In March, the grass is green and the birds are singing.
After a cold winter, it is time for everything to come back to life and spring flowers to bloom.
The entire capital city came back to life. The pear trees that had been sleeping for a winter were awakened by the drizzling rain, and people who had been resting for a winter began to get busy.
Farmers began to busy themselves with leveling the fields and preparing for planting; merchants began to stock up on goods and prepare to travel far and wide; court officials began to busy themselves with preparing plans for the year and also began to busy themselves with spring plowing.
As for the construction sites in the capital, work had also begun. Whether it was the houses in the city or the new city outside, everyone was busy. The court did not impose corvée labor, but instead began to hire workers.
This time, the contractor was the Imperial Household Department, and everything was done to the highest standards. The construction team had already moved in, and for a moment, the entire site was bustling with activity.
At the north gate of the capital, a convoy was gathering. Judging from the number of people, there must be several hundred people here, and there were dozens of carriages of various sizes.
As the sun rose, people began to gather again. There were more people, more vehicles, and more goods.
In a luxurious carriage, a young man stood on the shaft, holding a folding fan in his hand and facing the wind. From his attire, it was clear that he was of extraordinary status.
He wore thin-soled deerskin boots from Zhangji. Besides that, he was wearing blue silk from Jiangnan Zhangji, which was very expensive.
Look at the cloak he's wearing, and you can tell it's made of top-quality bearskin. Look at the color, the quality of the fur, the craftsmanship, it gleams in the sun.
The jade pendant hanging around her waist is obviously made by Linglongfang; the hairpin on her head, although just a simple one, is obviously made of top-quality Hetian jade, and must have cost a lot.
As for the folding fan in his hand, its value is even higher. There is nothing wrong with the fan, but the fan leaf is obviously the handwriting of Shen Zhou from Jiangnan.
This outfit alone has scared many people.
The carriage is a large four-wheeled vehicle with steel axles and leaf springs. This is a new product, which was just released a few years ago and is very expensive.
Look at the horses pulling the carriage. The two tall horses are of the same color, and you can tell at a glance that they are not ordinary horses.
There weren't many people like him in the entire capital. Apart from the wealthy and powerful, no one could afford to hire one.
As for the guards around him, each of them was strong and sturdy with sharp eyes, and it was obvious that they had killed someone before.
When such people go out to do business, they must be out to gain experience. Looking at the dozens of large carts following behind them, and the cars constantly coming from all directions, you can tell that this must be a large caravan, the kind that is very impressive when it goes out.
As more and more people gathered, they finally formed a team of more than 3,000 people.
When the sun was high in the sky, the convoy started slowly and headed directly north.
The people who were doing business in the north were also happy to follow behind. With such a caravan following them, they would definitely not encounter any danger on the road.
In the large carriage in the center, Zhu Youxiao sat inside with no expression on his face.
Beside him were Wei Chao and Chen Hong, who were serving him respectfully.
Zhu Youxiao sat in the car, reached out and opened the curtain, looking at the scenery outside the window. The sunlight was gentle and not hot, and his mood immediately became very good.
Honestly, there wasn't much risk at this time. The grass was dry and yellow, and in some places the snow hadn't melted yet, leaving behind the chill of winter and a slightly cold and chilly air.
Being able to leave the capital, Zhu Youxiao felt much better. He had a feeling that the emperor was far away and the sky was high, which made him feel relaxed.
I guess it's because he has been suppressed in the capital for too long.
After a long while, Zhu Youxiao withdrew his gaze, glanced at Chen Hong beside him and asked, "Have you made all the arrangements?"
After hearing this, Chen Hong quickly said, "Yes, Your Majesty, everything has been arranged. Everything will be smooth along the way and there will be absolutely no problems."
Zhu Youxiao nodded with satisfaction and said, "That's the best."
The place Zhu Youxiao was going to this time was naturally Zhangjiakou.
Although Zhangjiakou was an inconspicuous place in later generations, perhaps in this era, Zhangjiakou was also inconspicuous, and people were more concerned about the capital.
But now it is different, Zhangjiakou is a very important place. It is a key node for trade within and outside the grasslands, and a hub for grassland smuggling.
Zhangjiakou is a place where merchants from Shanxi in the Ming Dynasty and a large number of merchants from the north gather. Most of them smuggle things to the grassland from Zhangjiakou.
If Zhu Youxiao wanted to investigate smuggling, Zhangjiakou was the most suitable place.
Of course, investigating smuggling is one aspect, but the most important thing is to make money.
This winter, plus the three months of spring, Zhu Youxiao's money was burned very quickly.
After Bi Maokang made a plan, he submitted the list. In such a situation, how could Zhu Youxiao bear it?
Thinking of those weapons, which night did he not scratch his head? Thinking of having those weapons, Zhu Youxiao was simply too excited to control himself.
In this case, how can we control the money?
Zhu Youxiao spent money like water, spending more than five million taels. After deducting the expenses for the New Year, Zhu Youxiao's inner treasury was almost empty.
Without money, nothing can be done. For Zhu Youxiao, this is absolutely unacceptable.
The key point is that the money in the inner treasury is not enough after it has been spent. This is a big problem. Zhu Youxiao should go and get money.
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