Chapter 233 Yan Jiu Comes to Pay New Year’s Greetings
Jin Sui still met Yan Jiu before the wedding because he came to wish Grandpa Ling a happy new year.
Jinsui knew that he did it on purpose. It was impossible for him not to know that Grandpa Ling was in the refugee camp. He was just looking for a reasonable excuse to see her.
She asked Yan Jiu to wait in the living room for half an hour, and Yan Jiu really was there drinking tea and appreciating the snow, without asking her once.
Jin Sui sighed in his heart. They came to pay New Year's greetings. On such an important day as the first day of the Lunar New Year, he must have entered the palace early in the morning and rushed directly to the Taoist temple. It would be too much if he didn't meet them.
She changed into clothes suitable for meeting guests, put on a cloak with a red fox fur collar, and came to see Yan Jiu holding a hand warmer: "Master Yan, Happy New Year!"
Yan Jiu stood up: "Ms. Ling, Happy New Year!"
Perhaps, this is the last time I call her Miss Ling. The next time I see her, she will be the Empress. From now on, there will be a difference between the monarch and the subject.
"I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting. Grandpa might not be back until the evening."
"By the way, did you see Jin An in the palace this morning?"
Yan Jiu smiled and nodded: "Your Majesty invited him to have lunch in the palace."
The two of them sat opposite each other, and suddenly they didn't know what to say. This was a rare opportunity, so they decided to get down to business!
Jinsui took out a new nautical chart first. This time the sailing route was longer, reaching Tianzhu and then to the Red Sea.
Jinsui pointed to the route from Tianzhu to the Red Sea and said, “There’s no need to go that far for now, this is a place we’ll explore in the future.
Let’s go to Tianzhu first! After the full opening of maritime trade, the Nanyang route alone will not be able to satisfy the appetite of the powerful people in Daxia.”
The Nanyang line refers to the island countries in the Nanyang area such as Thailand, Malaysia, and Xiaozi in later generations. At present, except for Xiaozi who dares to provoke our maritime merchants and invade Minzhou to plunder, the other small countries are completely insignificant.
There are only a few natives, but they are not strong enough to compete with Daxia in terms of weapons or manpower.
These islands are rich in heavy metals, spices, precious wood, and grain. Our silk, cotton, linen, sugar, tea, porcelain and other specialties will be sold at high prices once they are shipped along this route.
Their ships can go to farther seas, but they are always at risk of death, and only one out of ten ships can return. This is also the reason why the sea routes provided by Jinsui are important.
With the safe waterway she provided, the Yan family's fleet became the strongest merchant fleet in Daxia. This was also the reason why Gu Changxiao entrusted the task of building the island to the Yan family.
The reason why Jin Sui decided to give this new route to Yan Jiu in advance was that she was afraid that the court officials and dignitaries would not be enthusiastic about maritime trade.
After all, we have been an agricultural country for thousands of years. Suddenly, if we were asked to turn our assets and manpower to unknown waters, most people would instinctively be afraid.
They would rather guard their own little piece of land than explore and venture out. Only if the Yan family can set an example, safely pass through these new routes, and bring back a lot of wealth, will they be tempted.
"India is rich in spices, gold and gems. Our silk, tea, porcelain and sugar will be exchanged for a large amount of their gold. As long as this waterway is open, it will be a huge profit."
Yan Jiu looked at the new route quietly, his heart boiling with heat waves, but he didn't show it on his face, he just frowned slightly.
He could say that this map only existed in ancient myths and legends, and only some vague traces could be found in the Classic of Mountains and Seas.
But Miss Ling was able to produce a detailed nautical chart! Fortunately, he was calm and composed, and even if he had more guesses in his mind, he didn't plan to ask.
Jin Sui misunderstood his silence and asked hurriedly, "You don't quite understand it, right? Do you want me to draw it more detailed?"
Yan Jiu laughed. If he looked into it in more detail, even the King of India himself might not know that there were these unnamed islands in his own waters.
Not to mention the current situation, even if it was ten times more crude, and it was put into the world as a sea chart to India, countless people would risk their lives to grab it.
Miss Ling has not changed in one thing, that is, she has never known how valuable the things she brought out are! Such as the Thirty-Six Stratagems, the fish oil firearms, the crossbow gunpowder, the penicillin for curing the plague, the improved seeds, the wool weaving technology...
There were also two nautical charts in his hand. If he had not been in a cooperative relationship with Miss Ling, even if she had asked for ten thousand taels of gold to buy the map, many people would have rushed to buy it.
Well, come to think of it, the only thing she recognized the value of seemed to be the private seal of 'Li Da Wuxian'.
There were private prints that once sold for one hundred taels per copy, and many people were shouting at them to grab the money. But now there are people willing to pay ten times the price to buy it.
As early as when the two of them traveled together to the Northern Frontier, Yan Jiu felt that Miss Ling was a woman with a big picture, a deep mind, and she was unparalleled in the world.
