Yunxi got up early the next morning, had breakfast with Miaojin and Yunzhi, and then went to visit his herb garden with Zhu Ju.
The reputation of Zhuji Baicao Garden is not just blown. There are indeed many kinds of plants that can be used as medicine, some of which he has never seen in the palace's medicine store. Yunxi asked Zhuji for some medicinal materials.
Although Zhu Ru was reluctant, he still agreed.
Of course, Yunxi did not forget his own business. While shopping, he persuaded Zhu Zhi to raise some animals that could be used as medicine to study why they could cure diseases.
Zhu Ji had never thought about why these things could cure diseases. Of course he knew the theories in medicine, but he also knew that there were many contradictions in them. Based on the idea of saving the world and saving people, he agreed to Yunxi's request.
He also said: "I can't do this alone. All the famous doctors in Kaifeng City will have to come over and study with me."
Yunxi was secretly happy and said: "Studying medical skills is a matter of immeasurable merit. If you need my nephew for anything, just ask."
"It's not necessary for the time being. Although I don't have money to publish a book, I can still afford to talk about medical skills with these famous doctors." Zhu Ju said with a smile.
At noon, everyone gathered together for lunch. Yunxi took a short nap, and was served by Miaojin to put on his coat. He wanted to start studying why the strong laborers were unwilling to stay in their hometowns to farm, but came to Kaifeng City.
Work as a porter.
…
…
"Emperor," Zhu Youdou said one word before Yunxi glared at him and quickly changed his words: "Fifth brother, let's study why they don't want to stay in the countryside to farm, but go to work in the city?"
"Then how do you think we should study it?" Yunxi glanced at him sideways and asked.
At this time, the two of them were not in Prince Zhou's Mansion, but were wearing leather clothes, walking with Miao Jin and Yunzhi on the streets of Kaifeng City under the protection of several guards. Not everyone wears leather jackets these days.
Those who can afford it, or in other words, only a very small number of people can afford it, so they are very conspicuous when walking on the street.
"Fifth brother, just find a few servants from the palace to ask the porters. Why do you need to walk on the street so ostentatiously? My brother often appears in Kaifeng City. Many people know my brother. If they recognize me, I won't
Okay." Zhu Youdou said.
"Why do you think I asked Yunzhi's maid to put on makeup for you before going out?" Yunxi explained: "When Yunzhi was in the capital, she sometimes used the opportunity to go out to visit her uncle and aunt to wander around the capital, and the guards didn't dare to
It was against her will. In order to reduce the trouble, Yunzhi dressed in men's clothing and asked the maid to make her makeup more neutral. Over time, her maid's makeup became very powerful, almost like a disguise. So you don't have to worry about being cheated.
People recognize it."
"As for the method of research?" Yunxi looked at him again and said with a smile: "Sixth Brother, this is how you researched the last time, right? And you didn't tell your servants why, and then you got all kinds of answers?
"
"That's true. What's the problem with that?" Zhu Youdun asked.
"Sixth brother, you must know that the servants of the palace are different from the common people outside. Especially the people you can see. They are servants in the palace and uncles outside. Their tone of voice and demeanor are all the same as ordinary people.
The people are different, let alone compared with the porters."
"Even if they attach great importance to your order and try their best to restrain themselves, the porters can still feel that they are not ordinary people. They may be people from the government. How can they dare to tell the truth? If they don't pay attention to your order, they can just ask anyone.
Once you ask, there will be no results." Yunxi explained.
"Then Fifth Brother, how can we study it now that we are dressed like this?" After hearing his explanation, Zhu Youdou immediately understood why he couldn't study it, but he didn't understand why they were so ostentatious now.
Yunxi did not explain this time. Instead, he looked at the people on the side and asked, "Have they really all been businessmen?"
"I asked the steward in charge of the shops in the palace to find these. They are all people who have been doing business for a long time, and they are all natives of Henan. I also followed your instructions, Fifth Brother, and asked the steward not to reveal our true identities.
He said that we are relatives of the chief steward of the palace, and we came to Kaifeng from the capital to do business, and we are looking for help from people who are familiar with the local area." Zhu Youdou said.
"That's good. Now we have to look like businessmen. We can have a little aura of being a master, but we can't go overboard." Yunxi ordered again.
"I know, Fifth Brother." Although Zhu Youdou was more confused, he still agreed.
As they talked, they had arrived at the place where porters usually gathered. Yunxi looked up and saw a Taoist temple, with many strong men wearing shabby cotton-padded jackets squatting at the base of the wall.
"Two young masters, this is where they usually are. If the young masters want to hire someone to carry things, just ask them." A man named Zhou Zhihui who Zhu Youdou borrowed from the steward came over and said respectfully.
.
