The money needed for the new city has been finalized, and then we can deal with another matter. As long as this matter is done well, it can help Jifu and the western Liaoning region to disperse their worries.
Letting the Tokugawa generals send troops, in Yaoji's view, is more important than building a new city. Taking the initiative is always better than passive defense: "The new city can defend the capital, which makes the Eastern captives shy away from our capital of the Ming Dynasty, but they enter the pass and plunder The desire to conquer Japan is increasing day by day, but at present, our army has not yet completed its expansion and training, and is temporarily unable to defeat the enemy. Therefore, I summoned the Japanese envoys the day before yesterday to explain the general situation to them. The envoys have rushed to Tianjin to return to Japan by boat to share the benefits. General Chen Wo. I expect that Japan will most likely agree to send troops to assist in the war. In addition, we will also dispatch a person with a big responsibility to be stationed in Japan for a long time. As our Ming Consul, he will be responsible for communicating with the Japanese generals, eliminating misunderstandings, and strengthening the military. Mutual trust. I would like to appoint Qiu Minyang, deputy envoy of Tianjin, as the first consul in Japan for a period of five years. Do you have any objections, dear ministers?"
For such an important position, neither Yang Tinglin recommended by Wu Di nor Ni Yuanlu strongly recommended by Feng Quan were particularly suitable. Instead, Qiu Minyang, a fellow countryman of his prospective father-in-law Xue Guoguan, was more suitable for the post.
This person has led troops to defeat rogue bandits, and as the deputy envoy of Tianjin, he has had many opportunities to deal with merchants from various countries, so he is not too unfamiliar with foreign affairs.
In fact, even the full-time external department of the imperial court, the Ministry of Rites, has only a handful of capable diplomats, and these few are blind to foreign affairs.
The Ming Dynasty's understanding of the world, especially the West, was limited to the bound volumes brought by armed warlocks, and at most they had contact with some Western businessmen.
He has neither an overall macro understanding nor accurate analysis of details. He has very little interest in developing foreign affairs and is completely inactive in running errands.
For example, in the United Kingdom, we only know that England is called "Elia", Scotland is called "Scocia", Wales is called "Polingna", Ireland is called "Hibernia"...
If the approximate location could not be matched with the numbers, a certain prince would not be able to figure out what country it was when he saw the world map of this era just by looking at the literal names marked on it.
Qiu Minyang was recommended by Xue Guoguan, and he was from the same hometown, so in order to avoid suspicion, it was inconvenient for the chief minister to express his opinions. Xue Guoguan was very happy to be recognized by the prince.
The prince is not very old, but because of the words and deeds he received from Emperor Gao, the ancestor of the immortal world, he is unique in his behavior and his personnel appointments are extremely precise.
The fact that Qiu Minyang was favored by the prince showed that in addition to the description on his resume, he did have aspects that were appreciated by the prince. Otherwise, he would not have stood out from the three candidates.
"Your Highness, I believe that this person has contacts with businessmen from many countries in Tianjin and has extensive experience. He is not an official from the mainland and has comparable experience. He may be qualified for this position."
The person who said this was none other than Ni Yuanlu, the right minister of the Ministry of Rites, who was among the three candidates. From his own perspective, the calligrapher believed that the appointment of the prince could pass the review of the court meeting.
As a court official who has been stationed abroad for a long time, he must first have relevant experience. He cannot be sent overseas without even meeting foreigners and having no experience at all.
Tianjin is the largest commercial port in the north. Foreign businessmen who want to launch commercial activities in Jifu will choose to land in Tianjin, so it is also one of the major foreign trade ports along the coast.
Although Qiu Minyang is not an official in the Ministry of Rites, nor is he specifically responsible for contacting foreign businessmen in Tianjin, it is still much better than being directly transferred from the imperial court.
In fact, the foreigners that officials of the Ministry of Rites have the most contact with are armed magicians. They may look similar to businessmen, but their speech, behavior, motivations and purposes are essentially different.
And imperial officials were not willing to leave their hometown for a long time to serve in a small country overseas, which was equivalent to being indirectly exiled. If they were not acclimated to the local environment or had some physical condition, they might die in a foreign country.
Under the influence of a short-sighted mentality, there are very few officials who are willing to take up posts abroad, and they have a high degree of identification with the local area. Unless they are directly appointed by the emperor, almost no one will self-recommend.
"I agree with what Shilang Ni said!"
Du Yinxi, the Minister of Civil Affairs, thought that it would be best for officials from other places to take charge of this matter. The imperial court was about to be dismantled by the prince. A few days ago, one of the third-rank officials and above was deported and eight were imprisoned.
If they were to be transferred again, the number of key personnel in each department would not be enough to reach half of the quota. The Ministry of Personnel would also be busy with the frequent changes of officials, and it would feel a little unprepared.
Du Yinxijue believed that the prince was right to clean up the moths. The frequent occurrence of such large-scale vacancies was somewhat beyond the capacity of the imperial court.
