Chapter 263: A Hundred Years of Foundation

Zhang Anshi came out of the palace and immediately hit the road back home.

He looked at Xu Jingyi, who was pregnant and whose stomach was already showing, with great interest, grinned, and then he was happy.

Xu Jingyi looked at his joyful appearance and gently stroked the position of her stomach, and couldn’t help but say, “What are you happy about?”

However, Zhang Anshi said in a shocking way, “Why does it take ten months to conceive a child? It would have been better if it had been a month or two, or if it had been possible to give birth to a litter.”

Jingyi Xu: “……”

Zhang Anshi said: “I think that from now on, my Zhang family children and grandchildren, may really have the throne to inherit, I am very worried. I have already thought about it, when this child is born, I will let him go to the government school to study, and after he finishes his studies, he will be sent to Zhu Gaoxu’s place or even to His Majesty’s side, so that he can accompany His Majesty and Zhu Gaoxu to fight in the south and in the north, and then when he reaches the age of twenty, he will be sent to our fiefdom of Nanzhou, so that he can manage our family business.”

Said, he sighed quietly, before adding “Hey, that place is a bit desolate, but the future is promising. If I have a few more children, I will have a few more helpers, my health is not good, the so-called wisdom hurts the spirit, can’t stand the bumps on the sea all the way, as well as the bitter cold of the distant southern state, so I have to put all my hopes on my children and grandchildren.”

At this moment, Zhang Anshi finally understood the true meaning of looking to his son.

The father’s power is limited, and there are too many wishes in this world that are not being fulfilled, so he puts his hope in his own son, hoping that he can take his place.

The bloodline is the continuation of life.

Xu Jingyi did catch a key point and asked, “What Southern State?”

Zhang Anshi then asked someone to fetch a public opinion map to, excitedly explain to Xu Jingyi, she was afraid that Xu Jingyi as a housewife or a mother who loves to pamper her children, can not understand the matter of going deep into the barren land, and therefore deliberately said: “This southern state is far away is a little far away, but by boat, in fact, it is only a few months can be reached, and this piece of sea, the island and the land is also many. So …… going from this route, the danger is not high, and when the navigation skills continue to progress in the future, it will be even closer.”

After a pause, he added, “We can’t give up our own children, as the saying goes, if you can’t give up your children, you can’t catch the wolf, you have to be mentally prepared.”

Xu Jingyi didn’t argue with him about anything, only saying, “Hmm.”

“Hmmm what does that mean?” Zhang Anshi was greatly confused.

Isn’t that reaction a little too calm?

Only to see Xu Jingyi very frankly said: ”This is supposed to be ah! Xu family …… is also the same, since I remember, A master has never been home, conquering the four directions, deep into the desert. The most bitter and cold place in the world, can it be as bitter and cold as the desert? As for my father and uncles, most of them are also in the army, or stationed in Beiping, or in Liaodong, or in the capital camp, I think this is the right thing to do.”

Zhang Anshi could not help but be greatly relieved: ”Not bad, if it were not for my poor health, I should have gone to join the army, go to Beiping, go to the desert. It’s a pity that these hopes can only be seen in the bodies of my children and grandchildren. A man’s ambition is in all directions, how can he be mediocre and stay at home all day?”

Xu Jingyi, however, said, “Husband, this Southern State you are talking about, will His Majesty really give it to us? What are the benefits of this Southern State ……?”

They are husband and wife, in Zhang Anshi’s heart, the two are the whole of the honor and disgrace, so Zhang Anshi is not hidden, it will be things originally said again, and whispered: “Some things, I can only talk to you, although the southern state is a barbaric place, in fact, it is rich in oil. The problem is that there are people and silver to develop it, once developed, this vast land, must be no less than a Jiangnan. Naturally, these things are categorically not to say to people.”

Xu Jingyi noted down, she is not stupid, know what can be said, what can not be said.

So blinking, even his voice subconsciously lowered a lot.

The two lived to mutter like some conspiring gang.

“It has to be in silver …… Is there enough silver in the Zhang family?”

