Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

"The Suzhou gentry want to go to the mouth of the Lancang River to investigate and see if it can become the new Jiangnan?"

"It seems that these people have no intention of resisting, they just want to gain more benefits."

Zhu Youjian said happily as he looked at the report sent by Zhang Yixian, the eunuch supervising Susong.

Wang Shimin and other Suzhou gentry did not hide their movements from others at all.

Hai Rui's descendant Hai Shuzu also reported the incident to the Jinyiwei.

Apparently, Hai Shuzu was interested in establishing a vassal state at the mouth of the Lancang River, and thought it would be better than going to Borneo. He reported this matter to the emperor in order to ask him about it.

Seeing the emperor so happy, Gao Shiming, the head of the Imperial Household Department, said:
"These Suzhou people are really bold. They even dare to covet the fief of Prince Jingjiang."

"Should we teach them a lesson so they don't dare to act recklessly?"

Zhu Youjian did not want to push the Jiangnan gentry too hard, so he shook his head and said:
"Forget it. After all, they are from the Queen's hometown. We should give them a way out."

"Besides, the development of New Jiangnan cannot be accomplished overnight. It requires the efforts of the gentry in Jiangnan."

"For the imperial court, food is always the most important thing. As long as the imperial court has food, people's hearts will be at peace."

"Letting the gentry in Jiangnan go overseas to farm will just solve the food problem."

Zhu Youjian, who knew that the disasters in the Ming Dynasty would be even more serious in the future, was eager to encourage the gentry in Jiangnan to go to sea, hoping that these people would grow more food and help the victims of the disaster in the Ming Dynasty.

After hearing what the emperor said, Gao Shiming gave up the idea of ​​letting Zhang Yixian get in the way and said to the emperor:
"If that's the case, Prince Jingjiang will probably be angry."

"The mouth of the Lancang River was originally his fiefdom, but now he has to give some of it to the gentry in the south of the Yangtze River."

Zhu Youjian was quite embarrassed when he heard this, because he had previously promised the entire Lancang River estuary to the Kingdom of Jingjiang in order to encourage the Prince of Jingjiang, Zhu Hengjia, to go out to sea.

I didn't expect that the gentry in Jiangnan have also set their eyes on this area, and I might have to go back on my word.

As someone who attached great importance to reputation, he was unwilling to do this, so he thought about it and said:
"Let Hai Shuzu and the gentry of Jiangnan talk to the Kingdom of Jingjiang!"

"I don't care how they distribute it, I just need them to guarantee that they can reclaim at least 10 million acres of arable land within five years."

"Based on the estimate that each mu of land produces two dan of commercial grain, the Ming Dynasty can be provided with 20 million dan of grain each year."

"If you fail to do so, your fiefdom will be reduced, or even your title will be demoted."

Even if the loss is taken into account, the 20 million dan of grain can feed at least 3 to 4 million people for a year. In this way, even if a major disaster occurs in five years, the court will have enough spare capacity to deal with it.

For this reason, Zhu Youjian also instructed:

"Tell Prime Minister Han that the Finance and Economics Committee should take the lead and gather the three departments of the Ministry of Revenue and the General Administration of Customs to sign a grain trade contract with the overseas feudal lords:"

"The imperial court will purchase grain without limit at the price of 50 cents per stone, and will allow grain to be used to pay taxes, purchase weapons, and obtain fiefdoms."

"This is a long-term commitment that will not change for at least 20 years. It allows people who go out to sea to farm without worrying about not being able to sell their crops."

Gao Shiming was shocked when he heard this. He knew how much money this contract represented:

Calculated at the price of fifty cents per stone, the 20 million stones of grain that the emperor requested from the mouth of the Lancang River were worth the equivalent of 10 million silver dollars.

This is close to the annual revenue of the Ming Dynasty, and even the taxes shipped to Beijing from local areas are only this much money.

If other places in Southeast Asia are included, the annual revenue will certainly exceed the court's. If the court has any extra money in the future, it will probably be invested in this.

This shows how much importance the emperor attached to the development of Southeast Asia and how determined he was.
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At the same time, Gao Shiming also confirmed one thing:
That is, the emperor was confident in developing the New Jiangnan, or he had already determined that the mouth of the Lancang River was the New Jiangnan.

Thinking about the things that Taizu and Chengzu often mentioned in dreams when the emperor asked him to handle religious affairs, Gao Shiming felt that most of the things about Xin Jiangnan were told to the emperor by Taizu and Chengzu, so the emperor was so confident.

This made him suddenly kneel on the ground and plead with the emperor with a shameless face:
"Your Majesty, I want to establish my fiefdom in New Jiangnan."

"I beg Your Majesty to grant my permission!"

Zhu Youjian frowned when he heard this, and Gao Shiming was so frightened that he thought he had angered the emperor. Suddenly, he heard the emperor say:
"Haven't I repeatedly stressed that those of high rank in the palace are not allowed to call themselves slaves?"

"You are the highest-ranking internal minister, why are you so self-deprecating?"

