Emperor Zhengde of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 152
Tanggukou.

Qi Jingtong looked at Shen Wanqian who was kneeling on the ground and said, "You have 1000 million taels of silver as principal? How do you conduct this cross-sea trade?"

"Responding to my lord, the grass-roots have accumulated some wealth before, and they will use it for primitive capital accumulation. Once the conditions are ripe, the grass-folk will be able to make profits."

Qi Jingtong knew that this was the intention of His Majesty Zhu Houzhao, who asked him to come to the customs to earn money from foreigners and then use it for the Ming Dynasty.

However, 3000 million taels of silver is not something that can be earned casually, and it only takes one year. If he can't earn it in one year, then Shen Wanqian's head will have to move.

However, after thinking about it again, he earns money from foreigners and uses it for Ming Dynasty. This is the best of both worlds. Money, isn't that great?
"What conditions are you waiting for? Can you really earn it?"

Qi Jingtong was still a little skeptical. After all, 3000 million taels was such a huge amount of data. In the most glorious year of the Ming Empire, the fiscal revenue was only 3000 million taels.

"Returning to my lord, Caomin doesn't know when this opportunity will come. If the opportunity comes, Caomin can grasp it well. As for whether he can make money, it depends on Caomin's life."

Shen Wanqian took a deep breath, he felt that he had already reached this point, only the idea of ​​survival kept him alive until now, if it wasn't for survival, he would have gone to another world long ago.

Qi Jingtong also let out a long sigh and said, "Oh, this is your life. Get up! What conditions do you think you have?"

Shen Wanqian hurriedly got up from the ground with great gratitude, cupped his hands and said to Qi Jingtong: "My lord, as long as you lend me ten small boats, the ones that are 33 feet long, Caomin can send someone to take my Daming silk , tea, ceramics, etc. are sold to Europe, and then you can earn at least more than 1000 million in profit."

"Caomin still has some friends in the mainland, and they can be mobilized to help purchase, so the raw materials are not a problem, as long as they are delivered safely, they can make money."

Qi Jingtong frowned, feeling a bit like a dream. This is something out of the Arabian Nights. If you sailed to the other side of the ocean in the boat lent to you, where would you go to find you?
"You think so well, but have you ever thought about whether foreigners want to buy things, and how do you value them?" Qi Jingtong thought very far, but in Shen Wanqian's eyes, these problems were not a problem at all. .

"My lord, you don't have to worry about it. The grass people have made deliveries with foreigners many times, and our goods are still very popular in their hands."

Qi Jingtong got a little excited when he heard the words, and said: "Okay, I believe you, and I will prepare everything for you according to what you said, and you will go to sea to do business tomorrow, but after you come back, you need something. Performance is what it is."

"That's natural, Caomin, thank you for your help!" Shen Wanqian was very polite. When dealing with the government before, he did not give them any favors. He knew that the "performance" Qi Jingtong said was to honor him. It's just a human thing.

Qi Jingtong asked Shen Wanqian to go down. He didn't take Shen Wanqian's matter to heart. The most important thing for him now is to be able to invent the steam engine that His Majesty used for the experiment last time, so that the iron-clad warship can be solved. Navigation is a problem now.

When he came out of the palace that day, it was not that he didn't understand Zhu Houzhao's intention of boiling water. It was just that the warship was so big, where could he find the source of fire?How can water be boiled?

A series of questions emerged from his mind, but he felt helpless again.

The training of the Ming Navy has always been an important task entrusted to him by Zhu Houzhao, and whenever he asked for money, the court allocated funds to him without hesitation. That's it.

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation in the Forbidden City.

Zhu Houzhao flipped through the memorial sent by Qi Jingtong, which slightly mentioned Shen Wanqian's idea of ​​borrowing a boat to go to sea. Zhu Houzhao closed the memorial and called Xiaofangzi to come over.

"Is Qi Jingtong from the Admiralty of the Navy still at Tanggukou?"

"Long live, according to the recent on-duty status of officials in various places, Mr. Qi Jingtong has just finished his annual vacation, and he should have rushed to Tanggukou in the past few days."

"Why doesn't he come to see me on vacation? Tell me my order, I will go to the customs on August [-]th, and see how he has been doing outside for more than half a year?"

"According to the order!"

Liu Ruyue, whom Ouyang Jing selected for Zhu Houzhao, made him forget his soul. Zhu Houzhao, who was immersed in beauty, finally became concerned about the affairs of the court again under the advice of cabinet minister Li Dongyang.

However, this time he was not so concerned. The first thing he did when he came out of Shufangzhai was to confer Ouyang Jing as a god-given female official, which was equivalent to Shangguan Wan'er in Wu Zetian's time.

That is, the first female prime minister of Ming Dynasty.

As soon as the news spread, the entire Ming harem was shocked.

This has never happened since the founding of the Ming Dynasty by Zhu Yuanzhang, Emperor Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty.

Your Majesty canonized Ouyang Jing as a female official, which shows how favored this servant is by His Majesty's side?

After half a month of lazy administration, Zhu Houzhao finally went to the Jinluan Hall to face the imperial court. On one side was the eunuch Xiao Fangzi, and on the other side was Ouyang Jing.

Xiao Fangzi stood under the dragon platform on the side of the dragon case. The courtiers saw the memorial and handed over Xiao Fangzi to His Majesty. Ouyang Jing stood in the corner of the Golden Luan Hall, waiting for Zhu Houzhao to retire like other eunuchs.

Ouyang Jing never dreamed that one day she would stand beside the emperor and accept the obeisance of the ministers.

Zhu Houzhao just came out of Shufangzhai in the past few days, and he looks much older, his body feels hollowed out, and he is always unable to do what he wants.

He knew that it was caused by indulgence, but after he took the "honey pill", he felt inexhaustible energy all over his body, and he still had a desire to stop, until half a month later, Liu Ruyue took nine pills. Only after Zhu Houzhao had taken all the pills was he willing to give up.

half a month later.

The Golden Temple of the Forbidden City.

Following the sound of three clean whips, all civil and military officials entered the hall one after another.

In the past few days, many civil officials tried their best to pose difficult problems for Zhu Houzhao, and some even raised the issue of restoring the ancestral system.

But Zhu Houzhao still ignored the words of some civil servants. For this reason, after seeing Zhu Houzhao, a civil servant reported his concerns, or ignored him, and he was killed on the pillar of the hall in front of Zhu Houzhao.

Of course, the emperor can't do anything to such ministers, he can only give them a whole body and pay the family members a salary.

Although his heart is not in government affairs, the imperial decree left by Emperor Hongzhi is still effective. When someone asked the Queen Mother to teach Zhu Houzhao a lesson, he restrained himself a little.

As for the major events reported by the ministers, he turned a deaf ear. Many ministers felt that His Majesty had been stimulated in some way.

It's no wonder that a young man who has just grown up is immersed in beauty all of a sudden, and it is even more difficult for him to quit suddenly.

Shufangzhai has been strictly guarded by Zhu Houzhao, and several beautiful girls have been transferred in. This is the imperial edict issued by Zhu Houzhao himself, and no one dares to disobey it.

(End of this chapter)