After hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's question, Queen Ma said softly:
"Why not go to Shanghu County and buy some slaves?"
"Those slaves only cost ten taels of silver each. Even if they buy ten thousand people, they only cost one hundred thousand taels of silver."
"Ten thousand people must be enough for the initial expressway."
Zhu Yuanzhang was reminded by Empress Ma, and an idea flashed in his mind, and he began to lower his head and ponder the feasibility of this matter.
Hu Weiyong on the side felt that his brain was no longer sufficient.
slave?
Are there still slaves in Shanghu County? How can this be?
The slave trade was strictly prohibited in the Ming Dynasty. Why did the emperor allow Li Jin to continue the slave trade when he knew clearly that he was engaging in slave trade?
Shouldn't Li Jin be arrested at the first moment of discovery and then the slave trading network completely destroyed?
Hu Weiyong was confused. He didn't understand what was going on in this, which allowed Zhu Yuanzhang to tolerate the continuation of Li Jin's slave trade?
At this time, after Zhu Yuanzhang thought for a moment, he thought of the delay in providing work-for-relief, and he suddenly said directly:
"Hu Weiyong, you can hold a highway auction in the next few days."
"Don't worry about manpower. We will find someone to solve it for you."
"But when you calculate your budget, you need to add this part of your budget. After all, if you really buy a slave, you will probably spend hundreds of thousands more taels of silver."
Hu Weiyong was shocked. He did not expect that the emperor actually planned to buy slaves.
But thinking about the consequences of using slaves to build highways, Hu Weiyong bit the bullet and said:
"Your Majesty, is there something wrong with this matter?"
"Our Ming Dynasty has explicitly banned the slave trade, so how can we still use these slaves to build highways?"
"If the imperial censor knows about this, I'm afraid they won't miss this opportunity and criticize the expressway."
Hu Weiyong said it very tactfully, but he also reminded Zhu Yuanzhang that buying slaves was really unreliable.
As the king of a country, he actually allowed the buying and selling of his own people. If this news spread, it would definitely lead to crazy impeachment by the censor.
How could Zhu Yuanzhang not know what Hu Weiyong meant, but he was not worried at all. Instead, he said calmly:
"These slaves are not the people of the Ming Dynasty, but some foreigners."
"If anyone dares to sell the people of our Ming Dynasty, we will definitely cut him into pieces."
"But if these slaves are Japanese pirates, then it doesn't matter. These people deserve to die."
"You don't have to say they are slaves when you declare them to the outside world. You can just say they are prisoners."
Only then did Hu Weiyong understand that the slaves Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to buy were foreigners from a foreign land.
If this is the case, then Hu Weiyong should not be afraid. After all, he is not of my race and his mind must be different.
The Chinese people have long understood this kind of thing, and no one will sympathize with these foreigners.
If there are really people who don't open their eyes, Hu Weiyong can deal with them.
"I understand!"
Hu Weiyong's three problems were all solved by Zhu Yuanzhang. He immediately put down his worries and felt relaxed all over.
"We are very optimistic about the expressway. I hope you will pay more attention to it and not let us down. Do you understand?"
In the end, Zhu Yuanzhang did not forget to tell Hu Weiyong to act with caution.
After all, if this matter is done well, then such roads will be paved everywhere in the Ming Dynasty.
By that time, the rule of Lao Zhu's family was truly impregnable.
After hearing this, Hu Weiyong bowed his hands towards Zhu Yuanzhang with a solemn expression and said:
"I will definitely handle this matter well and not let the emperor down."
"Go down and get ready."
Zhu Yuanzhang waved Hu Weiyong to leave. He had already said everything he needed to say. If Hu Weiyong still disappoints him, then Hu Weiyong's position will now be at the top.
After Hu Weiyong left, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Queen Ma and said:
"Sister, you didn't pity those slaves before, why are you now asking us to buy them?"
Queen Ma rolled her eyes at Zhu Yuanzhang and said:
"I just think that if these slaves died in the Colosseum, they might as well follow Hu Weiyong to build roads."
"You can live longer this way."
Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned for a moment, then laughed loudly and said:
"Girls are still kind."
Empress Ma ignored Zhu Yuanzhang and turned around and walked out the door.
