Borrow the day to change the day

He is the only one who has the right to come directly outside Zhong Jinwei's study without prior notice.And let Zhong Jinwei not only not be offended, but also treat him courteously.

He is Gu Baichuan, the actual leader of Zhong Jinwei's guards at the East Factory.

Hearing Zhong Jinwei's call, he thanked him first, and then followed Zhong Jinwei into the study room first.

Zhong Jinwei stood by the desk and asked Gu Baichuan who followed him, "How is the situation?"

"Master Hou, please wait." Gu Baichuan replied, then took out a folded piece of paper from his arms, unfolded it and spread it on Zhong Jinwei's desk.

Zhong Jinwei looked at it by the not very bright candlelight, and saw the words "Map of Hanzhong Mansion" written on it, and circled small circles on the map with a brush.

Seeing Zhong Jinwei looking at the map seriously, Gu Baichuan explained: "Master Hou, you see, these circled areas are all planted with tobacco, accounting for ten percent of the fertile land in Hanzhong."

Zhong Jinwei had already expected this situation, he was still looking at the map while frowning.After a while, he raised his head to look at Gu Baichuan and said, "Who do these fertile fields for growing tobacco belong to?"

When Gu Baichuan was about to answer, there was a knock on the door, accompanied by a clear female voice: "Master, the tea is here."

When Zhong Jinwei heard that the maid Li Simin should be serving tea, he said, "Come in."

Then he turned to Gu Baichuan and said, "Drink some tea first and rest."

Zhong Jinwei himself looked at the map for a while before going back to his seat and sitting down.

He looked up and saw Gu Baichuan picked up the teapot from the tray in Li Simin's hand, and poured it directly into his stomach regardless of whether the temperature was right or not. He was taken aback, and asked Gu Baichuan, "Could it be that you haven't eaten?"

When Gu Baichuan heard Zhong Jinwei's question, he put down the teapot, wiped the tea from his mouth embarrassingly, and then said: "I'm in a hurry, I really haven't eaten."

When Zhong Jinwei heard this, he quickly said to Li Simin who was pursing his lips and trying to laugh: "Hurry up and get Brother Gu something to eat."

"Yes, master." Hearing Zhong Jinwei's order, Li Simin put the tea on the side coffee table, blessed Zhong Jinwei and Gu Baichuan, and went out to prepare for Gu Baichuan to eat.

Gu Baichuan drank some tea and rested his stomach, and his energy was much better than before. He began to calmly say to Zhong Jinwei: "Master Hou, this subordinate was in a hurry and didn't understand it carefully, but I still generally know that those people grow tobacco."

Needless to say, Gu Baichuan, Zhong Jinwei must know that he is a powerful person in the local area.Anyone who sees this kind of thing that makes a lot of money will step up and take a bite. In the end, the most powerful people in the area must take it.

It's just that he still needs to understand it in detail. This matter is very important. If he can understand more, he needs to understand more.

Therefore, Zhong Jinwei asked again: "What race is it?"

"The vassal kings accounted for most of them, and the rest were famous local gentry." Gu Baichuan replied.

When Zhong Jinwei heard this, the feudal lord was involved again.It doesn't matter much, anyway, the matter of the vassal king has been resolved.Then there are those squires. At present, there should not be many. After all, tobacco has only started to spread at this time, and it is not yet popular.

He thought for a while and asked again: "Is the tobacco they grow used for smoking?"

Gu Baichuan nodded and said: "I did see a lot of people smoking in the Hanzhong area."

"Can you know who is smoking?"

Gu Baichuan felt a little regretful that he rushed back in a hurry. He didn't understand all of Zhong Jinwei's questions, but he mainly went to see the tobacco planting situation according to Zhong Jinwei's order.He also claims to be a shrewd person, and he should have thought that Hou Zhongxing would ask other related questions about tobacco planting.

