Mixed with salted fish in Hongwudang

Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Lao Zhu sat at the dining table, not moving his chopsticks at the table full of food in front of him.

Because he was waiting for someone, someone who would give him an account.

When he was waiting impatiently, a big black mouse suddenly came in, jumped behind him in two or three steps, and hugged him from behind.

"Grandfather, you miss me after not seeing you for a few days?"

Old Zhu snorted coldly, and secretly rolled his big eyes.

"Sit down and eat with us!"

Hearing the words, Zhu Yunxi let go of Lao Zhu, looked at the dazzling array of delicacies on the table and said exaggeratedly.

"Grandpa Huang, your old food standard is getting higher and higher!"

"I have to talk about you now, you can't be so extravagant just because the imperial court's tax revenue has increased!"

"The tax we are increasing now, in principle, just transfers local revenue to the local area. We have to transfer it out through infrastructure construction and salary payments to officials. We haven't collected much money all year round!"

Zhu Yunxi's words were not fooling around. After more than a year of tax reform, Daming's tax revenue has indeed risen sharply.But at the same time, local miscellaneous taxes and taxes have been stopped, which is equivalent to stopping the local treasury. If a local government wants to build a bridge, repair a road, or repair a school or a city wall, it has to ask the imperial court for money.

Therefore, once the money is distributed, the growth of Daming's fiscal revenue is actually very limited.

Another point is that all kinds of taxes in kind have been turned into monetary taxes, which does not increase tax revenue in essence, but only increases the disposable cash of the court.

Moreover, part of this money will be used to build grain storage depots in various places, which will be used to stabilize grain prices and purchase grain from farmers.

In fact, it was another change in form, and did not substantially increase the gross national product of Ming Dynasty.

But there is no way to do this. With Daming's current productivity, even with Zhu Yunxi as a coward, it will take time to accumulate and accumulate, and it cannot be done overnight.

It is not difficult for Zhu Yunxi to make some small inventions, but if he wants to popularize a certain technology and really improve the productivity of Ming Dynasty, it will be extremely difficult.

Old Zhu is also aware of the situation that Zhu Yunxi said, but what he wants to tell Zhu Yunxi today is obviously not this.

"Let me ask you, where did your fifth uncle go when you tied him up?"

"This is..."

"Let me tell you that your kidnapping last time has nothing to do with your fifth uncle. Your fifth uncle is indeed a little narrow-minded and doesn't treat you very well, but that's our father's fault. It's our fault for treating him back then." Concubine Mu is too indifferent, which makes him prejudice against you."

"You are a junior, you can't get involved!"

Zhu Yunxi buried his head and sipped the soup until Lao Zhu kicked him, then he said reluctantly.

"You have always said that it is the matter of the previous generation. Then he is still my elder, why do you care about me as a junior?"

"you!"

Old Zhu was directly speechless by Zhu Yunxi's words, and he thought to himself that this was really the case, and that bastard, the fifth, was so disrespectful to compete with a child.

"That's what you say, but whoever made you the grandson of the emperor, the grandson of the emperor must have the stomach of the grandson of the emperor, how can you be so small!"

"Hurry up, put your fifth uncle back, his wife and children are going to Beijing to sue, you really want to make things big!"

Hearing this, Zhu Yunxi took the chopsticks and inserted the steamed bun resentfully, until the steamed stuffed bun was inserted into a sieve before opening his mouth quietly.

"Grandfather, I really don't blame me for this!"

"It's the second uncle!"

"Second Uncle said he was alone at sea, so he had to ask me to find him a companion!"

"Originally, the second uncle wanted to drag the fourth uncle into the water, but I thought that the fourth uncle would guard the important areas in Beiping. Once he was thrown into the sea and went to the northern border, there would be a lack of defense, so I chose the second uncle and chose the fifth uncle."

"And the second uncle also agreed, he also misses the fifth uncle, so don't ask me about this, you should ask my second uncle!"

"This……"

Hearing this explanation, Lao Zhu opened his mouth so wide that he could stuff ten buns into it, and it took him a long time before he spat out a bad word.

"This traitor, we really should have built a wall for him back then!"

"what!"

"I am suffering, and I have to drag my younger brother to accompany him. We should really chop him up and feed him to the dogs!"

Hearing this, Zhu Yunxue hurriedly made a repair.

"To tell you the truth, as far as Second Uncle's hob meat is concerned, if you really chopped it up for him, even dogs may not eat it!"

"you!"

Lao Zhu has a temper that he can yell at his son all he wants, but others can't say a word.

Even if it was Zhu Yunxi, the grandson who loved it, Lao Zhu was very upset, so he picked up the buns and threw them at him on the spot.

"so rude!"

"Don't say that about your second uncle!"

"Hurry up and let your fifth uncle back. Your fifth uncle is different from your second uncle. This child has never suffered since childhood, and his body is also weak. He can't stand the storm at sea!"