She had to quickly arrange for the steward of the auction house to discuss with Li Jin the materials for road construction and the slaves.
...
When Queen Ma saw Li Jin, Li Jin was still busy in the shipyard.
After more than three months of busy work, Li Jin's planned fleet is in progress in an orderly manner.
According to Li Jin's plan, Ming's first naval fleet will be fully formed in three months.
At that time, it will be time to wipe out the Japanese pirates and bombard the Japanese islands.
When he heard that Queen Ma had arrived, Li Jin put down his work and met with Queen Ma specifically.
"Madam, why are you here?"
After Li Jin and Queen Ma finished their greetings, they asked straight to the point.
Queen Ma said with a smile:
"I have come here this time to tell you a great event."
"The emperor heard the master's report last time and decided to implement expressways in Ming Dynasty as well."
"I came here this time just to purchase highway materials from you and make you make a lot of money."
When Li Jin heard that he was here for business, the smile on his face became even more cordial and he said:
"What did Madam say? We are actually partners. When I make money, Madam makes money."
"I just have a question. Can the Ming Dynasty's national treasury spend so much money to lay highways?"
"You must know that the cost of highway construction is not low, and if it is constructed throughout Daming, I am afraid that Daming's treasury will not be able to bear it."
When Queen Ma heard this, she smiled and said:
"Don't worry about this. The emperor plans to let the gentry of the world raise money to build the highway."
"And this kind of expressway is only being built in Tianfu for the time being, and will not be built nationwide, so there is no need to worry about money."
Li Jin nodded.
If it is true as Empress Ma said, it is indeed a way. After all, the court can get a built highway for free without paying a penny, which is indeed pie in the sky.
"In this case, I will give it to Madam for a cheaper price, and it will be considered as a contribution to the country."
Li Jin then asked his servants to take out pens, inks, paper and inkstones, and began to calculate the cost of materials in front of Queen Ma.
However, Queen Ma stopped Li Jin and said:
"It's not just about the materials, you also need to send a team of professional workers to the Ming Dynasty court so that the court can carry out normal construction."
"You can also include the labor costs. Just give the people from the Ministry of Works to the church and save you the trouble of having to worry about the people in Shanghai County in the future."
Only then did Li Jin understand that Empress Ma wanted to provide one-stop service herself.
Thinking of this, Li Jin re-estimated the price in his mind and began to calculate the account for Queen Ma on paper.
After the bill was calculated, Empress Ma picked it up and saw that the material cost for the expressway from Yingtianfu to Songjiangfu alone was as high as about 500,000 taels.
"Master Li, is this price too high?"
Queen Ma was a little frightened when she looked at the calculated price. After all, in her mind, no matter how expensive this material was, it was only worth 300,000 taels at most.
The result is now about double, which is really an exaggeration.
Li Jin shook his head and said:
"Madam, this is already the cheapest price. After all, we not only need to provide materials, but also provide technical support."
"If there are any problems in the future, we may have to provide after-sales service, which can't be lower."
Queen Ma pondered for a moment and said:
"This price is not impossible, but I need you to go to Shanghai County and provide us with 10,000 slaves to build this highway."
Li Jin lost his composure upon hearing this and said:
"Ten thousand slaves? You have to know the price of slaves now, but it's only 10 taels."
"Ten thousand slaves are one hundred thousand taels of silver. This is simply impossible. I will give you a thousand at most."
"Eight thousand!"
"two thousand!"
...
In the end, Li Jin sent out another 3,500 slaves in vain, and then the deal was concluded.
Empress Ma paid another 60,000 taels of silver and bought 6,000 slaves. Only then did all the things Zhu Yuanzhang told him to be completed.
Li Jin was very satisfied when he saw that an order was completed.
At noon, he even invited Queen Ma to have dinner with him. During the meal, Li Jin suggested to Queen Ma that it was absolutely possible to start work from Songjiang Prefecture and Yingtian Prefecture at the same time.
This can greatly shorten the time and even start work at the same time at the point where the two interact.
This three-pronged approach can save a lot of time and allow the expressway to be built quickly.
After hearing this, Queen Ma was very happy and decided to suggest to Zhu Yuanzhang that he should do this after she returned.
