my brother-in-law is the prince

Yu Qian only smiled slightly.He is quite familiar with Zhang Anshi, after all, he has been a secretary in Changshi Mansion for so many days.

This His Highness may not care much about other things, but he values ​​money the most.

But now Yu Qian has also changed his mind. Ever since he really entered the county prince's mansion for official business, he has become more and more aware of the importance of money.

There are so many officials in the Taiping Mansion, and they all point to the Taiping Mansion to distribute their salaries!

Everyone has a family to support, and if there is no money to support them, what will the wives and children do?
What's more, there are so many projects in Taiping Mansion, and I don't know how many people are employed. Which one doesn't cost money?

It is true that the prince of Wuhu loves money, but he is also a boy who spreads wealth. Countless money flows out of the county prince's mansion, and then enters thousands of households.

He really saw the children of ordinary hired workers enter the school, and he also saw with his own eyes that the wives who had fallen into poverty had to go to the textile workshops, and they went to the shops in groups to buy rouge.

When it's time for dinner, thousands of households raise smoke from cooking, and you can smell the smell of meat.

Perhaps these are nothing, even for a family like Yu Qian who has been an official for generations and has a scholarly family, it is simply commonplace.

But Yu Qian is not an ordinary person, he still has a little understanding of the folks.

It is precisely because I have seen the starving people everywhere, the starving people in ragged clothes, and the scrawny children who have gone to the fields and herded cattle since childhood, that I know how terrible Zhang Anshi is.

Naturally, he may not be used to some of the customs in Taiping Mansion, and he even has some complaints about some phenomena.

But for people like Yu Qian, they already knew that if it was said that Daming was going to produce a saint, nine times out of ten, it would be His Royal Highness Wuhu County King in front of him.

What is a saint?In addition to what people called the emperor before the Song Dynasty.

Most of them refer to people like Yao and Shun or Duke Zhou and Confucius.

But people in this world also have different interpretations of saints. Some people think that saints are called saints if they have all the talents and virtues.

It's just that Yu Qian also has his own views. Saints may not be all talented and virtuous. They can make the people worry-free like Yao and Shun, and they can also pass on their names.

Seeing Zhang Anshi's hunger and thirst, Yu Qian said: "Your Highness, I'd better report to the customs first."

Zhang Anshi immediately said: "Say it quickly."

Yu Qian said: "The customs currently has a fixed staff of 370 people, including 140 three Chinese officials, and more than 19 customs patrol inspectors. There are few lawbreakers who are trying to confuse them into the customs, and the lower officials think that these manpower is far from enough, especially the number of inspections, which is far from enough."

Zhang Anshi frowned and said, "More than 200 people, isn't that enough?"

Yu Qian shook his head and said: "The lack of manpower is not the only thing. The lower officials think that at least three to five hundred more posts are needed. Other than that...weapons. What is missing is both fast boats and firearms. Guns, cannons, horses, etc., should be equipped with the model battalion as standard."

Zhang Anshi paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, imitating Zhu Di.

After bowing his head and thinking for a while, he said, "Aren't you going to build a model camp?"

Yu Qian smiled and said: "The tariffs of the customs are not small after all. Because of this, people will take risks for this. Especially merchant ships, people who run ships are often bold. Your Highness should have heard of it. There are some Merchant ships go on land to be good citizens, and when they go to sea, although they also ship goods, they also do a lot of shady things."

"Such matters involving huge profits, if there is no necessary precautions, how can we collect all the tax money to make up for the additional customs duties?"

Zhang Anshi nodded in agreement and said, "You're thoughtful. If that's the case, it's not impossible. You still want to build a school?"

Yu Qian calmly said: "Exactly, what I want to build is a school for customs specialists. When I was preparing to build the customs, because the recruited personnel were mixed, I spent a lot of effort to clean them up. But in the long run, it is not a solution. If there is no specialist school to replenish personnel at any time, once the business becomes more onerous in the future, it may be too late to recruit personnel urgently."

Zhang Anshi said: "This... is not impossible to discuss. You can run the school first and recruit a group of students. Of course, you can handle this matter."

