The Ming Dynasty started with caution

In the capital city, the Wucheng Army and the Shuntian Prefecture arrested and convicted the Zhang brothers, causing a great uproar.

Even the Ministry of Punishment sent people to search for two people.

The relatives interfered in the salt administration and enriched their own pockets. If it were Emperor Gao, they could be beheaded.

But now that the queen is pregnant, the Zhang family can be called the hero. Although His Majesty will blame her, it is not to the extent of beheading her.

Yan Chengjin said: "Your Majesty, I guess that Ning Shouhou and his wife saw silver mountains overseas and went out to sea to collect silver."

How stupid!

Cao boats are used for swimming in rivers. They have poor balance and can easily capsize when encountering wind and waves. Swimming in the sea requires horse boats and warships.

These two fools dared to go to sea in a canoe. At this moment, they may have been buried in the belly of the fish.

Even though Emperor Hongzhi was furious, he couldn't get angry anymore when he thought that the two of them would be buried in the belly of a fish.

"Your Majesty, what about the case of Liaodong's private rebellion against the salt administration?"

Xiong Gan also wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to let His Majesty punish Ning Shouhou severely.

Yan Chengjin thought for a while and said: "Although I have left, the mansion is still there. Your Majesty can take back the money that the Lord has embezzled."

I wanted your Majesty to take back the mansion and farm.

But His Majesty's mother-in-law, Mrs. Jin, still lives in the mansion, and His Majesty will definitely not kick her out.

The cashier was fine, at least he had to make the Zhang brothers cough up tens of thousands of taels of silver.

"Master Yan said that the thirty thousand taels of silver collected from Liaodong should be put into the national treasury."

Wang Shouren interrogated Lin Weihuai and learned that the Zhang brothers had taken away so much silver.

Ma Wensheng sighed: "Even if Ning Shouhou is punished, the salt policy in Liaodong cannot be rectified.

Merchants colluded with officials, causing uneven distribution of salt.

I think it's not just Liaodong, I'm afraid that other chief envoys will be like this too. "

Once there is a business controlled by the court, benefits can be obtained by exchanging with the gentry.

Leading the salt out is one way.

But the court would lose a large amount of tax revenue.

Yan Chengjin couldn't solve it, so he stood in the corner of the hall and remained silent.

"In the Yan Qing family, there are also salt merchants in the Liangxiang Chamber of Commerce?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Liangxiang only makes refined salt, not coarse salt. I'm afraid we won't be able to do business in Liaodong."

Selling coarse salt to the common people does not make any money, and it also has to compete with Huizhou merchants and deal with the Salt Department Yamen.

But Yan Chengjin not only wants to make coarse salt, but also wants to be the only salt merchant in the world.

"Ye Qi reformed the Salt Law of Kainzhong, and in the Qing Dynasty, he also reformed the Salt Policy to vote salt.

No matter how many times it is reformed, the only way to solve the shortcomings of the salt policy is state-run.

Even in later generations, salt was always state-owned and there were no private traders.

However, the Ming Dynasty had nothing to do with capital, so it had to rely on the Liangxiang Chamber of Commerce to take over all the salt administration in the world.

But Liangxiang merchants are still too weak. To be on the safe side, they must shirk first and play hard to get. " Yan Chengjin thought in his mind.

Every year, many officials and relatives would beg for salt. If he took the initiative to beg, he would monopolize the salt administration.

The Liangxiang Chamber of Commerce will definitely be subject to joint economic sanctions from multiple business gangs.

"Your Majesty, what Yan Chengjin said is true. The salt cannot be handed over to one merchant. It is better to be sold fairly by the gentry."

"I second the proposal!"

"I second the proposal!"

The ministers all agreed, fearing that His Majesty would hand over the salt administration of Liaodong to the Liangxiang Chamber of Commerce.

Yan Chengjin's inference is correct.

The Liangxiang Chamber of Commerce is still too small and has insufficient foundation. If the major business gangs boycott, the road will be narrow.

Emperor Hongzhi didn't know much about economics. Since Yan Chengjin said he couldn't do it, he gave up.

………

The capital is bustling with traffic, but unlike Jiangnan, there are fewer shouts and shops on both sides of the streets.

Ning Wang Zhu Chenhao came to the capital, looking around like a child, curious about everything he saw.

From now on, this city belongs to me, and I want to take a good look at it.

"Your Majesty, let's go to the palace to meet the Holy Spirit first!"

"Don't worry, Your Majesty will allow me to come to the capital for a small visit. I will definitely not care about the courtesy of the king and his ministers. Have the other vassal princes arrived?"

