eldest son of Ming dynasty

Chapter 879: Military Aircraft Master

Chapter 878 White Sugar

In the east city of the capital, the imperial court demolished an alley, and then built special places for envoys from various countries to station in Beijing.

From the twelfth year of Zhengde, as the Ming Dynasty gradually strengthened its ties with other countries, not only the three major items of ceramics, tea, and silk, but also cotton textiles suddenly emerged.

After all, even if the vassal country is not as wealthy as the Ming Dynasty, no matter how small the country is, it still has upper-class nobles.

In view of this, the emperor issued an edict to hold a banquet with envoys from various countries every year.

It's just that he will not go there in person, but will send important ministers as representatives.

In the earliest years, the Duke of Zheng, the Duke of England, and the Duke of Yue took turns.

Most of the nobles did not have anything too important, and Zhu Houzhao could not let them idle from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. Naturally, they were not polite when their status was needed.

In the past two years, as the prince comes of age, he will also let his son attend.

Overall, a New Year's envoy's banquet is certainly an appropriate occasion.

In the court, that's probably the case, there will always be arguments about everything.

There are still some operations to follow, but it’s a little early to mention them now.

On the other hand, it is also for countries outside the region to see. It is best for them to think carefully before taking action.

These are just a bunch of small countries. I can just order them directly to do what I want to do. The great dynasty has even concluded a treaty with them. Think about it, did it happen during the Han and Tang Dynasties?

When they arrived at the court, the ministers mainly had two opinions on the emperor's proposal to sign a trade and joint defense agreement with regional countries.

There are three main points in the core meaning he wants to express:

Otherwise, the troops stationed abroad would regard the local king as the God of Wealth.

Second, the Ming Dynasty can provide funds for port development and construction. Correspondingly, the dependent countries must allocate sufficient land. Originally, it was possible to rent, but then Zhu Houzhao thought about it and decided to forget it. There was no need to give in when he could make a request.

However, Zhu Houzhao still had to discuss the specific terms of the treaty with his ministers.

Surrender or perish.

However, Zhu Houzhao still feels that this is better. Writing clear things in black and white can make these small countries feel more at ease. To be honest, the surrounding small countries are still a little afraid of the big countries in the Central Plains.

There is no middle ground.

Supporters believe that this will eliminate the need to launch a war, and at the same time, it can realize the defense concept of leaping forward based on islands.

But it feels like the price has dropped and it’s troublesome.

First, open markets to each other and accept the use of Ming Dynasty’s new coins for various transactions. However, the monetary policy of the Ming Dynasty was exclusive, which meant that the own currencies of these vassal countries were prohibited from entering the Ming Dynasty.

Opponents... It's not that they think it's not worthwhile, nor do they want to fight.

Third, garrison. Troops must be stationed, and in the name of protecting them, they must bear part of the military expenses.

This part of the military expenditure will not be allocated directly to the local garrison, but will be uniformly handed over to the imperial treasury of the Ministry of Household Affairs, and will be allocated by the treasury.

For example, Zhu Houzhao wants to establish a regional central bank to support countries experiencing financial difficulties. Of course, all lunches are priced.

It's somewhat unequal in a way, but in the 16th century, there wasn't that much equality to speak of.

At this critical stage, no country has the concept of territorial sovereignty, and they are not aware of the so-called military, economic and geopolitical value of ports.

There is no end to the disturbance.

Ordinary people's lives are far away from this, and they don't know how the ministers quarrel.

In the first month of the 21st year of Zhengde, the biggest event among the people was the advent of a kind of fine white sugar.

Over the years, with the prosperity of business, various business people have become rich. Under this stimulation, novel products will always appear one after another.

But this time the sugar is different.

Snow-white and fine, it looks like a high-end product when exposed.

So it was just launched in the New Year market, and it was immediately sold out by all the wealthy families in the capital. At the same time, high-end restaurants such as Zuixianlou and Wenxiangge also cooperated to create several new dishes.

The name started immediately.

As for the sugar factory, it was natural to build new factories, expand the sources of raw materials, and increase the recruitment of workers... This is how the economy turned around.

But in ordinary people's homes, the greater joy lies in being able to take a bite of dishes made with this high-grade white sugar.

Even a noble person like Xia Yan who controls his appetite was full of praise when he tried it for the first time.

Because of the suffering, he became closer to the Xu family.

Nephew Xu Min is now helping Prince Yu build this factory. If he really wants to get some sugar, there will be no problem.

However, Xia Yan was a very upright gentleman, so he resolutely refused to say goodbye. He just spent one tael of silver to buy a palm-sized bag.

It can also be regarded as a tooth-beating ceremony for his wife and children.

It was the first month of the year, and the New Year flavor was strong, so the Xia family added more when cooking. And because white sugar is expensive, all dishes with white sugar are now classified as high-end dishes. Roast chicken, steamed goose, and even a dish of sweet and sour cabbage are different from before.

To be honest, white sugar itself also has the function of flavoring, and sugar is for energy replenishment. You can feel the difference whether you eat it or not.

For Zhu Houzhao, some dishes are not delicious if they are sweet, but for people of this generation, when they taste something new, if they say it is sweet, they will think it is delicious.

