Father, I really don’t want to be the emperor

A person's wisdom is always limited. If he wants to turn everything in his mind into reality, Ning Fan needs the help of many people who like research.

The officials from the Ministry of Works did not dare to hide it and quickly replied: "Most of them are sons who inherited their father's business. Of course, there are also skilled craftsmen from all over the country who come to the Ministry of Works to answer the call!"

“Every year, the Ministry of Industry conducts selections in various places and can promptly discover some craftsmen with excellent skills.”

said an official from the Ministry of Industry.

Ning Fan carefully observed this little official, he should be a fifth-grade doctor from the Ministry of Industry.

The official position is not big, but there are many things to do.

He has a fair appearance and clear eyes, and he is probably a smart and capable person.

"What's your name?"

Ning Fan made a digression.

"The lower official Shen Mengxi is currently a doctor in the Ministry of Industry."

The fair official knelt down quickly to answer.

Ning Fan's current status is different from that of the past. The prince's status is still very prominent in this era.

"That's a good name. What are you good at?"

Ning Fan said with great interest.

Hearing Ning Fan ask this question, Shen Mengxi's face actually showed a look of embarrassment.

"Xiaguan is good at refining alchemy..."

"But I don't refine elixirs to pray for immortality, but I simply like to study the changes after firing various things together."

Shen Mengxi gave a somewhat difficult answer.

After saying this, Shen Mengxi looked at Ning Fan nervously.

He originally thought that Ning Fan would show contempt, but he didn't know that Ning Fan's face actually showed a look of listening attentively.

"Not bad, very promising."

Ning Fan said seriously.

Shen Mengxi thought Ning Fan was just perfunctory, but Ning Fan continued: "Do you know where there are iron mines?"

"Iron mine? We have several iron mines in Dakang, and the Ministry of Industry has the drawings. Why do you ask this, my lord?"

Shen Mengxi was very curious.

Ning Fan shook his head and said, "Are most of these iron ores mined on the surface in the open pit?"

Shen Mengxi didn't expect that Ning Fan would be really interested in this kind of thing. Hearing this, he said eloquently: "Iron ore is concentrated. Some are easy to mine on the surface, and some are in natural caves."

Ning Fan nodded. Before the invention of gunpowder, large-scale mining was almost impossible.

After all, due to productivity limitations, minerals are so rare in this era.

"Master Shen, when you are free, you can help me keep an eye on some people."

"For example, you can recommend some people who are obsessed with studying weird and weird things to me."

Ning Fan instructed.

Shen Mengxi didn't know what Ning Fan meant, but she agreed anyway.

On the way back from the Ministry of Industry, Ning Fan suddenly considered another thing.

The development of a society's productive forces is one aspect, but population is also very important.

Dakang's current total population is less than 40 million, and with years of war and natural disasters, the population is still shrinking.

food!

medicine!

These are the two major factors restricting population growth in this era. If these two aspects are solved, the population will grow explosively, and Dakang's external enemies will naturally be defeated without a fight.

Ning Fan suddenly realized that he had too much to do.

Life is only a hundred years short. If you want to make some achievements in this era, many things need to be planned in advance.

"Ergou, have you ever met a foreigner?"

Ning Fan suddenly asked.

Ergou, who was driving the carriage, was stunned and asked with a puzzled look on his face: "My lord, what are the foreigners you are talking about?"

"It must be a barbarian!"

Yueying said.

Ning Fan nodded: "Have you ever seen a barbarian?"

"Not only have I met them, I can also speak their words."

Yueying looked arrogant.

Ning Fan became interested and asked quickly: "Where did those barbarians come from?"

"How could I know? It's the end of the world!"

Yueying looked at Ning Fan with some suspicion, wondering why this unreliable prince suddenly remembered the Hu people.

"Ergou, how is our store doing lately?"

Ning Fan's thoughts jumped very quickly, and Ergou and Yueying could hardly keep up.

"It's not a problem. It's just that recently many businessmen have requested large quantities of goods. Unfortunately, our goods are in short supply."

Ergou was a little annoyed.

When Ning Fan heard what Ergou said, he immediately became interested: "When you go back, help me make appointments with some barbarian businessmen. I want to meet them."

Ergou was surprised to hear that Ning Fan wanted to meet the Hu people, because in this era, the Hu people had a very low status and were called barbarians.

Most people would avoid seeing barbarians with a look of disgust on their faces. Why would Ning Fan want to see those despicable barbarians?

"Have you fallen in love with Hu Ji? I heard she is very charming!"

Yueying looked unhappy.

Ning Fan didn't expect that this girl would actually think about this, and said quickly: "If we want to do business, we must do business with barbarians. Don't underestimate barbarians, their products are also very good."

"Yes, the colored glaze, pearls, etc. brought by the Hu people are very popular. If we do business with them, we will definitely make a profit without losing anything."

Ergou is very knowledgeable about business.

Then he continued: "What the Hu people purchase most is actually tea, silk and porcelain. When these things are shipped to them, the price will increase hundreds of times! The money these Hu people make in one trip is enough to eat and drink for a lifetime!"

Ning Fan was not surprised by this: "Things are rare and expensive. They bring what we don't have, and they bring what they don't have back. The price is naturally much higher! What's more, a trip can take as little as one year, or as long as several years!" "

"You have to bear the wind, frost, rain, snow, and all kinds of bandits along the way. If there weren't such high profits, I'm afraid no one would do this business."

Ning Fan was quite accustomed to this.

Ning Fan wanted to meet the Hu people, but he was not actually attracted to Hu Ji, nor was he interested in their jewelry. What Ning Fan was most interested in were the Hu people's spices and crops such as sweet potatoes, peanuts, and corn.

These crops are high-yield and drought-tolerant, especially suitable for the current situation in Dakang.

If these crops can flow into Dakang, it will be a huge boost to population growth.

On the second day, Ergou indeed brought back two Hu merchants.

Hearing that they were going to meet the prince of Dakang, the Hu father and daughter dressed up in fancy clothes and walked into the palace, attracting many people to watch.

"Your Highness, this is Sardine and his daughter Sheena."

Ergou introduced to Ning Fan.

Ning Fan was about to speak, but unexpectedly the father and daughter knelt down directly: "Dear prince, I am Sardin from the East."

When the barbarian opened his mouth, he spoke fluent Chinese.

Ning Fan took a look at Sadin's daughter Xina. This girl was tall and fair-skinned, but she was not completely barbarian, but had some oriental looks.

Ning Fan judged that this person named Xina should be a mixed race.

"Xina's mother should be from Dakang."

Ning Fan asked.

Sardine nodded hurriedly: "I have been in Middle-earth for more than ten years, and I found a wife here, who is Xina's mother."

Sardin did not hide anything and answered simply.