As soon as Zhu Biao returned to Beijing, he received bad news.
The Prince of Yan and the Duke of Cao won a great victory at Buirhai. They captured almost all of the Tatar nobles, including the remnant Yuan emperor, and the officials who had fled north. They also seized the imperial seal of the Yuan Dynasty. The remnant Yuan Dynasty finally became history.
Many nobles from other tribes allied with the Tatars, such as the Oirat, who came to attend the coronation ceremony of the remnant Yuan emperor, were also captured. It is estimated that the grasslands will be in chaos for several years as people fight for the position of "Mongol King".
This is certainly not bad news.
The bad news is that Prince Yan returned to the city to replenish supplies and went to the northeast with Duke Cao.
They really went to attack the Northeast.
Zhu Biao tilted his head and blinked, "Where will we get the money and food?"
Chen Lin looked miserable: "Zhisheng, you just earned it from Goryeo."
Zhu Biao: “…”
He straightened his head manually and stopped playing dumb: "The money and grain I earn is used to tide over the lean times and to help the people."
Chen Lin said, "When Prince Yan and Duke Cao returned, the grain harvest had already begun. They saw that there was still money, grain, and ammunition in the warehouse, so they spoke to the emperor, and he agreed."
Zhu Biao: "...all the civil and military officials in the court also agreed? Are we going to fight a war so hastily?"
Chen Lin said, "We in Northern Zhili provided our own money and food, but the Emperor allowed the Prince of Yan to go to war directly without consulting the court."
Zhu Biao rubbed his face hard with both hands to calm himself down.
Calm down, calm down, this emperor must not be my biological father. If he is my biological father...
I'm going to perform a classic Lich King filial piety scene right now!
Biaoer, why are you carrying a big sword?
Die, stinky dad! I'll be crowned king!
"I worked so hard to go to Goryeo and earn so much grain, and now when I come back, the granary is so clean that even rats won't bother?!" Zhu Biao roared after rubbing his face. "What about next year? What should we do next year?! If there's a famine next year, where will we get the money and food? And what if the river is blocked? What if the road collapses?"
Chen Lin thought of what his wise and powerful emperor had said, and didn't know whether he should tell Biao'er.
Zhu Biao was so angry that he jumped up and down: "Did the court say what to do? Make up for it for me?! Huh?!"
Chen Lin sighed and decided to tell the truth and not hide anything for His Majesty the Emperor.
Your Majesty, you have said it in public, you are not afraid that Biaoer will know, right?
"The Emperor said, Governor, you've already started doing business with the Wadao Islands, so there will surely be further income. Don't worry, let the Prince of Yan go without hesitation," Chen Lin said. "The Emperor wants to attack the Northeast, so we have to obey even if we have to tighten our belts. Governor... calm down."
Zhu Biao's eyes were dull.
He thought of his childhood.
When he was young, he only needed to make decisions to earn money, and his father did all the work. However, most of the money he earned was used by Zhu Yuanzhang.
At that time, he was very dissatisfied with Zhu Yuanzhang, which intensified his desire to take his entire family out to sea.
Later, seeing that Zhu Yuanzhang was becoming more and more like a wise ruler, and that the Battle of Hongdu forced Zhu Biao to join the game as a bystander and no longer be able to turn a blind eye to the suffering before him, he gave up the idea of "running away as soon as I come of age".
But Zhu Biao continued to acquire assets overseas. Whenever his father wanted to retire, he would take his parents and run away.
result……
Zhu Biao sat on the armchair, his fingers clasped together and resting on his chin, staring blankly ahead for a long time.
"Governor...Governor? Are you okay?" Chen Lin, Zhu Tong, Song Yin and Liu Lian stood on both sides of Zhu Biao and asked worriedly.
Zhu Biao kept his chin resting on his clasped hands, his eyes dull as he said, "Good? Very good, very good."
The four of them looked at each other, their faces full of disbelief.
Is this very good?
