Chongzhen's words suddenly made Xu Xinsu restore the true character of a businessman, he quickly began to calculate, most of the cotton cloth of the Ming Dynasty came from Songjiang, Jiading, Changshu three places, Songjiang cloth, Jiading cloth, Changshu cloth said, and Songjiang's cotton textile industry is the most prosperous.

According to the standards of Songjiang Prefecture, cotton cloth is divided into three grades, and Songcheng's flying flowers, Youdun, and eyebrow weaving are incompatible. The one with a wide and thin upper surface is called a standard cloth...... All go to Qin, Jin, and Jingbian roads. Each horse is worth about five or six cents of silver, and the finest is no more than seven or eight cents to two cents...... It is slightly narrower than the standard cloth and the elderly day machine, Jinhuguang, Jiangxi, Liangguang Zhulu, price and standard cloth.

That is to say, the bulk of cotton cloth is basically the cotton cloth of this grade known as Songjiang standard cloth, and its value in the Ming Dynasty is five or six cents per standard cloth. However, after the Jiangnan gentry changed hands and bought them, the price of selling them to these overseas traders was three cents per piece of standard cloth, and they earned double the value of their hands.

In Japan, cotton standard cloth can be sold for 6-9 yuan per horse, which is 2-3 times the profit. Japan is a country of silver production, and the price of silver is cheap, so even ordinary citizens can afford it.

Compared with the lack of warmth in linen, the high cost of fur and silk, the cheap and colorful cotton cloth just supplemented the needs of the common people. However, Japan's cotton textile industry lags far behind the Ming Dynasty and has always relied on the import of cotton cloth from the Ming Dynasty.

Japan imports about millions of cotton cloth every year, starting from Denglai or Tianjin, not only the freight can be saved by half, but also without the Jiangnan gentry from it, the cotton cloth profit can get more benefits.

As long as you can get half of Japan's cotton import trade, you will have at least 200,000 taels of profit every year.

This money can barely build a large fleet, and 200,000 taels per year is enough for the newly built fleet to surpass the original Fujian Navy Division in a few years.

If you add the land of Korea, then the maritime merchants of Zhangzhou behind him may not be able to find a new way out. Moreover, controlling the cotton-producing areas in the north is equivalent to avoiding the control of the Jiangnan gentry over them.

Xu Xinsu finally glanced at Chongzhen quite temptingly, suppressed his excitement, and said in a calm tone: "Your Majesty's plan is good, but if you want to build a cotton cloth production gathering place in the north that is comparable to Songjiang and other places, I am afraid it will not be possible without 3-5 years..."

"Of course, the cotton cloth industry cannot solve the problem of funds that are urgently needed now, and if you want to solve the current financial problem, you have to sell iron and salt to Liaodong, Korea, Japan, Ryukyu and other places.

Originally, there was a Zunhua government-run iron plant in Beizhi, which was the most iron smelting in the north. However, in the ninth year of Wanli, because the nearby iron ore was exhausted, Liang Menglong, the governor of Ji, asked the Ministry of Industry for approval to stop the iron smelting industry, and now Zunhua has become an ordinary county seat.

However, I do not believe that there are no iron mines nearby, and have ordered the exploration of minerals near Zunhua again to prepare for the rebuilding of the iron works. Zhu Youzhen interrupted Xu Xinsu's worries and said directly.

It also took a lot of time and money to rebuild the iron works, but unlike cotton cloth production, there were many small private iron-smelting workshops in Beizhili, and the only ones that closed down were government-run iron factories mainly used to build weapons and armor.

For the export of iron tools, it is mainly due to artificial restrictions rather than the source of goods. An iron pot in Daming is worth three yuan, but in North Korea and Japan, it is worth one tael, and Liaodong is even more expensive. An iron needle in Japan is worth 7 cents, which is almost 7 times that of the Daming market.

Xu Xinsu immediately agreed with Chongzhen's opinion, but the lifting of the ban on iron weapons is very important, in order to strengthen Chongzhen's mind, he couldn't help but whisper tentatively: "Your Majesty, the benefits of iron weapons are huge, as long as Your Majesty can let go of this ban, you can naturally get considerable benefits." However, the ministers of the imperial court have always strictly forbidden iron weapons to go to sea, and there are also illegal profiteers who sell weapons and armor privately. ”

Zhu Youzhen replied to the question: "Yes, the smuggling of weapons and armor is more profitable, so I plan to implement a license system, and stipulate that a certain number of merchants with good conduct can sell iron weapons and weapons and armor every year. In fact, in my opinion, as long as it is well controlled, artillery can be sold just like muskets. ”

Xu Xinsu's eyes were a little stunned for a while, although he didn't mind selling weapons to overseas people, but when these words came out of Chongzhen's mouth, it seemed a little inappropriate.

He bowed his head and said nothing, trying to pretend that he hadn't heard. Zhu Youzhen glanced at Xu Xinsu and said with a big grin: "I am telling the truth, except for the Jiannu in Liaodong, North Korea and Japan can sell weapons and armor, and even artillery and muskets to them.

As long as the Ming navy controls the seas, these weapons can only be used for cannibalism in their hands. Isn't it wonderful for a merchant that we can even choose the right people to sell weapons, and maybe we can sell weapons to both sides of the war? ”

Xu Xinsu replied with some concern: "I'm afraid that when the time comes, the people in Shilin will have some criticism, Your Majesty." ”

Zhu Youzhen just pursed his lips and said disapprerovingly: "Shilin criticizes, that's because you didn't find the right way to publicize." There are not a few shameless literati in the Ming Dynasty, as long as you spend a little money to go out, someone will naturally wash your name.

