Daming: I can’t kill such a greedy prince-in-law?

"Li Shanchang summoned Lan Yu, Huang Zicheng and others for a secret meeting today. I'm afraid he has some plans for your new policy." Anqing was worried.

Ouyang Lun's eyes flashed with a gleam of light when he heard this, but he quickly returned to his lazy look: "It doesn't matter, let them discuss it."

An Qing was puzzled: "Aren't you worried at all?"

Ouyang Lun took a bite of the apple and said, "What are you worried about? Li Shanchang, that old fox, is best at 'changing his attitude according to the situation'. He doesn't dare to touch me now, he will just hide in the dark and wait and see."

"What if they are secretly trying to trip us up?"

Ouyang Lun smiled and said, "That's even better. If they really dare to take action, it will give me the opportunity to deal with them."

An Qing shook his head helplessly: "You are always so confident."

Ouyang Lun put down the account book, held her hand, and said sternly: "Princess, the struggle in the court is not about who is more ruthless, but who can 'go with the flow' better. Now that the emperor and your majesty both support the new policy, Li Shanchang will never confront it head-on unless he is crazy."

An Qing seemed to understand: "So, you deliberately let them wait and see?"

Ouyang Lun blinked. "That's right. The more they wait and see, the more they will be swept away by the tide of the new policy. In the end... they will have no choice but to board my ship."

A few days later, the court officially promulgated the new policy:

- Encourage childbirth, and exempt tax for three years for those who give birth to five or more children;

——Lift the maritime ban and allow private merchant ships to go out to sea for trade;

——Promote new agricultural tools, which will be centrally allocated by the Ministry of Industry…

As soon as the news came out, the world was shocked.

The common people were delighted, especially the merchants along the coast, who were eager to go out to sea and do something big.

The news of the new policy spread across the country like a spring breeze, and the response from people everywhere was beyond imagination.

There is a birth boom sweeping the water towns of the south of the Yangtze River.

In Wujiang County, Suzhou Prefecture, an old farmer named Chen squatted on the ridge of a field, counting on his fingers: "Three years of tax exemption for five children? Wow, this is more profitable than planting ten acres of land!"

He turned around and yelled into the house, "Old lady! Add some extra food tonight! We have to hurry up and find a wife for Dalang!"

Aunt Zhang from next door poked her head out and joked: "Brother Chen, your son is only fourteen years old, why are you in such a hurry?"

Old man Chen glared: "What do you know? Get married sooner and have children sooner! Have two in three years, four in five years, and ten years... Hehe, I can just lie down and eat the emperor's food!"

In front of the village ancestral hall, the village headman struck a gong and announced: "The county magistrate said that every quarter, we will evaluate the 'model fertility households' and reward them with three old hens!"

The young men laughed and pushed each other: "Did you hear that? Don't be idle tonight!"

Young girls and wives stamped their feet in shame, but the white-haired elder stroked his beard and nodded: "Good governance! I will open an ancestral hall and contribute the ancestral recipe for the multi-fertility soup."

Southern Fujian fishing village.

At Quanzhou Harbor, Lin Ahai, the young master of Lin's Shipping Company, flipped open a yellowed nautical chart and said to a room full of elders with a trembling voice: "The treasure that our great grandfather has hidden for sixty years can finally be seen!"

The white-haired old boatman touched the blueprint with trembling hands: "When the government confiscated the sea chart, your great-grandfather risked his life to stuff it into the coffin board."

"Although the maritime ban was lifted a few years ago, we were only allowed to fish near the coast, and merchant ships were allowed to go out to sea. Now ordinary people like us can also go out to sea!"

"Our ancestors said that there are treasures all over the world, and our family must go out to sea too!!"

Suddenly there was a commotion at the dock, and everyone rushed out to see—

Fishermen were throwing the boundary markers that said "No Going to Sea" into the sea, and young men were running around the streets carrying signs that said "Fuzhou Shipbuilding Discounts." The shopkeeper Wang of the silk and satin shop shouted at the top of his voice: "Buy boat materials on credit! Pay me back when you make money!"

Huguang.

