As usual, before the imperial envoys left the capital, the emperor would meet with them and give them instructions. However, this time all three imperial envoys went directly on their way, and the emperor did not see any of them. He seemed to be watching indifferently.
The day after receiving the imperial edict, Wang Xian bid farewell to his beloved wife in tears and led the guards out of the capital. This trip to Shanxi was related to the fate of the prince and grandson, so Wang Xian sent out all his elite troops, including Xianyun and Wu.
For, Erhei, Mo Wen, Xu Huaiqing and others all set off with him.
The team of a thousand people crossed the Yangtze River and headed north by land. It was already the end of October, and the capital could still feel the chill. The further north it went, the colder it became. Eight days later, when they arrived in Henan, the river had already frozen, but for Zheng Zheng
To the soldiers who had traveled to Mobei, this was nothing to worry about.
More than a thousand cavalry galloped on the vast Central China Plain, roaring and singing along the way. It was like a thousand cavalry rolling down a hill. How enjoyable it was.
But Wang Xian and others also clearly discovered that the further north they went, the more difficult the people's lives became. The dilapidated thatched huts, half-clothed people, and the thin and sallow people were all different from the people in the capital and Zhejiang.
"Before I went on an expedition and walked along the Grand Canal, I saw the people in ragged clothes and disheveled faces. I thought it was only the people in Shandong who were suffering so hard." Wu Wei said with a sad look on his face.
"After all, the south of the Yangtze River is a land of plenty. No matter how hard it is, the people can still have food to eat," Xu Huaiqing sighed: "The situation in the north is not good. The land is barren and low-yield, and the people have to work hard. Life is extremely difficult."
"It is said that the emperor has overstretched the people's resources in recent years, and the people have been unable to survive. I didn't believe it at first, but now I know that what he said is true." Mo Wen's depressed face is really suitable for expressing his current mood.
.
"Fortunately, the emperor has also realized that the world can now rest with the people." Wang Xian said softly.
"That's not necessarily the case." Erhei said in a dull voice, "I heard from Kuai Xiang that the palace has issued an order to order all the craftsmen in the capital to go to Beijing. It is said that a Forbidden City will be built that will be much larger than the current palace." He spat.
He said: "I don't understand. Your Majesty already has tens of millions of mansions, why do you still need to build them? Can you live in them?"
"This is just for brothers to talk about. Don't complain to others." Wang Xian looked at him and said.
"But I think you are overdoing it." Seeing everyone expressing their opinions, Xianyun couldn't help but say: "The emperor built canals, built Beijing, compiled the Yongle Grand Ceremony, sailed to the West, conquered Annan... there were many places to spend money.
It's gone, but there hasn't been any big trouble, so it's impossible for a palace to collapse, right?"
Everyone was speechless for a moment, but Wang Xian said calmly: "Of course a palace cannot crush the Ming Dynasty, but the money used to build the palace can crush the Ming Dynasty."
After listening to Wang Xian's words, everyone became more confused, and he had no choice but to further explain: "The reason why the emperor was able to accomplish the great deeds that several generations of emperors have been unable to accomplish is because of a secret weapon."
"What secret weapon?"
"This." Wang Xian took out a piece of paper from the boot page and said.
"Bao Chao?" Everyone couldn't help but said in disappointment: "It's too hard to wipe your butt."
"This is the secret." Wang Xian said expressionlessly: "From the time when a consistent banknote was worth a consistent amount of money, now a consistent banknote is only worth more than a dozen yuan. The reason for the sharp depreciation is that in order to cope with the increasingly huge expenditure, the imperial court issued a large amount of treasures indiscriminately.
Emperor Chao's great achievements were built on the wanton plundering of the wealth of hundreds of millions of people over the past twenty years."
"Yes, my family used to be considered a wealthy businessman. Later, after the banknote law was corrupted, our family had a fortune and could not even make a living. We had to work as soldiers to feed ourselves because of our humble position." These words resonated strongly with Zhou Yong, and Wu
Weiye nodded and said: "There are no wealthy businessmen's families in Jiangsu and Zhejiang twenty years ago. Now you can't see any of them."
"To overissue banknotes without a reserve fund is to nakedly plunder people's wealth." Wang Xian sighed: "But when the people's power is exhausted, this road will no longer go on..."
Everyone now understood what Wang Xian meant. During the Hongwu period, treasure notes could still be used for hundreds of coins, but now they are only worth more than a dozen coins. An older one like this one is too hard to wipe your buttocks.
The common people have long been unwilling to use the money issued by the court. At the same time, in order to protect the status of the treasure banknotes, Emperor Yongle strictly banned gold and silver repeatedly and ordered that anyone who violated the order beheaded and sent to the army. All the family wealth belonged to the whistleblower, and the people were not allowed to abandon the treasure banknotes.
What's the difference between using gold and silver instead and robbing someone?
But now the people would rather barter than accept the increasingly depreciating treasure banknotes. This is the most fatal response to Emperor Yongle.
"During the Yongle period, the imperial court's expenses were always two to three times the annual income. This difference was completely made up by the excessive issuance of treasure banknotes." Mo Wen said with a pale face: "So, when the people abandon the treasure banknotes, the court will go bankrupt.
day"
"When will people abandon their treasures?" Young Master Xianyun asked with difficulty.
"Almost..." Everyone struggled to say two words, and fell into a long silence.
"Okay, Zhengzhou is ahead." After a long time, Wang Xian woke up everyone and said: "You will never starve to death as an errand, so let's do your errands well."
