It was Han Du's idea to build a racecourse.
Although there is a lot of land, the Han family does not rely on farming to make a living. Even though cotton cultivation is highly profitable, for Han Du, that's all.
And isn't Lao Zhu wary of himself? Didn’t he take away all his military power? Although Han Du was still reluctant to let Lao Zhu take away the naval power, Han Du couldn't show it. Not only cannot he show it, but he must also adopt an attitude that it doesn't matter after he has taken away military power.
If you want this, you need to dispel Lao Zhu's suspicion.
How to give up?
In fact, someone has already set an example for Han Du, such as Xu Da. Every time he came back from an expedition, no matter how great the victory was, he would not hesitate to hand over the military power to Lao Zhu without any hesitation. Nostalgic. Moreover, he never interfered with matters above the court. He naturally expressed his feelings to Lao Zhu over time, and Lao Zhu would not doubt him.
But there is no way for me not to get involved in the affairs of the court!
Han Du is not a loner like Xiang Xu Da. He also has an academy, and so many students in the academy are inextricably related to him. As a teacher, it's not just about imparting knowledge and solving doubts, it's as simple as that.
He also needs to pave the way for the students in the academy, and pave the way for them in the court.
Otherwise, under the general understanding that excellence in learning will lead to officialdom, if the students in the academy cannot even become officials, then no matter how good the mathematics, physics and chemistry in the academy are, they will not become the mainstream of world knowledge.
Perhaps, when Han Du dies, the academy and these learnings will go with him.
This is something that Han Du absolutely cannot accept. What Han Du wants is for the academy to shine through the ages along with the knowledge of mathematics, physics, and chemistry, and to completely become the top class of Ming Dynasty knowledge, so that the light of Ming Dynasty's wisdom can shine over the world and shine forever.
Therefore, what Xu Da can do, Han Du cannot do.
This road is blocked!
Then there is Tang He. How did he deal with Lao Zhu's suspicion? This old man is not ashamed to ask Lao Zhu to give him a hundred beauties. It's a shame that he is too old to say this.
However, Tang He was just slandering himself in front of Lao Zhu. Even if he really wanted to get close to the beauty, his old bones would not agree.
And Han Du is the consort. If he dares to ask Lao Zhu for beauties, let alone a hundred beauties, he even asks for one. I'm afraid that Lao Zhu would suddenly get angry and break Han Du's legs.
Han Du thought about it and found that the only way to tarnish his reputation was to have fun, and even seeking pleasure was out of the question.
Originally, Han Du had been worrying about how to show his uniqueness in having fun. But after seeing the land given to him by Lao Zhu, Han Du had the idea of building a horse farm.
Isn't it just enjoyment? Isn’t it just spending money? I happened to be extremely curious about horse racing in my last life, but unfortunately I never had the chance to experience it. Now that I have the conditions, wouldn't it be better to build a racecourse by myself and get some horses for racing?
There is no shortage of horses, nor of riders, but now there is a shortage of a horse farm.
An Qing accompanied Han Du for a walk. She didn't care whether Han Du used the land to grow cotton or build a horse farm. Instead, the green grass on the ground was stained with slightly moist dew, making her nostalgic even more.
On the way back, Muda always looked sad. In his opinion, what a wonderful land, whether it is growing cotton or grain, it is an excellent land.
But Han Du wants to use it to build a racecourse. Isn't this a waste of natural resources?
No, although he couldn't persuade Han Du, he would find someone who could persuade Han Du.
So, when he returned home, Muda didn't dare to delay at all. He went directly to find Hande and revealed everything about Hande's plan to use the land to build a horse farm.
After Han De heard this, he was also very surprised and quickly sent his maid to find Han Du.
"I heard that you want to use all that land to build a horse farm? Those are all good land. Wouldn't it be a waste if it were used to build a horse farm? If you want to raise horses, then let people raise them in the house. Wouldn't it be nice to have a few horses? There's no need to use so much land to raise horses, right?"
Han Du picked up the tea poured by the maid, took a sip, and said with a smile: "Dad, I built the horse farm not only to raise horses, but also to race horses."
