After being divorced, my identity as a poet was exposed

In this winter of the twenty-fifth year of Zhaohua, the climate in Yujing City seemed to be colder than before.

On November 15th, it snowed for the first time since the beginning of winter. It snowed for three full days, turning the entire Jade Capital City into a world covered in snow.

Very beautiful.

But this kind of beauty is only for those who have no worries about food and clothing.

Even though this is Kyoto, there are still many poor people who cannot afford to eat three meals a day.

The sun came out for three days after this first snow.

When the snow melts, it will be even colder, so cold that it will be so cold that you feel your bones.

Charcoal fires have already been lit in the homes of wealthy merchants, but in the large area of ​​low buildings in the northwest corner of Yujing City, only a few wisps of fireworks can be seen when cooking.

That's the slums of Yujing City.

There are more than 40,000 households with a total of more than 150,000 people!

The way these people make a living is usually by doing chores in the homes of wealthy people.

Women go to help wealthy families wash clothes, clean the courtyard, etc.

Men with some strength usually wait in the markets at the west gate or north gate, waiting for the merchants who come to Kyoto, and serve as bearers for them, lead the way, or help carry goods.

Nowadays, more and more people come to Kyoto to do business. Their income has slightly increased compared to before, but it still cannot change their poor fate.

There are too many porridges but too many monks. Even if there is a little more porridge now, there are still only a few extra grains of rice in each person's bowl.

When three days of sunny days passed, Kyoto ushered in a second snowfall.

Bigger than the first one.

It’s been raining for four days!
Looking at the leaden sky, it seems that there is no sign of stopping.

Li Chenan is in the imperial study.

Roast on fire.

Making tea.

Listening to the words of Li Wenhou, the Minister of Household Affairs who had just returned to Kyoto.

"...Your Majesty, the Kingdom of Wu cannot be underestimated!"

"I still don't understand that once the international trade between Wu and Ning begins, Wu's products are obviously better than our Ning's products!"

"I have not only visited Dongxu City, I have also visited all the towns I passed along the way!"

"Whether it's ironware, porcelain, or even silk that our Ning State is proud of...compared to Wu State, at least we don't have any advantage in terms of price!"

"Now that Wu merchants have entered Jade City in large numbers, Jade City is becoming more lively than ever before."

After a pause, Li Wenhou looked at Wen Boiyu seriously, and his eyes fell on Li Chenan's face.

"But what followed was a large number of various commodities from the Wu Kingdom!"

"I stayed in Yudan City for a day."

"Many merchants from Wu have opened properties in Yudan City. I visited them one by one. We merchants in Ningguo are miserable!"

"Because Wu Shang's products are not only of better quality, but the price is half a percent lower than similar products from Ning Shang!"

"Jade Pill City is just the starting point for their products to enter Ning Country!"

"It's already winter, and their products can't enter the hinterland of Ningguo in a big way for the time being."

"But they are transporting goods from Wu!"

"I think that after the spring of next year and the roads are clear... our business in Ningguo may be in jeopardy!"

"Wu Hui seems to be a rough and tumble man, but he is actually brave and resourceful!"

"He became the emperor of the Wu State. I think he is more ambitious than me, which is not a good thing for our Ning State..."

"So I think it's better to close Wuya Pass as soon as possible before it's too late. Even if we break the contract, it's better than having the entire Ningguo business suffer a catastrophic blow!"

Wen Boyu also looked at Li Chenan extremely seriously at this moment.

He did not expect that the businessmen from Wu State would come so quickly, and he did not know whether the businessmen from Ning State could withstand this life and death test.

Li Chenan poured tea.

The look on his face was still relaxed.

Handing over two cups of tea, he pointed to the heavy white snow outside the door and said with a smile: "Look, at the beginning of winter, all the flowers that have been served with great effort and care have withered."

"But the plum blossoms in my plum garden are blooming proudly at this time."

"The same is true for business."

"Closing the country is like cultivating flowers in a greenhouse."

"They look pretty, but they can't withstand any cold wind!"

"Why should I sign a trade agreement with Wu?"

"It's just to make it clear to Ningguo's businessmen that if they don't fundamentally improve the quality of their products and find ways to reduce costs, they will be... useless in the future competition!"

"I understand your concerns. Isn't it just a crying wolf?"

"Sooner or later the wolf will come, so it's better to come earlier."

"Look at this problem from another angle."

"The cheap and high-quality goods from Wu State enter Ning State, and the people of Ning State can buy better things with less money. This is beneficial to the people!"

"And our businessmen in Ningguo, if they still want to make money while lying down... they will understand that it is a dream!"

"If they want to survive and make money in Wu Kingdom, they must face the competition head-on!"

"We must pay attention to craftsmen improving their tools to improve production efficiency!"

"In the long run, this will positively affect the thinking of Ningguo businessmen, and capable businessmen will face this competition head-on and make the quickest adjustments."

"As for those businessmen who are incompetent...it's a big wave. If they should go bankrupt, go bankrupt, otherwise it will be a waste of resources."

This can be regarded as an explanation of his intention to open the country, and it can also be regarded as an explanation for Li Wenhou and Wen Jiaoyu.

But Li Chenan didn't want to explain this in depth today, because he asked Wen Boiyu to come here for other reasons.

He looked at Wen Boiyu, and then the expression on his face became solemn.

"I took a look at yesterday's report."

"Some people have frozen to death in the northwest..."

"I asked Zheng Wang, the commander-in-chief of the Imperial City Division, and he said that this kind of thing actually happens every year. That place is where the poorest people in Kyoto are concentrated."

"I thought about it carefully last night, I can't let anyone die anymore,"

Before he finished speaking, Li Wenhou interrupted him with a sigh:
"Your Majesty, the imperial court has always known about this, but does your Majesty know that there are 150,000 people in that place!"

"How to rescue?"

“Even if it’s just soup kitchen, how much food is needed in one winter?”

"If you just give some food to the most needy families... This has been done before, and as a result, serious riots broke out in that place, and more people died!"

“Families who get food can’t keep it!”

"Being robbed, killed, and even wiped out just for a small amount of food!"

"The emperor should have done some good deeds when he first ascended to Dabao, but the household department is also nervous!"

"That's a gold-eating beast over there at the Academy of Sciences!"

"As soon as I came back, Huang Xiumu, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, was the first one to find me. He said that the Academy of Sciences is urging me hard. We still can't stop work in this winter, and we urgently need five million taels of silver!"

"I dare to say something, can you stop that thing for a while?"

"Hubu really doesn't have much money, so I can't bear to do this to you!"

Wen Boyu looked at Li Chenan again, thinking that it was already the second snow in Kyoto, and the memorial on Beimo Road was almost here.

There are snowstorms there every year!
It is really difficult for Li Wenhou to be the Minister of Household Affairs!
But Li Chenan waved his hand:
"I'll lend you money!"

When Li Wenhou heard this, he suddenly felt happy——

Return to the garden!

He had been thinking about returning to the garden, but he didn't expect Li Chenan to take the initiative to say it!
This country belongs to him, so why should we borrow it or not?

He pondered for three breaths and said one word decisively:

"Okay!" (End of this chapter)