I'm really not doing business

Chapter 579: The Road to Opening Up Half-County and Half-County

Shi Maohua's memorial was extremely bold, even somewhat presumptuous.

In the memorial, Shi Maohua criticized three generations of emperors, Taizong, Renzong, and Xuanzong. He criticized Renzong and Xuanzong mainly for the issue of lost territory. After all, these two had advocated strategic contraction since the Yongle period. Expanding territory would only bring heavy burdens and would not bring actual benefits. This was the starting point of the actuarial trend.

The criticism of Emperor Taizong Wen was particularly surprising to Zhu Yijun, because in Shi Maohua's view, Emperor Taizong seriously underestimated the cost of ruling Annan, which was a strategic mistake. He further criticized that the Thirteen Departments of Jiaozhi were the product of Emperor Taizong Wen's vanity.

The Ming Dynasty's attack on Annan during the Yongle period was an accident. To be specific, it was the Prime Minister of Annan, Le Qui Ly, who killed the king and proclaimed himself emperor. The old king's grandson, Chen Tianping, went to the capital to file a complaint. The Ming Dynasty sent troops to escort Chen Tianping back to Annan to succeed as king. Le Qui Ly ambushed the 5,000 escorting troops. As a result, the Ming Dynasty had no choice but to use military force against Annan.

This was a series of surprises. Before the conquest, the Ming court had never thought about what to do with Annan. After the conquest, whether to make it a county or to garrison it with dukes and grant them fiefs like in Yunnan, or to admonish Annan and then return to the court to let Annan decide for itself? They had not thought about it at all.

Amid the ongoing civil unrest in Annan, Emperor Wen's attitude was wavering, and he kept wavering between suppression and maintaining the status quo.

This kind of indecision is reflected in the fact that the Thirteen Departments of Jiaozhi of the Ming Dynasty were initially managed by officials sent by the Ming Dynasty. Later, in addition to the provincial governor, local officials were used, that is, hereditary chieftains. Later, Le Loi, the first king of the Le Viet usurper dynasty, was a local official used by the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Di's strategic focus was on the north. Whether it was moving the capital or personally leading the Northern Expedition, all of them demonstrated this focus. Then the security war in Annan became an unhealable wound. Since taking over Annan and changing it into the Thirteen Divisions of Jiaozhi, Zhu Di's attitude has always been in a state of wanting to lie down but unable to. From the rough decision of the initial attack to the wavering decision of changing the officials into local officials, he underestimated the cost at the beginning.

The high cost of ruling made the imperial court spend more than it earned. During the Xuande period, the Ming Dynasty was defeated in the Battle of Jiaozhi, and it was too late to recover.

The Ming Dynasty is now facing the same problem as it reopens the Western Regions. The Ming Dynasty's focus is on opening up the sea. Although the strategy of developing both land and sea is always mentioned, the sea and land also have their emphases. The Ming Dynasty's current focus is on opening up the sea.

Therefore, since reopening the Western Regions is imperative, we cannot underestimate the difficulty of reopening it. This is something that requires continuous large investments. Even the profits from opening up the sea may not be enough.

"What Shi Bu Tang said is absolutely right." Zhu Yijun attached great importance to this memorial. Reopening the Western Regions was not something that could be taken for granted. The Ming Dynasty needed the Western Regions, and the Western Regions also needed the Ming Dynasty. Reopening the Western Regions was imperative.

Before reopening the Western Regions, we must make adequate preparations. The past is past, and the Thirteen Divisions of Jiaozhi have in fact separated from the Ming Dynasty. This is an established fact. We must learn lessons from history instead of avoiding it because of the tragedy of history.

"In addition to the rough and wavering decision-making, Emperor Chengzu Wen actually faces another problem, that is, there is no one available." Shi Maohua said solemnly: "Huang Fu alone is not enough."

Shi Maohua talked in detail about Emperor Chengzu Wen's lack of anyone available.

During the Hongwu period, after Chang Yuchun died, Li Wenzhong could take over. After Li Wenzhong died, Feng Sheng could take over. After Xu Da died and Feng Sheng was demoted, Lan Yu could take over. After Lan Yu went to the North, Fu Youde could conquer the South. Even after Fu Youde left the South, there was still Mu Ying who could suppress the Southwest.

