my brother-in-law is the prince

Chapter 113

Zhang Anshi turned his head and looked at Deng Jian with a smile.

He likes Deng Jian, because Deng Jian is a rare and honest eunuch.

Zhang Anshi said: "It may scare you to death if you say it, anyway... this is all the income from selling books and newspapers these days. It is an astronomical figure. Your Majesty gets [-]%..."

Deng Jian became more and more dizzy. He had never seen so much money in his life.

Because the box is more expensive, in fact, it is indeed expensive, so Zhang Anshi directly asked people to use bamboo baskets to pack it.

This bamboo basket can only hold 3000 taels of silver. In the Ming Dynasty, 16 taels per catty was close to two hundred catties of grain silver.

But now... just to send the bamboo baskets to the palace, it takes [-].

A carriage can only carry five bamboo baskets, that is... Zhang Anshi needs a hundred carriages.

Moreover, an ordinary carriage can't pull such a heavy load. The carriage Zhu Jin chose was carefully selected by Zhu Jin himself from various dealers.

Deng Jian felt incredible.

The more he looked at it, the more frightened he felt, just when his eyes were looking straight.

Zhang Anshi patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile: "This time, you will be escorted with me. When the time comes...to brush your face in front of His Majesty, His Majesty's Longyan is very happy, and when he sees you, hey, why every time something good happens I have you all, so I have a big impression of you again."

"Ah..." When Deng Jian heard this, he became energetic. This is true. As an eunuch, he knows best the benefits of appearing in front of the emperor every now and then, especially when there are happy events.

So he looked at Zhang Anshi gratefully, and hurriedly said, "Thank you Cheng Enbo."

Zhang Anshi said in an easy-going way: "Don't be so polite, we are a family, and a family should not talk about two different things."

Deng Jian was moved again.

He was on duty in the East Palace, serving the crown prince and concubine the whole time, and sometimes came to Zhang's house to run errands. Speaking of which, he and Zhang Anshi got along day and night, but he was only an eunuch after all, and Zhang Anshi regarded him as a family member, so he was inevitably moved.

"Yes Yes……"

"Why, did Eunuch Deng get sand in his eyes?"

Deng Jian wiped his eyes, and the little chicken pecked at the rice and nodded: "Yes, yes, why did the sand get in, we...we..."

Zhang Anshi smiled and said, "Okay, we're ready to go."

Deng Jian cheered up and began to imagine in his heart how Zhu Di would look joyful when he followed Zhang Anshi to report the situation in front of the emperor.

Cheng Enbo has grown up and knows how to hurt others.

Back then, when Cheng Enbo was heartless, Deng Jian was full of emotions, we didn't love him for nothing, he is a man with a conscience.

Under the leadership of Zhang Anshi, the mighty convoy entered the city from Dong'anmen very quickly. Suddenly, many people from the city came to watch.

Zhu Yong, Zhang Fu, and Qiu Song were in charge at the back, leading the guards from the mansion.

Dozens of people hired by Zhang Anshi each stared at a car and walked with the driver.

Zhang Anshi and Deng Jian led the way.

There were more and more people watching along the way, and everyone talked about it.

"What's in the carriage?"

"I heard it's silver..."

"How is it possible! Hehe, where is such money!"

"Don't you know? This black-hearted thief...he has looted countless treasures."

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh')"My father spent 500 taels of silver in order to buy the books…"Damn…" "

Everyone looked at the scholar without any sympathy.

Because other scholars, according to their understanding, spend a lot of money at home, everyone is taken advantage of, sympathize with you, who will sympathize with me?

As for the other ordinary people, they were completely unresponsive. To be honest, let alone more than 2000 taels, even 200 taels was an astronomical figure for them.

Just to buy a book?

Whoever it is, I'm afraid I won't be able to empathize.

This mighty convoy swaggered across the city.

Jin Yiwei, Wucheng Bingma Si and Ying Tianfu, even a pig, obviously sensed that the atmosphere was not right.

