Chapter 480 If you want to be rich, build roads first

Chapter 480 If you want to be rich, build roads first

Chapter 480 If you want to be rich, build roads first

Now is the time to disperse.

But the many officials and clerks from the six ministries and the Governor's Office obviously would not leave so easily.

Instead, after enjoying the free meal, continue to work to reduce the pressure of work tomorrow.

This is especially true for Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang and Crown Prince Zhu Biao in the Wuying Hall.

If the government affairs are busy and the matter is urgent,
They would stay up all night and would not even leave the Wuying Palace.

Lan Yu brought Lu Yunyi and hurried here.

From a distance, you can see the unextinguished candlelight and the soldiers patrolling back and forth.

The two naturally attracted the attention of the soldiers, and they quickly reported it to the on-duty general, Wuding Hou Guo Ying.

Guo Ying, who was originally leaning against a pillar doing nothing, was stunned.

I don't understand why the two of them came here in such a hurry?
The two men soon arrived in front of the hall, and Wuding Hou Guo Ying greeted them as usual.

Lan Yu waved his hand and said, "Please inform us that there is something important to discuss with His Majesty and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"Yes."

Guo Ying wanted to ask a few more questions.
But seeing that they were in such a hurry, he quickly turned around and entered the hall.

After a while he came out again in a hurry:

"General, please."

Although Lan Yu was by their side, the guards still checked as carefully as before.

The two of them hurried into the hall, which was as deserted as ever.

Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang and Crown Prince Zhu Biao were sitting at a round table eating tonight's meal.

There were two eunuchs serving on the side, and some palace maids standing at the four corners of the hall.

"Lan Yu, have you eaten? Let's eat together."

Zhu Yuanzhang cast his gaze over here, and without waiting for the two to answer, he looked at the eunuch beside him:
"Get two stools."

"Yes"

The eunuch moved quickly and placed two mahogany stools next to the round table.

Lan Yu and Lu Yunyi didn't say anything polite. They bowed and sat down.

Then, Lan Yu repeated what he had just said in the Governor's Mansion.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang and Crown Prince Zhu Biao's faces became solemn and they even put down the food in their hands.

It was not a precedent for the palace to cooperate with the private sector to establish a business in the Ming Dynasty.
The most important salt, tea and sugar in the imperial court,

Although it was a monopoly of the imperial court, many merchants were involved.

Even the construction of Yingtian City involved merchants.

Lu Yunyi knew that outside the Chaoyang Gate on the east side of Yingtian City, east of Xiaolingwei, was the famous East Suburb Horse Farm.

Horses were classified and raised according to their coat color, and thus villages such as "Qingma Village", "Yellowma Village", "Hongma Village", "Baima Village" and "Heimaying" appeared.

In addition, there is an "Alfalfa Garden" responsible for growing alfalfa and raising horses.
And the "Grassland Village", a special place for collecting, storing, managing, distributing and transporting fodder.

The imperial court did not spend any money to build these villages; they were all constructed by merchants.

In return, the food, clothing, housing and transportation of these villages were all provided by various merchants.

This is done in order to save money.
On the other hand, it is to speed up efficiency and lay eggs by borrowing chickens.

Even Lu Yunyi knew that

The court and the people worked together to do things, and the palace not only did not object, but was happy to see it happen.

On the contrary, some upright ministers in the court always clamored that the state should not compete with the people for profit.
The Ministry of Revenue and the Maritime Customs were so annoyed by the quarrel that they reduced some cooperation and silenced many people.

And those collaborations naturally fall into the hands of some people.

Now, the old matter was brought up again in Wuying Palace.

Both His Majesty and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince fell into deep thought.

Crown Prince Zhu Biao spoke first and looked at Lan Yu and Lu Yunyi.

He could see clearly that such a subtle thing was definitely not what his uncle, a soldier, would think.
But it was the pioneer of tricycles and carts, Lu Yunyi.

"If we do this, how can we ensure that the money we earn can be invested in road construction?"

Zhu Biao did not dwell on whether he could make money from this matter.
In his opinion, any workshop opened in the name of the court could make money, without exception.

