Listening to Chongzhen's words, Fan Jingwen's brows couldn't help but knot slightly, he had always hated the party struggle between the eunuch party and the Donglin party, and he had no good impression of the two parties.

But for Wei Zhongxian and Cui Chengxiu, he felt even more disgusted, because these two eunuch leaders undermined the bottom line of the political struggle in the court, and continued to hunt down and kill the Donglin officials who failed the struggle and admitted defeat and returned to their hometowns.

This led to the political struggle in the court becoming extremely cruel and bloody, and it also made the officials on both sides of the party to whom they belonged to put the interests of the court above the interests of the court. After all, the failure of the partisan struggle is related to the survival of their individuals and their families, and the problems of the court may not affect them immediately.

"Your Majesty, whether it is the construction of a steel mill or a canal, it is a good thing for the national economy and people's livelihood, and the local people will also benefit. The minister really couldn't think of why the local gentry objected.

Moreover, the official weapons of the imperial court naturally need to be handled by the imperial court. Cui Chengxiu is now at home to protect the system, and let him come out to assist the imperial court, I'm afraid it will cause criticism. Fan Jingwen said reluctantly.

Zhu Youzhen looked at him, strengthened his tone and said: "It is good for the national economy and people's livelihood, but it may not be good for the local gentry." Whether it's building a canal or building a steel plant, you need a lot of land, and where will that land come from?

And the land suitable for the construction of steel mills and canals is not necessarily barren saline-alkali land, there is not much fertile land in the area of Yongping Mansion, so let these gentry take out rare fertile land for construction, how can they not have resistance in their hearts?

It would not be difficult to get them to accept the construction of canals and steel mills, but if they did not want to cooperate with the court from the bottom of their hearts, as the leaders of the local people, they had countless ways to pull the court back.

For the current Ming and I, what we need is a steel plant, not a clean official who punishes the local tyrants, do you understand what I mean? ”

Fan Jingwen was silent for a long time before he replied: "Your Majesty wants the ministers to be with the light and the dust, and to build a steel mill, right?" ”

Zhu Youzhen quickly said: "Yes, as long as the steel plant is completed, I don't care about the process. By the end of this year, the production of iron at the official iron works will exceed 1,000 tons, which will be able to meet the demand for the manufacture of ordnance and horse-drawn railways. This is also the overall situation of the current imperial court..."

Under the emperor's frank persuasion, Fan Jingwen still accepted this order. If you want to gain the support of the local gentry, in addition to letting gentry leaders like Cui Chengxiu come out to preside over the communication with the local people, it is natural to let them benefit from it.

It's like in the future, before the construction site starts, the first thing to say hello to the snakes in the area where the construction site is located. For Chongzhen, hundreds of years later, China is still in the social reality that county officials are not as good as the current management, and there is no reason for accidents to occur in the Ming Dynasty.

As far as he was concerned, as long as the gentry did not look too ugly, he could still tolerate it tacitly.

However, Fan Jingwen unexpectedly found that he could use the funds from the steel mill to build a canal to expand water conservancy for the local people, and also reduce the cost of material transfer from Tianjin to Shanhaiguan, which could obviously greatly alleviate the forced labor of the people in Yongping and Shuntianfu.

With this understanding, he got rid of the resistance just now, and began to really enthusiastically consider the emperor's suggestion.

After the two chatted for an hour, Fan Jingwen finally left Wuying Hall with a rather excited mood.

Fan Jingwen had just left, and Wang Chengen, who had listened to the whole conversation on the side, said to the emperor with some anxiety: "Your Majesty, if according to Fan Shilang's opinion, the cost of building the canal alone will be more than doubled, and I am afraid that the money will be spent in this way, and this steel plant has not yet been built." ”

Zhu Youzhen replied nonchalantly: "Tangshan Iron and Steel Plant and Kaiping Mining Bureau, the total share capital of the two is 3 million yuan, how many shares do we occupy?" ”

Wang Chengen blinked, and then reported back: "The palace invested 500,000 yuan." ”

Zhu Youzhen looked at him and said, "Yes, I originally planned to invest 150 yuan, but thanks to Cui Chengxiu, I only spent 500,000 yuan now."

Tangshan Iron and Steel Plant and Kaiping Mining Bureau, the combination of the two is a coal-steel complex, which is not comparable to the small iron factory in Mentougou now.

If we want to extend the railway to the Central Plains, the amount of pig iron needed for the railway alone will be enough for the Tangshan Iron and Steel Plant to produce at full capacity.

Now the price of pig iron per ton on the market has risen to 32 taels of silver, and Tangshan Iron and Steel Plant is preparing to build a large iron plant with an annual output of 10,000 tons within three years. With such a huge profit, how could I only take a small head.

Spend the money first, and then increase the shares, and there will always be people who will give up the idea of continuing to invest, so that we can get more shares, and we can get more profits.