The Xia family's table was full of food, and Xu Min, who was invited, felt very grateful, because he came to the capital alone, and if they didn't invite him, he would really have to stay alone in the empty room.

At the dinner table, Xia Yan heard him and his son talking about how the sugar was so popular, so he 'exposed his nature' and said too much, "Brother Ninth, you still have to study with peace of mind. Xu Min is clever and can be appreciated by Prince Yu. You But there is no such way.”

Xu Min didn't feel embarrassed either. First, he was thick-skinned, and second, he understood Xia Yan's personality.

However, he did not continue to speak in an ignorant manner, but instead talked about the affairs of the DPRK, "Uncle Xia, I wonder if you have heard that the imperial court intends to sign a common trade agreement with the vassal countries. Now the rumors are spreading in the capital."

"Although I came to Beijing according to the order, I don't have an official position yet. How can I hear about it? What's the use of hearing about it?"

Xu Min said: "That's not what you are saying. The officials will not summon you to the capital for no reason. It is probably inconvenient to catch up with the Chinese New Year. It is estimated that my uncle will be in trouble soon. By then, the affairs in the court will have something to do with my uncle. "

"Then do you think it's better to sign this agreement or not?"

"Of course it's signed. If you sign the contract, the white sugar from our factory can be shipped out to sea one by one. They don't have such good things there. But..." Xu Min also had a headache, "Now it's only for the capital. It’s not enough, so I’d better sign slowly. Otherwise, if we can’t complete the production, the prince will also question me.”

If Xia Yan realized something, "The imperial court is trying every possible means to find a way out for the products of many factories. This is indeed different from the way the sages governed the country."

"As long as it works." Xu Min said carelessly.

"No, money comes first in everything. The day money comes first, even if people are rich, they will inevitably feel empty inside."

"Why?"

"Because money is something external to the body. If you don't have it, you will think about it. If you get it, you will lose it. There are no exceptions."

Xu Min blinked, he couldn't understand this kind of truth, "Brother Ninth, do you understand?"

The guy next to him was holding a chicken leg and chewing it. He was sucking it in his mouth. It seemed that it must be delicious.

"I understand. But..." He secretly glanced at his own father.

Xia Yan sat upright and said, "Let me know if you have anything to say. How can a father be a narrow-minded person?"

"Yes. The child feels that even Xu Min can't understand what his father said, and most people in the world can't understand it. More people don't think about it, especially the victims they saw on the way to Beijing. The biggest thing is not being hungry."

These words made Xia Yan speechless.

"Eat your food."

Xu Min chuckled, "Actually, Uncle Xia understands in his heart that the current Holy Sage is a benevolent and righteous king, and his talents are rarely matched by others. Because of the appropriate policies, this sugar has gained a lot of people."

"Don't be frivolous. A palm-sized bag of your white sugar costs one tael of silver. If this price continues, it will not benefit the common people, but the rich and powerful."

"First, then the best. This is what Prince Yu himself said."

Xia Yan had met Prince Yu and admired him very much.

"And we are already thinking of ways to expand production. The main raw material for the production of this kind of white sugar is sugar cane. Sugar cane likes heat and can be planted in Guangdong, Guangdong, Yunnan, Sichuan and other places. When the time comes, the factory will also be built there, which is already a hot spot. There are many mountainous areas, and it is inconvenient to grow food. This will be better in the future, and people can plant sugar cane instead.

By setting up a factory in the south, the sugar produced can be shipped nearby and sold to Southeast Asian countries, and the money returned can be paid to the people who grow it locally. In this way, their income can increase. From this perspective, this trade agreement is naturally important, and it will not only benefit the powerful. "

Brother Xia Jiu nodded wildly, "Yes, yes, this is the power of trade."

Xia Yan clenched his fists slightly. He had somewhat overlooked this angle, but after being reminded of this, he naturally understood how beneficial it was to the people.

Xu Min and Brother Xia Jiu looked at him with smiles.

Xia Yan snorted, "What are you two juniors so proud of? Doesn't this all depend on the Emperor's foresight and strategizing?"

"What are you talking about, uncle? We didn't dare to compete with the emperor for credit."

Until his own thoughts were seen through, Xia Yan immediately said, "What you said makes sense!"

"My uncle's words are serious. It's not that my nephew and brother Ninth are justified. In Prince Yu's words, it's because he really does what's good for the people, so it's irrefutable."

"How many people do you think can be lifted out of poverty with this sugar alone?"

Xu Min said 'hmm', "This is not easy to say. If it is marketed nationwide, it will benefit hundreds of thousands of people. If it is marketed in hundreds of countries around the world, all the people in that province will grow sugar cane. I can take care of it.”

"Nonsense, they grow sugar cane, what do they eat?"

“The world is so big, just occupy a few pieces of land suitable for farming.”

"What?" Xia Yan's head was full of questions. What is the current trend in the capital? Is it because he has been in Sichuan for too long and is ignorant?

Xu Min raised his hand and pressed it softly, "Uncle, please be patient. I didn't say this. I heard it too. People's ideas in Beijing are changing every day. If I ask more about it, I'm sure I'll understand everything." .”

If he had to sum up what these people are like now... they all seem to be looking for a way to make a fortune, and then run forward regardless of everything.

(End of this chapter)