The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Yan Chengjin didn't expect that Liu Jin soaked Zhu Zong's head in wine.

Zhu Zong was really unlucky to meet Liu Jin.

Zhu Houzhao was very happy: "Lao Gao, Liu Daban is indeed a warrior of this palace."

Liu Jin's legs trembled as he stood beside Zhu Houzhao. For some reason, he was frightened when he saw Yan Chengjin.

He said with a fearful smile: "Hello, Lord Yan."

"At the beginning, I saw that your talent would not be limited to the capital, but you are so good at using poison, how dare you stay with your highness?" Yan Chengjin said.

Liu Jin knelt down with a plop: "I will never attack your highness."

Zhu Houzhao said seriously: "It is useful for this palace to keep Liu Daban by my side."

Yan Song bowed to Zhu Houzhao and left the mansion.

The next morning, the summer tax came in. After reading the accounts, Emperor Hongzhi frowned like an iron chain, which could not be tighter.

"Overseas tariffs, eight million taels less?"

Wang Qiong was trembling with fear, not knowing what to say: "The foreigners don't buy silk anymore, the silk price has plummeted, and the overseas banknotes can't collect tax silver."

Emperor Hongzhi was full of surprise, silk was the favorite commodity of the French and foreigners.

Even willing to pay ten or twenty times the price to purchase silk.

The gentlemen seemed to hear that their wives had run away with someone.

"How is it possible?"

Zhang Sheng also said: "Don't shirk the responsibility, how could the foreigners not buy silk?"

Even in the Ming Dynasty, silk was quite popular among the gentry, let alone the French.

They believed that Wang Qiong was an honest official, but they believed more that the French liked silk!

At this moment, Yan Chengjin said: "What Lord Wang said is true, the French really don't buy silk anymore."

Emperor Hongzhi was so anxious that he lost his composure: "Why?!"

The gentlemen looked over at the same time and fell on Yan Chengjin.

"The King of France has made a law that strictly prohibits merchants from purchasing silk, and even more strictly prohibits his subjects from wearing Ming silk, just like in Ming, the people are not allowed to wear yellow robes."

Wang Qiong was stunned: "Why?"

"Silk is traded overseas, causing a large amount of silver from France to flow into Ming. In order to avoid the loss of wealth, the king issued this ban, prohibiting the people from wearing silk."

The monarchs and ministers of Spain, Portugal and other countries are not fools.

In history, the French countries issued a strict ban on silk. History may repeat itself, but it will not be late.

Emperor Hongzhi was stunned, thinking that he could earn a lot of overseas silver with silk and other things.

Now, the ban issued by the emperor of another country is not something he can interfere with.

Just when the gentlemen were still immersed in horror, Yan Chengjin said: "I want to send Yan Song to visit overseas."

Emperor Hongzhi had no interest in overseas lands. Even if he occupied them, he could not govern them, which would be a waste of money and labor.

Therefore, he had no intention of sending troops overseas at all.

The gentlemen looked at Yan Chengjin. Yan Song was the chief clerk of the Ministry of War. He was a top scholar. It was a waste of talent to go to sea to do this.

Zhang Fuhua said first: "Why go to sea? Eunuch Sanbao spent six million taels of silver on the voyage to the West. The treasury was empty and it only hurt the national strength of the Ming Dynasty."

It was expected that some ministers would not agree. Sending ministers to sea to search for it was necessary to show the prestige of the Ming Dynasty. If it was not weak, it would cost money.

Yan Chengjin said: "Although your majesty has no intention of using troops overseas, the foreigners may not use troops against the Ming Dynasty. As far as I know, the ships of the French are invading from other countries."

The hall fell silent again. Before he could recover from the silk,

Emperor Hongzhi's original indifferent look became quite serious: "How did Yan Qingjia know?"

"If your majesty does not believe the news of the Chamber of Commerce, you can order merchants and foreigners to enter the palace."

This year is the day when Columbus passed away, but the French increased their expansion overseas, which led to the later French fleet coming to the Ming Dynasty to start a war.

The trade between the Ming Dynasty and the French gradually became closer.

Yan Chengjin deduced that although the Ming Dynasty was still very poor, the French would return to Spain and praise the Ming Dynasty as being full of gold like Marco Polo did.