Zhu Yunxi rolled his eyes when he heard this.

"Grandfather, I'm afraid it's too late now. The global fleet will set sail this morning."

"Didn't you see that I came so late, I just went to the pier to see them off!"

"What?"

Old Zhu stood up in surprise when he heard this, this time he didn't throw buns one by one at Ni Sun, he just picked up the bamboo basket and threw them at them.

"You rebellious grandson, you are going to piss us off alive!"

"Even if you can't tolerate those uncles of yours, you should wait until I close my eyes before doing anything. You just can't wait, woo woo woo..."

Zhu Yunxie was picking up steamed buns to play, and suddenly saw Lao Zhu playing emotional cards with him, couldn't stand it on the spot, and ran over to coax Lao Zhu.

"Grandfather, please don't cry, listen to my explanation, I did this for the good of Uncle Wu!"

"We won't listen!"

"You can't spit ivory out of your mouth!"

"Grandpa Huang, haven't you heard a sentence, the beloved son of parents has far-reaching plans for it!"

"roll!"

"We won't listen!"

"Grandfather, think about it, my uncles have no merit in the family or the country, and they suddenly ascended to high positions just because they are your sons. The first generation of vassal kings are still alive. Dare to lead troops out to fight a few times. After passing on for several generations, it will not be like a bunch of waste!"

"Therefore, we have to let them serve the country!"

"My grandson told you that the world in the next few hundred years must be the age of great exploration."

"Now Second Uncle and Fifth Uncle are going to sea to open up overseas territory for Daming. In the future, they will be comparable to Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions and have great feats!"

"As long as the two of them can get through this experience, the credit will directly fall on them!"

Lao Zhu was slightly moved when he heard this. He really felt sorry for his son, but he also hoped that his sons would have a better future.

If his son really made such a great contribution, not to mention the criticism from all over the world, even his rebellious grandson can't do anything to these two Uncle Wangs.

"Is this true?"

Zhu Yunxi saw that Lao Zhu was playing tricks, so he hurriedly continued to use the Dafa of fooling around, and kept making cakes for Lao Zhu.

"Of course it is true!"

"Think about it again, why did your grandson let a eunuch command the entire fleet?"

"No matter how great the eunuch's contribution is, it would be great for a duke to die!"

"However, Second Uncle and Fifth Uncle are different. Both of them are born nobles and princes. As long as the two of them follow the boat, they will be the No. 1 of our Daming to open their eyes and see the world. It is the discovery of the whole world." No.1 in the New World, no matter in Ming Dynasty or in the whole world, he is a resounding hero!"

"This is a hard work, and it will not be out of date for a hundred years or a thousand years!"

"oh oh……"

Lao Zhu's expression softened a little, but he was still a little worried.

"What if you don't come back?"

"They all have mothers-in-law and sons. How do you let them live as orphans and widowers?"

When Zhu Yunxi heard this, he blurted out a famous quote from Cao Mengde.

"Your wife, I will raise her!"

After Zhu Yunxi finished speaking, he immediately realized that something was wrong, and quickly changed his words.

"The grandson said that if something unexpected happens, I will take care of their wives and children!"

"Furthermore, they have given birth to quite a few babies, and they have completed the work of spreading branches and leaves for our old Zhu's family. It's time to let them go out and see the outside world."

Lao Zhu felt much better after hearing this. At least this grandson is a little bit responsible, knowing that he should shoulder the responsibility of supporting orphans and widows.

It's just that the phrase "Your wife, I will raise her" is too irritating, isn't this a curse for him to die early!

"We don't need you to support our wives and children. We will take all the concubines in our harem with us when we leave, and we will never leave them as burdens for you!"

Zhu Yunxi was sweating when he heard this, the poison of feudal dross is really deep in this old man, he is so old, and he still doesn't let those little girls go.

But these are all things for later, right now it is better to stabilize the old man's emotions and not let him worry about the two Uncle Wangs.

While Zhu Yunxi was fighting with Lao Zhu, a farewell ceremony was being held on the pier.

Zhu Yunxi's so-called setting sail was just lifting the anchor, and there was still a while before the ship officially left the port.

After all, with a team of 5000 people, tens of thousands of family members have to give it away, right?

Before leaving, they had to pay homage to the God of the Sea on the bow of the boat, slaughtered some cows and pigs, and prayed for a smooth journey.

By the time these busy tasks are over, the sun will soon be high.

Amid the din of gongs and drums, there are mothers calling, wives crying, and children clamoring.

Although Zhu Yunxi has made all the preparations for this voyage, for the current Ming people, there is still a deep-rooted belief that he would rather go up the mountain than go down the sea.

The sea is so big that it stretches as far as the eye can see, and no one knows what is on the other side of the sea.

