In the Qianqing Palace, Emperor Zhu Youjian listened to Wang Chengen's report and frowned.
Li Zhi opened his mouth and asked for six earl titles.
The title of earl with different surnames was really rare in the Ming Dynasty. Ordinary officials could not reach the level of knighthood in their lifetime. For example, in the seven years of the Tianqi Dynasty, Emperor Xizong Zhu Youxiao only awarded three earls with different surnames. In fact, since Zhu Since Jian ascended the throne, in the 22nd year of the Chongzhen Dynasty, only three earls with different surnames, Zhou Kui, Hong Chengchou, and Cao Bianjiao, were granted the title of emperor of the Chongzhen Dynasty.
Hong Chengchou's count was revoked because of the defeat of Guan Ning's army. In fact, Zhu Youjian only knighted three people.
It can be seen from this that the title of nobility is precious in the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty.
And Li Zhi immediately asked Zhu Youjian for six earl titles and wanted to choose an opportunity to distribute them to his subordinates.
Li Zhi thought this title was an official title such as general or guerrilla? Can it be given out at will?
Zhu Youjian couldn't help but take a breath.
Knocking on the armrest of the throne, Zhu Youjian asked: "Can Li Zhi get 1.4 million shi of grain?"
Wang Chengen raised his hands and said: "Go back to the Holy Land, Li Zhi can figure it out! He took the slave to see the granary in Tianjin. The granary covers an area of more than 100 acres and is built between Fanjiazhuang and Tianjin Acropolis. It is surrounded by a two-foot-high city wall. There is an unknown amount of wheat stored in the granary, at least five million dan."
Zhu Youjian nodded and asked: "If there is food, what price should it be sold to the court?"
Wang Chengen replied: "The cheapest grain is spring wheat from Liaodong Province. It is darker in color and tastes worse, but it can also make a living and save lives. The current market price of this kind of winter wheat is 20,000 yuan, but the price during the harvest season in June It's even cheaper. The prince bought it from farmers in Liaodong in June for one or two or eight yuan under state protection, and now he is willing to sell it to the court at this price."
One tael and eight yen per stone of wheat is really a very attractive price. Compared with the price of 2 tao and 7 yen for rice in Beijing, this one stone of grain saves nine taels of silver, a third of 1.4 million. The stone grain saved the court more than 1.2 million taels of silver.
You must know that Taicang's annual income is only a few million taels.
Zhu Youjian has more than three million taels of silver, so he can afford to buy this spring wheat.
Zhu Youjian's eyes lit up, and a joyful look appeared on his face. Sure enough, as long as he found Li Zhi, any difficulty could be solved.
After thinking about it, Zhu Youjian asked: "The prince of Tianjin bought grain in Liaodong and had to transport it to Tianjin. The freight along the way was expensive. Now that it is sold to us at the purchase price in Tianjin, won't the prince of Tianjin lose money?"
Wang Chengen pondered for a moment and said: "Back to the emperor, I also asked the prince of Tianjin County, and this is what he said at the beginning: He said that the emperor wants to save the people of Shaanxi Province, which is a matter of great benevolence and virtue. The imperial court does not have enough financial resources. Tianjin should also make some efforts. Therefore, things like freight charges are not included in the price of grain."
Zhu Youjian frowned and looked at Wang Chengen with a look of disbelief. With Li Zhi's character, as long as he helped the court, he would definitely get benefits. To transport grain from Liaodong to Tianjin, one stone of grain costs at least one penny in freight. 1.4 million shi is equivalent to more than 100,000 taels of silver for shipping. Will Li Zhi not argue with the court for nothing?
Zhu Youjian looked at Wang Dehua.
Seeing the emperor's doubts, Wang Dehua, the eunuch of Dongchang, raised his hand and said: "Your Majesty, Li Zhi built a railway in Liaodong. According to reports, the cost of transporting grain by railway is extremely low. In the past, it took dozens of oxcarts and horse-drawn carriages to haul grain for half a month. Nowadays, using railway transportation, a locomotive can be transported to Jinzhou Port in a few hours."
