"What are you talking about? The imperial court issued an edict to the whole world, prohibiting hoarding and hoarding, and the worst case would be exile, or the worst case would be confiscation of homes?"
Qian Longxi asked in surprise after hearing what Ni Wenhuan said.
Ni Wenhuan nodded solemnly.
"He's using his power to bully others again!"
Qian Longxi said through gritted teeth, and then slammed the huanghuali wood table.
boom!
Ni Wenhuan couldn't help but tremble, breathing a little heavily and said: "They really deceived the people of Jiangnan and dared not rebel! They are intensifying their efforts to seize profits from the people!"
Qian Longxi waved his hand directly: "Don't worry about it! Keep stocking up what you need to stock up on, but let's see how the court can find out! In addition, we can also buy cotton and silk cloth at high prices instead of directly stocking up on cotton and raw silk. Then the prices of cotton yarn and raw silk increased, and small traders, weavers, and cotton households were allowed to actively hoard cotton yarn and raw silk! Although the court wanted to prohibit the hoarding of cotton yarn and raw silk, it could not prohibit all small traders, weavers, and cotton households from buying cotton. Raw silk weaving, and even restricting how much cotton and raw silk weaving people can buy?”
"What Mr. Qian said makes sense. If the imperial court really wants to do this, I'm not afraid that the weavers, cotton farmers and small traders below won't rebel!"
Ni Wenhuan echoed.
…
"It is not enough to ban the hoarding of cotton and raw silk. Once the government-run textile industry is established, more cotton and raw silk will be needed. The prices of cotton and raw silk will inevitably rise. Ordinary weavers, cotton households, and small traders will consciously stock up. , even the powerful gentry will do this, so we have to think of other ways."
Political Hall.
After Zhu Youxiao asked for an edict to prohibit the hoarding of cotton and raw silk, he discussed the matter with Fang Congzhe.
"Your Majesty's Holy Ming, after the implementation of the land clearing in Nanzhili this year, many unowned fields have been identified. Moreover, due to the development of the weaving industry in the south of the Yangtze River, a large number of people are no longer willing to farm. Therefore, these fields are still deserted. In my opinion, it is not as good as They will be converted into mulberry fields and cotton fields, and people will be hired to cultivate them. In the future, other provinces will do the same with the unclaimed fields after clearing the land."
In Fang Congzhe's view, since many powerful gentry in the north have already participated in the government-run textile industry, they will naturally support the court to continue to clear the land, and use the opportunity of clearing the land to increase the number of cotton fields and mulberry fields, thereby obtaining more cotton yarn and raw silk, and providing themselves with more cotton yarn and raw silk. Increased profits. As for the loss of land caused by clearing the land, it is naturally nothing. After all, everyone knows that the profits of cotton and silk are much higher than the grain harvest.
Therefore, Fang Congzhe suggested this at this time.
"Inappropriate! Increasing grain production is still the foundation of social stability. The price of cotton yarn and raw silk has increased. The rich and powerful gentry will naturally change rice to mulberry and drive out the tenant farmers, causing many tenant farmers to become homeless. What the court wants to do is to drive these farmers out of the farmland. The sharecroppers survived by working or even joining the army. In the future, the fields identified after the nationwide land clearing will still be divided among the people and encouraged to grow food to cope with the future food shortage caused by too many cotton fields and mulberry fields. After all, people are Hunger can only be solved by eating cereals, not cotton and mulberry leaves.”
Zhu Youxiao rejected Fang Congzhe's suggestion.
Fang Congzhe had to think deeply: "Yes! Please give me your Majesty's instructions."
"The imperial court will continue to carry out large-scale construction projects! The main thing is to improve transportation and build more official roads. Secondly, it is water conservancy and river projects. Canals should be dug, embankments should be repaired, and the price of cotton yarn and raw silk will be raised. Someone will naturally take it seriously. The fields where the family grows rice and wheat have been changed to mulberry and cotton fields, and what the imperial court has to do is to prepare to feed the landless refugees who have been driven out. Why is the food increase in Jiangnan now less and less than that of Huguang? Suhu is ripe and the world is full? It is because a large number of rice fields in the south of the Yangtze River have been turned into mulberry fields, which has also caused the emergence of a large number of landless people. Now this phenomenon will intensify. What the court has to do is to prevent these landless people from becoming refugees, but becoming Become a worker.”