But it is useless to regret now, Gu Baichuan guessed and replied: "From what my subordinates have seen, among the people who smoke tobacco, there are rich and poor, high and low."

Zhong Jinwei didn't ask any more questions, and pointed to a chair beside him and said, "Sit down and rest first."

After he finished speaking, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, recalling the things related to tobacco in later generations.

As far as Zhong Jinwei himself is concerned, he does not smoke.But he has relatives who smoke, and he often tells him to quit, but he didn't quit after several times.

However, some people can quit. After all, tobacco is not a drug. As long as there is more perseverance, they can still quit.

In later generations, like salt, tobacco was monopolized by the state, and this monopoly was much stronger than salt.

At least in future generations, ordinary people will buy salt for their own consumption across regions, but if restaurants and other commercial salts are purchased across regions, it will still violate the law.

As far as tobacco is concerned, ordinary people can't grow tobacco by themselves, and its management intensity is obviously stronger than that of table salt.

Seeing Hou Zhongxing closing his eyes over there, Gu Baichuan knew that he was thinking about the information he had brought him.He didn't speak, so as not to disturb Zhongxinghou's thoughts.

After a long time, before Zhong Jinwei showed any signs of speaking, Li Simin came to treat Gu Baichuan to dinner.

After Zhong Jinwei heard the movement and opened his eyes to look at it, he said to Gu Baichuan: "You go to eat, and then go to bed early. I will go to the palace to face the saint tomorrow morning, and report the tobacco incident."

Gu Baichuan didn't quite understand why Marquis Zhongxing valued this tobacco so much. Judging from Marquis Zhongxing's attitude of valuing it, it was definitely not just because the tobacco could not fill his stomach, but occupied the fertile land.

But he didn't ask, he was not qualified to discuss this matter, he had Zhongxing Hou discuss it with the emperor.

Thinking of this, he cupped his fists to Zhong Jinwei and went to dinner with Li Simin.

Early the next morning, Zhong Jinwei came to the Forbidden City early and met Emperor Chongzhen.

He reported to Emperor Chongzhen: "Your Majesty, I have something new to add to the issue of the clan and vassal's feudalism overseas and the solution to the famine in the Ming Dynasty."

When Emperor Chongzhen heard this, he was overjoyed. He could tell that Master Zhong had good advice.

So, he hurriedly said to Zhong Jinwei: "Master Zhong, do you need the first assistant from me?"

The reason why Emperor Chongzhen said this was because the three of them had been discussing this matter all along. There was a result before and a cabinet meeting was about to be held to discuss it. Now that Zhong Jinwei has something to add, of course he wanted to pass on Wen Tiren. discuss.

As soon as Zhong Jinwei heard it, he agreed: "Your Majesty's words are very true, and this matter cannot be separated from Mr. Wen."

So, the nephew lit the lantern, and everything went on as usual.The Wenhua Hall was emptied again, leaving only Emperor Chongzhen, Wen Tiren and Zhong Jinwei.

Zhong Jinwei saw that Emperor Chongzhen and Wen Tiren had put up a posture waiting for him to speak, so he said without delay, "Your Majesty, Mr. Wen, I found a large amount of fertile land in south-central Shaanxi for growing tobacco. This matter is of great importance, but If it is handled properly, it will help the feudal clan of the vassals to go overseas more smoothly."

When Emperor Chongzhen heard this, he didn't understand, and asked suspiciously: "Master Zhong, what is tobacco?"

Tobacco was not popular at this time, and of course Emperor Chongzhen didn't know about it.In history, when he knew about it and ordered a ban on smoking, it had already spread, and even soldiers in the army were planting and smoking.Therefore, Hong Chengchou, who was in charge of the soldiers at the time, said that he should be cautious about smoking bans, but in the end it was nothing.

Wen Tiren had heard of tobacco, and he explained to Emperor Chongzhen: "Tobacco is a medicinal material that can intoxicate people and prevent miasma."