"It used to cost one or even two taels of silver to transport one stone of grain from Liaodong to Tianjin. Now I'm afraid it only costs one penny. Even if it's 1.4 million dan of grain, it only costs more than 10,000 taels of freight."
Hearing Wang Dehua's words, Zhu Youjian and Wang Chengen were both slightly surprised.
If the freight cost of one or two taels is reduced to a penny, the efficiency of this railway is really too powerful. If the freight cost of more than ten or even two hundred thousand taels is reduced to more than 10,000 taels, the savings are huge.
It's white money.
More than ten thousand taels of silver is a small amount of money for Li Zhi now.
Only then did Zhu Youjian understand that the reason why Li Zhi was so generous was that he didn't spend any money at all.
Only then did Wang Chengen realize that he had been tricked by Li Zhi. Before that, he really thought that Li Zhi was dedicated to serving the court and was willing to take the initiative to bear the huge freight.
But this railway is really a good thing. Liaodong produces millions of grains a year, saving 90% of freight costs. How many thousands of taels of silver will this save for Liaodong's grain every year? This Tianjin prince is really the reincarnation of Lu Ban.
No, I'm afraid even if Lu Ban was reincarnated he wouldn't have the means to invent so many novel and effective things.
Zhu Youjian seemed to be thinking about the power of the railway and was silent for a while.
Can this railway be repaired in Beizhili, Shanxi and Shaanxi?
After thinking about it, Zhu Youjian stood up, walked to the glass window and looked at the scenery in the palace.
"Six earldoms..."
Wang Chengen raised his hands and said: "Your Majesty, the Prince of Tianjin has said that these six titles will be reported to the imperial court from Tianjin, and the imperial court will confer them according to the traditional ceremony."
After thinking for a while, Wang Chengen said: "Moreover, the prince does not grant arbitrary titles at will, but to those who have made meritorious achievements in foreign conquests. For example, when Zheng Kaicheng and Zhong Feng defeated Japan, the prince is willing to grant them the title of earl."
Zhu Youjian smiled and said: "If we destroy Japan, we will be granted the title of Duke. If we conquer Annan and Siam again in the future, won't I want to create six marquises in Tianjin?"
Wang Chengen and Wang Dehua looked at each other for a while without speaking.
Now that Li Zhi has defeated the combined fleets of Hongyi and Yingyi, it will not be difficult to send his troops southward in the future. Maybe he will really attack southern countries like Annan.
If Tianjin had six marquises and a group of nobles, Tianjin's weight within the Ming Dynasty would be even greater. The Ming Dynasty's pattern of being less important internally and more important externally would probably continue.
But if Li Zhi goes to the south, how far will the territory of Ming Dynasty be expanded?
Wang Chengen did not dare to say anything anymore and stood aside with his hands down, waiting for Zhu Youjian to make a decision.
Zhu Youjian opened the glass window of Qianqing Palace and let the cold wind blow in. He thought for a long time.
"If the reform in Shaanxi Province is successful and the land tax is increased by 20%, Taicang's income can increase by 400,000 taels a year."
"If the disaster relief cannot be successful this time, not to mention the failure of Shaanxi's new Dharma conference, I am afraid that the people of Shaanxi will be displaced and exchange their children for food. By then, my achievements in conquering Shaanxi will have disappeared along with the famine."
"Li Zhi conquered Korea and Japan overseas and did not hand over overseas taxes to the court. I was not prepared to reward him for these conquests. However..." Shaking his head, Zhu Youjian said helplessly: "That's all, Li Zhi
If Zhi wants six earldoms, give them to him."
Zhu Youjian waved his dragon robe and said: "Huang Degong, the commander-in-chief of the Beijing Battalion, has returned and asked him to organize a grain transport team to transport Tianjin's cheap wheat to Shaanxi as quickly as possible to relieve the refugees in Shaanxi!"
