77. Chapter 77

"none"

Kangxi thought about it for a long time and could not make up his mind, so he asked Liang Jiugong to summon the prince and court officials to the imperial study to discuss the matter.

The Crown Prince and the eldest prince met in front of the Qianqing Gate. They greeted each other with a forced smile and walked inside one after the other.

The spring sun was shining brightly, shining on the prince's bright yellow robe, emitting bursts of dazzling light, which stung the eldest prince's eyes.

If it weren't for him, he should be in Western Xinjiang instead of being replaced by Gu Badai!

The eldest prince stared at the prince's back and unconsciously clenched his teeth, causing his cheeks to feel sore.

The prince deliberately straightened his back. Even if he didn't turn around, he knew that the eldest prince was staring at him.

He had to let the eldest prince see him, to make him see clearly and know his place. He was the crown prince, the heir to the throne of the Qing Dynasty.

Now they are brothers, and in the future they will be ruler and subject.

No matter how unwilling the eldest prince was, he had to kneel down and kowtow before him and submit to him.

Entering the imperial study, in addition to banner officials such as Soetu, the Han official Xiong Cilü who had returned to the court was also there, as well as important officials such as Zhang Ying and Li Guangdi.

Seeing the Crown Prince enter the room, everyone stood up and greeted him. The eldest prince lowered his head, hiding the haze in his eyes, and stepped forward to greet Kangxi.

After the ceremony, Kangxi asked everyone to take their seats. Liang Jiugong led the eunuchs, carrying the box and placed it beside everyone.

Kangxi pointed at the box and said, "Open it and take a look."

A faint fishy smell emanated from the box. Everyone suppressed their curiosity and opened it after receiving the order. Inside the box were two dried fish and two fresh fish wrapped in ice.

The eldest prince fiddled with the fish and asked, "Khan Ama, where did this fish come from? I've never seen one before. Its fins are quite beautiful, just like the flowers in the girl's hair."

A trace of disdain flashed in the prince's eyes, and he lowered his eyes and said nothing. Kangxi was frustrated and glared at the eldest prince, but ignored him and said, "This fish lives in a lake in the extremely cold north. It has always been difficult to find. It was the seventh brother who brought it to you from afar. Take it back and try it."

Everyone knelt down to express their gratitude. Kangxi raised his hand and said with a smile, "There is another piece of good news. The Dahur and other tribes who fled from Buryatia to the Qing Dynasty have surrendered to the Qing Dynasty."

Everyone was busy praising the emperor's great grace. Li Guangdi said happily, "Ever since the Seventh Prince went to the North, other tribes have flocked to him and submitted. The Seventh Prince is truly amazing."

Xiong Cilü returned to the capital late and heard some of Qi You's deeds. It was because of him that Kangxi ordered an investigation into the Changping Warehouse.

Xiong Cilü was an honest official, and this alone made him quite fond of Qi You. He said, "I heard that the Seventh Prince opened a school and made great achievements in the north. This is truly a blessing for the Qing Dynasty!"

The prince looked at the smile on Kangxi's face. Logically speaking, Qi You had a leg disability and had been away from the capital for a long time, so he could not appear in front of officials or in the court.

For some reason, the prince couldn't control himself and felt sour and uncomfortable.

The eldest prince subconsciously looked at the prince and raised his eyebrows secretly.

Although Qi You was not in the capital, he was superior to the prince in every way.

I would rather die than have my friend die. Even if Xiong Cilü was not praising him, as long as it was not the prince, the eldest prince was inexplicably happy.

Soetu's eyes quickly swept over the crown prince and the eldest prince, and he drooped his eyelids like an old monk in meditation.

After Kangxi laughed, he began to worry. Every time his son Qi You did something that made him happy, there would always be a big trouble following it.

After a moment's deliberation, Kangxi described the current situation of the people in the north. "The local people are poor. The needlework, thread, and other household items they use are all sent from the interior. They are so expensive that they can barely afford to buy thread. Think of a way to solve this problem."

