Chapter 306: There

Confucius's Confucianism has aspects worthy of criticism, especially the rigid Confucianism that evolved continuously in later generations. Even Confucius's own descendant, the latest Sacrificial Official Kong Wenyin, scolded the base scholars for not being human, saying that after treating people like blades of grass, they themselves became blades of grass. However, the Master himself greatly revered ritual and law.

According to the *Rites of Zhou*: the Son of Heaven has seven temples, feudal lords have five, grand masters have three, scholars have one, and commoners have none. In terms of Confucius's own life, he was a commoner when he died. He traveled to various states with his disciples, and after returning to the State of Lu, he compiled books. Commoners have no temples, and the current magnificent Temple of Confucius is undoubtedly contrary to Confucius's own wishes and his pursuit of ritual and law.

During the process of the Kong Fu being arrested and investigated, this magnificent Temple of Confucius became a problem. Should it be completely torn down? Or maintained as is, left to the erosion of the passing seasons? Or converted into a place for the scholars of the world to pay their respects?

The Emperor's final decision was to turn it into an Imperial Manor, then open it for Confucian scholars from all over the world to offer sacrifices and pay respects.

The two characters "Apricot Altar" bestowed by Emperor Xiaozong were erected at the site of the Apricot Altar, while the wind-polished bronze *bixi* bestowed by Emperor Renzong replaced the *bixi* from the Yuan Dynasty. The crowns and tassels of Confucius and the Ten Philosophers were removed, and it was opened and repaired at scheduled times.

The Temple of Confucius became an Imperial Manor of the Emperor, and it provided free access for Confucian scholars from all over the world to pay respects without charging fees. However, during the process of paying respects, one must absolutely not be rude. If one is rude, the scholarly community will inevitably condemn them with words and pens. The Emperor's punishment, however, is very simple: being rude at the Qufu Temple of Confucius results in a fine.

For example, littering, spitting, making loud noises, trampling on lawns, damaging public property, making unreasonable trouble, or provoking disturbances, etc., all carry fines of different scales, with the highest penalty exceeding one thousand taels.

One can visit for free if one is polite at the Temple of Confucius; if one is rude, one must face fines that are nearly astronomical.

Zhu Yijun was not at all worried that managing the Temple of Confucius as an Imperial Manor would lose money. In terms of quality, the base scholars would absolutely not let His Majesty the Emperor down.

Sometimes, things that are free are actually the most expensive.

In this way, it both took care of Confucius's reputation and maintained the repairs of the Temple of Confucius.

Zhang Juzheng was very clear about this matter. As a subject, he could not do anything to the Kong Fu; all of this had to be done by His Majesty.

Zhu Yijun's sigh—"Gaining a hundred mediocre ministers is not as good as gaining one minister who can save the times"—was actually a sentence spoken by the doomed Emperor Zhu Youjian to his court officials at the very end. Later, those court officials did not come to court, because by the next day, the rebel leader Li Zicheng had already begun to enter the city.

If Zhang Juzheng had really ended up in the hands of the Chongzhen Emperor, would the Great Ming have been saved? Actually, no.

In terms of personnel, the Chongzhen Emperor himself liked to shirk responsibility and lacked backbone; if Zhang Juzheng were doing these things, the soft-eared Chongzhen Emperor would have killed him after being incited by a few words. In terms of timing, Zhang Juzheng's regency was due to the special historical stage of a young ruler and a suspicious nation, whereas the Chongzhen Emperor was already an adult when he ascended the throne. In terms of the situation, the background for Zhang Juzheng's implementation of the New Policies in the early Wanli years was that the Japanese piracy in the southeast was gradually being pacified, and the northwest had reached a reconciliation with Altan Khan; the external environment was stable, and there was still a very strong administrative force internally to push forward the New Policies.

Facing the situation at the end of the Ming Dynasty, Zhang Juzheng could only say one thing: the destiny is exhausted.