So, every now and then, someone would come to stop him and ask, "Who is in front and where are you going?"

Zhang Anzi said calmly and authentically: "Zhang Anshi, East Palace, enter the palace!"

The other party hesitated a little, this has never happened before!

So he said: "I'm afraid I still need to report humbly..."

"Report a bird." Zhang Anshi is now full of confidence, and said bluntly: "Your mother, are you blind, and don't you see what I am doing? Is it your turn to announce the good news? Go away. "

This kind of thing is like this, if you talk to them in a negotiating tone, they may have many reasons to play Tai Chi with you.

But if you scold his mother directly, he may obey. Without saying a word, he will give way immediately, and he will have to salute and apologize.

So this road went relatively smoothly to the Meridian Gate.

A carriage was jammed at the gate of the palace.

The eunuchs at the palace gate have never seen such a posture before.

They don't know that Zhang Anshi is full of confidence at this time, I am giving money to His Majesty, what's the matter, I can't break the rules, so go ask Brother Zhu, is the money more important, or the rules?

In fact, there is another level of thinking in this way of ostentation. I, Zhang Anshi, can’t be a bad person alone. Now that people outside scold me so badly, I have to save face. Anyway, whoever makes money, everyone turns left to find someone when they go out.

At this time, an eunuch asked: "Cheng Enbo, what are you..."

Zhang Anshi said angrily: "Go and report, my minister Zhang Anshi was lucky enough to live up to his fate, earned some silver, and sent it to His Majesty."

The eunuch shivered, looked at Zhang Anshi strangely, probed to see the dark convoy outside, trembling, and said: "Uncle Cheng En, please wait, I will report to you now."

After all, Fei Ye seemed to go deep into the palace.

in the temple.

At this time, Zhu Di's patience had obviously reached its limit.

Xia Yuanji was still chattering about the calculations for him.

"The catastrophe in Songjiang and Suzhou cost the imperial court 11 taels and 3000 shi of grain. In the beginning of spring, North Korea sent 25 seven beautiful women to the pilgrimage, and His Majesty gave 930 taels of silver and 9000 pieces of silk..."

He has an excellent memory and speaks well.

In front of Zhu Di, he told all the expenditures of the national treasury.

Zhu Di said impatiently: "Okay, that's enough!"

"Your Majesty, I said this to tell Your Majesty that the country's affairs are difficult. If we don't rest and recuperate now, the country will have no food to collect and no money to use. Does Your Majesty care about the suffering of the people?"

Xia Yuanji is different from other ministers.

Other ministers held high the banner of so-called morality.

In Zhu Di's eyes, morality is like a bird.

into his moral mother.

But Natsuhara Yoshi is well-founded and based on the actual situation.

Zhu Di was not a confused person, instead he only sneered, but it was difficult to refute.

"I can allocate some from internal funds."

"Isn't the internal money the people's fat and the people's ointment?" Xia Yuanji said awe-inspiringly.

Xia Yuanji paused for a moment, and then said: "If your Majesty relies on domestic funds to support the needs of the Western Seas, I have nothing to say, but the treasury is already empty, and I can't stand it anymore."

All the officials couldn't help admiring in their hearts, this Duke Xia is really tough!
Xie Jin frowned secretly. In fact, Xie Jin wanted to be like Xia Yuanji, so Zhu Di had nothing to say.

What a great reputation this is. If such things are spread, I am afraid that he will be famous all over the world and shine forever.

It's a pity...he still didn't have the courage after all.

Therefore, he felt a little jealous towards Xia Yuanji. He didn't like people who were in the limelight, especially those who rushed to show off in front of him.

Therefore, Xie Jin was in an extremely contradictory psychology.

But Zhu Di said at this time: "In the past two years, the imperial court has supervised the construction of a large number of seagoing ships in Quanzhou, Ningbo and other places. If they don't go to the West, these ships will be wasted."