The eldest prince's eyes widened in disbelief and he asked, "You can't even afford needle and thread. Are you really that poor?"

Now it was the prince's turn to despise the eldest prince again, calling him an idiot and asking him to eat some meat instead!

Kangxi frowned deeply and asked in a deep voice, "Do you know how many checkpoints goods have to pass through and how much tax they have to pay when they are shipped to the north?"

The eldest prince was stunned for a moment, then realized that he had said something wrong. He laughed awkwardly and said, "Khan Ama, I was wrong. I didn't think of this before."

The commercial taxes collected by the imperial court were numerous, including ship taxes, miscellaneous donations, stock donations, store registration taxes, tooth taxes, etc.

Ya tax refers to various commodity taxes that are levied upon goods from the moment they are produced. For example, the imperial court would collect soy sauce tax from the production of soy sauce.

As the name suggests, ship tax means that goods transported by ship must pay heavy taxes when passing through river checkpoints in various places.

Miscellaneous taxes are various levies. For example, if you open two shops or own a merchant ship, you have to pay various taxes for each shop and each merchant ship.

This tax was not fixed, but collected according to the needs of the court. For example, when the court needed to cast cannons or gunpowder, merchants had to pay taxes to support the Imperial Household Department.

Stock donations are divided into daily donations and monthly donations. A fixed tax is collected daily or monthly based on the size of the business.

When opening a shop, an application must be submitted to the government. Only after approval can the shop be opened and a tax must be paid.

The biggest expense for shipping goods out of the country is the customs tax. Each customs checkpoint requires a tax payment to the government. The journey north is long, and there are only a few official customs checkpoints along the way.

As for how many checkpoints there are in secret, no one in the Imperial Study can tell for sure.

But they are not naive enough to think that these are the only checkpoints allowed by the imperial court.

The emperor was far away, and if Kangxi wanted to investigate, he would surely be able to get to the bottom of it. Whether the inspectors could find out was one thing, but even if they did, they would leave and the business would reopen the next day.

The inspection officials could not have covered the distance of thousands of miles even if they had to run thin. Kangxi was also unable to do so and could only pretend not to see anything.

Kangxi was most concerned about allowing the Eight Banners to engage in business. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "The people in the north are poor. The Seventh Brother suggests that the court send various goods to provide for the people's daily needs as a way of benefiting them."

The needle and thread and coarse cloth were not worth much silver, so no one objected.

Li Guangdi pondered for a moment and said, "It may seem like a small amount of money now, but when the population of the North grows, if we continue to rely on the imperial court for aid, I'm afraid the court won't be able to afford it!"

Kangxi felt suffocated again. This was the same reason why the court was finding it increasingly difficult to support the ever-increasing population of the bannermen.

You little bastard, you only know how to make things difficult for me!

Kangxi cursed Qi You in his heart, and suddenly said: "The court does not allow bannermen to engage in business, but there are many bannermen who do business."

There were most of the bannermen in the room, and as soon as Kangxi finished speaking, their expressions couldn't help but change slightly.

Their business dealings were a tacit agreement, but it was different when Kangxi brought it up openly.

Kangxi took everyone's reaction into consideration and his anger soared to the sky.

These silverfish!

Kangxi thought he treated them well, but they relied on the merits of their ancestors and tried every means to make money.

But Kangxi could not turn against him on the spot, because the military camps in various places were filled with Eight Banners soldiers, and the Qing Dynasty still depended on them to guard the country.

Although the number of Han officials in the court increased, Bannermen still made up the vast majority. The Grand Secretaries of the various palaces and the Manchu and Han ministers of the various ministries were always those in power.

The tail was too big to get rid of. Kangxi felt his hands and feet were cold and his mind was in a state of confusion.

Sometimes, he always felt like he was neither here nor there.

