The Ming Dynasty’s Prodigal Son - Chapter 61

[61.Chapter 61 God’s gift]

Long Yan is furious!

Obviously, Emperor Hongzhi is very angry now!

Zhu Houzhao was a little confused and seemed unsure. He wanted to pretend to be dead and tried hard to squeeze out some tears.

Fang Jifan shrank his neck, but he could only bite the bullet and said: “The minister and the prince are not doing business.”

This is… a tough talk!

It would be fine if the two of them honestly admitted their mistake, but these two guys are still denying it. This is a matter of attitude.

“Do you know that this is the crime of deceiving the emperor?” At this time, Emperor Hongzhi wanted to teach these two guys a lesson.

Fang Jifan said loudly: “Your Majesty, I and His Highness the Crown Prince are indeed not doing business. Your Highness the Crown Prince is concerned about the country and the people. The weather is cold these days. Your Highness the Crown Prince sees that the people are naked, and in the capital, there are charcoal The price is getting higher and higher day by day, and countless people are suffering from hunger and cold. For this reason, His Royal Highness is so worried that he can’t sleep every day. “

Yes, yes, my heart hurts, and I can’t sleep!” Zhu Houzhao covered his heart. , looking like he was in pain.

Fang Jifan immediately said: “For this reason, I and His Highness the Crown Prince, for the sake of the livelihood of the people in the world, bought the barren mountains, had coal mined, processed the coal, and used this coal to replace charcoal. In this capital, a pound of charcoal costs three Forty coins, and a pound of coal is only three or five copper coins. After the prince learned about it, he was overjoyed. If the cost of heating for the common people could be greatly reduced, it would be more effective than stabilizing food prices. How many people say that His Royal Highness and his ministers are running coal mines, but in fact, they are doing it for the welfare of the people! “

How shameless people can talk about making money so grandly, Zhu Houzhao glanced at Fang Jifan secretly! , I really can’t help but admire him, he’s awesome, he’s awesome.

He continued to cover his heart, as if he was constipated: “Yes, yes, my heart hurts so much, for the welfare of the people…”

“…”

Emperor Hongzhi knew that there was a high probability of knowing when he saw these two guys. It’s not a good thing. They’re not doing it for the welfare of the people. It’s just nonsense.

“Selling coal to keep warm…” The officials have become a mess.

Although the Hanlin officials usually stay in their ivory towers and stay away from such things as firewood, rice, oil and salt, they still have common sense and say one after another: “Nonsense, how can coal be used for heating? This is not saving people, it is harming people.”

“Isn’t it possible that your highness is harming people?”

This Fang Jifan is just buying and selling by force. Your Highness, how can you do such a thing? “

Buying and selling by force…

seems to be the most suitable reason.”

Instead of forced buying and selling, who would sell coal to keep warm when they are full? It was probably Fang Jifan’s bad idea. He wanted to make money, so he and the prince went to get the useless coal and sold it to others. He was the prince, who dared not to give him money? Think about those poor people, what evil they did in their previous lives, they were already living in bitter cold, but with blood and tears, they were oppressed by the prince and Fang Jifan.

Someone hammered his heart and burst into tears: “How could the prince do such a thing? How could he do this? The heavy snowfall in autumn has already made the people miserable, but the prince did not show sympathy to them and actually bought them by force.” Selling, this is a great misfortune for the country, this must be Fang Jifan’s bad idea.”

In view of Fang Jifan’s notoriety, it seems that… this is the only explanation.

Emperor Hongzhi was even more furious when he heard this. In fact, he had been patient all along, just to see what Fang Jifan and the prince were doing. He also knew something about coal mining, but he did not interfere, but he never expected that, The purpose of these two guys mining coal was to sell the coal as charcoal.

Emperor Hongzhi was shaking with anger and gave Fang Jifan a hard look. His impression of Fang Jifan had actually always been pretty good. This was why Emperor Hongzhi had always acquiesced in Zhu Houzhao and Fang Jifan’s mischief.

