my brother-in-law is the prince

Chapter 360

After Zhang Anshi finished speaking, he ran away in a hurry.

Xia Yuanji stared at Zhang Anshi's back with bulging eyes, and couldn't help but get angry, with that gaze, he wished to stare Zhang Anshi out of a hole.

In the world, there is only the reward of eating the emperor, and the matter of being loyal to the emperor.

Where is there someone who loses money with his family and pays his life for the court?
Xia Yuanji is in such a situation now.

This idea actually reached the Xia family.

It's miserable now, the Xia family is burdened with heavy debts, and what they get in their hands is just dozens of acres of worthless land.

In fact, Xia Yuanji could even accept it. The Xia family suffered from this loss. After all, it involved the emperor's grandson.

But if it's just the Xia family who suffered this loss, no matter what, his son also helped the emperor's grandson a lot, what is this called?It's called sending charcoal in the snow.

After all, money is something outside of the body, as long as the emperor's grandson cherishes his son, and he returns after all the money is gone, Xia Yuanji is not a short-sighted person.

It was only after inquiring about it later that he found out that it was not only the Xia family who bought tens of acres of land, but many families in the court were involved.

Jin Chun, Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment, Zhoudao, Minister of Taichang Temple, etc.

In addition, there are many chief ministers and criminal envoys in various provinces.

Although many of these people are great officials in the borderlands, they also know how difficult it is for their children to become a scholar in the imperial examination. In order to pave the way for their children and grandchildren early, most of them work as shadow officials in the capital.

For everyone, Huangsunjian's young army is an excellent opportunity, so they desperately stuffed their children into it.

On the contrary, often Wu Xun's children don't get many.

This is of course because most of the military officials have titles, but military officials without titles are often not enough, and there is no way to dredge the relationship with the Ministry of War.

As for those who have inherited the title and have their own black hat made of iron, it is better to go to the border town to experience for a few years, make some military exploits, and inherit the title in the future, of course they don't care about the future.

Needless to say, this is the early Ming Dynasty, and there are many martial arts who are relatives of the emperor, so there is really no need for this.

Everyone took out the money, which actually means that everyone didn't take the money.

If the Xia family paid for the purchase of dozens of acres of land, the emperor's grandson might think that the Xia family father and son are really loyal, and they must treat them kindly in the future.

But among the hundreds of military attaches of the young army, one counted as one, and none of them ran away, so the meaning was completely different.

It was equivalent to Xia Yuanji throwing his family property into the water, without even a single wave gushing out.

At that time, when you go to the emperor's grandson and mention this achievement, people will say who you are, and the hundreds of people who bought the land will recognize you.

Xia Yuanji almost didn't have to think about it, and he could immediately guess that this must have been done by Zhang Anshi, a wicked and smoldering guy, and only this guy could come up with such a bad idea.

The emperor's grandson was young, quick-witted and naive, how could he think of such a poisonous scheme.

Xia Yuanji was unhappy that day, he was not interested in any railways or trains.

This thing... looks like a waste of money, but now that he has lost his life and wealth, and still hasn't heard a sound, Xia Yuanji feels very sad.

So when he returned to Hubu, he was still depressed, with a pimple in his throat.

It was not easy to make it to the evening, so I was on duty, so I immediately went back to my house.

But he saw his son Xia Xuan dangling in front of him.

Xia Yuanji is a modest gentleman, but whenever he sees Xia Xuan in the past few days, he has an anger that cannot be dissipated.

After all, the matter had already happened, he didn't dare to scold the emperor's grandson, and he couldn't bring up the conflict with Zhang Anshi. He couldn't offend them, and couldn't offend his own son?

"Bastard, what's the matter?" Xia Yuanji asked coldly.

"Father, the day after tomorrow...the emperor's grandson said that he wants to lead all the military officials to Qixia, what kind of train will open to watch the ceremony."

Xia Yuanji said impatiently, "What does that have to do with you?"

Xia Xuan said with a bitter face, "Father... my son is going too."

Xia Yuanji glared at him: "So what?"