"Rather than wasting it, it's better than continuously depleting my Ming's national strength. I would rather destroy the ship than see the people die. Your Majesty... the people are too poor. Your Majesty should cherish the people."

Zhu Di was furious: "In this way, I have become a faint king who does not cherish the power of the people?"

"Your Majesty is the Holy Lord, but the minister is just fulfilling his duties as a minister. Even Emperor Taizong of Tang sometimes accepts remonstrance."

Zhu Di: "..."

Zhu Di looked sideways at Zhu Gaochi and said, "You are the crown prince, and if I contradict your father like this, don't you keep quiet?"

A son must be filial, this is the time to join the battle of father and son.

Zhu Gaochi looked speechless, father, but son is on their side.

Of course, Zhu Gaochi has no way to stand on Xia Yuanji's side, although in history, Zhu Di once mentioned in front of him that Xia Yuanji could not fight or go to the West, which caused Zhu Di's dissatisfaction and sent Xia Yuanji to prison. As soon as Zhu Gaochi came to the throne, the first thing he did was to release Xia Yuanji, and then promoted him and entrusted him with important tasks.

Zhu Gaochi hesitated at this moment.

Seeing Zhu Gaochi like this, Zhu Di couldn't help being disappointed.

At this moment, a eunuch came in hurriedly, and hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

The eunuch panicked, and Zhu Di, who had nowhere to vent his anger, suddenly became furious.

So he sternly asked: "Bold, I discuss state affairs with all the officials, and you, a servant, dare to be so unruly!"

The eunuch was so frightened that his body was like chaff, and his soul was lost, but he still tried his best to say: "Outside the Meridian Gate...outside...something happened."

Zhu Di frowned.

"Say!"

The eunuch said: "Cheng Enbo Zhang Anshi brought many chariots and horses, saying that he came to give money to His Majesty."

Zhu Di: "..."

Baiguan, you look at me, I look at you, with a blank face.

Zhu Di raised his eyebrows and said, "What money?"

"This... didn't say anything." The eunuch said: "This servant felt that the matter was urgent, so he rushed to report."

Zhu Di took a deep breath and said, "This guy...what is he messing around with?"

This is considered fixed.

Immediately, Zhu Di took a deep look at the crown prince Zhu Gaochi, and said, "Bring him in."

Zhang Anshi had been prepared for a long time and led Deng Jian in together. Under the eyes of everyone, Zhang Anshi entered the hall and saluted: "My minister Zhang Anshi, I have seen Your Majesty."

Zhu Di was obviously in a bad mood today, and wanted to get angry at this moment.

This piece of Anshi hit the muzzle, but when he saw Zhang Anshi's obedient salute, Zhu Di's face softened again: "Why don't you guard the Qixia ferry for me, why are you messing around in the palace?"

Zhang Anshi said aggrievedly: "The minister is in town, Qixia Ferry is now..."

Zhu Di was in a bad mood, and naturally impatient, he interrupted directly: "Pick up the important ones."

Zhang Anshi said very straightforwardly: "I can't help it. I have saved too much money at the ferry, and I can't sleep. I don't think about tea or food. I'm afraid of being thieves. The so-called money touches people's hearts. Outside the palace, He's all bad."

"so?"

"So I thought about it, this silver should be sent to the palace, and there is not much silver, so His Majesty accepts it with a smile."

Zhu Di cheered up when he heard Yinzi.

These days the internal money is still sufficient, of course, it is far from the point where Zhu Di is satisfied.

He has too much to do.

"Oh?" The more at this time, the more Zhu Di downplayed it, as if I had no interest in money: "It's really not safe outside the palace. There are imperial guards in my palace, so I'm not afraid of young people. You have such a Thoughts, I can also be considerate, I forgive you this time, don't be so ridiculous in the future, people are not sages and sages can do nothing."