Liu Lian felt he needed to say something on behalf of the emperor: "Prince Yan's expedition to the northeast this time was actually a very correct decision."
Zhu Biao said quietly, "Correct? Of course I know, it's correct. The remnant Yuan imperial family was destroyed, and our army suffered minimal losses. Beijing still has sufficient food and ammunition. Zheng Ge and Zhong Ge will take the head of the new Yuan emperor to the northeast to challenge the Yuan generals. If we catch them off guard, I'm afraid half of their men will flee when the battle begins."
Zhu Biao already knew about Zhu Wenzhen's "despicable deeds" of shaving his head to serve as a guard for the poor new emperor of the remnant Yuan Dynasty, and then chopping off the new emperor's head.
It's a pity that he didn't see his cousin's Mediterranean hair. When his cousin returned to Beijing, his hair must have grown out.
"Furthermore, after my diplomatic mission to Goryeo, Goryeo has already surrendered to the Ming. The Goryeo border troops, already hostile to them, are now equipped with old-fashioned firearms and have the advantage of the terrain. They are now under double pressure."
"Winter is coming soon. Northeast China is practically undeveloped. If they can't get food from North China or Korea, and can't get supplies from the grasslands, the whole group will probably be reduced to eating snow."
“So the timing was perfect.”
Zhu Biao's mouth drooped. "Whether it's Brother Zheng, Brother Zhong, or the Emperor, they all seized the opportunity with precision and ruthlessness. Especially since the Emperor bypassed the court and ordered the army to replenish its supplies before marching directly. Such decisiveness truly worthy of a Lord."
Song Yan asked: "Then why do you..."
Zhu Biao's eyes regained their luster, and he glanced at Song Yan with resentment: "Even if I knew they were right, I would have no choice but to agree if I were there. But can't I feel sorry for them?!"
The four of them were at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
Zhu Biao gritted his teeth. "You think that's funny, don't you? Huh? Filling the granary with grain is my sole responsibility? If you keep laughing, I'll let you stay in the empty granary for a few nights and handle official business there. I'll see how long you can keep laughing!"
The four of them looked frozen.
Obviously, although it was Zhu Biao who went overseas to do business, after Zhu Biao established the trade relationship, the remaining huge, complex and detailed work was all completed by them.
When Zhu Biao was researching the eighteenth way to eat salted fish on Jeonra Island, they were already working overtime so hard that they felt dizzy when walking.
A massive trade project couldn't be accomplished by just one person or a few people. The rapid filling of the granaries in Northern Zhili was the result of the dedicated efforts of countless officials there.
Now all this hard work has been wasted.
Even though everyone knows that it is right for the food to be used up, it still... hurts!
Liu Lian murmured, "I finally understand why Lord Li has such a bad temper."
Zhu Biao said expressionlessly, "Every time the lord's army moved out of camp, Uncle Li would complain and rage behind the scenes. Oh, and our Chen family..."
Zhu Biao paused and buried his face in the backs of his clasped hands.
He thought of something very scary.
He was most likely Prince Zhu. So his previous plan of quitting his official position when he got tired of it, returning home or even going abroad to play, was probably impossible to realize.
What's even more terrifying is that even if he couldn't remember the age of Emperor Hongwu, he knew that Emperor Hongwu lived for an extremely long time and almost outlived all the people close to him.
With Emperor Hongwu's extraordinary energy, being the crown prince for forty or fifty years was nothing, but it would be terrible if the crown prince had to work as a laborer for the emperor for forty or fifty years.
The Hongwu Emperor possessed not only extraordinary energy but also great talent and strategy. Seeing that the people could no longer bear his ambitions, he might have chosen to stop. But what if he had a prince who could help him stabilize the rear and earn enough money and food for his extravagance?
Zhu Biao recalled the "speed of money flow" of the Chen family when Zhu Yuanzhang was conquering the world.