Xia Xuan said: "Colleagues are impatient. Many people, like our Xia family, put their money into it... The things in that place make people feel like a stick in their throats!"

Xia Yuanji stood up sullenly, then paced back and forth with his hands behind his back.

This Xia Xuan is really which pot is not open and which pot to lift.

So Xia Yuanji gritted his teeth, after all, his usual self-restraint and rationality overwhelmed the resentment at this time, and finally he only said: "Mmm..."

Xia Xuan hesitated for a moment, and said: "Father...a colleague...said...or, when we go to Qixia, we...simply make a fuss and see if we can get back some of our capital."

"Huh?" Xia Yuanji looked at Xia Xuan with a meaningful expression on his face.

"But my son is worried, causing trouble... I thought to myself, it's better to excuse my illness."

Xia Yuanji remained silent, he paced a few steps slowly, then sat down and drank a sip of tea, and then said slowly: "Go, I still have to go, if someone wants to make trouble, you also make trouble, when the time comes It must be, you are mixed in the crowd, and you should also cry."

"Ah...this..."

Xia Yuanji said: "After all, you are still young, so you can be regarded as young and ignorant. Moreover, there are many people involved in this matter. Even if you are guilty, the law will not punish everyone."

"Furthermore, if we make a fuss, at least we will let His Majesty know that we are bankrupt. Even if the imperial court doesn't pay us the money, at least... His Majesty knows that we have suffered a great loss."

Xia Xuan looked worried and said: "But if His Majesty is furious..."

Xia Yuanji shook his head: "Your Majesty, this person has a big temper, and he is prone to killing and killing. He has the style of Taizu. However, both Taizu and Your Majesty have a temperament, that is, they accept reason, and if they think it is wrong things, I won’t do anything to you.”

"So... such a quarrel will result in two results. One is to get back the money, and the other is that His Majesty knows that he has made a mistake. At that time... he will inevitably have to make some compensation from other places."

Xia Xuan said: "But... the emperor's grandson..."

Xia Yuanji glared at him and said, "You bastard, of course you can't push it on the emperor's grandson."

Xia Xuan said, "Then push it to Zhang Anshi? That guy is too black-hearted."

Xia Yuanji shook his head immediately: "That won't work, this guy is too hard, you can't afford to provoke him."

Xia Xuan looked at Xia Yuanji in embarrassment: "Then who is caught?"

Xia Yuanji, however, calmly said: "Yang Pu, a scholar of the Zhan Shifu, isn't he in charge of the railway affairs now? You see, he is not only involved in the East Palace, has a relationship with the emperor and grandson, but also involves the railway..."

Xia Xuan looked puzzled and said: "Ah... this is a person who can't be beaten by eight poles."

Xia Yuanji said with deep meaning in his eyes: "It's just that you can't beat it! Your Majesty knows this, the emperor knows it, Zhang Anshi knows it, you know it and I know it. Everyone knows that Yang Pu is innocent, so they framed him. , there is room for things to turn around.”

Xia Xuan hesitated and said: "But Bachelor Yang... can't help..."

Xia Yuanji looked at him with a look of resentment and said: "You, you are so stupid! For Bachelor Yang... it is of great benefit. It is an honor to receive it on behalf of the emperor's grandson! On the surface On... Yang Pu suffered a loss, but in fact, the crown prince and emperor's grandson will be grateful to him, even His Majesty will feel compassion for him."

"Yang Pu, I know a little about him. He is cautious, but he is quite capable. Although he is young, he was born in the Imperial Academy. He can do things well and will do great things in the future. With his current qualifications, he will at least continue in the future. Shang Shuwei, but if he can take the responsibility on behalf of the emperor and grandson this time, I think... he must be a prime minister. He is a smart person, so even if you frame him, he will definitely not embarrass you when he looks back."

After hearing this, Xia Xuan felt dizzy: "It seems that in the end, no one suffers."

Xia Yuanji said: "The old man only wants to get back the money, why should he teach others to suffer?"

Xia Xuan said submissively: "Then... that son, go back and discuss with the Jin family..."

