The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Zhu Houzhao fiddled with the golden rice cake, which was the name he gave it.

He raised the knife, cut it into small pieces, and placed it in a dustpan.

Yan Chengjin and Emperor Hongzhi came over, and saw a scholar holding a bit of rice cake and crying loudly.

Is it too delicious?

It shouldn't be necessary to cry like this.

"How much do you sell these rice cakes?" Emperor Hongzhi looked a little teasing.

Ah...

Why does it sound like my father?

Zhu Houzhao was stunned when he saw Emperor Hongzhi behind the crowd, and a bit of cunning appeared in his fear.

Yan Chengjin knew from the look in his eyes that Zhu Houzhao was thinking of a way.

The scholar next to him kindly reminded: "Ten taels of silver for a piece. Scholar Zhu said that this golden rice cake is blessed with the effect of refreshing the mind and prolonging life. Eating it will help you pass the imperial examination. The scholar accidentally ate a bite and couldn't afford the silver, so he cried so much."

Emperor Hongzhi almost jumped up. He suppressed his anger. This evil son was actually bullying the people here.

Li Dongyang and others shook their heads and sighed. It would be fine if the prince didn't miss his job, but he came here to cheat.

Yan Chengjin's eyes lit up. Zhu Houzhao was really a "talent". Good rice flower was made into cake!

There were many candied fruits and nuts on these rice flowers.

There were local specialties from all over the world in the palace, that is, tribute. He had seen almonds, walnuts and other miscellaneous foods in the East Palace Hall.

"Give me a piece to try. I want to see if it is really so magical!" Emperor Hongzhi said coldly. He showed a murderous look and sneered at the corners of his mouth, which made Zhu Houzhao's hair shrink.

Zhu Houzhao's hands trembled a little, "How much silver do you want?"

Emperor Hongzhi's face became more gloomy, you still want to take my silver?

For the sake of family harmony in the imperial family, Yan Chengjin explained: "Your Majesty, this cake is calculated in silver."

"Ten taels."

Zhu Houzhao put down the knife, picked up a piece and handed it to Emperor Hongzhi. Xiao Jing took it quickly and tasted it to see if it was poisonous.

"Do you know what the crime of price gouging is?"

For Zhu Houzhao, he would be whipped for any crime, so he naturally would not look at the Ming Dynasty law.

"I don't know." Zhu Houzhao said with his neck stiff: "This golden rice cake contains many precious candied fruits and nuts. It is not expensive to sell it for ten taels of silver."

Xiao Jing tasted it and confirmed that it was non-toxic before handing it to Emperor Hongzhi.

Emperor Hongzhi took a bite, and with a click, he chewed it gently. First, there was a faint sweetness, then the soft and glutinous candied fruits, and then the crisp almonds.

The taste is really delicious.

The scholar on the side watched Emperor Hongzhi eat such a big mouthful and became worried for him.

"How is it? I didn't lie to you!" Zhu Houzhao was a little proud.

Emperor Hongzhi looked at him with interest and said, "The rice cake is real rice cake, it is really delicious, but you really deserve to be beaten!"

Three Jinyiwei in plain clothes came forward to arrest Zhu Houzhao.

Although Zhu Houzhao was fooling around, he came to the library more often, and many people knew him, and even admired his talent.

A scholar who was familiar with Zhu Houzhao on the side hurriedly stopped him: "Who are you? Dare to detain people privately, aren't you afraid that we will report to the police!"

"Calm down, don't panic, he is my father..." Zhu Houzhao was afraid that these fools would be beaten by Emperor Hongzhi and beheaded.

Having been in the library for a long time, he had some friendship with the scholars here, and naturally didn't want to see them in trouble.

Jinyiwei arrested people, even if they were released, they would be criticized by others, and their reputation would be ruined.

Zhu Houzhao was tied up by the Jinyiwei and taken to the carriage of Emperor Hongzhi. The golden rice cake was taken away with him.

"I know I was wrong. I will never come to Liangxiang again."

In the carriage, Zhu Houzhao knelt down in front of Emperor Hongzhi's knees, admitting his mistakes sincerely, and did not dare to look at his face.

The distance was too close, and the emperor could hit him with a raise of his hand.

Yan Chengjin on the side was miserable. There was suddenly one more person in the carriage, and he had to leave a place for Zhu Houzhao to kneel.

He could only squeeze to the side.

Li Dongyang was on the side, and he did not dare to persuade Emperor Hongzhi. His Highness's behavior today was too common.

Emperor Hongzhi ate the golden rice cake, "Go back to the palace, send some to Renshou Palace and Kunning Palace. Forget it, this thing is too hard, and the Queen Mother has bad teeth, so send it to Kunning Palace."

"Father, don't punish your son?" Zhu Houzhao was suspicious.

Emperor Hongzhi said indifferently: "Just kneel down to the capital."

The carriage was bumpy and turbulent, just like squatting on a train, which was very demanding.

Yan Chengjin felt sorry for Zhu Houzhao.

