If I fail to overcome the tribulation, I can only return to the Ming Dynasty and become a prince.

Chapter 57 10 million taels of silver

"Your Highness, those merchants promised to give you 10 taels of silver to help you build the dock." Yang Pu, who had reached an agreement with the merchants, reported to Zhu Zhanyu with a happy face.

10 taels of silver was not a small sum in the early Ming Dynasty. After all, this was real free money, not something that was hard to wipe your ass with like a treasure note.

However, in Zhu Zhanchun's view, 10 taels is actually a bit too little.

This is not because he was taught by those mindless TV series and thinks that tens of thousands of taels of silver is just a small amount.

You must know that this was the early Ming Dynasty, and the purchasing power of silver was still exaggerated. 10 taels of silver was almost equivalent to a year's tax in some poorer provinces.

Although the Ming Dynasty's treasury revenue during the Yongle period could reach 3000 to [-] million taels, a large part of it was contributed by Jianghuai and other places, which was an important source of fiscal revenue for the Ming Dynasty.

It can even be said that the financial difficulties in the middle and late Ming Dynasty had something to do with the fact that after Emperor Yongle moved the capital to Beijing, the imperial court gradually lost control of the south, resulting in the inability to raise taxes in the Jiangnan region.

During the Jiajing period, the Jiangnan region resisted taxes, but even Hai Rui couldn't collect them.

Of course, the taxes in the middle and late Ming Dynasty were indeed heavy, and the oppression and exploitation of the common people can be said to be quite exaggerated. It is meaningless to simply accuse the Jiangnan region of resisting taxes.

However, this can indeed reflect the prosperity of the Jiangnan region from the side.

It has been spread in later generations that businessmen in Jiangnan, Huaihe and other places could not be called rich if they had a fortune of 50 guan, but only [-] guan could be called middle-rich, and those with a million guan could be called extremely rich.

Although it is a bit exaggerated, for businessmen in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, 10 taels was indeed not a large amount.

Even now in the early Ming Dynasty, these businessmen were still very wealthy.

"How did the merchants entertain you last night?" Zhu Zhanjuan looked at Yang Pu and had no idea about the 10 taels of silver. He just asked about the specifications of the merchants' entertainment to Yang Pu last night.

Yang Pu was a little confused about this, but he still replied: "The salt merchants from Lianghuai chartered a flower boat on the Qinhuai River, invited an oiran, and set up a table of first-class banquets. There were several merchants. My boss will keep me company."

Hearing Yang Pu's answer, Zhu Zhanjun couldn't help but laugh. Yang Pu was a little confused when he laughed, so he explained to him: "It costs at least 100 taels of silver to charter a flower boat on the Qinhuai River. The minimum for an oiran. A few hundred taels, or even a thousand taels for a well-known person, and a table of fine dishes also costs at least tens to hundreds of taels.

It can be said that the expense they spent on entertaining you, Mr. Yang, last night was enough for us to build a pier outside Dinghuai Gate. Do you still think 10 taels is a lot? "

"These businessmen are so rich?" Yang Pu was a little surprised. He is not yet in a high position, and he has a bit of scholarly arrogance towards businessmen. He has not learned about it in detail, so he suddenly heard that just entertaining him last night was enough. Spending thousands of taels of silver really surprised Yang Pu.

Calculated based on his salary, 1000 taels of silver was already Yang Pu's entire salary for ten years as an official. This also required the court to give him silver, rather than offset it in kind, or simply issue treasure notes.

It is conceivable that 10 taels is still quite significant for an official like Yang Pu.It can even be said that if Yang Pu was an honest official and did not engage in corruption or bribery, he would never be able to earn 10 taels of silver in his lifetime.

Especially now in the Yongle period, the purchasing power of silver is much stronger than in the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, and 10 taels of silver is indeed not that small.

You must know that Zhu Zhanquan was ordered to train troops. The total budget given by the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of War was only 8 taels of silver, and this was considered to be generous. Most of it was converted into various materials and supplies. It was not true that Zhu Zhanquan was given 8 taels of silver.

But just one entertainment can cost thousands of taels of silver. It is nonsense to say that these businessmen cannot afford more silver.

Therefore, after Zhu Zhanjun asked Yang Pu about how the merchants entertained him, he felt that these merchants were underpaid.

However, he was not the kind of person who would squeeze out the oil whenever he caught a toad. He just waved his hand casually and said: "I will accept the 10 taels of silver. The construction of this wharf will not be done by the Ministry of Industry. Let these businessmen I will build it myself, calculate the cost to them according to the market price, and then use the money to pay for it. Mr. Yang, please work hard and help me keep an eye on this matter.

After the dock was built, the revenue generated would go directly to the account of our health center. I went back to my grandfather to ask for a favor. Our health center had no land, so this wharf was a source of money and food. "

"Please rest assured, Your Highness, Yang Pu will live up to his trust." Yang Pu happily accepted the job.

Although supervising the construction of the wharf is not an easy job, it is also a good opportunity for Yang Pu to show his abilities. Not to mention letting Zhu Zhanchen remember him, if he does well, the prince behind Zhu Zhanchen Like the emperor, he can see his abilities.

"I can rest assured that Mr. Yang will do his job, but you don't need to treat those businessmen too harshly. Ask them later if they have anything to ask of me, and I will do whatever I can to them, as long as it does not violate the laws of the Ming Dynasty." Zhu Zhanjuan said casually. Then, after thinking for a while, he added to Yang Pu: "In addition, Mr. Yang, ask the businessmen to recommend a few representatives, and you take them to see my mother."

"Take them to see the Crown Princess? What is your Highness's intention?" Yang Pu couldn't understand Zhu Zhanchen's operation, so he really couldn't understand why the businessman went to see the Crown Princess.

After all, Zhu Zhanquan didn't even ask for a cent of the 10 taels offered by the merchants. Yang Pu didn't believe that he was trying to plunder the money of these merchants.

As for the East Palace wanting to do this, it is even more impossible. Whenever Zhu Gaochi has such an idea, he will not directly ask the businessman to meet the princess so conspicuously, but will use more covert means.

Faced with Yang Pu's doubts, Zhu Zhanjun explained: "Since my grandmother died of illness in the fifth year of Yongle, there have been vacancies in the harem. My mother is in charge of the affairs of the harem, and my mother is also responsible for the purchases in this palace. , and gained my grandfather’s trust over the years.

It's just that the funds in the palace are limited, and grandpa is not a luxury person, so it is inevitable that some gossip will spread.

These businessmen are willing to pay to repair the pier, just because they want to get protection from me. Let them go to see my mother, which can be regarded as relieving my mother's worries, and these businessmen have also received blessings and benefits, right? "

"His Highness has far-reaching plans, and Yang Pu admires them." After listening to Zhu Zhancheng's explanation, Yang Pu also had to admire Zhu Zhancheng's ideas.

However, after explaining, Zhu Zhanjun added: "Remember to remind those merchants that the things supplied to the palace must be genuine. If they are found to be shoddy and falsely reported, let them buy their own bags of arsenic and rice." After eating, let’s go on the road together as a family.”

(End of this chapter)