Because the external environment could no longer be stabilized, and the internal administrative force was completely absent, even if Zhang Juzheng saw these things, he could only scratch his head, helpless. Zhang Juzheng was not an omnipotent person.

"Abandoning Nanyang for the sake of the master's worries, marching north and fighting east with all good plans; when the time comes, heaven and earth join forces, but when luck departs, even a hero is not free."

Zhuge Liang abandoned his reclusive life in the Nanyang thatched cottage to work for his master in return for the kindness of being sought out three times. He marched south and fought north, devised strategies, and exhausted his efforts. When the situation was favorable, it was as if heaven and earth were helping him; after his luck departed, even a hero could not avoid feeling short of breath, and could only sigh: "Oh, vast heaven, why are you so unkind to me?"

This poem was written for Zhuge Liang, and it is also very fitting when applied to Zhang Juzheng.

"Wang Wang Cifu, recently I have not been in the nation, and I have seen this relocation of wealthy households to the capital, but how is the selection and examination of officials progressing?" Zhang Juzheng was very concerned about this matter, but the progress of the matter would not be reflected in the memorials. Through the memorials sent from the palace, Zhang Juzheng did not know the specific progress of the implementation at all, and the administration of officials was the core driving force of Zhang Juzheng's New Laws.

"His Majesty has set the examination for the third day of the fifth month. As for the topics, sigh." Wang Chonggu sighed and said helplessly: "The Earl of Yicheng knows that our Great Ming scholars, let alone passing the metropolitan examination, even passing the provincial examination makes them dragons and phoenixes among men. Which one is not exceptionally intelligent? Mathematics is still better, but this 'Theory of Contradictions' is truly worrying."

Just as Wang Chonggu judged, mathematics is indeed difficult, but it can still be learned. However, for this thing called the "Theory of Contradictions," if one does not practice it, one cannot thoroughly understand it. If one cannot understand it, one cannot answer it. This falls into a dead loop: to be an official, one must first practice, but to practice, one must first be an official.

This move by the Emperor directly created a loop from which there is no escape.

"I understand. So, Wang Wang Cifu's 'Supervising Officials' were for this matter." Zhang Juzheng suddenly realized. It turned out that Wang Chonggu had gone to such great lengths to handle this matter, and the purpose lay here.

The demand for Supervising Officials is extremely great. This type of grassroots official is a very good opportunity for practice. For understanding the "Theory of Contradictions," this is the best opportunity. Of course, being a Supervising Official is not easy. Su Zhe was already a very, very capable scholar-official, yet he would still return home at dusk with exhausted strength, falling into a stupor and sleeping, not knowing when night turned to dawn. He was busy to the point of being muddled.

Zhang Juzheng's words were actually reminding Wang Chonggu that his purpose in stamping the memorials was to add a Supervising Official between the officials and the clerks. This type of Supervising Official is a reservoir and reserve force for officials. If one can achieve results in the position of a Supervising Official, then after passing the examination, one cannot say they are virtuous, but they definitely count as qualified.

"The Earl of Yicheng is truly formidable." Wang Chonggu hurriedly said.

Zhang Juzheng said very politely: "Not at all, not at all. It is still Wang Wang Cifu who thinks comprehensively. Truly, one who is in the position plans for the administration. I am in mourning, and I actually didn't see this intention of Wang Wang Cifu."

"Not at all, not at all. If the Earl of Yicheng's mansion hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have thought of this layer either. Thank you to the Earl of Yicheng's mansion for the guidance." Wang Chonggu waved his hand again and said.

This immediately turned into mutual flattery. This is typical polite talk, commercial mutual blowing—one says "I didn't think you were so formidable," and the other says "I'm not as formidable as you think, it was your reminder that made me realize it." The main point is to give each other face.