At the Wuchang Prefecture Farmers' Market, a minor official from the Ministry of Works pointed to an iron curved plow and demonstrated: "It can cultivate eight acres in one day!"

The old farmers burst into laughter: "Young man, you are bragging! I have only used the wooden plow for three days to get two acres."

The clerk did not argue, but harnessed the oxen and plowed straight deep furrows. The crowd fell silent for a moment, and suddenly a roar broke out: "Leave ten for me!"

Grain merchant Zhao Yuanwai couldn't squeeze in, and was so anxious that he kept jumping up and down: "I'll pay double the price!" But the sturdy peasant woman elbowed him away: "Get in line! Don't you see we have spring ploughing?"

The savvier blacksmith shop owner announced on the spot: "It's free to rent the plow! We'll take 10% of the harvest!" - he actually turned farm tools into financial leasing.

Military settlements at the border - an unexpected chain reaction.

At the Gansu Garrison, the captain was dumbfounded when he saw the "petition for land reclamation" submitted by the military households under his command: "What? All wives want to follow the army?"

The soldier with a simple and honest face rubbed his hands and said: "Look, sir, the new policy says that if you have five children, you are exempt from taxes, but how can we bachelors have children?"

Another person said confidently: "That's right! The Mongolians next door can marry three wives, so how can we, the military households of the Ming Dynasty, be any worse?"

The captain was so angry that he threw his hat and said, "Damn it! I'm going to write a letter to the Ministry of War right now - either give me a wife or reduce my mission!"

On the corner tower of the imperial palace, Zhu Yuanzhang held up a telescope and exclaimed in amazement: "Ouyang Lun, you really stirred up the waters of the Ming Dynasty!"

Ouyang Lun was peeling oranges for Princess Anqing. Hearing this, he laughed and said, "Your Majesty, this beehive should have been poked long ago. Listen, how cheerful the people's laughter is!"

In the distance, the bazaar was bustling with noise, the cries of babies were mixed with the shouts of peddlers, and the calls of the port drowned out the waves.

Zhu Biao suddenly pointed to the sky and said, "Look!"

A flock of white doves flew over the glazed tiles, with colorful silks tied to their claws - that was the merchants' spontaneous celebration.

One of the red silks was particularly eye-catching, with seven large characters written on it:

"Give birth to a baby and build a ship to repay the emperor's kindness!"

"Many children bring prosperity to the Ming Dynasty!"

White doves flapped their wings, colorful silks fluttered, and the whole capital seemed to be immersed in a vigorous and energetic atmosphere. Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly laughed, patted Ouyang Lun on the shoulder and said, "Good boy, this prosperous age is just as you wish!"

In the court, the Huaixi Party headed by Li Shanchang did not openly oppose as Ouyang Lun had expected, and even "actively" cooperated.

"Your Majesty, I think that when lifting the maritime ban, a Maritime Customs Office should be set up to strictly control it to prevent smuggling." Li Shanchang stepped out and said.

Zhu Biao nodded with satisfaction: "Minister Li is right. This matter will be handed over to the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works to handle it together."

After the court was dismissed, Ouyang Lun looked at Li Shanchang's receding back with a slight smile on his face.

Little Lizi came over and whispered, "Prince Consort, why is Lord Li so cooperative today?"

Ouyang Lun chuckled: "Because he knows that it is useless to oppose, it is better to go with the flow and seize the opportunity."

"Then let's..."

"No hurry." Ouyang Lun narrowed his eyes, "The fish has already taken the bait. Now it depends on who catches whom."

That night, in Lan Yu’s mansion.

"Mr. Li, are we really going to watch Ouyang Lun become more powerful?" Lan Yu said indignantly.

Li Shanchang said calmly, "General Lan, please be patient. I have sent people to investigate Ouyang Lun's overseas trade routes. If we can find evidence against him, we will have the time to deal with him."

Huang Zicheng said sinisterly, "I heard that Ouyang Lun's business in Ryukyu seems to be related to the Japanese pirates..." Li Shanchang's eyes flashed, "Oh? Is there any evidence for this?"

