strictlysupreme Chapter 936 Clothes are never as good as new, and people are never as good as old.
Chapter 936 Clothes are never as good as new, and people are never as good as old.
Chapter 936 Clothes are never as good as new, and people are never as good as old.
After the beginning of spring, Gu Zuo, the head of the Ming Nanyang Company, also came to Beijing.
He is now over sixty years old. All he can say is that time flies and life is so damn short.
Zhu Houzhao was still young and young at that time, with a face full of collagen. Now he has a beard and a slightly fat and bulging belly. As for Gu Zuo, he has age spots.
Gu Zuo was sent to manage the Nanyang Company because Zhu Houzhao valued his integrity. If it were someone else, it would not be difficult for him to enrich himself and become a millionaire in that golden nest.
And Gu Zu is considered the earliest old man.
This kind of person is neither in the court nor in the vortex of succession. Putting him in the Nanyang Company can make her feel at ease. Besides, that place really needs someone, after all, it generates millions of profits and taxes a year.
So as for Gu Zu, Zhu Houzhao sometimes sighed that the old man was so nice, and sometimes worried that Gu Zu was also getting old. Who would be suitable after him?
Under the teachings of Confucian tradition, although it is difficult to find an honest person, it is still possible to find one. However, it is not easy to understand business as Gu Zu does.
Even if these two points are met, it is even more difficult for such a person to be willing to stay safely in Hangzhou, far away from the capital court and the emperor.
Because of this,
So when Gu Zuo reported how many tens of thousands of pieces of silk and how many tens of thousands of dan of cotton clothes the Nanyang Company had sold in the 21st year of Zhengde, Zhu Houzhao did not pay much attention to it.
This is a kind of trust.
People who have been leaders have this feeling towards their very trusted subordinates: you don't need to say much, I believe you can do a good job, I also believe you have tried your best, the decisions you make are my decisions, and I accept them. It takes decades to reach this level.
So the first words out of his mouth were also a comforting one, "Thank you for your hard work, Li Qing."
"It's not that hard. Thanks to the emperor, there hasn't been any major trouble."
Zhu Houzhao was tired of having to keep a stern face when talking to these ministers every day. When meeting an old man like Gu Zu, he was not willing to say any polite words. It would be better to be more relaxed.
"Since you went to Hangzhou, we, the king and his subjects, have only seen each other a few times a year. Since you are here today," he raised his hand, "accompany me for dinner."
Old man Gu felt warm in his heart.
Although the distance was far, the feeling the emperor gave him was still the same.
"Your Majesty is so kind to me. I am flattered."
Zhu Houzhao smiled, "Still pretending? Go!"
At this moment, Gu Zu also laughed.
The emperor led the way out of the Qianqing Palace. Today was a nice, sunny day. Spring had arrived and the sun was warm and comfortable on the body.
Zhu Houzhao was also in a good mood.
"Some time ago, the Zhejiang Governor Wang Xian sent me a memorial saying that a family in Xiao County, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, married a Western woman, which was unsightly. He asked me to issue an edict prohibiting intermarriage between different races. This big-headed Wang was scared to death by the fact that someone got married."
He also smiled when he talked about this.
Gu Zuo also echoed, "The emperor has long said that the orthodoxy of our Chinese nation is not based on bloodline, but on cultural appeal. Anyone who identifies with our saints and sages can be accepted as a part of our Central Plains."
"Sometimes I feel that the court officials don't need to always emphasize the Central Plains and the inland. If this is the Central Plains, then what is Luzon? It's fine as a geographical term, but it shouldn't have political meanings. Wherever our Ming army flag is planted, it's our territory, and there is no distinction between high and low, good and bad territories."
"Your Majesty's words are very insightful. If we don't stop it at the source, it will be easy for people with ulterior motives to take advantage of it in the future."
"How about I also take a Western woman as my concubine? The people below will always follow suit."
Gu Zu was stunned, "Is the emperor telling the truth?"
"Kidding."
"It scared me, old minister."
What kind of words are these? Zhu Houzhao was a little unhappy.
"Is it really impossible to marry?"
"There will always be some disturbance."
"It's okay with the storms. Among all the storms I've experienced, this is still a minor one." Zhu Houzhao crossed his arms in front of his chest, with a casual posture and a relaxed expression.
"I think marrying these foreign women is not a big problem. In the future, exchanges between countries will be more frequent, and it will be difficult to artificially prohibit intermarriage. We Han people must always be open and confident. If our culture is excellent and strong, others will only learn to be more like us. If the opposite is true and we lock ourselves up out of fear, sooner or later we will suffer."
"Your Majesty is right. How about I look for one for you? It would be best if she is of good status. Your Majesty is the highest authority, so she must be a princess from another country."
Zhu Houzhao suddenly had an idea, "Oh, right, I heard that Western countries have queens? Like Empress Wu."
"I heard from the returning crew members that it does exist."
"If I marry this queen, can I automatically become the king of this country? In this way, this country will become part of the Ming Dynasty without any soldiers."
