my brother-in-law is the prince

Chapter 253

When Yang Rong heard Zheng Ci's aggrieved appearance, he felt it was funny.

This person is too small.

If there is a slight disturbance, he will be panicked.

But as everyone knows, Zhang Anshi temporarily restrained the Ministry of Rites, and to a certain extent, also assumed the corresponding responsibility.

Responsibilities are equal.

At this juncture, the Ministry of War needs to prepare for the war and sweep the desert in the spring of the coming year.

And at this point in time, if the Ministry of Rites does nothing, it will be your unlucky time for Zheng Ci.

Zhang Anshi helped you take on this responsibility, and it was you who helped you.

It's just obvious that people think differently. Some people... only see the small profit in front of them, and they are always afraid that what they get will be snatched away at any time.

Zhu Di immediately said: "The Ministry of War must draw up a charter as soon as possible. In my opinion...for the Tatars, it's time to sweep the desert and sweep the caves. The army must start before the spring of the next year."

Jin Zhong saluted and said yes.

Zhu Di asked everyone to retreat, leaving Zhang Anshi behind.

He muttered in his mouth: "The tree wants to be quiet but the wind doesn't stop. I haven't been happy for two days. That damned Tatar..."

After scolding, he moved to Wenlou, called Zhang Anshi in front of him, and ordered Yi Shiha to fetch wine, adding two pairs of crystal cups.

Zhang Anshi leaned forward and sat down, Zhu Dicai said again: "Your wine is not bad, come and have a drink with me."

Zhu Di immediately smiled: "This civil strife...you seem to have a plan in mind, don't you?"

Zhang Anshidao: "Yes, in fact... as long as the Tatar Khan and a few important officials of the Tatars are dead, and the dragons have no leader, the Tatars must have no intention of going south, or east to Liaodong, and they will definitely kill each other until they are elected. Until the new sweat comes out."

Zhu Di thoughtfully said: "You want to send someone to assassinate you?"

Zhang Anshidao: "I heard that Tatar Khan is surrounded by hundreds of golden tent guards in three shifts for protection. The defense is airtight. In this desert, people only respect the strong. This Tatar Khan is probably on guard Someone is going against the law, and if you want to assassinate him, it will be extremely difficult."

Zhu Di said, "Then what else can I do?"

Zhang Anshi smiled and said: "Your Majesty, I am not fully sure about the method of the minister... moreover, this method is very complicated, and I am afraid that I will not be able to explain it clearly for a while."

He really can't tell, it's the truth.

Zhu Di obviously had expectations for this, but it was just expectations, and he immediately said: "Your wine tastes good, but...although I love wine, but...after all, I am the Son of Heaven, so I can't drink too much. Although this wine is good...but what's the use?"

"It can make a lot of money." Zhang Anshi said: "Your Majesty, these days, I have been thinking about... one thing."

When it came to money, Zhu Di cheered up immediately, and then said: "But it doesn't matter."

Zhang Anshi said: "Didn't your majesty say that after the grain is available in the future, will the price of grain hurt the farmers? This issue should indeed be paid attention to. The minister is just drawing inferences from one example. There is more food, but it may not hurt the farmers. After all... it depends on what." use."

"The high-quality grain can be used to make wine, and the inferior grain can be fed to pigs, chickens and ducks. In the past, it was because of the lack of food. Because of the lack of food, people always thought that this food... For people to eat, there is a way to have less food, and there is a way to have more food. But your majesty, you must prevent someone from deliberately creating a food shortage in the name of cheap grain and hurting farmers. .”

"Just like this common people, their land production value is higher. After the higher value, the family can have enough to eat. Shouldn't they think about how to eat well? The dignitaries drink wine and eat meat. These ordinary people eat a lot What's the problem with eating?"

After Zhu Di listened, he said thoughtfully, "It makes a lot of sense."

"If the same land can produce several times the amount of grain, it actually means that the output is high. Even if the price of grain plummets by double, in fact, everyone has surplus grain and can still benefit from selling it. It's just... Some people are obsessed with it, and they don’t always hope that the output will be several times higher, and the price will still be the same as today. In this way, they will sell several times more grain than in previous years, and earn several times the price? If they are not reconciled, It doesn’t matter if they use the surplus grain to make wine, or raise pigs and chickens, that’s their business, and by the way, lower the prices of these. This will definitely do more good than harm to the people of the world.”

"Anything... has advantages and disadvantages, but it is obviously a matter of only one benefit and one harm. However, some people, relying on their own voice to be louder than others, only complain about the harm of this matter and ignore it. There are thousands of benefits that can be brought, such a thing...is worthy of vigilance."

