The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Beijing, Chang'an Street.

The retired emperor Hongzhi was wearing a blue Confucian robe.

Yan Chengjin and Li Dongyang followed behind him, and Li Dongyang whispered: "Chengjin, are you fooling the retired emperor?"

"Mr. Li, don't talk nonsense, this is a remonstrance."

"But the first level of prosperity you mentioned is the Tang Dynasty, and there are second and third levels after it. Is there anything more prosperous than it?"

Li Dongyang was a little confused.

The prosperous Tang Dynasty was already the highest prosperity in the history of the dynasties.

Yan Chengjin said that there were two levels higher than it, especially the third level of prosperity, which didn't sound like it could be realized at all.

Yan Chengjin didn't say much.

What if plundering half of the world's wealth really succeeded, wouldn't it be a third level of prosperity?

Anyway, the retired emperor Hongzhi also felt that he had compiled it, so let him think so for the time being.

When it really comes true, he will be shocked beyond words, and maybe he will be promoted.

"We're here."

The retired emperor Hongzhi looked up and saw that this was a pawnshop of the Liangxiang Chamber of Commerce in the capital. Many peddlers were having lunch outside the pawnshop, preparing to leave the capital.

In addition, there were many gentry, scholars, laborers and officials coming in and out, seemingly going to work or study after lunch.

"Hey... isn't this a pawnshop?" Xiao Jing exclaimed.

"Why did the Yan family bring me here?"

Yan Chengjin said nothing, walked into the backyard behind the pawnshop and passed through the hallway.

I saw that the two-story building had its windows open, and all kinds of people were busy in the windows. Some were empty, with only clothes hanging.

"These are people who have money but can't buy a house. They will leave the capital in a few years."

After a moment of silence, the retired emperor Hongzhi walked into the house and saw a strong man making sesame cakes, preparing to go out to do business.

"May I ask, brother, how much silver can you earn in a year?"

The strong man looked at seven or eight men rushing into the house, and was a little panicked. He hurriedly protected his wife and children, but did not dare to answer.

Wang Bushui stepped forward and said a few words to him, and gave him two more taels of silver.

"You can earn forty taels of silver a year."

Although the strong man spoke, he spoke very quietly, as if he was afraid that the neighbors around him would hear.

Forty taels of silver?

The retired emperor Hongzhi was slightly startled. It was more than three taels a month, which was higher than many yamen runners and eunuchs.

The gentlemen also heard it strangely, comparable to the accountant in the mansion.

Yan Chengjin asked the key question directly, "Why don't you buy a house in the capital?"

"I can't afford it... No one is willing to sell it. Two front doors in the capital, a four-story house with five rooms, will cost three hundred taels of silver. It's better to go back to my hometown to buy it."

This is a house in a slightly worse location.

The residential land with good location, lively and close to the Imperial College, Huimin Pharmacy, etc., costs one hundred taels more, and the gentry are unwilling to sell, only renting to the people.

"There are many such people in the capital, who make a living by pawning and renting houses. After a few years, they will leave the capital. Even if the capital will not become Chang'an, it will not prosper." Yan Chengjin said.

If no one does business, the capital will be depressed.

If many flowers bloom and develop badly, they will gather in the capital, and the Ming Dynasty will become more and more prosperous.

In total, the capital now has only a little second ring, not even the second ring.

The retired emperor Hongzhi fell into deep thought. He thought that the people had houses to live in, but he didn't expect that there were so many people who pawned and rented houses.

"Why are the gentry unwilling to sell their houses?"

"If there are several houses, the rent from all of them is enough to buy another one.

And, if everyone has a house, who will rent the houses in the capital?"

The gentlemen naturally understand, just like the gentry like to rent their fields to refugees and tenants from outside.

They are unwilling to rent to local farmers.

"These people are horsemen, yamen runners, shop assistants and vendors. If they all leave the capital, the workshops and inns and restaurants

will not be able to recruit customers, and the price of workers will rise.