"King Xing will arrive in Beijing today, and King Shou, who is the farthest away, will probably wait for a few more days."

"Then there's no need to rush."

Prince Ning had his own considerations. As long as the prince did not interact with the powerful, it would not be a violation of the ban.

King Xing rushed over in a hurry, surely because he was afraid that his Majesty would be offended by his request to change the feudal state last time.

He rushed to Beijing to apologize.

He must not like the emperor either, but he can unite with King Xing and rebel together.

"This is a good war horse of yours. Do you want to sell it?"

Zhu Houzhao stood behind Zhu Chenhao with a smile, staring at the big black horse with shiny coat, his eyes shining.

The filly has reached marriageable age, and as the father, it is necessary to find a match for her.

He doesn't like stallions that are too thin.

This big black horse looks very capable and indescribably strong.

"How do you know, sir, that this is a war horse?"

Zhu Chenhao was shocked. He was a talented person. If he could be paid, he might be of great use during the rebellion.

It took more than a month to tame his fierce horse.

When galloping, it is as fast as thunder.

He can run more than four hundred miles in a day.

A rare horse indeed.

"Our young master is asking you whether to sell it or not!"

Butler Ji from Prince Ning's Mansion got a little annoyed and said, "No, our master has something to do, so get out of the way."

Zhu Chenhao said boldly: "I like to make friends. If the young master likes it, I will give it to him. May I ask the young master's name?"

"Xiao Zhu Xiucai!" Zhu Houzhao beamed.

Zhu Houzhao?

Zhu Chenhao froze. He heard a secret report that the prince liked to sneak out of the palace to play. His common names were Zhao Houzhu and Xiao Zhu Xiucai...

I didn't expect to run into him right after entering Beijing.

Zhu Houzhao saw that he hadn't said anything for a long time, so he blinked his eyes and asked curiously: "What's your name?"

"I have something else to do, so I'll leave first."

Zhu Chenhao didn't want to get involved with the prince, and there must be Jinyiwei nearby.

Zhu Houzhao stopped in front of him and said happily: "You took my horse."

"..." Ningfu Steward Ji looked at Zhu Chenhao.

Zhu Chenhao's face trembled slightly. If he couldn't win him over, the horse would be given away in vain.

He nodded slightly and said with a pained heart: "Give it to the young master."

Zhu Houzhao was happy, rode on the big black horse, and came to Yan's house on his hind feet. He found that Yan Chengjin was not in the main hall, so he went to the new courtyard.

From a distance, he said, "Old Gao, I just saw Prince Ning, and he gave me a black horse!"

"How do you know it's Prince Ning?"

"Taizu ordered that the names of the royal family should be based on the five elements. I saw his jade pendant, Hao! This is water in the five elements, and I saw that he was protected by plainclothes guards.

My father ordered that the princes of the vassal state should visit the palace in secret, so I knew it was him."

Zhu Chenhao was really miserable when he was hit by Zhu Houzhao as soon as he entered the capital.

Yan Chengjin was roasting chicken overturned. The weather was cold, so it was best to roast chicken while roasting fire.

…

Outside Fengtian Hall,

Zhu Youlu returned to the palace again, feeling a lot of emotion. He didn't expect that he would have the opportunity to return to the palace after becoming a vassal.

He was the first prince to arrive.

"Prince Xing, His Majesty is inside, please go in by yourself."

Zhu Youlu tidied his clothes. Although he grew up with Emperor Hongzhi, they did not have a deep relationship.

He strode into the hall and bowed slightly: "I, Zhu Youhao, pay my respects to Your Majesty!"

"Prince Xing, there is no need to perform such a great ceremony. Although you and I are not born of the same mother, we are both descendants of the late emperor. Come, give us a seat."

Even though he was suppressed by Concubine Chen when he was young, Zhu Youhao was still ignorant.

Emperor Hongzhi was a generous person and did not blame him.

At this time, the eunuch came in and reported: "Your Majesty, Prince Ning has also entered the palace."

Zhu Chenhao changed into Confucian clothes and strolled around the capital before entering the palace to meet the emperor.

He strode into the hall. Unlike Prince Xing, who wore ordinary clothes, he entered the palace in Confucian clothes.

"Why not wear a dragon robe?"

I want to wear a dragon robe. Zhu Chenhao looked at Emperor Hongzhi and said respectfully: "Your Majesty ordered me to visit the capital in a small way. I dare not disobey, so I came in Confucian clothes."