Xia Yuanji said: "When the time comes, don't involve the old man."

Xia Xuan nodded and said: "My son understands that if we do what we do, it will be nothing more than nothing, but if it involves father, it will be a long-planned plan."

Xia Yuanji sighed with emotion: "Hey... If it wasn't for the family business of our ancestors, why would this be the case! I, Xia Yuanji... really shouldn't have made such a bad move."

Xia Xuan said, "This is the best strategy, how can it be the worst strategy?"

"What do you know, planning for the world and the country is the best strategy, racking your brains for this family's private scheme, no matter how clever it is, is the worst strategy."

Xia Xuan said with a bitter face, "My son has been educated."

Xia Yuanji didn't say anything else, just picked up the teacup, holding the teacup thoughtfully, motionless, his eyes lost.

Here in Qixia, in order to welcome the upcoming opening ceremony, almost everyone is busy.

The railway has finally been completed, passing through Thirteen Counties and Qixia, with fourteen stations. Now that it has undergone maintenance and trial operation, everything is ready.

With the new front, the capacity has been greatly increased, and the speed has also been improved. It has already reached [-] miles per hour from [-] miles per hour.

In this way, the speed is equivalent to reaching [-] miles per hour. Although this speed is not worth mentioning, it can be regarded as a great increase in efficiency for this era.

The most important thing is that this thing can travel all night and day, and it can travel more than 400 miles in one day and night.

Immediately, Zhang Anshi began to ask people to calculate the price of freight and passenger transportation. After a lot of calculations, the price was converted on the basis of ensuring profitability.

Compared with the current common land transportation conditions, the freight has been fully reduced by double.

And on the basis of a full reduction of double, the cargo capacity has been boosted even more. The most frightening thing is... It can arrive on time and on time.

The biggest condition for distinguishing agricultural society from commercial society lies in the concept of time.

In later generations, people always say that people in some backward places have no sense of time. This is not because of the strangeness of the race, but because...in these backward areas, they generally do not have more punctual transportation measures, such as the same batch of goods, From here to there, before there is no train, the error in the middle may often be as high as ten days, sometimes faster, half a month, and if there is an accident in the middle, it may be one month.

For people in the agricultural society, this is commonplace, and it is only a few days' delay in work, but for the common workshops and merchants in the entire Taiping Prefecture, it is actually unbearable.

My workshop needs materials for production, but you delayed delivery for ten days and half a month, so don't I want to prepare to eat dirt?
As a result, in order to deal with this situation, many workshops have to build a large number of warehouses in advance and prepare a large amount of raw materials to prevent the time error caused by the transportation.

In this way, the operating cost of the workshop is greatly increased, and the cost of storage is also greatly increased, and because of the advance stocking, the pressure on funds is also unimaginable.

But if the railway can greatly reduce the time error, the intangible benefits brought by this are not even comparable to the reduction in transportation prices.

Therefore... when the railway department under construction began to announce the measures of the new railway to the merchants and military people in various counties, the ordinary people might not be aware of it.

The railway track for trial operation has been overcrowded in the past few days, and many merchants came to observe in advance, and for a while, the grand occasion was unprecedented.

Many people have started to sign advance freight bills with the Railway Department. After all, many merchants often have regular customers and need to deliver truckloads of goods every now and then.

This railway not only greatly shortens the transportation time, but also ensures punctuality, and even the transportation price is much lower than before.No matter how you look at it, it is a good deal with huge profits.

All the stations are crowded with people, all of them are merchants wearing Songjiang cloth or Qixia new cloth, and some people even ride it to experience it for themselves, and then spread these rare things around.

Such enthusiasm far exceeded Zhang Anshi's imagination.

He originally thought that people might not be willing to accept such new things at once.

But obviously he underestimated the enthusiasm of Ming Dynasty people for new things.

Thinking about it now, Ming and Qing people are often mentioned together, but in fact, Ming people and Qing people are completely different concepts.

It seems that the same foreign things, even the scholar-bureaucrat class, have completely different levels of acceptance.What's more, what about Taiping Mansion, which is dominated by merchants?