“I want to clean up a bit.” Zhang Anshi said, “The merchant bank’s dividends, as well as our Zhang family’s other trading earned silver, these years, although they are all the royal family accounted for the big head, but our Zhang family’s earnings, is not small, plus this business of selling wine, and an additional security, as well as the money bank,…… I thought about it carefully, and I’m afraid that even now it is never down ten million taels.”

When Xu Jingyi heard this, she was shocked and her cherry mouth almost opened wide.

Zhang Anshi immediately covered her mouth, whispered: “Low profile, low profile! For my husband to save money is not easy, mainly too much business, accounts are too chaotic, need to be cleaned up a bit. We have to be silent and make a lot of money, do not let people think that we have money, even if someone asks, then also say, this money …… is His Majesty’s.”

Xu Jingyi then nodded her head in a chicken-pecking manner and carefully whispered, “No wonder husband wants that southern state, with so much silver, it is indeed hard to sleep.”

Zhang Anshi said, ”On the way back, I thought about it. Over there in Nanzhou, first we need people, and then we will invest in wealth. The problem of people, temporarily solved some, so many prisoners, and craftsmen, as well as the food households in Annan, a full 60,000 to 70,000 households. This one after another, the population can have 200,000 up and down. Of course, it can only be sent in batches, so first of all, we have to establish a sailing line in Songjiang and Annan, as well as Quanzhou, Guangzhou, and Dengzhou, to acquire a large number of ships to travel between Nanzhou and these places.”

“In the future, we also want to develop routes to Luzon, Java. These routes, have to purchase their own ships, can not use the merchant bank’s ship, after all, is a loss-making business, it is not good to let the merchant bank loss, but we Zhang family after all, loss of money, with routes, then the people sent to the constant flow of supplies, there is a guarantee ……”

Zhang Anshi’s thieving voice grew softer and softer that he could almost only say it attached to Xu Jingyi’s ear: ”When the time comes, acquire a large number of breeding cows, breeding horses and breeding pigs to go. Right, there are also grain seeds! That place, it’s really too much of a waste!”

“Gosh, in such a vast land, there are not even cows and horses. Even crops, but also very primitive, so that fertile land, can not plow, can only grow grass, grow out of so much grass, but there is no way to raise livestock, can only be deserted, array is too wasteful. Oh, right, but also bring sheep …… not only so, we Zhang family, they also want to build a merchant fleet, control the trade between Daming and Nanzhou, Annan Wei side, but also to draw people to ……”

Zhang Anshi paused and thought for a moment before continuing, “The merchant fleet controls the commercial road, and in the future, a large amount of grain and cattle and sheep in this Southern State will be sold, and a large amount of goods will need to be imported in, without this commercial road, it will not work. Therefore, as long as you hold this, you won’t have to worry about those merchants centrifuging against my Zhang family.”

“There is also the Annan Guard, the army is also very important. I’ve thought about it, the Annan guards take a rotating garrison, every five years, allocate a team of people to go to the southern state to garrison, after five years, then change back. Their homes are still in Daming, and the Zhang family gives them some pay and takes care of their children. After five years, they will be back, so do not worry about them harboring other ambitions! At least in the early stages of the great development, we can hold them and make them die to the Zhang family.”

“With the support of merchants and An Nan Wei, the next step is that these stragglers and prisoners and craftsmen. This, in fact, is not difficult to do, many of their future necessities, after all, still need to come through the sea, if the rebellion, although there is no problem to eat and wear clothes, but many things, but it is difficult to obtain. Furthermore, sending a person with skills to manage them, it would be perfect.”

Someone with skills?

After thinking about it, Xu Jingyi said, “Husband, it wouldn’t be your brothers, would it?”

Zhang Anshi glanced at Xu Jingyi’s pretty face, which seemed to be saying, No, no, those idiots?

Zhang Anshi hemmed and hawed and said, “These few brothers of mine, they are all wizards, and they can’t do anything in general, so I’ve been thinking about it, and I have to ask Yang Shiqi, the vice-governor of Annan.”

Yang Shiqi’s great name, Xu Jingyi has heard of, I heard that after he arrived in Annan, he quickly stabilized the situation, Annan is not a great rule, but now also live in peace and happiness.

Even the local natives rarely rebel.

But ……

Xu Jingyi asked, “Is he willing?”