Therefore, the sea is an insurmountable obstacle for human beings, and it is also an insurmountable ideological barrier.

But someone must walk this road. If this generation does not take it, the next generation will have to take it, and more sacrifices and costs will be required.

Zhu Yunxi has no way to explain all this to the world, he can only use his willpower to promote the entire era.

Even if he bears the infamy for this, he can only bear it silently.

Although the people on the shore are full of reluctance, but when the time comes, the fleet always has to set off.

As the pathfinding ships moved first, the heavy iron-clad flagship also moved slowly, emitting intense smoke.

This made the people on the shore excited for a while, feeling as if they had witnessed a miracle, a big boat that didn't use sails or oars could actually move forward with smoke.

At the same time, it gave them more confidence.

Since the grandson of the emperor can steal the magic of the gods, then the voyage must be all right, right?
The people on the shore wiped away the tears from their faces, and a smile appeared on their faces again, a smile full of bright vision for the future.

However, at this moment, two figures suddenly appeared on the flagship deck, ignoring the obstruction of the soldiers on board, they struggled desperately together.

"Zhu Xi, I call you uncle!"

"You motherfucker committed a crime by yourself, and you still have to tie me up with you. Why do I have such a bullshit brother like you!"

Although Zhu Xun was very angry, but his natural frail body was really no match for Zhu Xun.After the two wrestled a few times, he was pinned down by Zhu Xi.

Zhu Xun controlled the berserk Zhu Xun, and only then took the time to explain.

"Fifth brother, don't blame me for this matter, if you want to blame it, blame your eldest nephew..."

"I originally wanted your fourth brother to accompany me, but your eldest nephew insisted that you were born to sail, have a strong curiosity about the New World, and like to go to the New World to catch birds, so that's why he brought you here!"

Zhu Huan was lying on the deck, and when he heard the second brother's explanation, he was filled with grief and anger.

"Zhu Yunxi!"

"My second uncle!"

Zhu Xing hurriedly corrected it.

"It's a mistake, you should scold the second uncle of Japan!"

Zhu Huan scolded angrily.

"Fuck your second uncle, his brother is the boss, where did he get the second uncle, I will call him second uncle!"

"If I die at sea, I will never let you two go!"

"My poor Miaoding, Miaoxiu, and Miaofu, I may never see you again in this life, woo woo woo..."

Zhu Xun gasped when he heard this, and looked at Zhu Xun with infinite contempt.

"what……"

"Is it sour, isn't it just a few girls who make you sad like a dead father!"

Hearing this, Zhu Wei looked around and saw that the soldiers around him were far away from him, so he dared to whisper in a low voice.

"What's the difference between me now and my dead father!"

"It's not that no one accepts it, no one cares, woo woo woo..."

When Zhu Xun heard this, he quickly jumped up from the rebel Zhu Xun.

"Hey hey!"

"You said that, I didn't hear anything!"

"Zhu Huan, you kid is fine, you dare to curse Jun father, you are a big treason!"

When Zhu Xi saw Zhu Xi's exaggerated expression, he looked disapproving, and stretched out a hand.

"Don't talk nonsense, our old Zhu's family counts you as a traitor, don't think I don't know, you and your favorite concubine even put on dragon robes and phoenix robes in private, and let the palace servants act like emperors in the palace. gift!"

"In order to make the phoenix robe, you also ordered people to go to the south to buy pearls. Who in the government and the public don't know about these things?"

"If the emperor hadn't protected you, even if you had ten heads, it wouldn't be enough to cut you off!"

Zhu Xun's face was flushed by Zhu Xun's run-on, so he could only reach out shyly to pick it up from the ground.

"Fifth brother, don't mention the past. Now that we are on the boat, we are like grasshoppers on a rope."

"Why don't we both think about how to pass the time on the boat in the future?"

"You play chess, gamble and drink with me."

Zhu Xi looked at Zhu Xi in surprise when he heard the words.

"Then you will accompany me to read, write, and play the piano?"

Zhu Xi said angrily.

"Play the piano?"

"Go and play the piano to the cow!"

The quarrel between the two gradually disappeared as the fleet went away, but the people on the shore could not hear it anymore, but in the boundless sea, the noise between the two would last at least two years, or even longer...

After the Global Fleet set sail, the ruling and opposition parties of Ming Dynasty gradually forgot that the sky is round and the earth is still round. People returned to normal life and prepared for the annual examination competition.

As candidates from all over the country came to Beijing one after another, the inns in the capital were full for a while, and various small business hawkers peddled along the street, blocking the streets near the Gongyuan.

However, behind this prosperity, there is a huge conspiracy hidden.

In the Zhejiang Guild Hall, a group of students talked freely.

"Students, it has been nearly two years since the emperor's grandson's new policy was implemented. However, the rich destroy their families and the poor get poorer. This is really a bad policy!"

