Imperial College.
Groups of supervisors gathered around each other, discussing the contents of the Jianwen newspaper.
There are constant voices of doubt:
"The output of ten or fifteen stones? This is simply ridiculous! It has never happened in ancient times, so how can it exist today?"
"If our majestic Ming Dynasty and even the land of Tiangu don't have such excellent seeds, how can the barbarian land have them?"
"Zheng He's trip to an unknown land was simply a risky move. If he couldn't find such a good breed but lost his soldiers, wouldn't it be a crime worthy of death! In my opinion, Zheng He should be impeached!"
There were questions and all, and some people followed and applauded.
Wang Shuzhai listened for a long time, and his patience was worn away by each voice. Since no one said it, he would do it himself.
"Everyone, please be quiet!"
Wang Shuzhai shouted loudly.
Everyone stopped talking and looked towards Wang Study.
Wang Shuzhai closed the folding fan in his hand and said with a serious face: "You are all questioning this, but it is all just conjecture. Have you forgotten the Xinglin debate not long ago?"
The expressions of Yao Ce, Xiang Bai and others changed.
The Xinghua debate is a big event.
One side of the debate is Lin Jiayou, a direct disciple of Fang Xiaoru of Zhengxue Academy, and the other side is Wenzhou Fuxue Disciple, the first and only female disciplinarian in the Ming Dynasty, and Ye Ling'er, a descendant of the Yongjia School.
At the end of March, the two sides held a public debate in an apricot forest in Wenzhou Prefecture.
Lin Jiayou, Liao Yong and others fought against Ye Ling'er, He Wenyuan and others. The result was that the Zhengxue Academy, which was full of morality, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, and Neo-Confucianism, was silenced by the Yongjia School who investigated, practiced, and spoke with actual data, and became speechless. The defeat of Neo-Confucianism!
The Yongjia School became famous and even attracted the attention of the Imperial College. Li Zhigang, the wine minister, even appointed Hu Hui to take the imperial students to Wenzhou Prefecture to visit Ye Ling'er, Ye Geng and others, and bring the Yongjia School's classics into the Imperial College library.
Although the Imperial Academy did not hire Ye Ling'er to enter the Imperial Academy, the entry of his classics itself illustrates the Imperial Academy's attitude and the power of its school of thought.
Wang Shuzhai mentioned the Xinglin Controversy at this time just to remind everyone that without investigation, you have no right to speak. Don't open your mouth and shut up to deny it. Question it. If you want to deny it, you can show it. If you want to question it, you can show it. Show the evidence and yell. You are uncivilized people for taking sides without thinking. You are all supervisors of the Imperial College and have received higher education. How can you deny others by relying on speculation without providing evidence?
Xiang Bai was a little unhappy and stood up and shouted: "Don't you, Wang Shuzhai, think that there can be crops yielding ten shi per mu in this world?"
Wang Shuzhai snorted: "The world is so big that it may not exist. You know, watermelons, grapes and other things were also introduced from the Silk Road. Does it mean that just because you and I have never seen them, they don't exist in this world?"
Yao Ce hurriedly came out and supported Wang Shuzhai: "We should base our investigation on the matter. The matter is still unclear. It is useless to talk and argue. We might as well wait a few more days and ask them after Navy Zheng He returns to Beijing. Wouldn't that be great? There are so many naval officers and soldiers, and no one can stop everyone's mouths. Lies will always be exposed. If the truth is true, then Navy Commander Zheng He is a contemporary saint!"
Put aside the controversy and wait for the truth.
The rationality of the Imperial College has begun to take root, and the era of always talking about morality and shouting slogans is over. Here, the Imperial College advocates using evidence, data, and facts to speak.
Chang family.
Chang Baiye looked at the Jianwen newspaper sent by the shopkeeper with shock.
Hou Qianqian was afraid that his son would disturb Chang Baiye's thoughts, so he had his son take him out. Then he turned to Chang Baiye and said, "If Zheng He really brings crops with an yield of ten or fifteen stones per mu, then the future trading of grain will be very difficult." It’s hard to do.”
Behind the large output and bumper harvest is the accumulation and storage of grain. When a large amount of grain is stored, grain prices will have to fall.
It may be a bit difficult to expect big business in grain.
Chang Baiye waved his hand and said seriously: "If there are such large-yield crops, it might not be a good thing for us. You must know that low grain prices hurt farmers. The imperial court will allow a bumper harvest and will never allow grain prices to be too low. It is inevitable to purchase grain at the lowest price. Only when people have a surplus in their hands and have grain in stock can they dare to spend money to purchase goods, which is beneficial to big business."
Hou Qianqian sat down and said with a smile: "That's true, but how true do you think this is?"
Chang Baiye stared at the signature on the Jianwen newspaper, gritted his teeth and said, "100% true, no need to question."
Hou Qianqian frowned slightly: "Is it because the article was written by the cabinet and Emperor Jianwen?"
Chang Baiye picked up the teapot, poured a cup for Hou Qianqian, and poured another cup for himself. He said seriously: "Emperor Jianwen is not a person who talks empty words. He is vigorous and resolute, and his prestige is rooted in the hearts of the people. Lying will not do him any good. Besides, Zheng He and the navy have been gone for nearly five years, and no one knows where they have gone. It is not impossible to get some mysterious things."
Hou Qianqian blinked: "If it is true, they must have found the fairy island and begged the immortal for the precious seeds."
