Wind rises time and space gate

Chapter 548 I'm Heartbroken
Emperor Zhizheng was somewhat happy when he received Zhao Guangyuan's memorial, as it proved that his son still respected him as his father.

It is not as rumored outside that he clings to military power and has no respect for his father or the emperor.

After reading the contents of the memorial, Emperor Zhizheng fell silent.

The court has not yet reached a conclusion on whether to open up trade.

Some old officials believed that the Great Qi Dynasty had kept its borders closed since its founding and had never opened trade, which was why it had such a peaceful life for so many years. Although there were occasional battles at the border, the Central Plains and the capital were not affected.

If trade is opened, it will be like opening the border gates. Then foreign tribes that covet Da Qi will launch a large-scale invasion, and Da Qi will be in danger.

Some ministers also believed that the King of Yue did not pursue the victory because he had selfish motives.

It is said that the King of Yue should have taken advantage of the defeat of the Western Rong and Fanjue, the empty treasury, and the people's lack of food to drive them further away. It is said that the King of Yue opened up the border and opened up trade, giving the Hu people a chance to breathe.

Worried about their comeback.

Those who supported and those who disagreed were arguing fiercely in the court, so Emperor Zhizheng suppressed the matter.

Now, seeing that the Seventh Prince had actually copied the previous dynasty's mutual trade supervision, Emperor Zhizheng was stunned for a long time.

The next day, the news was announced in the court.

The ministers who had previously praised the King of Yue for his move, which was beneficial to the people and the country, secretly admired it. However, the ministers who had previously held opposing opinions were furious and started to make noises.

The prince frowned. Although he also believed that opening up trade would be beneficial to the national economy, this move was proposed by Zhao Guangyuan and was considered his contribution, so the prince did not want to agree with it.

He gave a look to a minister, who stepped out to object, "Your Majesty, this is a very inappropriate move. The barbarians in the Western Regions are the most treacherous. If they infiltrate Hangu Pass with the merchant caravans, the most important pass in the northwest will not be able to be defended, which will endanger the country and the people."

The ministers who supported the opening of the trade countered: "Hangu Pass is the most important pass in the northwest. Now the King of Yue has a million soldiers. How can he not resist the invasion of the Hu people?"

Is the King of Yue made of paper? Is the army of Qi made of paper?
I heard before that the customs duties collected from the mutual trade in one month exceeded one million taels of silver. Who was clamoring to collect this tax silver from the national treasury?

They are all a bunch of guys who only see the benefits. They don't want to take any risks, just expecting others to carry the money into the treasury?

"The Hu people are cunning by nature and good at using poison. The King of Yue almost fell for it before. If they enter the pass and poison it, Hangu Pass will be in danger."

By then, let alone a million strong army, even more would be useless.

"The King of Yue suffered a setback once, will it happen again?"

There was a heated debate in the court, and the prince found it extremely irritating to hear the ministers calling him the King of Yue one after another.

The King of Wei, who was standing by, caught a glimpse of the Crown Prince's expression, thought for a moment, and bowed to the Emperor. "Father, are the brothers Jiang Xuyang and Jiang Wentao still in mourning? Is it inappropriate for them to continue to hold court positions now?"

The two Jiang brothers did not submit a petition to the Ministry of Personnel, and the emperor did not allow them to seize the relationship. Zhao Guangyuan did not take the court laws seriously.

The Prince of Qi, who was standing by, was upset when he heard the King of Wei talking about his son-in-law.

"It's true that his two brothers are in mourning, but they are just helping the King of Yue to handle some affairs. Do they receive any salary from the court?"

His son-in-law has not even entered the Ministry of Personnel, and has not received any salary, so how can he be considered to have a position in the court! He is just helping the King of Yue to handle some miscellaneous affairs, why does he need to take away his affection? There is nothing wrong with that!
Thinking of the prince's murder of Jiang Xiang and the Jiang family's return to their hometown, he and the princess reluctantly separated from their beloved daughter. Now they were separated from each other and didn't know when they would meet again. Before leaving, their daughter was pregnant, so they and their husbands could not see the birth of their grandson.

Prince Qi felt unhappy and angry when he thought about it.

Now I still hear people calling him his son-in-law. No matter if he is the King of Wei or the Crown Prince, calling him his son-in-law is not acceptable!

The people who had just supported the prince were also silent. They all thought of Jiang Xiang's death and did not speak again.

The prince gritted his teeth in hatred.

Emperor Zhizheng glanced at the crown prince and quickly looked away. "Let the King of Yue try out the Northwest Trade for a while. If it works, we can continue to implement it. If it doesn't work, we can close it. Although Da Qi has never opened a trade, it is not impossible to try."

"Yes. Your Majesty is wise."

Emperor Zhizheng had already made the final decision, and the ministers dared not object and all agreed.

As for Emperor Zhizheng, in addition to wanting to see how far the King of Yue could go, he also thought that if it was truly beneficial to the country and the people, it would also be his achievement during his time in the court.

The trade has only been open for a few months, so whether the tax collection is sustainable remains to be seen. Moreover, the current trade tax does not cover the military supplies of the Northwest Army, so there is no need for the treasury to pay for the soldiers. Emperor Zhizheng is happy to let Zhao Guangyuan try.

