In the study room of the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Youzhen looked at Shi Fenglai and Li Tianjing, who came over early in the morning to ask for a meeting. He still has some hope for Li Tianjing, although he is limited to his own knowledge, and there are no surprising measures to promote the new education system.

But at least he still maintained the current stable situation, and did not let the local resentment against the new education policy affect the normal governance of the imperial court.

As for Shi Fenglai, as an old bureaucrat who has been mixed into the top of the bureaucracy, his biggest advantage is that he never comes out, and his biggest disadvantage is also the same.

The main reason for keeping him in the cabinet was that he did not do anything to hinder the New Deal, and he was able to appease and unite a group of officials who remained neutral to the New Deal.

However, Shi Fenglai's performance today made him a little impressed. Zhu Youzhen put down his right hand holding his chin and said to the two of them: "The advice put forward by the two gentlemen is very good, and opening a new bank to support the postal and educational undertakings is indeed a time-saving strategy for the current scarce treasury.

In principle, I support the establishment of a new bank, but I still need to consider one or two details in terms of details. In this case, the two gentlemen will go about their own business first, and in two or three days, I will definitely give you an answer.

Well, Mr. Li would like to stay a little longer, I would like to ask about the progress of the promotion of the compulsory primary school system in various places. ”

Shi Fenglai walked out of the Qianqing Palace briskly with irrepressible joy, looking at the way he gave his hands and feet, it seemed to be full of the vitality of a young man.

Li Tianjing, who was left by Chongzhen, began to report his work to the emperor one by one.

However, Zhu Youzhen quickly waved his hand and interrupted him and said: "Mr. Li's report, I have read it yesterday, except for Beizhili, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, the compulsory education of primary schools in other regions can be said to be almost none. ”

Li Tianjing, who was interrupted, opened his mouth, and finally asked Chongzhen with some shame: "The minister is afraid, he can't..."

"I don't mean to blame Mr., it is not a simple matter for my people to accept a new thing. What's more, I can't give you enough material support.

I didn't keep you here to talk about it. I just want to ask, what conditions did those Hui businessmen have to make the two of you excited? ”

Li Tianjing hesitated, and then said bluntly: "Shi Ge Lao's ministers don't know very well, but the condition they gave to the ministers is to help build 3,000 standard primary schools within ten years. ”

"3,000 in ten years, that is, 300 per year, a standard primary school is about 300-500 taels, which is equivalent to the bank donating 9-150,000 taels of silver every year.

Although this is a large number for the average person, it is not a small amount for a bank. Chongzhen thought about it in his heart and came to this conclusion.

Thinking of this, Zhu Youzhen smiled and said, "This condition is not satisfactory, but I have to add two conditions." First, in addition to the 35% equity of the Ministry of International Trade and Finance, the new bank should also let the Daming Central Bank take 15% of the shares;

Second, for five consecutive years, the new bank's investment in the coal and steel industries shall not be less than 1 million taels of silver per year.

We will not specify which mining companies they will invest in, but if they fail to meet the investment quota for two consecutive years, the household department will take over the management of the remaining investment quota. ”

Li Tianjing hurriedly bowed and replied: "When the ministers go back, they will bring their Majesty's conditions to them, does Your Majesty have any other orders?" ”

Zhu Youzhen pondered for a moment before he stroked his forehead with his hand and said, "If you don't say it, I almost forgot." There is also a small personal please, which is not considered a condition.

I hope that the new bank will invest in the railway from Tangshan to Lutai and the coal terminal in Lutai. This investment is only a temporary turnaround, and within 3 to 5 years, I will redeem the railway and the terminal at a premium of 10% per annum. ”

Li Tianjing left the Qianqing Palace with Chongzhen's conditions and a heavy heart. He didn't understand it now, would those businessmen who were bound to benefit from such harsh conditions really agree.

After sending Li Tianjing away, Zhu Youzhen thought about it and said to Lu Qi: "Half an hour later, I will go to Wuying Hall and his party. You go and inform you, I want to meet Zheng Cai in a while, as well as a few selected military cadets from Dongjiang Town. Well, and that Ye Yuxuan..."

After Zheng Cai was summoned by Chongzhen, he hurriedly changed into court clothes, and then followed the eunuch who passed the message, and hurried towards the imperial city.

After arriving at the Wuying Palace, before he could sit down in the waiting room, another eunuch had already come to pass the word, saying that His Majesty would see him immediately.

The officials in the waiting room looked at Zheng Cai, who arrived late, with envy, but grabbed ahead of them. Zheng Cai, who was following behind the summoned eunuch, was also quite proud in his heart after hearing some afterthoughts.

According to the guidance of the eunuchs around him, after entering a room in the hall, he had not yet seen Chongzhen, and Zheng Cai couldn't wait to kneel down and salute.