As for the money that is being spent now, although these gentry can take some of it, the construction of the canal and the water conservancy facilities in this area will always benefit the imperial court in the end, so what reason do I have to refuse such a good thing? ”

When Wang Chengen walked out of Chongzhen's office and went to the waiting room to summon Song Yingsheng, his originally anxious heart finally relaxed.

For the chief eunuch in the palace who accompanied the emperor and stewarded the emperor like this, the emperor's money was actually no different from his money.

Wang Chengen did not have the courage of Wei Zhongxian, and when the palace was short of money, he dared to attack other great eunuchs and relatives in the palace, and forcibly taxed the commerce controlled by the gentry, and he himself had no talent for financial management.

Therefore, it is extra careful about the use of money in the palace. He really couldn't understand the emperor's way of spending money to make money for himself, but what the emperor said was very reasonable, making him feel that things would inevitably develop as the emperor said.

Wang Chengen realized at this time that he seemed to be the most idle eunuch chief in the history of the palace. Because the emperor was personally responsible for one of the biggest duties of the eunuchs, which was to collect money for the palace.

Although he didn't know how long the emperor's financial management method could last, Wang Chengen was still greatly relieved.

Soon Song Yingsheng was brought to Chongzhen, and Song Yingsheng, who was the last of the top three, was really a little panicked that he could get the courtesy of the emperor beyond the new champion.

However, when the emperor asked him about his policy on governing the region, Song Yingsheng finally returned to his normal state.

After listening to Song Yingsheng's thoughts on governing the place, Zhu Youzhen nodded slightly and said: "Song Qing's plan for governing the place, I think it is very good.

However, the ancients said that it was easier said than done. Whether the plan mentioned by Song Qing can be realized or not still needs to be proved by practice.

I intend to give you a place where you can realize your ideas of governance. I won't put too much restriction on you, but I hope you can get a result for me, I wonder if you have faith? ”

Chongzhen's solemnity made Song Yingsheng reply excitedly: "The minister will live up to Your Majesty's expectations, and please show Your Majesty." ”

Zhu Youzhen asked Wang Chengen to take the map, and after spreading it out on the table, he pointed to an area at the mouth of the Yangtze River and said to Song Yingsheng.

"I plan to integrate the three places of Chongming Island, Baoshansuo, and Shanghai County into Shanghai, and after the integration, Shanghai will still be a county, but it will no longer belong to Songjiang Prefecture, but will be responsible to the imperial court independently.

I need you to build this Shanghai into a foreign trade port and a starting point for overseas trade activities.

The products of the inland of the Ming Dynasty were transported from the Yangtze River to Shanghai, and then sent from Shanghai to various places overseas. The products brought back from overseas were also transferred to the mainland of Daming through Shanghai. This is my positioning requirement for Shanghai, do you have the confidence to complete it for me? ”

Song Yingsheng stared at the map for a long time before raising his head and said resolutely to Chongzhen: "The minister has confidence." ”

Looking at the elderly Song Yingsheng, he suddenly burst out with the vigor that only young people have, instead of looking forward and backward, worried about the obstruction of the local gentry, the corners of Zhu Youzhen's mouth suddenly put on a smile.

"Okay, then I'll leave all the affairs of Shanghai to Yuqing. After you went to Shanghai, you had to write a letter to me every month, and if you had any problems, tell me in the letter, and I will definitely find a way to solve them for you.

In addition, I will arrange for an army to guard the city, and if you have any emergency, you can directly order them to be dispatched. But you can only order them to act within your jurisdiction, beyond your jurisdiction, they will not obey you. ”

The emperor's hint made Song Yingsheng's heart skip a beat. Little did he know that the Emperor was so determined to build this overseas trading port that he had even authorized him to use the army.

Song Yingsheng's excitement was immediately extinguished, and he cautiously discussed with the emperor some policies needed to build a trading port.

Towards the end of the conversation between the two, Zhu Youzhen remembered something, and asked Wang Chengen to send someone to take him to meet Shen Pei and talk to this representative of Chongming Haoqiang about how to develop overseas trade.

After sending Song Yingsheng away, Chongzhen looked a little tired. He looked at the clock in the corner of the room and saw that it was nearly noon.

He thought for a moment, and then instructed Wang Chengen: "Summoning the eunuch Tao of Jingdezhen, and the personnel he brought back from Jingdezhen, Song Yingxing and others, to meet in the side hall." Let the imperial dining room prepare the food, and I will talk with them while eating. ”

Wang Chengen hesitated slightly, and then asked, "Dare to ask Your Majesty, what standard is the banquet held?" ”

Zhu Youzhen shook his head and said: "There is no banquet, according to the number of people, each person will have one meat and two vegetables, add a soup, and no wine."

In the future, the noon meals of the subordinate officials in the Wuying Hall will also be handled according to this standard, and no alcohol will be given during working hours. ”

Wang Chengen immediately responded, and then hurriedly went down to make arrangements.