Actually, when Wang Chonggu brought up the Supervising Official system, he naturally thought of this layer, and as soon as Zhang Juzheng saw it, he thought of it too. They are both thousand-year-old foxes; it was just said for Gao Gong to hear.

Gao Gong had been away from the court for a long time and had already lost his sensitivity to political decrees.

"Hypocritical!" Gao Gong flicked his sleeves again. This is truly hypocritical!

Wang Zhi was watching from the side and laughing. You Qi walked in, bowed his head and said: "Sir, Xu Jie's eldest son Xu Fan and Gao Qiyu are outside the door asking to see you. The visiting card submitted is 'Doctor of the Academy of Universal Learning'."

"Tell Gao Qiyu to go back." Zhang Juzheng thought for a moment and said to You Qi.

"Sir." You Qi said with an unbearable expression. Ever since being expelled from the master's school by Zhang Juzheng, Gao Qiyu had come to pay respects several times, but Zhang Juzheng had not seen him. This mission to the West had achieved great merit, and he had returned to the Great Ming to serve the country, yet Zhang Juzheng still refused to see him.

Is this a bit too heartless?

Zhang Juzheng waved his hand and said: "Let him go back."

"Yes." You Qi was helpless. He had tried to persuade him, but Zhang Juzheng refused to see him, and You Qi had no other way.

"Since the Earl of Yicheng has guests, I will not disturb you further. I will come to visit another day." Wang Chonggu had finished talking about the matter, and even the polite words were finished, so he immediately stood up to take his leave.

After going out the door, Wang Chonggu happened to see Xu Fan entering the door and Gao Qiyu being refused entry. Gao Qiyu's disappointed appearance made even "bad people" like Wang Chonggu and Wang Qian feel a bit unbearable.

"They all say a disciple is half a son. This Gao Qiyu has been under the Earl of Yicheng's tutelage for many years, so why be so heartless?" Wang Qian shuddered. Zhang Juzheng is truly ruthless. In this day and age, taking a master is basically acknowledging a father, and taking a disciple is almost equivalent to acknowledging a son. When serving as an official in the court, one sees one's father fewer times in a lifetime than one sees one's master.

Gao Qiyu had achieved great merit and returned to the capital, yet he still did not receive the recognition of his master.

Wang Chonggu looked at Gao Qiyu's lonely back as he left and said helplessly: "Zhang Juzheng cannot see Gao Qiyu for the things Gao Qiyu did. If he sees him, what will His Majesty think? The hundred officials will attack Zhang Juzheng again. He can only do this."

Wang Qian did not quite agree and said: "His Majesty actually doesn't care. Being willing to let Gao Qiyu continue to be an official is actually an extra grace. Gao Qiyu committed the crime of usurpation."

"The crime of usurpation? Qian'er, I suspect you are pointing at the mulberry and cursing the locust, talking about your old father." Wang Chonggu frowned, always feeling something was wrong. He immediately smelled what this sentence was actually saying. This unfilial son was simply being sarcastic about his old father!

"This was said by Father himself." Wang Qian raised his eyebrows and said happily.

"Borrow your ring-pommel saber to use!" After confirming, Wang Chonggu intended to borrow the carriage driver's saber to kill his son in the street.

These days are impossible to live!

Zhang Juzheng cannot see Gao Qiyu. Zhang Juzheng's political successor is His Majesty, and his Zhang Party is handed over to His Majesty. Gao Qiyu's behavior completely went against this line, so Gao Qiyu not dying was the Emperor's extra-legal grace, giving Zhang Juzheng this face. The teacher-student relationship is already broken.

Zhu Yijun really didn't mind. People have their own thoughts, and when the nation is not at peace, everyone has their own ideas. Even if Zhang Juzheng is formidable, can he manage everyone under him?

But Zhang Juzheng cared very much. To this day, he still does not see Gao Qiyu.

