Chapter 635: Wei Zhongxian Makes Trouble in Zhejiang

Nanjing.

As the former capital of the Great Ming and now one of its two capitals, this place had always been synonymous with prosperity.

Walking once again through the streets of Nanjing, Zhu Youxiao's emotions were still complicated.

Last time he came to Nanjing, his mood had been completely different. This time, however, there was more ease and delight.

After all, last time he had come on business — his heart had been anything but relaxed; there had been plenty of tension and worry.

This time was different. He was far more at ease.

Viewing the city of Nanjing with a leisurely, sightseeing frame of mind gave Zhu Youxiao a different sensation.

The ancient and prosperous city of Nanjing was truly beautiful, truly lovely.

Walking along the edge of Xuanwu Lake, treading through the drizzling rain, Zhu Youxiao was in excellent spirits.

At this moment, Zhu Youxiao wore a long scholar's robe, dressed just like an ordinary student. He had cast aside his silks and satins, donning cotton robes instead, which made him look rather more refined.

The folding fan in his hand was nothing precious either — it was painted with ordinary landscapes.

A wooden hairpin casually held his hair in place, lending him an air of unrestrained ease.

At his side, Noble Consort Tian and Noble Consort Yuan accompanied him, gauze veils over their faces so that none could see their features.

Wei Chao attended to them, while the other guards were scattered around the perimeter.

Even though Zhu Youxiao was not dressed richly, every passerby knew he was a man of wealth and status. After all, Noble Consort Tian and Noble Consort Yuan were dressed in splendid finery, and with so many guards around them, this was clearly no ordinary person.

Finding a place to sit down, Zhu Youxiao asked with a smile: "Do you find it unpleasant?"

"There are still a few too many people." Noble Consort Tian said directly.

Noble Consort Tian, who was by nature straightforward and honest, had truly grown bold enough to speak her mind after spending this period of time with Zhu Youxiao.

It wasn't that she hadn't wanted to speak before — it was that she couldn't see him, and had no opportunity to speak with the Emperor.

Hearing this, Zhu Youxiao nodded and said: "Next time, I'll have them clear the area."

Noble Consort Tian nodded with charming artlessness.

Xuanwu Lake was in fact an imperial garden. Not many people could come here to begin with — ordinary commoners couldn't enter even if they wanted to. Those who could enter were all prominent figures of Nanjing.

After all, since Zhu Youxiao wasn't here, the place couldn't simply be left to waste.

Noble Consort Tian felt somewhat uncomfortable, because people kept glancing in their direction.

Noble Consort Yuan, on the other hand, didn't mind at all. She sat to one side attending to Zhu Youxiao. For Noble Consort Yuan, accompanying the Emperor was what mattered most.

The three of them — Zhu Youxiao and the two consorts — sat on stone benches.

Wei Chao had long since prepared water and tea, brewing the tea and laying out refreshments.

Zhu Youxiao and the consorts enjoyed the cool breeze, gazing at the lake and mountain scenery while sipping tea and nibbling refreshments — quite leisurely indeed.

Qi Yuangong stood not far away, his gaze sweeping continuously across the surroundings, his hand never leaving his waist. There rested his short firearm; should the slightest thing go wrong, he would draw it out in an instant.

At that moment, Qi Yuangong suddenly heard footsteps to his right and immediately turned his head to look.

A man in his fifties approached. He looked very honest and simple. He was not tall, but neither was he fat — he appeared rather lean.

Qi Yuangong did not step forward to meet him, because the man was accompanied by someone he recognized — the companion was Wei Chao's adopted son.

Qi Yuangong knew who this man was.

He was Li Chaosheng, the Chief Steward of the Nanjing Imperial Household Department.

Qi Yuangong shot a glance at the man beside him.

The two of them walked toward Li Chaosheng.

Inspection, identity verification, body search — this entire procedure was indispensable.

This was not the imperial palace, but even in the palace, when the Emperor summoned someone, the proper procedures could not be omitted.

Li Chaosheng was not surprised in the least. Smiling, he cooperated with the inspection.

Only after all the checks were completed was Li Chaosheng brought before Zhu Youxiao.

Li Chaosheng knelt on the ground with his head lowered, not daring to raise it at all. He was terrified of catching a glimpse of Noble Consort Yuan or Noble Consort Tian and incurring His Majesty's displeasure; if he incurred His Majesty's displeasure, he was done for.

Zhu Youxiao, however, paid it no mind. He waved his hand and said: "Rise and report."

After standing up from the ground, Li Chaosheng still kept his head lowered.

Zhu Youxiao frowned and said: "With your head lowered like that, doesn't your neck hurt? Raise your head."

Li Chaosheng slowly raised his head and let out a breath of relief.

The two noble consorts were actually not here?

Seeing Li Chaosheng's relieved expression, Zhu Youxiao understood in his heart what the man was thinking.

Zhu Youxiao had already had Qi Yuangong and his men clear this entire area. Within this circle, apart from themselves, there was no one else.

Noble Consort Yuan and Noble Consort Tian naturally could not remain to listen to Zhu Youxiao discuss business — they had long since wandered off.

"Tell me, how are things in Nanjing?" Zhu Youxiao looked at Li Chaosheng and asked slowly.

Though he had traveled and played along the way, and had even enjoyed several days of leisure upon arriving in Nanjing, the proper business still had to be handled.

Having Li Chaosheng come over today — Zhu Youxiao wanted to ask about the specific situation.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, everything in Nanjing is stable and secure." Li Chaosheng said hurriedly: "It's just that some problems have arisen over in Zhejiang."