Huang Zicheng whispered: "There is no evidence yet, but we can 'make' some."

Li Shanchang hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Not appropriate. Ouyang Lun is as cunning as a fox. If we forge evidence, it will only bring disaster upon ourselves."

Lan Yu asked anxiously: "What should we do then?"

Li Shanchang smiled slightly: "Wait. Ouyang Lun's new policy involves too many things, and sooner or later there will be trouble. Then, it will be our chance!"

However, what Li Shanchang didn't know was that their every move had already been mastered by Ouyang Lun.

In the study of the Prince Consort's residence, a man in black knelt on one knee and said, "Prince Consort, Li Shanchang and others are indeed investigating the Ryukyu incident."

Ouyang Lun played with a jade pendant and chuckled, "Sure enough, he lost his temper. Pass the order down and give the 'gift' we prepared to Lord Li."

The man in black was stunned: "Gift?"

Ouyang Lun said meaningfully: "Yes, a gift that can surprise him."

Three days later, Li Shanchang received a secret letter, which detailed the evidence of corruption and factionalism of the Huaixi Party in recent years, and included a sentence at the end:

"If Lord Li reaches out again, this letter will appear on the emperor's desk next time."

After reading it, Li Shanchang's face turned pale and he burned the letter to ashes.

"Ouyang Lun... good tricks!"

In the clan palace, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao were fishing, while Ouyang Lun was lying on a lounge chair nearby basking in the sun.

"Ouyang Lun, why has Li Shanchang been so well-behaved recently?" Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly asked.

Ouyang Lun replied lazily: "Perhaps he finally realized that it is no good to go against the court."

Zhu Biao gave him a meaningful look: "Really?"

Ouyang Lun smiled but said nothing.

Princess Anqing brought a plate of grilled fish and said with a smile, "Father, Your Majesty, please try the fish that Prince Consort just caught."

Zhu Yuanzhang took a bite and nodded with satisfaction: "Not bad! Anqing's grilled fish skills are inherited from Ouyang Lun!"

Ouyang Lun looked at the azure sky and breathed a sigh of relief.

This time, his sweet dream was not disturbed.

Half a month later, at the Zongrenfu.

Ouyang Lun was lying on a rattan chair, leisurely flipping through a book, enjoying his rare vacation time. Suddenly, Zhou Bao hurried in and whispered, "Master, the Minister of Rites, Lü Chang, wants to see you."

"Lu Chang?" Ouyang Lun raised his eyebrows, a little surprised.

He and Lu Chang had some friendship, but as the leader of the centrists in the court, Lu Chang never easily took sides, and would not take the initiative to come to the clan house to find him. There must be a reason for his sudden visit today.

"Master, Lord Lu said he has something important to discuss with you," Zhou Bao added.

Ouyang Lun closed the book, thought for a moment, and nodded, "Please ask him to come in."

Not long after, Lu Chang stepped in, bowed and said with a smile: "My Lord, I am sorry to bother you."

Ouyang Lun stood up to greet him and said with a smile, "How come Lord Lu has time to come to the clan house today? Could it be that the Ministry of Rites has some new rules to promulgate?"

Lu Chang waved his hand and said with a smile: "Your Highness, you are joking. I came here today because I have a private matter to ask you."

Ouyang Lun's heart moved, but he did not show it on his face. He just raised his hand to signal Lu Chang to take a seat, and ordered someone to serve tea.

The two of them exchanged pleasantries for a long time, but Lu Chang kept beating around the bush and refused to get straight to the point. Ouyang Lun finally couldn't help himself and said with a smile, "Master Lu, we are old friends. Why don't you just speak directly if you have anything to say?"

Lu Chang then sighed, put down his teacup, and said seriously: "My Lord, to be honest, I came here today for the matter of 'clothing'."

"Clothes?" Ouyang Lun was stunned. "Master Lu, are you talking about...official uniforms? Or civilian clothes?"

Lu Chang shook his head and smiled bitterly, "Both. Your Majesty also knows that the clothing of the Ming Dynasty today, whether it is the court dress of officials or the daily clothes of the common people, is quite bloated and complicated. The wide robes and big sleeves make it inconvenient to move, especially when working, it is even more cumbersome."