Yu Qian said: "Yes."

Sometimes, he felt that His Royal Highness was easy to talk to, at least subverting many of his initial cognitions.

So later, many of his suggestions and ideas can be expressed calmly.

At this time, Zhang Anshi said: "My king has heard that you also seized the goods of the Marquis of Chengyang and ordered him to pay taxes?"

"There is such a thing." Yu Qian continued neither humble nor overbearing: "It was copied from the inspection below. It is not timid. It is a whole boat of spices, but it is a boat of useless iron ore. I want to borrow it." This opportunity paid less customs duties. The patrol boarded the ship and searched, and had conflicts with them, but later, the problem was resolved.”

Seeing his calm expression, Zhang Anshi asked curiously, "Are you convinced?"

"I didn't give up." Yu Qian said: "The owner of the ship was captured directly, imprisoned, the ship and the cargo were seized, and the merchants involved in the ship were directly sent to question. Isn't this the problem solved? "

Zhang Anshi: "..."

It's so straightforward!
But he likes it!
Seeing that Zhang Anshi was speechless, thinking that Zhang Anshi was afraid of getting into trouble, Yu Qian said: "Your Highness also knows that His Highness must be embarrassed. After all, Your Highness is worried about offending others, but it doesn't matter. If someone asks, His Highness will push this matter to the next official." It’s fine on the head, the lower officials are in the capital, anyway, they don’t have any relatives or old friends, they are open-minded and fearless.”

Zhang Anshi smiled and said: "You are doing business for the county prince's mansion, how could I push these things on your head? This is a good job, and the patrol that imprisoned the ship owner should be credited and rewarded."

As he said that, Zhang Anshi encouraged him: "It's not impossible to have such things as human affection. They are all mortal bodies. How can there be no human affection? But when money is involved, it's two different things. Don't say it's a prince, it's the heavenly king Lao Tzu." If I don’t pay this tax, I, Zhang Anshi, will still lose my face.”

Yu Qian smiled, pretending not to hear this sentence.

Although his face was still calm, with Zhang Anshi's support, there was joy in his heart that he didn't even notice.

Zhang Anshi said: "This king has not misread you, you are quite courageous."

Well, he appreciates that!

Yu Qiandao: "Xiaguan is not very courageous on weekdays. He dare not walk at night. When he encounters snakes, insects, rats and ants, he can't help but feel hairy. The reason why Xiaguan goes all out is that he thinks that such things are beneficial. Qianqiu, so go through fire and water."

Zhang Anshi kept nodding his head: "Okay, okay, let me read the accounts. I've been rambling so much. If I don't read the accounts, I won't be at ease."

Yu Qian smiled again, and gave Zhang Anshi a meaningful look.

This account was in the hands of Zhang Anshi, using the common recording method of Taiping Mansion, so Zhang Anshi didn't bother to look at the front, and just turned to the table on the last page until a number came into view.

Zhang Anshi suddenly felt refreshed, his eyes widened slightly, and he said, "So much?"

Yu Qian was calm: "It is all levied according to the amount of tariffs set by His Highness. Sea-going ships have a large capacity, and the current sea-going ships often carry more precious goods in order to increase profits. This is a full ship of goods. , may have to pay tens of thousands of taels of silver, so... the customs tax is naturally not small."

Zhang Anshi was a little worried, so he asked: "If so, will the burden on the sea merchants be too heavy?"

Yu Qian said with a smile: "Your Highness, there is no need to worry about this. The profits of sea goods are too great. My worthless things from Ming Dynasty will be several times as profitable when they arrive in the foreign domain. The goods from the foreign domain will double when they arrive in Daming." The above interest rate difference, even... the lower officials have heard... that there are some methods of doing business, which is really unimaginable."

Zhang Anshi said: "What method?"

Yu Qian said: "A sea merchant came to Malacca, and the local Tianzhu, Dashi and other merchants brought out glass, colored glaze, etc. The Dashi and Tianzhu merchants rushed to buy without knowing it. A piece of glass, especially A glass mirror can be exchanged for hundreds of taels of gold and silver, and a piece of colored glaze is actually worth a hundred taels of gold and silver, but this Tianzhu, a big food merchant, regards it as a rare treasure."

