"Brother is really amazing."

When Zhu Yunwen received the news, he became extremely excited.

In fact, he had already prepared to follow the army to attack Champa. Recently, Zhu Yunwen had been studying military books seriously in order to make some contributions.

As far as Champa is concerned, Zhu Yunwen really didn't think he would give up a city for no reason.

But with the publication of the Beijing Gazette, it can be said that it is absolutely true.

In joy, Zhu Yunwen ran to Lu.

Mrs. Lu was obviously in a good mood and said with a smile, "I already know about it, but it's not as simple as you think. There must be many unknown processes."

"These have little to do with us. Now that it has been decided, the next step is to prepare for the enfeoffment."

"Basically, we don't have to worry about the civil officials and military commanders. The next step is to find a way to get some money."

Zhu Yunwen didn't quite understand, so he asked, "What money do you want to make?"

Lu had no intention of blaming her.

She knew that her son was ignorant of the different kinds of grains. He had only devoted himself to reading books of sages and had no concept of money itself.

Too.

Since childhood, the eldest grandson Zhu Xiongying died young, and Lu became the legitimate heir, so Zhu Yunwen had the status of the eldest grandson.

In addition to the favor Lu received, it was basically certain that she would be the future crown prince.

As for government affairs, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao were busy taking care of them, so there was nothing for him to worry about, so he had little awareness of money.

At that moment, Lu said, "Going to Champa is different from being here in Ming Dynasty. No matter what you do, you need money."

"Officials' salaries and the army's wages are indispensable."

"If the treasury is empty, then the civil officials will not be loyal, and the soldiers will not fight for their lives, then this vassal state will naturally not be under control."

Zhu Yunwen asked in confusion: "Aren't there still taxes?"

Lu shook his head and said, "Places like Champa are nothing but barren lands, and the people are in poverty."

"We have just arrived. If we want to win the hearts of the people, we must reduce labor service and taxes. The Champa king agreed so readily, so he will definitely have a hidden trick in the future. You think he is on the side of the Ming Dynasty."

"Maybe they will relocate most of the people before we arrive. Don't count on the money in the city's treasury."

Mr. Lu was a smart man and had already thought about these possible bad outcomes.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yunwen said angrily, "Wouldn't that leave me with a wasteland and an empty city?"

Lu said: "We should give Champa some face, so they won't go too far, but it's impossible to give it up intact."

"Even your eldest brother can't stop this. Others have already given up a city, which can be said to be the biggest concession. What comes next will require us to prepare by ourselves."

At this moment, Zhu Yunwen finally understood that he still had so many things to do in the future.

Originally in his mind, the idea of ​​the future vassal state was very beautiful.

It was because he had been in the palace before and had heard about the affairs of the fiefdoms. After those uncles were enfeoffed, they all took charge of a certain area and did whatever they wanted, which made the emperor very angry.

It was also because of this that Zhu Yunwen thought about becoming a vassal overseas, which should be a similar situation.

And what Lu said today completely woke him up.

Strictly speaking, the current situation in his fiefdom may be even worse than that in Japan.

The Japanese country was conquered and everything could be obtained through plunder, but he had to develop on his own.

Seeing that her son's will was somewhat depressed, Mrs. Lu comforted him, "Don't be so pessimistic. Although there may be many shortcomings over there, it is a place where we can truly be the masters of our own house."

"Even if you are a little short of it now, you can still gradually gain wealth through maritime trade in the future. After all, you are the younger brother of the Crown Prince, and the Heroes Chamber of Commerce will definitely give you many preferential treatments in this regard."

"As long as we can control the maritime trade business and attract enough merchants, the nobles who left the city will gradually come back."

"It's just a two-year recovery, it's not a big deal."

After hearing this, Zhu Yunwen's mood improved slightly.

After all, he is only in his teens. Even though he is knowledgeable and experienced, his temperament fluctuates greatly.

Fortunately, with the help of the Lu family, the direction is relatively clear.

But what Lu said next made Zhu Yunwen very uncomfortable.

"While we are still in the capital, Wen'er, you should contact the Crown Prince's Qunying Chamber of Commerce more often. Regarding our vassal state and the maritime trade routes, you can communicate with your elder brother's chamber of commerce to see if there is any help we can provide."

