Days later,
In Hangzhou, Jiangnan,
At the Governor's Yamen, midday.
Zhu Mo sat in the rear hall, having finished reviewing dozens of account books on the long desk. He stood and pondered for a moment, feeling that everything was progressing smoothly.
Xiao Xiao Sheng, seeing a smile on his face, said, "Young Master, it's been a long time since we visited West Lake. Shall we go and have some fish today?"
"Heh, Old Ding, you spend all day not doing your proper work. You should think about your book... How is it coming along?"
"Young Master, the content of that book is too vulgar and lewd, let's not talk about it. You, Young Master Zhu, have no idea what Yan Shifan did; it's all in my mind! It's truly ten times dirtier than any book!"
As soon as Zhu Mo thought of "Donglou Yan, Ximen Qing," he couldn't help but laugh, saying,
"It's supposed to be vulgar! You must write out that fellow's true colors! Let all the scholars in the world see the character of Yan Shifan! Hahaha..."
As the two were laughing heartily, a dignified-looking man entered hastily with a young scholar.
It was Zhang Juzheng!
The young man beside him had a refined face, and his movements were calm and steady, with a hidden aura of bearing. Zhu Mo couldn't help but be surprised: in just a few days, he had already found talent...
Zhang Juzheng arrived in Hangzhou ten days after receiving the imperial edict and immediately began the "Thousand Households Silk Weaving" plan.
He himself was the Minister of War, and this time he was also given the title of Imperial Envoy, naturally placing his status far above all officials in Jiangnan. His work was carried out with absolute authority, and no one dared to disobey.
Furthermore, Zhang Juzheng was a workaholic, often working until past midnight. In the past two months, he had exhausted all officials in Jiangnan.
With this helper, Zhu Mo only needed to review the reports each day.
At first, it was one county, then two, then three...
Two hundred households, five hundred households, three thousand households...
More and more farmers were willing to borrow money to buy looms. By today, there were fifty thousand households!
As for the looms,
Almost all the carpenters in Jiangnan were conscripted and gathered at the weaving bureau's factory, working day and night to manufacture looms. Timber and parts were constantly transported from provinces like Jiangnan, Jiangyou, and Jiangzuo. Within ten days to half a month, row after row of looms were delivered... Everything was in perfect order.
A rough estimate showed that after the Lantern Festival, when the mulberry leaves grew in spring, by April or May, weaving could begin. At that time, at least thirty thousand looms would be operational, and the output in the first year would increase tenfold!
However, Zhang Juzheng was very anxious, feeling that what he had done was far from enough.
At this moment,
As soon as he sat down, he began to speak rapidly:
"Zi Xuan, Yang Jin, the superintendent of the weaving bureau, negotiated with overseas merchants for 400,000 bolts of silk for delivery next year. The Arab merchants originally offered 800,000 bolts, but due to Wokou disturbances and the weaving bureau's temporary lack of funds to purchase silk, Eunuch Yang reduced it by half... Your subordinate believes that before spring, we should restore it to 800,000 bolts, ideally 1 million bolts...
Next year, our looms will number at least thirty thousand. Each household workshop producing 10 to 20 bolts would add up to five to six hundred thousand bolts. This supply will definitely be met.
This morning, the great merchant Shen Yishi approached your subordinate, saying he was going to Nanyang. Your subordinate asked him to negotiate on our behalf; it would be best to restore the business. If the negotiations fail, your subordinate intends to send a trade delegation by the end of the year, led by imperial officials accompanied by prominent Jiangnan merchants, to Nanyang together. Zi Xuan, what do you think?
Oh, right, Zi Xuan, his name is Shen Shixing, courtesy name Ru Mo, from Suzhou. He is a junior relative of one of my colleagues. He has been helping with the implementation these past few days; he is very adaptable and flexible. After half a month of running around, he has persuaded the gentry of Jiangnan! Ha, talent is indeed rare... Zi Xuan, if you have any other tasks, feel free to assign them to him."
He spoke in one breath, without any disarray.
At first glance, Zhu Mo felt that Zhang Juzheng was very much like his system; both had excellent configurations and were AIs with powerful computing capabilities... But with someone like this helping him, things were truly much easier, so he smiled and said,
"What Minister Zhang has said is excellent. I am also contemplating how to expand the business. If we were to send envoys, I believe it would be best to divide them into three or four teams: one team to Nanyang, one to Dongyang, and another to go further, to Araby! I estimate that our looms can expand several times, even tenfold, each year. We can mass-produce; it's preliminary industrialization... Uh, when the time comes, Minister Zhang can decide the scale of production based on the delegation's reports..."
"Mass production? Industrialization?"
Upon hearing these two words, Zhang Juzheng's eyes suddenly flashed with brilliance, and his face became exceptionally excited as he continued,
"Zi Xuan? What does that mean? What is industrialization?"
Zhu Mo was stunned –
This person is truly remarkable!
He is so sensitive to industrialization?!
"Uh, this, industrialization, is pretty much what we are doing right now... Uh, it means gradually transforming the agricultural population into an industrial population, increasing the capitalization rate of all industries in the Great Ming, further increasing the general rate of commodification, and raising the proportion of industrial output in the gross national product to fifty to sixty percent... In a word, it's to help the Great Ming shed its natural agricultural economy and improve its productivity... Uh, it's something like that..."
Zhu Mo couldn't explain it to Zhang Juzheng at the moment, so he spoke in general terms.
Unexpectedly, this discourse captivated Zhang Juzheng, leaving him staring with his mouth agape!