He pressed his head tightly against an exotic wool carpet, and his forehead felt extremely soft to the touch.

Zheng Caizheng habitually guessed that the wool carpet under him should be from the west of Tianzhu, when he suddenly heard Chongzhen's deep voice in the distance.

After kowtowing to thank him, Zheng Cai got up and took a quick look at the environment in the room by the way.

Only then did he realize that he seemed to be kneeling too early, and the emperor was still in the inner room separated by a beaded curtain.

Looking at Zheng Cai, who was introduced into the inner room by Wang Chengen, his hands and feet were quite stiff, Zhu Youzhen said with a smile: "It's not the first time Zheng Qing and I have met, why are you so nervous." ”

Zheng Cai said with some surprise on his face: "It is the first time for the minister to wear an official uniform and formally meet His Majesty. ”

"You're a good talker, sit down. You're going south in a few days, so I have to talk to you casually, and you don't have to be too nervous. Zhu Youzhen smiled and comforted.

Zheng Cai calmed down at this time, and replied to Chongzhen: "The task assigned by His Majesty before, the minister also happened to have a little gain, please let Your Majesty report it." ”

Zhu Youzhen leaned forward, looked at Zheng Cai and said, "You speak." ”

Zheng Cai quickly repeated the content of the report in his heart, and then slowly opened his mouth and said: "The minister was ordered to talk to those Spanish prisoners, but he found three prisoners who were willing to serve the Ming Dynasty and were quite clever.

As for the others, they are either too ignorant or ignorant of the history and current situation of Spanish colonization in Southeast Asia.

These three Spaniards who are willing to serve my Ming are Don Garcia, Fernando, and Ramirez. At His Majesty's request, the minister, after questioning them separately, cross-checked their answers again and ascertained that most of them should be true. ”

Zhu Youzhen nodded at him and motioned for him to continue. Seeing the emperor listening carefully, the tension in Zheng Cai's heart suddenly dissipated a lot, and he spoke more fluently.

"In 1521, their king financed a captain named Magellan for a voyage around the world.

The Magellan captain sailed west from Spain, passing through the strait between the Americas and Antarctica. When he crossed the Pacific Ocean, he discovered what they called the Philippine Islands.

In 1565, their king sent a general named Legazpi to cross the ocean with an army and establish a foothold on the island of Cebu.

In 1571, they occupied Manila, claimed the archipelago under the rule of the Kingdom of Spain, and built the city of Manila.

The population of Manila City is between 30,000 and 50,000, of which nearly half is Chinese. Manila is divided into an inner city and an outer city, and the inner city is inhabited entirely by Spaniards, and the buildings are mostly made of stone.

The Chinese, on the other hand, live in Balian, across the river from the inner city, and the Chinese residential area is surrounded by high walls, and the gates are opened and closed at a fixed time every day.

There are no more than 10,000 Spaniards in the Philippine Islands, most of whom live in Manila.

Although the Spanish occupied the Philippines for decades, they did not control the Philippine archipelago tightly. The more mature areas of Spanish rule in the Philippines were mainly in the northern central part of Luzon and Mindoro.

The rest of the region, which is only nominally subordinate to Manila, as for Mindanao in the south, which has not yet recognized Manila's rule, is now the most troublesome enemy of the Spaniards. Manila has to spend so much energy each year fighting the old men of Medan that it is impossible to touch the Spice Islands further south.

Manila's rule over the Filipinos was based on a fiefdom system. That is, a Spaniard was appointed as a vassal of a certain area, roughly between 300 and 600 households, and the local chieftain assisted him in governing the area.

As long as the Spaniard paid a fixed annual tax, Manila could not interfere with the policies he had issued in the region.

According to Manila's order, each Filipino indigenous person was required to pay an annual tribute of 8 riyals. The local feudal lords generally levied 9-15 riyals per person.

In addition, the Catholic Church in Manila was also an accomplice of the Spanish rule in the region. Before the arrival of the Spaniards, there were about 1 million people in the Philippine Islands, most of whom were*.

But by now, the natives of north-central Luzon and some small islands such as Mindoro have become Catholics.

For Manila, the local output of the Philippines is not abundant, and the only thing worth mentioning is a small gold mine on the island of Mindoro. Manila's largest annual income comes from Manila's trade taxes.

As for Your Majesty's proposal to establish formal trade relations between the Ming Kingdom and Spain, these men all thought that Manila would not refuse.

However, I want to expand the scale of trade between Mexico and Manila, and send cotton, sisal, cocoa, coffee, rubber and other specialties from the Americas to Manila in exchange for various commodities of my country. That Don Garcia thinks that the idea is somewhat difficult. ”