The Ming Dynasty’s Prodigal Son - Chapter 1277

[1277. Chapter 1216 Talent]

Fang Jifan was so frightened that he entered the palace when he heard that there was a lot of commotion in the palace.

However, since it was a matter between father and son, Fang Jifan deliberately slowed down his pace when he arrived at the Meridian Gate.

We need to give the father and son enough time to communicate. How can we join in the fun? If we go in a hurry, we may cause obstacles to their communication.

By the time he arrived at Fengtian Hall, he found that the sparks of friction between father and son had gradually cooled down.

Zhu Houzhao was covered in bruises, his eyes widened, and he looked unconvinced.

Emperor Hongzhi was still furious and glared at Zhu Houzhao.

Fang Jifan breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that although His Majesty was still angry, he had gradually lost his temper.

Fang Jifan then stepped forward and saluted: “I have seen your Majesty. Ah, His Majesty the Crown Prince, what’s going on?”

Zhu Houzhao shook his head: “Huh, ask him!”

Fang Jifan laughed sarcastically, but he did not dare to ask.

Emperor Hongzhi sat down. This was a good beating, like a gust of wind and rain, and the beating was quite enjoyable. But this guy really had hardened wings. After the beating, he still dared to contradict him.

It’s absolutely infuriating.

When he met Fang Jifan at this moment, Emperor Hongzhi didn’t look good. He said angrily: “Jifan, do you know what is the crime of slandering Taizu Emperor Gao?”

Fang Jifan said without hesitation: “In reply to Your Majesty’s words, slander Taizu Taizu Emperor Zugao committed a heinous crime of disrespect, which is tantamount to conspiracy and sins against the three clans.”

Emperor Hongzhi felt instantly relieved, but his face was still solemn, and he snorted from the corner of his mouth: “Then, What if the prince is disrespectful?”

Fang Jifan said awkwardly: “The prince is the prince of the country, he is still young, and he is still a child…”

When he said this, Fang Jifan subconsciously blushed slightly: “I think, of course, your majesty forgives the prince. Your Highness.”

Emperor Hongzhi squinted, with a fierce look in his eyes, and asked coldly: “So, what if you, Fang Jifan, also slandered Emperor Gao?”

“What?” Fang Jifan looked at Zhu Houzhao, damn. Zhu, you sold me.

Zhu Houzhao groaned, still looking unconvinced. Seeing Fang Jifan looking at him, he rolled his eyes at Fang Jifan and said loudly: “Look at what I do, I will betray my brother, I just said “Father, why should you hit me? Fang Jifan and the others have already said this!”

Fang Jifan: “…”

Fang Jifan looked at Emperor Hongzhi’s face carefully.

But he saw that Emperor Hongzhi was really furious.

To deceive one’s master and destroy one’s ancestors is something that cannot be tolerated by nature.

Even as the new learning began to gain prominence, even the emperor agreed with these propositions.

But that doesn’t mean you guys can be so presumptuous.

You were addicted to talking, but you didn’t expect the seriousness behind it. He was suddenly speechless. What a bunch of scammers!

Fortunately, Fang Jifan came to his senses immediately and said to Emperor Hongzhi: “Your Majesty,

I did not slander Emperor Taizu Gao.” Emperor Hongzhi said angrily: “No, is it the prince who lied?”

Fang Jifan said with a smile: “Son. I am indeed bold. I commented on Emperor Taizu Gao, saying that Emperor Taizu Gao killed many powerful people.”

Emperor Hongzhi frowned as he touched the case.

It is also true that during the reign of Emperor Taizu Gao, many people were implicated. However, the problem is that Emperor Hongzhi, as the descendant of Emperor Taizu Gao, naturally did not want to mention this matter. This is called hiding shame. However, Emperor Hongzhi also knew that these deeds were extremely bad in the eyes of many civil servants and scholars. Although everyone did not dare to say it openly, there were many complaints in their hearts.

Now you, Fang Jifan, don’t open any of the pots. What does this mean?

Fang Jifan couldn’t help but explain.

“What I said to His Highness the Crown Prince is that when Emperor Taizu Gao was here, the world had already experienced decades of war, and the Yuan people were tyrannical, so that the people’s livelihood was withered and the people were in poverty. Because of this, Emperor Taizu Gao ruled the world. , in order to recuperate, put an end to extravagance, learn from the mistakes of the Meng Yuan, restrain merchants, and eliminate waste, there is nothing wrong with this measure.”

He paused, then continued with a serious look.

“During the Yuan Dynasty, the Mongols were quite laissez-faire towards merchants, especially returning merchants. When they encountered disaster years, they would unite with the gentry, hoard goods, annex land, and stock their homes with silk and satin. There are thousands of servants, countless treasures, rotting in their warehouses, but ordinary people have to bear heavy corvee labor. When a natural disaster occurs, they will lose everything and eventually become slaves. This is why, There is no reason why the stone man with one eye jumped in the Yellow River and the whole world rebelled.