"We have read the words of the sages, and we should shoulder the responsibility of helping the country and correcting the king's gains and losses!"

"If you still think that you are scholars, let's jointly write a letter, asking His Majesty to abolish the New Deal and return to the previous good governance!"

"Cancellation of government and gentry payment!"

"Reduce the agricultural tax to [-] taxes!"

"Restore the system of the beginning of the country!"

When the major guild halls in the capital were angrily denouncing the chaotic government with the same enemy, the people near Gyeonggi and neighboring provinces also poured into the capital under the instigation of interested people.

Normally speaking, Daming has a guide system, and people cannot leave prefectures and counties without permission to go to other places without guides.

However, under the instigation and promotion of those with a heart, hundreds of people left the prefecture and county, gathered into a team of tens of thousands, and surged towards the capital in a mighty manner.

This is a tacit understanding from the officialdom. Every local official turns a blind eye to this, and some clever officials will even instruct the people to put a big letter on their heads.

Because according to the law set by the old emperor, as long as the people go to Beijing to sue with a big edict, officials along the way cannot stop them.

Those who block the fan will be killed without mercy!

It is such a loophole in the law that is played to perfection by grassroots officials.

Soon tens of thousands of people poured into the capital, blocking the city gate tightly.

Some people who arrived earlier surrounded the Dengwen Drum in front of the palace gate and confronted the officers and soldiers guarding the Dengwen Drum inside.

One side wants to beat the drum, but the other side stops it.

Chen Zongli, Shangshu of the Ministry of Household Affairs, learned that he could not sleep or eat comfortably, and tried to tell His Majesty the Emperor several times, but was stopped by his colleagues.

Of course, the main reason is that he didn't even want to tell in advance.

After all, he is also an official, and he is also a gentry. When he retires in the future, he will still be a squire of Ming Dynasty.

Even if he doesn't think about the present, he has to think about the future.

Once His Majesty the Emperor is notified in advance, it will be a betrayal of the civil officials of the Ming Dynasty.

However, he still secretly told his son Chen Mi about this, and asked Chen Mi to secretly tell the emperor's grandson, so that the emperor's grandson could make preparations in advance.

His reason for doing this is also very simple, that is to eat both ends, and both ends are good.

However, when Chen Mi went to the palace to meet the emperor grandson and told the emperor what happened outside, the emperor grandson just let out a soft oh and didn't respond.

In fact, Zhu Yunxi had already learned about this matter through Jin Yiwei, even more detailed than Chen Mi.

Lao Zhu also knew about this matter, but neither of them said anything, they had been waiting for news from court officials to see who would write a letter to report the matter.

The result is obvious, in such a matter of self-interest, no one has any heart for the court, the old emperor and the emperor's grandson.

Everyone only cares about their own interests, regardless of the life and death of the court.

Only royal dog legs like Jin Yiwei can be trusted to act as the emperor's eyes and ears, so that the emperor will not be deaf or blind.

"Gu knows, go back and thank your father for Gu."

Seeing that the emperor's grandson said so lightly, Chen Mi hurriedly reminded him.

"Your Highness, this matter is no small matter. Not only are there people making noise outside Dengwen Drum, but also a large number of people gathered outside the capital, and the candidates who participated in the imperial examination are also conspiring to plan this matter. They even threatened to collectively submit a letter on the day of the examination. , ask His Majesty the Emperor to abolish the New Deal, and they still want to..."

"I also want to write a letter to His Majesty the Emperor to abolish your position as the emperor's grandson and replace the wise man as the prince of Ming Dynasty..."

Zhu Yunxi couldn't help laughing when he heard this.

"A group of corrupt scholars!"

"Do they think that the position of the lonely emperor's grandson really only depends on the favor of the emperor's grandfather?"

"It's true that the lonely Jing Haijun and Xingwu Wei are decorations, the [-] troops led by our second uncle in the frontier are pigs, our uncle and grandpa Lan Yu are trash, and our grandpa Ping Wang Bai is the country Sacrifice?"

"What a joke!"

"If Gu Ruo wants to ascend the throne and proclaim himself emperor, all he needs is one sentence!"

"It's just that I don't want to disappoint Grandpa Huang, let alone make Grandpa Huang sad in his later years!"

"If they really dare to shake Gu's position as the crown prince, then don't blame Gu for being rude to them!"

"It is a national policy that officials and gentry pay food together, and no one can shake it!"

"Don't even think about the [-]th tax, it's impossible in a short time!"

"However, in a few decades, when the national strength of the Ming Dynasty develops, let alone a tax of [-] yuan, even if the imperial court does not collect a penny, it is possible to subsidize the farmers who cultivate the land!"

"It's just that this matter can't be realized in a short time. For now, Daming still has to rely on land finance to maintain its operations!"