Zhu Di drank the wine in one gulp, his face turned red, he let out a flutter, recalled the lingering fragrance in his mouth, nodded and said: "You mean, Yang Qing and Hu Guang and others..."

Zhang Anshi shook his head: "I didn't say what's wrong with them, it's just that there is a voice, they are extraordinarily loud, and they talk all day long, which will naturally cause some people to leave residual memories, so whenever such a thing happens, everyone In the first reaction, those ideas left in the heart will come out."

Zhu Di couldn't help smiling and said, "You guy, you are so young, you have a deep mind."

Zhang Anshi said: "The minister has become a doctor after a long illness, and he is afraid of being deceived."

Zhu Di couldn't help laughing, maybe because of the alcohol, Zhu Di was a little drunk, so he also started talking: "You think this wine can make a lot of money?"

Zhang Anshi said: "Yes."

Zhu Di said quickly: "Although this wine is good, how much money do you plan to sell for a bottle?"

Zhang Anshi said: "Five taels."

Zhu Di couldn't help being surprised: "Ordinary drinks cost tens of pennies a catty, but your drinks..."

Zhang Anshidao: "Your Majesty... I have been thinking about one thing, why... when the Taizu Emperor Gao, couldn't stop respecting Bing and Tan?"

Zhu Di frowned, but did not speak, apparently waiting for Zhang Anshi's next words.

Zhang Anshidao: "So I... I'm thinking... Even if Emperor Taizu Gao can't solve it, but His Majesty is the Holy Lord, can't he solve it from other places? Maybe... there is a way."

Obviously, Zhu Di cared about this issue.

Zhu Di immediately said: "What way?"

Zhang Anshi pointed to the wine and said, "You can rely on this wine."

Zhu Di was taken aback for a moment, and then couldn't help laughing: "Hahaha... Zhang Qing, are you drunk?"

Zhang Anshi said seriously: "I haven't started drinking yet."

It was only then that Zhu Di realized that he had already drank several cups, but the cup in front of Zhang Anshi did not move at all.

"Come, drink..."

Zhang Anshi said: "Your Majesty, I have a small capacity for drinking and I am not used to this wine. I am afraid that after a few cups, I will be as drunk as mud. I still like to drink some rice wine."

Zhu Di didn't force Zhang Anshi, he just thought this guy was a bit weird, but he didn't bother to care about it.

Speaking of it, the taste of this wine is really interesting.

"How much silver does it cost to make a bottle of this wine? Two taels, or three taels?"

Zhang Anshi frowned and said earnestly: "Think about it, if you add the packaging, it's just this bottle, which may be... around thirty Wen."

Zhu Di: "..."

"Thirty Wen, you sell it for five taels?"

Zhang Anshi smiled and said, "Don't tell me your majesty still thinks too little?"

Zhu Di: "..."

But Zhu Di immediately thought of another thing: "How much of this wine...can be brewed every year?"

Zhang Anshi said: "As much as you want, the premise is... you can sell it."

"Can it be sold?" Zhu Di pondered.

Zhang Anshi said: "I will do my best."

Just kidding, this wine, can be strategic.

It was Zhang Anshi's artifact that really started the accumulation of primitive capital.

Compared with the profits of other transactions, this wine is the real profiteering profit.

Not only that, as long as he controls the source of production, he can at least ensure that no one in the world can imitate it within ten years.

Not only the manufacture of the bottle, but also the brewing of the wine, is unique.

As for ten years later...

Ten years later... the image of the brand has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Even if there are new competitors in the market, they will just follow behind and eat ashes.

Zhu Di said: "I see that you are full of confidence, but I am really looking forward to what Zhang Qing will do. It's just that the price of this drink is so high, which makes me a little worried."

Zhang Anshidao: "The thing that I pursue is very simple, that is... in this world, whoever has money will earn his money, and whoever has more money will sell things to them, and make them have to buy. In this world, it is too difficult to earn money from ordinary people. These ordinary people are already hungry. Chen's largest client."

Zhu Di nodded, and immediately said: "Work hard, and I will count on you to earn money."

Zhang Anshi said: "Yes."

After saying that, Zhu Di's eyes fell on the wine again, and he smiled heartily and said, "Come and have a drink with me, I don't force you to get drunk before you rest."

The hospitality was hard to turn down, so Zhang Anshi had no choice but to raise his glass, and immediately drank the wine in one gulp.

Afterwards, Zhang Anshi also left the palace after finishing his business.

Zhu Di was still sitting upright, drinking alone, muttering in his mouth: "Wine... can really earn a lot of money... and that... Tatar Khan..."

