Yinxiang cupped his hands and said, "Your subject understands."
The following morning, the merchants set off to leave Beijing.
As the carriage drove out of the city gate, Zhang Yande glanced back at the capital and murmured, "This time, we can't afford to choose the wrong path again." In this round, the imperial court won a great victory, and the merchants in Jiangnan finally realized the situation.
From then on, all cloth merchants in the land took pride in selling royal fabrics. The lessons learned by the merchants in Jiangnan made everyone realize that cooperating with the imperial court was the only long-term solution.
After Zhang Yande and others returned to Jiangnan, they quickly launched the royal cotton cloth into the market. Due to its high quality and low price, it was soon in short supply.
The astonishing output of textile machines caused the price of cotton cloth to drop significantly, making it easy for ordinary people to buy new clothes, and the scene of people "not having enough clothes to cover their bodies" gradually became a thing of the past.
The reputation of the textile machine quickly spread throughout the country, and private workshops secretly inquired about the blueprints, attempting to imitate it.
Merchants in coastal areas sensed the business opportunity and smuggled cotton cloth to Southeast Asia, making a fortune.
The imperial court turned a blind eye to this, tacitly allowing private capital to participate as long as there was no hoarding and speculation, and the textile industry flourished for a time.
The common people benefited from the low price of cotton cloth, and the saying "Yongzheng's new policies ensured that people had no worries about food and clothing" circulated among the people.
With improved living standards and social stability, Emperor Yongzheng's prestige also rose.
Although the die-hard faction in the court and the Eighth Prince's faction were unwilling, they had no choice but to temporarily avoid confrontation.
The court's combination of carrot and stick tactics made them realize that a head-on confrontation would only bring them humiliation.
This resounding victory further solidified Yongzheng's determination to implement the new policies.
The global trend has quietly shifted towards prosperity and stability.
Recently, Yongzheng felt uneasy. He put down his vermilion brush and tapped his fingertips lightly on the table.
The flickering candlelight made the anxiety between his brows even more apparent.
Su Peisheng stood respectfully to the side, even his breathing became soft.
"Prepare the horses." The emperor suddenly stood up, his black robe sweeping across the ground.
Su Peisheng was startled: "Your Majesty, the palace gates are already locked—"
"I said, prepare the horses," Yongzheng repeated coldly, grabbing the cloak hanging on the screen.
He strode out of the palace gate, the night wind blowing against his face and scattering a few strands of hair on his forehead.
The guards hurriedly brought over the imperial horse, only to find that the emperor had already taken the reins and mounted it himself.
The sound of horses' hooves shattered the silence of the palace walls.
Yongzheng gripped the riding whip tightly, but his mind was filled with images of Lin Yun.
He suddenly pulled on the reins, abruptly turned around in the middle of the long street, and headed straight for the western suburban horse farm.
"Your Majesty?" the head guard exclaimed and quickly spurred his horse to catch up.
We arrived at the horse farm.
"Bring me my bow and arrows!" Yongzheng leaped off his horse, his robes fluttering like a hawk spreading its wings.
He nocked an arrow and drew the bowstring; the bow trembled, creating afterimages. Three arrows shot through the air in quick succession, each embedding itself in the bullseye a hundred paces away.
Sweat dripped down his chin, and the emperor's chest heaved violently.
He stared at the trembling arrow fletching, then suddenly chuckled softly, "I'm acting like a greenhorn..."
"No, I must get to the bottom of this tomorrow!"
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