Ming Dynasty: Evolution from snake to national guardian beast

Chapter 13 The fight is about money and food
  When Zhu Gaochi heard this, he took a deep breath and looked at the little boy with tears streaming down his face.

He saw, not far from the boy, an old man with gray hair, his face was covered with wrinkles, and he looked like he was old.

Lying motionless on the ground.

Bai Chu and Zhu Gaochi naturally knew that this woman should really be dead.

"You lied, you lied! My mother is still alive, she is still alive."

The little boy was unwilling to give in and burst into tears.

Bai Chu slowly squatted down and wiped the tears from the child's face with his hands. He didn't know how to comfort him.

After helping the mother bury the child, Bai Chu suddenly turned his head, stared at Zhu Gaochi, and said word by word:

"Bring me to King Yan, I want to see him!"

Zhu Di had a trace of worry on his face, and Zhu Gaochi's words made him feel Bai Chu's dissatisfaction with him.

Zhu Di, Yao Guangxiao, and Xu Miaoyun are also here.

Although Zhu Di was still hesitant to tell Bai Chu, he did not want to hide Princess Yan from Princess Yan when such a big thing happened in the palace.

Since she got married to Zhu Di, she has always been Zhu Di's good wife, assisting him in running the palace.

This time, Concubine Yan asked people to use money and food to help the people of Xicheng tide over the difficulties.

However, the financial resources of Prince Yan's Mansion are not abundant.

If this continues, problems will arise in the operation of Prince Yan's Mansion. Not to mention providing relief to the victims, even all the people in Beiping Mansion who have survived by relying on Prince Yan will most likely not be able to hold on.

In desperation, Princess Yan could only temporarily stop disaster relief.

But what Zhu Di didn't expect was that Bai Chu would find him only two days later.

If Bai Chu mistakenly thought that he was indifferent to the lives and deaths of the refugees, would he still help him?

He walked around the room anxiously, waiting for Zhu Gaochi and Bai Chu to return.

Zhu Gaochi and Bai Chu slowly returned to Prince Yan's Mansion and entered a study room specially prepared for them.

However, compared to Zhu Di's anxiety, Zhu Gaochi and Bai Chu looked relieved.

When Zhu Di saw this scene, he also looked confused. Didn't Bai Chu look very unhappy when he saw the refugees all over the city?

How could this be the case?

"Greetings to Your Highness."

When Bai Chu saw Zhu Di, he also clasped his fists, but looking at him, he didn't seem angry.

Zhu Di couldn't help but ask:
  "Mr. Bai, what's wrong with you?"

"It is said that."

"father!!"

Zhu Gaochi went straight to the topic without waiting for Zhu Di to ask:
  "When Mr. Bai came here just now, he thought of a way, which was to relieve the victims."

"My child thinks that Mr. Bai is so wise and powerful that he will be able to arrange everything in place for everyone in the West City."

Zhu Di's eyes flashed and he quickly asked Bai Chu:
  "Master Bai, I wonder what your plan is?"

Before Zhu Di finished speaking, Bai Chu asked directly:

"My lord, since you have made up your mind to rebel, do you have any plans to do anything first, such as preparing to accumulate troops?"

Zhu Di's heart skipped a beat, and he turned to look at Zhu Di, only to see the old monk nodding.

"I have already discussed this matter with the old monk."

"If you want to commit rebellion, the first thing you need to do is fight."

"I plan to secretly refine weapons, recruit dead soldiers, secretly accumulate strength, and wait for opportunities."

"Yeah."    "This is a good idea, but the progress is a bit slow, and it requires a lot of people to forge weapons, and the sound made during forging is also easy to attract attention. I wonder if the prince has any countermeasures?"

Zhu Di was stunned. He really hadn't thought of this.

After all, things haven't started yet, and he doesn't know what will happen.

However, the old monk on the side stood up and helped Zhu Di and said:
  "This is easy to do. We just need to build a weapons workshop underground and raise a few groups of chickens and ducks in it."

"The sound of chickens and ducks should be able to suppress the sound of iron."

"But Mr. Bai feels that the progress is a bit slow. Is there any good way?"

Bai Chu chuckled:
  "Rebellion is nothing more than military strength and food."

“Sun Tzu said, attack his enemy first, and then his friends.

"I think soldiers and horses are secondary, the key is money and food."

"As long as you have money, you can bribe all the courtiers, including the emperor's eunuchs and the royal guards of Emperor Hongwu."

"With this, we can know every move of the imperial court. When the time comes, we will be invincible."

"With food, we can stabilize people's hearts and recruit troops."

"Therefore, Wei Chen thinks that the prince's focus can be entirely on money and food."

"Money and food?" asked a middle-aged man.

A trace of suspicion flashed in Zhu Di's eyes.

"Silver and food are indeed more important than fighting. However, Prince Yan's Mansion is just a fiefdom. He can only earn up to fifty thousand taels of silver a year."

"Where can I find so much money and food?"

“Do business!”

Bai Chu told the truth in one word.

Since the establishment of the dynasty by Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty, the policy of focusing on agriculture and suppressing business has been well implemented.

This was very obvious in the Hongwu Dynasty. Even wearing gorgeous clothes was forbidden, otherwise, you would be sentenced to death.

However, the economic recovery and commercial prosperity of the Ming Dynasty were inevitable.

But in the Ming Dynasty, merchants were still a group that was easily ignored.

The merchants of the Ming Dynasty, because of their low status and what happened to Shen Wansan, became lambs to be slaughtered. If they wanted to kill them, it would all depend on Zhu Yuanzhang's preference.

At the very least, today's businessmen are definitely not as good as the combination of politics and business in the era of Emperor Chongzhen.

But for Zhu Di, it was an excellent opportunity.

"The prince wants to rebel. If he expands his army in a big way, it will definitely arouse the vigilance of the court. Even Emperor Hongwu will not allow the prince to recruit troops on such a large scale."

"If the emperor finds out, it will be over, but doing business is different."

"First of all, you don't have to do business under the banner of the prince, which makes it easier for others to discover."

"Secondly, even if the emperor finds out about the prince's business, as long as no one knows that he is recruiting new soldiers, there is still a chance."

"Thirdly, doing business is the best way to gather money and food. When business flourishes, not only will the prince make a lot of money, but it will also be convenient for the people of the world. Why not?"

In the secret study room.

Bai Chu's words made everyone stunned.

While everyone's attention was focused on recruiting new soldiers and strengthening the army, Bai Chu found another way and chose the path of business.

Bai Chu's suggestion is very creative and feasible.

However, they don't know that there are other benefits to doing business.

(End of this chapter)