Shangyuan County, fields outside East Village.
The old farmer Huang Qisan put his hands behind his back, beat his lower back hard, stood up reluctantly, took a few breaths, and said to the old woman who was bending down in the field to look for him: "Stop rummaging, there is no more rice. This year's harvest will not be enough." That’s it.”
The old woman shook her head and continued to search: "No, there is always food. We have used eighty kilograms of grain seeds, it is impossible to harvest only this little."
Huang Qisan lowered his head and looked at the shriveled sack beside his feet.
The wrinkles in the sack are deeper than the wrinkles on his own face.
Drought has delayed the farming season.
It is not easy to have a good harvest.
Huang Qisan looked at the space sadly. The scorching sun turned the earth into a furnace, and the surrounding air seemed to be burned. His eyes were full of trance.
"Old man, how is your harvest this year?"
A thin, tall Confucian scholar waved his fan and asked. Next to him stood a thin, small-eyed Confucian scholar.
Huang Qisan looked at the two of them and said angrily: "If you weren't blind, you wouldn't ask such a question."
"You old man!"
Censor Zhao Cheng immediately became angry, closed his folding fan and started to curse.
The people on the side quickly stopped him: "Brother Zhao, don't bully the people."
"Bo Shi, this guy is really not a good citizen!"
Zhao Cheng shouted angrily.
Han Yike chuckled and cupped his hands to Huang Qisan: "We asked wrongly. The ground is now barren and there aren't many seedlings, let alone a harvest. This year's drought is a natural disaster. It's really... It’s made you tired.”
Huang Qisan snorted, picked up the bag under his feet, and called out to the old woman: "Natural disaster, natural disaster, it is said to be a natural disaster every year, but it is also a drought. Jurong next door was not affected. Why didn't the court send a magistrate to Gu County? The same good officials come to Shangyuan County!"
When Zhao Cheng saw that the old man actually said that the imperial court was wrong, he immediately shouted: "You are slandering the imperial court!"
Han Yike pulled Zhao Cheng, looked at Huang Qisan and the old woman leaving, and said to Zhao Cheng: "Don't always convict the people. They suffered a disaster this year, so it is natural for them to have resentments in their hearts."
Zhao Cheng shook off Han Yike's hand and said dissatisfied: "They are just a bunch of commoners! For their own good, the imperial court exempted Shangyuan County from taxes. What else do they want?"
Han Yike glanced at Zhao Cheng and corrected him seriously: "They are not ordinary people, they are the people of the Ming Dynasty!"
Zhao Cheng looked at Han Yike and turned his face: "The grassroots are grassroots, in other words, they are not grassroots? Han Yike, you have to know your identity clearly. I came to Yushitai two years earlier than you. I am Chen The confidant of the imperial censor! If you disobey me again, be careful I will write a letter to impeach you!"
Han Yike narrowed his eyes slightly, with only a slit left in his originally small eyes. He said in a cold tone: "As the censor, I, Han Yike, will not surrender to anyone or become anyone's confidant. The censor should be the common people. Speak up and act like your majesty! As long as I am here, I will impeach anyone who dares to bully the people! Brother Zhao, do you want to try and see who of you and me is kicked out of the Yushitai first?"
Zhao Cheng didn't expect that Chen Ning's name would be of no use to this person. Is this guy really not afraid of death?
Some time ago, when I was patrolling other places, I heard that Han Yike had written a letter to impeach Korean Duke Li Shanchang for committing illegal activities in Fengyang, the capital of China. It can be said that one stone stirred up a thousand waves!
I don’t know if he really has the courage, or if he is just trying to gain His Majesty’s attention and reputation!
Han Yike turned around and looked at the almost barren fields: "Shangyuan County and Jurong County are next to each other. When the drought first appeared, Shangyuan County firmly believed that it would rain and did nothing. But Jurong County did not We are actively transferring water and spending a lot of effort to build water trucks, which work day and night to transfer water from dozens of miles away to ensure that the people have water for growing seedlings!"
"The people of Shangyuan County have no harvest this summer, but the people of Jurong County still have a harvest. These people have a steelyard in their hearts. After weighing it, they know who is a good official and who is a capable official. The old man is not wrong. If I were a citizen, I would also like the imperial court to send a minister like Gu Zhengchen!"
Zhao Cheng took out a folding fan to block the sun: "The people in Jurong County have a harvest, but they also have taxes. Although the people in Shangyuan County have suffered a disaster, they don't have to pay summer taxes. They won't lose much."
Han Yike bent down and pulled out a rice stalk that didn't even have an ear. He said with some pain: "You only paid attention to the summer tax, but do you know that the imperial court exempted them from the summer tax? Give them food! How many meals can these people eat with this harvest? Can they survive until the autumn harvest?"
Why not eat minced meat!
How could there be such a fool and such an official in the imperial court!
Han Yike felt bitter.
People don’t have to pay taxes, but they must solve their stomach problems.
If the people can't hold on to the harvest this summer, then a group of more tenant farmers will come out of Shangyuan County. They will sell their fields at a low price and then go to work for the big families. No matter how much the fields are harvested in the future, they will only be able to make do with it. Not starving to death, let alone trying to survive.
Zhao Cheng didn't expect that he would be reprimanded by Han Yike, and he looked a little embarrassed: "Let me say, let's inspect the places separately. Why don't you go to Jurong, and I'll take a look in Shangyuan County here."
