The Ming Dynasty’s Prodigal Son - Chapter 1784

[1784. Chapter 1696 My wise prince]

Xie Qian was confused.

He lowered his head in disbelief and continued to read the letter.

But in this letter…you can probably tell a few things.

First, my cousin has changed.

Second…my cousin is living a good life in Luzon.

Even the whole family’s life in Luzon was good.

The most important thing is…in Luzon, they have extremely high profits.

The value of the land in Jiangnan that was transferred to Luzon was far greater than before.

As for why my cousin changed, this… is unclear.

Xie Qian’s face turned red.

Zhu Houzhao said at this time: “Master Xie keeps saying that I have wronged the Jiangnan gentry, that I have exiled them, and that I am rude. This… is simply nonsense!”

Zhu Houzhao continued righteously: “You come here Tell me, why did I treat them poorly? I still want to go to a good place like Luzon, but I don’t allow it. I keep telling him that we don’t want to go to Jiangnan for a good place like Luzon. The gentry are fighting, and it’s not easy for them…”

The smile on Fang Jifan’s face disappeared, and he opened his mouth to say, I didn’t say that.

After all, he still didn’t lose face. After all, it was because of Zhu Houzhao’s upcoming accession to the throne.

Zhu Houzhao continued: “My father treated the gentry so well and treated your relatives so well, but in the end, you are like dogs biting Lu Dongbin and don’t know good people’s hearts. What does this mean? There must be someone with bad intentions, spreading rumors and causing trouble.” , I want to ask, who is making trouble, and what is their intention? “

“This…” Xie Qian breathed a sigh of relief.

These days, he felt like he was feeling trapped in his heart. It felt like there was something stuck in his throat, and now it seemed… He began to realize that his relatives were really fine, and then he felt a little relieved.

The other ministers were surprised and felt strange.

But now… no one dares to say anything, but they are thinking that they have to wait for the letter from Luzon to come over and understand the whole story.

Zhu Houzhao snorted coldly, and then said to Emperor Hongzhi: “Father, the reason why my sons and ministers wore military uniforms to enter the palace is to comply with the public opinion of gentry like Master Xie’s cousin. They denounced the Portuguese, and the Portuguese were in Java They are doing this nonsense. We, the Ming Dynasty, are the superior state. How can we turn a blind eye? Now that they have come to ask for help and are willing to support the military, we, the Ming Dynasty, can use Luzon as a springboard to expel the Francois. This Western land will no longer allow these people to wreak havoc. Yes. This is a report from the governor Liu Yi and the gentry. I beg your father to read it.”

He held the stack of letters high.

A eunuch had already hurried forward, took the letter and put it on Emperor Hongzhi’s desk.

Emperor Hongzhi was shocked. He took the letters, lowered his head, and read them one by one.

The more I looked…the more frightened I felt.

Where did these gentry in Luzon get so much money and food?

Emperor Hongzhi took a deep breath and then looked up at Zhu Houzhao: “Prince…this…”

“Father, the land in Luzon is not only fertile, but the manpower is lower than that of my Ming Dynasty. Not only that, you can also plant a large amount of cane sugar. “

The required sugar cane and spices are uniquely positioned. It should be noted that every year, Sihai Trading Company spends tens of millions of taels of silver to purchase sugar and spices from the West. In the past, these had to be purchased from other vassal countries, but now… Since Luzon was conquered, it has become more convenient to go to Luzon for shopping. When the gentry arrived in Luzon, they were really like mice falling into a rice vat…”

“…”

Although they were described as mice, but… now… No one can argue with Zhu Houzhao.

Zhu Houzhao added: “Based on the accounts of Sihai Commercial Bank, I have calculated that the income from the same acre of land in Luzon can be three to five times that of one acre of land in Jiangnan. My father, the Holy Ming, will move them To Luzon, it was a great blessing for them. Naturally, the sons and ministers were also very wise. During the migration process, the Zhenguo government contributed the most and prepared a large amount of medicine for them. When Luzon divided the land. , and tried his best to be fair, the emperor… I sincerely ask the emperor for permission to use troops against the Portuguese in order to comply with the people’s wishes.”

Emperor Hongzhi was stunned, and then he felt happy.

Based on these letters alone, he still couldn’t understand why these gentry were so full that they insisted on launching troops against Java, but after listening to the prince’s analysis, he finally understood.

What surprised Emperor Hongzhi was not that these gentry were properly resettled, but the prince’s performance in the process.

He looked at the prince, with eagerness in his eyes, and said: “So…these…the Zhenguo Mansion has prepared for a long time.”