"Remember, you are my retainer and a noble of the Ming Dynasty."

"I don't want you to call me slave."

Gao Shiming apologized repeatedly after hearing this and quietly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

Just now he almost thought that the emperor would be angry and think that he was greedy.

At the same time, he also secretly warned himself: Don't think that the emperor is easy to talk to and just make requests casually.

Zhu Youjian was indeed somewhat displeased with Gao Shiming's request to set his fiefdom in New Jiangnan.

Because he was used to abusing his power and did not want to be interfered with by his ministers, especially the eunuchs.

He could give Gao Shiming some options and set aside an area for Gao Shiming to choose. But Gao Shiming should not and could not directly designate a certain area as his fief.

This made Zhu Youjian feel that his authority was offended, so he was a little angry.

But thinking that Gao Shiming's going to New Jiangnan to open up a fiefdom was also to serve himself, and it would also affect a large number of people, he said with a pleasant face:
"How can I not allow Mr. Gao to work for me in New Jiangnan?"

"Well, I will give you a task. As long as you can complete it, you can choose a fiefdom of 200 li in New Jiangnan."

Gao Shiming thanked the emperor repeatedly. Just when he thought he had a difficult task, he heard the emperor say:

"Although Jiading Earl Zhou Kui is a little bit out of line, the Zhou family is the queen's family after all, and we cannot treat them unfairly."

"Plus, Jiading is a county of Suzhou Prefecture, so the future Marquisate of Jiading should be placed in New Jiangnan."

"Help the queen select a few capable nephews and nieces from her family and have them go to New Jiangnan to open up fiefdoms."

"I hope that the future Marquis of Jiading can be a help to the Crown Prince!"

These words undoubtedly encouraged Gao Shiming to assist the Marquis of Jiading in establishing his vassal state.

Gao Shiming was so happy that he didn't know what to say. He knew that as long as he did this job well, the Gao family would most likely be rich and prosperous for hundreds of years.

Given the emperor's favor for the queen and the succession etiquette that was being formulated, it was almost risk-free for the prince to inherit the throne. As long as the Gao family followed the Zhou family, they would not have to worry about wealth.

As for helping the Zhou family to establish a fiefdom, it was no problem at all. With his status as the seal holder of the Imperial Household Department, if he released this news, countless people would probably help him and the Zhou family to please him.

The existence of Jiading Marquisate in New Jiangnan would also increase its appeal to the gentry in Jiangnan.

Everyone knows that the emperor and the empress have a very harmonious relationship. The emperor might punish the Earl of Jiading, but he would never betray the entire Zhou family.

This would undoubtedly give the gentry in Jiangnan a reassurance, and even give them the confidence to fight against the Kingdom of Jingjiang by finding a leader. Zhu Youjian's intention was to use the Marquisate of Jiading as an example to attract the gentry in Jiangnan.

At the same time, they made it clear to the gentry in Jiangnan that going overseas was not exile. Not only could they farm by following the Zhou family, but they would also have the opportunity to be loyal to the prince in the future.

Perhaps some families will take advantage of the situation and become the powerful people of the next dynasty.
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After so much good news spread, the attractiveness of Xin Jiangnan has indeed increased greatly.

Regardless of how Jiangnan reacted, Shen Yongmao, Li Changgeng, and even Wen Tihen, Zhou Yanru and others in the court were all trying to find out the news about the new Jiangnan.

Especially Zhou Yanru, who recognized himself as a member of the same clan as the Jiading Earl Zhou family, and wanted to open up a fiefdom along with the Jiading Earl State.

Obviously, he, who was born in Changzhou, realized that after Suzhou was rectified by the emperor, Changzhou would most likely be the same. He wanted to take advantage of the opportunity and choose a good fiefdom.

Wen Tiren, who was good at guessing the emperor's intentions, was even more so, and deliberately helped the emperor create momentum. Wang Shimin's previous change of attitude was also related to him.

Qian Qianyi and he were old rivals. Seeing that Wen Tihen from Huzhou had done this, as a native of Suzhou, he certainly could not fall behind.

In addition, he had already divided up the family land, leaving only 1,000 acres for sacrificial offerings. Now he had no burden at all in implementing the court's policies.

Soon, he followed the measures formulated by the emperor, released the extra slaves in his family, and voluntarily donated the official land belonging to the court.

This is undoubtedly a sign of the times, making many people on the sidelines in the DPRK realize that the situation is changing.

The limit on slaves and servants previously set privately by Zhu Youjian gradually became the opinion of court ministers.

This made Zhu Youjian very happy. Not only did he give Qian Qianyi the title of Minister of State, he also allowed him to choose a 200-li fiefdom in New Jiangnan.

It is almost like saying that the Qian family will become a hereditary viscount in the future, or even obtain a higher title.

Qian Qianyi was delighted, feeling that the depression in his heart had finally been cleared:
Ever since he was impeached by Wen Tihen as "the greatest traitor in the world", his official career has been overshadowed.

Although he was not abandoned by the emperor, it seems that he was not reused either.

