met free Chapter 1196 Can Your Highness withstand the beating?
Chapter 1196 Can Your Highness withstand the beating?
As soon as Emperor Zhu finished speaking, Li Shanchang glared angrily at Yang Shaofeng and Wang Guangyang.
If it weren't for those two idiots, Emperor Zhu would have stayed in the court as a servant.
Now look what's happened! That idiot Yang Dianfeng insists on making a fuss about the "Investigation Report," while Wang Guangyang insists on dividing up some industrial zone.
These two events, when linked together, gave Emperor Zhu the opportunity to flee.
What's even more deadly is a good student taught by Yang the Madman.
That scoundrel was even more radical; he even wanted to get some people to leave farming and work in workshops instead. If 100,000 people in the Ming Dynasty were to leave farming, and the allocation standard was 15 mu of land per adult, it would mean that 1.5 million mu of land would be left uncultivated.
If we calculate based on a yield of 100 jin of grain per mu, then 1.5 million mu of land being left uncultivated means a loss of 150 million jin of grain.
As for temporarily handing over the land to someone else to cultivate?
Leaving aside the possibility of land consolidation, even if no problems arise, there are still a host of issues involved, such as whether it's free land for others to cultivate, and whether the farmers are capable of cultivating thirty acres of land well.
Li Shanchang's head throbbed with worry. He couldn't help but snort and looked at Yang Shaofeng, saying, "May I ask, Your Highness, are there any people in Ningyang County who don't farm but instead work diligently in workshops?"
As Li Shanchang finished speaking, Emperor Zhu's eyes lit up.
Yes, with our good son-in-law and Ningyang County here, what are we still worried about?
Emperor Zhu chuckled twice and looked at Yang Shaofeng, saying, "Hey, son-in-law, do you remember that kid Geng Xingming was trained by you?"
Yang Shaofeng glanced at Li Shanchang, then at Emperor Zhu.
What do you mean?
Are you two trying to shift the blame onto me again?
definitely is!
Yang Shaofeng snorted, looking displeased, and bowed to Emperor Zhu, saying, "Father-in-law is right. Geng Xingming was among the first batch of Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) in the fourth year of Hongwu's reign. According to popular opinion, he was a true disciple of the emperor."
Emperor Zhu said he was used to Yang Shaofeng's behavior, which was half sarcastic and half shirking responsibility, and even found it amusing.
These days, who doesn't use sarcastic or sarcastic language?
"Since you've proposed allowing some people to leave farming, and coincidentally, one of your best students has submitted a similar memorial..."
Emperor Zhu, in a sarcastic tone, asked with a forced smile, "Should we allow some people to leave farming?"
What will happen to farmland after people leave agriculture?
"How can we ensure that the working people have food?"
"How can we ensure that the income of farmers is not lower than that of laborers, or rather, how can we strike a balance between the two..."
“These matters will be handled by you and Mr. Shanchang.”
After shifting the blame to Li Shanchang and Yang Shaofeng, Emperor Zhu turned his attention to Wang Guangyang: "Minister Wang, we think the industrial zone you proposed is feasible."
"You can come with us for the next couple of days and take a look around the area around the capital. Then we can plan your industrial zone properly later."
"As for the students at Dengzhou University..."
Emperor Zhu tapped the table lightly and casually, and said, "Perfect timing. You take some time to think carefully with the Crown Prince, Mr. Shanchang, Mr. Qingtian, and this scoundrel about the relationship between the university students and the imperial examinations."
"We have a feeling that there will be more and more students in universities in the future, and the imperial examination system was already mentioned a few years ago. It will be abolished after ten special imperial examinations."
"You should also help us think about how to recruit students from universities to serve as officials, or how to solve the shortage of local clerks, yamen runners, and guards."
"..."
Li Shanchang gave Wang Guangyang another cold glance.
You old scoundrel, just you wait!
I can't afford to offend Yang the Madman, but surely I can afford to offend you, Wang Guangyang?
Especially since you old scoundrel are now in charge of the Ministry of Industry, you can't do anything without the cabinet.
A layer of cold sweat also seeped out from Wang Guangyang's forehead.
It seems that the goal has been successfully achieved.
But it seems like they accidentally messed things up.
Who the hell could have imagined that Yang the Madman would follow him right after he entered the palace?
What's worse, just as he himself proposed the idea of an industrial zone, Yang Dianfeng followed suit and even suggested that some people should be freed from farming.
If I had known it would turn out like this, I shouldn't have come here today!
Wang Guangyang left Qianqing Palace grumbling and cursing, while Yang Shaofeng, with a similarly dark and sour face, went to Kunning Palace with Heizhima Tangyuan.
I feel like I lost out today—although I successfully outmaneuvered Lao Deng and Li Shanchang, I was also conscripted by Lao Deng. Isn't that a complete loss?
To get to Kunning Palace, you have to go there to complain to your mother-in-law.
It is said that after becoming emperor, a man named Zhu Chongba never forgot a girl named Miss Liu Si, and even sent the Imperial Guards to search for news of Miss Liu Si.
I'd like to see if you, old man, will kneel on a washboard tonight!
Seeing that Yang Shaofeng had a sour face the whole way, Heizhi Tangyuan couldn't help but laugh and ask, "Brother-in-law, is something bothering you?"
Yang Shaofeng didn't have time to think it through and blurted out, "Thinking about Miss Liu Si."
Black Sesame Dumpling stopped in her tracks, staring blankly at Yang Shaofeng and asked, "Miss Liu? No, didn't we already publish this story in the 'Da Ming Daily'?"
Yang Shaofeng snorted coldly and said, "So what if I made up stories? Your Highness might as well think about it carefully. With your father-in-law going out this time, do you have to stay behind to oversee the country?"
Black Sesame Dumpling immediately rolled her eyes and snorted, "Shouldn't this be blamed on my brother-in-law?"
Yang Shaofeng also snorted.
It was indeed I who brought this up.
The point is, I only wanted to annoy Lao Deng and you, I never expected to be conscripted by Lao Deng!
Yang Shaofeng rolled his eyes and said, "Anyway, regardless of who is to blame or not, Your Highness is going to stay and oversee the country. I have also been conscripted and have to discuss taxation, industrial zones, and whether to allow some people to leave their land and take over their jobs with the Duke of Han and Marquis Chengyi, among other troublesome matters."
Black Sesame Dumpling hummed in agreement and asked, "So, brother-in-law is planning to use Miss Liu to upset my father?"
Yang Shaofeng hummed in agreement, then glanced sideways at the black sesame dumplings and asked, "Does Your Highness not want to?"
Black Sesame Dumpling frowned slightly and pondered, "I do want to... but the key is that we've already made a fuss about Miss Liu before. No matter how you make a fuss now, what new tricks can you come up with?"
Yang Shaofeng chuckled and said, "It's possible, but the key is whether His Highness can withstand the beating. If it's really not possible, then we should avoid the limelight for now."
Provoked by Yang Shaofeng's words, Heizhi Tangyuan immediately got carried away: "I won't avoid it!"