Chang Baiye laughed loudly: "Let's forget about the strange words. We have been trading in Nanyang for several years, and no one has met the Sea Dragon King. I heard that the Ministry of Rites prepared to welcome Zheng He's navy with super high standards, and now the court has Comparing them to Kong Sage, we can see that Zheng He gained a lot from this trip. It is impossible to say that they have a lot of treasures in their hands. If we can contact one or two, we may be able to make a lot of money."
Hou Qianqian nodded repeatedly and said with some distress: "All transactions with the Tatars have stopped, and our losses are not small. Now we turn to Wala to buy wool. Not to mention the long journey, we also have an extra Shen Yuan. Husband , do you think we should do some work and arrange transactions with Tatars? Now that Tatars cannot ship, it is a good time to lower prices..."
"No, absolutely not."
Chang Baiye stretched out his hand, flicked Hou Qianqian's forehead, and scolded: "You were very smart in the past, but why did you become confused when you encountered some losses? The imperial court prohibits any Ming people from doing anything with the Tatars in any way. The transaction, if we operate the customs trade in secret and become a profit, but if it is exposed, we will lose our heads!"
Hou Qianqian rubbed his forehead and stamped his feet: "If it weren't for the imperial ban, our family relies on Tatars for much of its business..."
Why doesn't Chang Baiye feel pain? Tatars bring a lot of profits to the Chang family every year. Behind the growth of Shanxi merchants is the customs trade, but now more than half of the customs trade has been directly closed, let alone the wool can't come in. They said that those animal skins, Dongzhu, etc. couldn't get in.
"Let's arrange a group of people to go to the Northeast. In terms of rich products, the Northeast is not inferior to the Tatars. The court is immigrating and the army is clearing up wasteland. Many good things have been discovered there. Millennium-old Ganoderma lucidum and ginseng have also appeared. We might as well set up a plant in the Northeast. A medicine garden needs a period of transition. It is impossible for the imperial court to block the Tatars for ten or twenty years."
Chang Baiye looked at the map and pointed to the northeast.
Hou Qianqian thought for a moment and nodded in agreement: "The news sent by Shopkeeper Liu in the Northeast is indeed gratifying. There are some Jurchens there who are skilled in bow and horse. It would be feasible to hire them to pick medicinal materials and beat some high-quality skins."
】
Chang Baiye turned around: "Send a letter to Shopkeeper Liu and ask him to enter North Korea to see if he can get a batch of medicinal materials from North Korea. There are not many high-quality medicinal materials in the capital. In addition, let him lead people to inquire. Next, can you go to Japan from North Korea and do some business?"
Hou Qianqian was surprised: "Japan, why?"
Chang Baiye took out a book from the desk, opened one of the pages, and handed it over: "Japan is rich in silver and gold. Now Japan is sealed on four islands and cannot trade with foreign countries at all. If there are merchant ships If the team goes there, the price of the goods will be high and the profits will be huge."
"But the imperial court has declared war with Japan..."
"The imperial court has not banned trade with Japan, has it? Let alone trade with North Korea. Of course, don't worry, I just sent people to inquire. Find out. Emperor Jianwen has no good opinion of Japan. It is impossible to say that Japan was destroyed by the Ming Navy before our business started."
Chang Baiye looked at the map and spoke in a relaxed tone.
Hou Qianqian rolled his eyes at Chang Baiye. How can a war to destroy a country be so easy? It doesn't hurt to go and inquire. Anyway, there is a lot of goods to enter from North Korea.
"What about Zheng He's navy?"
Hou Qianqian asked.
Chang Baiye picked up the Jianwen newspaper and became serious: "Whether it is true or false, it is an indisputable fact that Zheng He's navy has been on a voyage for nearly five years. Such a long voyage alone is enough to make people respect it, so it is natural to go and see it."
In an ordinary courtyard, Ji Gang looked at the news in the Jianwen Newspaper and slammed the Jianwen Newspaper to the ground: "Absurd, Emperor Jianwen is so ridiculous, the yield is ten stones per mu, the saint Zheng He, nonsense!"
Bai Yiyi came over, picked up the Jianwen newspaper, and dusted it: "If the five grains are really changed into six grains, and there are such high-yielding crops, our people may no longer serve, especially the new recruits, let alone the new recruits. Will do things for us.”
Ji Gang knew Bai Yiyi's worries.
Anyone who dared to confront Emperor Jianwen was either a person with hatred, or a guilty person who couldn't afford to eat or survive.
But if they knew that Emperor Jianwen was so wise and powerful that Zheng He not only brought new grains, but also produced astonishing amounts of food, and could be called a saint during his lifetime, then what else would they be playing with?
Everyone knows that when food is stable, people's hearts will be stable. When the people's hearts are stabilized, no one can be the opponent of Emperor Jianwen. Death is a certainty, and only fools will continue to follow him.
"This matter needs to be discussed with Yang Wushan."
Ji Gang gritted his teeth.
Bai Yiyi nodded slightly and agreed: "The longer the time goes, the worse it will be for us. Now that Zheng He is back, Emperor Jianwen's prestige will be unrivaled, and no matter how hard we try, it will be useless."
Ji Gang shook his head: "As long as a person dies, no matter how high the prestige is, it will disappear! The world only remembers the living people, and no one will miss the dead people all the time."
Bai Yiyi felt bitter. Only after entering the capital did she feel the importance of Liu Bowan and how powerful Liu Bowan was. It was extremely difficult to build an intelligence network in the capital without alerting the huge security bureau!