"What kind of young masters are we? We can't afford to be called you. Why do the Taoist people let them stay here?" Yunxi said with a smile.
"You two are relatives of the chief steward of the palace. To people like us, you are the young master." Zhou Zhihui said respectfully. Yunxi insisted on not accepting this title, so he changed his name to "official", which was still an honorific title.
"You haven't answered my question yet, why do the Taoist people let them stay here? Aren't they afraid of affecting the incense?" Yunxi asked again.
"Officials, these coolies also formed a guild after the businessmen. They gave the Taoist some money every month and asked the Taoist priests to agree that they would live here at night and stay in the yard during the day if they were not working. This Taoist temple originally
The incense is not very popular either, and the money these coolies receive every month is more than the original incense money, so the Taoist priests are naturally willing." Zhou Zhihui explained.
"Does the Taoist temple provide accommodation for them?" Yunxi asked curiously.
"Here, why don't you give it to those who have received money? It's not that they don't make money. But these coolies can't bear to live in such a nice place. They can squeeze as many people into one bed as possible. I've been there before, and it was fine in winter.
The smell of summer is not what people smell." Zhou Zhihui said with a smile again.
After he finished speaking, he paused. Seeing that Yunxi had no more questions, he asked, "I don't know how much goods the officials have to move? How many people need to be hired?"
"There are always five or six carts of stuff. How many people do you think we need to hire?"
"It would take seven or eight people to carry five or six cars from the pier to the city and unload them, and it would cost about two hundred cash." Zhou Zhihui calculated.
"Okay, you go ahead and do it." Yunxi ordered. Zhou Zhihui agreed and turned around to hire someone. But on the way over, he was still thinking: 'These are two people who have never experienced hardship and are doing business by doing business.
He came to Kaifeng City in the name of a businessman. He looked more like a young master from a wealthy family than a businessman. How could a relative of the chief steward of the palace be a poor person?'
As he was thinking about it, Yunxi turned his head and said to Zhu Youdou: "He thinks that we are just relatives of the chief steward of the palace, so we are so respectful. Your chief steward is also powerful enough."
"Except for a few people in the family, most of the servants and property are in charge of the big boss. He can get rid of a shopkeeper like this in a shop with just a word. Do you think he is powerful? How dare someone like Zhou Zhihui do anything to us?
Disrespectful?" Zhu Youdou said calmly.
"You still know?" Yunxi was a little surprised.
"How come I don't know? It's just that the current manager is relatively fair in his work, he doesn't get much money, and the palace is managed without making any mistakes, so I just turn a blind eye." Zhu Youdun said.
Being able to take charge of the palace affairs at a young age is definitely not a sweet potato. But he knows that even if another person is replaced, he may not be better than the current one, so he turns a blind eye.
"Hey, that's right." Yunxi remembered his attitude towards the eunuchs in the palace, and immediately understood Zhu Youdou's thoughts.
"By the way," Yunxi suddenly remembered another thing and said to Zhu Youdou: "Do the shops in the palace pay taxes now?"
"Come on, fifth brother, when you set up police in cities across the country, you also set up a special tax police to measure the size of stores and collect taxes. Of course, my brother must support you and take the lead in paying taxes. It's just that the police in Kaifeng Prefecture are afraid of our family and don't dare to come.
Collect it, I always ask the shopkeeper to send it over." Zhu Youdou said.
"That's not bad." Yunxi breathed a sigh of relief, but then said: "But Wangzhuang doesn't pay taxes."
"Fifth Brother, you still want us to pay taxes on our fields? Since ancient times, there has never been a precedent for the royal family to pay taxes on their fields." Zhu Youdou said with some surprise: "Fifth Brother, you want me to pay taxes here, I
I definitely won’t object. Anyway, we don’t have much money, and those subordinate officials don’t dare to charge more. But this is not only our family’s business, the fields of the noble clans across the country don’t pay much tax. You can limit the number of fields you own,
But paying taxes is not easy.”
"Brother also knows, it's just a joke." Yunxi said with a smile.
Zhu Youdou looked at him a few more times and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he really seemed to be joking. Zhu You likes to study medicine, he likes opera, and he spends a lot of money. Although he can't pay much in taxes, he
Is it better not to pay or not to pay?
Afterwards, they talked about opera. When he talked about opera, Zhu Youdun became full of energy, and Taotao started talking unconsciously. "Fifth brother, I wrote another play, about..."
Hearing his words, Yunzhi pursed her lips and smiled: "Brother Six is really obsessed with opera?"
Zhu Youdun didn't take it seriously: "It's not a sin to like opera, why not? Moreover, the fifth brother asked me to write plays a few years ago, so it can be seen that this is also useful to the court."
"Yes, yes, it will be useful to the court." Yunzhi said with a smile.