Zhang Anshi drooped his head and said: "Thank you for your understanding, I...what the hell... no, I am so grateful."

All the officials continued to look at Zhang Anshi with strange eyes.

To be honest... Zhang An Shizuo's tone is very frivolous at first glance, it is almost carved out of the same mold as Zhu Di, it doesn't look like a good bird.

Zhu Di coughed, "This... this... how much silver do you have to send to the palace?"

"Your Majesty." Zhang Anshi paused, and then said a number: "150 million taels."

Zhu Di: "..."

All the officials were in an uproar.

150 million taels, what kind of concept is this?

It is almost equivalent to the tax and silver income of the imperial court for half a year.

This is definitely an astronomical figure.

There are two kinds of taxes in Ming Dynasty: silver tax and tax in kind, and tax money has always been difficult to collect. This is why, starting from the Hongwu period, it began to print precious money indiscriminately.

Of course, Hong Wu printed very well. After all, a piece of paper is money. How can there be such a good thing in the world?
When Jianwen became the emperor, he became even more black-hearted. After all, if he wanted to cut down the feudal clan, he would fight a war, so he tried his best to seal it.

As a result, it was in Zhu Di's hands, and it was over at once.

They were very happy, and all the consequences were borne by Zhu Di.

At this moment, Zhu Di's eyes lit up when he heard the number read out by Zhang Anshi: "150 million taels?"

"Yes, it is indeed 150 million taels!" Zhang Anshi replied honestly without any guilt.

After finishing the words, someone suddenly said: "Cheng Enbo, I have a word."

Zhang Anshi looked at that person, and this person was Xia Yuanji who had been talking eloquently in this hall just now.

Xia Yuanji is a rare economic talent in the court, so when he wanted to raise doubts, all the officials seemed to be reassured.

This time, it was exciting to watch.

Of course, Zhang Anshi didn't recognize Xia Yuanji, but said, "I'm listening."

Xia Yuanji frowned and said, "One hundred and fifty thousand taels is an astronomical figure. Such a huge amount of money, where does the money come from?"

Zhang Anshi said with a smile: "Actually, it's not only one and a half million taels, but there are more than one million taels in my firm."

Xia Yuanji: "..."

For business, do you understand if you are a partner? I, Zhang Anshi, can't send my family property to the Sun Palace, and the 150 million taels I sent today are what the Palace deserves.

Xia Yuanji's body trembled. To be honest, he dealt with numbers all day long. As the left servant of the household department, he was worried about the income and expenditure of tens of thousands of taels. At this moment, his expression became more and more gloomy after hearing this. Dignified, so he asked again with a sullen face: "Where did all this money come from?"

It's certainly not clean money.

"It's mainly from selling books." Zhang Anshi replied.

Zhu Di was even more surprised when he heard this...

Damn, he made so much money selling books?

You know, at the time of the first edition... it was only two to three million taels of income!Of course, this is also a huge amount, and Zhu Di is very happy counting the money!

So when Zhang Anshi proposed the second edition of the book sales plan, Zhu Di of course strongly supported it.

But Zhu Di never thought that... Selling books could be sold at such a price.

Crazy, just crazy!
Just when Zhu Di was dumbfounded and shocked, all the officials were suffocating one by one.

Xia Yuanji frowned again and said: "It turns out that Cheng Enbo...does he still do business as a career? Foreign relatives of the Ming Dynasty, not to mention competing for profits with the people, scholars, farmers, businessmen, dignified relatives of the state, how can they do this as a career?"

For businessmen, scholar-bureaucrats have a natural disdain!

This kind of condescending attitude, even for a minister like Xia Yuanji who is willing to let go of his figure and deal with money and food every day in the household department, it can't help showing contempt in his bones.

Zhang Anshi heard the contempt in his words, and immediately became angry, and immediately defended: "What is this? Is selling books a business? The business of scholars is also called business? I wrote a book to talk about it, and I did it with the sage. The same deeds, if the sage Confucius knew, there are still people in the world who are writing and promoting Confucianism, and they must be very pleased."

