Chapter 186

But the Single Whip Law had one fatal weakness.

That was that the pricing power of silver was not in the hands of the court.

The wealthy gentry and great families of each commandery could manipulate the price of silver, selling high and buying low, continuing to exploit the tenant farmers of the world.

Jiajing keenly perceived this point and realized that if pushed forward like this, the wealthy gentry of the world would very likely, by controlling the pricing power of silver, end up holding the court hostage.

Ultimately, after Gui E's death, this grand and vigorous Single Whip Law was declared bankrupt.

And after this, Jiajing had already determined a direction: the trouble in the world lies in silver; the trouble in silver lies in the ban on the seas!

As for the ban on the seas.

That is the ancestral system!

And in Su Qiao's home.

Zhu Yuanzhang stared fixedly at Su Qiao and examined him, saying.

"Open the seas, open the seas, could opening the seas be a panacea?"

Su Qiao lowered his head slightly and said.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, to speak accurately, yes!"

"As long as the seas are opened, the profits of sea merchants will surge; going to sea is nine deaths to one life, but once one goes to sea, the silver earned by the naval forces is more than ten years of plowing fields!"

"Not only that, even if in later generations the rich have fields stretching across thousands of acres and the poor have not even a place to stand a needle, they can still generously set sail!"

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly and said.

"You are going to talk about the lands inhabited by various foreign tribes like Jiaozhi and Annan again?"

"The Southern Barbarians can farm there; can the Han people of our Great Ming survive there? Everywhere is mist, poison, and venomous insects; do you still expect to move the people of the Central Plains to live in Jiaozhi?!"

Looking at Zhu Yuanzhang's expression.

Su Qiao sneered coldly and said.

"Your Majesty is confused!"

"You are insolent!"

Su Qiao roared with determination.

"If you say confused, then confused it is; what mist and poison lands? Your Majesty has read history books extensively; can you not even distinguish such ghostly lies?! This is not confusion, is this not obscurity?!"

"You dare curse again?!"

Su Qiao was too lazy to pay attention to Old Zhu.

"Your Majesty, obscurity is obscurity; since Your Majesty insists on believing those places are lands of mist and poison, then this subject has nothing to say!"

Having said this, Su Qiao stood his ground with his neck stiff.

The small courtyard instantly fell into a deathly silence.

Old Zhu's face turned directly a greenish-purple.

Only Jiang Huan's corner of the mouth twitched slightly.

Same old formula, same familiar taste.

To be honest.

Actually, Jiang Huan originally also thought Su Qiao feared death, so he dared not commit suicide.

But now Jiang Huan was certain.

Su Qiao simply wanted to be beheaded.

Is there really someone in this world who considers their head a burden?!

Just as Zhu Yuanzhang was about to fly into a rage.

Zhu Houcong in the chat group could not help but recite a poem.

"The misty lands of Jiangnan, where exiled guests have no news."

"Great Grandfather, five hundred years ago, was Jin Ling also a land of mist and poison?!"

As soon as Zhu Houcong finished speaking.

Zhu Yuanzhang could not help but stand there stunned.

"The misty lands of Jiangnan, where exiled guests have no news."

This is Du Fu's "Dreaming of Li Bai."

From the High Tang to the Hongwu era of the Great Ming, it was merely six hundred years.

During the High Tang, Jiangnan was still the undisputed land of mist and poison.

But in the Great Ming Dynasty.

Jiangnan was a place of heavy taxation!

Half of the world's revenue comes from the southeast!

Where is there even a trace of a land of mist and poison?

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression gradually became solemn.

He plopped down onto the stone bench.

Su Qiao and Jiang Huan, not being in the chat group, only thought Zhu Yuanzhang was deep in thought.

But Zhu Yuanzhang sent a message in the chat group.

Emperor Taizu Gao:

"@Emperor Shizong Su, do you mean that the path of opening the seas is feasible?"

Looking at Zhu Yuanzhang's message, Zhu Houcong said with a sigh.

"I will not hide it from Great Grandfather; this subject has actually vaguely felt that opening the seas might solve the Great Ming's crisis."

As soon as Jiajing finished speaking.

Zhu Yuanzhang's weathered face immediately fell.

He stared fiercely at Jiajing and growled.

"Then why the hell didn't you say so earlier?!"

Su Qiao and Jiang Huan in the small courtyard couldn't help but freeze.

Su Qiao's face was even more filled with question marks.

Say so earlier? Me?

Before the two could come to their senses.

Zhu Yuanzhang had already walked out of the small courtyard on his own.

He continued to scold to himself.

"You little rascal, do you particularly enjoy watching me get scolded?!"

"Stop talking nonsense! Wait until I get over there and I'll beat you!"

"..."

Watching Zhu Yuanzhang's back.

Su Qiao's heart couldn't help but grow cold.

Has Old Zhu gone mad?

Schizophrenia?

Su Qiao glanced in shock at the poisoned wine before him.

Jiang Huan, standing nearby, immediately understood.

He took a quick step and chased out of the small courtyard, quietly asking Zhu Yuanzhang, who seemed to be "hallucinating."

"Your Majesty, what about Su Qiao's poisoned wine...?"

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't even lift his eyelids, roaring.

"Let him die or not, as he pleases. Guard him for us. Do not let him take a single step out of this courtyard. When he figures it out, let him end his own life!"

Having said this, Zhu Yuanzhang slammed the wooden door of the carriage shut with a "Bang."

Leaving only a bewildered Jiang Huan behind.

Who would voluntarily commit suicide without being forced?

Doesn't this mean he won't be killed?!

And in the chat group.

Zhu Yuanzhang's weathered face was gloomy.

Jiajing's face held a hint of helplessness.

"Ancestor Emperor, the maritime ban is also your ancestral system; I, your son, was just afraid you would fly into a rage..."