"Horse racing? What horse racing." Hande didn't understand what his son meant.
Han Du had no choice but to explain: "Horse racing, as the name suggests, is a horse-riding competition. It depends on who runs faster after running a certain distance, and whoever is faster wins. Therefore, it is not only necessary to build a racecourse, but also to build a horse racing facility. Tracks, viewing stands, pavilions and the like..."
Listening to the words that came out of Han Du's mouth, Han De seemed to hear the sound of silver flowing out like water.
When Han Du finished speaking, Han Du's expression changed. He swallowed and asked cautiously: "Does it cost a lot of money to build what you said?"
"Of course." Han Du nodded in agreement. How can we build these facilities without spending money?
"How much does it cost?" Han De looked at Han Du nervously.
Han Du thought for a moment, made an estimate in his mind, and said: "If all the repairs are completed, it will definitely cost a lot, and it will probably cost about one million guan. However, we are going to build the main frame first, with 200,000 to 300,000 guan. That’s about it.”
When he heard three hundred thousand dollars, Han De's heart beat violently. It's not that the Han family can't afford the 300,000 yuan, but in his opinion, there is no such way to spend money.
of.
Just spend three hundred thousand guan casually, even gold and silver are not enough to spend like this.
"Spending so much money...otherwise, let's just plant cotton." Han De didn't know how to dissuade Han Du, so he just talked about growing cotton.
Han Du smiled and continued to explain patiently: "Dad, this money is not in vain. After this racecourse is built, it can make money. Although a million dollars is a bit too much, it does not require us to invest it all at once. So much money. Let’s invest 300,000 yuan first, and then continue investing after we make money.”
"Can this racecourse still make money? How much can it make?" Hande's eyes suddenly lit up. He didn't know or care about other people's ability to make money, but he knew how Han Du made money. Thinking back to the beginning, Jiaofangsi was like a ruined house in the hands of others, unable to even support himself. But how long did it take for it to be in Han Du's hands? It became a famous gold-swallowing behemoth in the capital, making gold every day.
"It's no worse than Jiaofangsi." Han Du said calmly. Han Du was confident in saying this. The quick-money business in this world is nothing more than sex and gambling. This one has been taken over by Jiaofangsi. Therefore, Han Dubian decided to make a bet.
Although there are gambling houses of various sizes in the capital, these gambling houses are scum in Han Du's eyes and can only be used to steal mosquito legs from ordinary people.
There are so many gambling houses in the capital, who has seen any princes or ministers entering them?
It's not that princes and ministers don't like gambling, it's just that the standard of gambling houses is too low and they lose their status by going too far. Of course, another reason why civil servants don’t go to gambling houses is because they are poor, and they know that gambling houses use dirty tricks to deceive people. How can they, who claim to be smart people, go?
Han Du's idea was to find a place for leisure, entertainment and gambling for these princes and ministers. Horse racing is a form of elegant gambling.
"Okay, our Han family will invest these 300,000 yuan." Han De made his decision immediately, forgetting Muda's purpose of asking him to come.
There is a place that is about to be as profitable as Jiaofangsi, and it belongs to the Han family, so why do they care about the investment of 300,000 yuan? Even if he took out millions of dollars now, Hande would not blink an eye.
As a result, the news that Han Du wanted to use nearly a thousand acres of land to build a horse racing farm, and was planning to invest 300,000 yuan, spread like wildfire, and in just a few days, the capital was filled with uproar.
If you grow food on a thousand acres of land, if you are lucky, your income will not be less than 3,000 guan a year. But Han Du not only gave up these profits, but also invested 300,000 yuan.
Three hundred thousand guan. If it were farmed, it would take a hundred years to get it back.
Han Du is either a prodigal or crazy!
People in the capital were spreading rumors about how Han Du was a prodigal. Some people were not optimistic about Han Du at first. For example, those who saw Han Du picking the kelp back to eat, laughed at Han Du. Although what happened later made them slap in the face, and even these people themselves started eating kelp, they could not avoid their hatred of Han Du.