Qiu Minyang was recommended by the Chief Minister, and his merits had been reviewed before. The prince approved it, and the small circle of cabinet and ministers approved the appointment without much objection.
He should be appointed as soon as possible, otherwise the hot job of Japanese consul will frighten the officials of the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Rites.
The ministers who did not speak, except for those who knew the relevant situation, did not dare to express their opinions without authorization, because they did not know whether the prince was testing or sincere.
After repeated attempts, everyone was frightened by the little prince. Who knew if there was a big pit waiting for him to jump into, so it was better to remain silent.
"Since none of you have objections, I will approve this appointment!"
Yaoji knew very well what these guys were thinking. If they knew that this job had a huge amount of money at their disposal, some guys who were good at speculating would take the lead even if their ancestral tombs exploded.
For envoys stationed abroad, a certain prince made relevant grade regulations. The ambassador is the third grade, the consul is the third grade, and the counselor is the fourth grade. They are all permanent civil servants, except for the special envoys who bear the sacred mandate.
These are the three senior positions of civilian officials. Military attachés are divided into generals, deputy generals, and generals. However, the imperial court generally does not send generals at the general level as military attaches.
Military attachés stationed abroad are all fictitious and do not have much military power. It would be overwhelming to ask you to take 500 people to take the post. The purpose is mainly to protect the own safety of the embassy abroad, not to lead the troops in combat.
The rank of a consul is not too high, but his power is equivalent to that of a governor. All officials stationed in the country, including generals and soldiers, are all under the jurisdiction of the consul.
Taking into account the price standards, customs, living habits and many other characteristics of foreign countries, the corresponding subsidies are also extremely high.
For a country like Japan that could be used as a priority, the treatment of the consul stationed in Japan even exceeded that of the Seven Ministers, almost equal to that of the chief minister.
If the relations between Ming and Japan could quickly warm up, the imperial court could upgrade the consulate to an embassy.
Consuls can naturally be promoted to one level and become ambassadors, and the corresponding treatment will be the same as that of chief assistants.
If you do it well, you will naturally gain a lot of rewards, and you can even make an income of 10,000 taels per year.
On the contrary, after your term of office expires, you can wait to be dealt with by factory guards when you return to Ming Dynasty.
"Since today's court affairs have been dealt with, if there is no report, please leave the court. After you have lunch, you can handle government affairs in your respective yamen in the afternoon."
Yao Ji looked at his watch and saw that it was less than half past ten. This speed was really unimaginable. It seemed that the court had been well trained by him and became more obedient and obedient.
The ministers had another idea. As long as the matter did not concern themselves, they could acquiesce to the suggestion mentioned by the prince. Firstly, they could eat delicious food as soon as possible, and secondly, they could also get a two-hour lunch break.
"Your Highness, I don't know how to summon you to come..."
The seven nobles named Gongshun Wu Weiying, Xincheng Hou Wang Guoxing, Xinle Hou Liu Wenbing, Chengyi Bo Liu Kongzhao, Hui'an Bo Zhang Qingzhen, Xuancheng Bo Wei Shitai, and Zhangwu Bo Yang Chongyou were named by the prince to stay after they retired from the court.
Everyone is afraid that the prince will regret it. After all, when the Kailuan Coal Mine is put into operation, it will be a big project that makes a lot of money every day. I am afraid that many people will be jealous and try to get involved.
"Previously, each of you, dear friends, subscribed for 50,000 taels of Zijin bonds, and because of the Kailuan Coal Mine, each contributed 20,000 taels. I thought that the previous 50,000 taels of Zijin bonds were too much, and I want to return this part. So that you, dear friends, can have some money."
If the nobles use their silver to buy Zijin bonds, it is equivalent to making "dead money". Even if the total return in ten years is 25%, it is not worth mentioning compared with the huge dividends distributed by Kailuan Coal Mine.
It is understandable that a certain prince would use the money raised from Zijin Bonds to invest, but now that this project requires coal and start-up capital, it would be more appropriate to continue to match the shareholding ratio of the Kailuan Coal Mine.
The respectful Hou Wu Weiying heard that the prince wanted to return the money to him, and there might have been changes in the process. He hurriedly excused himself and said: "Your Highness must not do this. I purchased the Zijin Bond out of a sincere heart, not on a whim. Your Highness did this." , which means that it is unjust to trap the minister, and I will not dare to obey my orders even if I die!"
The purple gold bond worth 350,000 taels is the guarantee for everyone, and it is not an exaggeration to regard it as an iron bond of the alchemy book. They are the only seven families in the capital that have not been confiscated, so there is no room for mistakes.
Liu Kongzhao, the sincere uncle, also followed up immediately, determined to dispel the prince's doubts: "Your Highness, if there are still some purple gold bonds left, I hope that your Highness will not mention it if you are willing to invest in the purchase and return the silver!"