The Chen family created a huge fortune, which was then quickly swallowed up by Zhu's army. Although the Chen family later gained huge wealth through military advancement and urban construction, Zhu Biao's heart trembled every time he saw the terrifying numbers in the account book.
If he were Prince Zhu, he would experience this kind of thing many times in the future.
Yes, what the emperor is going to do is right.
But I was thinking about the little money in the treasury, and my hands were shaking when I approved the budget!
A spendthrift father and a spendthrift brother!
As for Prince Zhu's untimely death, he wasn't afraid at all. He had barely suffered a serious illness since crossing over, which seemed incredible in this era. Zhu Biao instinctively thought this might be one of the time traveler's "golden fingers."
So, I will spend years cleaning up the mess made by my prodigal father and brother?!
Zhu Biao couldn't help but let out a painful groan.
"Biao'er? What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Song Yan asked anxiously.
Zhu Biao raised his face from the back of his hand and said weakly, "I'm not feeling uncomfortable, I just thought of a guess that made me very desperate."
Liu Lian asked curiously, "What guess?"
Zhu Biao opened his mouth and shook his head: "I won't tell you for now. Datong, why haven't you said anything?"
Zhu Tong said embarrassedly: "I don't know what to say."
Zhu Biao asked, "Are you missing your brother?"
Zhu Tong: "...well, I'm a little worried about him."
Zhu Biao waved his hand, sending his subordinates out to work, leaving only Zhu Tongdao behind. "Your expression doesn't mean you're worried about him. You... don't mean you're jealous or envious. Why is your face so complicated?"
Zhu Tong touched his face in surprise; "Really?"
Zhu Biao nodded. "Tell me what you're thinking about. I don't want you two brothers, who both work under me, to have any strange conflicts. It would make Mr. Zhu sad."
Zhu Tong immediately said: "No, it's not a contradiction. It's just, there's just one thing..."
Zhu Tong pursed his lips, hesitated for a long time, and said, "I feel a little uncomfortable."
Zhu Biao: "What's wrong?"
Zhu Tong hesitated for a while before saying, "...It's a bit hard to say."
Zhu Biao pretended to listen attentively.
Zhu Tong finally spoke out.
Zhu Tong was better than his brother Zhu Yi since childhood and was considered to be the heir who inherited all of Zhu Sheng's talents and even went a step further.
When they grew up, their fates were already determined: the elder brother, Zhu Yi, would stay in his hometown or accompany his parents, leaving a root for the Zhu family; the younger brother, Zhu Tong, would go out to work, study, or become an official.
Excellent people go out to explore the world, while mediocre people stay at home to take care of their families. This is the choice of most families in the world.
"I always thought I was excellent, but now... I'm not so sure." Zhu Tong said with a wry smile, "People say I'm well-versed in both civil and military tactics, but am I really? I just read a lot, but when it comes to applying them, I'm always flustered. I need Zhisheng to teach me many things step by step, which causes him a lot of trouble."
"But Big Brother... Big Brother easily keeps up with the Governor. He doesn't need much instruction from the Governor and can handle things smoothly. If I were on this diplomatic mission, I definitely wouldn't be able to do as well as Big Brother."
Zhu Tong said bitterly, "I shouldn't travel far away while my parents are still alive. There must always be someone left at home to take care of them and provide a way out. Big brother, are you giving in to me? Big brother, are you... are you deliberately hiding your abilities so that I can go out?"
"Ah, you're thinking about that." Zhu Biao pinched his chin and said, "You think too much. You're not as good as Zhu Yi in business, but Zhu Yi is also not as good as you in civil and military strategy. You're just more knowledgeable than him, that's a fact."
Zhu Tong didn't answer, but the pain on his face did not ease.
Zhu Biao asked, "Datong, how do you think I compare to Liu Lian? Who is better?"
Zhu Tong immediately asked, "Why do you make such a comparison, Governor? If Liu Lian were here, he would be ashamed."