Ouyang Lun nodded thoughtfully.

Indeed, Ming Dynasty clothing inherited the style of the previous dynasty, emphasizing spaciousness and solemnity, but its practicality was extremely poor. When officials went to court, their robes were layered and they had to be careful when walking; when ordinary people were farming, their sleeves and trousers were wide and could easily get caught on farm tools, even causing accidents.

Lu Chang continued, "I have been reading ancient books recently and found that in the pre-Song Dynasty, people already had convenient clothing of 'narrow sleeves and short clothes', but in this dynasty, it was not promoted due to the limitations of etiquette. Now that new policies are frequently introduced and people's livelihoods are getting better, I wonder if we should also make some improvements in clothing?"

Ouyang Lun's eyes lit up and he said with a smile, "Master Lu, are you trying to promote 'dress reform'?"

Lu Chang waved his hand quickly: "I dare not say 'reform', but I think that if we can make slight adjustments to make it more convenient for the people to work, it will also benefit the country and the people."

Ouyang Lun pondered for a moment, and suddenly asked: "Why did Lord Lu come to discuss this matter with me? The Ministry of Rites is in charge of the etiquette and costumes of the world, you can report it directly to His Majesty."

Lu Chang smiled bitterly: "Your Highness, you don't know that this matter may seem simple, but it actually involves a lot of things. Clothing is the foundation of etiquette. If it is changed rashly, it will be opposed by conservatives. Especially..."

He lowered his voice and said, "Especially Li Shanchang and his gang, they value 'ancestral rules' the most. If I bring it up directly, I'm afraid they will accuse me of 'violating etiquette'."

Ouyang Lun suddenly realized.

It turned out that Lu Chang wanted to use his influence to promote this matter. After all, Ouyang Lun was now deeply trusted by the Grand Emperor and His Majesty, and the new policy was being implemented smoothly. If he supported it, the resistance would naturally be much smaller.

Ouyang Lun smiled slightly and said, "Lord Lu, I do have some ideas about this matter."

Lu Chang's eyes lit up: "Please speak, Prince Consort!"

Ouyang Lun said calmly: "First of all, this matter should not be directly promoted in the name of 'reform', otherwise it will easily cause controversy. It is better to first conduct a pilot project among the people in the name of 'convenience for the people'."

"Secondly, we can start with the common clothes of the lower classes and design several styles of short jackets with narrow sleeves and waisted trousers for farmers and craftsmen to wear. After the people get used to it, we can gradually extend it to the gentry and officials."

Lu Chang nodded repeatedly: "Your Excellency, this is a good idea! This way, we can avoid violating the etiquette and solve the problem in practice."

Ouyang Lun added: "In addition, this matter can also be combined with the promotion of new agricultural tools by the Ministry of Industry. For example, farmers who purchase new agricultural tools can receive a set of 'work clothes' for free. In this way, the people will be more accepting."

Lu Chang clapped his hands and exclaimed: "Great! The Prince Consort is indeed very thoughtful!"

Ouyang Lun smiled and suddenly lowered his voice: "However, Lord Lu, if this matter is to be carried out smoothly, it still requires a 'suitable' opportunity."

Lu Chang was puzzled: "What opportunity?"

Ouyang Lun's eyes flashed with cunning: "For example... let the emperor 'personally' discover how inconvenient it is to wear wide robes and sleeves."

Lu Chang was stunned at first, then he suddenly realized what was going on. He pointed at Ouyang Lun and said with a smile: "My Lord, you are trying to set a trap for the Emperor!"

Ouyang Lun spread his hands innocently: "I didn't say anything."

The two looked at each other and smiled, understanding each other tacitly.

A few days later, Zhu Yuanzhang was taking a walk incognito in the Imperial Garden when he suddenly saw several eunuchs in short clothes with narrow sleeves, pruning flower branches skillfully, with their movements much more nimble than usual.

Old Zhu narrowed his eyes, thinking... (End of this chapter)