Because of this, Emperor Taizu had a deep aversion to hoarding goods and speculating. Therefore, he learned from the experience of the fall of the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty. It’s a bit too much force.”

Fang Jifan looked at Emperor Hongzhi with his peripheral vision. Seeing that Emperor Hongzhi was listening carefully, he slowly said: “But at this time and at that time, the world needs to resume production and the people need to settle down. , to reclaim wasteland. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with advocating diligence and thrift. But now, it is different from the past. Nine times out of ten, the wealth in the world is in the hands of merchants. The merchants are now doubtful. Take it out, Your Majesty, now there are tens of millions of people who rely on a large number of projects and workshops to make a living. If the merchants don’t use their money to expand production, don’t invest, and are afraid of spending money, they should learn from it. Diligent and frugal, then… do the people in this world have anything to do? The needs of the people are extremely simple, just to have food to eat…”

“In The Wealth of Nations, Liu Wenshan, a student of Erchen, once mentioned something called ‘domestic demand’. That is to say, production comes from demand. When there is demand, there is production. In the production process, recruitment is needed. Manpower needs to distribute money and food to craftsmen and apprentices, and the goods produced are purchased by people in need, but the money flows into the hands of another merchant, and at the same time, it also flows into the hands of many craftsmen and apprentices. …The current situation is to keep money flowing. The faster it flows, the more people can get a share of the money and not be deprived of food and clothing.”

“The past events of Emperor Taizu Gao. , indeed gave birth to doubts among the merchants. They were afraid of revealing their wealth and worried that one day their wealth would bring disaster to themselves. Therefore, although they initially took risks and made large profits, once their wealth was At a certain stage, they became cautious. They began to imitate the gentry and wanted to hide their huge wealth. If this continues, it would be bad. “

“Therefore, the biggest problem at the moment is to solve it .

We must reverse the practices of Emperor Taizu Gao’s time, let merchants feel at ease, and boldly expose their wealth, and create a trend. Only in this way can we avoid causing terrible problems. “

Emperor Hongzhi. I know this in my heart.

He has read The Wealth of Nations several times.

He also asked Liu Wenshan many times.

In The Wealth of Nations, one of the most terrifying enemies is that money cannot flow. Once it cannot flow, a large number of workshops will lose demand and will close down one after another. Countless craftsmen will lose their livelihoods as a result.

Emperor Hongzhi just said: “So that’s it, this time and that time, yes, the Qing family said it very well. In this way, at present, our Ming Dynasty is urgent. Do we have to let those merchants take out the money?”

Fang Jifan said with a smile .

“Your Majesty, that’s right. Otherwise, stagflation is very likely to occur. By then, I’m afraid it will be a disaster.”

Emperor Hongzhi became cautious. He looked at the case, feeling helpless in his heart. He stared at Fang Jifan seriously with his eyes.

Fang Jifan understood Emperor Hongzhi’s heart very well.

As an emperor, it is easy to kill people, but it is even more difficult to ask people to pay for them.

Among the emperors of the Ming Dynasty, there were really few examples of people who could teach people to pay money obediently and still succeed.

Historically, Emperor Chongzhen once borrowed money from his ministers. At that time, the court was facing internal and external troubles, and the world was about to be in danger, but the ministers still spread their hands and had no money.

Although when King Chuang entered the capital, countless wealth was confiscated from the homes of these ministers who claimed to have no money.

But based on this, it can be roughly understood that even as the emperor, Emperor Hongzhi was limited in what he could do.

Emperor Hongzhi looked at Fang Jifan for a while and then said: “Jifan is planning ahead for a rainy day. It’s really a plan for the country.”

Zhu Houzhao was very angry: “My son said so too.”

“Shut up!” Emperor Hongzhi looked at him angrily. .

Zhu Houzhao was still not convinced, and continued to chirp and babble: “That’s what I said… Emperor Taizu Gao scared people… Am I wrong?”

Emperor Hongzhi sighed: “Then “Jifan, what do you think of this matter?”

He knew very well the horror of this matter.

Once the scene described by Fang Jifan happens, tens of millions of people in the Gyeonggi area alone will lose their livelihoods and become refugees again. And if someone provokes it, then… this country and the country will be completely in their own hands. In my hands, it was a mess.

Of course, that’s just the worst-case scenario.

Fang Jifan said: “So, I invited a talent to come to the capital to reverse this trend.”

“Talent?” Emperor Hongzhi was stunned and looked at Fang Jifan.

“This man’s name is Deng Jian!”

Deng Jian…

Emperor Hongzhi thought about it for a long time, but still had no impression of this strange name.

By the way…this man doesn’t look like a well-known person. He should have never been an official, and he is not a great Confucian.

Fang Jifan said: “He has always been a slave in the son’s house.”

The slave… the servant…

Emperor Hongzhi took a breath of cold air.

For such a big matter, you, Fang Jifan, hired a servant from your family to handle it?

Fang Jifan said: “Three generations of his ancestors have been slaves in my son’s house, and he has special talents. My son is thinking that this matter is of great importance. It might be feasible to leave such a big responsibility to him!”

(End of chapter)