Zhu Di thought about it, but he drank the wine in one gulp, and couldn't help wiping his mouth: "Have fun!"

…………

After Zhang Anshi left the palace, he hurried back to Qixia without stopping.

Immediately, Zhu Jin was summoned, and then someone brought a pen, ink, paper and inkstone, and wrote down some things.

At this time, he raised his head and told Zhu Jin: "You should write down a few things."

Zhu Jin smiled and said, "Listen, little one."

Zhang Anshi said seriously: "The first thing is the most important thing. According to what I wrote, send people around to investigate the whereabouts of these things. Don't worry... Although these things are rare, my Daming is rich in natural resources. , there will definitely be. According to the characteristics I wrote, you can ask around, and you will definitely find it.”

Zhu Jin took the note written down by Zhang Anshi, looked down, put it in his arms carefully, and said: "Young one, remember, you can find it within three days."

Zhang Anshi couldn't help being surprised and said, "Is it enough in three days?"

Zhu Jin smiled and said: "In this world, the most well-informed people are merchants, and the young ones happen to have close relationships with many merchants. As long as this matter is spread, there will naturally be people... Yes I have an impression of these few things. Besides... isn't there Jin Yiwei?"

Zhang Anshi said: "This is a military order issued by you yourself. If you can't find it within three days, then I can only ask you."

Zhu Jin: "..."

Zhang Anshi himself was happy: "Okay, I'm just joking with you, you can't afford this joke, can you?"

Zhu Jin said with a dry smile: "Where is it? In this world, who doesn't know that you are very humorous, Lord Hou."

Zhang Anshi said again: "Also...whether it's the imperial prison or the prison in Yingtian Mansion, find me some death row prisoners. Of course, they must be death row prisoners who have committed heinous crimes, but it involves treason, rape In addition to killing, or killing fathers and relatives, choose a few young and strong ones for me, and I will be useful at that time."

Zhu Jin looked at Zhang Anshi very puzzled and said, "Master Hou, this is..."

Zhang Anshi said: "If you want to make a gadget, there will be some risks in the process of making it, so you have to use death row prisoners. If they are lucky, I will tell your majesty to pardon their capital crimes. But if they have any misfortunes, then There is no other way, anyway, they are also death row prisoners, and they will be executed after autumn."

Zhu Jin nodded: "Master Hou, you are really kind-hearted, and you have given them a break."

Zhang Anshi waved his hand: "Okay, don't talk about these things, am I kind-hearted, don't I know it myself?"

Zhu Jin chuckled.

Zhang Anshi then said: "There is one more thing, that is, our wine...we need to establish supply channels in every state and county in the world, not to mention the county town, but at least every prefecture needs to have a store. For this matter, you Take care."

Zhu Jin said: "That's easy. Now there are countless people who want to be distributors for our firm."

Zhang Anshi shook his head: "No, we have to do this by ourselves?"

"do it yourself?"

Zhang Anshi nodded and said: "At least the channels at the chief executive level must be in our own hands. If other shops want to get goods, they need to flow out of our hands."

Zhu Jin thought for a while, then said: "Okay... this is easy, I'll set up a tentative shelf first, and the provincial capitals of the ministers and envoys will set up the next facade."

"This facade needs to be atmospheric."

"Yes."

After Zhang Anshi ordered it, he said, "Let's build it here in the capital first. Starting from the capital... Also, our wine needs a name... I'm thinking about it, why not call it Royal Brewery... ..."

"Ah..." Zhu Jin looked at Zhang Anshi in surprise, frowned slightly and said, "Master Hou, could this... be wrong?"

Zhang Anshi smiled and said: "Don't worry, this money... is mostly earned, and it belongs to the palace. Your Majesty only needs money, and doesn't care about anything else."

Zhu Jin couldn't help but said: "His Majesty's mind, you have figured it out, Lord Hou."

"I'm still far behind." Zhang Anshi glared at him and said, "Get out."

Zhu Jin smiled awkwardly and hurriedly left.

Zhang Anshi has been at ease these few days.

Soon, several death row prisoners and the things Zhang Anshi was looking for arrived.

Zhang Anshi asked people to find an airtight house, and then let these death row prisoners be locked up in it.

Naturally, these few death row prisoners had been trained before.

These death row prisoners had been informed in advance that if they followed suit, they might be released from prison, and they would even be given a sum of travel expenses and resettlement allowances.

For them, it was death anyway. Although they knew there would be danger, but now they had the hope of life, they all wanted to stay.

So they tossed and tossed for a whole night in that house according to the method.

The next day, several people finally walked out with tired steps.

