Jinyi champion

Chapter 964 Prosperous Land
Xishan Railway Station.

The train arrived at the station that day, and a group of people got off the train, most of them were from the factory guards, and the leaders were Zhang Zuo and Huang Jin.

Zhu Hao personally went to the train station to meet him.

After Zhang Zuo saw Zhu Hao, he was very excited and said: "Mr. Zhu, this is the train? After sitting on it, I didn't feel any bumps on the way. It took less than an hour for the train to arrive at the station. It was really fast and stable." , so convenient!"

For Zhang Zuo, the feeling of taking the train for the first time was very good, and he couldn't help but praise and flatter Zhu Hao.

Zhu Hao said with a smile: "Now the trains are mostly used to transport coal from Xishan to the capital. When returning to Xishan, the trains are basically empty. Naturally, they go faster...Eunuch Zhang, Eunuch Huang, let's talk in another place."

Then they invited the two to a hotel near the train station.

Looking at the rising towns around Zhang Zuo, he was filled with emotion. Huang Jin on the side couldn't help but said, "But you said that this place was originally a barren mountain and wild ridge? It has become a large town with dense crowds in just a few years. A city wall to protect the town?"

The thinking of people in this era is that there are some good things that must be closely guarded.

Probably because they were afraid of alien invasion and took away the treasures from the Xishan Mine.

Zhu Hao said with a smile: "Coal mines need to be mined for many years to accumulate wealth, and outsiders can't take away the things here... You two look at the distance, the railway to Juyongguan is already being built over there, and the route has been designed. In about half a year, the train can go directly to Juyongguan.”

Zhang Zuo said: "This progress does not seem to be very fast."

Zhu Hao looked back at Zhang Zuo. After taking the train once, this guy seemed to be more eager than anyone else to build the railway farther away.

"Mr. Zhang, there are currently four groups of people repairing the railway. The front is only one of them. The other group is going back from Juyongguan. The middle two groups are responsible for building bridges. Fortunately, the road from Xishan to Juyongguan is flat. It shouldn’t be a big problem. But in the future, the train will go through Juyongguan and go directly to Xuanfu, and it will take a little effort.”

In order to meet the construction schedule, Zhu Hao used all the resources he could mobilize to repair the railway.

The output of the iron and steel factory built by Zhu Hao and the supporting wood factory and stone factory was rarely used in armaments, and most of it was invested in railway construction.

Anyway, for Zhu Hao, making cold weapons is not a fulfilling task. The arsenal he opened in the capital is only responsible for researching and manufacturing hot weapons, and all the remaining resources are used to improve the transportation conditions of Daming.

"That's great, that's great."

Zhang Zuo didn't know what to evaluate, after all, he didn't have much knowledge.

Facing such a practical man like Zhu Hao, his status is still far above him, and apart from a few compliments, there is nothing else he can do.

……

……

Arrived at the hotel where we stayed.

Entering the guest room, Zhang Zuo sat down, looked around and said with a smile: "I didn't expect the furnishings here to be so comfortable, and the windows are so bright. It seems that Mr. Zhu has managed this place in an orderly manner."

The guest rooms here adopt the configuration of later star hotels, especially the toilets are designed with flush toilets, which are very comfortable.

Zhu Hao said: "There must always be a place to welcome guests, in case His Majesty wants to come and see one day... Uh, you see, I shouldn't say that, but you must be prepared."

"Ha ha."

Zhang Zuo smiled and said, "It's a matter of time since I came here from the capital, and His Majesty will definitely come here in the future. If I let His Majesty see everything here... oh, I don't know how to tell Your Majesty after I go back, I'm afraid of arousing His Majesty If you insist on coming, our family can’t stop you.”

"Haha."

Huang Jin on the side was so happy that he couldn't close his mouth from ear to ear.

Zhu Hao smiled and said, "Eunuch Zhang came here in person, is there something important to do?"

Zhang Zuo asked Huang Jin to hand over the important memorials to be dealt with recently to Zhu Hao, and then solemnly took out a copy of the promotion list drawn up by Zhu Si.

Among them is the name of promoting Zhu Hao to a Hanlin bachelor.

"Mr. Zhu, His Majesty attaches great importance to the discussion of ceremonies. You have not shown your face in the court before. Now it is an extraordinary period. If you don't come forward at this time, Your Majesty will be very disappointed."

Zhang Zuo is simply carrying out moral kidnapping.

Zhu Hao frowned: "Isn't it good now?"

Zhang Zuo sighed: "Many old ministers in the court have retreated. What your majesty thinks is that it would be smoother to lay the foundation of stability in the court earlier, like building a railway, and wait until the court is fully controlled. How can it work if the imperial court doesn’t transfer the money, but just rely on our own money to fill it in?”

Zhu Haodao: "The position of Hanlin Bachelor is a bit high for me. If His Majesty wants to use me, you can completely lower it by one or two levels before using it. It doesn't affect..."

"what do you mean?"

Zhang Zuo's eyes lit up.

Apparently, he also felt that making Zhu Hao a scholar of the Imperial Academy would cause a lot of backlash in the court, but this was what Zhu Si was eager to achieve after all. Zhang Zuo seems to be feasible, after all, there has been a precedent for serving a bachelor to join the cabinet.

Zhu Hao said: "Well, I will analyze the situation with Eunuch Zhang in detail... After you go back, tell your majesty the truth, your majesty should be able to understand. There should be a conclusion to the discussion of the ceremony before the year."

"well."

Seeing that Zhu Hao was no longer limited to being a hermit, Zhang Zuo agreed to go out of the mountain. With this harvest, he no longer forced himself.