As long as there is a chance to laugh at Han Du, they will jump out eagerly and ridicule Han Du. Although they always ended up being slapped in the face, they couldn't stop their persistence in looking down on Han Du.
"Prodigal son, prodigal son, take three hundred thousand gold and throw it on the ground. There is no one in the world who is more prodigal than Han Du. Let's look at the Zhenhai Marquis Mansion. Even if Han Du is here, it won't grow..." In the wine shop, some people criticized Han Du's behavior.
Han Du just pretended not to hear what these people said. After all, he is not a treasure and can be liked by everyone. In life, if you don't make others hate you, you are a mediocre person.
Of course, there are those who hate Han Du, and naturally there are those who consciously speak for Han Du after indirectly taking advantage of him.
"The Marquis of Zhenhai is known as a boy who is good at making money. Whether he is a Jiaofangsi or going to the sea, which one is not making a lot of money? We think that the Marquis of Zhenhai must have a deep meaning, and maybe it is another way to make money. big deal."
Most of the people who say Han Du is good are emerging businessmen, especially maritime merchants, and people who have made a fortune from securities trading. These people have received tangible benefits from Han Du, so they have natural trust in Han Du. After all, no matter how nice the words are, they are not as real as real money.
"Handu is naturally good at making money, but it depends on what he is doing? Whether it is Jiaofangsi or overseas trade, these are inherently very profitable businesses. The reason why Jiaofangsi did not operate well in the past is because of the principal. Incompetent, if it were me, I might not be worse than Han Du." A middle-aged scribe with a gray beard sat in the wine shop, waving his fan and scolding Fang Qiu: "But building a horse farm is different. Raising horses can Isn't it clear how much money you can earn? I can tell that if Han Du spent these thirty dollars raising horses, he would lose all his money."
"Hey~" Faced with the middle-aged scribe's eloquent words, all the people booed.
Although the common people don't understand how difficult it is to run a Jiaofangsi, they know that if it were as simple as the middle-aged scribe said, then the former Jiaofangsi would not be unable to eat.
When a few businessmen saw what the middle-aged scribe said, they began to guess, "This must be an official who paid a private visit incognito. It seems that he wanted to be the head of the Jiaofang Division, but he couldn't get the reward." As expected, he is belittling Han Du here. Is he too high on himself? '
What kind of fat job the head of the Jiaofang Division is now is not a secret at all among the officials in the capital. I don’t know how many Beijing officials claim to have great powers.
, all stared at the head of the Jiaofang Department.
Even businessmen know this. Although they are relatively unfamiliar with matters in the court, they are extremely keen on money. Jiaofangsi not only made Beijing officials jealous, but also made a certain kind of merchants jealous. A business that can earn millions of dollars a year is what these businessmen dream of owning.
Unfortunately, this business belongs to the palace, and no matter how jealous they are, they can only watch helplessly.
The merchants were intimidated by the fact that the middle-aged scribe might be a Beijing official and did not dare to interrupt randomly, but ordinary people would not be used to it.
Not to mention that this middle-aged scribe has not yet said that he is an official. Even if he reveals his identity, the people will not be afraid of him.
"Since you are so talented, sir, why don't you recommend yourself to the emperor?" Some people couldn't stand the middle-aged scribe's arrogance and joked.
The middle-aged scribe suddenly turned red with anger and didn't know how to answer the question. If he is qualified to recommend himself to the emperor, how can he find the time to make such nonsense here? Didn’t you already win the position of head of the Jiaofang Department?
"Hahaha..." Seeing that the middle-aged scribe couldn't explain, the crowd suddenly burst into laughter.
Not only among the people in the capital, but also above the court, Han Du said that he had raised horses with 300,000 yuan, and people were talking about it.
"I have my own notes." Zhan Hui stood in the middle with his head held high, full of confidence in his heart.
"Accurate performance." Lao Zhu was still very satisfied with Zhan Hui, otherwise it would not have been possible to promote him from a scholar to the censor of Zuodu, the Inspectorate in just over a year.