Zhang Anshi said: “I expected that he certainly refused, but can use a roundabout way, with him to play the emotional card, he is a man of love, if I cry again and again, he will be soft. As for His Majesty’s side, it is better to do, His Majesty would have felt that I sealed off to the southern state, quite a deficit, by the time …… it is inevitable that Yang Shiqi will have to add the title of a right deputy imperial governor, go to the southern state, and manage the civil affairs.”

“There’s silver, there’s people, and there’s Yang Shiqi, what is this, this is a luxury heavenly group! Such a luxurious lineup, go to that southern state, is it not a crunching mess to kill? I have already thought about it, even if it is to smash ten million taels of silver down. After ten years or so, with some mold, then teach our son to go, and find a way to add some more population, that would be the best.”

Xu Jingyi nodded her head and said, “Husband has thought this through.”

Zhang Anshi lamented, “There’s no way around it, if people don’t have far-flung worries, they will have near worries, it’s always better to save for a rainy day.”

Xu Jingyi timely proposed: “Zhang family’s beloved, but also to send some to go, and the inner thousand households, you can also allocate some beloved, to go there to station three or five years to rotate, so that, it will be more assured.”

“What madam said.” Zhang Anshi said happily, “Why didn’t I think of that? Oops, oops, I’m too foolish, not bad, may I request Your Majesty, to allow me to transfer a hundred households to go. Of course, they are not allowed to be in charge of the prison, they are only responsible for poking around, and these people who go, I promise that when they return to Daming after five years, they will all be given an official rank, and then each person will be given a reward of three hundred taels of silver. I don’t believe that no one will be moved. In this way, this Southern State is even solid gold.”

Zhang Anshi thought about it and was suddenly refreshed as a whole!

There is no way that any other person would be able to eat a place like Southern State.

It’s too barbaric, after all.

Don’t expect anything to take shape without a century or two.

But the Zhang family is the only one who has such a condition, because of the money!

The wealth of the Zhang family is enough to match the silver tax revenue of the Ming Dynasty for a few years, although this is the result of the unreasonable tax system of the Ming Dynasty, it is not an exaggeration to say that it is rich enough to rival the country.

With that kind of money, you can do a lot of things regardless of the cost, you can completely ignore the imbalance of income and expenditure, and just drop money to death.

Even after all this silver is smashed.

But the Zhang family’s shares in the merchant bank can still bring in a steady stream of dividends.

With this scale of capital, plus the connections and family background that Zhang Anshi has operated over the years, it’s enough.

At this time, Zhang Anshi thought of one thing, then said, “Right, these days, I have to be diligent in repairing the book, in the future, Zhao Wang, Ning Wang, Zhu Gaoxu to send letters, must be the first time and I said, I can no longer always read the letter does not return, I and they …… are relatives, to maintain a good relationship. Yes, I will go now to repair the letter to Yang Shiqi.”

Xu Jingyi said, “Let’s talk about going to Nanzhou now?”

Zhang Anshi shook his head, “Let’s not talk about it first, let’s start with thinking about him, all the time, thinking about him like crazy, dreaming about him again, getting up only to find that he wasn’t around, his heart was despondent, so he had to look into the void, nostalgically remembering the days when they knew each other in the past, and he couldn’t help but wet his lapels with tears.”

Xu Jingyi immediately gave Zhang Anshi a strange look.

Zhang Anshi immediately stroked Xu Jingyi’s shoulder and comforted, “Don’t be jealous, my husband is also for the sake of our family, ah, my husband is enduring humiliation, as the saying goes, if you can’t give up your child, you can’t catch the wolf, I’m doing it for our child.”

………………

On the ninth day of November, the chill got a little more intense.

The King of Zhou was the first to come to the capital.

The kings received the decree, in fact, all one after another began to enter the capital, and the reason why the king of Zhou came early, on the one hand, he is the least suspicious, unlike the other vassal kings, thinking in his heart, this fourth brother called me to go, is not trying to get me killed?

Zhou Wang Zhu straight, and Zhu Di is a mother and sibling, but there is no such doubt, plus his fiefdom in Kaifeng, the road south of a horse, after crossing the river, can be directly to the capital.