"Jurong? Haha, that's fine."
Han Yi did not refuse.
Zhao Cheng looked at Han Yike who agreed directly and smiled secretly in his heart.
This is a brilliant move.
Go to Jurong. You, Han Yi, are not hateful, picky, and good at impeaching officials. Go to Jurong to find fault with Gu Zhengchen and impeach him severely!
As long as you provoke Gu Zhengchen, that kid will definitely fight back.
The last time the two censors went to Jurong, they lost all their teeth. Now they can't even eat meat, and their lives are so miserable.
Whether you want to kill Gu Zhengchen or Gu Zhengchen pulls out your teeth, it is always a good thing for Chen Ning.
Han Yike looked in the direction and said to Zhao Cheng, who couldn't hide his smile: "Sun Keyi, the magistrate of Shangyuan County, has failed to provide disaster relief. We need to check the county government's accounts to see if they are reconciled."
Zhao Cheng waved his hand: "I won't bother you anymore."
They parted ways and went their separate ways.
Jinling, Huagai Hall.
Zhu Yuanzhang examined the drawings one by one, and his eyes fell on one of the results. Looking at the huge warship, even though he was somewhat prepared, he was still surprised. He looked at Mu Ying: "This is the never-sinking sea." fortress?"
Mu Ying nodded solemnly: "Your Majesty, a man from Quanzhou County said that although this kind of warship is expensive to build, its combat power is extraordinary and comparable to the Dafu Ship, and its deterrence is even more powerful..."
Mu Ying repeated Gu Zhengchen's words, while Mao Xiang corrected a few words.
Zhu Yuanzhang stared at the drawings of the big treasure ship and said in a deep voice: "Li Min, Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology."
Li Min was sitting in the Ministry of Industry, and after hearing the summons, he quickly entered the palace.
Zhu Yuanzhang handed the drawings to Li Min and asked seriously: "Li Aiqing, let's see if such a warship can be built?"
Li Min thought it was a big deal, but it turned out to be shipbuilding. This was child's play for the Ministry of Industry. There were so many craftsmen in the Longjiang Shipyard. If any ship couldn't be built, he could just issue an order. Why bother asking about the feasibility?
Li Min felt a little numb after taking the drawing.
This, what kind of warship is this? This is simply an island!
Look at this work ruler, it's forty-four feet long and eighteen feet wide. Hell, not even Chen Youliang's big ship was that big!
"Your Majesty, this kind of ship may not be easy to build."
Li Min replied cautiously.
Zhu Yuanzhang said with a straight face: "It's not easy, or can't it be made?"
Li Min looked at the drawings again and said in a deep voice: "It can be built, but it requires a lot of financial resources and manpower. Moreover, the dock of Longjiang Shipyard cannot support such a huge ship at all, and a new dock needs to be dug. , which also requires a large amount of money and food..."
"Money and food are a matter of the Ministry of Household Affairs, so you don't need to worry about it. Are you sure you can make it?"
Zhu Yuanzhang stared at Li Min.
Li Min knew Zhu Yuanzhang's habits. If he was asked one more time, he would just nod his head, and there would basically be no room for negotiation. The Ministry of Industry needed to build such a ship anyway.
"I dare to ask, Your Majesty wants to build such a ship. What is the purpose of it?"
Li Min bowed his head.
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Mu Ying, and Mu Ying explained to Li Min: "To be honest with Li Shangshu, this blueprint was given by a man from Quanzhou County to build a powerful navy warship for the imperial court to completely solve the problem of pirates. Let the people along the coast live and work in peace and contentment."
"Gu Zhengchen?"
Li Min was a little surprised.
I have been to Jurong myself, and I know that Gu Zhengchen has many ideas. This guy is still his subordinate, the head of the Ministry of Industry. He actually got the blueprints of a large warship for the imperial court without a word. As Minister of the Ministry of Works, he didn’t have any information. This is really dissatisfying. I’ll go to Jurong again when I find an opportunity and beat this guy hard. Don’t hide it all the time. private!
Gu Zhengchen's drawings, Mu Ying's explanation, and Zhu Yuanzhang's eagerness made Li Min understand that the construction of this big ship was not for enjoyment in peacetime, but to deal with the storms of the sea and solve the problem of pirates that had been plaguing the court!
For national affairs, we should do our best!
Li Min said solemnly: "As long as we have enough money and food, and I guarantee it with my life, we can build a big ship!"
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded with satisfaction and ordered: "Then let's dig the dock first, make preparations, and build a big ship for me to see. If it is really as powerful as Gu Zhengchen said, we can level the sea, I Even if we have to eat a few less meals, wear a few more old clothes, we still have to build a few more big ships. People cannot live a miserable life forever!"
Li Min happily accepted the order and left with the drawings.
Mu Ying breathed a long sigh of relief.
Since His Majesty has ordered the Ministry of Works to start construction, I think it will not stop until the Shipping Department, and the sea will not be completely closed.
Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at Mu Ying and said with a smile: "I don't want to just give it up. Since there are other ways, let's try it. If it works, it might not be a good thing."
"Your Majesty is wise."
Muying saluted.
Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand to tell Mu Ying to step back, and then looked at Mao Xiang, his face turned cold: "A noble Yulin Guard elite was beaten so hard by a Jurong Guard sergeant that he couldn't stand up. Mao Xiang, where do you think we should be?" "