"I impeached Han Du for his reckless conduct. The emperor gave Han Du fertile land, but he dared to use the land given by the emperor to raise horses. The emperor once said that agriculture is the foundation of the world, and food is the foundation of the country. Foundation. And Han Du dared to use fertile land to raise horses. This move is against the emperor's holy will. Please ask the emperor to interrogate Han Du." After saying that, Zhan Hui bowed down.
All the ministers looked at each other, and they naturally knew that Zhan Hui was avenging his personal revenge because he was not dealing with Han Du. But what Zhan Hui said was reasonable. Even if they wanted to refute Han Du, they couldn't find a reason.
Although the value of horses is not low, there is no shortage of horses in the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty established more than a dozen grassland horse farms outside the Pass and along the Great Wall, specifically to provide war horses for the court.
The grassland is vast and sparsely populated, and the land is not suitable for growing food, so it is suitable to use it as a horse farm to raise horses.
The land given to Han Du by the emperor was a fertile land outside the capital. Using it to raise horses would indeed be a waste of natural resources. Han Du also threatened to invest 300,000 yuan in these lands. To be honest, none of the courtiers knew what kind of medicine Han Du was selling in his gourd.
The courtiers didn't understand, but Lao Zhu knew it well.
To put it bluntly, Han Du just wanted to taint himself and make himself look like a prodigal.
You know, you know, but Lao Zhu couldn't say it in court, otherwise wouldn't it make him appear to be a mean and unkind emperor?
Therefore, facing Zhan Hui who impeached Han Du, Lao Zhu had to find a way to cover up the past for Han Du.
"Well, since the land has been given to Han Du, it belongs to him. What he is willing to invest and what he is willing to plant is his business."
The implication of Lao Zhu is that you, Zhan Hui, stop here and stop interfering.
But Zhan Hui didn't think so. The last time Han Du insulted him was worthless. If he didn't take revenge, how could he be willing to do so?
"Your Majesty, although the land already belonged to Handu, he used the land that could be used to grow food to raise horses. If he used a thousand acres of land to raise horses, the Ming Dynasty would lose a thousand acres of food harvest. Hundreds of people have no food to eat. This is a serious crime, please punish me."
In order to impeach Han Du, Zhan Hui even came up with secret ideas, which was considered a good intention.
It's a pity that Lao Zhu didn't want to make a fuss about this matter at all, and casually shouted: "Then let Han Du turn over the grain of one thousand acres of land every year."
"Retreat!"
Before Zhan Hui could speak, he saw Lao Zhu getting up and leaving. He could only sigh helplessly and give up.
Lao Zhu was still angry in the hall, but when he arrived at Kunning Palace, his face was already full of smiles.
Seeing Lao Zhu coming, Empress Ma stepped forward to greet him: "Why is the emperor so happy today?"
Lao Zhu told Queen Ma about Han Du's prodigal son, and at the end he sighed with a smile: "I'm so happy. The little bastard has grown up and knows how to defile himself."
"Your Majesty, Han Du is your son-in-law. Don't you still trust him?"
Lao Zhu cooperated with Queen Ma in undressing and said, "Of course I trust him, and since he interceded for Lan Yu, I have trusted him even more."
Queen Ma smiled when she heard this, obviously knowing why Lao Zhu said this.
However, Lao Zhu himself did not notice Queen Ma's expression, and continued to explain to himself: "When he was in prison, Lan Yu just helped him build a bridge, and it was the prince who really saved his life. If he can treat Lan Yu like this, he will naturally treat the prince with more respect in the future."
"However, I am still very happy that he can learn to defile himself."
Queen Ma took off Lao Zhu's dragon robe and handed it to the female official next to her to fold it and put it away. He said angrily to Lao Zhu: "The emperor is happy, but Han Du wants to spend 300,000 yuan in vain. The emperor will not forget that Anqing is now living in the Han Mansion. Do you have this money?" A part of my daughter. If that day, your daughter comes into the palace crying and says she can’t afford to eat, I won’t care about it.”