"And the gold and silver they exchanged for glass mirrors and colored glaze, and then bought a large amount of cotton from Tianzhu, fabrics from Dashi, and wool, etc., returned to my Ming Dynasty, and there was a huge difference in interest. This glass mirror, in the I, Ming, are nothing but worthless things, but just tens of hundreds of taels of mirrors and glazed glass can be exchanged for a boatload of wool and cotton worth tens of thousands of gold..."

Zhang Anshi couldn't help laughing when he listened.

Thinking about it carefully, glass, apart from the fact that Zhang Anshi can mass-produce it, is really more precious than ordinary pearls and other jewelry, but he didn't expect that these sea merchants would still play like this.

The most ridiculous thing is that in Malacca, there are probably quite a few people who know the glass mirror, not only the local palace and the Han guards, but also so many merchants.

In this way, the only possibility that such a thing can be exchanged for a large amount of gold and silver is that everyone knows what is going on, and everyone's heart is like a mirror, but everyone just keeps silent and maintains a certain tacit understanding.

Don't look at Daming, these scholars, farmers, businessmen and businessmen are verbally criticizing each other, it's very lively.

But once they go overseas, especially when so many people are in a more dangerous environment, it is easy for people to unite unconsciously in such a dangerous environment.

Zhang Anshidao: "In this way, the 200 million taels of silver... We just got a small head, but these sea merchants, one by one, have already eaten their fat heads?"

"Not necessarily." Yu Qian said: "The risk of maritime merchants is not small. Of course, earning money is really earning money."

What is the concept of 200 million taels of silver?

Zhang Anshi himself couldn't even imagine it.

It is roughly equivalent to the customs tax alone, which almost surpasses the local money and grain tax. No wonder in later generations, the customs of a country are almost the lifeblood of many countries.

Zhang Anshi said enthusiastically, "Is all the money in the warehouse?"

"It's already in the warehouse." Yu Qian said: "However, the inflow of silver from foreign domains...isn't much, but more gold."

Zhang Anshi smiled and said: "It doesn't matter, gold and silver are not separated, with this, the king can rest easy."

"What does Your Highness mean?" Yu Qian looked at Zhang Anshi, as if he felt that there was something in Zhang Anshi's words.

Zhang Anshi said: "Whenever you do anything, you have to be justified, but no matter how great your reputation is, it's not worth real money. With such a large amount of income, it's time for this king to do a big job."

After a pause, he ordered with a serious expression: "Right now, don't make a fuss about the customs, just do your own thing."

Yu Qian said: "Yes."

After Yu Qian bid farewell and left, Zhang Anshi sat alone, drinking tea slowly, his face looked calm as usual, but in fact he had already started to think.

With silver, there is confidence!
But confidence alone is not enough. Now he is like a local rich man who needs to give some people a little shock.

After pondering for a moment, Zhang Anshi ordered someone to invite Chen Lilai, and then someone called Zhu Jinren and others.

Hastily negotiated.

On the next day.

All over the Taiping Mansion, the list of essays suddenly began to be posted one after another.

In this article list, there is a notice about emigration.

Encourage the people all over the world to move to Taiping Mansion. Once all the personnel settle down, they will be exempted from the tuition fee of the primary school for one year.

In the past, Taiping Mansion absorbed the population almost in a silent way.

You love to come or not.

But now, it is so naked, but it surprises people.

After all, throughout the ages, the whole world has never seen such a waste of money.

Another day later, another announcement came out, which was issued by Jimin.

Taiping Mansion has set up Jimin Courts in various places, and if necessary, they can provide three meals a day. Of course, this meal mainly consists of steamed cakes.

But even steamed cakes are fine grains in this era.

As a result, people can't help but start talking about it again.

Such a move can indeed solve the problem of manpower shortage in Taiping Prefecture today.

What's more, as soon as these two notices came out, Zhang Anshi began to stand on the moral high ground.