"If I go to a feudal state in the future, many things will not be as convenient as they are now."

There is nothing wrong with Lu's idea.

At this moment, Zhu Yunwen went to visit in the name of the emperor's grandson, and especially the younger brother of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of the Qunying Chamber of Commerce.

So no matter what the request is, it needs to be carefully considered.

As long as Zhu Yunwen lowers his attitude a little, the Heroes Chamber of Commerce will not be able to avoid the maritime trade in Champa's vassal state in the future.

Some of these things, no matter how big or small, will be reported to Zhu Ying.

Even if Zhu Ying knew about it, he would naturally not deliberately target Zhu Yunwen.

But the people below won’t think so.

A word of care involves an unimaginable wealth of interests.

But Lu may have forgotten.

Zhu Yunwen studied Confucianism since he was a child.

There is no problem in literature, but the Confucians of today look down upon businessmen the most, and Zhu Yunwen was greatly influenced by Confucianism after being influenced by it for a long time.

He immediately refused and said, "Mom, what can I say to those merchants? I might as well go and tell my eldest brother and ask him to pass on the message to help take care of it."

"I think they will not dare to slack off on what Big Brother said."

Mrs. Lu frowned, paused for a moment and said, "Your elder brother is very busy with government affairs, and now he has just helped you decide on a place to be enfeoffed. This is already a great favor."

"You know how many princes and grandchildren envy you. As for the current system of princes being enfeoffed, it is equivalent to your elder brother making an exception for you."

"At this critical moment, you still ask the Crown Prince for help in talking about maritime trade. This really shows that we are being too close to each other."

"That's not possible. We may not be able to stay in Champa forever. Your elder brother is a man of great military and literary talents. He has great ambitions. If the Nanyang region becomes chaotic, we may need your help."

"Using the little remaining affection on this matter is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. The gain is not worth the loss."

"Forget it, I'll go there myself for this matter."

In his last words, Lu undoubtedly revealed a hint of helplessness.

Zhu Yunwen also felt it.

But when he thought about having to talk to those businessmen and perhaps say a few flattering words, Zhu Yunwen felt uncomfortable all over.

There is just silence at the moment.

I hope my mother can help me.

This is also because there is no one available.

The only person he was relatively familiar with was Huang Zicheng, who was also a first-rate scholar. Lu was well aware of this. If he handed the task over to him, it would be easy for him to cause trouble.

The next day.

Lu asked the palace maids to prepare some gifts and go to Ping'an Teahouse in the capital.

Ping'an Teahouse was Zhu Ying's initial base, but it is now closed to the public and is basically the headquarters of the Qunying Chamber of Commerce.

Including several shops in the surrounding area, they were also purchased and integrated together.

The walls are already filled with cement and painted with white lime.

Mr. Lu's driving permit was delivered in the morning.

When Zhang Bo saw the imperial edict from Lu, he immediately became cautious.

No matter what the situation is in the palace now, Lu is now the Crown Princess, and no one can gossip about this.

Even Zhu Ying did not explicitly express that she did not recognize her stepmother.

This leaves a lot of room for maneuver, at least it preserves the dignity of the Lu family.

Therefore, Zhang Bo had to show enough courtesy to Lu's arrival.

After noon.

An exquisite carriage, accompanied by more than a dozen horsemen, appeared in front of the Ping'an Teahouse.

These Tiqi were all members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. As the Crown Princess, Lu's safety was naturally guaranteed when she left the palace.

Unlike other concubines, Lu had obtained Zhu Yuanzhang's permission long ago and was able to enter and leave the palace freely, but of course this was limited to the capital city.

If you want to leave the city, you have to ask for Zhu Yuanzhang's approval.

"I did not come to greet you, so please forgive me, Your Majesty, the Crown Princess, for my inconsiderateness."

Zhang Bo led a group of people and bowed respectfully when Lu got off the sedan chair.

Mrs. Lu said softly, "I am sorry for coming here abruptly. Please don't feel uncomfortable, Mr. Zhang."

Zhang Bo quickly said, "I dare not."

Then he invited Lu to go upstairs.

This was the first time for Mrs. Lu to come to the Ping'an Teahouse, and she looked around with some curiosity.

She also knew that it was in this teahouse that the Crown Prince and His Majesty met and got to know each other, which led to the current situation.