Lan Yu looked at Lu Yunyi, meaning to let him answer.

Lu Yunyi was not polite either, he cupped his hands and said in a deep voice:

"Your Highness, please forgive me for speaking frankly. These workshops may seem like private businesses.

But in fact, it is a new government office of the imperial court.
How to manage, how to do it, how to divide the money, and what to do with the money in the end, all of these are decided by the imperial court.

As long as the imperial court wants to build roads, money will be invested in building them.”

Hearing this, Crown Prince Zhu Biao laughed and waved his hand gently:

“Business is a complex matter, and I don’t understand it.

But I know human nature, and money can move people’s hearts.

With such a huge amount of money in front of us, if someone is sneaky, they can always find a way to earn some money."

"His Royal Highness is wise."

Lu Yunyi cupped his hands and continued:

"When a business is established, the members can be determined, as well as the future destination of the money, so that the funds are used for their intended purpose."

At this point, Lu Yunyi looked a little hesitant, as if he was about to say something.

"Hmph, just say whatever you want to say. Why do you have such an old-fashioned air at such a young age?" Zhu Yuanzhang, who was standing by, couldn't stand it and scolded him.

After these words were spoken, the atmosphere at the scene did not become solemn at all. Instead, it became much more relaxed. Lan Yu even laughed.

"Your Majesty, I am right, isn't it? This boy has a much stronger mind than others and seems particularly stable."

Lu Yunyi, who hadn't heard such words for a long time, looked a little embarrassed.
He bowed to His Majesty and said in a deep voice:

“Your Majesty, Your Highness, please forgive me for speaking frankly.

The purpose of establishing a business company is to build roads and
Connecting the entire Yingtian through tricycles and bicycles, making money is secondary.

If this is done, corruption is bound to occur.

Once things are done, corruption can be investigated slowly, which is better than having nothing now."

The faces of several people present became solemn. They did not dwell on the issue of corruption. This was how the imperial court had been doing things since ancient times: get things done first and then hold people accountable after they were done.

What they are concerned about is connecting to Yingtian.

They knew exactly what this move meant.

Connecting the countryside is what all emperors, ancient and modern, wish to achieve.

But there has never been anyone who has been able to accomplish this.

Zhu Biao looked solemnly at Lu Yunyi:
“Why are you so obsessed with building roads?”

Lu Yunyi pursed his lips slightly, his eyes a little empty, as if he was lost in memories.

“Your Highness, I am a border dweller from the north.

If I hadn't joined the army, I might have been stuck in Gyeongju for the rest of my life.

He spent his whole life in a place within a radius of just over ten miles.

I have wanted to ride in the carriage of my good friend Liu Heiying's company with him countless times.
I went to Peking to take a look, but the journey was long and the mountain roads were rugged, and the mere sight of it was daunting.

It is a shame to say that before the army arrived in Gyeongju, Gyeongju did not even have a decent official road.

If you want to enter the country, you must first take a three-day trip on a flatbed cart to reach Orange Mountain.

Then we changed to a donkey cart to climb the mountain. It took two days to reach the top of the mountain. Then we changed to someone else's carrier and walked down the mountain little by little.

Even when the mountains are blocked by heavy snow or when it rains and becomes muddy,
The donkey walks on its own, but the cart needs to be carried by someone.
After crossing the Orange Mountain, we took a donkey cart for two days.

Only then can we reach the post station with horse carriages and enter the official road.
At that time, my good friend's business was selling fruits and vegetables, and it encountered many setbacks along the way.

When we got there, we were thankful if we lost 20% to 30% of our supplies.

If it is serious, the body may lose 70% to 80%.

When we were young, our biggest wish was to have a road leading directly to the official road in Gyeongju.
Later, the imperial army arrived.
Only then did we cut through the mountains and build bridges over the waters, and Gyeongju finally had its own path.”

At this time, Lan Yu on the side reminded:
"When we conquered Nahachu, we opened up many roads in the north, repairing them as we went along."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded solemnly. He knew about this matter and even commended the Governor's Office and the Ministry of Works for it.