Zhu Biao said seriously, "But he can write poetry and songs, and can also paint beautiful landscapes. His calligraphy is also better ."
Zhu Tong didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Can you compare it like that?"
Zhu Biao said, "Why not? Isn't this what you are comparing now?"
Zhu Tong was stunned.
Zhu Biao smiled and said, "Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. You've read a lot of Confucian classics, so you know you shouldn't compare your strengths with others' weaknesses. But you also shouldn't compare your weaknesses with others' strengths. You're good at studying, and your brother is good at business. That's a fact. But that doesn't mean you're better than your brother, nor does it mean your brother is better than you..."
Zhu Biao thought for a moment and said, "No, according to common sense, you are actually better than your brother, because studying is much more noble than doing business. So you are the Zhu family's Qilin son, there is nothing wrong with that."
Zhu Tong seemed to be thinking about something.
Zhu Biao added, "Besides, that bastard Zhu Yi...ah, don't glare at me, your brother really deserves to be scolded. That bastard is definitely not hiding his incompetence, he's just simply lazy, simply doesn't want to go out, and simply doesn't want to work hard. So you, the ambitious one, go out and work hard, while he, the unmotivated one, stays at home and enjoys his retirement in comfort. This is just like a fisherman fishing and a farmer farming, it's a normal arrangement by the elders in the family. You don't need to feel guilty, and you don't need to suspect that your father and your eldest brother are biased towards you behind the scenes."
Zhu Biao laughed and said, "If you really can't figure it out, I'll ask your brother to come back and help you with the work. That lazy guy needs to be whipped hard before he'll do his job properly."
Zhu Tong didn't know what expression or response to make.
He could only force out a helpless expression and said, "Brother, I have something important to do right now. Please don't joke with me. I understand. I won't dwell on this anymore."
Zhu Biao said, "But you can write to your elder brother and tell him about your current concerns. Frankness between brothers is better than other people's advice. You are the closest brothers, so you should speak frankly."
Zhu Tong asked curiously, "Is this the provincial governor's experience?"
Zhu Biao nodded: "Yes. I think family members should not hide important matters, especially those that may endanger their relationship..."
Zhu Biao's face darkened: "That's how it should be."
Zhu Tong was puzzled: "Zhisheng, have you thought of anything bad?"
Zhu Biao put away the gloom on his face and said, "It's nothing. Well, once you figure it out, go write a letter to your brother and send it to him with the next batch of ships leaving the port, then go back to work! Ahhhh, my granary!"
Zhu Tong immediately picked up his robe and ran away amid Zhu Biao's painful roar.
If he didn't run away, he would be scolded by the governor and his heart would be broken.
Zhu Biao never expected that he had just come back to ask the emperor if he knew about the empty seal, and thus eliminated a major administrative case in the bud, but when he returned he would receive such bad news.
Even though he knew that the granaries were empty, he still rode his pony to inspect all the granaries, and then shed tears as he looked at the empty warehouses.
It really is a granary that even mice dislike.
Zhu Biao was in great pain and had his suffering written in the newspaper, and also included a picture of himself looking around in a daze in an empty granary.
Liu Lian, the editor-in-chief of this issue of the newspaper, wrote a poem for this picture.
The content of this poem is that our great provincial governor saw that the granaries were emptied by the war, so he immediately went to Korea and Japan to do business, and borrowed money from everywhere, and finally the granaries were slowly filled.
When the governor returned home happily, he learned that his cousins had gone to the battlefield again, and the granary was now emptier than before, and even mice would not come in.
Mr. Wang Liang, who should have been sent to a labor camp long ago but always deliberately created minor problems to keep himself in the labor camp and eat and drink for free, was surprised when he saw the latest newspaper. "The granary is empty? How can such a thing be reported in the newspaper? Won't the people be terrified?"
Wang Liang's colleague was an old scholar named Zhao who came to the labor reform camp on his own initiative to teach people how to read and do math.