It can be said that it was in this teahouse that his son lost his position as the crown prince.

But these are already in the past.

After going upstairs, Mrs. Lu praised: "This teahouse is really good. No wonder His Royal Highness the Crown Prince liked this place so much in the first place."

"I think that in the beginning, His Royal Highness used this place as his base."

Zhang Bo replied, "At first, His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan borrowed this shop from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to gain a foothold. Later, His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan specially gave it to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"Your Highness the Crown Prince used to come here every morning to enjoy breakfast. Later, Your Majesty came here and also liked it very much."

As he spoke, Uncle Zhang pointed to a separate private room and told Mrs. Lu that Zhu Ying and his grandson often sat in that place.

Now that Zhu Ying has entered the palace, she seldom has the opportunity to come here again, but that seat has always been reserved and no one is allowed to sit there.

This position will exist as long as the Qun Ying Chamber of Commerce exists.

Naturally, it was impossible for Mrs. Lu to sit in that seat, so she sat in the private room next door as arranged by Uncle Zhang.

"I wonder if the Crown Princess has come here specially to ask for something."

After serving tea and snacks, Uncle Zhang began to ask.

In his estimation, if he didn't ask directly, he would have to go around in circles.

Seeing Zhang Bo speak so directly, Mrs. Lu took a sip of tea and said, "I came here this time to see what the Qunying Chamber of Commerce, which is so famous in the capital, is like."

"As expected, a great reputation is a real one. Since I came in, I can see that this place is well organized. Each person performs his or her duties without interfering with each other and works together. No wonder it has such a good reputation."

When Zhang Bo saw that Lu did not give a direct answer, but praised the coming of the Group of Heroes Chamber of Commerce, he immediately understood Lu's idea.

He also said: "This is all arranged by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Although His Royal Highness seldom comes here, the arrangements here have always been handled by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince himself. We are just following the rules."

Zhang Bo mentioned Zhu Ying many times, and naturally he also secretly told Mrs. Lu that this was the territory of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and it was better not to speak of embarrassing things.

Lu's mind was as clear as a mirror, so there was no way she couldn't understand.

However, her purpose did not involve the Crown Prince, so she said calmly: "Although I have lived in the palace for a long time, I know a lot about the Heroes Chamber of Commerce."

"The current situation of our Ming capital is largely due to the Heroes Chamber of Commerce."

"This is certainly due to the control of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, but it is also inseparable from your sincere hearts that have made this achievement possible."

Zhang Bo bowed and said, "Your Highness, thank you for your compliment."

Mrs. Lu shook her head and said, "I am speaking from my heart, and everyone can see it. Mr. Zhang, please stop being modest."

As the saying goes, don't hit someone who smiles at you.

Lu's attitude this time was very humble, and he praised Zhang Bo and others highly in his words.

In this way, the degree of unfamiliarity will definitely be greatly reduced.

As the chat continued, in less than two incense sticks of time, they had become quite familiar with each other in the conversation.

When he felt that the time was right, Lu started to get to the point.

"I heard a few days ago that the Qunying Chamber of Commerce is vigorously supporting maritime trade, and Mr. Zhang even made a special trip to Jiangnan to arrange matters." Mrs. Lu said slowly.

In fact, at this point, Zhang Bo already knew what Lu was thinking, so he said, "It is true. I wonder if the queen has any suggestions."

Mrs. Lu smiled and said, "I have lived in the palace for a long time, so how can I have any suggestions? It's just that Yunwen wants to be a vassal in Champa recently, so I came to ask Mr. Zhang for help."

"Nowadays, maritime trade in the Ming Dynasty is becoming increasingly popular, and Champa in Yunwen's place is the beginning of the Maritime Silk Road, so I came here specifically to ask for advice on some of the situations in this maritime trade."

Zhang Bo paused for a moment and then said, "His Royal Highness Yunwen is the grandson of the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Please rest assured, Your Majesty, if there is anything that can be used by the Chamber of Commerce in this foreign country, I will naturally not refuse."

Mrs. Lu smiled with satisfaction and said, "Yun Wen is young and in a foreign country. If there is anything I can help you with, please don't refuse, Mr. Zhang."

Having said that, Uncle Zhang immediately said, "Your Highness, you are too kind. These are all our responsibilities."