It was also under her influence that I began to think about the future of Yanzhou and even the entire Yan area, and thus came to cooperate with Your Majesty.
Now thinking about it carefully, he still underestimated Miss Ling. If he thought about something, the first thing he thought about was whether it would benefit the Yan family? Even His Majesty was the same. The first thought must be whether it would benefit the imperial power. How many emperors took the policy of benefiting the people because these things were good for the world, but not for the imperial power.
Only Miss Ling was different. She seemed to always do things from the perspective of whether it was good for the world or the people. Instead, she didn't care much about her personal interests.
Truly achieving the goal of benefiting the present and future generations! Such a broad mind, pattern, and foresight are unexpectedly possessed by a girl in her teens.
Yan Jiu felt that if there really were gods in the world, they would probably be someone like Miss Ling.
Unfortunately, Yan Jiu would only praise people in his heart and never say it out loud. If he really praised Jin Sui in person, he would surely coax him like a child and immediately draw a more detailed route for him.
Jin Sui thought more than he thought. By developing maritime trade, Yan Jiu thought that she was making money for the court and could also relieve the internal restraint caused by the land reform.
From the perspective of the aristocratic families, it would be great if everyone could make money together, and it would be much better to make money overseas, so that they wouldn't have to focus on the land and end up fighting each other.
It seems that the people have more employment opportunities, and even under the impact of low-priced grain overseas, farmers' food prices are still protected.
Because our non-staple food sells for a higher price, especially wine. In the past, the imperial court banned alcohol due to food shortages, but now wine can be brewed at will, strong liquor is used in medicine, and grain wine is also popular overseas.
Ze Jinsui’s ultimate goal and long-term objective is to allow us to enter the industrial age ahead of schedule and to make the Han people’s technology and civilization the best in the world.
The short-term goal is naturally to give Gu Changxiao enough money to build a navy and warships, and to take over the land of Japan and make it into a farmland on the sea!
She personally also needed a large amount of gold and silver because she was about to become the queen, and she needed silver whether it was to build a public hospital or a primary school.
If she used the silver from the national treasury, its safekeeping would be immediately obstructed by officials, and even public hospitals and schools would be brought to a standstill.
Therefore, developing maritime trade was something she urgently needed. She was not selling nautical charts, nor was she a businessman eyeing small profits.
But in Yan Jiu's eyes, she is the epitome of selflessness, generosity and open-mindedness.
Yan Jiu had regretted countless late nights. When he was in the Northern Frontier Royal Court, he watched Gu Changxiao climb up to the temple where Jin Sui was imprisoned, but he did nothing.
That time made him lose the qualification to compete with Gu Changxiao for Jinsui. Later, when Gu Changxiao ascended the throne and became emperor, he couldn't help but wonder, even if he got Jinsui, could he keep it?
Is he qualified to compete with an emperor for his lover? Now, looking at this nautical chart, the feelings of regret, jealousy, and sadness fill my chest again, and my heart aches.
He has a chance. Jinsui has such a detailed nautical chart, and the two of them can definitely go overseas where Gu Changxiao can't find, to the real end of the world.
Unfortunately, he hesitated for just a moment that night, but lost his beloved girl forever.
He raised his head and looked at Jin Sui with eyes as hot as fire, gritting his teeth. It was the first time he was out of control and he was afraid to ask.
If I also climbed up to the shrine that night, who would you choose?
He was looking forward to hearing the answer, but also afraid to hear the answer.
His reaction frightened Jin Sui a little: "Master Yan, are you feeling unwell? Or do you think there is something wrong with this sea route?"
His eyes were a little scary, as if they wanted to brand him. There was sadness in the heat, like a lake that had been calm for eternity, with a sudden storm and then suddenly calm again.
Yan Jiu slowly rolled up the nautical chart, as if using this method to calm himself down.
He shouldn't have come. Every time I see him, the wound in my heart deepens. I know it's hopeless, but I can't help it.
Drinking poison to quench thirst will hurt both your heart and soul.
"Yan has lost his composure, please don't blame me Miss Ling. I just got a little excited when I saw this sea chart."
Jin Sui laughed. You are so excited just because you came to the Red Sea. If I took out the world map, you would be so excited that you would faint! I didn’t expect that you, Yan Jiu, would also be excited! The last time I saw him excited was when he found Twelve Niang’s belongings in the bandit’s lair.
"That's alright, let's talk about maritime trade! When His Majesty goes to court after the New Year, he should focus on drafting laws and taxes for maritime merchants."
Yan Jiu stood up and said, "It's too late today. I'll take my leave first and discuss this with Miss Ling another day."
Jinsui felt a little disappointed. The next day, you would sit behind a screen, with the queen sitting inside and you standing outside.
There is no chance for us to sit opposite each other and have a lively conversation like we do now.
