After the banquet, Sanniangzi returned to Honglu Temple. There was nothing else for her to do here. She could pack up and prepare to return to Hua City.
After bidding farewell to the Emperor, she could leave.
After the banquet, Zhu Yijun directly returned to the inner palace. There was still a woman waiting for him there.
Since he had taken Tsetseg into the inner palace, Zhu Yijun naturally wouldn't leave her aside.
The red candles in the palace were still very bright. Zhu Yijun looked at the slender and elegant Tsetseg and a smile appeared on his face. He reached out to hold her hand. Zhu Yijun could clearly feel her hand tremble.
"Do you know how to speak Daming?" Zhu Yijun wrapped his arm around Tsetseg's waist and asked with a smile.
Tsetseg's body froze and she said hesitantly: "A little."
In reality, Tsetseg's family wasn't Wala nobility so she didn't know how to speak Daming. He had learned these simple words along the way.
Even though he didn't understand the words, some things didn't need to be spoken.
Reaching out to pull Tsetseg onto the bed, Zhu Yijun smiled as he caressed Tsetseg's body and then closed the curtains.
Early the next morning, Zhu Yijun didn't get up early. He was slightly tired from last night.
Mongolian women were different from Han women. Their bodies were strong, possibly because they rode horses all day, their resistance to impact was very good.
Zhu Yijun had enjoyed himself to the fullest this night. Tsetseg wanted to get up but Zhu Yijun smiled and held her down.
With Zhang Jing's help, she put on her clothes. Zhu Yijun ordered Zhang Jing: "The person sent to serve Gong Fei has to be smart. Don't let zhen hear any nonsense, otherwise, I will hold you responsible."
"Old Slave understands!" Zhang Jing hurriedly bowed and replied: "Imperial Majesty, do not worry."
Even though Zhu Yijun's inner palace was very harmonious right now and Empress Wang was the most favored, but in a place like the inner palace, there would be many things.
A Wa woman like Tsetseg who suddenly appeared might be bullied.
Zhu Yijun wanted to protect Tsetseg, not because he was satisfied last night, but because it was a political necessity.
After hearing Zhang Jing's answer, Zhu Yijun nodded with satisfaction. While Zhang Jing was serving them breakfast, Zhu Yijun asked, "What's the matter today?"
"In reply to the Imperial Majesty, a memorial has been sent to the northwest again. The scope of the drought there has expanded, with Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces being the most severely affected." Zhang Jing said, "The governors of the three provinces have requested the imperial court to reduce taxes."
Shanxi and Shaanxi. Hearing these two places, Zhu Yijun felt a headache coming on.
These two places were very famous at the end of the Ming Dynasty. The drought had been on and off since then, and it would only get worse in the next few decades.
This wave of Daming was not going to be easy to resist. After hearing this news, Zhu Yijun did not even have the mood to eat breakfast.
"What's the constitution of the cabinet?" Zhu Yijun glanced at Zhang Jing and asked.
"In reply to the Imperial Majesty, the cabinet wants to reduce the taxes of Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces by 50%," Zhang Jing said quickly.
50%?
Zhu Yijun nodded. He also knew that this 50% was just a piece of news. They could not reduce it all at once. Otherwise, what would they do in the future? Leaving 50% for the next reduction.
Anyway, they could not count on collecting taxes from Shanxi and Shaanxi this year. "Let's do as the cabinet says!"
"Is there anything else?"
"In reply to the Imperial Majesty, Li Zhonghang has returned to the capital," Zhang Jing replied.
Li Zhonghang is back?
"Summon him to the palace!" Zhu Yijun said after thinking for a while.
In fact, many of the problems of Daming had existed for a long time. Two of them were the salt administration and the water transportation.
This time, the salt administration in Yangzhou had opened up the situation. With Cao Yikui behind it, it would not be a big problem.
As for the water transportation, this was the next problem that Zhu Yijun had to solve.
The cost of water transportation was more than ten times higher than sea transportation. However, there were too many people who relied on water transportation to make a living.
Whether it was the rich merchants or grain carriers along the way, compared to the salt merchants, these people were harder to deal with.
However, the drawbacks of water transportation were too big. The cost of water transportation was borne by the grain merchants, including the freight, transport of grain for the army, and repair of ships. They were all levied according to the consumption of grain.
Due to the corruption of the water administration, all levels of officials were corrupt and amassing money. There were many factions that increased consumption. The burden on the farmers was extremely heavy. Usually, it was two to three times, even four to five times, of the normal grain.
Whether it was civilian transportation or military transportation, the carriers had to do heavy labor.
The farmers were hired to do labor. During the famine, they abandoned their businesses. They were in a difficult situation. Then, they were swept away by the storm and extorted by the officials. They were bound to be in debt or even have their families destroyed.
However, once the water transportation involved the whole body, the slightest carelessness could cause trouble, a big mess of several hundred thousand.
Once it was used or encouraged by others, then it was over.
This was also the reason why Zhu Yijun established the Daming Shipping Company. He wanted to turn the Grand Canal into a trade route.
When the goods from Jiangnan to the northwest increased, the profits increased. The pressure on the grain transportation by sea would not be as big.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs in Yangzhou had already opened up shop. All that was left was the northwest. Making the northwest bigger was what Zhu Yijun wanted.
Although Zhu Yijun had only taken down Wala, it had also opened up a gap.