Mr. Zhao said as he read the newspaper, "Will that be the case? Now that everyone has harvested their crops, there's no need to panic."
Wang Liang said, "Even if the people have food at home, but the government has no food, won't they be even more panicked, worried that the government will seize their food?"
Mr. Zhao laughed. "How is that possible? Well, it might be possible in other places, but in Northern Zhili... well, at least not in Beijing. Our governor can go out and do business to fill the granaries when they are short of food. This time the granaries are empty, and the governor will definitely find a way. At most, he will tighten the relief grain, but he will definitely not plunder the food from the people. On the contrary..."
Wang Liang was puzzled: "You trust him so much? But what is it?"
Mr. Zhao shook his head and smiled, "Obviously, the people might volunteer grain after seeing what's in the newspaper. But the governor certainly won't accept it."
"Voluntarily donate food?" Wang Liang's face was full of disbelief.
Mr. Zhao joked, "Would you like to make a bet on one of your calligraphy works?"
Wang Liang said, "If you want the calligraphy, I can write it for you. Do you still need to gamble?"
Mr. Zhao said, "Then let's bet on the flower in your yard."
Wang Liang cursed, "This is your real purpose!"
Mr. Zhao laughed.
The two old men asked for leave from the officers of the labor reform camp and returned to Beijing.
Before they even entered the city gate, Wang Liang's pot of flowers had already lost to Mr. Zhao's - there was a long line of people pushing carts at the city gate, and the baskets on the carts were full of rice and wheat.
If the soldiers had not been trying hard to persuade the people to transport the food back, people who were not in the know would have thought that the government was transporting or collecting food.
Wang Liang stood at the city gate, looking at this spectacular scene, speechless for a long time.
Mr. Zhao smiled and said, "See, I was right."
Wang Liang was silent for a while, then asked in a trembling voice, "Is this the will of the people?"
Mr. Zhao laughed even louder: "The common people are grateful."
Wang Liang asked sharply, "If the governor didn't want the people to send him food, why did he report this in the newspaper?"
Mr. Zhao shook his head: "I don't know about that."
"Let me explain this!"
Wang Liang heard a familiar voice. He turned around and saw Zhu Guorui, the biological father of Provincial Magistrate Zhu Biao, standing behind him with a smile, watching the long line of civilians transporting grain.
Zhu Guorui would occasionally come to Wang Liang to chat and learn about the operations of the Yuan Dynasty court. Therefore, Mr. Zhao, a contemporary of Wang Liang, also knew Zhu Guorui, the "great businessman."
"Mr. Zhu, are you here in person to persuade the people to go back?" Mr. Zhao asked curiously.
Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hands repeatedly: "Old gentleman, just call me Guo Rui."
Mr. Zhao smiled and said, "Since you are the governor's father, it would be better for me to call you Mr. Zhu."
Zhu Yuanzhang was helpless: "Okay, alas, you Confucian scholars care too much about these etiquette titles."
Wang Liang ignored Zhu Yuanzhang's complaints and asked, "Does Mr. Zhu know the reason?"
Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and nodded. "Biao'er said that even if he didn't tell me, once the people knew that the initial expedition to the Northeast was just a feint, and that the army actually went to the grasslands first and then to the Northeast, they would have guessed that the granaries in Northern Zhili were probably empty. They would have been panicking. So instead of letting the panic spread, it's better to make things clear ourselves."
Wang Liang wondered, "Will the people not be afraid?"
Zhu Yuanzhang said, "They'll still be afraid, but at least they know what the situation is like and what they might have to pay. But Biao'er uses humorous pictures and poems to make this matter... well, interesting. The people will be much less nervous. They'll believe that everything is under the provincial governor's control."
Wang Liang pondered, "When we first attacked the grasslands, the granaries in Northern Zhili were empty. But the governor was able to raise money and food in a very short time, and only set out to fight after the Prince of Yan and Duke Cao returned to the court. Even if the granaries are empty again now, the people may believe that the governor still has a solution."
