Having many children and grandchildren brings good fortune, which is a traditional Chinese concept.

The emperor didn't care much about it, but for the common people, if conditions allowed, they would of course have more children and raise them well.

The conditions are not that high, as long as there is enough food to eat, and the older ones take care of the younger ones. This extensive way of raising children can also cause a population explosion.

Despite the disaster, the court provided effective relief and there were high-yield, cold-resistant crops. A significant increase in the population of the Ming Dynasty was foreseeable.

One of the court's goals, which the emperor mentioned in the newspaper years ago, was that those who till the land should own the land. This basically determined that the Ming Empire could only meet its growing population by continuing along the path of expansion.

Obtaining real-time and accurate population data was difficult in ancient times, but it was still possible to produce relatively accurate statistics per county each year.

The population census, yellow book verification and other work have been ongoing. After several years of calculation, the data has finally been published in the newspaper.

Since the pacification of Liao, the population of the Ming Empire has shown a rapid growth momentum. This is relative to the previous period, and does not include the naturalized Mongolian tribes.

The data from the past few years may not seem so obvious, but the article also predicts the development changes in the next ten, twenty, or even thirty years at this speed, which is somewhat shocking.

If there had been no major wars or devastating natural disasters, the population of the Ming Empire would have continued to grow, and the amount of arable land per capita would not have been enough to ensure food self-sufficiency.

The emperor wanted to let the subjects of the Ming Dynasty know what the future might be like. If they did not expand outward and plunder more land, how could they feed the rapidly growing population?

As for benevolence, righteousness, morality, and the benevolence and righteousness of the Celestial Empire, none of them are more important than ensuring that the people of the Ming Empire have enough food to eat and that society remains stable in the long term.

Only when the subjects of the Ming Dynasty realize the necessity of expansion can the policy be implemented in a long-term and stable manner.

It is always right to be prepared for danger in times of peace. Only policies that are accepted by the majority will not be abandoned halfway or die with the leader.

As for the idea that excessive military spending and the love of war will lead to destruction, the emperor had discussed this before and refuted this one-sided view with actual military achievements.

The war was not only a fight for a wider living space for the people of the Ming Dynasty, but also a tempering and training of the army, an encouragement and boosting of the morale of the people, and the elimination of the slackness caused by long-term peace.

The publication of such an article before the New Year, amidst the otherwise joyous atmosphere, had many people sensed a different meaning. Combined with the issuance of the second tranche of war bonds, the prospect of war the following year became clear.

But this is a secret. Except for the relevant personnel, no one knows the emperor's goal, and no one knows where the Ming Empire's army will be directed?

Despite this, judging by the pre-sale data for the second tranche of war bonds, the people of the Ming Dynasty still had considerable confidence in the court, the emperor, and the combat effectiveness of the Ming army.

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Shanghai, General Chamber of Maritime Merchants.

The hot pot was burning brightly, the lamb slices were rolling and changing color in the soup, exuding a mouth-watering meaty aroma.

Yan Siqi ate so much that sweat broke out on his forehead, and he kept praising the hot pot for its delicious taste.

Li Dan laughed and said, "These condiments were all purchased and shipped from the capital. Just enough, no less, a true royal taste."

There are nearly twenty kinds of ingredients, including sesame oil, sesame paste, fermented tofu, chives, soy sauce, rice vinegar, braised shrimp oil, chili oil, pepper oil, cooking wine, pickled garlic, cabbage, coriander, sauerkraut, vermicelli, etc., and fresh mushrooms are also put in the hot pot.

Yan Siqi had to admit that Li Dan was a great eater and was willing to spend money. It wasn't that he didn't have money, but he didn't expect it, and he didn't send anyone to inquire specifically.

"This hot pot utensils are also novel." Yan Siqi knocked the copper hot pot with chopsticks and said, "And this mutton tastes special too."

Li Dan nodded with a smile and said, "The hot pot utensils have been modified, so the fire is very strong. As for the mutton, we buy it from outside the country and let it grow fat for a month before slaughtering it. The meat is tender and not dry, and it is very delicious."

"Exquisite!" Yan Siqi gave a thumbs-up and praised, "You're the first one to put so much thought into food."

Li Dan smiled faintly, lowered his eyes, and said meaningfully: "What is the purpose of life? Is it useful to accumulate mountains of gold and silver?"

Yan Siqi nodded as if he agreed, but his expression was somewhat sarcastic. He said, "So, you paid money to redeem the Qinhuai prostitute; so, you eat in all kinds of ways?"

"How can a sparrow understand the ambition of a swan?" Li Dan curled his lips, unconcerned with the sarcasm. Instead, he seemed to look down on Yan Siqi. "How can you possibly understand my ambitions, the great things I want to accomplish?"

Yan Siqi wanted to provoke Li Dan to tell him what the big thing was that he had been hiding from him. But Li Dan was very tight-lipped and seemed to be preparing something, but the reason was hard to figure out.

You want to know? Hehe, I won't tell you. Next spring, I'll take my merchant ships and navy and take office as Governor-General of Luzon. Then you'll be surprised.

Li Dan glanced at Yan Siqi, feeling proud, but he also reminded him, "You need to strengthen your work in Borneo. Also, don't buy any more war bonds."

Yan Siqi had no problem with the previous suggestion, but the war bonds made him pause. He asked, "Why can't we buy war bonds? Besides the returns, isn't it a way to show loyalty to the Emperor?"

Li Dan shook his head slightly and said, "It's not that we can't buy it, but we won't buy it for the time being. Do you think the royal family can't come up with those tens of millions? Issuing bonds, the emperor has other deeper meanings."

"Tell me more in detail." Yan Siqi put down his chopsticks and asked for advice humbly. In this regard, his mind was indeed not as delicate as Li Dan's.

Li Dan counted on his fingers and said, "The royal family's income comes from textiles, porcelain, glassware, and so on. Which one isn't a hot commodity in maritime trade, and which one doesn't generate huge profits? Therefore, the royal family is not short of money. At least there is money to fund the war. Moreover, the profits from the war are also considerable."

After a pause, Li Dan continued, "But Your Majesty insists on issuing bonds and raising funds from society because he wants to gauge public opinion, that is, whether people support him. If the people are eager to buy, we don't have to make a move; if the issuance is not popular, it won't be too late for us to cover the losses."

"How much money can ordinary people have?" Yan Siqi said with some disapproval, "Okay, I'll listen to you. If the court is willing to go through the trouble, we'll just wait and see."

"Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish. Wansui's meticulous thinking is something we should all learn from." Li Dan pondered for a moment, then said, "Even when applied to business, his approach has its merits. Furthermore, we need to take a long-term view and not just focus on the small profits of maritime trade."

Looking at Yan Siqi, Li Dan said, "Your mindset is rather crude. If you don't change, it will be extremely detrimental to your development. Recruit some people to help you with strategies and fill in the gaps."

Yan Siqi nodded and said, "I've had this idea for a while, but I haven't found a suitable one. Can you recommend a few?"

"No problem." Li Dan agreed readily and raised his glass in toast.

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