However, the only person Emperor Taizong Wen could use was Zhang Fu. He needed Zhang Fu in both the Northern Expedition and the Southern Expedition. Apart from Zhang Fu, there were almost no military figures who could stand on their own during the Yongle period. The decline of talent doomed Zhang Fu to be unable to carry out the work alone. In the party struggles in the early years of the Zhengtong period, Zhang Fu was forced by the Three Yangs to the point where he could not attend court.

The lack of anyone available was probably the biggest reason why Zhu Di was wavering on the issue of Jiaozhi.

"The Tang general's victory in the southern expedition was heard, but who would pity the withered bones lying in the dusk? Only the Cangshan Mountains are fair with snow, and the loyal souls are mourned every year." Zhu Yujun said with emotion.

This poem was not written by Zhu Yijun, but by Deng Zilong, the commander of the Luzon Military Command and the Shilongbo, in Longwei City, Yunnan. Deng Zilong heard that people were still paying tribute to the tombs of the soldiers who died in the Tang Dynasty's expedition against the Nanzhao Kingdom during the Tianbao period, so he wrote this poem out of emotion.

In the tenth and thirteenth years of Tianbao, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, launched military campaigns against Nanzhao twice. The first time, only ten thousand of the 80,000 Tang soldiers were defeated, and the second time, more than one hundred thousand were killed. After two defeats, the strength of the elite troops in Guanzhong and Jiannan was greatly reduced. In the fourteenth year of Tianbao, An Lushan and Shi Siming brazenly rebelled against the Tang.

Compared with the repeated failures of the Tang Dynasty in conquering Nanzhao, the Ming Dynasty's rule in Yunnan was as stable as a rock. The governor of Yunnan and the Duke of Qian were arguing all day long over the issue of land annexation.

It is undoubtedly a happy trouble that the two sides can discuss the issue of annexation.

Yunnan's situation is very complicated and difficult to describe simply. If we have to put it in a nutshell, Yunnan is a semi-feudal and semi-county system. This system is extremely useful in development.

Zhu Yijun and Zhang Juzheng had no good ideas for development, so they copied others and set up the Luzon Governor's Office based on Yunnan's experience.

The semi-feudal and semi-county system has low ruling costs, but the price is that the Ming Dynasty does not have actual counties and counties in the local areas, and its ruling power is relatively weak. However, this has always been the case in border areas because of the distance.

Even in these places where there were actual counties, they still had to rely on local chieftains. Zhu Yuanzhang's idea was simple and direct. Instead of relying on local hereditary chieftains, it was better to rely on his own hereditary military honors.

When Zhu Yijun talked about Deng Zilong, he naturally talked about the Governor-General's Office of Luzon. He shared the successful experience of Yunnan and overseas Governor-General's Offices with Shi Maohua, and asked Shi Maohua to discuss whether it could be applied in the Western Regions.

"Your Majesty, there are some dishonorable things that are not convenient for the court to do, and someone is needed to do them." Shi Maohua had already retreated. He knew that this might be the last time he would see the emperor. He spoke bluntly and directly. To reopen the Western Regions, there are some things that are not convenient for the court to do after all. The crime of leaving behind a legacy for thousands of years is even more obvious, and someone is needed to do it.

Zhu Yijun nodded in agreement with Shi Maohua's statement. It was basically certain that the Western Regions would follow the old route of Yunnan. Since this route was feasible, of course they should continue on it.

Shi Maohua asked in a low voice: "Your Majesty, I am presumptuous. Is Yunnan's conquest of Toungoo going smoothly? If it goes well, it would be even better if the Qianguo Mansion moves to Toungoo."

The problem of half-fiefdom and half-county is also very obvious. After swallowing it whole, it will be digested slowly. After digestion, the military honor is useless. The military honor dukes and marquises that once stabilized one side have become an obstacle to digestion. Either the fiefdom is reduced or it is moved further outward.

Reducing the power of the feudal lords could easily lead to chaos, so moving the feudal lords outward became the only option.

"All the documents of Duke Mu Changzuo of Qian are here." Zhu Yijun asked Feng Bao to bring a large pile of documents.

Shi Maohua was a civil servant who trained troops in Yangzhou Prefecture and led them to fight against the Japanese pirates and went to the northwest to resist the invaders. Although his military achievements could not be compared with those of Qi Jiguang, Yu Dayou, and Tan Lun, he was not unfamiliar with military affairs.