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "Indeed."
He looked at the long line of people who refused to leave. "Biao'er might have expected someone to donate grain. Well, from what I know about him, that's probably one of his goals. But his target is the wealthy merchants in the city and elsewhere who are envious of the maritime trade with Korea and Japan. He probably didn't expect that he had already won so much support from the people."
Wang Liang thought carefully and understood what Zhu Yuanzhang meant.
The four wealthy businessmen who followed Zhu Biao to sea this time all made a fortune. All the well-informed wealthy businessmen in the world were waiting for Zhu Biao, the God of Wealth, to make another move.
At this time, Zhu Biao revealed the news that Northern Zhili was short of food again. When the wealthy businessmen received this signal, they immediately took active action.
Zhu Biao turned such a terrible thing as "the empty granaries in northern Zhili" into a humorous and frivolous story, and even turned himself into a "clown". This not only dispelled the panic in the hearts of the people, but also made this "grain collection" much more touching.
When the merchants read this story, they probably couldn't help but smile when they delivered food.
only……
A farmer was arguing with a soldier—this was very strange to Wang Liang. An ordinary peasant digging for food in the fields dared to argue with a soldier wearing a sword.
"The governor has been bullied so badly, so pitiful, what's wrong with me sending him some food? I have enough food at home to last until next year's harvest!"
"What? Zhisheng knows that you can go out to sea to make money again? Going out to sea is so dangerous!"
A woman behind him kept helping him.
"Yes, don't go out to sea. What if you encounter stormy weather?"
"Hey, don't stop us. We offered it voluntarily. Let's go."
The soldier was at a loss, his face as bitter as if he had eaten a pound of coptis.
Other armies suffered the most from seizing food, but this group of soldiers tried hard to persuade the people not to voluntarily donate food.
The light in Wang Liang's eyes dimmed and uncertain: "Will Governor Zhu accept it?"
Zhu Yuanzhang said, "No. If we take the people's grain for nothing this time and open this loophole, I'm afraid some officials will use this as an excuse to make money later."
Zhu Yuanzhang had a mocking and cold-blooded smile on his face. "They'll say these were voluntarily given by the people. Biao'er has the support of the people here, so don't the places under their jurisdiction have them as well? Soon, officials everywhere will have things voluntarily presented by the people to prove that they are doing a good job."
Wang Liang, an old official from the Yuan Dynasty, squeezed out four words from between his teeth: "Comparing and seeking credit."
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "Yes, competing with each other, seeking credit. Biao'er is here."
While Zhu Yuanzhang was speaking, Zhu Biao came out of the city gate on horseback.
He was holding a strange-looking loudspeaker in his hand and shouting at the people to disperse.
He actually told the people what Zhu Yuanzhang had just said and told them the unspoken rules of officialdom.
Although the people are now actively donating food, some officials may think that this is a reflection of public sentiment and political achievements, and they may fabricate a "public sentiment show." Therefore, they cannot accept everyone's food.
The people still refused to leave. During the negotiations, Zhu Biao urgently decided to open a temporary market outside the city gate to sell daily necessities such as cloth, fruit, books, oil and salt, and let the people exchange them for food.
The grain official also arrived at the scene, led his men to count the people's grain, and exchanged the grain for "grain coupons". The people could use the "grain coupons" as money in the market to buy what they wanted.
After Zhu Biao finished shouting, an official rode on horseback and shouted what Zhu Biao had said to the long line of people delivering grain.
Then, the grain officials began to collect grain from the people and exchanged the grain for special bills.
On the other side, craftsmen were systematically building wooden sheds in the open space outside the city in preparation for the new trading market.
The people exchanged their food for paper. Some left, while others stayed and waited for the trading market to be built.
Others gathered together, selected a cultured old gentleman, and took the initiative to contact Zhu Biao and ask him what help he needed.