Zhu Hao got up and said, "Eunuch Zhang, Eunuch Huang, why don't I take you around the market town? It's a rare trip to see a different style from the capital. It's not bad. There is another bus this afternoon, which is a Take a passenger car, you can go back together."

"Passenger van?"

Zhang Zuo didn't quite understand what was so special about it.

Zhu Hao said with a smile: "Even if Xishan produces coal, it is impossible to continuously transport coal to the capital every day, besides, the consumption in the capital is not that big.

"In addition to transporting coal, there will be a special passenger train every morning and evening every day. It does not hang coal hoppers, but only carries people. The reason why Xishan is so lively now is that after the train is opened, it is much more convenient to come here to work and live. , and sooner or later is the peak of the flow of people, and many times it will be full."

Zhang Zuo laughed and said, "Then I need to see it."

……

……

Zhu Hao took Zhang Zuo and others around the market town at the foot of the West Mountain.

Zhang Zuo lamented the excitement of the town, and found a restaurant with Zhu Hao at noon, had dinner, and then Zhang Zuo wanted to visit the train station.

For Zhang Zuo, the most amazing thing is the train. This thing has never existed in all dynasties. It was born in the Ming Dynasty and was completed under the leadership of Zhu Haoli. Zhang Zuo was fortunate to be a witness of the times, so he naturally felt a sense of pride from the heart.

"...Smooth roads are the prerequisite for commercial transformation. Just like Xishan has always been poor and backward, but with coal mines and trains that can be transported away conveniently and quickly, it has become a prosperous place around the capital. This is why I have always The reason for pushing the railway to continue to be repaired.

"If you want to get rich, build roads first. Only when there are more places accessible by railways, people feel the convenience, and the transportation of goods and goods is more convenient, can a larger market effect be formed.

"However, railways and markets alone are not enough. The imperial court needs to provide policy support to ensure the interests of businessmen. Only in this way can more people integrate into the torrent of the times and contribute to the progress of Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Hao said his ideal.

Zhang Zuo said: "Mr. Zhu has lofty aspirations, but in this situation, how can businessmen have any status? You support them because you are afraid that the ministers in the court will not agree, so you still have to hurry up to a high position so that you have the opportunity to make changes, right? "

After all, Zhang Zuo wanted to persuade Zhu Hao to come out of the mountain earlier, or even be promoted to a high official position, so that he could implement changes.

Zhu Hao smiled and said: "With His Majesty's support, everything will be fine. Speaking of which, I also want to see prosperous places everywhere in the world."

Just as he was talking, Huang Jin suddenly pointed to a big workshop not far away and asked, "Why are there so many women going in and out there?"

Huang Jin was surprised because in this era, women seldom leave the house, and it is difficult for women to participate in this kind of market economy. After all, in an agricultural society, physical strength is more important, and only physical labor can earn money, and women have many disadvantages due to physical strength. Time can only become a vassal of the agricultural society.

Zhu Haodao: "There is a weaving workshop over there. There are rich coal mines in Xishan that are used to drive steam engines, making large-scale weaving possible. Some of the cloth produced here are directly shipped to the northwest for military supplies, and some are shipped When they arrive in the capital, some of them are left to supply the people in Gyeonggi, and the rest are shipped in Jishuitan and transported to various parts of the Central Plains by the Grand Canal."

Huang Jin asked puzzledly: "The south is the most important place for silk production. In the past, there were few people engaged in sericulture in the north. Why is it the other way around now?"

Zhu Hao explained: "What is produced here is not silk, but mostly wool cloth and cotton cloth. Wool cloth is a new variety, and its raw materials are mostly from wool that is not needed by herdsmen on the grasslands. I can wear them, but because they keep warm and keep out the cold, even the rich and powerful now wear some cotton clothes, and with the low price, it is no longer empty talk for the common people to worry about food and clothing.”

"what?"

Huang Jin was still surprised, "So it's not just coal production here?"

Zhang Zuo smiled and said: "You don't know that, do you? This is a major industrial town. Mr. Zhu's talent is astounding in the world. It can completely change the lives of the people of Ming Dynasty. Otherwise, why would he be able to live in our Xingwang Mansion at such a young age?" Become a pivotal figure? Look at the present, people in the court are all looking up to Mr. Zhu."

Zhu Hao said: "Eunuch Zhang, you really flattered me."

"No, I'm expressing my feelings, haha."

Zhang Zuo is also easy-going.

In comparison, Zhang Zuo and Huang Jin are still different from those eunuchs whose Genzheng Miaohong grew up in the palace.

Perhaps it was because they came from the local palace, and they had a low self-esteem in their bones, so that in the Jiajing Dynasty, the eunuchs did not mess with the government, but had a good reputation.

Zhang Zuo said: "Mr. Zhu, if the market town here expands further, it still needs to build a city wall to enclose it."

Zhu Hao nodded: "I mentioned to Your Majesty before that to build an outer city in the capital, of course not on the Xishan side, but in Nanyuan, this will not only increase the defense of the capital, but also make the capital more prosperous... With the increasing development of commerce and trade, today's capital seems a bit cramped."

"But that will cost... a lot of money, right?" Zhang Zuo was a little embarrassed.

The most troublesome thing for the emperor now is the lack of money.

Otherwise, why did the emperor even choose a Jinyiwei commander to see who would make money?
Zhu Haodao: "Speaking of which, the bank's business has expanded a lot. The next step is that the imperial court will make a fuss about the bank. I will discuss this matter with His Majesty in detail, and then the court's lack of money may be fundamentally resolved. The problem."

(End of this chapter)