Xia Yuanji's face suddenly became tense.

But Zhang Anshi continued: "Knowledge and culture, Confucian classics, can they be despised? Hey, talking to you is like playing the piano to a cow. Fortunately, I thought that the ministers in the court are all elegant people, so they are so secular! What is the so-called life?" A bosom friend is rare, and a bosom friend through the ages is the hardest to find."

Xia Yuanji's face darkened, very ugly.

He didn't like Zhang Anshi's frivolous appearance.

Actually...not everyone likes it.

On the contrary, Zhu Gaochi was afraid of Zhang Anshi's mischief, so he kept winking at Zhang Anshi.

Zhang Anshi felt confident and confident. Many times, he couldn't understand the thinking of these scholars. Obviously, these people have land, money, servants, and good conditions to study. In the future, they will have fame and official positions!

It is clear that they have grabbed countless benefits in the world, but these people are extremely disdainful to talk about money.What is the difference between this and some wealthy businessmen saying that I don't like money all the time, and I would rather not have money?
It is impossible for Xia Yuanji to remain silent like this, he took a deep breath, and said: "Then dare to ask Cheng Enbo, even if you say that selling books is not a business, I will believe it, but your book...how can you Earn so much money?"

Zhang Anshi grinned. When asked about this, he got excited and immediately said: "You may not know much about this cultural matter. I have this book for three liang of silver a piece..."

"Three taels of silver..." Xia Yuanji's face turned black.

In fact, he had heard rumors from the outside world a long time ago, and the reason why he deliberately asked this question was to elicit Zhang Anshi's words, so at this time...

He finally figured it out: "Most of the books out there cost two or three hundred yuan a piece, which is already frighteningly expensive, but the price of Cheng Enbo's books is a hundred times that of ordinary books. Cheng Enbo... you The business is done very carefully.”

Among the hundreds of officials, there are also some who have been taken advantage of.

In other words, in fact, everyone is being taken advantage of.

When I said this, there was blood and tears.

Many people felt the same way, and some even bowed their heads, ashamed that they had been taken advantage of.

I saw Zhang Anshi very calmly said: "Is there any problem?"

Xia Yuanji said with a sullen face: "If profit-seeking has reached such a point, doesn't Cheng Enbo himself feel that there is a problem?"

Zhang Anshi said: "But... I feel that I am doing good deeds."

"..."

Even Zhu Di has begun to feel shameless about these words. If you Zhang Anshi earn money, you can earn money, so don't set up a memorial archway. This archway has a bird's purpose.

Moreover, Zhu Di was faintly worried, because Zhang Anshi seemed to have started to fall into the trap of Xia Yuanji's speech skills step by step. These fellows who were born as scholars were all good debaters. Zhang Anshi, with a few pounds and a few taels, also went to the class to get an axe.

It's better to be like me, directly into his mother, and then spread your hands, a dead pig is not afraid of being scalded by boiling water.

Zhang Anshi said at this time: "I don't know if Duke Xia knows what price a book like this is sold for in many places?"

Xia Yuanji: "..."

Zhang Anshi smiled and said: "Perhaps Duke Xia doesn't know yet, but I believe that there must be someone in the palace who knows. If everyone pretends not to know, it doesn't matter. You can ask people to go out and inquire."

Xia Yuanji said: "What does Cheng Enbo mean?"

Zhang Anshi said: "It's not interesting, I just want to tell Xia Gong that this book is worth three taels of silver in the capital city, but it becomes a hundred taels of silver in the provincial capital. Thousands of taels, even two thousand, or 500 taels. These are well-documented matters. If Duke Xia doesn’t believe it, he can send someone to investigate immediately. my head."

Xia Yuanji was moved.

Some of the officials had heard of it a little bit, and some of them had not heard of it, but at this moment they just felt dumbfounded.