"Captain, there are hundreds of merchants at Qixia Station every day, and they can't be driven away."

It was Gao Xiang who spoke, Gao Xiang smiled, and continued: "I also tried it, it's really shocking, there is such a thing in the world, I never thought of it."

Zhang Anshi was obviously in a good mood today, and said with a smile: "Alright, about the ceremony, let's think about whether there are any omissions. You can't make mistakes, or you won't be able to eat and walk around."

Gao Xiang said: "Yes."

On the other side, Yang Pu said: "Now the railway company has [-] steam locomotives that can be operated at the moment. The main thing is the dispatching aspect, which still needs to be improved. If you are familiar with it in the future, it would be great if you can increase it to [-]." !"

"The current order is almost full. Now... the next official is thinking... whether to increase the capacity, and only eight trailers per truck, is it too little?"

"Don't rush, take your time." Zhang Anshi said calmly: "Leave this matter to Xu Jingchang and the others to figure out a way. The operation of the railway department and the training of personnel must not make mistakes. If there is a mistake, you are the only one to ask. gone."

Thirty cars running at the same time every day, what is the concept?Thirty vehicles can transport almost 600 tons, which is [-] million jin, or nearly [-] shi, on this route that is hundreds of miles long, and it is only a day.

In January, it was 150 million stones.

If it is one year, almost all the food and taxes of the entire Ming Dynasty can be transported.

But how much manpower and material resources did the Ming Dynasty need to use to transport these grains?In order to transport money and food, the upper government almost recruited millions of civilian husbands, and it often took several months for these civilian husbands to go back and forth.

Of course, right now this railway line is only running in Taiping Prefecture.

Zhang Anshi went on to say: "For the railway department... after operation, the accounts must be clear, and all personnel must be fixed. In addition... the railway inspection department under the railway department, from now on, will To patrol along the railway line at all times in case of robbery is a heavy burden for the railway department, and so is your responsibility, Bachelor Yang."

Yang Pu smiled and said: "The governor can rest assured, the subordinate officials will do their best."

"It can't be doing your best, but you must never make mistakes. If you make a mistake, you are the only one who asks."

"Yes."

Everything is ready, everything is ready, only the east wind is owed.

The auspicious day has come.

On this day, early in the morning, Zhang Anshi wore the boa robes bestowed by the emperor, and led the officials from the Governor's Mansion and the Taiping Mansion to the Qixia border in advance.

Shengjia didn't arrive until noon.

Zhang Anshi went forward to salute.

Zhu Di got off his horse, smiled and said, "Why do you look so sad? Why, you must have waited for a long time."

Zhang Anshi said: "I'm just worried about missing the good time."

Zhu Di smiled and said: "Don't worry, I won't miss your business, if it really will, don't you still have Jin Qing's family?"

There is something in these words, after all...Jin Zhong is a professional, even if it is delayed, he can make a calculation, saying that this hour is a good delay, and the next hour will be better.

Jin Zhong followed, smiled and said nothing.

Xia Yuanji's eyes glanced at the emperor's grandson's car not far away.

Zhang Anshi led the way, and the mighty people immediately arrived at Qixia Station.

There is already a post at three steps and a sentry at five steps, and even the model battalion has been dispatched here, and the guards are strict.

Fortunately, the location of the station is relatively remote, in the western suburbs of Qixia near Nanjing.

Therefore, now there is only the station of Nuoda, which is located here alone.

"Create a crime, make a crime..."

Xia Yuanji accompanied the driver behind, and Jin Chun, Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, murmured.

His voice was very soft, but Xia Yuanji listened.

Xia Yuanji looked at Jin Chun in astonishment.

Jin Chun whispered: "Do you know what you are stepping on?"

Xia Yuanji said in astonishment: "It is... what is it?"

"It's our land..."

Xia Yuanji suddenly felt that the ground was burning his feet, and couldn't help but staggered.

Jin Chun said heartbrokenly: "Look at this place, it's a barren land, even if you grow crops, the crops will think there is no nourishment here!"