Lu Yunyi continued:
“Only when we were on our way back after winning the battle did I realize that there are such wide roads in the world.

At that time, I was thinking that there were more than 100,000 villages in the Ming Dynasty.

They were trapped in that small place just like me, unable to get out for the rest of their lives.

There are many people who are not as lucky as me.
I have never seen the outside world in my life, and I don’t know what the cities outside look like.

When I was in Yiliang County, I saw many people who were deceived by the gentry.
Even if it was a nearby county town, they went there very seldom.

Therefore, I want to let the people in the many mountain villages of Ming Dynasty come out.
See the beautiful mountains and rivers outside, and look at the beautiful cities built by the court.

Also experience the customs and culture of the Ming Dynasty.

But building roads requires money. The imperial court is now mobilizing troops abroad and building large-scale projects at home.
If we don't have much money, we can only increase revenue and reduce expenditure if we want to build roads.

By chance, bicycles and tricycles were invented.

The change in travel methods gives me hope.

If the cost of bicycles and tricycles is further reduced,
If one could buy one for one coin, the entire Ming Dynasty would undergo earth-shaking changes, generating an incalculable amount of wealth.
Just a little bit of it can get the people in the village to come out.

In the past few days, I have been studying this matter and have figured out a truth.

If you want to be rich, build roads first.

If the road is blocked, no matter how talented you are, it is useless! "

Lu Yunyi chattered on and on, launching into the long speeches that he was best at.

He has been practicing for a long time to extend personal emotions to the construction of family and country. This is also one of his most important skills!

This can better resonate with those in higher positions.

He had noticed long ago that the reason why many capable people fail to accomplish things is sometimes because they don't have a good mouth.

You have complete ideas and arguments in mind, but you are unable to express your ideas clearly and simply.

At this moment, whether it is His Majesty or the Crown Prince,

Or maybe the great general Lan Yu beside him was touched by his homesickness.

The higher they go, the more they miss their hometown, and the more they miss the scenes in their hometown when they were penniless.

At this time, Zhu Yuanzhang thought of becoming a monk in a temple.

Because he ate a lot, he was sent to preach along the way.
To put it nicely, it is spreading the Dharma, but to put it bluntly, the temple is unwilling to support him and has to beg for food outside.

What came to his mind were the dilapidated official roads of the former Yuan Dynasty.
The road was bumpy and full of stones, which would often pierce the straw sandals and prick the soles of the feet.

Fortunately, the calluses on the soles of his feet were thick enough and did not hurt him.

His eyes were somewhat empty, and his already blurred memories began to become clear before his eyes.

At that time, he was alone on the road with many refugees, moving forward aimlessly.

Rushing from one city to the next,
I have never found a place to stay, so I just keep wandering.
After an unknown amount of time, there was a hint of blur in Zhu Yuanzhang's slightly cloudy eyes.

"The road is indeed not easy to walk on. It is as difficult as climbing to heaven to get out of the mountains."

In fact, the roads from the villages near Yingtian to the city are not impossible to repair.
Although there is no money, if you are really determined to repair it, you can still repair it.

But the difficulty lies in the obstacles.

Where the road is built, where it goes, and where it passes through must all be carefully discussed.

There will also be many people who, under the instigation of local sages, will speak out to stop it.
Gradually, many officials in the court lost interest in this and put it on hold.

But now there is a brand new road before us, which uses money to connect the city with the countryside.

You don't need many, just one.
As word of mouth spread, other villages followed suit.
even
Zhu Biao's eyes were deep as he thought of the sweet potatoes planted behind the palace.
If sweet potatoes can be promoted vigorously, the whole of Yingtian will no longer need to grow so much food.

There are many good lands where you can grow some crops that can be exchanged for money.
Thinking of this, Zhu Biao was shocked.
It turns out that unknowingly, some of the difficulties encountered by the imperial power in the countryside have been smoothed over.

He looked at the young man in front of him who had given him countless surprises, and thought deeply.

Zhu Biao was willing to believe in his loyalty, just because of what he had done over the years.

If he had a little bit of selfishness, he would be able to rise to the top and become wealthy.