"The Duke of Qian is truly loyal to the emperor and the country." Shi Maohua finished reading the battle report. Battle reports can be deceiving, but the battle lines cannot. Mu Changzuo never played the trick of nurturing the enemy to protect himself. He expanded the battle line bit by bit, neither winning quickly nor losing quickly. He just pushed the battle line forward bit by bit, cooperating with Yingyang Marquis Zhang Yuanxun, and beat Mang Yingli to his knees, begging for mercy and crying for his parents.

Mang Yingli sent people to request peace talks. The local people in Yunnan meant: It is useless to hurt him. Only by killing him will the Burmese bandits in the southwest know to be afraid. The Ming court accepted the local people's suggestions. Zhu Yijun asked Yunnan whether it needed money and food. Because Yunnan copper was mined, there was no shortage of money and food was sufficient, so it was not needed for the time being.

The Duke of Qian was indeed loyal to the emperor and the country, because he shared the same fate with the country and separated from the Ming Dynasty, the Duke of Qian's Mansion ceased to exist.

Mu Tianbo, the last Duke of Qian, followed the last emperor of Southern Ming, Zhu Youlang, into Burma after the fall of the Ming Dynasty. The King of Burma, Mangbai, set a trap for Zhu Youlang and made him drink cursed water and swear an oath to force him to cross the river. The Southern Ming court, which had fled to Burma, was at the end of its rope and had no choice but to cross the river even though it knew it was a trap.

Mangbai brought 3,000 people to besiege Zhu Youlang and his group. Mu Tianbo, Duke of Qian, knew that Mangbai was going to break his oath, so he snatched the guard's knife, rose up in resistance, and killed nine Burmese soldiers. However, they were outnumbered and eventually all of them were killed. Zhu Youlang was handed over to Wu Sangui by Mangbai, and Wu Sangui hanged the last emperor of the Southern Ming Dynasty in Kunming. This was the disaster of the cursed water.

It’s not that the Qing Dynasty offered generous conditions to the Duke of Qian, but the Duke of Qian chose to die with loyalty.

"Wang Xiyuan told me that, in fact, Mu Changzuo, the Duke of Qian, is a very good-tempered man. He treats the raw Miao, cooked Miao, and Han people almost the same. This time when the Burmese bandit Mang Yingli invaded, there were cooked Miao guarding the pass. As a result, these cooked Miao not only did not guard the pass, but also joined the rebellion and opened the pass, allowing Yue Feng and other rebels to enter the pass and threaten Dali. From then on, Mu Changzuo became more wary of the raw Miao and cooked Miao." Zhu Yijun talked about the defeat when he just started fighting.

The situation of the Ming Dynasty in the southwest was not all smooth sailing. At the very beginning, its old nest Dali was almost taken away by someone. One can imagine how Mu Changzuo felt at that time.

Shi Maohua knew very well that it was probably not just fear. His Majesty had already said it very tactfully. He was afraid that all kinds of harsh decrees would be issued. Mu Changzuo was an hereditary official of the Ming Dynasty and a nobleman who was above everyone else. It was impossible for him not to retaliate after being stabbed in the back like this.

This is what Shi Maohua mentioned before. There are some things that are not convenient for the court to do, and someone needs to do them.

"Those who are not of our race must have ulterior motives." Shi Maohua gave a very concise assessment of Mu Changzuo's transformation.

The good old man Mu Changzuo was really pissed off this time. As long as the imperial court supported him, he would never return without killing Mang Yingli. Only by killing Mang Yingli could their Duke of Qian's Mansion be worthy of the title of Prince of Qianning's Mansion.

In this way, this path looks a little further ahead, that is, to move the fiefdom. In this way, there is no need to worry about internal strife among brothers.

"I'll take my leave." Shi Maohua had said everything he wanted to say before the emperor. He thought it was the last time he would see the emperor, but soon he realized he was wrong.

Because the Military Academy was within the Forbidden Garden and the Ming Emperor often went there, he could see it almost every day.

Shi Maohua confirmed once again that the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was as diligent as rumored.

In October of the eleventh year of the Wanli reign, the capital entered early winter. The capital, which should have been dark, had a rare few days of clear skies. Then a late autumn rain with snow brought winter to the capital. The cold air flow from the northwest began to move south again, and the cold winter had arrived.

Zhu Yijun was wrapped in a cloak and holding a miscellaneous newspaper in his hand. It was a miscellaneous newspaper called "Shang Bao". This miscellaneous newspaper was a bimonthly magazine and its content discussed the origins of the Ming Dynasty's official factories.

