Ming Dynasty: I risked my life to teach the prince, the emperor begged me not to die

Chapter 45: Steal half a day’s leisure

After all, Zhu Houzhao had to attend classes, so he took Liu Jin to deliver the furniture early in the morning when he had time, for he was afraid that his younger brother would have nothing to use and would not be able to come for free meals in the future.

Although he knew that Chen Ce was older than him, he still liked to call him "little brother" all the time, so that he seemed more powerful than the younger brother.

He didn't stay in the courtyard for long. After Liu Jin was exhausted, Zhu Houzhao took him away.

On the way back, I could always see the dejected looks on the faces of the people. Some of the vegetable farmers who went into the city to buy vegetables looked as if they had lost their parents.

Zhu Houzhao stopped and stepped forward to ask the other party if it was because the court did something wrong that made them so frustrated.

The other party's answer made Zhu Houzhao stand there for a long, long time.

"We lost our property due to natural disasters and had to sell our land to make a living. The money the landlord gave us was very little, far below the market price. If we didn't sell the land, our family would starve to death. After we sold it... the land left by our ancestors was completely gone."

"Rent the land to farm? But the landlords only give 30% of the profits, how can it be enough for the whole family to eat?"

Every word was like thunder striking Zhu Houzhao's carefree heart. He looked a little confused, then his eyes suddenly widened, and he realized what the riddle Chen Ce had asked him was.

He doesn’t know, he doesn’t know that natural disasters will be accompanied by so many problems, he doesn’t know that natural disasters will cause people to lose their land?

Father will exempt the tax, won't he? Both taxes will be exempted. The civil officials said that the emperor is benevolent and cares about the people, right?
Why is the reality different from what teachers teach?

"Can the big bureaucrats and landlords be more conscientious? Just a little bit. Can the price of the land be raised a little bit, just a little bit?"

Zhu Houzhao's nose felt sore and he murmured, "You are almost dying, and you still care about others...what are you doing!"

Liu Jin panted heavily, then said to Zhu Houzhao with a smile on his face: "Master, Master, I have rested and finally recovered my breath."

"Thank you for your understanding of me, my Lord."

Zhu Houzhao looked back at him, stretched out his hand to slap him, and finally patted him on the shoulder and said, "That's good, let's continue walking after you've rested."

Liu Jin smiled like a flower, what a considerate master! Liu is so lucky to serve you. When you ascend the throne, whoever you want to displease will be the villain Liu!

……

Madam Wu knocked on Chen Ce's door. After coming out of the cellar, she regained her usual tranquility and dignity. She asked Chen Ce a little embarrassedly, "Mr. Chen, can you lend me some money?"

Chen Ce knew that she had a shameful past, and he did not ask her about it either in the cellar or after coming up.

A natural disaster caused her to lose most of her belongings, so she had no choice but to ask Chen Ce for money.

"How much?"

Madam Wu was silent for a moment, then said, "One tael... five hundred wen is fine, but I may need to postpone it..."

Chen Ce didn't listen any further. He went in and took out a tael of silver and handed it to Madam Wu.

Mrs. Wu was very grateful and promised, "I will pay it back as soon as possible."

Chen Ce hummed and said, "Okay!"

Madam Wu gritted her teeth and said, "I know your situation is not good either. I will pay you back as soon as possible!"

Chen Ce thought about it and said, "I still have a little money. Do your best."

"Ah."

Both parties maintained a subtle tacit understanding and did not fantasize about what happened in the cellar. They remained no different from ordinary neighbors.

Although Wu Shuxian was not dressed gorgeously, without delicate makeup and wrapped in an apron, she looked no different from an ordinary peasant woman, but her temperament was different. She might look better after careful dressing up, but in the Ming Dynasty, for a beautiful woman to be able to live alone until now was itself an anomaly.

Zhu Houzhao also sent Chen Ce a fishing rod. Chen Ce did not read in the morning, but went to the Tongji Canal in the backyard to try it out. He soon fell in love with fishing. After lunch, he locked the door. The sky was gloomy and it looked like it was going to snow again.

Chen Ce walked out holding an umbrella and wearing a green double-breasted cotton jacket.

Along the way, Shuntian Prefecture regained its former prosperity. The city streets began to become lively again, with people bustling around. As the New Year approached, it became more and more lively.

It doesn't take long to walk from the bustling town to the peaceful suburbs.

When the tenant farmers saw Chen Ce coming, they warmly welcomed the landlord to dinner and inevitably borrowed money from him.

Chen Ce gave them money, but who would cultivate the land for him without them? He won the favor of the tenant farmers.

The next day was the same. Chen Ce would still come to the suburbs with an umbrella and stay next to the farmland for half a day.

The third and fourth days were the same. It seemed very boring and no one knew what the young man was doing here. He would always stay here for most of the day and was in a daze most of the time.

……

In the Forbidden City, in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, a heated discussion on the minting of new Hongzhi coins was led by the Minister of Revenue Zhou Jing.

Whether to mint new coins is a question, how to mint them, what kind of new coins to mint is another question, and how many coins to issue is also a question. All of these need to be discussed.

In the evening, Emperor Hongzhi showed the two new banknotes with new drawings to Empress Zhang, who was having her usual meal, and asked her which one she liked.

Empress Zhang said that she was a woman and knew nothing about politics, so she just looked good.

Zhu Houzhao asked Emperor Hongzhi seriously, "Father, do you really want to mint new coins?"

What do you mean by really minting new coins? It's as if you knew it in advance.

However, Emperor Hongzhi still said earnestly: "Yes, a new dynasty, a new atmosphere. I have long wanted to mint new coins. The old paper money is increasingly not accepted by the people. Instead of doing this, it is better to increase the production of copper coins."

Zhu Houzhao asked in return: "But didn't your grandfather, the Emperor, cast it during the Chenghua period?"

The coin used in the market now is still Xuande Tong Bao.

Emperor Hongzhi said: "It is not that simple to mint coins. If it is not a peaceful and prosperous era, how can we mint new coins at will? The people will not accept it."

He indirectly boasted about himself, and Empress Zhang smiled and said, "That's right, your father has conquered a prosperous country for you, isn't it all for you?"

Zhu Houzhao said to Emperor Hongzhi with great confidence: "Father, why don't you investigate public opinion first? If the people don't accept it, what's the point of wasting money and manpower to mint new coins?"

He stammered as he swallowed his food.

Emperor Hongzhi's expression suddenly froze and he looked at Zhu Houzhao in a daze.

Yes!

The Ministry of Revenue has been discussing and arguing for so long, considering what new currency to mint, but why didn’t they think about whether the public would accept the new currency?

"Oh, Father, I have another suggestion regarding the fields..."

Emperor Hongzhi was still in a daze. When he came to his senses, he hurriedly stood up, did not even eat dinner, and left the harem with Eunuch Huai En. After going to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, he summoned the Minister of Revenue and the Left Vice Minister of Rites overnight to continue discussing the issue of minting new coins.

"What? I haven't finished talking yet! Father is becoming more and more unreasonable!"

"Ah! Mother, let me go. I am an adult already, why are you pulling my ears?" Zhu Houzhao howled to express his dissatisfaction to Empress Zhang.

(End of this chapter)