The Han wanted to rebel against the Qing, and the Bannermen each had their own agenda. The hereditary nobility they desired would eventually undermine the foundations of the Gioro clan.

Kangxi endured it again and again, and asked in a calm voice: "What do you think, should the bannermen be allowed to engage in business?"

The Han officials were unwilling to get involved in the affairs of the Bannermen. They all lowered their heads and sat there without saying a word.

The banner officials looked at each other, unable to understand Kangxi's true intentions for a moment, and did not dare to respond.

While the Crown Prince was still pondering the meaning of Kangxi's words, the eldest prince spoke loudly without hesitation: "Khan Ama, merchants are profit-driven and often treacherous. Bannermen guard the territory. If we allow them to engage in business and make a small profit, they will not be willing to join the army to fight. Khan Ama must carefully consider this matter!"

Although Kangxi disliked the eldest prince's recklessness and disliked his superficial view of things, his words still made sense.

Fighting in the military is like risking your life, which is not as comfortable as making money in business. If the imperial court lifted the ban, many bannermen would definitely give up their service and go into business instead.

Li Guangdi hesitated and said, "Business isn't easy to do. It's not uncommon for people to lose everything. Even after the ban is lifted, they will still wait and see, not daring to act rashly. Being a bannerman is hard, but it's safe."

The monthly salary of a banner soldier was comparable to that of a county magistrate who had studied hard and passed the imperial examination. Furthermore, the Qing Dynasty was becoming increasingly peaceful, with few wars to fight. Being a banner soldier was a safe and secure life, and many people still preferred this stable life.

After Li Guang finished speaking, he regretted it.

If the Bannermen were allowed to do business and compete fairly, they would definitely not be able to compete with the Han people.

After all, when the Bannermen lived outside the Great Wall, they mainly made a living by hunting and fighting. They had never been exposed to business operations and could not compare with the Han people who were more flexible and accustomed to business.

Looking around, apart from the Bannermen dignitaries, all the big merchants are Han people. This is enough to prove that the Bannermen are no match for the Han people.

However, the laws for the Han and Bannermen are different. Once the court openly allows it, the Bannermen will rely on the advantages of their status, and where will the Han merchants be able to survive in the future?

Xiong Cilü frowned, wanted to say something, then closed his mouth.

Since Kangxi asked this question, he must have considered the matter but was undecided.

The issues between the Bannermen and the Han were too complicated, and it all depended on what Kangxi planned to do. Xiong Cilü did not want to get involved.

The Banner officials certainly had their own ideas, and since Kangxi had said so, they would not be polite.

Being able to make money openly and honestly is a great thing, and everyone immediately expressed their opinions.

Of course, their opinions all support the bannermen doing business.

Kangxi had been hesitant before, but when he saw the banner officials were so enthusiastic, he immediately became unhappy.

There is no such thing as a quick buck without a profit. They only rushed forward after they smelled the benefits.

Kangxi did not express his opinion. He stared at the court officials' moving lips, but his mind was thinking about what the purpose of Qi You, the instigator of the culprit, was and what he would do.

Qi You, who was thousands of miles away, had no time to care about the officials in the capital who were very smart and the troubled Kangxi.

If you really want to ask for his opinion, in his view, the business done by the Imperial Household Department and the nobles in the banners is not called business, it is called robbing.

With the protection of various laws and the suppression of identity, even a pig can make money by engaging in monopoly trading.

The solution to this problem is very simple: just apply the same laws to Manchus and Han people and don’t give privileges to the powerful.

Of course, neither of these points was simple. Kangxi didn't dare to think about it, as the powerful and influential people would never agree.

Qi You is too busy to take care of this matter. He has to wait until the time is ripe before he starts to reform, otherwise he will fail.

The ground has finally thawed, the willow breeze is not cold, spring plowing has officially begun, and the fields are bustling with activity.

In the spring, they would begin to store water and try to plant rice. To be on the safe side, Qi You, after consulting with Lin Daniu and other skilled farmers, decided to plant 90% of the reclaimed land with wheat and 10% with rice. The remaining wasteland would be used to grow vegetables.