In addition to the 18 government factories during the Hongwu period and the resident craftsman system during the Yongle period, this business newspaper discussed the government factories and farmland industrial parks that are widely present in Yunnan.

In the fourth year of Yongle, Mu Ying's second son Mu Sheng, together with Duke Ying of England Zhang Fu, conquered Annan. After the conquest, Mu Sheng was promoted from Marquis of Xiping to Duke of Qian, and then began to annex other countries. Mu Sheng built a total of 360 gardens and villas, known as Mu Zhuang.

Generally speaking, Muzhuang is just a deformation of the military garrison, and there is nothing special about it.

But Ma Lian from Yunnan, after seeing the official factory of the Ming Dynasty, immediately realized that Muzhuang was not a military settlement, but more like an official factory. The military settlement was mainly for farming and fighting, while Muzhuang, in addition to farmland, also had many miscellaneous tasks such as medicinal materials, medicinal material processing, copper and iron smelting, coal washing, and forging farm tools.

Since Mu Sheng established Mu Village, these Mu Villages have been the gathering places for Han people in Yunnan. This has lasted for 170 years, and the villages have flourished and grown.

For example, Ma Lian, who wrote this article, is from Muzhuang.

Moreover, Ma Lian believes in the article that the Tongzhen opened by the Ming Dynasty in Luzon is exactly the same in nature as Muzhuang, and both play a vital role in resettling the Han people in Luzon, forming a joint force, preventing the barbarians from causing unrest, controlling the means of production, etc.

"This article is good!" After Zhu Yijun made detailed comments on this miscellaneous report, he highly agreed with what Ma Lian said. This article made up for a shortcoming in the Ming Dynasty's overseas development, that is, what kind of production form to use for the development.

A miscellaneous political commentary with great reference value.

As long as there is one article like this among a hundred miscellaneous newspapers, it is worthy of the Ming emperor's indulgence and support for miscellaneous newspapers. "This Ma Lian is a Jinshi. Didn't your majesty depose Li Kaifang's brother Li Kaizao? Deposing one person, you add another one, and Ma Lian is the one who was added. He is now preparing for the official examination and selection, and plans to go to Luzon." After Feng Bao saw the name, he took out the information of the miscellaneous newspaper from the drawer of the official screen, checked it, and reported it to your majesty.

Only by accumulating practical experience as a supervisory official can one more easily pass the official examination. A supervisory official does not have an official status but is a clerk.

Ma Lian originally failed the exam, but after Li Kaizao instigated a lot of trouble and his name was crossed out by the emperor, he passed the exam as a substitute and became a Jinshi. Ma Lian looked left and right and decided to go to Luzon because he could make merit in Luzon. The eleven bronze towns were Ma Lian's goal.

Chen Chengyi was in charge of the copper industry in Luzon and had made a great name for himself. Zhu Yijun wanted to keep talents like Chen Chengyi in the heartland of the Ming Dynasty, but Chen Chengyi was unwilling to stay in the heartland, so he could naturally leave his name in history in Luzon.

Chen Chengyi's successful experience has also encouraged many people like him.

"Your Majesty, didn't the Grand Tutor say before that if you follow Your Majesty and work in agriculture, you will have a chance to take the imperial examination every two years? It will be held in the spring of next year, and there are 437 candidates in the first round." Feng Bao said with an embarrassed look on his face, "There are too many people."

"So many?!" Zhu Yijun expected about a hundred people, but there were more than four hundred!
Feng Bao said helplessly: "That's right, we do have land, but I'm just worried that they will ruin this good land."

"If you study hard, you will be able to learn it. First reclaim some of their wasteland, and you will naturally be able to do it after two years of study." Zhu Yijun spoke from experience. Before he learned how to farm, he could even kill a green ivy. After learning how to farm, he was even able to organize and compile past agricultural books.

Farming is difficult, but also simple. If you learn with a sincere heart, there is nothing you cannot learn. Of course, if you are not sincere, you will never learn.

Let’s start by reclaiming the wasteland. It would be a waste to give them fertile land.

"I obey your order." Feng Bao bowed his head immediately upon hearing this. His Majesty knows how to farm, and he hates to see fields lying idle with nothing planted on them. That would be a sin!

Your Majesty would be angry if he wasn't angry because these Confucian scholars have ruined the good farmland.

Last year, His Majesty knew very well that the ban on famine was useless, but he still issued an imperial decree. Of course, it was indeed useless. Land barrenness is an inevitable result of a closed economy like a small peasant economy, and it can only be achieved by changing the economic structure first.

