On the 21st day of the 19th month of Chongzhen, the Chongzhen Emperor Zhu Youzhen, who had reigned for 20 years, died suddenly at the age of 36 at the age of Chinese New Year's Eve.

On the nineteenth day of the first month of the first year of Taishun, the seventeenth emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Ming Sizong Zhu Youzhen was buried in the Si Mausoleum of the Imperial Mausoleum at the foot of Tianshou Mountain, and since then the Ming Dynasty has entered the Taishun era.

……

Beijing suburbs, Xishan Garden.

I don't know if God is lamenting the early death of the first emperor or what, there was a heavy snowfall in the capital yesterday, and the entire capital was covered with white.

In addition, every household in the capital has hung white flags at the door, so that when you look into the city from the West Mountain, the capital is also like wearing linen and filial piety for the first emperor.

Liu Hongjian has been standing on the edge of the snow-capped Xishan cliff for a long time, and the courtyard where Uncle Chongzhen once lived in the Xishan Garden has been empty.

"Didi-Dad-Hug-" The two-year-old little master of the palace walked crookedly towards Liu Hongjian under the support of the maidservant Xiaobai.

Liu Aotian was wearing a purple and green tiger scalp hat and a cyan brocade jacket, and he didn't care about the slippery road on the top of the mountain, but he just wanted to rush into his father's arms.

"Young master, slow down, slow down, oops-" Xiao Bai followed closely behind and tried to pull Liu Aotian, but before he could catch up with Xiao Aotian, a dog gnawed mud under his feet.

Xiaobai was frightened, and hurriedly stepped forward to help the little young master and apologized in a low voice while helping him pat the snowflakes on his body.

"Woo-wow-" Xiao Aotian, who ate a mouthful of snowflakes, didn't care about this, and he grinned aggrievedly and was about to cry.

"Don't cry!" Liu Hong gradually turned around and said solemnly.

Liu Hong's expression gradually became serious, and Liu Aotian was so scared that he didn't dare to cry, and stared at him blankly.

"Come here." Liu Hongjian did not step forward, but squatted on the ground and stretched out his hands to make a hugging posture.

Xiaobai took Aotian's hand and handed it to his master.

"Does it hurt?" Liu Hong gradually took out a handkerchief and wiped his son's face.

"It hurts." Xiao Aotian is very real, and the tears of grievance are about to brew in his eyes again.

Because he is the eldest son, this little guy is simply spoiled in the palace of Anguo County, Sun Xiuxiu can't bear to beat and scold, and Yang Xue is even more spoiled by Liu Aotian's two daughters.

This little guy has learned to walk, but he is too lazy to walk, tossing the fat tiger at home every day, and riding the fat tiger for half an hour every day is already a compulsory course.

Pity the Mongolian giant mastiff from the steppe, the proud dog of the sky who is not even afraid of steppe wolves and Tartar soldiers, was ridden as a horse by a one- or two-year-old doll.

"My son should remember that it is useless to cry when you are bullied, crying will only make people see your cowardice and incompetence, and the best way is to fight back." Liu Hong gradually pinched his son's face, and regardless of whether his two-year-old son could understand, he taught himself a lesson.

No way, it's the first time to be a father, and I don't have much experience.

He just understands that no matter whether the family is rich or poor, he can't blindly spoil his children, otherwise he will become a swinger brother who causes trouble in the future.

Since the three wives in the family and even the old man all spoil this child, he must take on the duty of the strict father.

"Husband, Aotian is still young, where can I understand what you are saying." Kun Xing walked over with his gee.

After Uncle Chongzhen passed away, the Empress Dowager Zhou took Zhaoren back to the palace, Liu Hong gradually remembered the complicated environment in the palace, so he left the little Lori in Xishan, waiting for the national funeral to make plans.

"It's so cold, how can you come out of your weak body." Liu Hong gradually handed over his son to Xiaobai, grabbed Kun Xing's little hand and sighed.

"It's a little stuffy in the house, and Xiao Jiu just comes out to breathe." Kun Xing's hand was held and he was a little shy for no reason.

Chongzhen's death made her sad for a long time, but fortunately, the two sisters in the family were very concerned about her, and even her husband was very loving with these days, which made her feel that she was the luckiest princess in the Ming Dynasty.

"Let's go, let's go home, I can't open the windows at home, that's better than outside." After Liu Hong finished speaking, he took his wife and children and walked towards the door.

In the past few days since Siling came back, Liu Hong gradually took leave from Zhu Cihong and concentrated on staying in Xishan to accompany his family, but fortunately, now that Daming is slowly on the right track, there is no major matter that he needs to solve in person.

The courtyard was cleaned inside and out, and as soon as Liu Hong stepped into the house, someone came to report that the British Duke, the Qianguo Duke, and the Chengyi Bo came to visit.

Liu Hongjian probably knew what these three people were looking for him to do, Xishan Shanghe has been established for more than a year now, with a prince and two dukes to take the lead, and it can be said that it is invincible in the north and south of the Ming Dynasty.

As early as a few days ago, the British official Zhang Weixian greeted him in advance, saying that when the Duke of Qianguo rushed over from Yungui, he would report on last year's business accounts.

In the middle hall, Zhang Weixian, Mu Tianbo, and Chengyi Bo sat on the right side, and the Gu family father and son from Shanxi also rushed over, sitting on the left with Jiang Yongmin, with a thick account book on the side of their respective tables.

Several people seemed to be in a good mood, chatting about business matters, leaning less, Liu Hong gradually paced in, and several people hurriedly got up to salute.

"Let's talk about it, how profitable was last year?" After some politeness, Liu Hong gradually got straight to the point.

Mu Tianbo gave Zhang Weixian a look and motioned for him to speak.

"Lord Wang, last year, our Xishan Shanghe workshops made a total profit of more than 9.2 million taels, of which 4.2 million taels were made in the first half of the year and 5 million taels in the second half of the year.

This is still due to the fact that a few months ago, Xishan Shanghe collected a large number of daily necessities such as grain, rice, salt and vinegar and occupied a large number of manpower, otherwise in the second half of the year, our Xishan Shanghe would be able to make a profit of at least six million taels or more! ”

Although Zhang Weixian's voice was steady, Liu Hongjian still heard excitement in his tone.

In order to deal with the gentry who rebelled against the imperial court's collection of commercial taxes, Liu Honggradually had to use the resources in his hands to collect necessities in various places, and then sell them almost at a cheap price to the common people who could not buy grain, rice, salt and vinegar.

"Oh yes, Lord Wang, our profits are after paying commercial taxes, and in the second half of the year, we paid more than 1.8 million taels of various taxes to the imperial court. Zhang Weixian said this, and his heart ached.

How good it used to be, he never paid taxes in business, and the officials who collected taxes never dared to come to his duke's palace to make trouble.

He didn't know what the prince thought, how good it was for everyone to make a fortune in silence, why did he have to ask the court to collect business taxes several times.

Not only did he personally hand over his hard-earned income to the household department, but he also personally rushed to Jiangnan to punish the merchants and gentry who resisted taxation, isn't it thankless?

However, he is still very satisfied with the current situation, because even if he is taxed, and even if his Zhang family only accounts for half of the Xishan business, he still has to earn more than the previous Zhang family's business.

He was just a little distressed.

"Okay, I know why you came, and since everyone is here, let's talk about this dividend."

PS: In ancient times, the new emperor ascended the throne, and the second year was the first year, so Chongzhen actually reigned for 20 years.