Xia Yuanji was not convinced: "No way? Is it really here?"

"Why did you lie to me! My home is 120 feet east of the station. Where is your home?"

When Xia Yuanji heard it, his heart became cold.

Looking around, except for the station, it is an understatement to say that this place is barren, and there are probably no ghosts on weekdays.

Xia Yuanji shook his head, smiled wryly, and then glanced at the emperor's grandson and his accompanying military officials in the distance.

Jin Chun and Xia Yuanji looked at each other, and they seemed to exchange glances.

Although he didn't have much contact with Jin Chunping on a daily basis, he seemed to have a tacit understanding at this moment, so he immediately looked away.

When Zhu Di arrived at the station, he walked up the stone steps and looked at Zhang Anshi dumbfounded: "This is the cost of millions of taels of silver..."

Zhang Anshi smiled and said: "Your Majesty...you will know when you enter the station."

Zhu Di remembered something: "Call my grandson."

So the eunuch accompanying him hurried to summon Zhu Zhanji.

Zhu Zhanji led all the military officials and was surrounded by people from left to right. They seemed to be looking up and down all the way, and arrived on a pony.

Then he got off his horse and came towards Zhu Di.

Zhu Di smiled and said, "I've grown taller again. My grandson is like me. In the future, I will be a strong man. Zhang Qing's family...you Zhang family...are too slender."

Zhang Anshi: "..."

Your Majesty, you belittled my whole family so confidently, isn't it good!

Seeing that Zhang Anshi was silent, Zhu Zhanji happily prepared to salute Zhu Di.

But before Zhu Zhanji saluted, Zhu Di had already pulled him: "I teach you to drive with me, but I want you to see and see... this station... you have put a lot of painstaking efforts into it."

Zhu Zhanji said with a smile: "My lord... I didn't do anything."

Zhu Di showed a meaningful smile.

At this time, someone suddenly heard a sobbing sound.

Zhu Di heard it, and frowned slightly.

The sobbing sound came from Zhu Zhanji's followers.

Zhu Di said with a straight face: "Who is so rude?"

Then a young military official came out, prostrated himself in the tunnel and said: "The sin of ten thousand deaths."

Zhu Di glared at him, then at Zhu Zhanji.

Zhu Zhanji was also a little surprised.

Zhu Di said, "Why are you crying?"

"Your Majesty, I'm humble... I'm humble... I can't live anymore, so I'm sad."

"Ok?"

"Bachelor Yang Pu of the Railway Department wants to build the railway. Because there is not enough money, he teaches the humble people to buy the barren land of this station. The humble ancestors have accumulated it for generations. The total wealth of the family is only a discount of 3000 taels. Teach you to buy six acres of land here, and you need 3000 taels for these six acres of land. You can't afford such a large amount of cash, and you still teach you to ask for a loan... low... low..."

The man was crying so loudly that he seemed to be dying all of a sudden.

His tears were pouring down, his body was trembling, his voice was hoarse and exhausted, but there seemed to be two words written all over his body... Grab money!
Zhu Di's face suddenly turned blue and red, he was angry, but he was not easy to attack.

"Who is my father?"

The man said: "Sichuan Prosecution Envoy Liu Yan..."

Zhu Di said with a cold face: "Do you know what the crime is for the emperor's disrespect?"

This man said: "Humble and dead..."

After all, kowtow again and again.

At this time... the other military officials seemed to explode, and Xia Xuan also fell to the ground, and raised his voice: "Humble... low... I can't live anymore."

"Humble..."

Zhu Di: "..."

Zhu Di was extremely embarrassed at this moment, with a look of shame and indignation.

Zhu Zhanji opened his eyes wide. He was a little timid at first, but he tilted his head and thought, no, isn't this blaming Bachelor Yang Pu?What does it have to do with me, Zhu Zhanji?
Only Zhang Anshi's eyes lit up at this time.

He suddenly... burst into joy.

Is there such a good thing in the world?
Zhang Anshi was happy.

…………

The update will start tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)