Arms are sold to the rebels, and that is to support the righteous people in their resistance to tyranny. And selling weapons to government troops is to uphold the righteous path of the saints and suppress rebellions that do not have the law of morality. ”

Xu Xinsu lowered his head and didn't dare to look at Chongzhen's face, if he was not the emperor of the Ming Dynasty in front of him, he would definitely applaud, and he could say such a shameless thing so uprightly and brightly, which was really suitable for the minds of these maritime merchants.

Looking at Xu Xinsu, who didn't dare to open his mouth to cater to him, Zhu Youzhen thought maliciously in his heart: "No wonder you are not Zheng Zhilong's opponent, as a maritime businessman, you still mind the moral evaluation of others, which is really speechless." ”

Hearing that Chongzhen stopped the topic, Xu Xinsu hurriedly changed the topic and said: "Just now, Your Majesty said that the ban on salt and iron in overseas trade should be lifted. Your Majesty may not know that this iron tool is of high value overseas, but salt may not be there.

Korea, Japan, and the Ryukyus are all coastal areas, especially the Ryukyu Islands, which have plenty of sunshine and coastal areas on all sides, making it easier to dry salt. In addition to the price of salt in Liaodong, the profit from selling salt to other regions is meager, or it is not profitable at all. ”

Zhu Youzhen looked at Xu Xinsu a little strangely and said, "Mr. Xu, what did I do to build the navy in the Ming Dynasty?" ”

Chongzhen's words were a little clueless, Xu Xinsu felt a little uncertain, so he looked at Chongzhen blankly.

Zhu Youzhen hated iron and said: "My Ming Dynasty has a vast territory, in addition to the sea salt along the coast, there are also well salt in Sichuan and pond salt in Shanxi. However, North Korea and Japan are narrow, and they only rely on sea salt.

If you want to make sea salt, whether you dry it or boil it, don't you have to do it along the coast? Since we have to rely on the profits of overseas trade to build a navy, then the navy must of course also protect the overseas trade activities of Ming merchant ships. Otherwise, what are we going to do with the formation of a navy? ”

Xu Xinsu was really shocked at this time, although when he was trading at sea, he sometimes made a cameo appearance as a pirate.

But that was only a momentary greed, not an organized and planned action. And Chongzhen's current plan, by attacking and destroying the salt works in Korea and Japan, is just to sell salt, and this way of thinking contradicts Xu Xinsu's cognition.

Xu Xinsu felt that he should admonish the emperor, although he used to be a pirate merchant without scruples, but since he defected to the official army and put on this official uniform, he is very cautious in maintaining his image on weekdays.

"Your Majesty, the benefits of salt are not geometrical, and for the sake of a small profit, it is probably inappropriate to use the fleet of sailors of the Ming Dynasty. The reputation of the Ming court and His Majesty is much more important than this money, and if the feudal kingdoms of the world know about the behavior of the Ming Navy, I am afraid that Your Majesty's reputation will be attacked in the future. ”

Zhu Youzhen did not accept Xu Xinsu's kind advice, he looked at the topographic map laid out by Xu Xinsu and said: "This Liaodong salt field of Jiannu is between Yingkou and Gai County, so as long as the sailor destroys the salt fields here, the salt of Liaodong will depend on me."

The Ryukyu vassal state has always been obedient, as long as the Ming sailor arrives, the lord of the vassal will not dare to disobey the orders of the imperial court, then the salt industry of the Ryukyus should be included in the control of the Ming Dynasty, with the low price of Ryukyu salt, it can naturally sell well in Japan, and the navy does not have to make a big move. As for this North Korea? ”

Xu Xinsu is now almost clear, why Chongzhen wants to discuss things with him alone, the emperor is forcing himself to be a pirate.

Xu Xinsu was suddenly a little unhappy in his heart, he finally put on this official uniform, but he didn't want to become a notorious bandit at sea again.

Seeing Chongzhen hesitate when he looked at the cup representing North Korea, Xu Xinsu cautiously said: "The Korean state has always been loyal to the Ming Dynasty, and if Your Majesty uses troops against it, it seems that something is inappropriate." ”

Zhu Youzhen, who has already checked the recent contacts between the Ming Dynasty and North Korea, knows more about North Korea than Xu Xinsu, and he said mockingly: "The previous generation of North Korean kings Gwanghaejun and Hou Jin Mei came and went, and secretly communicated with each other. The Korean king of this generation, Yi Liang, although he was deferential to the Ming Dynasty, was useless.

North Korea is small, but to the south is a plain area suitable for growing grain. At the beginning of this year, when the Houjin entered the DPRK, the DPRK did not resist anything, so it agreed to pay tribute, go to our Ming Dynasty, form an alliance with the Houjin, and make an alliance with the Houjin, and make the Houjin a brotherly country. If Houjin is allowed to get North Korea's food and materials, won't my Ming Dynasty suffer deeply?

No matter how deferential the Joseon state is, it has now become the backyard of Houjin. In the end, I can't be soft-hearted and let the people of the Ming Dynasty suffer. ”

When it came to the major military affairs of Liaodong, Xu Xinsu suddenly shut up. He is just a mere trader, and there is no room for interference in these court affairs.