Crazy at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Before supper, a series of ceremonies such as meeting with the Matron, serving tea and presenting gifts from the Matron went well.At least on the surface, they are polite and friendly.Seeing this situation, Wu Shigong was also slightly relieved.

But when it was time for dinner, Mammy Qiu became a monster again.She requested that according to the rules of the big family, only the head of the house and the mistress can eat at the main table, and all the concubines must stand aside to serve, and after the head of the house and the mistress have finished eating, they will go back to the house to eat.Of course, Mammy Qiu didn't do everything right. For Wu Shigong's children, she flexibly opened another table next to the main table and let them eat at that table at the same time.

At this time, Wu Shigong was holding back his anger.He knew that the rules that Madam Qiu said were true, and Wu Shigong was not a person who tried to challenge the ethical rules of the Ming Dynasty, but his heart was still in a panic.When Wu Shigong was a teenager, he was deeply impressed by the discrimination he suffered in Gongshunhou's residence, so Wu Shigong hated this kind of behavior from the bottom of his heart.

But Wu Shigong couldn't say no.There are no rules, no rules, and the same is true in the inner house.If Wu Shigong immediately refuted Qiu Mama's arrangement, he would not give Xue Yufei any face at all.Moreover, Wu Shigong's behavior will also send a wrong signal. His concubines, especially Li Xin, will probably rely on Wu Shigong's favor to challenge Xue Yufei's position as the wife.

It doesn't mention how much Xue Yufei's background can bring to Wu Shigong's career, nor does it mention the love that Yangwuhou's family gave Wu Shigong, let alone Wu Shigong's guilt for Xue Chenglin's lack of fatherly love since childhood.Just because of Wu Shigong's love for Xue Yufei, he couldn't do anything to shake Xue Yufei's position.

Therefore, Wu Shigong acquiesced to Madam Qiu's arrangement with great displeasure.But this meal was awkward, Wu Shigong's concubines lined up behind Wu Shigong and Xue Yufei.Dressed in Tsing Yi (that is, the clothes worn by servants), watching Wu Shigong and Xue Yufei eating.

Xue Yufei had a small appetite and quickly ran out of food.Zhu Yun, Mei Yun, and Xiu Zhu at the side quickly picked up the mouthwash tea and hot towels that the little maids had prepared a long time ago, and they were about to come forward to serve them.

But at this time, Mother Qiu stopped them again, and she said to Li Xin who was standing in the front row: "Aunt Li, it's your turn to serve now."

Li Xin's eyes turned red immediately, she looked at Wu Shigong's ashen face, waited for a while and realized that Wu Shigong didn't respond, and immediately felt a sore nose.She shed a string of tears, took the towel and walked to the table.

Feeling Li Xin approaching, Wu Shigong couldn't bear it anymore.He put half a bowl of rice in his hand on the table, threw the chopsticks on the table, and wanted to leave in a hurry.

Seeing Wu Shigong's expression changed.Xue Yufei also panicked, her eyes were also red.Under the table, he tightly grabbed Wu Shigong's trouser legs with his small hands.Don't let Wu Shigong leave.

Wu Shigong looked at Xue Yufei's lovely and pitiful face, and then at Li Xin's aggrieved face begging for help.As if his body lost his strength immediately, he let out a long sigh, picked up the rice bowl, stopped eating, and stuffed the rice into his mouth.

This welcome feast is really aggrieved!After dinner came to the study.Wu Shigong deeply reflected on his previous behavior: "It seems that it doesn't matter if you gather more wild flowers outside in the future, but you should pay attention to taking in women!"

Deng Qifan and Xue Yongli had been waiting in the study for a long time. Seeing Wu Shigong's arrival, they immediately stood up and saluted.Wu Shigong also returned the gift and exchanged some pleasantries, and after driving out all the serving maids, the three of them began to discuss secretly.

After finishing the polite talk, Wu Shigong straightforwardly described the military reform plan he had envisioned in Dengzhou.Then he asked, "What do Mr. Deng and Uncle Yongli think about this plan?"

Of course, Xue Yongli didn't have any opinions. Any method of expanding the strength of the army would be beneficial to Xue Yongli, the second in command of the Runing Army.

And Deng Qifan pointed out one point embarrassingly: "My lord, with such an expansion, and with the high salary of the Runing Army, the students are afraid that they will not have enough money!"

Wu Shigong raised his eyebrows, and asked a little strangely: "Didn't I tell Mr. Deng just now that this time I brought back property worth nearly 20 taels of silver from Denglai, of which there are more than 4 taels of silver?" Two, plus the savings at home, how could it not be enough?"

So Deng Qifan began to introduce the current financial situation of the Runing Army to Wu Shigong in detail.Now Wu Shigong's stall is too big.The first is Tuntian.At that time, Wu Shigong's idea was very good, and he also harvested a certain amount of food through the organization of drought resistance, but after all, people are not as good as God, and no one thought that there had been a severe drought for three consecutive years.

