Traveling through history leaving a name

Chapter 355 Years

When Wei Zhongxian returned to Tianjin, it had been four months since he left Tianjin.

In four months, the fleet brought back 300 million taels of silver and 50 silver in goods. When this news came out, it immediately caused a sensation in the entire Shuntian Mansion.

After Emperor Wanli heard the news, he was so happy that he couldn't sleep all night.

400 million taels of silver, in addition to being able to recover the cost, it also made a profit of 200 million taels of silver. In addition, there are about 400 million taels of goods in Japan, which is equivalent to three times the profit.

Even Shanxi merchants who do business with the grassland were moved by such news.

As a result, many Shanxi merchants ran to Shuntian Mansion one after another, and then scattered large sums of money just to buy a few seagoing ships.

If you can't buy it in Shuntianfu, you can go to Jiangnan to buy it, and if you can't buy it in Jiangnan, you can place an order with the shipyard.

If it really doesn't work, you can also follow Zhang Qingfeng's example and invest in shipyards.

Not only Shanxi merchants, but also many powerful and wealthy businessmen in the capital saw the business opportunities. For a time, the price of sea-going ships in the north soared by more than [-]%.

Many inland shipyards have switched to building sea-going ships.

However, everyone didn't know that Zhang Qingfeng was secretly promoting all of this.

He deliberately disclosed the profits earned by the sea trade, which made everyone's eyes red.

He deliberately did not say that many things are still in Nagasaki Port and have not been sold, nor did he mention the risks encountered at sea, so that everyone thinks that as long as there are sea ships and the goods are shipped overseas, they can earn a lot of money. double the profit.

Zhang Qingfeng's purpose of doing this is simple, because only if everyone does overseas trade, the goods he produces can be sold faster.

Why is the South the center of foreign trade in history, but the North is not?Not even a decent seaport.

Just because the North has no products that can sell well overseas, this is the core competitiveness of sea trade.

Jiangnan has silk, tea, porcelain, and so on. These are all products that sell well overseas and have already formed a scale.

However, none of these commodities were produced in the North.

It can't be said that there is no output, it can only be said that the output is very small, and we can't supply it ourselves. We still need to buy it from Jiangnan, let alone export it overseas.

The soap, glassware, mirrors, cement, cotton cloth, paper, handmade machines, etc. manufactured by Zhang Qingfeng are all very competitive products overseas.

Therefore, Zhang Qingfeng decided to promote the development of overseas trade in the north. As long as the overseas trade in the north develops and grows, the more money he can make.

For now, whether it is glass mirrors, glass utensils, soap, cement, various hand tools, etc., these products are monopolized by Shuntian Prefecture, and there is no way to imitate them in other places in a short time.

Now, many wealthy people have seen the possibility of doing maritime trade in the north, and naturally they are attracted by it.

In November, after Wei Zhongxian returned to the capital, Zhang Qingfeng allocated another 30 yuan to expand the scale of the three shipyards he had acquired.

At the same time, Wei Zhongxian and Chen Guangping made great contributions this time.

Therefore, Wei Zhongxian was rewarded by Emperor Wanli and promoted to the eunuch of the Royal Navy Admiral, under the jurisdiction of Zhang Qingfeng.

The official position of Admiral of the Royal Navy was thought up by Emperor Wanli himself, and it is also an official position that has never existed in the history of the Ming Dynasty.

Chen Guangping, who was far away in Japan, was also awarded the official position of eunuch of the Royal Maritime Trade Department and was also under the control of Zhang Qingfeng.

In addition, many meritorious people who went to Japan for trade this time also received more or less awards from Emperor Wanli.

Especially Zhang Qingfeng, who planned overseas trade, although he still held the position of eunuch in charge of the Machine Manufacturing Bureau, he was promoted to a fourth-rank official position by Emperor Wanli, the same level as the eunuch in charge of the chief of ceremonies.