He also used Zhao Guangyuan to test the knife, and Emperor Zhizheng was very satisfied.

The prince has grown a lot and has become someone who impressed him.

Emperor Zhizheng thought he had everything under control, but for the crown prince, this was another piece of ironclad evidence that his father favored the seventh son. The crown prince became increasingly anxious, as he could not just sit there and watch Zhao Guangyuan grow stronger and stronger.

Otherwise he will have nowhere to stay.

In the northwest, Zhao Guangyuan soon received the news. Emperor Zhizheng tacitly approved the establishment of the Inter-Trade Supervision Bureau, which was equivalent to approving the opening of the inter-trade.

Although the attitude of Emperor Zhizheng and the capital would not affect Zhao Guangyuan, and he would not close the trade because of this, the emperor's attitude or lack of attitude still had a great impact on the people.

After hearing about the attitudes of the court and Emperor Zhizheng, merchants from all over the country rushed to the northwest.

There were endless caravans on the road, carrying a large amount of various goods, gathering in the northwest. The northwest was becoming more and more prosperous.

"Where is the princess?" When Lin Zhaoxia arrived, only Old Madam Jiang and Madam Jiang were in the flower hall.

Now the Jiang family still lives in the palace. Or it can't be said that they live in the palace. The courtyard on the west side of the palace is used as the Jiang residence. The two houses have a small door to connect. This makes it convenient for the two Jiang brothers to discuss matters with Zhao Guangyuan.

The Jiang Mansion that Lin Zhaoxia originally bought for them was lent to the Jiang clan members and young talents from various families.

"Come and sit next to me." Old Madam Jiang invited Lin Zhaoxia warmly.

Jiang Xiang's death made Mrs. Jiang heartbroken, but with the company of her son, daughter-in-law, grandchildren and granddaughters, she finally came out of the pain. Now that the baby in Deyang's belly is growing up, she has gradually buried the pain in her heart.

But from the moment she decided to stay in the palace, Lin Zhaoxia knew that she still hadn't gotten over it. She thought that living closer to the palace would ensure the safety of her children and grandchildren.

After finishing his duties at the government office every day, Lin Zhaoxia would take time out to talk to her.

"Making clothes for the princess' unborn child again?" Lin Zhaoxia looked through the needlework in Madam Jiang's hands. "It's really well done. The needlework is so fine."

Madam Jiang, who was standing by, looked jealous. "When I was pregnant with Boye and the others, my mother didn't pay this much attention to me."

Madam Jiang scolded, "How can I not pay attention? I haven't prepared enough for Boye, Boyuan and Zhiwu. If you think it's not enough, you and Xuyang can have another child to see if I will pay attention."

"Mother, what are you talking about in front of the princess?" Wen was embarrassed. "You and your mother-in-law are so happy, but I don't even have the chance to make clothes for my children."

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law thought about the health of the King of Yue and were afraid that he would not be able to give the prince any more brothers or sisters. They all tried to comfort Lin Zhaoxia, "Other people can give birth to ten children, but they are not as good as the little prince. Just be happy."

Lin Zhaoxia pretended to be proud, as if her son was the best in the world, which amused the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

After a while of laughter, Madam Jiang said to Wen: "Don't blame me for being partial. When you gave birth to Boye and the others, what was the situation at home? What is the situation now? At that time, your family was also in the capital. Look at Deyang. Now, I don't know when she will see Prince Qi and the others again. And Deyang, do you think she can calm down and do needlework?"

Lin Zhaoxia and Wen thought of Deyang, who went to the drama club every day with a big belly, wrote scripts herself, took over Lin Zhaoxia's work, helped manage the drama club, and went to the market every day, being busier than Jiang Wentao. They couldn't help but laugh.

"This northwest is not as good as the capital in every way, and it's also very boring. Deyang must be suffocating."

"I think the Northwest is better than the capital. It's quieter and there aren't so many troubles." Wen said.

She truly thinks the Northwest is a great place. There, she has fewer social engagements and doesn't have to put on a fake smile in front of others. Her husband also has fewer social engagements, and now she has more time to spend with her husband and children.

She really enjoyed such a simple and warm day.

Mrs. Jiang nodded in agreement. If the master were still alive, he would definitely like the quiet life in the northwest. It would be great if the family could be happy without all the intrigues in the court.

He swallowed his emotions, smiled and said to Lin Zhaoxia: "You are not worried that Deyang will ruin your drama club."

"How could that be? The princess has been watching operas since she was a child, and her knowledge and perspective are much better than mine. I admire her suggestions for improvement, and now that I have finally handed the opera club to her, please don't let her throw it to me again. I won't accept it."

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law both laughed and understood Lin Zhaoxia's good intentions.

"Then let her go. Having something to do will save her from missing her parents and family. I'd just like to trouble the prince and princess to arrange for more people to follow her so that no one would offend her."

"Don't worry. There are people following us, both openly and secretly."