And after the spring of this year, it showed the appearance of severe drought throughout the year, so although the Runing Army bought fields at a low price, many victims even brought their fields to the Runing Army for free, making the current Runing Army's farmland Another [-] to [-] mu have been expanded.The number of new refugee victims increased by [-] to [-].

However, the food relief for these new refugee victims, as well as the manpower and material resources invested in the wasteland that needs to be reclaimed and drought-resistant, even caused the Runing Army to lose a little money.If the Runing Army hadn't spent a lot of money to buy Huguang's grain through Tang Liu's Cao Gang, the Runing Army's own grain supply might also have problems.

The cost of the military is still huge.The construction of a series of fortresses and stockades; the development, manufacture and equipment of new ordnance; the purchase of horses; the increase in military pay after recruits became veterans, caused Chongzhen's military expenditure to soar by nearly [-]% in five years.If it weren't for He Fei and the others seeking their own financial resources in Nanyang, the military expenditure of the Runing Army would have been even higher.

The income of salt goods has also dropped by nearly [-]% due to the fleeing of a large number of refugees.However, with the cheap salt goods that Wu Shigong obtained from the Denglai New Salt Field, this situation of declining income will improve.

Although the iron ore and iron material workshops have been put into operation, these two workshops have taken up a lot of investment and silver from the Runing Army.In modern terms: a lot of money was spent, expensive fixed assets were built, and a lot of working capital was taken.

Of course, as long as iron ore and iron workshops are produced on a large scale, they will become two hens that can lay golden eggs.But all of this takes time.

The only bright spot is the Four Seas Commercial Bank.Due to the firmness of food stamps, the food stamps issued by Sihai Commercial Bank have established a high reputation among the people.Therefore, many people began to be willing to store food stamps and buy goods in the warehouses opened by Sihai Commercial Bank.This also greatly increased the income of the Four Seas Commercial Bank, and also added a lot of semicolons.However, compared to the expenditure of the Runing Army, the income of the Four Seas Trading Company cannot fill so much of the gap.

So the crux of the problem is that, in fact, the Runing Army only needs to support it for two years. After two years, the Runing Army can completely achieve self-sufficiency.But in order to be self-sufficient in the future, the current Runing Army has to invest a lot of money.Coupled with the expansion of the Runing Army proposed by Wu Shigong this time, the money is really not enough!

Deng Qifan also told Wu Shigong a question.There is another reason why the money was spent so hard this time.Because Wu Shigong would bring back a large amount of property every time he went on an expedition in the past, so the top and bottom of the Runing Army had a kind of blind trust in Wu Shigong.

They thought that their lord would definitely be able to make a lot of war money this time, so the Runing Army spent a lot of money.And because of the secrecy, the actual financial situation of the Runing Army is only known to a few high-level core members like Deng Qifan.When Deng Qifan and the others saw that the expenses of the Runing Army were not right and wanted to step on the brakes, a lot of the saved money had been wasted.

But now if Wu Shigong wants to tighten the money immediately, it is likely to cause doubts and panic, and the most terrifying thing is to cause a series of chain reactions, causing the Runing Army to completely collapse.So Deng Qifan begged Wu Shigong to be cautious.

After hearing all this, Wu Shigong shook his head helplessly.He didn't expect that the huge gains he had made from several expeditions had caused his army to develop a bad habit of being extravagant.

But in any case, the expansion of the Runing Army cannot be changed this time, nor can the increase in the strength of the Runing Army be changed.But how to overcome the immediate financial difficulties?It still needs a long-term plan.Anyway, with the cash Wu Shigong brought back from Dengzhou, there should be no shortage of cash in the Runing Army in a short time.

So Wu Shigong asked another question he was concerned about: "How about the new iron mine that He Fei and the others robbed?"

Deng Qifan immediately introduced the new iron mine again.However, it is similar to what Deng Qifan wrote in the long letter to Wu Shigong at that time.But in the end, Deng Qifan reported to Wu Shigong: "After the mine supervisor Ye learned the news that the lord is coming back, he came to the camp every day to wait for the lord to return. If the camp didn't allow outsiders to enter, maybe he would have to sleep in the lord's door." It’s outside his house. But now he lives in the city of Runing Mansion, and he sends people several times every day.”

Wu Shigong smiled and said: "It is absolutely impossible to return this iron ore to him. But it can give him some benefits. The power of the eunuchs in the palace is not ordinary. This time, I almost suffered a big loss. If it weren't for Lord Hou's help, this fate would be really unimaginable! I won't say much. I just came back, I'll take a rest for a few days, and send someone to send my post to the mine supervisor Ye and tell him Say, I will visit him in person in a few days."

After hesitating for a while, Deng Qifan still said to Wu Shigong: "My lord, the students are still thinking of some ways to save money, I hope your lord will make a decision!"

Deng Qifan's words immediately made Xue Yongli's eyes round. (To be continued..)