Furthermore, Tugusu and his men needed experienced hands-on instruction in house repairs and land reclamation. Furthermore, the Mongols also needed instruction in spring plowing. Not only the armored men, but also the people from Shunyi, worked tirelessly from dawn to dusk, nearly collapsing from exhaustion.

Qi You was also tired. The land was his treasure and the source of livelihood for his group of people. He spent all day working in the fields.

Seeing that everyone was tired but still working hard, Qi You, the helmsman, reluctantly improved everyone's food.

The flour used for mixed-flour steamed buns was changed from 80% black flour to 20% white flour to 50:50.

The amount of grain in Laping's warehouse was decreasing rapidly, and Qi You wanted to tear up the almanac and hurry up the autumn harvest.

The rice seeds were painstakingly obtained from Hokkaido in the Ryukyu Islands last winter and then sent to the palace.

Kangxi left some for himself, intending to plant imperial rice in Changchun Garden. He was very stingy and did not give much to Qi You.

Lin Daniu and his team are very experienced and have no problem breeding the seedlings. The seeds are growing after being planted and are green and lush. They look no different from those in Shunyi.

Right now, the rice has only been planted and is still growing. We have to wait until the heading and flowering period to see the results. The quality of heading is the key to the rice harvest.

Qi You squatted on the edge of the field and talked to Lin Daniu: "Master Lin, this soil has never been planted before. Should we still fertilize it as before?"

Lin Daniu had no experience either. After pondering for a moment, he said, "This land is obviously much more fertile than Shunyi. If you apply too much fertilizer, I'm afraid it will only grow stalks and no ears of grain. If it grows too strong, it will easily fall over. I have an idea: apply less fertilizer."

Qi You said, "That's fine. Let's give it a try first. After two years of planting, it's time to fertilize the land as usual. This amount of rice is not enough. We can plant some sorghum, beans and other crops wherever there's empty space."

Lin Daniu agreed and said with a smile, "Planting more will always give you a 10% chance of success. But Seventh Prince, I have never planted sweet potatoes or yams before, so I don't know if they will succeed."

Qi You was silent for a moment, then said, "It's okay, let's try it first. If it doesn't work, we can find a way to change it."

Sweet potatoes and yams are the seeds that Qi You asked the Langtan Army to find from the capital. These two varieties were introduced from overseas in the previous dynasty, but have not been planted on a large scale so far for several reasons.

First of all, it is people’s eating habits, which cannot be changed in a day or two. People are not used to having two things as staple food.

Sweet potatoes are currently only grown in Fujian. Because eating too much sweet potatoes can cause heartburn, not many locals grow them.

The story of potatoes is long. During the Ming Dynasty, they were only grown for the enjoyment of the nobles in the palace.

During the Qing Dynasty, the government offices that specialized in potato cultivation were abolished, and potatoes were allowed to be cultivated by the people.

However, the potato varieties have degenerated, and the yield was not high when they were tried in Inner Mongolia and other places, so potatoes were no longer taken seriously.

In addition, sweet potatoes and yams are not included in the grain taxes that the people need to pay, so the court will not vigorously promote their planting.

Sweet potatoes cannot be used as a staple food, but potatoes are a staple food in many Western countries. Qi You knew that these two things could not change the food shortage, otherwise, there would be no subsequent □□ era.

Qi You had seen a document. Simply put, growing potatoes is not easy and the seeds will degenerate.

The first year may yield a good harvest, but by the second year, the yield has plummeted. This is partly due to seed degradation, but mainly due to pests and diseases.

Later studies found that potatoes needed to be planted in different latitudes to improve the variety.

Nowadays, transportation is inconvenient, and the high-latitude areas within the Qing Dynasty territory are all located in remote border areas.

Potatoes are not easy to store and may rot and sprout on the way. If they rot, it's okay, but if they sprout, eating them will cause poisoning.