Zhu Yijun was in the Wenhua Hall, flipping through the memorials in his hand. While flipping, he looked up at the two high officials of the Ministry of Revenue: Grand Secretary Wang Guoguang and Minister of Revenue Zhang Xueyan. Both of them were looking at the Emperor of the Great Ming with great anticipation.

"The national treasury is suddenly taking out seven million silver. Do you want to invest in maritime affairs with me?" Zhu Yijun finished reading the memorial and thought he had misread it. The only purpose of Wang Guoguang and Zhang Xueyan's audience was to send money to His Majesty, and it was seven million silver at once.

These seven million silver were definitely not a small amount. It was equivalent to fourteen imperial mausoleums of the late Emperor. It was an extra, surplus sum of silver that did not affect the national expenditure and could be taken out for investment. Now, the imperial court was truly wealthy.

Measuring land and returning it to the tillers could indeed alleviate the Great Ming's financial pressure.

Wang Guoguang bowed his head and said: "His Majesty is wise. That is exactly the meaning. Making some money following His Majesty—money sitting in the national treasury won't breed little silver. Didn't His Majesty say before? Bai Yin always flows to the place that lacks it the least. His Majesty does not lack silver, so the silver all flows to His Majesty."

"The nation can invest itself. Why look for me?" Zhu Yijun was still unconvinced. The inner treasury and the national treasury had been fighting for so many years. If the inner treasury asked the national treasury for three hundred thousand silver, they could fight to the death. Now, it was good; they had directly taken out seven million silver. It really made Zhu Yijun somewhat unable to adapt.

One must know that Wang Guoguang was the second stingiest person in the world!

"Wrong, wrong." Zhu Yijun waved his hand, looked at Wang Guoguang and said: "Today I just used twelve five-masted ocean-crossing ships to exchange for the plantations of the Wanli Sea Embankment. This afternoon, this memorial arrived. It seems the Grand Minister does not release the hawk until he sees the rabbit!"

"There is money to be made following His Majesty." Wang Guoguang said very definitely. The reason this memorial could pass the ministry's discussion was still the Great Ming Emperor's solid personal reputation. At the same time, this ability to make money was obvious to all. The Red-Haired Barbarians had placed an order for sixteen million silver. What a terrifying profitability this was.

The construction cost of a five-masted ocean-crossing ship was no more than fifty thousand silver, and it sold for two hundred thousand silver. How could silver be so easy to make!

"Driven by profit!" Zhu Yijun looked at the memorial, thought for a moment and said: "Grand Minister, you are not honest. You are changing the subject. I ask you, why do you want to find me? The nation can also invest in the Southern Yamen itself."

Wang Guoguang also said very frankly: "Your Majesty, if the imperial court really goes to invest these seven million silver, I'm afraid not even a *li* of money will be recovered. By then, it will be chasing debts, and there will be nowhere to chase them. Now that the sea has been opened, after these parasites eat it, they will flee. Where can we chase the debts?"

"It is still better to go through His Majesty. It is convenient to chase debts with His Majesty's money."

What could Zhu Yijun say? The advancement of the imperial system?

Taking the imperial court's money is embezzlement; taking His Majesty's money is rebellion. Embezzlement still requires investigation, but rebellion only requires suppressing the rebellion and confiscating the family property. Therefore, Wang Guoguang would rather give it to His Majesty, letting His Majesty invest in his own name, than go through the court's various departments to distribute this money. If this money were encroached upon by others, he, Wang Guoguang, would have to bear the crime of sitting idly by.

After Zhu Yijun sorted out Wang Guoguang's train of thought, he looked at Wang Guoguang, pointed at himself and said: "Why do I feel like I'm being used by the Grand Minister?"

"Your subject is terrified." Wang Guoguang was only terrified; he did not deny it. He was just thinking this: using the Emperor to make money.

Zhu Yijun patted the table and said with a full smile: "You are terrified, you are not terrified at all. You are deceiving heaven!"