Gu Zu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The emperor really could say anything. He even chose a wife for the purpose of expanding the territory.
"Well, this... I haven't asked, but I think it's not possible. And even if it is feasible, it's impossible to marry the queen without spending a lot of soldiers."
Zhu Houzhao thought it made sense. "Oh, that's right. You have to conquer her first before you can marry her. Then what's the point of having a queen? It's too troublesome. I won't marry her."
"It's better to marry a princess."
"This must be done. A strong era is also an era of openness and confidence. Wang Datou is still afraid, what is there to be afraid of? I will marry him too."
When the time comes, people from all over will come to congratulate, and everyone will come to Ming Dynasty.
As the most powerful country of this era, why don't people come to see it? They should be welcomed to come and see it.
Only through comparison can we know who is good and who is bad, and only then can the legitimacy of the emperor's power be highlighted. If we are not good enough, we should learn and correct ourselves in time.
No matter what, it's better than having your head buried in the sand.
As for Gu Zu, he racked his brains but never figured out that the emperor wanted him to bring a princess into the palace...
Actually, it's nothing if you really want to talk about it. You can have concubines from Mongolia, beauties sent by Korea and Japan, but you can't have concubines from Westerners? Isn't this discrimination? People will complain.
After sitting at the table,
Gu Zu was still touched because the emperor had not made any extra requests for meals for decades.
In fact, in his previous life, Zhu Houzhao ate a lot of hot pot, barbecue, grilled fish, barbecue and other foods that were high in oil and salt. In the end, he found that they were unhealthy, so he returned to his basics.
The truly delicious and good food is still the simple and natural one.
Add a bunch of condiments and the soles of your shoes will taste the same when you chew them.
On the contrary, a bowl of millet porridge, a soft and glutinous white bun, and a few side dishes are enough to satisfy him. Strong-flavored food is just an occasional change for him after he has been eating less for a long time.
What's more important is health.
The emperor's long life is also a core competitiveness, and a relatively critical core competitiveness.
But in Gu Zu's opinion, it was a feeling, "The national treasury is so full that even the warehouses for storing silver and money are insufficient, but Your Majesty has always been frugal, which is rare since ancient times."
As he spoke, he showed a hint of heartache.
"That's not necessary. You are old, and I see things clearly. In life, having a lot of money and having enough food and drink are all pleasures, but they are not the greatest pleasures. It is a joy to have something in your heart and get it. As for what I want, you know it."
"I understand that your majesty has lofty aspirations and is not limited by worldly desires. You have the spirit of an ancient gentleman. What I want is to meet a wise ruler who understands my aspirations. This is enough for my life."
Zhu Houzhao smiled heartily, he still believed that what Gu Zu said was true.
"Li Qing, I will not promote you. You should still manage the Nanyang Company. They cannot do without you for the time being. I cannot find anyone to replace you. You just have to work harder and keep this money bag for me."
"Your Majesty, this is my duty."
"You don't understand. I have been the emperor for twenty-two years, and I don't have many ministers like you. Logically, you shouldn't be in charge of just one company."
"No matter how big or small an official is, or how important a job is, it's good enough to help the emperor."
"Well, you should pay more attention to the business settlement immigration issue."
"Yes."
Zhu Houzhao looked at the old minister quietly. Perhaps because he was in front of him, he was less dignified and more imaginative. "Li Qing, shall I go to Hangzhou this year? Not for fun, but you should prepare and pick a few representative factories or enterprises in the industry for me to take a look."
Gu Zu became serious, "Your Majesty, this matter needs to be considered carefully. The emperor leaving the capital is a major event."
"None of this matters. The key is to have something to show. You have been in charge of the Nanyang Company for several years. You should understand what I said at the beginning. Industrial development is the top priority of a country. I am the emperor. When an emperor goes, he must show something real. If there is a significant lead over domestic and foreign counterparts, I will reward you."
Gu Zu understood.
"Your Majesty, you want to implement a policy of encouragement."
"It's about time. At least the court should show this attitude so that the people below can be more motivated. Only when the products of the Ming Dynasty are sold everywhere can the people become more prosperous. This is what I want and can be achieved."
Gu Zu knew that Emperor Zhengde would not really just be interested in having fun.
"In that case, I will go and investigate. I must be ahead of the curve so that I can persuade Your Majesty. Otherwise, I will lose face if I just try to fish in troubled waters."
"Hahaha." Zhu Houzhao pointed at him and said with a smile, "You are speaking from the heart. I like it. When the time comes, I will lead a team from the Academy of Sciences. There will be content about industrial development. We, the monarch and his subjects, must plan carefully. This is also the national policy that we must adhere to in the long run."
"Yes!"
Gu Zu accepted the imperial edict happily. The Forbidden City was a place of swords and sabers, with people scheming constantly. He had suffered losses in this regard in his early years, but the emperor was the only wise emperor whom he truly admired in his heart.
(End of this chapter)