn't there still five or six days left? When the refugees arrive in Beijing, I will have a place for them to live." Guo Zongyi wrote lightly. Although he had no choice at the moment, as the king, he must have Mount Tai collapse before him.
And the color remains unchanged.
Seeing that His Highness was confident, Lu Duan felt relieved, and he added: "The three companies you ordered Commander Cao to find a few days ago have been properly contacted. It's just that you have been ill these days, so I stopped them from going forward.
Excuse me, look now..."
"Invite them to come." Guo Zongyi nodded decisively.
In less than half an hour, the shopkeepers of the three shops came together. When Lu Duan came to report, Guo Zongyi was a little surprised: "They live very close to each other?"
"The three of them all live outside the city, not close by, but I have already ordered them to stay nearby in the past few days. His Highness may be summoned, so they only spent some time on the road." Lu Duan
Answered honestly.
"Yes, you are very thoughtful." Guo Zongyi praised, "Let's go, let's go to the front hall to meet them."
Three wealthy foreigners in plain clothes were waiting timidly in the front hall. They each had their heads lowered, and their eyes were full of worry.
"The three shopkeepers all seem to be worried."
The silence was broken, and the three of them raised their heads and saw a handsome young man walking out from the back of the corridor, followed by a green-robed civil servant, and eunuchs and palace maids, who were separated into two paths, falling far away.
The identity of the visitor was self-evident, and the three of them quickly stood up and bowed to meet him.
"No need to be polite, just sit down and serve tea." Guo Zongyi waved his hand.
"Thank you, Your Highness." The three of them bowed again and then took their seats, but they only dared to touch the chair with half of their buttocks, raised their heads and straightened their backs, without squinting.
Guo Zongyi could understand why they were nervous. The status of merchants had always been low. Although the ban on unrecruited positions in the industrial and commercial fields had long been abolished, officially, they were still of low status.
A person with a low status but a large amount of wealth will inevitably be targeted. Especially in modern times, many businessmen have been killed indiscriminately.
After looking around, Guo Zongyi said slowly: "None of the three of you are negotiators. In these turbulent years, you can still manage this business. You are not stupid. I called you here today because I want to talk to you."
Do some business."
The three of them looked at me and I looked at you, but they didn't say a word.
Lu Duan couldn't bear to look at it, and he became angry and shouted: "How dare you! Your Highness has a question, how dare you not answer it?"
With that said, he rushed into several guards and looked at them with their swords drawn.
The three of them trembled with fright, and two of them looked at a dark middle-aged man at the front seat at the same time. He was Zhu Renzhi of the Fu-branded "Zhu Banzhou", who was recommended by Tian Mao and Zhu Tong as the representative of the trip.
After all, he is still the ancestor of Zhu Xi.
Zhu Renzhi said tremblingly: "If His Highness has an order, just say it. How dare the common people disobey it?"
Tian and Zhu also echoed.
Guo Zongyi waved away the guards and comforted him with gentle words: "Don't be nervous. I am not an unreasonable person. I have called you here to bring you benefits."
"Your Highness, please make it clear." Zhu Ren said in a humble voice.
"You must already know that I am helping the refugees. Soon they will arrive in Beijing. Hundreds of thousands of people will eat and drink. Even if it is just for food and clothing, it will cost a lot of money. I have called you here just to ask some of the buyers.
Some food, flax materials, medicinal stones, etc., to help the refugees." Guo Zongyi boasted.
Among the previous 30,000 people, the number of truly homeless people has been counted, and it is only over 10,000 people.
If this ratio is used, only 70,000 to 80,000 people need to be purchased in the long term. The remaining people only need to take care of it for a month or two, distribute farm tools, and engage in production. When the new city can live in it, they will be directly registered as residents and will no longer be concentrated.
Relief.
The three of them were overjoyed and expressed their opinions one after another: "Your Highness, don't worry, the common people will give you the lowest price."
Guo Zongyi smiled slightly, picked up the teacup and took a sip, then said leisurely: "It's only 30% lower than the market price."
The three of them were even more delighted. Hundreds of thousands of refugees had food, clothing and shelter for several months, but they couldn't afford hundreds of thousands of taels of silver.
"But, the money must be owed first." Guo Zongyi said coldly.
The three of them were stunned on the spot, and their originally high emotions quickly fell away.
"This... may I ask, Your Highness, how long will it take to get credit?" Zhu Renzhi asked carefully with a grimace on his face.
His Highness's words were more tactful than robbing, so he still had a glimmer of hope left.
Guo Zongyi stretched out two fingers and made an eight sign.
"Eight years?" Zhu Renzhi asked tentatively.
If it lasts for eight years, the three families can still afford it if they work together. I just hope that the royal family will have more face than those killer talents in the army and will not deny their debt.
However, there was nothing they could do if they didn't recognize them. Ever since they received the name call the day before yesterday, the three of them had trouble sleeping and eating, and the connections in the court were helpless. They only advised them to be more cautious and leave the green hills intact, so as not to worry about running out of firewood.
Therefore, the three of them were prepared for heavy bleeding, and Tian Mao even made arrangements for his funeral.
Guo Zongyi shook his head: "Eight months, no more than a year at the latest."
Zhu Renzhi was stunned, and after a while he said in surprise: "Seriously?!"
Guo Zongyi was quite displeased when he heard this, and said with a straight face: "I am the eldest grandson of the current emperor, how can I trick you?"
"Yes, yes, it's the common people who are mean-mouthed." As he said that, Zhu Renzhi lightly slapped himself twice.