Crown Prince Zhu Gaoqi joined Zhang Anshi to greet him.

Zhu Gaoqi repeatedly warned Zhang Anshi not to talk nonsense and act on his instructions.

Zhang Anshi said, “Don’t worry, brother-in-law, what kind of person am I, would you not know?”

So Zhu Gaoqi was even more uneasy, so he said, “This is the imperial uncle, if you are slacking off, it is not uncommon for father to be angry.”

Zhang Anshi muttered in a low voice, “His Majesty’s heart, however, is thinking of driving this imperial uncle out.”

Zhu Gaoqi immediately said, “What kind of words are these! The more this …… this …… is because Father Emperor wants to move the clan for the sake of the kingdom, the more we have to treat each other with courtesy.”

Only then did Zhang Anshi wake up to something and busily said, “Brother-in-law is right, do the most ruthless thing and say the most beautiful words, thankfully brother-in-law reminded me.”

Zhu Gaoqi didn’t say anything else.

After a short while, they saw a team of people coming, so a eunuch went up first, and after talking to the other side’s carriages, soon, the Zhou King Zhu Zhaoshou got down from the carriages.

Zhu Gaoqi and Zhang Anshi then greeted them one after the other.

Zhu Shengtao and Zhu Di do look somewhat similar, except that Zhu Di is rough and Zhu Shengtao is more elegant.

He and the Crown Prince greeted each other in an easygoing tone, asking how the Crown Prince’s health was, and asking how Zhu Di’s health was.

Zhu Gaoqi and Zhang Anshi were momentarily dumbfounded.

Clan king inquires about the emperor’s health ……

How does this …… pick up?

Zhu Gaoqi said, “Father is still in good health, so I’m sorry that Imperial Uncle is keeping it in mind.”

Zhu tall and straight said, “I heard that the imperial grandson has understood his body ……”

Zhu Gaoqi: “……”

Zhang Anshi became anxious and said, “Aiya, Your Highness King Zhou, it’s windy outside, it’s better to go into the city.”

Zhu Shengli glanced at Zhang Anshi, and seeing that Zhang Anshi was also wearing an imperial python robe, he faintly said, “This king sees that you look strange.”

Zhang Anshi said, “My humble servant Zhang Anshi ……”

“You are Zhang Anshi?” Zhu Shengli looked surprised.

This worried Zhu Gaoqi.

Zhang Anshi also can not help but be vigilant, he offended a lot of people, so the people outside, are spreading bad words about him, and people who generally do not know him, tend to be confused by the clouds of people outside this.

Zhang Anshi smiled dryly and said, “Greetings, Your Highness King Zhou, I’ve heard of Your Highness’ great name.”

Zhou King Zhu Saoxao but all of a sudden one hand pulled Zhang Anshi’s hand, one hand patted Zhang Anshi’s back of the hand said, “This king also long time to learn about your great name ah, Wei Guo Gong medical skill is brilliant, who does not know it? I heard that you have the art of raising the dead, this king has long wanted to come to ask for advice, haha …… Come on people, come on people ……”

The eunuch who followed him then bowed and stepped forward.

“Fetch the book that the king has repaired.”

The eunuch was familiar with removing a bundle which contained dozens of books.

Zhu straightened took one of the books, handed to Zhang Anshi, said: “Wei Guo Gong look, this is the king’s poor work, unbearable, please Wei Guo Gong must not be polite, must be well axe corrected.”

Zhang Anshi looked down, but he saw the words “Pocket Formula” written on the book cover.

This Joo Sao Tieh turned out to be a man of ambition.

However, after Emperor Jianwen ascended to the throne, he punished him and imprisoned him.

Thereafter, Zhu Di Jingdi pardoned him again, naturally.

After experiencing the ups and downs of life, Zhu Zhaoshi’s heart has lightened up, and he only thinks of lying flat, and the rest of his days are spent on daily study of medical skills.

This “Pocket Formula” is the first medical book he compiled, but although the book was compiled, and of course everyone said it was good, he was still a little unsure.

Zhang Anshi’s great name, he has heard of it for a long time, this is a peer!

So Zhu Zhengwo ignored Zhu Gaoqi again and began to chatter with Zhang Anshi.