Your Majesty does not like fields to lie idle, and even less does he like fields to be ruined.

"Tell these people that I will not collect taxes or rent from the income from reclaiming wasteland. The produce of the land belongs to them and also serves as their food. In the next two years, no one can take a penny from their family. They have to live on these pieces of land. Besides reclaiming the land, they have to study and prepare for the exam." Zhu Yijun made more specific regulations.

Following Your Majesty to engage in farming and silkworm farming = being in prison, isolated from the world, not allowed to leave, not allowed to contact the outside world except for correspondence, except for studying and farming. This precious opportunity to take the imperial examination is not so easily obtained.

If you still can’t pass the exam after such special training, just go home and grow sweet potatoes!
"That's a good idea! I'll arrange it right away!" Feng Bao raised his eyebrows and looked delighted. When it comes to making trouble for scholars, Your Majesty is the one who has the solution!

Feng Bao happily went to bother this group of scholars, while Zhu Yijun picked up another miscellaneous newspaper.

As soon as he saw the cover, Zhu Yijun didn't want to read it because he had already seen it when he was reviewing the manuscript.

It is Lin Fucheng's Xiaoyao Yiwen. This issue is still about the alienation of people, but this time it is not about the alienation of power or money, but the alienation of religion.

The Ming Dynasty's understanding of the word "heresy" was that all kinds of evil spirits and religions with the purpose of making money were heresies. Zhang Juzheng once said in a lecture: Song Huizong was a Taoist who called himself the Taoist master; Emperor Wu of Liang was superstitious about Buddhism and called himself Bodhidharma. They inevitably lost their lives and their country and were laughed at by later generations. The harm of heresy is something that should be deeply warned against for all generations.

Zhang Juzheng's way of educating the emperor was not the way of a saint but heresy.

When Zhang Juzheng said this, he gritted his teeth. It was obvious that when the Taoist priest burned his pillars of power, there was chaos. The emperor hid in the Western Garden, and the court was filled with prime ministers. Zhang Juzheng hated this chaos.

The Central Plains has also gone through thousands of years of struggle. Since the initial connection between the Jedi and Heaven, China has been a secular country. Although this has been repeated throughout the ages, it is still normal.

Zhu Yijun was very surprised that Li Zhi did not discuss the alienation of money to people, but chose the topic of religion.

"There will be a gathering tomorrow, and I want to go and see what's going on." Zhu Yijun finished reading today's edition of Xiaoyao Yiwen and asked Zhang Hong to bring him tomorrow's schedule. Zhu Yijun specially made time to go to Taibai Tower to attend the gathering.

"Your Majesty, I have something to say, but I don't know whether I should say it or not." Zhang Hong looked at His Majesty and said solemnly.

"speak."

"Your Majesty is traveling as Young Master Huang. The court officials have long known about this, and some officials have also guessed it. Everyone inside and outside the capital knows that Your Majesty likes to watch the fun. I'm afraid that there will be an assassination. I think it's better not to go." Zhang Hong expressed his thoughts.

Zhang Hong only said this so bluntly because Feng Bao was not there, otherwise he would be questioning Feng Bao's ability to protect.

"General Zhao Ti, please explain this issue." Zhu Yijun said with a smile: "What is wrong with talking about this? Zhang Daban is also considering my safety and speaking out of loyalty to the emperor."

Zhao Mengyou thought for a moment and said, "Zhang Daban, every time your majesty goes out, he goes fishing. Your majesty wants to tour the south and leave the capital. The people in the capital with ulterior motives are afraid that something might happen, so they deliberately granted Lin Fucheng the title of Doctor of the Five Classics, just to expose his identity and catch a big fish."

Lin Fucheng has been used again and again, and this is the countless times. Everyone has made a lot of moves around Lin Fucheng.

Zhu Yijun didn't mind Lin Fucheng knowing his identity. For example, Li Zhi knew that Master Huang was the emperor, but Lin Fucheng never guessed it. Zhu Yijun felt a little regretful. Such a smart person was a little timid in this regard and didn't dare to guess too big.

"There are still risks." Zhang Hong said earnestly.

"Zhang Daban, in life, you can choke to death even if you drink water. You are getting old. I am in charge of the new policy. If we want to reform, we must do things. If we do things, there will be risks." Zhu Yijun looked at Zhang Hong and said with certainty: "Sir, read history books. Since ancient times, have those who have carried out reforms had a good ending? You did it knowing that it was impossible."