Zhu Youxiao said.
"Your Majesty's concerns are far beyond my reach."
Fang Congzhe couldn't understand and immediately replied.
"Go and do it immediately. The cabinet, together with the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of Works, will come up with a plan for what projects to build in the next few years, how to raise funds, and how to arrange the progress. Don't just think about saving the grain and tax that will increase the court's income in the future. Then wait for it to be washed away by greed or rot away.”
Zhu Youxiao ordered.
Then, Zhu Youxiao added: "But the court cannot ignore the difficulty of prohibiting the hoarding of cotton and raw silk. Those who hoard excessively and speculate on the prices of cotton and raw silk must still be severely punished. It is okay to change their rice fields to mulberry fields, but hoarding and speculation , we must crack down hard! They can only earn the money I allow them to earn, otherwise I will let them go bankrupt! No matter who they are, whether they are relatives of the emperor or noble officials!"
"yes!"
Fang Congzhe shuddered after hearing this. He knew that His Majesty the Emperor was also warning his chief minister.
…
"The Duke of the State wants us to earn whatever the imperial court allows us to earn, and we have to earn whatever the imperial court does not allow us to earn! Therefore, we bought shares in the government-run textile industry, but the next step is to stock up on raw silk and cotton. , we have to do it too! Even if the court doesn’t allow it, it won’t work! There’s no way His Majesty really wants to fall out with a family like ours.”
At this time, Zhu Xiao, the steward of the Chengguo Palace, gave instructions to Xu Hongru and Wang Sen, two wealthy businessmen from North Zhili who were secretly doing business for many powerful gentry.
"Our Eunuch Du also means the same thing. The rise in cotton and raw silk prices must be caused by southern businessmen speculating behind the scenes. How could we northern businessmen miss this kind of thing? Besides, once the government-run textile industry opens in the future, the prices will only be It will continue to rise, so we must not only make a fortune with the emperor, but also make the emperor's fortune. You companies must continue to do this. Don't be afraid if anything happens, we will be responsible for it."
Du Wang, the housekeeper of eunuch Du Xun, also said the same thing at this time.
Xu Hongru and Wang Sen both agreed one by one.
The two were the main leaders of the Wenxiang Sect in Beizhili and Shandong. They developed many people behind the scenes. Historically, they even started an uprising directly in the second year of Tianqi because of this.
Of course, the two of them were able to develop Wenxiang Cult secretly without being discovered, and even their respective businesses were doing better and better. Naturally, it was because they had the support of many powerful and wealthy families.
It can also be said that King Xu and others are making money for these powerful families.
Therefore, only the great officials of the inner court such as Duke Cheng and eunuch Du Xun would find them now.
"How much stock do you have in stock now?"
At this time, Zhu Xiao also asked.
Xu Hongru first replied: "As far as Master Zhu is concerned, we have already deposited goods worth 300,000 taels."
Wang Sen then replied: "The younger one has almost saved 200,000 taels."
Zhu Xiao and Du Wang both nodded.
But at this time, Liang Qinghong, the number one leader under Xu Xianchun, rushed in with a large group of people from Dongchang.
Liang Qinghong shouted: "Arrest all the people here! Seal the warehouses and inspect the goods. Damn it, you dare to hoard cotton yarn and raw silk under the emperor's feet, and spread evil cults. You are really tired of living! You don't take our Dongchang seriously." In here?!"
"Be bold!"
Du Wang stood up first at this time: "What are you doing in Dongchang? Hoarding cotton yarn and raw silk and spreading evil cults. Do you know who I am?!"
Liang Qinghong, who died for the Ming Dynasty in history, asked coldly: "May I ask, who are you?"
"I am the eunuch Eunuch Du who is in charge of the internal affairs department! Even you, the factory boss, have to give me some slack. Who asked you to come here to mess around? You didn't ask who owns this place before you came."
Du Wang said and started to teach Liang Qinghong a lesson.
"Then you have to copy it!"
Liang Qinghong said coldly, he didn't want people in the factory to tell the emperor that he was afraid of the powerful and open the back door to Du Gong.
7017k