He savored Zhu Mo's words word for word –
"Gross national product? ... Rate of commodification? Shedding the natural economy... Productivity??"
"Zi Xuan, why are these words so precise and profound?"
"Zi Xuan, I seem to have thought of something, something extremely important and significant, but I can't articulate it clearly for the moment!"
"Zi Xuan, do you already have written works? May I be granted a look?"
"Zi Xuan, why have I never heard these words... Did you invent them yourself? Young Master Zhu, please write them down and grant me a look!"
"Zi Xuan..."
The more Zhang Juzheng pondered, the more he realized the gravity of the matter, touching upon his lifelong learning. It was as if a young man had arrived at Mount Bao, just opened the secret gate, and vaguely glimpsed dazzling treasures, yet could not see them clearly. He couldn't help but become anxious...
Zhu Mo deeply agreed, nodding repeatedly. Seeing his eager desire for knowledge, he couldn't help but be impressed –
There truly are people in the Great Ming!
If he had brought a book on horse-breeding or philosophy this time, Zhang Juzheng would surely have been overjoyed and leaped with joy...
Unfortunately, he had come in a hurry, and these things had always seemed useless. Now, it seemed, they were incredibly advanced treasures for someone like Zhang Juzheng!
Zhu Mo smiled and said gently,
"Minister Zhang, there is plenty of time in the future. First, familiarize yourself with the operations of the state-run money shops and expand the silk industry. Next, we will replicate the model in tea, porcelain, smelting, and other sectors. Then, I will ask you to preside over the issuance of Baocao by the Treasury Note Directorate. If time permits then, we can have a deep discussion..."
Ah?
There are so many subsequent plans?
As expected, this is a comprehensive reform...
At this time, among the ministers of the Great Ming, only Zhang Juzheng deeply understood that Zhu Mo was backed by the Emperor. This series of actions indicated that the Emperor intended to reform, and this was a rare opportunity. The most important thing was to hold onto the Emperor's leg tightly and strengthen himself. To strengthen himself, the priority was to seize the interpretation rights of Zhu Mo's policies. One must know that Zhang Juzheng, who had always considered himself a wise minister of five hundred years, possessed great wisdom and courage, and acted without hesitation. At this moment, he feigned deep thought and slowly said,
"Zi Xuan, your subordinate has arrived in Jiangnan and witnessed these actions, which are truly astonishing. However, your subordinate also found that the gentry do not quite understand. If your subordinate were not a Grand Secretary, it would be difficult to push this through... Your subordinate believes it is very necessary to compile Zi Xuan's various strategies into a book for all the gentry in the realm to see. This would make carrying out matters much smoother. What do you think?"
Oh?
This?
What does it mean?
He wants to compile my book?
Why...?
Zhu Mo keenly noticed a trace of inexplicable eagerness in the eyes of Shen Shixing beside him, while Zhang Juzheng deliberately maintained a look of profound contemplation, making his intentions completely unreadable...
This?
Could there be some conspiracy?
Zhu Mo recalled Zhang Juzheng's words earlier, "He is very adaptable and flexible. After half a month of running around, he has persuaded the gentry of Jiangnan!"
This is no small matter... Does this mean that Shen Shixing is backed by the will of the upright gentry of Jiangnan? They are not resisting but instead attaching themselves to me? Why are they attaching themselves to me?
With his thorough understanding of the laws of governance and chaos, he understood in an instant –
They want to speculate on my reforms!
These upright gentry are not fools. Seeing that the Emperor is about to strike against the Yan family, the only way to survive now is to be opportunistic and cling tightly to my leg, no matter how I try to shake them off! Then, they will still be renowned aristocratic families, enduring indefinitely, and still controlling the lifeblood of the nation...
And I will have become a scapegoat. By the time the reform is successful, it will be when their wings are fully grown. In the end, I will have made wedding clothes for them.
Thinking of this,
Zhu Mo couldn't help but shiver!
Given such a situation, although he understood the logic, he had never witnessed it firsthand. Now, facing it, he felt it was extremely troublesome!
However, this matter could only be handled slowly and required further observation to gauge the extent of the harm from this tendency. For now, he couldn't do without these people.
Thinking of this,
Zhu Mo smiled faintly and said, "Minister Zhang worries too much. All the gentry in the realm are sensible. Even if they don't understand for a moment, for the sake of the bigger picture, they won't gossip... As more things are done, everyone in the realm will naturally understand... Don't you agree?"
The two immediately nodded emphatically.
Zhang Juzheng feigned deep thought for a moment and smiled, "Yes, precisely! Zi Xuan, Ru Mo is very willing to contribute to the great cause of Jiangnan. Your subordinate wishes to have him organize the trade delegation for next year. What do you think?"
Shen Shixing dared not speak but was just as theatrical, appearing incredibly innocent at this moment.
How could Zhu Mo not understand their intentions? He smiled warmly and said, "The affairs of Jiangnan require capable individuals. Ru Mo, if you are willing, you may proceed with all your heart... Also, you may write down your own insights on my strategies. If it is truly convenient, that would be good... Heh heh."
He had just thought that if the upright gentry of the realm were willing to support the reforms, that would be good. However, since there were also differences, he wanted to see what the differences between them and himself truly were. Were they irreconcilable? Could they be resolved through negotiation, or by stern measures?
Most importantly, when was the most appropriate time to resolve them...?
He vaguely thought: there might be significant policy differences between himself and the establishment faction represented by Zhang Juzheng. Although not contradictions between ourselves and the enemy, handling them would require even more skill. This was undoubtedly one of the most terrifying new developments. In the future, such differences would only intensify. He had to take preemptive action before they caused harm!