The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Yan Chengjin received a report from the imperial censor of Yangzhou Prefecture.

After the Baizhang Bridge in Yangzhou Prefecture was completed, three new ditches were built, and Xie Pi returned to the capital.

The Baizhang Bridge must be more than 300 meters long, about six times as long as the Zhaozhou Bridge.

"Does Your Majesty know?"

It is the longest river bridge in the Ming Dynasty, allowing carriages to pass freely, prospering commerce and eliminating the need for ferries.

People no longer need silver to cross the river, realizing freedom of crossing the river.

Zheng Qian bowed slightly: "Master Cao went to the Wenhua Hall to announce the good news. I heard that Master Cao wants to recruit Liangxiang engineers and join them as class craftsmen of the Ministry of Industry."

In the Ming Dynasty, there were military households, civilian households, craftsman households, medical households, Yin and Yang households, etc.

Most of the craftsmen worked in the Ministry of Industry and the military. For example, most of the laborers in Baoyuan Bureau and Wanggong Factory were from craftsmen.

Yan Chengjin looked at Shu Zuo and saw that Liangxiang engineers were more proficient in forging than ordinary craftsmen.

And like the doctor in charge of the Ministry of Industry, Cao Yuan is really smart because he has learned knowledge systematically.

After thinking for two days, Cao Yuan knew that His Majesty might not agree easily.

"Xie Pi sent back the report and the Yangzhou Bridge was completed. Now many government affairs of the Ministry of Industry have been postponed. I want to recruit engineers from Liangxiang to be the class craftsmen of the Ministry of Industry."

If your Majesty is happy, he might agree.

Emperor Hongzhi was overjoyed when he heard that the Yangzhou Bridge was completed, but Cao Yuan asked for help as a class builder, which made him stunned.

The expressions of the princes were complicated. When Yan Chengjin established a school in Liangxiang, not many ministers cared about it and even despised it as heretical scholarship.

Nowadays, we need engineers as craftsmen from Liangxiang. They are all people of character.

"Wouldn't it be a pity if these talented people cannot be used by the imperial court?" Cao Yuan added.

Emperor Hongzhi looked at Cao Yuan and asked, "Apart from Song Jing and Xie Pi, are the others like this too?"

We knew that Song Jing and Xie Pi were good at supervising construction, but Emperor Hongzhi didn't know about the others.

"I personally went to Liangxiang for a private visit. Although the engineer is a refugee son of a subordinate official, he can draw drawings and supervise construction. He is a rare talent."

In the past few days, Cao Yuan went to Liangxiang and observed the buildings, water conservancy and bridges. From the manufacturing drawings, construction to finished products, they were all at the same level as the Ministry of Industry, and he couldn't help but develop a love for talent.

Zhang Fuhua said: "So many talents are idle in a good hometown. It is a waste. It is really a waste."

Wang Qiong said in a deep voice: "The price of silk has not yet risen again, and the national treasury cannot afford to pay an engineer five taels of silver a month."

How much money does a craftsman earn per month, and how much money does an engineer earn per month? Only a fool would do this to you.

Engineers were ordinary people's children, not craftsmen. Emperor Hongzhi couldn't bear to force him into a craftsman's household.

"They will definitely not be willing to lower their wages to the wages of ordinary craftsmen. If I forcefully accept him as a craftsman, how will it be any different from Xia Jie and Shang Xin?"

Cao Yuan saw that Emperor Hongzhi was in trouble and said in a deep voice: "The good town was built by Yan Chengjin. He should have a way. Talents cannot be used by the court, which is more wasteful than spending money like water. If your majesty is in trouble, I will discuss it with Lord Yan." "

Wang Qiong's eyes moved slightly, and he just snatched the engineer away as a craftsman, and let Yan Chengjin do the talking, which was even thicker than him.

Emperor Hongzhi said: "Let's discuss the price of silk and tea first. Many places in the south of the Yangtze River are asking for exemptions from most of the taxes. The fundamental reason is that the prices of tea and porcelain are not as good as before. The imperial court does not promote corvee work and does not need engineers."