As a result, Gao Xiang began to get busy, calling the magistrates of various counties to implement the matters of population absorption and relief of the people.

The government's expenditure is abundant.With money, manpower is needed to implement it. In addition, it is necessary to formulate various detailed rules.

Fortunately, the entire Taiping Mansion has already been reborn, so it is not difficult to deal with these.

…………

Shangqiu County, Henan Chief Envoy.

In this small county office, there are many people rushing in at this time, it is very lively.

Most of the people who came were local gentry.

Chen Jian, the county magistrate, hid in the shack in the back office, and refused to come out for a long time.

It wasn't until the signing room that the gentry hadn't left for a long time, and even got into a hurry, that he came out in a hurry to greet everyone.

One of the gentry said with a bitter face: "Your Majesty, there are a lot of fleeing households, you have to think of a way! In the past, there were only sporadic escapes, but now... on the official road, it is... but..."

This Chen Jianjian calmed down and said: "Didn't you already send someone to stop it?"

A gentry smiled wryly, beat his chest and fell down: "Don't you know the county lord? Half of the guards in our county have fled. The Taiping Mansion has also drawn up some kind of regulations, saying that all the prefectures and counties have escaped." If the servants moved to the Taiping Mansion, another five taels of silver will be given as a resettlement fee."

"Besides, there is also a mill in the Taiping Mansion where the migrating people are specially made to complain about their grievances. If the migrating people encounter difficulties with local officials along the way, they can sue. Although they cannot Severely punished, but said that these people should be recorded in the roster, and now, all the officers in the county don't care about this, and they are afraid of being sued, lest they lose time and lose their way out."

After hearing this, Chen Jian's eyes showed surprise, and he said dumbfoundedly: "Your Majesty enshrined the vassal, this Taiping Mansion is like a country within a country, but it was never expected that they would be so rampant."

Then someone said sadly and indignantly: "The old man's bearer, a few nurses, and some tenants have all moved away one after another. Hey... there is no way to live!"

Chen Jian frowned and said, "Where did this Anshi get so much money? They...they..."

"This...but it's hard to say." The gentry chattered: "This person is the most greedy. In the Taiping Mansion, he takes money for everything. He has a lot of money, but he would rather give up his family wealth than wait for me. .”

"This is to encourage fleeing households."

The more people talked, the more angry they became.

Chen Jian pondered for a moment, and said: "Don't panic, gentlemen. I will report this matter to the Ming court myself."

He stabilized his mind, pondered, and seemed to have a little care in his heart.

In fact, it's nothing to run away from home, the frightening thing is that most of the people who go to Taiping Mansion are young and strong.

Now the land rent has plummeted, and even the land price has plummeted. Many gentry and village sages can no longer support it.

If this continues, how can it be possible?

Chen Jian couldn't help muttering, where did this Taiping Mansion get so much money?
So, he pondered for a while, and immediately began to repair the book, and then ordered someone to send it to the capital as soon as possible.

Inside the capital, it seemed that it was still calm.

But in private, there is already an undercurrent.

Memorials and letters from various prefectures and counties in the world were sent to the imperial court and the mansions of various families like snowflakes.

No one expected that the two notices from the Taiping Mansion would produce such huge results overnight.

After reading the letter, many people were tossing and turning sleepless.

These letters include students and old officials who are officials abroad, as well as their own hometowns, but no matter who the letters are from, they always give people a breathless oppression.

A few more days later, the weather became hotter and hotter. It was scorching summer, but there were fast horses that rushed to the Ministry of War.

After that, Jin Zhong, Minister of the Ministry of War, did not dare to neglect, and immediately took a memorial to meet him urgently.

Zhu Di rose to his seat, gazed at Jin Zhong, Jin Zhong paid his respects, and saluted, "Your Majesty, the chief envoy of Zhejiang Province hastened to play, and your majesty will take a look at it."

Yi Shiha received the memorial and forwarded it to Zhu Di.

Zhu Di only glanced at it, and then opened his eyes, which were as cold as frost for a moment, and then he jumped up, and couldn't help shouting: "You are so bold, you don't know how to live or die!"