Everyone responded in unison and looked up. Sure enough, they saw the crowds in front of them gradually becoming more prosperous and the yellow city wall in sight.
The guards were stationed at the post station outside Zhengzhou City, and Wang Xian took a dozen people and changed into casual clothes and entered Zhengzhou City. At this time, Zhengzhou was just a scattered state under the jurisdiction of Kaifeng Prefecture. Its status and prosperity were far beyond the
Compared with later generations. But after all, it is the hinterland of the Central Plains and the thoroughfare in all directions. It looks much better than the prefectures and counties it passes through.
Wang Xian and the others were not in the mood to go shopping, so they walked to a secluded alley in the west of the city to find Shi Longtan, the former chief of the Jin Dynasty's palace who lived here.
According to the address given by Taisun, everyone found the third house in the alley. Before knocking on the door, they smelled a strong smell of medicine from the crack of the closed door.
Erhei stepped forward and knocked on the door. After a while, a crisp female voice asked: "Who is it?"
"Excuse me, is this Mr. Longtan's house?" Erhei asked angrily.
"Who are you?" The door opened a small crack, revealing half of a pretty face full of vigilance.
"Oh, we are from Beijing. We are here to visit Mr. Long on the order of my master." Erhei said, handing in a dragon-shaped jade pendant.
"Please wait a moment." The woman took the jade pendant, went in for a moment, opened the door, and came out. She blessed everyone and said softly: "My father is in bed and cannot greet him personally. Please forgive me."
"I'm serious." Erhei looked at this woman. She had jet-black braids, a slender figure, and her face was not beautiful, but she was also very beautiful. Her eyebrows were slightly thick, which made her look even more heroic. Her face felt warm for the first time.
It seems a little cramped.
Wang Xian and others wanted to laugh at him, but the girl's father was sick, so they had to hold back their laughter and filed into the yard. The small yard was kept very clean, except for the herbs dried in the dustpan and boiled on the charcoal stove.
The jar filled with medicine lets people know that there is a sick person in the house.
Entering the north room, I saw a haggard middle-aged man lying on the kang. His beard and hair were gray, and his eyes were dull. He looked much older than his actual age. He rolled his eyes and moved his lips a few times.
"My father asked," or his daughter explained: "Are you from the East Palace?"
"Yes, I was sent by His Highness the Crown Prince," Wang Xian nodded, looked at the sickly middle-aged man and said, "Are you Longtan Longshi?"
The middle-aged man pointed to the first drawer of the standing cabinet, and his daughter opened the drawer, took out an official document and handed it to Wang Xian. Wang Xian saw that it was the 20th year of Hongwu, when Long Tan, an imperial student, was appointed as the right minister of the Jin Palace.
After Shi's confession, he no longer had any doubts. He handed it back to the girl and asked, "Why did your father suddenly fall ill?"
"My father was not in good health to begin with, and he has been involved in so many things this year. As soon as he came back from the capital, he fell ill." Miss Long said with tears in her eyes.
Everyone sighed when they heard this. They all thought that he was sick now. He was so sick that he would not even go to Shanxi. They couldn't bear to ask him anything.
Long Tan seemed to know what they meant, and his lips moved a few more times, and his daughter said: "My father means, if you have anything, just ask me, I know everything."
"This," Wang Xian really didn't know what to ask her, so he had to tell the truth: "Actually, we are here to ask Mr. Long to be our guide." Worried that the other party would misunderstand, he hurriedly explained: "But before we come here,
I didn't expect Mr. Long to be so ill."
"Is the imperial court going to vindicate His Highness?" Miss Long's eyes lit up and she said.
"This...needs to act according to circumstances." Wang Xian said vaguely.
However, this made Miss Long seem to be a different person, and she took the initiative to invite Ying and said: "I will go to Shanxi with you on behalf of my father."
"You..." All the men suspected that they heard wrongly.
"That's me." Miss Long puffed up her chest and said crisply: "I grew up in Shanxi, and my father never hid anything from me, so I know the people and things in Shanxi best."
"Then I can't take a girl like you on the road." Erhei muttered.
"What's wrong with women? You don't think of me as a woman." Miss Long said, "No one can recognize me when I put on men's clothes."
"That's right." Erhei's huge head was like a chicken pecking at rice.
"Don't be ridiculous," Wang Xian coughed and said, "Your father won't agree."
Unexpectedly, Longtan nodded slowly, pointed at his daughter, and then at Wang Xian. The meaning was very clear - let her go with you.
"Several adults don't know something." Seeing the surprised expressions on their faces, Miss Long choked up and said, "My family has been greatly favored by two generations of princes. Even if they were broken into pieces, there would be no repayment. My father was framed and deposed because of the princes.
She was unable to rescue him, so she became sick with worry and anger. Now that we have the opportunity to vindicate the prince, my family will do it even if they risk their lives." She looked at her father and said, "Now that my father is bedridden, it is my duty as a daughter to do it. Please
"You must agree, sir." After saying this, he knelt down to Wang Xian and kowtowed vigorously.
"Sir..." Erhei was so moved that he almost shed tears after hearing this. He blinked hard at Wang Xian and begged him to agree to her quickly.
Wang Xian sighed and said, "What about your father?"
"As long as my mother and brother are here, my father will always take care of me." Miss Long said overjoyed: "Sir, wait a moment, I will tell my mother." After saying this, Wang Xian didn't give Wang Xian a chance to regret it again, and went in like a gust of wind.