He picked up the great seal and stamped it on Wang Guoguang's memorial, but he did not return the memorial to Wang Guoguang. Instead, he let Feng Bao go to the Cabinet. This sum of silver was not like Wang Chonggu's sum of silver; it required an investment contract. Zhu Yijun promised an annualized interest rate of 4% to settle with the national treasury.

Whether Zhu Yijun gives or how much he gives of Wang Chonggu's ten million taels depends on the Emperor's will. There is no clear regulation on the dividend ratio and interest; it depends entirely on Zhu Yijun's conscience. But this money from the national treasury has a fixed interest rate.

4% doesn't seem like much, but the Ministry of Revenue can continuously add investment. Moreover, if the nation has a war, the Emperor must find a way to return the principal to the national treasury to maintain the nation's operation.

What if Zhu Yijun doesn't give it? Nothing big, just the nation losing great trust and people's hearts becoming suspicious.

"Does the Grand Minister have any thoughts on the plantations of the Wanli Sea Embankment?" Zhu Yijun asked his business partner. Now, Wang Guoguang, representing the national treasury, was discussing management issues as a business partner.

"I am quite worried. The Great Ming commoners are unwilling to go to these plantations, and the absolute number of the main population of the ruling class is not enough. I am worried that these plantations cannot enjoy long-term peace and stability. To be more specific, Great Ming commoners find it hard to leave their homeland. I am afraid the plantation matter cannot be done." Zhu Yijun stated his worries.

Wang Guoguang looked at His Majesty, thought for a moment, and chose to tell the truth: "Your Majesty, you worry too much. Our Great Ming only lacks a livelihood, not people. There are more Han people digging for white clay on Mount Taotu than there are captives. This is also the reason why Hou Yuzhao and Zhou Liangyin could manage to farm in Danning Guard, Huining Guard, Zhangwu, and other places."

"Only lack a livelihood, not people?" Zhu Yijun repeated suspiciously.

Wang Guoguang sighed and said: "Your Majesty, the world is troubled by annexation."

"I understand." Zhu Yijun pondered for a moment and understood Wang Guoguang's meaning. It is hard to leave one's homeland; it actually refers to those who can survive. When they cannot survive, they must always take survival as the first goal. The world is troubled by annexation, and there are countless farmers who have lost their land. Going to sea has become a choice.

Zhu Yijun lived deep in the nine-fold palace. Even if he had used all means to understand the suffering of the people, when thinking about problems, he would still be somewhat self-righteous. Going to sea at present is still a high-risk profession. Almost everyone who goes to sea does so because they cannot survive. His cognition was not wrong; he just underestimated the number of people suffering.

This absolute number was completely enough.

This sentence from Zhang Juzheng, "the world is troubled by annexation," although only a few words, appeared exceptionally heavy.

At this time, the New Policies of Zhang Juzheng and the Emperor clashed. Opening the sea and measuring land and returning it to the tillers produced a fundamental contradiction. Measuring land and returning it to the tillers was to make the powerful and wealthy return the land to His Majesty. If it were really achieved, would the commoners still go to sea?

This measuring of land and returning it to the tillers requires people, expanding territory requires people, and opening the sea requires people. Can the Great Ming's population satisfy this?

The answer is affirmative because there are really many Great Ming people. The severity of the annexation problem is far more intense than Zhu Yijun imagined. Returning land is only carried out in the fourteen prefectures of the Southern Yamen. Hangzhou and Suzhou are adjacent, but Hangzhou only carried out the measurement and did not carry out the return of land.

Zhu Yijun began to sort out the investment of 27.07 million taels of silver with Wang Guoguang.