These old gentlemen were all leaning on crutches. According to Ming Dynasty law, they did not have to kneel when they saw Zhu Yuanzhang. So they could curse the two brothers, Prince of Yan and Duke of Cao, for being unreliable and bullying our young, poor magistrate.
There was also an old man who took advantage of his age and said that he was over 80 years old and could use his walking stick to help poor Biaoer beat his two brothers.
Zhu Biao was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, and quickly stopped him.
"This is the Emperor's decision. My brothers didn't mean to bully me."
"Your Majesty's decision is wise. Now is a good time to go on the expedition."
"Hahaha, it's not that the imperial court doesn't send food, it's that Northern Zhili can afford it on its own. It's just the right time to send troops to attack the Northeast immediately and catch them off guard. This is also a military strategy."
"Don't worry, the people on the grassland have been driven away. They're in chaos now. They won't have time to go south next year, the year after next, or the year after next. Once the Northeast is pacified, Northern Zhili will be completely safe. We will live a better life."
"Yes, yes, and there is also Goryeo. Goryeo is also the Ming Dynasty."
"Japanese pirates? Uncle Liao... Marshal Liao has already personally led the troops to wipe out the pirates. Good news will be forthcoming soon."
"Don't worry, there's no need to be afraid even if you come. The Ming army will protect the people of the Ming Dynasty."
"Yes, with our Ming army here, we have nothing to fear. We'll handle any danger, right?"
Zhu Biao asked a general who was carrying out a protection mission beside him.
Although this general was no longer young, Zhu Yuanzhang did not know him and might have just been promoted.
The general immediately shouted, "Yes!"
The old people immediately surrounded the general and laughed, praising him continuously.
Although Wang Liang is old, he has sharp eyes and sharp ears.
He was feeling very complicated, and there was an old Mr. Zhao next to him, chattering non-stop, which made him even more uneasy.
Zhu Yuanzhang's expression became more and more proud.
He wanted to shout, "Look! This is my son! My son! The crown prince of the Ming Dynasty!"
"Mr. Zhu, aren't you going to see the young master?" Mr. Zhao asked after he finished his long-winded talk.
Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head: "Let him do his work first, I won't disturb him."
Zhu Yuanzhang continued to stand quietly under the tree, looking at Biaoer, who was surrounded by the crowd so that he couldn't even see the top of his head.
Behind him, several people dressed as old scholars and guards were also looking at the crowd quietly, with pride on their faces.
Zhu Biao chatted with the old people for half a day, and finally most of the grain was harvested.
But what made Zhu Biao helpless was that when he saw that most of the team had been lost, the guards came to tell him that the people who had received food coupons went back to inform their fellow villagers, and more people were rushing over.
This is endless.
Zhu Biao was in a terrible headache. He just wanted to play the victim, help the northern Zhili people get over the panic of empty granaries, and then send a signal to the wealthy merchants that "a new opportunity to get on board has arrived."
However, he played the victim too much, and Liu Lian's illustrations and poems were so good that the people felt sorry for him, the "bullied" provincial governor, and came to help him.
I never expected this.
Zhu Biao acted decisively and continued to send troops to persuade the people to go back, saying that the food shortage in northern Zhili was temporary and that he would be able to gather more food next spring, so the people would not need to tighten their belts and send him food. At the same time, he sent more officials to maintain order and expand the market.
Zhu Biao eventually established a five-day "market period" during which people could exchange grain for "grain coupons" from the government and use them to buy urgently needed daily necessities in the market.
In addition to the items stored in Zhu's shop and barracks, merchants in the city also came to support these daily necessities and were willing to bear this part of the expenses.
The food coupons paid by the people were just waste paper to them, and they could not ask the government for anything. So their visit was to do charity, which was equivalent to using other goods to buy food from the people and then transferring the food to the government.
However, with Zhu Biao around, this charity is no longer pure charity.
The merchants believed that the more food coupons they had, the greater their chances of getting on the next merchant ship protected by the Ming army.
Zhu Biao's idea kept things under control within his original plan.