Therefore, the capital needs to be continuously expanded." Yan Chengjin said.

During the Kangxi and Qianlong prosperity, the population increased to nearly 400 million.

Many workshops emerged in the capital and other places, but the emperors of the Qing Dynasty did not expand the capital to gather the population.

This is one of the reasons for the decline of the Kangxi and Qianlong prosperity.

The retired emperor Hongzhi and the gentlemen did not have such a high vision and awareness.

Although Yan Chengjin knew.

But the land under heaven is nothing but yellow earth, and the land in the capital belongs to the royal family. Especially when he wants to move such a large piece of land, he is willing to spend his breath.

Moreover, the Ministry of Revenue has to allocate money.

Afterwards, Yan Chengjin took the retired emperor Hongzhi to see several mansions, all of which were merchants who had pawned houses in the capital and had nowhere to buy houses.

The eyes of the retired emperor Hongzhi have changed.

The gentlemen sighed a few times behind him.

Yan Chengjin said: "Every year, people come to the capital, and some people leave. The inflow and outflow are equal. If the capital continues to maintain like this, I have one word..."

"Yan Qingjia said."

"The capital will not be more prosperous. If the new emperor is stupid and unjust, the capital will decline rapidly."

After all, many people have no mansions, so they will run away.

"Old Gao, why do you use me as an example? Weiwu is like a stupid crown prince." Zhu Houzhao was a little unconvinced.

The retired emperor Hongzhi nodded: "You two must be on guard."

"..."Zhu Houzhao.

"..."Yan Chengjin.

The gentlemen also nodded in agreement. If the common people buy a house and settle down in the capital, they will probably not run away.

Unless...

The dynasty moves the capital.

After pondering for a long time, the retired emperor Hongzhi said: "I trust you for now, let the good merchants open up in the East City."

The gentlemen were slightly moved, it seems that they have to prepare money to buy a house again.

After the Supreme Emperor Hongzhi left, Wang Busui stepped forward with a happy face, "Master, how much land will we open this time?"

"The same size as Nancheng."

Yan Chengjin said.

Zhu Houzhao came over and said, "Old Gao, I want to share half of the silver."

"You can't make money by selling your mansion, and I'm also doing business at a loss." Yan Chengjin rolled his eyes at this guy.

I heard that this guy emptied half of the A-character library, and he was quite generous when it came to fighting.

"Then how come I heard that you made money when you opened Nancheng?"

"I didn't, who said that?"

Gu Da lowered his head guiltily.

Zhu Houzhao's interest remained unchanged, "If I don't grant money, you won't be able to build it."

"Then I will give the new emperor one hundred taels."

Zhu Houzhao had an expression like "Who are you insulting by putting this here?"

"One hundred thousand taels!"

"Okay."

Why don't you press it?

Seeing this guy agreeing so readily, Zhu Houzhao suddenly felt like he was missing something, but who made him the emperor?

I can only try to trick this bitch next time.

Within half a day, news came out in the capital that the East City was to be built, and the people rushed to celebrate.

An ordinary mansion with three entrances and three exits in the capital costs about one thousand three hundred taels.

The average income of an ordinary person is 270 taels of silver a year.

If you don't have food or drink, you can't afford it. After the new Dongcheng is built, you may have extravagant hopes.

As for the location, orientation, and layout, they didn't even dare to expect it. It would be good to have a place to stay.

The gentry were lamenting that the capital city could not break ground casually.

The Liangxiang Chamber of Commerce is actually going to break ground again.

…

Jiang Mansion,

"What does the imperial court mean? Is it going to punish the prince?"

Xu Guangzuo, Duke of Dingguo, was eating peanuts when he uttered this sentence.

When news came out from the court that groundbreaking was going to be done, his official fields were all to the east, and they didn't say hello to him.

"The Duke is looking for Master Yan."

Jiang Mian didn't move his body and replied lightly.

"Look for it."