"What is it?" Zhu Youxiao asked with a grim face.

"In Zhejiang, much farmland has already been converted from rice paddies to mulberry fields. During this round of investigation, many things have come to light — there's also a great deal of land annexation and tax evasion." Li Chaosheng said cautiously.

"No need to test me." Zhu Youxiao waved his hand and said: "Just let them investigate the land matters thoroughly — that's all. Don't worry about anything else."

"As for the matters in Zhejiang, the Imperial Household Department has reported them more than once. I am well aware of them in my heart."

In recent years, trade along the Great Ming's coast had grown ever more intense. Apart from the Great Ming itself, everyone wanted to do business with the Great Ming.

Trade on the open seas had never ceased — in the past it had been smuggling. After the establishment of the Maritime Trade Supervisorate during the Longqing era, it became even more rampant. The court permitted maritime trade, but the problem was that maritime trade paid no taxes.

In the past two years, encouraged by Zhu Youxiao, commerce had flourished greatly. The Great Ming's goods had also grown abundant, and foreign trade had naturally become even more fervent.

Under such circumstances, silver flowed in endlessly.

Over these years, Zhu Youxiao had observed that the amount of silver had increased considerably. Although there was no obvious devaluation yet, the trend was already there.

Zhu Youxiao's Imperial Household Department had already amassed a large quantity of silver. Once the Wa nation was taken, Zhu Youxiao planned to formally incorporate silver into the monetary system.

Zhu Youxiao was very clear about what was happening in Zhejiang.

In order to sell silk for foreign trade, merchants in Zhejiang had converted their farmland into mulberry fields, no longer planting rice. This was done to increase their own economic income, but in reality, it undermined the interests of the entire nation.

Not paying taxes on business is one thing, but in any era, the common people cannot go without food. Large tracts of land had been converted to mulberry fields, no longer growing rice.

Later generations would still need to hold the red line of 1.8 billion mu of arable land—let alone now?

It was just that some things could not be helped; they could not be reversed.

Zhu Youxiao looked at Li Chaosheng beside him and asked, "Did someone tell you to ask?"

Li Chaosheng hastily shook his head and said, "Your subject is merely somewhat worried. Eunuch Wei seems to be making some moves over there."

Wei Zhongxian?

This was something Zhu Youxiao had not anticipated. Could it be that he had discovered something over there? Was that why he had gone to Zhejiang?

Zhu Youxiao had learned of Wei Zhongxian's presence in Zhejiang as soon as he arrived in Nanjing.

During the last trip to Yangzhou, the Hui merchants had been taught a lesson, and the Zhejiang merchants had been caught in the fallout as well—but the main targets had been the Hui and Jin merchants.

Was Wei Zhongxian planning to go after them this time?

Zhu Youxiao asked, "What is he doing?"

"To answer Your Majesty, Eunuch Wei is investigating how much mulberry field there is in Zhejiang, who owns these mulberry fields, what was previously planted on them, how many people are weaving, and how many workshops there are."

Li Chaosheng hastily said, "Your Majesty, your subject believes Zhejiang should not be touched lightly, or it could easily cause trouble."

"Do you know where Zhejiang's grain has been bought from these past two years?" Zhu Youxiao looked at Li Chaosheng and asked, "From the surrounding provinces?"

"To report to Your Majesty, it comes basically from Huguang." Li Chaosheng hastily replied.

Zhu Youxiao nodded.

"When Huguang ripens, the world is fed"—this saying was somewhat exaggerated, but Huguang's grain industry was highly developed and its output very high. With the spread of new rice varieties, production had increased further.

Adding corn, potatoes, and sweet potatoes, the Ming's grain supply had actually been quite sufficient these past few years. The only problem was imbalance.

Some places suffered drought and disaster, making grain transport very troublesome. Shanxi and Shaanxi had already experienced this situation in the past two years.

Although preparations had been made in advance, dealing with it was still somewhat tricky. The best approach was to disperse the population—some recruited to work in the capital, some diverted to Zhangjiakou, and some sent to the grasslands to do business—thereby reducing the court's burden.

Zhejiang, relying on Huguang, naturally had no problem with food. Although they did not farm themselves, they did not lack for it either.

Zhu Youxiao felt that what Wei Zhongxian was investigating seemed to have little to do with converting rice fields to mulberry. Li Chaosheng's saying this was probably also out of worry.

Presumably, besides Li Chaosheng, the merchants in Zhejiang were also worried. They were worried that their own businesses would run into trouble.

The silk business had made huge profits these past few years. With the appearance of various shops bearing the imperial banner, this luxury market was almost established—prices were doubling and doubling again, and top-grade materials cost even more.

For raising silkworms and reeling silk, mulberry leaves were the key. Without good mulberry leaves, there would be no good silkworms, and no good silk. Even the slightest fluctuation could cause disaster.

"Your Majesty, ever since Eunuch Wei arrived in Zhejiang, raw silk and silk fabrics on the market have risen in price in response. If this continues, I fear something will happen!" Li Chaosheng said with some worry.

Zhu Youxiao nodded and said, "I will go to Zhejiang and take a look."

Upon hearing this, Li Chaosheng was slightly taken aback. His expression did not relax at all—on the contrary, he became even more worried.

His Majesty was actually going to Zhejiang?

Wasn't one Eunuch Wei enough? His Majesty was even going in person?

This was the end!

Once this news got out, wouldn't raw silk prices double and double again?