But she would not force Yan Jiu to leave. She sent him to the second gate and found that it was snowing again. She turned around, took out an oil-paper umbrella and handed it to him: "Be careful on the road, Master Yan, take care."
Yan Jiu's hand paused in the air for a moment, his slender fingers were a little red at this moment, he took one end of the oil-paper umbrella, lowered his eyes, bent down, and saluted: "Thank you Miss Ling."
A thin layer of snow covered his shoulders and head, and his snow-white cloak looked a bit cold and distant in the snow.
A modest gentleman, gentle as jade. Yan Jiu is the man who is most like the gentleman in ancient poetry that Jin Sui has met in this era.
"Umbrella, I'll send someone to return it tomorrow."
Jin Sui waved his hand nonchalantly: "It's just an umbrella, no need to return it."
The yellow palm oil paper umbrellas made by Aye Taoist Temple have no artistic value or substance.
Yan Jiu walked out of the second door, and Jin Sui was still standing under the plum tree, waving at him. After all, he was an important partner, and he had to be taken seriously.
He also lamented the huge gap between the two brothers Yan Jiu and Yan Shiyi. If Yan Shiyi had come today, the two of them would probably have set up hot pot and drank rice wine, laughing and chatting about which young man had done something stupid and what fun things were.
But in front of Yan Jiu, Jin Sui was always unnaturally reserved, and always felt that talking to him was like facing a leader.
I don't know what he was thinking just now. His mood changed so much all of a sudden. Even if I work with him for another ten years, I still can't figure out his personality.
I wonder what kind of wife our Yan family master will marry in the future? How smart and kind-hearted she must be to be able to communicate with Yan Jiu? After Jin Sui returned to his room, he realized that he hadn't seen the New Year gift from Yan Jiu yet! He hurriedly asked someone to bring the box in. That's right, our Yan family master's New Year gifts are by the box.
Among them, the four treasures of the study and a set of saddles were obviously given to Jinan, and some rare Taoist books and Taoist instruments were obviously given to my grandfather.
It's hard for him to collect all these things. It's funny to say that my grandfather's Taoist temple doesn't even have a single inherited magical instrument. They are all made or bought on the spot.
Haha, next time when I go to perform rituals with other Taoist temples, they will take out something and say it’s been passed down in their sect for a hundred years or in Taoism for a thousand years or something like that.
And our grandpa took out something, um, made last year and bought this year...
The more I thought about it, the funnier it got. I wonder if Gu Changxiao has any treasures from the Imperial Envoy in his private vault? I'll ask him for two to give to my grandfather to show off.
She was given a set of pink pearl head ornaments the size of longans. She gasped, both because the head ornaments were so beautiful and because the gift was so expensive.
It should be given to the queen as a wedding gift. Now that it has been given as a gift, what do you want to give as a wedding gift? The Yan family is indeed a big sea merchant family, and there are many good things.
Besides, you gave us such a valuable gift, how can we return it? Let Jin'an go to the Yan family to pay New Year's greetings on the third day of the Chinese New Year! Just pick something new from the space and give it to him.
Jin Sui didn't know that Yan Jiu was holding the oil-paper umbrella tightly on his way back. He didn't feel the coldness of the wind and snow at all, but only felt his heart burning.
All the way back to the Yan Mansion, the head of the Yan family was about to report who came to pay New Year's greetings today, who the Eleventh Young Master received, etc.
Yan Jiu said in a deep voice: "Let's talk about it later. Go down and don't let anyone disturb you."
He went into the study, and even Yan Shiyi didn't dare to come to find him after hearing it.
After closing the doors and windows, Yan Jiu carefully took out a box from the secret cabinet. If anyone saw what was inside, they would definitely sneer.
The dignified head of the Yan family actually collected a pile of junk as treasures.
Inside was a pure white teacup, which was the teacup that Jinsui drank on the way to Northern Xinjiang.
A blanket, which Jinsui had covered him with all the way. A bloodstained silk handkerchief, which Jinsui had used to bandage Yan Jiu's hand after it was accidentally cut.
There is even a pair of grass grasshoppers. This was when Jin Sui was teaching Shi Er Niang to weave it in the northern border. Shi Er Niang didn’t have the patience to learn it and soon gave up.
The pair of grasshoppers that Jin Sui had made were thrown away by her casually, and no one knew that it was Yan Jiu who picked them up and brought them back to the Yan family from the northern border as if they were treasures.
The most precious thing among them, which he wrapped in silk, was naturally the Thirty-Six Strategies, the only book for which Jin Sui Ding had written a poem as a gift.
Now, there is another oil-paper umbrella in this secret chamber.
Yan Jiu felt like a thief who could only secretly steal these things related to Jinsui, just like the insignificant time they spent together with Jinsui.
But it is a precious thing that he will remember for the rest of his life.
(End of this chapter)
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