As a member of the Imperial Household Department, Huang Changzong had a high status. He was responsible for the construction of channels in the entire Imperial Household Department. He could be said to be the real power in the Imperial Household Department. He did a good job and was able to gain the trust of Zhu Youxiao.

When Huang Changzong got up from the ground, Zhu Youxiao looked him up and down and said, "You can lose weight now."

In fact, in this era, in everyone's mind, being fat is not a bad thing. Being fat means that one has good living conditions, eats well, and is rich, so being fat is called affluence.

However, this fatness has affected his health. Zhu Youxiao is still very concerned about the health of his subordinates. After all, these are the people who will do things for him in the future, and he doesn't want them to collapse halfway.

Zhu Youxiao said, "After this matter is done, go back to the capital and train with the imperial army. When you lose weight, you can go back."

After hearing this, Huang Changzong's face instantly became ugly and of course embarrassed.

I dare not refute, nor do I dare to refuse.

This is given to you by the emperor. You must accept it. If you don’t, you will be ungrateful.

Huang Changzong quickly said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

He had already made up his mind that he would go back and starve for a few days to lose weight first.

After I lose weight, I won't have to suffer any punishment when I go to the Imperial Army Office. After I really lose weight, maybe I just need to go through the formalities there, otherwise it will be difficult.

Zhu Youxiao did not continue to dwell on this issue, but turned the topic to the main business.

Looking at Huang Changzong, Zhu Youxiao asked directly, "Have you prepared the things I asked you to prepare?"

"Your Majesty, everything is ready." Huang Changzong nodded and said, "We have already found general agents in each province, sub-agents in each prefecture, and the direct-operated stores are ready. Once we start here, we can take over immediately. Manpower has already arrived in Yangzhou and is ready at all times."

Zhu Youxiao looked at Huang Changzong and nodded with satisfaction.

Such a large-scale personnel mobilization and such a large-scale operation were no problem for Huang Changzong. This was the strength of this person. Being able to handle such a thing well meant he was a capable person.

What Zhu Youxiao had to do was naturally to prepare to take over the salt business.

Zhu Youxiao was ready to get rid of these big salt merchants. In addition, Zhu Youxiao was ready to completely abolish the current salt system, as this garbage system had no need to exist at all.

The reason why the emperors in the past did not dare to move was very simple. If you killed them all, who would sell salt to you?

If no one sells salt, the world will be in chaos.

Zhu Youxiao had no such concerns at all because he had the Imperial Household Department.

When the Imperial Household Department takes over the salt business, it will definitely shock everyone.

Since the establishment of the Imperial Household Department, Zhu Youxiao has been asking them to expand, expand and expand again. At the same time, he has reached cooperation with some merchants in various provinces and established various directly-operated stores.

The Imperial Household Department is growing rapidly and on a large scale. Once Zhu Youxiao gets rid of the salt merchants, they will take over the entire industry and reorganize it.

The original stove households would also be abolished and directly transferred to the workers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The problem was not whether the ancestral status remained unchanged, but whether they could benefit from it.

Zhu Youxiao still remembers that when his father's generation worked as a factory worker, the family business could be passed down from generation to generation. If the younger generation in the family did not live up to expectations, they could return to work in the factory and take over their father's position.

Zhu Youxiao was well aware of the high status of workers under such circumstances, and his father still missed that era when he mentioned it.

In the Ming Dynasty, the stove owners simply had a hard time. Transforming them into workers in the Imperial Household Department was like the employees of state-owned enterprises in later generations, a position many people would have struggled to get into.

After pacifying the lower levels, the middle levels were taken over by the Imperial Household Department, and the upper levels were in charge by Zhu Youxiao, so the transition could be carried out smoothly without any problems.

Zhu Youxiao had been planning for so many years, and now it was finally time to reap the rewards. Only by laying a solid foundation and doing a good job in the preliminary work could he have such a comfortable ending.

Zhu Youxiao was in a good mood.

"Then do your job well. After we get started here, it will be your turn." Zhu Youxiao nodded and said.

"Your Majesty, rest assured. I have made a comprehensive plan," Huang Changzong said. "Besides taking over, I have also made plans for reforms. We will comprehensively reform the salt fields, switching from boiling salt to drying it; we will reform the salt works' welfare system; and we will increase the salt fields' output."

"A five-year plan has been drawn up for all of these things, and I believe there will be a leap forward in development in five years."

Zhu Youxiao nodded, put down the teacup in his hand and said, "I trust you, do your job well. When you finish this matter, I will promote you. I am not the kind of mean and ungrateful person."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Huang Changzong said hurriedly, but he was a little disappointed in his heart.

He did not want to show off his achievements to Your Majesty, he just wanted to tell Your Majesty something.

I'm already so busy, can I please not go to the Royal Army to lose weight?

I can definitely lose weight on my own.

It's a pity that Your Majesty didn't hear his subtext.

After everything was arranged, Zhu Youxiao let Huang Changzong leave.

After Huang Changzong left, Zhu Youxiao finished his meal. He stood up and stretched his muscles. He said to Wei Chao beside him, "Let's go out for a walk and visit the Royal Academy in Yangzhou City."

The Royal Academy in Yangzhou City was established four years ago.

Originally, Yangzhou had academies, but after the court's reforms, there were no other academies here except the Royal Academy.

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