They were holding a lead box.

One of them said: "Master Hou, it's already been made, as expected...this thing..."

As he said, he was about to open the box and show it to Zhang Anshi.

Zhang Anshi waved his hand and said, "There's no need to open it, you can describe what you made."

The man said it out loud and said: "It's really a treasure, I think... this thing is probably priceless."

Zhang Anshi said: "Okay, come and take them back to prison."

The man immediately knelt down and said in tears: "Didn't Master Hou say that when the time comes...will you send us home?"

Zhang Anshi said: "That's not what I'm talking about. What I'm saying is that I will ask Your Majesty about this matter. After His Majesty's approval, I will release you without guilt. So, these days, I'm afraid you have to be patient. Days, stay some more time in prison."

"Don't worry, I will do what I promise you. I just hope that you will get a new life this time, and you must be a new person. If you dare to commit crimes again, hehe..."

Several people kowtowed like pounding garlic, and were escorted away obediently.

Zhang Anshi never opened the lead box.

Instead, someone carefully wrapped the thing in silk and put it in a gorgeous box.

Immediately afterwards, Zhang Anshi asked someone to invite Zheng Ci, Minister of Rites, and several officials from the Ministry of Rites.

Zheng Ci came reluctantly, a dignified department, but now he is controlled by Zhang Anshi, which made him feel unwilling.

But his arms couldn't hold his thighs, he was a cowardly person, no matter how wronged he felt, when he saw Zhang Anshi, he still smiled apologetically and greeted Zhang Anshi with each other.

Zhang Anshi took his seat and said, "I've been thinking about it. This time the Tatars are coming aggressively, but Daming needs time now. If he wants to take action against the Tatars, he will have to start in the next spring."

"But...how can we get through this year? Hey...it's difficult, think about it, these Tatars have come here with all their strength, and border towns everywhere will be in a hurry. As long as these people break through a place , It means that the lives will be destroyed. At that time, my soldiers and civilians in Ming Dynasty will be called every day, and the earth will not work. How many people will die by then?"

"Once this is the case, those slaughtered people will look at my Ming army and remain indifferent to it. They will not be able to provide effective assistance. I'm afraid they will be chilled. So... the most urgent task right now is to slow down the Tatars' attack. The time! I have calculated that the other party is ready, but it will take time to deploy. This time may take about two months, gentlemen... Now that the Ministry of War can't do anything, then... it should be the Ministry of Rites. It's time to do something."

Zheng Ci kept nodding and said with a smile: "Yes, yes, yes, Lord Hou said well, now the Ministry of Rites is ready to contact the Wuliangha Department, the Wala Department, and even communicate with North Korea at any time. , for... just..."

But Zhang Anshi waved his hand and interrupted him: "Of course we have to do these things, but the focus should not be here. These people are fools, and the Tatars have come to kill them. Never willing to take the initiative to attack Tatar for my Ming Dynasty."

Zheng Ci had no choice but to say: "Then what is your opinion, Lord Hou?"

Zhang Anshi said: "The matter is urgent. I plan to send an envoy with a team of people to go to the desert immediately to meet Tatar Khan day and night."

"See Tatar Khan?" Zheng Ci raised his eyebrows and said, "I don't understand."

Zhang Anshi said: "I have prepared a big gift. The Tatar Khan will definitely like it when he sees it. And... tell the Tatar Khan that as long as they are willing to turn war into jade, then they can talk about anything, and they want to trade with each other. If you want a reward, you can..."

That's it?

Zheng Ci thought that Zhang Anshi really had some ingenious idea, but now listening to it, he couldn't help but feel contemptuous in his heart.

You still need Zhang Anshi to do this?Am I, Zheng Ci, a fool?

Isn't it just begging and currying?

Zheng Ci said: "Is this an oral order from His Majesty?"

This was Zheng Ci's first reaction. This matter is too big. You must know that even in the Ming Dynasty, there was basically no such thing as a peace negotiation.

Even if the Emperor Yingzong was captured in history, after the Tumu Fortress change, the elite of the Ming Dynasty lost, and they did not choose to make peace, but went directly to the isolated city of Beijing to fight against the Oirat army and horses that penetrated deep into the hinterland.

Even at the end of the Ming Dynasty, at the end of the day, a minister wrote a letter, hoping to negotiate a peace with the slave-builder, but he was quickly opposed by a swarm of people. In the end, this person... ended badly.

Not to mention, it was early Ming Dynasty.

In fact, it is not...Da Ming has no way to negotiate a peace with gentleness. The premise of a peace negotiation is that the two sides are in a relatively peaceful environment.