When Lin Zhaoxia was busy, she would ask Ma and some of the families of military generals to come and chat with Jiang, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

Although the women in the Northwest are not as graceful as the noble ladies in the capital, nor as good at various talents and chores, they are sincere and unpretentious. The Jiang mother-in-law and daughter-in-law can chat with them very well.

Seeing their mother and wife gradually integrating into the Northwest, brothers Jiang Xuyang and Jiang Wentao felt much more relieved.

She gradually buried her pain and helped Zhao Guangyuan take care of various affairs.

Since the Jiang brothers arrived in the northwest and brought many young talents with them, many families gradually sent their young talents to join the King of Yue.

This is a good sign.

For Zhao Guangyuan, the more people he has, the more noble families recognize him, and the fewer obstacles he will face in his plans. He welcomes all the talented people to come.

After the Jiang brothers helped to screen and recommend people to Zhao Guangyuan, he would retain them after assessment and place them in suitable positions.

The reputation of King Yue for knowing how to use people well gradually spread further and further.

When Zhao Guangyuan's Sihai Money House opened in the mutual market and began to implement the "borrow first and repay later" policy towards the State of Hu, the first batch of watermelons growing on the rocky ground were ripe.

When the first batch of melons were picked, the melon field was surrounded by people who had heard the news and rushed over.

The surrounding ridges of the fields were trampled so hard that there was no place to stand.

If it weren't for the large area of ​​melon fields owned by the King of Yue and the northwestern generals, the people who came to watch would have wanted to run and stand in the melon fields.

Wow, a miracle happened in the northwest! In this place where no one wants watermelons, the King of Yue managed to grow precious watermelons. Who would have believed this in the past? Was the King of Yue's hand blessed by a god?
Watermelons can now be grown in the Northwest!
Many people have never even heard of it, let alone eaten it!

Many Hu merchants from the Western Regions also crowded on the ridges of the fields early in the morning, licking their lips. Now that the sun is scorching, who wouldn't be looking forward to such a thirst-quenching artifact?

They also have winter melons in the Western Regions, but ordinary people can't eat them. Most of them are shared by nobles. And the winter melons in their Western Regions are not this big.

This melon must weigh at least 20 or 30 kilograms, right?

They stood on the stalks of the field, looking forward to it, wondering if the King of Yue would sell them a few grains so that they could buy them and rush back to their capital, hoping that they could use this opportunity to establish a relationship with the nobles and sell them for a good price.

Ji Changfeng was also in the melon field. He had traveled all over the country but had never eaten a watermelon.

Yunjing Mountain is in the northern mountains, where the temperature is comfortable all year round, even in summer it is not too hot, so this kind of thing does not grow. When I came out to explore, I had never seen watermelons anywhere else.

I have heard of Linggua, but the capital is a complicated place, and Ji Changfeng has deliberately avoided the capital in recent years and has never been there, so he has never eaten the famous Linggua.

Now, he heard that the watermelons grown by the King of Yue in the rocky ground could be picked, so he excitedly took his disciple Chang Zhi to the ground early in the morning.

The melon field was very lively. The three children of Jiang Xuyang's family, the three children of Lin Jingning's family, the legitimate and illegitimate children of County Magistrate Wu, and the children of the generals and captains were chattering loudly.

“The melons in my melon garden are the biggest!”

"Mine is the biggest! If you don't believe me, let's compare them later!"

"Let's compare! Your big one is not even cooked!"

"How can they not be ripe? The prince taught me how to tell the difference and I know it now. I just knocked them over and they are quite ripe. My father said we can pick at least two carts today!"

"My family can pick three carts! My dad said I can eat whatever I want!"

Jiang Xuyang's youngest daughter Zhiwu ignored the boys' quarrels and pulled Changzhi to ask if this one was cooked or that one was cooked. She then knocked on them one by one.

She held a big melon and refused to leave, insisting on taking it away, "Grandma, this, I want this! Wuer can't hold it."

The melon was longer than Zhiwu's calf, dark green, oblong, with thick and clear melon patterns. It looked like it weighed more than twenty kilograms.

Old Madam Jiang was invited by Lin Zhaoxia, and she excitedly followed him to the melon field. She had eaten mausoleum melons in the capital, and the Prince of Yue's Mansion often sent them to the Jiang Mansion, so her family had no shortage of melons to eat. But this was the first time she went to the melon field to select melons by herself.

Very interested. "Really? Awu's choice must be good. Let grandma take a look."

The grandfather and grandson squatted on the ground, touching and knocking, extremely seriously.

On the other side, the family of Magistrate Wu was also very serious. When Magistrate Wu's wife heard that Princess Yue and Princess Deyang had gone to the melon field, she also packed up and took her children to her own melon field.

When I got there, I found out that the prince was afraid that watermelons could not grow on the rocky land, so he generously gave away 100 acres of his own watermelon field!

Looking at the round watermelons lying in the watermelon field, they are so pleasing to the eye. Imagine how many more watermelons I would harvest if I had another 100 acres! How much more money I would get from selling them at the market!
Looking around the melon field, it was filled with high-nosed and deep-eyed Hu people. The wife of County Magistrate Wu was so distressed that she was crying.