After ten years of accompanying me in my studies, the entire court begged me to shut up.

The carriage continued its journey, gradually entering the newly repaired section of road.

The sound of the wheels changed; it was no longer the clattering and bumping sound of before, but a steady rustling sound.

The Hongzhi Emperor assessed the situation and nodded slightly: "It is indeed much more stable now."

Zhu Houzhao immediately perked up: "Father, you don't know this, do you? This road isn't just easy to travel. You do the math: from Wuqing County to the capital, it takes two hours by official road. On rainy or snowy days, the road becomes muddy, and it's impossible to finish before dark. Once this gravel road is repaired, it will only take an hour!"

The Hongzhi Emperor looked at him: "You've calculated it?"

Zhu Houzhao was very excited and said, "Your subject has personally run it! If riding a fast horse, it would only take half an hour to get there."

A hint of a smile flashed in the Hongzhi Emperor's eyes, but his face remained impassive: "Even if we save some time, so what?"

Zhu Houzhao hurriedly said, "Father, Wuqing County is right next to the Grand Canal! It's easy to travel from Jiangnan to Wuqing by water. Further north, the current is too rapid, and we often have to wait until the water level calms down before we can proceed."

"But if we had this road, they could disembark at Wuqing County, load the goods onto carts, and transport them directly to the capital! Just think, that would save several days of travel, and that would save so much money!"

"Wuqing County also plans to expand the canal wharf. With more goods at the wharf, more merchants will come and go, and people will open restaurants and various shops. How much tax will be collected then?"

After listening, the Hongzhi Emperor remained silent for a moment, then asked, "Did you come up with these ideas yourself, or did Yang Shen tell you?"

Zhu Houzhao honestly replied, "That's what Yang Ban Du said, but I could have guessed it too..."

The Hongzhi Emperor then asked, "What else did he say?"

Zhu Houzhao tilted his head and thought for a moment, then said, "Yang Bandu also said that our workshop is just getting started. Next year, we'll allocate another 50,000 mu of land to create a dedicated trade center. Silk, tea, and porcelain from the south will be transported here, and furs and wool from the north will be transported there. All of these will be traded here. At that time, Wuqing County will become a must-pass place for merchants from the north and south!"

The Hongzhi Emperor snorted lightly: "This kid has ideas, courage, and can make money. He'll be a good helper for you when he enters the court in the future."

Zhu Houzhao nodded repeatedly: "That's right, that's right! Yang, the study companion, probably did it!"

The carriage continued its journey, and the Hongzhi Emperor looked through the curtain at the laborers sweating profusely by the roadside.

Suddenly, he asked, "Yang Shen's family isn't short of money, is they?"

Zhu Houzhao was taken aback: "They don't lack money! His father and second uncle were both Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), how could they lack money?"

The Hongzhi Emperor turned to look at him: "Then why did he suddenly start a business?"

Zhu Houzhao scratched his head: "Well... actually, it was originally for resettling refugees."

"Refugees?"

"Yes! It was during the time when the dikes were breached in the lower reaches of the Hun River that I and Yang, my companion, were building biogas digesters in Wuqing County. We saw many refugees from other places. Yang said that relying solely on the imperial court's relief efforts was simply not enough. The national treasury's funds and grain were limited, and the refugees were just waiting to be fed, which would eventually lead to their depletion. We need to let them participate in production and create value so that they can survive on their own and the pressure on the national treasury will be reduced."

The Hongzhi Emperor listened quietly, his gaze fixed on the scenery outside the carriage window.

The laborers were sweating profusely, some carrying baskets of soil, some pushing wheelbarrows, and some wielding picks to dig through the frozen soil.

Zhu Houzhao continued, "Later, during negotiations with the Mongols, Yang Bandu bought their wool, saying it would be made into sweaters to help the people get through the winter. Then, the cotton cloth guilds got involved, and the business grew bigger and bigger, attracting more and more people. Yang Bandu said he wanted to build houses there, something like... a development zone?"