If the prince feels that the amount purchased by everyone is not too much, then buy more. In short, the prince cannot be made to feel that everyone has selfish motives. Once the monarch and his ministers are disloyal, it will be the end of the ministers.
This statement was immediately supported by the other five people, and everyone vowed that even if they had to sell off their property, they would buy another 500,000 taels of purple gold bonds until the prince was satisfied.
The total amount is 800,500 taels, which is a testament to the loyalty of all the nobles. If you want to buy more, it will be beyond your capabilities and it will be a bit difficult.
"You have misunderstood. I have discovered a new project that will make a lot of money every day. This project requires a large amount of coal, so I thought of cooperating with you all. I don't know which one of you thinks this is true. Are you so strong that you are willing to use a sledgehammer to hit the pillar in the corner of the courtyard?"
Only by giving examples can we dispel the nobles' doubts as quickly as possible. Moreover, they must be immersed in the situation. Finally, they can understand quickly only by going into battle in person.
After hearing this, the Marquis of Xincheng Wang Guoxing volunteered and expressed his willingness to give it a try: "Your Highness, I am not talented and have only brute force. I am willing to give it a try for Your Highness!"
Yaoji immediately agreed, and he could see Dali perform miracles immediately. The pillar had been drying in the sun for several days, and today it has basically solidified.
The pillars are made of reinforced concrete, and the cement has been fired for a long time. More than ten days ago, several chamberlains who worked as bricklayers carefully carried out the construction according to the schematic diagram and construction steps provided by the prince.
A certain prince was still a little uneasy about this pillar made of reinforced concrete. Even if it could not reach the strength of later generations, it must be strong enough and not fall apart after being kicked by a strong man.
After Wang Guoxing accepted the order, he exposed his arms and rolled up his sleeves, picked up the sledgehammer and walked over. He first circled the pillar, then found a flaw that he thought he could smash, and prepared for a powerful and heavy blow. hit.
"Dang~!"
From a visual inspection, the pillar was made of broken stones and seemed to be smeared with some dark gray mud. It seemed to be far less strong than the city wall. However, after one blow, it was beyond Wang Guoxing's expectation.
Except for some debris falling off the pillar, there was no damage to it. Wang Guoxing's arms were numb from the shock, and he was suddenly horrified. This thing should not be underestimated.
Then he hit four hammers in a row. Although he could knock down some residue each time, the pillar was far from being damaged to the point of breaking the muscles and bones.
"Brother Wang, please rest aside for now, let me give it a try!"
Hui'anbo Zhang Qingzhen was not very satisfied with the performance of his colleague. Could he have come to court without breakfast? It's not like hitting a stone and mud pillar with a sledgehammer and still not touching it at all, right?
But practice brings true knowledge, and Zhang Qingzhen's performance was not much better than that of his predecessor. The residue from his newly chosen place was not as much as that of Guoxing, which made the guy next to him look down upon him.
After some attempts, Hui Anbo could only stand awkwardly next to the Marquis of Xincheng, saying nothing about the ugly thing in front of him, and he felt even more ashamed of the prince.
"Okay, my dears, please come back. This thing is my latest research result - cement! Don't blow on it, otherwise it will be very bad if it gets into your eyes!"
After Yaoji waited for everyone to sit down, he asked Yang Jinchao to bring in a plate of gray powdery substance. Yang Jinchao wore a mask and glasses to prevent his exhaled breath from raising some powder and flying into his eyes.
"This material is made by firing a mixture of lime and clay. During construction, water can be added for stirring, and it will become a mud paste. Add gravel and steel bars. After drying, it will become as solid as a rock, like a pillar in front of you. It is perfect for building cities and buildings. I intend to promote this on a large scale for the city walls and houses in the new city. If I want to withdraw the Zijin Bonds purchased by your dear friends, I want to set up a cement company to specialize in the production of this material. Since a large amount of coal is used in the firing process, I would like to discuss it with you dear friends. I am very close to you and our cooperation will be smoother. I believe it will not be difficult to jointly develop cement."
Coal and cement are the lifeblood of infrastructure, and they are two major profit-making industries. For example, the materials used in the new city wall are worth 500,000 taels, so replacing some of the city bricks with concrete can also bring benefits of 200,000 taels.
Including the consumption of buildings in the city and the demand for cement in the old city and surrounding areas, the total amount will not be less than 500,000 taels. The cost is a top 100,000 taels. After deducting the taxes and fees of 100,000 taels, the remaining 300,000 taels will be a net profit. .
If the accounts are divided according to the holding ratio of Kailuan Coal Mine, a certain prince can pocket at least 150,000 taels, and he only needs to provide the formula and process flow, and the rest of the time can be spent lying down counting money.
As long as he monopolizes the cement industry in Ming Dynasty, a certain prince believes that he can pocket half a million taels of silver every year, and maybe he can also earn foreign exchange through exports!