The floor was hard, and the carriage was shaking from side to side. Zhu Houzhao was grimacing in pain and holding Emperor Hongzhi's knees.

Seeing that Emperor Hongzhi's face was not right, he retracted his hand like lightning.

"If it hurts, get up and sit for a while." Emperor Hongzhi said lightly.

Zhu Houzhao's worried face suddenly showed a smile, and he said happily: "Old Gao, please make way, I want to sit here."

"Your Majesty, I will get carsick if I stand up." Yan Chengjin agreed.

Seeing Yan Chengjin's spirit was low, Emperor Hongzhi said to Zhu Houzhao: "It is a mercy to let you sit. You will have to kneel later, so just sit on the ground."

Zhu Houzhao had a dark face and had deep doubts about the fake father-son relationship.

Emperor Hongzhi drew aside the curtain, looked out the window at the green hills, and asked, "Mr. Yan, what are you growing on the hills?"

"Reporting to your majesty, that is corn." Yan Chengjin looked outside the car curtain: "Speaking of which, it is ready to be picked. After drying and grinding into powder, it can be sent to the palace.

This year there is more quantity, so the price of corn will be much cheaper. "

Emperor Hongzhi thought thoughtfully: "After building the Great Wall in the northwest, can we plant corn? But I heard that the Hetao is desolate and difficult to cultivate."

“In the past, it would have been true, but now there are more cattle and iron tools, and corn can be cultivated on dry land.

As long as we can resist the attack of the captives, we can have such a scene. "Yan Chengjin said.

Li Dongyang said: "This corn is really a good thing that can resettle tens of thousands of refugees in Jingxiang."

"I feel that the northwest is desolate, and if there are merchants in good hometowns doing business, they will be more prosperous," Yan Chengjin said.

The construction of the Great Wall can take as little as a few years or as long as more than ten years. The refugees stationed in the northwest will settle down.

If the environment in the northwest improves.

The refugees will no longer flee.

"Still want to talk about the concrete factory?" Emperor Hongzhi asked.

"Your Majesty is wise, even if we don't hand it over to Liangxiang's workshop, I'm afraid others won't be able to do it. In the whole world, only Liangxiang Chamber of Commerce has engineers."

The recipe for concrete is written on Song Tiangong.

But the only people who can really make it are Song Jing and a group of engineers from Liangxiang.

In other words, the technology is still in the hands of the Liangxiang Chamber of Commerce.

"I have approved the construction of a concrete factory and the Great Wall in the Hetao. However, the imperial court will not spend extravagantly." Emperor Hongzhi said.

Yan Chengjin was overjoyed: "Thank you for your grace!"

The northwest is rich in limestone and kaolin, which is enough to build the Great Wall.

The Liangxiang Chamber of Commerce is still very weak. With the commercial territory of civil engineering, it has some advantages over Huizhou merchants and Shanxi merchants.

"There are millions of refugees in Jingxiang. The problem is how to transfer them to the Hetao?" Li Dongyang said: "The vassal king disturbs the people by vassaling. Besides, how can we relocate millions of refugees to the northwest?"

The refugees were vulgar and barbaric. To move the millions of refugees detained in Jingxiang would require at least ten thousand troops.

"It's better to let Zhang Xian do it. Zhang Xian has resettled the refugees in Shuntian Prefecture. It would be best for him to lead them." Yan Chengjin said.

"Then the magistrate of Liangxiang needs to be replaced?"

Liangxiang is the righteous bird of the Ming Dynasty, and his status will be comparable to that of the governor of Shuntian Prefecture in the future. This position must be saved for Zhang Xian.

Yan Chengjin said: "Your Majesty is overly worried. Now Liangxiang is prosperous and there is no need for excessive supervision. Zhang Xian went to relocate the refugees and they can return to Liangxiang in two months."

"Zhang Xian is an upright person and has resettled refugees from good hometowns. He is a good candidate." Li Dongyang also felt that Zhang Xian was suitable.

Emperor Hongzhi nodded: "Then let Zhang Xian be appointed as the imperial envoy to go to Jingxiang to relocate the refugees."

Zhu Houzhao lowered his head and his eyes moved slightly.

Speaking of which, Zhang Xian is his hero to be determined, and he would almost be forgotten if he didn't mention it.

This guy Lao Gao arranged for Zhang Xian again without warning.

"Two million taels of silver is not a small amount. It needs one person to supervise its construction. Is there a suitable candidate for the Supervisor of Ceremonies?"

Emperor Hongzhi raised his voice so that Xiao Jing, who was sitting outside, could hear him.

"Reporting to your majesty, I have a big man under my command named Xu Kun, which is very suitable."

Yan Chengjin said: "There is one person who is more suitable for me, Yushi Fangxue."

"Then let Fang Xue supervise the work."

The road from Liangxiang to the capital was long, even by carriage, it would take an hour.

Emperor Hongzhi picked up another piece and squeaked as he chewed it, "Who taught you how to make this golden rice cake?"

"Lao Gao."

"Your Highness is obviously too smart and is self-taught."