Zhu Di was also frightened, it is so expensive, why is it so expensive, you can buy a book for a few thousand taels, isn't this a joke?
Zhang Anshi immediately said with a smile: "Look, I sold it for three taels of silver, but others took this book and sold it for hundreds or even thousands of taels, saying that I am not doing good deeds? I can obviously earn this money, but I have a kind heart, and I can't see that scholars don't have books to read, and I sell it at such a low price, but let the young people take advantage of it."

Zhang Anshi became more and more enthusiastic: "Now, Duke Xia is still scolding me for profit. I am so wronged. I am more wronged than Dou E. It is too hard for me..."

"..."

To be honest... You said Zhang Anshi didn't make sense, he really said something plausible, and he really didn't have a place to refute.

You want to say that he is reasonable, but you always feel that there is something wrong, but where is the problem?This involves another level of knowledge. Obviously, it is not something that people of this era can penetrate in a short time.

Zhang Anshi said: "I am already a profiteer and a profiteer by selling three taels of silver. Then I admit it. I have nothing to say, but those who sell a hundred taels or a thousand taels... what are they? Don’t they all deserve to die? Since Duke Xia hates making profits so much, he can simply arrest them all, whether they destroy the three clans or cut off their heads. I, Zhang Anshi, absolutely support it. I, Zhang Anshi, am also a scholar after all. , wholeheartedly working for the welfare of the vast number of students, the most disgusting of these profiteers, all of them are killed."

"There are also those who spend hundreds of taels of silver or thousands of taels of silver to buy books. In my opinion, these people must have ulterior motives. They must be in partnership with profiteers. In my opinion, they will also be punished. In this way, this There will be no one making profit in the world, and the world will be peaceful.”

Hundreds of officials commotion.

All fools know that those who buy books at high prices and sell books at high prices are related to their relatives. If we really want to judge crimes, everyone should not try to run away.

Xia Yuanji: "..."

Zhang Anshi said: "Why is Duke Xia not talking? Could it be that Duke Xia and profiteers are in the same group? Duke Xia, a scholar, farmer, businessman, and Emperor Taizu Gao hated profiteers the most. Throughout the dynasties, there have been countless cases of profiteering by profiteers. Xia Gong is a minister of the imperial court, and he is clean and upright, so are you still pampering these profiteers? Xia Gong, we are different from them, we are all scholars, clean and innocent."

Xia Yuanji only felt that Zhang Anshi was talking nonsense, but this guy was pressing every step of the way, which made it difficult for him to fight.

His face sank slightly. Of course he knew that he must not continue to follow this guy's words. If he continued, all the scholars in the world would be killed.

Therefore, Xia Yuanji took a deep breath: "The imperial examination was originally used to examine the knowledge of scholars and recruit talents for the court, but now it has become a means of opportunistic opportunism and grabbing the wealth of the people."

He stopped talking about Zhang Anshi, and immediately said to Zhu Di: "Your Majesty, I think this is very wrong."

Zhang Anshi said at this time: "Your Majesty, I am a little strange. The people I saw couldn't even eat enough to eat, and they couldn't even wear warm clothes. Why do they still have hundreds of thousands of taels of silver to buy books? This robs the people of their wealth. ...The minister can't understand even more."

"..."

Zhang Anshi sighed: "The people of my Ming Dynasty have reached such a state of wealth, and they can give out a hundred taels of silver or a thousand taels of silver without blinking an eye. Then I can't help but have a question, since the people have become so rich Why is the income of the national treasury so meager, and I, Zhang Anshi, only earned a few million taels of silver from selling books, yet Duke Xia is so hostile to me? Logically speaking, the people are all rich , The little money I, Zhang Anshi earned, shouldn't be anything."

…………

Attachment: The next chapter will be updated at 8:15 on August 0th. This book is the first starting point. Welcome everyone to read it on the Qidian App.

　Squeak every day, keep fit!

　
(End of this chapter)