“What is the most important thing in the world?”

Zhang Anshi hesitantly said, “Build …… a career?”

“Wrong, it’s a cure!”

Zhang Anshi said, “Your Highness has a high opinion.”

Zhu straightened up with a little bit of compassion, said: “This world’s disease and the death of millions of people, see someone without medicine, people have compassion, can the heart can not be at peace? This king over the years, painstaking research, searched a lot of cures to save people’s lives. Of course, and the Duke of Wei can not be compared, I can not imagine that you are so young, medicine has such achievements, really admirable! Compared to you, this king is really like a firefly compared to the sun and moon. Shame, shame.”

Zhang Anshi said, “Your Highness is too modest, in fact ……”

Not waiting for Zhang Anshi to say further, Zhu Xiaojiao waved his hand and said, “Duke of Wei don’t be polite, at first when the news came to Kaifeng, this king didn’t believe it, but later, this king purposely let people go to the capital to inquire, only to know that your art of raising the dead, is actually true! Just as well, these days, the king is in the capital, when it is inevitable to visit to move around a two.”

With a few moments of embarrassment, Zhang Anshi could only say, “Good, good.”

Zhu tall and straight to Zhang Anshi a look like an old friend, seems to have a thousand words can not say, Zhu Gaoqi repeatedly urged Zhu tall and straight on the car and car, Zhu tall and straight only very reluctant on the car and car.

Thereafter, Zhu Gaoqi was also about to board the vehicle, but Zhang Anshi frowned and mumbled in a low voice, “It’s over, His Majesty’s plan is guaranteed to fall through.”

“Hush ……” Zhu Gaoqi glanced at the front of Zhu Shengli’s carriage and whispered, “What do you want to say again?”

Zhu Shengli said bitterly, ”Don’t you see that this King of Zhou, is only interested in the medical arts? He doesn’t want to go overseas, he only wants to study his stuff daily in Kaifeng. This His Highness, the King of Zhou, is afraid that he will refuse to go even if he dies.”

The premise of tricking people into going overseas is that you have to tickle their ambitions a bit!

But the King of Zhou looks like this ……

As Zhang Anshi thought of this, he glanced down at the Pocket Formula he was still cupping in his hand.

It was clear that people had found their own hobby of entertainment, and it was obvious that they were not the least bit interested in this going overseas to fight and kill.

Zhu Gaoqi said, “Be discreet, let’s talk about it in the palace first.”

Zhang Anshi also had to say, “Oh.”

There was no more stopping on the road, all the way to the palace.

Zhu Zhaoshi entered the palace and naturally became extraordinarily affectionate after meeting his own brothers.

When Zhu Gaoqi and Zhang Anshi finished handing over their duties and left.

Zhu Di can’t help but recall the time when he was young with Zhu Zhengwo, both of them can’t help but sigh with emotion.

Zhu Di smiles and asks about some family matters of Zhu Sao Tie.

Zhu Sao Tie answered one by one, “All is well at home, but I don’t know how is your body, royal brother?”

Chu: “……”

“I see that the royal brother’s face is slightly dark, the royal brother, this is too much liver fire, kidney qi deficiency, the signs of insufficient kidney essence ah, the royal brother is not always feel occasional discomfort in the body ……”

Zhu Di’s heart was already starting to curse.

But Zhu Zhaoshi was very serious: “How about I take my royal brother’s pulse?”

Zhu Di said, “I still have things to do, you can come, really great, I look forward to you day and night, but unfortunately, this is to be the son of heaven, is not an easy thing, and later to call the ministers deliberations, the king of the week first temporarily live, and so I’m a few days after the leisure down, and then call you to catch up.”

Zhu Shengtao could only say, “I obey the order.”

Immediately after that, there came one vassal king after another.

Not only Zhu Gaoqi and Zhang Anshi, but also the Honglu Temple, which is responsible for hospitality, feels numb.

There were too many feudal lords coming, which one of them didn’t have a front and a back? There are hundreds of attendants and eunuchs alone.

Zhu Di had more than twenty brothers, and the ones who are alive today are also, more than a dozen.

They have different temperaments.

Joo is considered to have more normal hobbies.