"Development zone? What's that?"

"I don't really understand either, but it's probably like a newly built town!"

The Hongzhi Emperor suddenly asked, "What do you think of Yang Shen?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Houzhao replied without hesitation, "Yang Banshu is knowledgeable and a good person. Moreover, he is never as aloof as those old masters. He has taught me many things..."

The Hongzhi Emperor suddenly interrupted, asking, "I'm asking if he has any shortcomings?"

Zhu Houzhao paused for a moment, then thought seriously: "Yes!"

The Hongzhi Emperor raised an eyebrow: "Is that so? Tell me about it."

Zhu Houzhao said earnestly, "He's lazy! Extremely lazy! Sometimes he doesn't get up until the sun is high in the sky! When I went to find him, he was still in bed! He keeps saying that young people need to get enough sleep while they're growing, but I'm three years younger than him, and I'm not as lazy as him!"

After hearing this, the Hongzhi Emperor suddenly laughed.

Zhu Houzhao was bewildered by the laughter: "Father, what are you laughing at?"

The Hongzhi Emperor shook his head, offering no explanation.

The carriage continued on its way, and after another incense stick's time, it slowly came to a stop.

Xiao Jing said softly from outside, "Master, we've arrived."

Zhu Houzhao jumped off the carriage first and turned around to help the Hongzhi Emperor down.

Before me stood a large gate, with a plaque hanging above it bearing four large, gilded characters: Zhu Ji Trading Company.

Upon entering, you are greeted by a row of large brick and tile houses, which look like an office area.

Zhu Houzhao leaned closer, beaming with pride, and said, "Father, what do you think? Impressive, isn't it?"

The Hongzhi Emperor ignored him and strode inside.

Yang Shen jogged out to greet him: "Your subject Yang Shen pays his respects to Your Majesty..."

The Hongzhi Emperor raised his hand to stop him and said in a low voice, "Be mindful of how you address people when we're outside."

Yang Shen was taken aback for a moment, then quickly realized what he meant and changed his words: "Master Zhu, it is an honor to have you here. I am so sorry for not greeting you properly!"

The Hongzhi Emperor looked at Yang Shen and slowly said, "I...I heard that you want to build a development zone in this area?"

Yang Shen nodded and bowed, saying, "Yes, sir, that is indeed the case."

The Hongzhi Emperor nodded and stepped inside: "Show me around."

Yang Shen quickly stepped aside to lead the way, while Zhu Houzhao took the opportunity to disappear in a flash.

"Sir, the area ahead is the office area, and further in is the residential area."

The Hongzhi Emperor asked, "How many people live inside?"

Yang Shen thought for a moment and replied, "There are already more than a thousand households."

"So many?"

The Hongzhi Emperor was somewhat surprised!

With over a thousand households, it's already the size of a small town.

Yang Shen said, "Most of them were refugees who were resettled at the beginning, and later settled down."

The Hongzhi Emperor walked slowly, his gaze sweeping over each house.

"You just said that most of them are refugees? Does that mean there are others who aren't refugees?"

Yang Shen replied, "Sir, some of them are locals who come to the workshop to work during the off-season to earn some pocket money."

The Hongzhi Emperor nodded and continued walking forward.

The style of the painting suddenly changed; the brick and tile houses were gone, replaced by two rows of thatched huts made of straw and mud, barely enough to keep out the wind.

The Hongzhi Emperor stopped in his tracks: "What's going on up ahead?"

Yang Shen said, "Those simple thatched huts were originally the first place to settle refugees. Later, new houses were built there, and they were going to be demolished. But a few days ago, another group of people came, mostly from Wuqing County or the surrounding area, saying they wanted to seek refuge. So I temporarily settled them there, and they will move out when the new houses are built."

The Hongzhi Emperor strode off, saying, "Let's go take a look."

Xiao Jing quickly advised, "Master, it looks a bit chaotic over there, perhaps..."

The Hongzhi Emperor ignored him and walked straight toward the thatched hut.