Building temples and building water conservancy projects all cost money. Now is the time to save money.

The princes lowered their heads and read all the memorials, but they could not restore the prices of overseas silk, porcelain and tea.

As a result, the national treasury is tightened, and money needs to be obtained from agricultural taxes. The people are still suffering.

"Where's Yan Chengjin?"

The little eunuch hurriedly went to announce Yan Chengjin. Soon, Yan Chengjin appeared in the hall, saluted and stood aside.

"Not only the price of silk, but also the price of tea, porcelain and refined salt has dropped. How does the Economic Department think it should respond?" Emperor Hongzhi asked.

Liu Lai lowered his head and looked at Yan Chengjin.

How could he do this? It's too out of line.

Yan Chengjin said, "I heard that Mr. Cao wants to recruit Liangxiang engineers as class craftsmen of the Ministry of Household Affairs?"

As soon as the engineer matter was discussed and the price of silk was negotiated, the boy turned back again.

The princes frowned, guessing that this boy had something to say.

Emperor Hongzhi seemed to have read through his thoughts: "The Yan Qing family has something to say?"

"I believe that mulberry leaf cultivation and weaving should continue in various places south of the Yangtze River and should not be affected by the price of silk."

Silence fell in the hall.

All the officials looked at Yan Chengjin in shock. The price of silk had dropped to nothing. Who would it sell to?

Emperor Hongzhi didn't know why. It was the wisest move to use the land to cultivate food at this time.

"Why?"

"I guess the price of silk will continue to rise. If we don't plant mulberry leaves, where will the silk come from next year?"

Silk was banned in the West not long ago.

The king ordered a ban, but after a while, even the king himself wore silk, and the ban was naturally abolished.

In the late Ming Dynasty, silk earned a large amount of silver for the gentry. It can be seen that this temporary strategy is not a long-term strategy.

Zhang Fuhua said with some doubt: "How long will it take for it to rise?"

Yan Chengjin looked at Emperor Hongzhi: "Half a year, maybe longer, I don't know."

When Emperor Hongzhi and all the officials were disappointed.

But then Yan Chengjin said: "The imperial court is not short of money. The gentry has money in their hands from the transactions in the past few years. If this money can be used, the national treasury will be full."

After the maritime ban was instituted, not only the court made money, but the gentry also made countless amounts of silver.

Cao Yuan frowned and said, "How to transfer this silver into the national treasury?"

Of course they knew that the gentry and the people had extra money.

"I may have a way to increase the revenue and expenditure of the treasury, so that the finances can be relieved, giving Yan Song enough time to lobby and make the silk price rise again."

"Speak directly, Mr. Yan."

"Expand the outer city!"

The gentry and the people in the capital have made a lot of money, and there are also wealthy people in Jiangnan who want to move to the capital.

But the land in the capital is narrow, and the mansions of the rich are limited. Even if they want to build, there is no land.

The next step he deduced is that the people in the capital have enough money to eat and drink, and then they want a mansion.

"It's a waste of time and money." Xie Qian said.

"Mr. Xie has misunderstood. It is not to show the majesty of the court, but to sell silver."

Liu Jian quickly thought: "There are countless pawnshops and pawnbrokers in the capital, why do they want to buy mansions?"

"May I ask in the hall, who still rents mansions from pawnbrokers? The salaries of the gentlemen have increased, and they know they need to buy mansions, and the common people are the same.

The alleys in the capital are narrow, and many gentry's mansions in the capital are not large, but official land is not allowed to be expanded, and the remaining mansions are controlled by the gentlemen.

There are also the people in Liangxiang, who have made some money and want to move to the capital, but have no mansions to buy."

Yan Chengjin knew that these ministers had more than one mansion.

"I want to run a construction bureau in Liangxiang, specializing in building mansions, streets and bridges in the streets."

Just like the Jiangnan Manufacturing General Bureau established by Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang, the Ming Dynasty also needs such a construction bureau to supervise the construction of the outer city.