Zhang Hong stopped trying to persuade him. He thought about it carefully and realized that if His Majesty wanted to reform the old ways and establish the new, he would definitely be very active. If he traveled more often on weekdays, it would be beneficial for the imperial guards to accumulate security experience.

"Isn't the bait I put in the nest heavy enough? It's been so long, and I haven't caught a single fish." Zhu Yijun was very, very dissatisfied. It had been such a long time since Lin Fucheng's official status was granted, but Zhu Yijun was still acting as Young Master Huang, and nothing had happened.

In fact, if we think from the perspective of Yu, that is, an ambitious person with ulterior motives, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was assassinated by the assassin king at the age of ten, the palace was burned down at the age of thirteen, and he was attacked and killed in the Western Hills at the age of fifteen. After Yu Dayou died of illness, the emperor did not even live in the Western Garden, but moved directly into the Tonghe Palace.

This emperor, who was wary of his subjects as if they were thieves, appeared on the street in a swagger. What was he doing? It was obvious that the Jiekuyuan was short of specimens. Zhang Siwei was watching in the specimen room of the Jiekuyuan!
The lesson of Zhang Siwei must not be ignored.

Even the carp in Taiye Pond knew to hide underwater when they heard the emperor's footsteps, or they would be shot to death by his majesty's tailless arrows.

And there is another problem, which is that it cannot be done.

In the past, the palace was leaky on all sides, but if you paid some silver, you could even take a car to visit the palace. Now, the minions around His Majesty the Emperor are all professionals like Duntai Yuanhou and Haifang Patrol, instead of the honor guards of the past. The protection of the Tiqi is impenetrable.

Rather than breaking through the protection of the Ti cavalry and attacking the emperor, it would be more reliable to pray to God and have the emperor killed by a bolt of lightning.

Everything went smoothly on Zhu Yijun's trip the next day. There was no assassination of the king or the emperor, and no mess. Zhu Yijun set out from the General's Mansion and had a smooth journey.

"Good luck, Master Huang!" A waiter walked into the box, bowed and said, "Masters Lin and Li are going to visit the grassland in person. Master Huang is a big shot, so he probably doesn't have the time. Let's be frank. I came in to ask for some money to support the two masters and take the masters to the grassland."

"If it's too much, I won't complain. If it's too little, I won't complain. It all depends on what you want."

They want money, or they want funding.

This gathering is not just a talk, but a call for the writers to go to the grassland together, see those Lama temples with their own eyes, put them into practice, go deep into the grassland, and explore the impact of the Lama temples on the grassland. This is a collective action and requires travel expenses.

Lin Fucheng is begging for alms. He doesn't want to accept funding from anyone. Whoever he eats from will be his lackey.

There is not enough money in the account of Guangde Bookstore. The last time Lin Fucheng wrote a sour poem, Mr. Huang deducted 700 silver coins from him, leaving only a small amount in the account.

"Since you don't complain if it's less, then I won't give it to you." When Zhu Yijun heard that he didn't have to give it, he immediately gave up the idea of ​​taking the silver.

Wang Qian's eyes went dark, and he took out two silver notes from his sleeve, handed them over and said, "Mr. Huang and I have two hundred silver in total. Take it, take it."

The waiter refused to accept the money, and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "It's too much, at most one or two taels of silver per person."

"Why are you so troublesome?" Wang Qian took out two silver coins and threw them into the tray.

Zhu Yijun said very clearly: "You paid for it yourself, so don't ask me to reimburse you."

"After all, Lin Fucheng and Li Zhi, the two chief scribes, are our people. We can just transfer the money from the account of Guangde Bookstore." Wang Qian said hurriedly. The accounts must be clear and the two silvers must be calculated clearly to prevent any disputes. This is the self-cultivation of Wang Qian, the censor who is in charge of Yanxinglou affairs and supervises transactions.

"That's great." Zhu Yijun nodded in agreement. The wool comes from the sheep, so could it be that the wool comes from Zhu Yijun, the shepherd?
"Let's stop talking nonsense and get straight to the point." After the gong sounded, Lin Fucheng and Li Zhi walked onto the stage of Taibai Tower together.

Lin Fucheng looked around and said, "Humans created religions, not religions that created humans. Then why did humans create religions?"

Li Zhi said confidently: "To put it simply, it is very complicated, but to put it simply, it can be summed up in two words: the other shore."

(End of this chapter)