"After eight months, the debt will be paid with grain and silk," Guo Zongyi said.
"Sure!" Zhu Renzhi said simply, fearing that His Highness would regret it again.
"Then we will establish a letter as evidence." Seeing their agreement, Guo Zongyi felt relieved. Eight months was not a long time, and it was within the range they could bear.
He has learned that several people's business houses have more than a dozen caravans and nearly a hundred water ships. They mainly sell porcelain, raw silk, and medicinal materials from the Central Plains to Western Shu and the Southern Tang Dynasty, and then purchase local brocade forgings, tea, and grain.
When you come back, you can make money on both sides.
Zhu Tong also smuggled horses, ironware, salt, wine and other goods for sale, but this person was a relative of Li Yiyin, the envoy of Dingnan Jiedu. At this time, Li Yiyin took refuge with Liu Chong's puppet Han and did not belong to the king. Last year, Guo Wei issued an imperial edict to him.
Even though he was the king of Longxi County, the imperial court always adopted a soft policy toward him. Zhu Tong didn't do too much, so he just turned a blind eye.
"Which of your families has business dealings in Fujian or Lingnan?" Guo Zongyi suddenly asked.
The three of them looked at each other, not sure of his pulse, and did not dare to answer. After all, there was no explicit document that allowed trade with the Southern Tang Dynasty (Liu Congxiao separatized southern Fujian, and the Southern Tang Dynasty took the lead) and the Southern Han Dynasty.
Of course, there was no express prohibition on trade with the two countries, which shows that the imperial court did not attach great importance to the trade of goods, colonization, and trade.
Seeing that the green-robed civil servant was about to get angry again, Zhu Renzhi had the courage to answer: "There are two caravans at the grassroots home."
He was not afraid that His Highness would take the opportunity to make an attack, at least not until the Fuliu Civil Service was completed.
Guo Zongyi nodded and said: "You stay, Tian and Zhu, the two shopkeepers, can go back and prepare supplies."
Tianmao, Zhu Tongru was pardoned, he saluted and trotted out.
Guo Zongyi looked amused and said softly: "You are so cowardly, why are you doing smuggling business?"
Zhu Renzhi's heart skipped a beat, thinking that His Highness had actually inquired about such things clearly. It seemed that he was well prepared when he came to do this business with them.
"Do you know why I kept you?" Guo Zongyi looked at Zhu Renzhi and asked playfully.
Zhu Renzhi avoided the sharp gaze, thought for a moment, and then answered: "It's because the common people are brave."
"Hahaha." Guo Zongyi laughed heartily, "I wish the shopkeeper is also a wonderful person."
"Your Highness has killed the common people." Zhu Renzhi said respectfully, his heart also returning to his stomach.
"I keep you here because I want you to help me bring some rice seeds back from Fujian." Guo Zongyi said.
"Rice seeds?" Zhu Ren questioned, "Most of the Central Plains are arid, how can this rice survive?"
Guo Zongyi shook his head: "No, what I want you to find is a kind of rice seed called Champa. It is extensively cultivated, drought-tolerant and flood-resistant. It can mature in a hundred days three seasons a year. It grows regardless of the location. If
If it is promoted in the Central Plains and rice and wheat are combined, grain production will surely increase."
Zhu Renzhi was shocked when he heard this. There were such excellent rice seeds in the world? He had never heard of it after being a businessman for decades. How did he know about it?
Guo Zongyi naturally knew about it in his dream. Historically, Champa rice was introduced to Fujian in the late Tang Dynasty. A hundred years later, during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty, it was promoted to Jianghuai and Zhejiang.
However, the current Champa rice production is definitely not as high-yielding as he said. There are only two crops a year, and since there is insufficient rain and sunshine in the Central Plains, I am afraid it can only be harvested once a year.
According to records, Champa rice can only be harvested three times a year in some high-quality fields in Lingnan. In other places, it can be harvested twice a year. It was not until the late Southern Song Dynasty that a superior variety that matured in sixty days was developed.
Most crops need to be cultivated. The native corn in America is no more than the thickness of a little finger. In the future, by crossing Champa rice with local improved varieties, it may not be possible to achieve two crops a year in the north.
"I'll give you a month to go to southern Fujian to look for it. If there is anyone who is familiar with this rice seed, I can pay him a lot of money to come back." Guo Zongyi said again.
"Yes!" Zhu Renzhi put away his thoughts and responded quickly.
"If I can bring it back, I will ask for your credit in front of His Majesty." Guo Zongyi drew another big cake.
Zhu Renzhi was so happy that he bowed to the ground and said, "Thank you, Your Highness, the common people will live up to their mission!"
He had no doubts about Guo Zongyi's words. If the rice seeds were as high-yielding and drought-resistant as the young highness said, it would be a great contribution to the country and the people, and it would be normal to be rewarded with an official status.
He is a businessman, but he is from a lowly family. If he can get rid of the shackles of his status through this merit, then his descendants will be able to take part in the imperial examinations or serve in the army. In the future, this official will also have a place in the Zhu family.
Zhu Shizhi burst into tears and left with a lot of thanks. Lu Duan couldn't help but ask: "Your Highness, from the look on his face, it seems that he doesn't know that there is such a rice seed. Can he find it in more than a month?"
"Of course." Guo Zongyi replied with great confidence, "He will be able to react quickly. If he doesn't do his best to bring the rice seeds back, I won't have enough food to repay their debts in eight months."