But when the opponent had already declared the war and was ready to go, he chose to make peace, which made Zheng Ci feel... It must not be the emperor's intention, but Zhang Anshi must have made his own claim.

Zhang Anshi said without changing his face: "Your Majesty has ordered me to restrain the Ministry of Rites. I think I can make up my mind about this matter."

Zheng Ci's face became serious: "Master Hou, this is not a joke."

Zhang Anshi said: "It's not necessarily a choice to negotiate a peace, but just to send someone, give some gifts, and talk to this Tatar Khan. As long as the conditions for peace negotiation are not met, then it is not a peace negotiation, right? "

"Since you don't plan to make peace, why send envoys to reward goods?" Zheng Ci frowned and said, "It doesn't make sense."

Zhang Anshi turned cold and said: "In a word, this is my idea. If there are any consequences, I, Zhang Anshi, will bear it all. As for the candidates, is the host and guest doctor of the Ministry of Rites here?"

As soon as these words came out, a skinny man stood up: "This is the next official."

Zhang Anshi said: "You often deal with envoys from various countries. To show the importance of such a big event, you should go there yourself."

"Ah..." The doctor's face turned green, "This... I'm afraid it's not right."

Zhang Anshi said with a sullen face: "This is a military order. The situation is urgent now. At any time, countless soldiers and civilians in border towns may die because of this. You are leaving tomorrow. Don't worry, your entourage includes people from Neiqianhusuo. They I will escort you, you cannot die."

Lang Zhong's head was in a daze, and he felt like a thunderbolt from the blue sky at this moment, but he didn't dare to disobey Zhang Anshi.

Zheng Ci frowned and said, "Marquis Annan, I don't agree with you doing this."

Zhang Anshi just looked at him indifferently and said, "I disagree, what next?"

Zheng Ci said: "There is no more, the old man expresses his position."

He is an old slicker, and he is sure that even if His Majesty knew about it, he would not agree with Zhang Anshi.

But Zhang Anshi is not easy to mess with, you can't stop him, so show your attitude, and when the time comes to investigate, you Zhang Anshi splattered blood, but don't hit me, it splattered me all over.

Zhang Anshidao: "Gifts... Your ceremony department prepares a copy according to the specifications. I also have a generous gift here, and I need you to take it with you. Remember... this gift is priceless. You can take it back. After wrapping it, it will be delivered immediately. You can't be sloppy when you paint it with wax."

As he spoke, Zhang Anshi laid out the lead box that had already been wrapped.

Zheng Ci didn't touch the gift, but the doctor who served as the host and guest had no choice but to pick it up, but after mentioning it, he found that it...was very heavy.

He followed Zheng Ci happily, bid farewell to Zhang Anshi, and returned to the Ministry of Rites.

"Zheng Butang..." The doctor said with a bitter face, "Your official...seriously..."

"Can you offend Zhang Anshi?" Zheng Ci said calmly.

The doctor stopped talking.

"If you can't afford it, then you have to obey orders, otherwise, he may find out what your ancestors did for eighteen generations and accuse you of crimes."

The doctor shuddered, and finally had no choice but to accept his fate: "Yes."

Zheng Ci's eyes fell on the box he was carrying, and he was a little curious, and asked, "What's in here?"

"This... the lower officials don't know."

Zheng Ci said: "Open it and take a look."

"It's just not right."

"This is a matter of the Ministry of Rituals. How can all the national gifts that are sent out not be inspected? Besides, haven't they been sealed and sealed with wax?"

After listening to Langzhong, he realized that he seemed to be able to offend no one. The minister had an order, so how dare he not obey it?
So, he carefully placed the things on the table, opened the outer package, and saw a gold-lacquered lead box.

There is a small lock on the box, but... the locks of this era are mostly just to prevent gentlemen. Soon, the doctor opened the box.

In an instant, their eyes were filled with a vast expanse of whiteness.

But at this moment...a huge night pearl was reflected in their eyes.

It was a bead the size of a fist, and it glowed all over, making it extraordinarily dazzling.

"In the world...in the world...there really are night pearls..." Ai Ai, the middle-aged man, said.

Zheng Ci was also dumbfounded, and said in an incredible tone of exclamation: "It's so big..."

As the head of the Ministry of Rites and the doctor of the host and guest department, they have seen a lot of treasures given by the emperor or tributes from various countries.

But it was the first time they had seen such a thing that only existed in legends.

Although there are many so-called luminous pearls, in fact, they are all just lit candles, and under the reflection of the light, the light is refracted, making it seem to be glowing.

And right now... the bead seems to be shining by itself.

(End of this chapter)