Qi You had no idea what variety of potatoes the Western potatoes came from. Varieties from different countries had completely different starch contents, and their taste and nutritional value were also different.

Qi You was currently feeling his way forward, and could only try to grow one species first. He would then try to promote its cultivation in places like Yunnan, improve the seeds, or introduce other varieties from the West.

Yunnan is nearly ten thousand miles away from Heilongjiang Prefecture according to the current route.

Qi You squatted there, pulling the wild weeds that grew wildly without any consideration, with a look of despair on his face.

In general, the fundamental way to change all difficulties is to vigorously develop education, and science is the foundation for developing production.

At this moment, a loud shout came from a distance: "Seventh Prince!"

Qi You turned around and saw Sabusu running towards him with a smile, saying loudly, "I knew you were here. Wow, the seedlings are so green!"

Of course the seedlings are green. If they were yellow, we would be worried. Qi You couldn't help but laugh.

Sabsu had never seen rice in the north before, and he stared at it like a peculiar sight, unable to take his eyes off it. He kept saying, "If we could really grow rice, we could eat rice to our heart's content in the future."

Even though rice wasn't grown in the north yet, Sabsu could still eat as much rice as he wanted. Qi You glanced at him and asked, "Isn't the dock busy?"

The smile on Sabsu's face immediately faded a little, and he said irritably, "I'm busy. I'm so busy that it gives me a headache. I'll leave Changde over there and come back to your place to get some fresh air."

Qi You understood and asked calmly, "But Shi Shilun is causing you trouble?"

Sabusu said with a bitter face, "That's right, Lord Shi is a good official, it's just that... well, how should I put it, it's just..."

After a long pause, Sabsu still hadn't figured out what was going on. He grunted, "My Chinese isn't good, and he's a bannerman, but he doesn't speak Manchu. When we talk, we often end up talking at cross purposes. Let's be frank, it's mainly because he's too demanding."

Shi Shilun was promoted to a bannerman by Emperor Kangxi because of his father Shi Lang. He was only a bannerman in name, so it was normal that he did not know Manchu.

Qi You saw that the sun had risen above his head and it was almost time for lunch. "Let's go back and talk about it." After saying a few words to Lin Daniu, he turned around and went back to the yard.

Sabsu hasn't been here for nearly two months. Looking around, the small courtyard is clean and tidy. In the corner, there is a long row of broken clay pots, and various wild flowers are blooming.

The simple little courtyard exuded an artistic conception that Sabsu could not describe. He kept saying, "Seventh Prince, you have tidied this place very well."

Qi You was puzzled. He followed Sabsu's gaze and said, "This was all handled by Degao and the others. I didn't do anything about it."

Sabusu smiled and said, "Those who come out of the palace are different. Degao and Guihe, for example, can read and write, and can even keep accounts and do math. They're truly remarkable. And you, Seventh Prince, you're a master of poetry, quoting classics and speaking eloquently."

Qi You was almost amused by Sabsu. It was really difficult for him. He probably used up all the words he knew at this moment. He couldn't help but say seriously: "I can't write articles or poems."

Sabusu stared at Qi You in astonishment, and said incoherently, "You can't write poetry? Everyone who knows how to write poetry!"

Qi You couldn't help laughing and said, "I really can't write poetry. People who can write poetry are very good. I can't compare with them. Sit down, tell me more about Shi Shilun."

Sabusu scratched his head. He couldn't even read poetry, let alone write it. For some reason, he felt closer to Qi You.

As soon as they sat down, Sabusu rushed to pick up the kettle and pour tea. He held the tea in both hands and handed it to Qi You, saying, "Master Shi, after he came to the shipyard, he managed the shipbuilders... well, it's almost like managing prisoners. Usually, those shipbuilders like to have a few sips of wine when they go home at night. When Master Shi found out, he confiscated all their wine, saying that they were greedy for pleasure and drinking and making mistakes. What do you think of this? Those shipbuilders were hired by merchants to build ships. They don't receive salaries from the court. They are not under our control, and neither is he."