Direct investment is mainly the construction of the shipyard's industrial chain. This shipyard's industrial chain is a very long investment. The Maritime Academy needs to be expanded. While training boatmen, it also needs to train sailors. At the same time, shipyards, tung oil gardens, rivet factories, textiles, etc., are put into production in various places. In addition to the shipbuilding industrial chain, there is investment in the industrial chain surrounding maritime trade goods, such as silk, mulberry gardens, sericulture workshops, cotton fields, cotton spinning, etc. There is also the construction of seaports, the port construction of Manila in Luzon, the Penghu Inspection Division, Keelung Port, Naha Port in Ryukyu, Jeju, Nagasaki, and other places.

These are all direct investments.

Opening the sea requires a large amount of silver, and the returns are also extremely huge.

Zhu Yijun took out four handfuls of cotton and placed them on the table, saying like counting family treasures: "The Baoqi Division has been exploring cotton planting for the past few years. Currently, we have four types of cotton. One is upland cotton, native to the Peru region; one is sea-island cotton, which is cotton on the islands of the Atlantic Ocean; there is also our Central Plains kapok; and the herb cotton from the Great Food Kingdom, which is small cotton."

"Sea-island cotton has low yield but long fibers that are easy to spin; upland cotton has high yield and strong adaptability, but few long fibers, which is unfavorable for spinning."

Wang Guoguang carefully observed these cottons. The best quality among them was sea-island cotton, followed by upland cotton from Peru. Local cotton was not as good as these two in terms of luster or long fibers. As for herb cotton, it was mostly used as medicinal material.

"Sea-island cotton and upland cotton each have their own advantages, so can we..." Wang Guoguang wanted to get a cotton that had high yield, strong adaptability, and many long fibers. Although he did not say it clearly, everyone understood the meaning. Breeding is a job that agricultural scientists should be very good at.

"Regrettably, these two cannot be cross-bred." Zhu Yijun spread his hands and said very helplessly.

The Baoqi Division Director Xu Zhenming was also unwilling to give up. He tried many times and found that both were cotton, but there would be no seeds. This made Xu Zhenming helpless. Horses and donkeys can produce mules, but sea-island cotton and upland cotton cannot produce high-quality cotton seeds with long fibers and high yield.

Xu Zhenming was very unwilling.

After hearing this, Wang Guoguang said helplessly: "That is truly a great pity."

"Therefore, the cotton fields in Songjiang Prefecture can be changed to upland cotton, while the many overseas plantations can plant sea-island cotton. If there is no labor, then the plantation owners in various places can only find their own way." Zhu Yijun and Wang Guoguang were exchanging views on the management of plantations.

What if there is a lack of labor? Naturally, it is to go and grab farm tools, swing the leather whip, and whip hard. If they are whipped to death, just grab more.

Zhang Xueyan took out a memorial and handed it to Feng Bao, who presented it to His Majesty. Besides the memorial, there was also an account book. The Emperor's first bad debt in his investment in the Southern Yamen was born.

In the indirect investment, the Xia family of Renhe, Hangzhou, mortgaged their land to the inner treasury eunuchs in exchange for 320,000 taels of silver. The borrowed money was said to be used for transforming mulberry fields. According to the investigation by the Zhejiang Provincial Governor, Zhejiang Surveillance Commissioner, Hangzhou Prefect, Renhe County Magistrate, Renhe Tax Inspection Inspector, and the supervising eunuch, it was discovered that the Xia family took the 320,000 taels of silver, beat gongs and drums, and made a big show of wanting to transform the mulberry fields, but the next day, the people were gone and the building was empty.

Great Ming's indirect investment does not accept brokers or compradors. It requires the heads of various families and prefectures to use land as collateral to obtain it.

When the Tax Inspection Office began to investigate, they found that the Xia family had already fled, leaving only a few concubines behind. As for the mortgaged land, there was the problem of multiple mortgages on one piece of land. This Xia family had planned many times to mortgage the land to multiple parties, and the amount involved reached over 700,000 taels. The Great Ming Emperor is the world's largest luxury household, and now he is even more deserving of the name. Only the Emperor can eat such a large amount of land at once.