“It is true that it has been prepared for a long time.” Zhu Houzhao said sternly: “My father is going to relocate the people. This is a big deal. There are many people in the south of the Yangtze River, but there are very few who own land. My father’s move is a good governance. However, these gentry moved to Luzon. Although they got the land, they could not be left alone overseas if it was not done properly. Disposal will inevitably make them alienated from morality. What I believe in is the new learning. New learning does not shy away from pursuing profit. If a person ignores this prerequisite and advocates education, Therefore, I often heard Wang Bo’an say that if you have enough food and clothing, you will know the honor and disgrace. Aren’t they bound to cause trouble sooner or later? They are my subjects of the Ming Dynasty after all. Therefore, while migrating, the Zhenguo government also drafted a charter. On the one hand, it ordered Sihai Commercial Bank to purchase a batch of medicines and agricultural tools and send them to them at a low price. Luzon, so that the gentry can gain a foothold in Luzon. On the other hand, it focuses on the purchase of agricultural products and specialties from Luzon. These purchases are naturally not free of money, but are treasures that the Ming Dynasty needs. Where can they come from? Purchasing is all about purchasing, focusing on Luzon, which can be said to kill two birds with one stone. In order to encourage them, the ministers even ordered Liu Jin to sign the scheduled purchase amount of spices and sugar with the gentry in advance, and pay a sum of money in advance so that they could feel at ease. With this, the gentry had a good idea of what to expect and enough income. After taking over the land, they could immediately recruit people and organize the resumption of production. “

“The gentry have made enough profits. Naturally, they are so grateful to their father that they have no complaints.” Zhu Houzhao said: “And these gentry in Luzon have passed the Sihai Commercial Bank as a link. We are closely related to our Ming Dynasty. Although Luzon is isolated overseas, these loyal gentry have great benefits for our Ming Dynasty to manage the Western Ocean and fight to the death with the Franco people. Father… If our army… The conquest of Java can be achieved twice the result with half the effort with the full support of the Luzon gentry. In this way, the Four Seas Trading Company has made a lot of profits from trade; the gentry has benefited from it and is devoted to the Ming Dynasty; the imperial court can use this to make strategic plans. Western sugar and spices were imported into the hinterland of the Ming Dynasty in large quantities, which allowed the people to obtain cheaper food, which was good for many reasons.”

This was fine if not analyzed. Once analyzed, Emperor Hongzhi’s expression suddenly changed.

The prince actually… thought so deeply.

In this way, it can be said that the Zhenguo government’s order to relocate the people was indispensable.

After Zhu Houzhao finished speaking, he glanced at Fang Jifan secretly.

Fang Jifan looked blank.

Zhu Houzhao lowered his head, but he didn’t know what Emperor Hongzhi’s reaction was. He said silently in his heart: These are what Lao Fang taught me. Lao Fang is really honest. When there are benefits, he thought of me. This is… Like me, we are both loyal people. If I Japan becomes the emperor, I will repay him well. I need to be more loyal than him.

Somehow, these days, Zhu Houzhao felt more and more that Lao Fang was not only a confidant, but also that he could no longer see Lao Fang’s past flaws. He only felt that Fang Jifan’s whole body was shining, and there was nothing he was dissatisfied with.

Zhu Houzhao continued to lower his head, and there was silence in the hall.

The officials worked hard to digest the prince’s words.

Someone’s heart skipped a beat, could it be that… the prince had already planned this?

Is this absurd migration the result of careful planning?

The prince… is so unfathomable!

Emperor Hongzhi has grown up.

He slowly walked down Jinluan, and then slowly walked up to Zhu Houzhao.

Zhu Houzhao felt that his father was getting closer and closer, and his heart seemed to jump into his throat.

Out of awe of Emperor Hongzhi for many years, Zhu Houzhao did not dare to blatantly observe Emperor Hongzhi’s face at this time, so he did not know whether Emperor Hongzhi was happy or angry at this time.

Although he was calm and composed on the surface, deep down he was still afraid that if there were any loopholes in what Fang Jifan taught him, once his father found out, he would inevitably be beaten.

Emperor Hongzhi finally stood in front of Zhu Houzhao.

Zhu Houzhao still lowered his head, not looking at Emperor Hongzhi, and his hands were still arched.

Emperor Hongzhi suddenly said: “Raise your eyes.”

Zhu Houzhao raised his head, grinned… and was happy again.

Looking at this silly and flattering look, Emperor Hongzhi said expressionlessly: “Has the Zhenguo Mansion made arrangements earlier?”

“Yes, yes…father, son, minister…son minister…”

Emperor Hongzhi said, however He said: “Is this your idea or the successor’s idea?”

Zhu Houzhao’s heart skipped a beat, and his eyes subconsciously glanced at Fang Jifan. Fang Jifan did not squint, he was calm and did not dare to interact with Zhu Houzhao.

Zhu Houzhao simply said: “Father, the successor gave me advice, and the son thought it was appropriate, so… so…”

“In other words, this is the successor’s idea?” Emperor Hongzhi pressed forward step by step.

“Yes, yes, it was Lao Fang’s idea that a man should keep his secrets from others.” Zhu Houzhao was really not good at lying, so he simply stared with his eyes bigger than a bell, looking like he was ready to die at any time.

Unexpectedly… Emperor Hongzhi laughed heartily: “Hahahahaha…”

Zhu Houzhao: “…”

After Emperor Hongzhi laughed, he looked pleased and said: “To be a king, you don’t need to be the smartest person. But… you must be able to weigh the pros and cons, follow the good, and do what you feel is right, despite all the difficulties. This is the duty of a king. You can accept the advice of the Fang Qing family and choose the right person. Go and do it… This is enough to prove that you are a good prince. It is Liu Jin who is in charge of Sihai Trading Company…”

“Yes, it’s him!”

(End of this chapter)