But now, I am not a high-ranking official, and I don't have much money.

I have hysteria and my body is also in trouble.
Thinking of this, Crown Prince Zhu Biao sighed softly.
He looked at Lu Yunyi gently and asked slowly:

"In your opinion, if the court pays half of the money,
Then under what name should it be issued, and which government office should issue it?"

Lu Yunyi showed some confusion at the right time, blinked his eyes, thought carefully and said:
"If we can get the Ministry of Revenue involved, that would be the best.
However, some of the senior officials in the Governor's Office may not get along with the senior officials in the rear.

So I think the palace can pay part of the money, and the Ministry of Works can also pay part of the money. "

"Ministry of Industry?"

The prince looked at Lu Yunyi with some surprise, and then remembered something.

Although the bicycles and tricycles produced by the Ministry of Industry are currently used by the military, they will sooner or later be put into civilian use.

How to invest? How to invest, how to sell, where to sell!
These are all big issues, involving a huge amount of money, and countless people will argue over them.

And now, maybe you don't have to worry about such things at all.

The imperial court opened trading companies to sell the goods itself and was able to control prices.

Zhu Yuanzhang also realized this, sneered, and looked Lu Yunyi up and down:
"You are a smart kid. You fight without any rules and do things in a roundabout way.
Now it seems that Ting'er is marrying up by marrying you."

"Your Majesty is serious. In my opinion,
This kind of connected behavior will become a reality after the change of travel equipment. "

Lu Yunyi smiled a little stiffly:
“If the imperial court does not occupy this position, it will be occupied by many merchants.

If this continues, they will be able to control the life and death of many villages, which is terrifying."

Zhu Yuanzhang's face became solemn. This was what he had been worried about.

He stood high enough, lived long enough, and could see far enough.

People all over the world want to live a prosperous life, and they will flock to it if there is a way to make a living.

That will give some merchants an opportunity to take advantage of it.
It will also give the people behind the merchants more bargaining chips to fight against the imperial court.

Now it seems that this is something that must be done.
Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand and said, "I know about this matter. You can go back first."

Lu Yunyi was a little stunned. Why did they have to go back when the discussion hadn't even finished yet?
Lan Yu's lips curled up, and he quickly stood up and bowed:
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will take my leave."

Seeing him like this, Lu Yunyi also stood up and bowed.
Soon, the two of them walked out of Wuying Hall.

When they reached the Wuying Palace Square, Lu Yunyi did not act politely, but asked directly:

"General, your majesty, what do you mean? I haven't finished speaking yet."

Lan Yu smiled gently:
"Your Majesty and the Crown Prince will not act impulsively and will let things go for a day or two.

I will make a decision after I calm down and think through all the possibilities.”

"But based on my understanding of Your Majesty and His Royal Highness,
If this is accomplished, the court will definitely do something that will bring hundreds of benefits and no harm."

"especially."

At this point, Lan Yu lowered his head slightly, with a gleam of light in his eyes:
"Especially something like this that can resolve conflicts between civil and military.

It's good that you brought the Ministry of Industry in. The Ministry of Industry is a tough government.
He is unpopular among civil servants but very popular among military officers.

If the Ministry of Industry is brought in, neither side will object too much."

With Lan Yu's words, Lu Yunyi felt relieved and he breathed a sigh of relief.
"General, it really can be done. How much share are you prepared to take?"

"Me? Forget it, my family doesn't need this little money.

You didn't catch the right time. When you went north to attack Yuan,

We brought all the gold, silver and jewelry home in cartloads, but in the end we were so tired that we didn’t want to do it anymore.”

When Lu Yunyi heard what Wang Bi said about this, his face looked a little strange.

"General, please keep some of them. If the business is really developing well,

That is also very important in Yingtian and represents a kind of power.

You are a general, how can you not get involved?"

Lan Yu glanced at him calmly and chuckled:
"That's up to you."

“If there are any obstacles, you can do it under the banner of this Duke.

I will take on some of the criticism for you, so feel free to do it boldly and don’t be afraid of offending people.”

"Yes! Thank you, General!"

(End of this chapter)