This Xia family thought they could run away, but their tracks were still caught by the Maritime Defense Inspector "Flying on the Sea."

At present, the navy's navigation across the ocean mainly relies on needle charts. There are fixed ship directions on the needle charts. Only by walking this way can they obtain sufficient supplies, rather than dying of thirst or hunger on the sea. The sea is vast.

After receiving the tax inspection, the Maritime Defense Inspector asked a few questions and caught the Xia family who had set sail from Ningbo Port. Daring to steal the Emperor's money, three combat ships immediately followed behind the three-masted clipper, and then two five-masted ocean-crossing ships, the behemoths on the sea, blocked the Xia family's escape route.

Some of the Xia family rebels did not resist and surrendered. Facing the thirty-plus cannons of the five-masted ocean-crossing ship, the Xia family feared kneeling too slowly and being torn apart by the cannons. Some had already been arrested and thrown onto the hydrofoil sailboats to be escorted to the capital, and some had fled to Annan.

This is why Wang Guoguang insisted on looking for the Emperor to invest. Because the rigid Great Ming imperial court, if these 320,000 taels were encroached upon so arrogantly, it would first be reported to the capital, then the capital would inform the local area, and the local area would then mobilize troops. The Xia family would have long since fled.

And chasing who swallowed His Majesty's money requires no reason at all. Just arrest and press them first. To put it bluntly, if Luo Bingling didn't care about his own life, he could even play a game of "making something out of nothing" to satisfy the Great Ming Emperor's gluttonous greed for silver.

If you want to add a crime, you don't have to worry about not having a reason. The Zhenfusi is the sharp blade in the Emperor's hand. If the Emperor really wants to kill someone, even if Luo Bingling dies, he will handle it well, just like when Ji Gang froze Xie Jin to death. When Emperor Chengzu Wen wanted Xie Jin to die, Xie Jin could not live.

It's just that His Majesty pays attention to "a gentleman loves money and gets it in the right way." If it's his own money, not a cent is missing; if it's not his money, he doesn't want a cent.

"Grand Minister, you saw this case, which is why you made up your mind to invest, right?" Zhu Yijun finished reading the memorial and said with great emotion. He still underestimated the caution and conservatism of this old fox Wang Guoguang. Only after seeing that the principal would not be lost was he willing to place a bet and invest.

Wang Guoguang did not hide anything and bowed his head: "It is indeed so."

There are several problems with Wang Guoguang wanting to promote the national treasury to invest in the Southern Yamen that he cannot solve.

The first is the attack of the court officials. Gathering wealth and promoting profit is still considered an unbenevolent and unrighteous policy. The second is that because of the rigidity of the national investment, the principal will inevitably be lost, and one must be prepared for total loss. The third is guaranteeing profitability. Even with direct investment, can profit really be made? The answer is negative. Six books and one account can guarantee that there is money in the accounts, but it cannot guarantee that the national treasury can really get the money.

Wang Guoguang could not solve these three problems, so he could not make a decision. But through His Majesty, these problems were no longer problems.

"Your Majesty, how should the land with multiple mortgages be handled?" Zhang Xueyan asked for His Majesty's opinion.

Zhu Yijun immediately replied: "My land!"

Wang Guoguang and Zhang Xueyan looked at each other and immediately showed an expression of relief, as if it should be so and was meant to be so. According to historical experience and lessons, the money in the Great Ming national treasury cannot be given to the Emperor, otherwise, it is borrowed without return. But His Majesty's appearance made Wang Guoguang and Zhang Xueyan feel nothing but at ease!

Originally, Wang Guoguang would have slightly doubted His Majesty's profitability if the Emperor had refused to invest in the painting boat business. But now, His Majesty's simple words, "My land," dispelled all doubts!

His Majesty will definitely make money, and it will be a bloody profit!

Hand over your monthly tickets. If you don't vote, they will expire! Seeking monthly tickets, Aowu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 307 =====