It was still the wealthy businessmen who donated the grain, but the process of the wealthy businessmen collecting the grain was missing.
The people of Northern Zhili already needed some daily necessities, but if they hadn't had this opportunity, they might have been stingy and hesitated for a long time before going into the city to buy them.
Now, they go straight to the big shopping.
Brightly colored cloth? The girl has grown up, and it's time to prepare some new fabrics for her wedding.
Oil, salt, sauce and vinegar? These things are necessary!
Books? Buy them for your school-aged child, he's sure to like them.
Some small landlords whose families were slightly wealthier had their eyes on the new and exotic things shipped from Korea and the south, and exchanged grain for a lot of fruits and gems they had never eaten and seen before.
It just so happens that it is November now and people are preparing for the New Year, so let’s just consider it as purchasing New Year’s goods.
Five days later, the people returned home excitedly, and the granaries in Northern Zhili were half full again. The officials no longer had to worry about what to do if a famine occurred next year.
This year's winter in Beijing was relatively wet, with heavy snow falling as soon as December began.
Winter snow is a sign of a good harvest, and the people of northern Zhili are very happy, believing it to be a good omen.
The busy Zhu Biao stopped writing, walked to the window, looked at the snowflakes, and was stunned for a while.
"Biao'er, if you want to enjoy the snow, wear something thicker and don't catch a cold." Zhu Yuanzhang helped Zhu Biao put on his clothes and rubbed his son's head.
What? Biao'er has grown up, and you won't let me rub his head? He's still my son even when he grows up!
"Yeah." Zhu Biao looked at Zhu Yuanzhang with complicated feelings.
When he was about to get into trouble by playing the victim, his father happened to come to Beijing and brought the emperor's edict supporting Zhu Biao's decision.
Zhu Biao hesitated to speak at that time.
Every imperial edict came so timely, as if it was written by the emperor squatting at the city gate. He really couldn't help but be suspicious.
But every time he saw his father's silly and happy expression, Zhu Biao found it difficult to equate his biological father with Emperor Hongwu.
Yang Xian had informed the Hongwu Emperor in advance about the "empty seal hidden rule." Now the Nanjing officialdom was in chaos, with officials arguing over the matter.
It is said that the imperial court is investigating the empty seal case and has detained a group of officials.
The punishment for these officials will be decided in batches based on the consequences they have caused. If an official has not caused serious consequences, he may only be demoted.
Although in Zhu Biao's view, Emperor Hongwu could now be considered merciful.
At least it is more merciful than the "Empty Seal Case" in real history.
But in the eyes of all officials, Emperor Hongwu imprisoned a large number of officials because of the unspoken rules of the Yuan Dynasty officialdom, which was already an act of tyranny.
Zhu Biao thought that Emperor Hongwu must be trapped in the palace and furious.
In fact, Emperor Hongwu did not come to Beijing this year.
But his father came.
I am happy and idle every day, eating delicious food and drinking spicy drinks, so leisurely.
Zhu Biao kept scratching his head.
Is my father, Zhu Guorui, really Zhu Yuanzhang? Impossible! If my father were Zhu Yuanzhang, wouldn't he be chopping off officials' heads in Nanjing right now with a sword?
Even if Emperor Hongwu came secretly, he wouldn't be in such a good mood at this time, right?
Look, my dad’s teeth are showing from laughing.
Zhu Biao asked, "Dad, what are you laughing at?"
Zhu Yuanzhang laughed heartily, his face full of gloating. "Hahahahahaha, I'm laughing at those two stupid guys, Zhu Wenzheng and Li Wenzhong! They won the battle, but they were trapped in the snow in the Northeast and couldn't come back. I wonder if they're frozen to death now. Hahahaha!"
Zhu Biao: “…”
Is this funny?!
There is no way my father could be the Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang!
If Zhu Yuanzhang were my father, I don’t know if the Ming Dynasty could be saved, and I myself would definitely have a bleak future!