At present, although Zhang Qingfeng is not as powerful as the eunuch in charge of the inspector of rites, in the eyes of Emperor Wanli, Zhang Qingfeng's status is already significantly higher than that of the eunuch in charge of the inspector of rites.

If the ceremonial inspector is in charge of the eunuch and Zhang Qingfeng, the Wanli emperor can only choose to live with one person, and the Wanli emperor will 100% not hesitate to Zhang Qingfeng.

If the eunuch of the chief of ceremonies dies, the Wanli emperor can immediately promote another one, but if Zhang Qingfeng dies, there is almost no one who can replace him.

This year's Spring Festival, Emperor Wanli made a lot of money, so he held a celebration ceremony as an exception, and it was extremely grand.

During the Spring Festival, this year's Wanli Emperor was very generous. All the court ministers and eunuchs were rewarded by the Wanli Emperor. The money spent was as high as 30 taels, which can be called extravagant.

The day before the Spring Festival, Emperor Wanli summoned all his courtiers and clan dignitaries into the palace, and had a banquet together, which was regarded as the emperor and ministers celebrating the festival together in advance.

As for the real New Year's Day, ministers will still celebrate the New Year with their relatives at their own homes.

However, this year is very unusual for Zhang Qingfeng, because on the day of the New Year, Emperor Wanli summoned him to the palace and asked all his royal family members to spend the New Year together.

Among them were the queen mother, empress, concubines, other concubines, and the princes and daughters of Emperor Wanli.

Zhang Qingfeng could feel that Emperor Wanli paid more and more attention to him, and this New Year's Eve seemed to regard him as his family.

Whether it is the empress dowager, the empress, or the prince's concubine, they all have a very polite attitude towards Zhang Qingfeng, without the attitude of a master and a slave.

"Qingfeng, I heard that besides eating and sleeping, you are working every day, and you have very little time to rest all day long. Don't be exhausted doing things for me!" At the family banquet, Emperor Wanli said to Zhang Qingfeng.

"Long live, don't worry, I have my own measure, and I won't tire my body." Hearing Emperor Wanli's concern, Zhang Qingfeng said with a "moved" look.

"Oh, you are still working too hard. You have earned so much money for me, but you live so poorly. I heard that you only eat one dish and one soup every day. It really shouldn't be." Emperor Wanli said.

Hearing Emperor Wanli's words, Zhang Qingfeng hadn't spoken yet, but Empress Dowager Li, who was sitting in the main seat, spoke.

He said to Emperor Wanli: "You have the nerve to tell me, for whom does Zhou Qingfeng work so hard? It's not for you. It's better for you that you haven't been in court for 20 years."

Hearing Empress Dowager Li's words, Emperor Wanli stopped talking immediately, and could only pick up vegetables and eat with his head down to cover up his embarrassment.

"Qingfeng, where are you from? Do you have relatives at home?" Queen Mother Li looked at Zhang Qingfeng and asked kindly.

"Back to the Empress Dowager, I am from Jinan Prefecture in the third east. I have been an orphan since my parents died since I was a child, and I have no relatives." Zhang Qingfeng shook his head and said to the Empress Dowager Li.

"What a poor child!" Upon hearing Zhang Qingfeng's life experience, Empress Dowager Li looked sympathetic.

"Empress Dowager, if I can enter the palace and be appreciated by the Lord Long Live, I will be satisfied if I can eat enough and not die of starvation. I will not have any relatives in my life, and it is impossible for me to have children in the future."

"So I have nothing to ask for in this life, I just hope that in my lifetime I will do my best to make Daming richer and stronger."

Zhang Qingfeng paused for a moment, and then said to Empress Dowager Li: "Long Live Lord and Queen Mother, you all keep in mind your good ministers. You treat me like your relatives, and I also treat you as relatives. I only hope that this can continue. That's good, after several decades, when the minister dies, the emperor can confer a title on the minister, so that the minister can be regarded as honoring his ancestors."

During the speech, Zhang Qingfeng showed his true feelings completely, which moved everyone present.

(End of this chapter)