Doing so was to defraud the royal family and the powerful of their money to go out to sea, just like attracting investment in later generations.

After the sea ban was lifted, the French fleet might arrive in the Ming Dynasty in advance.

This was also the change that might be brought about after his reform.

Emperor Hongzhi and the officials were stunned. In just over two years, the merchants had done business in France?

"Order the foreigners to enter the palace!"

I did not offend others, but others offended me. Emperor Hongzhi and the officials were worried that there was a second Tatar overseas who would invade the Ming Dynasty.

Soon, Mou Bin came in with five foreigners, as well as the merchant Wang Bushui.

When everyone saw the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, they knelt on the ground nervously, fearing that they would be beheaded and their wealth would be taken away.

"I, the humble people, greet the respected Emperor of the Ming Dynasty!"

Four French merchants prostrated themselves on the ground, speaking in awkward Chinese, but they could still be understood.

Emperor Hongzhi asked with a heavy heart: "Has your king banned silk?"

"Your Majesty, the king does not allow us to sell silk, nor does he allow his subjects to wear silk."

"In the County of Flanders, tea is also not allowed to be sold. If the king finds out, you will be beheaded."

A foreigner wearing big golden earrings and a blonde foreigner spoke one after another.

The mood of the gentlemen suddenly became heavy.

There are also silk and tea businesses in their families. No wonder the business has been sluggish recently and the price has fallen by half.

"What should we do?"

You can't send troops to attack and force them to buy and sell, right?

Not to mention, you attack others and expect them to buy your things?

Emperor Hongzhi looked at Wang Bushui: "Liangxiang Chamber of Commerce has no solution?"

Wang Bushui knelt on the ground. Meeting the emperor in the streets and meeting the emperor in the palace were completely different.

The hall would still echo, and he was almost scared to death: "No, there is no way. The silk of Liangxiang Chamber of Commerce can't be sold at a good price."

Emperor Hongzhi sighed heavily and looked at Yan Chengjin.

At this time, this boy would have advised long ago, but now he stood silently aside, presumably there was no solution.

"Can ordering Yan Song to go to sea solve this matter?"

"No, but Yan Song can lobby with the foreign king. Please allow your majesty to order Li Zhaofan to help Yan Song go to sea to explore the movements of the French. If he can lobby, it will be great." Yan Chengjin said.

Yan Song has Yan Song's talent, and Li Zhaofan has Li Zhaofan's talent.

Li Zhaofan is more like the overlap of Wang Shouren and Song Jing, and has outstanding qualities.

Zhang Fuhua didn't want to let him go: "If the silk ban can't be lifted, what's the point of going out to sea?"

Emperor Hongzhi shook his head. Yan Chengjin said that there might be a chance through lobbying, which means he was sure. Zhang Fuhua had just arrived in Beijing, so it was normal that he didn't understand.

"Then let Yan Song try lobbying. Li Zhaofan is guarding the silver mines of the island country and cannot leave."

Yan Chengjin knew that he would be given a discount: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Returning to the East Palace, Liu Jin was shocked to find that Gu Dayong had become the big man of the East Palace and was mixing poison in the room.

"Eunuch Liu, Lord Yan is looking for you."

Liu Jin was nervous and hurried to the hall: "Lord Yan is looking for us?"

The door of the bedroom was closed, and Yan Chengjin and Zhu Houzhao sat upright on the big rosewood chair.

Yan Chengjin asked: "What are you doing sneaking around in the duty room?"

"Mix poison."

Yan Chengjin's eyes moved slightly: "Who are you going to poison?"

"Gu Dayong." Liu Jin didn't dare to lie to Yan Chengjin.

Zhu Houzhao's eyes moved slightly, but soon he looked indifferent. Liu Banban said in front of him that he was still loyal. He knew that there were always power struggles in the harem.

"Yan Song is going to be an envoy overseas for the court, you go with him."

Liu Jin really didn't want to go to sea, and knelt on the ground with a plop: "Lord Yan, the East Palace has a big house, and I can't go to sea anymore."

Yan Chengjin looked at Zhu Houzhao, but Zhu Houzhao said seriously: "If you go to sea, you represent this palace, don't lose this palace's face."

A quarter of an hour later, Liu Jin carried a bag and cried: "Your Highness, Lord Yan, we will come back."

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