It’s tolerable, but what can’t be tolerated!

“Do you two know your guilt?”

Emperor Hongzhi roared. This was the last chance Emperor Hongzhi gave them.

“Your Majesty!” At this moment, a voice came.

Everyone couldn’t help but look towards the source of the sound.

But I saw a person standing up slowly.

There are only a few people in the world who dare to interrupt the emperor at this time, but this person is among them.

This person is Liu Jian, the chief assistant scholar of the cabinet.

Liu Jian was knowledgeable and profound, dared to speak out for justice, took the world as his own responsibility, was broad-minded, and did not bear personal grudges. He was both the first assistant and a gentleman in the court. Emperor Hongzhi had great trust in him.

So everything he says and does is very important.

Emperor Hongzhi was about to roll up his sleeves and punish these two guys severely, but was interrupted by Liu Jian. He couldn’t help but glance at Liu Jian suspiciously, but had to say: “Liu Qing family, what do you want to say? ?”

Liu Jian bowed down solemnly and said, “I thought anthracite was really good!”

“…”

A strange atmosphere suddenly arose in Chongwen Hall.

It’s okay for the prince to be ridiculous, let alone Fang Jifan, a scumbag. If he is not ridiculous, then the sun is really shining in the west.

But Mr. Liu… the majestic first assistant academician, the veteran minister who was obedient to his advice, actually…

“The veteran also thought that anthracite was good.” This time, it was Xie Qian who stood up.

Xie Qian couldn’t hold it in for a long time. He was outspoken and wanted to say something for a long time.

Buzz buzz…

The Hanlin officials were completely excited.

Mr. Xie actually shared his anger with His Highness the Crown Prince and Fang Jifan?

This…what happened?

But just when everyone was stunned.

Li Dongyang also came out slowly, with a calm look on his face: “His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Fang Jifan have indeed made indispensable contributions. With this anthracite alone, I don’t know how many people have been saved! The Crown Prince and Fang Jifan have saved countless lives for their righteous deeds, and I admire them. To!”

At this time, Emperor Hongzhi was stunned.

He usually holds back what others say.

But for Emperor Hongzhi, these three people were not only monarchs and ministers, but also trustworthy close friends. The three cabinet ministers, the prime ministers of the Ming Dynasty, all unanimously praised the coal, even saying that it would save the people. He also said it, how is this possible?

Liu Jian’s face was very calm. He didn’t look like he was joking at all. In fact, the dignified chief minister of the Ming Dynasty cabinet would never joke at this time.

Emperor Hongzhi frowned: “Liu Qing’s family, what do you mean?”

Liu Jian said seriously: “Your Majesty, not only the capital, but also heavy snowfall has fallen suddenly from Beijing to Tongzhou and even Henan and Shandong. As far as I know, charcoal The price of food keeps rising, but ordinary people have no firewood to keep warm. Countless people have died from freezing. People’s livelihood is very difficult. Your Majesty is so kind-hearted, can you just watch these people suffer from hunger and cold? “

Emperor Hongzhi was moved. , he stared at Liu Jian without saying a word.

Liu Jian continued: “But the helpless thing is that even a clever woman can’t make a meal without rice. Today, His Royal Highness the Prince and Fang Jifan actually tinkered with anthracite. This coal has been used by the veteran himself. It is more durable than charcoal, but it is tasteless. Smokeless is really a sacred thing to keep out the cold. I also learned that the price of a pound of coal is only 10% of that of charcoal. It is so cheap that, as His Highness the Prince said, even ordinary people can buy it to keep warm and keep out the cold. I dare to say that with this anthracite, the number of people who will freeze to death in this year’s cold disaster will be greatly reduced.”

Speaking of this, Liu Jian was greatly moved. When the severe cold came, he and the cabinet ministers were still worried. Who knew that it would be easily resolved by this little anthracite.

When this thing came out, it was like rain after a long drought, which made him still sigh that this was a gift from God.

(End of chapter)