The Daming goods could be sold to the north through Wala. It had to be known that there were Zakarkha tribes in the north.
The northwest was the opportunity that Zhu Yijun wanted, an opportunity to revitalize the overall situation.
When Li Zhonghang entered the palace, it was already late. Zhu Yijun had also approved many memorials. When he saw Li Zhonghang enter, he put down the memorials in his hands, stretched his body, and waved his hand to indicate that Li Zhonghang did not need to stand on ceremony.
"You did well in Yangzhou. I am very pleased," Zhu Yijun said with a smile.
"Thanks to Your Majesty's great blessing, I was fortunate enough to not fail you!" Li Zhonghang hurriedly said.
"Meritorious service must be rewarded. I am not a muddle-headed emperor. I have already sent people to prepare a reward for you. After this matter in the northwest is over, I will give you the title of Baron." As he said this, Zhu Yijun's expression became serious again. "Have you gone to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to see Mao?"
Hearing this news, Li Zhonghang immediately became excited. He hurriedly said, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
After thanking the emperor, Li Zhonghang said, "I have gone to see it. It is really good stuff. The sweater knitted from that wool is really good stuff."
Sweater. This was the way that Zhu Yijun had found for the Daming women.
What was the representative of a small peasant economy?
Men farmed and women weaved. Men farmed and women weaved. These two main activities represented the main source of income for a family.
If one of them was gone, half of the family would collapse.
With the development of the textile industry, there would inevitably be many women who could not weave for a living.
However, it didn't matter. They could change to knitting sweaters. They could do it at home. Zhu Yijun was prepared to vigorously promote sweaters and trousers.
Not to mention other things, keeping warm in the Daming army had always been a problem. The cost of fur coats was too high. It was not something that soldiers could afford to wear.
As for cotton-padded clothing, cotton had always been planted. Cotton textiles were also very developed. For example, Songjiang cloth.
However, cotton took up farmland. The imperial court had always been restricting the large-scale planting of cotton.
There was already not enough food to eat. If cotton was planted, there would be even less land to grow food.
After Daming, there would be even less food. There was no need to think about cotton-padded clothing.
The advantages of sweater and trousers were highlighted. Coupled with woolen gloves, it was very warm.
Sweater and trousers on the inside and a woolen coat on the outside could solve a large part of the problem of keeping warm.
If Zhu Yijun wanted to purchase a large number of sweater and trousers, then many women could rely on this to earn money.
This was also a way to stimulate domestic demand. The commoners in Daming were too poor. Some of them had never even seen silver in their entire lives.
Without money, where would the purchasing power come from? If it wasn't for the lack of money, Zhu Yijun was prepared to build roads.
In the future, infrastructure construction would always be a good way for the government to stimulate domestic demand. The commoners would definitely not be willing to do it. However, if the government gave them money, they would be willing to do it. However, Zhu Yijun didn't have money.
He didn't even have a place to borrow money. However, this time, Zhu Yijun was prepared to make a fortune.
Thinking of money, Zhu Yijun suddenly thought of something. He asked Li Zhonghang: "Li, how much silver did you bring back this time?"
Li Zhonghang went to Yangzhou to sell his salt works. Although it was only 10 years of management rights, it was still a lot of silver!
Adding on the Daming's shipping and the store's joining fee, it was a lot of money!
Li Zhonghang quickly said: "Your Majesty, this time, I earned a total of 7,800,000 taels of silver in Yangzhou."
"The salt works earned 3,800,000 taels of silver, the shipping was 2,200,000 taels of silver, and the salt shop earned 1,800,000 taels of silver.
The salt works earned 3,800,000 taels of silver. According to Your Majesty's decree, the Daming royal bank was given 2,000,000 taels of silver. "
"Two million two hundred and twenty taels of silver have been transferred to them."
"The salt shop earned 1,800,000 taels of silver and the salt works earned 1,800,000 taels of silver. A total of 3,600,000 taels of silver was escorted to the capital by me."
Zhu Yijun looked at Li Zhonghang and asked: "With so much silver, the price of salt won't skyrocket, right?"
"Your Majesty, it won't. Compared to before, it will drop by 20%." Li Zhonghang quickly replied.
Zhu Yijun sighed. In reality, he also knew why the price would drop. It was because this money was squeezed out from the Honours, relatives, and members of the royal family.
In the past, it was impossible for salt merchants to directly obtain salt permits. They had to go through the hands of the Honours and relatives.
The salt permits that the Honours and relatives produced were all sold to the salt merchants at a high price.
The silver that Zhu Yijun produced, to put it bluntly, was previously given to the Honours and relatives by the salt merchants.
Now that this money had been taken away by Zhu Yijun, and it was even less than before, the price of salt could drop by 20%.
However, the Honours and relatives had suffered heavy losses this time. They had directly lost a large source of income.
Zhu Yijun had used the Hejian Prefecture case to attack Count Xining's estate. This time, the Honours and relatives didn't make a fuss. However, just intimidating them wasn't enough. Using both carrot and stick was the way of the king!
Rapping on the table, Zhu Yijun looked at Li Zhonghang.
"Regarding the matter of the woolen mill, we have told you, right?" Zhu Yijun looked at Li Zhonghang and asked.
"Yes, Your Majesty has!" Li Zhonghang nodded.