Now that he has been promoted to the second-rank minister, he has finally confirmed that he is still the emperor's candidate for prime minister.

In the future, as long as he makes meritorious contributions, he can at least obtain the hereditary title of viscount.

How could he not be happy? He felt that his luck had finally turned.

Encouraged by this, he mobilized his disciples Qu Shisi and others to support the court's policy. He also vigorously promoted the theory of permanent property in newspapers, advocating that a man with five people could manage 100 acres of land, and believed that the 100-acre limit on official land was reasonable.

He even called on the gentry of Jiangnan to migrate to the south again, to show the courage of their ancestors, and to go to Southeast Asia to develop a new Jiangnan...

All these factors have made the three words "New Jiangnan" quickly become a hot topic around the world.

Even some hereditary officials were encouraged to go to New Jiangnan to open up fiefdoms.

However, Zhu Youjian was not so polite to these people at this time. The fiefdom of New Jiangnan was strictly controlled by him, and ordinary officials could only choose fiefdoms in Borneo and Heilongjiang North.

This further confirmed the importance of Xinjiangnan and made people realize that the emperor attached great importance to it.

At one point, the Lifanyuan was crowded with people trying to get information. Some people also asked people who had returned from Southeast Asia, and the news about Xin Jiangnan was increasingly confirmed.

Zhu Youjian was very pleased with this, and at the same time he became more aware of Qian Qianyi's influence:

As a rising leader of the Donglin Party, Qian Qianyi had great influence. Zhu Youjian suppressed him in order to curb party disputes.

Now that he had come forward, the winds of the court and the public had changed. The issue of the quota for slaves and the recovery of government land had almost gone from a wrestling match to a final decision.

This made him sigh at the great influence of the Donglin Party, which could easily affect the entire literati community.

At the same time, he also strengthened his determination to support Zhang Pu and let Zhang Pu use newspapers and other public opinion to undermine the influence of the Donglin Party.
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Jiangnan, Suzhou.

After the Qian, Qu, and Wen families, the imperial officials, began to release their slaves, the gentry in Jiangnan realized that the imperial will could not be violated. After confirming the authenticity of the new Jiangnan, they began to look for ways to get more compensation.

The Susong Supervisory Eunuchs' Office soon became crowded with people, and Zhang Yixian went from being avoided by everyone to being a guest of honor who could beg to leave.

Many people are trying to find out whether it is true that the Marquis of Jiading went to Xinjiang to establish a fiefdom. They, the queen's fellow townsmen, are willing to follow the Zhou family.

Some people even took the indentures of their slaves and land and wanted to donate them to the inner court in exchange for the title.

Zhang Yixian finally felt proud and felt that he had made a breakthrough in Suzhou. While having a banquet with Zhang Pu and others, he sighed:

"It's not easy!"

"Suzhou has finally returned to the imperial court."

"Mr. Zhang has made a great contribution this time. The Emperor will surely reward you handsomely in the future."

Zhang Pu smiled and said:

"You are too kind, sir!"

"When did Suzhou no longer belong to the imperial court?"

"It's just that during those years when Wei was causing chaos throughout the country, people were dissatisfied."

"Your Majesty has restored order, and he is Suzhou's son-in-law. Naturally, Suzhou will be loyal to you and willing to be loyal to you."

Zhang Yixian laughed it off and did not argue with Zhang Pu about the difference.

In his opinion as a eunuch in the inner court, since the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard did not dare to operate openly in Suzhou before, Suzhou naturally cannot be said to belong to the court, but at least it can be said that it does not belong to the inner court.

Now, after Zhang Pu's commotion and Gu Yanwu's killing spree, the people of Suzhou realized the majesty of the imperial court and began to obey it again.

This was also a great achievement for him. So he treated Zhang Pu very well and praised him:

"Mr. Zhang's Suzhou son-in-law is a good statement. He is indeed a genius of public opinion praised by the emperor."

"Once you said these four words, the people of Suzhou really surrendered!"

"Everyone knows that the emperor is the son-in-law of Suzhou and will not harm the people of Suzhou."

"Those who wanted to follow the Earl of Jiading to go overseas also came in droves."

Zhang Pu laughed and was quite proud of it.

After learning from Zhang Yixian that the emperor was unwilling to act too harshly on the Suzhou gentry because of the Empress's relationship with him, he came up with the term "Suzhou son-in-law" to publicize the Empress's identity as a Suzhou native and to bring the emperor and the Suzhou people closer together.

After this statement was made, the people of Suzhou really felt closer to the emperor. Not only did the Suzhou gentry begin to use the Zhou family to build relationships, but even the Suzhou commoners and servants believed that the emperor cared so much about the suffering of the Suzhou people because the empress was born a Suzhou commoner.

It can be said that the four words "Suzhou son-in-law" greatly soothed the hearts of the people of Suzhou.

Zhang Yixian also realized why the emperor valued Zhang Pu so much and let him do whatever he wanted in Suzhou:
Zhang Pu is a rare talent who can both stir up trouble and settle it! (End of this chapter)