Qi You asked directly, "Is there any master who wants to quit his job?"

Sabusu slapped his thigh, his eyes lighting up as he said, "Seventh Prince is so clever! He guessed it right right away. Indeed, several of the masters refused to even take their wages and insisted on packing up and returning home. Before, they despised the bitter cold here and were all thinking of leaving. Later, it was you who suggested that I send them New Year's goods and wine, greet them warmly, and even give them red envelopes for the New Year. They finally managed to stay because of you. Now that Lord Shi has interfered, all our previous efforts have been wasted."

Qi You hummed and asked, "Have you told Lord Shi about this?"

Sabusu sighed and said, "I said it, why didn't I say it! Lord Shi said that without rules, there will be no order. The craftsmen are building ships for the Qing Dynasty, and this is what they should do. Even if they don't receive wages from the court, they are citizens of the Qing Dynasty and should obey the jurisdiction."

Judging from Shi Shilun's actions during his tenure in Yangzhou, Qi You was not too surprised that he did this.

Shi Shilun's starting point was good. No one would doubt his loyalty to the court and the Qing Dynasty, and his desire to be a good official.

However, this involves a question of degree and personal privacy.

In Shi Shilun's view, the people were born and raised here, and all of them should give up their personal wishes and must unconditionally obey the orders of the court.

In a small sense, it was Shi Shilun's personal lack of understanding of human nature. In a big sense, it was the current situation of the Qing Dynasty.

The people in power were obsessed with controlling the people's thoughts and making them obey the Qing Dynasty's rule absolutely.

Many people take the phrase "closing the country to the outside world" literally, thinking that closing the ports and refusing to trade with foreigners was the Qing Dynasty's decision to close the country to the outside world.

In fact, this is not entirely true. The Qing Dynasty has always had ports for foreign trade.

The true meaning of closing the country to the outside world was to prevent foreign ideas from spreading to the Qing Dynasty. The Qing Dynasty allowed the outside world to develop dramatically while it established its own system, hiding all advanced knowledge in the Forbidden City and living behind closed doors.

The emperor and the ruling class knew better than anyone that once these thoughts came in and public opinion awakened, they would no longer be able to hold on to the throne.

Kangxi needed people like Shi Shilun. Even though he knew that he was extreme and his actions in Yangzhou caused Yangzhou to have a shortfall in commercial tax collection, he still promoted him.

Qi You couldn't care less about that right now, but he wouldn't ignore it. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "I can't leave here. You should go back and persuade those masters. It's hard to find skilled and talented people. No matter what you do, you must keep them. I'll write a letter and give it to Shi Shilun when you go back. I'll invite him to come and enjoy the flowers."

Sabusu heaved a long sigh of relief, his happiness unconcealed. He said with a smile, "I can't argue with him. Hehe, with you, Seventh Prince, taking action, you will definitely be able to make him submit. I've really had enough of his arrogance lately. He gets jealous when I wear a silk dress. You must teach him a lesson!"

Qi You was speechless and said, "Shi Shilun is a good man. I just invited him to appreciate the flowers. What nonsense are you talking about?"

Sabusu smiled slyly and pointed at the wild flowers outside the yard and said, "Are you enjoying these?"

Qi You's expression remained unchanged, and he said calmly, "Why, isn't this a flower?"

Sabsu was stunned, and her cheeks twitched constantly.

The fields were overgrown with wild flowers and weeds. For a prince like him, it was really too shabby...

Qi You didn't care what Sabsu thought. He never cared about pomp and circumstance. There was no need for pomp and circumstance in such a desolate place.

Qi You was thinking hard about how to deal with Shi Shilun without making him complain to Kangxi for the time being.

If Kangxi knew that Qi You was planning to enlighten the people, he would be dead.

The author has something to say:

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