For example, Zhu Chu Wang Zhen, the sixth son of Emperor Gao of the Great Ancestor, came carrying a Qinglong Crescent Sword weighing dozens of pounds.

This His Highness, the King of Chu, is even more courageous than Zhu Di, specializing in personal force, and had to take this great sword into the palace to face the saint.

Frightened Zhu Gaoqi face is black, he knows that this imperial uncle, has always been in the Chu land to fight the invaders, the hobby of showing his force.

But isn’t it sick to bring a sword to a saintly interview?

Zhang Anshi could only laugh dryly and said, “Your Highness, within this palace, one cannot dance with swords and guns.”

Zhu Zhen said angrily, “You late-born juniors know nothing! When His Majesty and I were at our respective clans, we made a promise that if we had the chance to get together, we would have a good match. When I beat His Majesty, it was like beating a rabbit, he was powerless. Today, I have to see if this fourth brother of mine has made any progress.”

Subconsciously, Zhang Anshi’s body took a step back, still smiling, but not knowing what to say.

Zhu Gaoqi finally became angry and said with a straight face, “Sixth Imperial Uncle respects himself, come, unload His Highness the King of Chu’s sword, and if His Highness the King of Chu still wants to be disrespectful in front of the palace, he will immediately arrest his right and left eunuchs as well as the Chief Historian of the King of Chu’s House for chastisement.”

Seeing this, Zhu Zhen had to put the knife down, but it was a very emotional look, and in turn, he found himself a step down, “Strike, strike, strike, not to bother with you.”

Zhang Anshi long sigh of relief, he did not want to know whether this Zhu Di will end up really fight with Zhu Zhen, but expected, this strong like a calf, and no light hand Zhu Zhen, if really allowed to go to the emperor to compete in martial arts, Zhu Di will definitely be beaten by this brother of his wailing.

Zhang Anshi s blacklist in his heart, will Zhu Zhen write down, well …… go around in the future.

In the midst of this ushering in and out, a little bit of time passes, and eventually we reach the end of the year.

In the fifth year of the Yongle, it was getting to the end of the day, and it was freezing cold.

Zhu, however, doesn’t seem to be getting what he wants.

Those nephews are fine, they all bend over backwards.

But those brothers, as soon as they heard about the move, they all exploded.

The king of Zhou is intended to absolutely not go, not even if he breaks his leg, he wants to stay in Kaifeng to study medicine, the subject has been thought of.

Zhu Zhen doesn’t go either, he looks rude but smells intrigue.

As for the others, it is more noisy, was Zhu Di scolded, one atmosphere do not dare to come out! But Zhu Di asked them to go, people on the ground bawling, young some directly rolled on the ground, and crying to go to the sacrifice of the ancestors, what people have.

Then …… Zhu was in a hurry.

At that moment, secretly summoned Zhang Anshi to the palace for an audience.

Zhang Anshi entered the palace, but saw that Zhu Di was standing on the heel of the windowsill with his hands behind his back, looking at the scenery outside the window with a tired look on his face.

Zhang Anshi saluted first.

Zhu Di then turned back to look at him, and said with a faint look, “What can the inner thousand households …… find out recently?”

Zhang Anshi said, “What does Your Majesty want to investigate?”

Zhu Di immediately said, “The various royal families, do they not have any faults? Encroaching on people’s fields, forcibly robbing people’s women, killing people for no reason, are none of these?”

Zhang Anshi said, “This …… minister will go and do it.”

Zhu Di suddenly said, “There is also private armor, private casting money …… or even …… plotting against the government, is there any of this?”

“Your Majesty ……” Zhang Anshi smiled bitterly, “Your Majesty means ……”

Zhu Di’s face through a few points of anxiety, said: “did not let you put them to death, but at least to scare them, and so they are terrified, naturally also obedient. The transfer of the clan is a national policy, how can you allow them to make trouble like this?”

Zhang Anshi thought for a moment and said, “In the end, your majesty …… is that people have no confidence, and now the priority should be to give them confidence?”

Zhu Di’s stoic eyes, suddenly brightened a few points, busy saying, “You have a way?”

Zhang Anshi said, “Uh …… there is is a little.”