Prodigal Son of the Ming Dynasty

  Chapter 62 You're done

  Emperor Hongzhi was stunned.

  He understood what Liu Jian meant.

  I also know why this Master Liu is so excited.

  Emperor Hongzhi snapped: "Can it really replace charcoal?"

   "Yes!" It was Fang Jifan who spoke this time.

   This made Zhu Houzhao look at Fang Jifan very dissatisfied.

  Old Fang, you are not kind. When you were trying to die just now, you let me go. Now it is time to claim credit. How did you get ahead.

   Fang Jifan said: "Anthracite can not only replace charcoal, but also has a better effect than charcoal. If Your Majesty still doesn't believe it, just ask His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

  Zhu Houzhao acted like a conditioned reflex. As a spokesperson, he had already memorized countless lines and routines. He immediately gave a thumbs up and said: "My son takes his personality as a guarantee."

  Staying with Fang Jifan, I always listen to Fang Jifan saying that personality is guaranteed. He heard this mantra a lot, and he blurted it out.

  Emperor Hongzhi didn’t need to ask the prince, would he not know what his son was? But Liu Jian and the others said that he firmly believed.

  His heart could not be calm for a long time, and he walked back and forth with his hands behind his back: "My ancestors, my ancestors, bless you..."

Emperor Hongzhi raised his face and turned towards the void, as if he was looking at the heroic spirits of his ancestors. At this moment, he was so excited that the corners of his eyes were moist. For some people, it was an all-night pleasure, but for some people As far as Emperor Hongzhi was concerned, it was a heavy burden. With so many refugees suffering from hunger and cold, he could not rest assured for a day, especially when the long and bitter winter was approaching. Every person who died of freezing was enough to make him feel distressed. It's amazing.

  But now... Fang Jifan solved it with a mere anthracite.

   His eyes were red, and he tried his best to keep the tears from falling.

   Seeing this scene in Fang Jifan's eyes, Fang Jifan began to suspect that Emperor Hongzhi was a bit of a stickler.

Fang Jifan doesn't like magic sticks, it's not because of the tendency of magic sticks, but I have worked so hard to produce anthracite coal, desulfurize this anthracite coal, and spread it, but you don't thank me, but you say God Bless, what the **** is this?

  Emperor Hongzhi breathed out: "If this is true, it is indeed as Liu Qing said, how many people can be saved. Prince, Fang Jifan, how many catties of coal can you produce a day?"

Fang Jifan thought to himself, the anthracite reserves of this mine, the data of later generations is tens of millions of tons, because it is open-pit mining, so it is easy to excavate, as long as there are enough manpower, the daily supply is not a problem, but Fang Jifan still calculates carefully Forget it, now he and the prince have only recruited dozens of people to try to excavate first. The daily coal production is only a few thousand catties at most. If the production is increased, as long as the manpower is sufficient, the output can be maintained at a million catties a day. No problem. One million catties sounds scary, but it is actually only five hundred tons. However, in this era, the city catty is used, which is sixteen taels per catty.

The cost of open-pit coal mines is too low, and the distance from the capital is so heavy. Once it becomes a necessity, the population of the capital area alone will have millions of households and millions of people. This does not include the use of canals, which can easily transport coal Arrived in Tongzhou, Tianjin Wei and other places, that is to say, the output of hundreds of tons can be completely digested just by dealing with the Gyeonggi area.

  Of course, Fang Jifan can choose to reduce production capacity, so as to hoard goods and increase the price of coal, but once this happens, coal will become a luxury product. Instead, it is better to supply it on a large scale.

Fang Jifan said: "Your Majesty, as long as there are enough people, the number is not a problem. The manpower... I have also thought about it. I can recruit refugees from inside and outside the capital. They are now suffering from hunger and cold, and they are in a desperate situation. The relief from the Shuntian Mansion alone will not help. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is sympathetic to them, so he hopes to recruit as many refugees as possible."

  Emperor Hongzhi was overjoyed when he heard this. This was no longer a solution to the problem of heating, but even the most troublesome refugee problem. He immediately said happily: "You guys have finally done a good deed."

  Is this a boast? Fang Jifan felt that he needed to improve his understanding.

  Zhu Houzhao hurriedly said: "This is mainly because the minister is worried about the country..."

  Emperor Hongzhi glared at him, so that Zhu Houzhao didn't dare to brag anymore, so he had to shrink his neck, well, stop pretending, make money, make money well. Earning horizontally, vertically, and lying down, Zhu Houzhao suddenly felt that he had grown up when he thought of the inexhaustible money. No, he felt that he had finally accomplished a big event. very proud.

  Lao Fang is a capable person, he makes money when he says he makes money.

  Hanlin were stunned, especially Zhou Chao, the attendant, whose jaws were a little bit closed, looking very unrefined.

  Emperor Hongzhi no longer has the intention to continue the banquet, which is a good thing. A mere anthracite can solve the two huge crises of the court.

  However, he still glared at Zhu Houzhao and Fang Jifan, as if he was afraid that these two brats would get carried away because of this, but he still couldn't help laughing: "Everyone, step down."

  Obviously, he had something to say to Zhu Houzhao and Fang Jifan, so he said, "The crown prince and Fang Jifan stay here."

  Liu Jian took a deep look at Emperor Hongzhi, and the Hanlin had no choice but to get up, and bowed to Emperor Hongzhi. These three words, anthracite, have left a deep imprint on their hearts.

  After the people left, Zhu Houzhao turned to Emperor Hongzhi with a smile on his face. It was rare for him to accomplish such a great event, and he must not lag behind in asking for credit.

  Emperor Hongzhi narrowed his eyes, but stretched out his hand to Zhu Houzhao and said, "Where is my "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains"?"

"what…"

  Emperor Hongzhi said with a straight face: "Your capital was stolen from me, wasn't it?"

  Zhu Houzhao couldn't stop laughing, and suddenly felt a little uneasy.

Emperor Hongzhi looked at him with his hands behind his back, and said with a serious face: "You don't own the capital, so...Fang Qing's family, I know that your coal yard is two to one and five to five, so the other half of the income is the same as the Crown Prince's. It doesn't matter, you send it to the palace on time and fill it with money."

   "Father Emperor..." Zhu Houzhao never imagined that this scene of comedy turned into tragedy in an instant. This is his own share, why is it gone? The emperor clearly cut off the beard.

  Fang Jifan looked at the prince sympathetically, but it seemed that he had nothing to do with him. Cooperating with the prince is cooperation, and cooperating with the emperor is also cooperation.

   "Father..." Zhu Houzhao said with a bitter face: "My son is on the saddle, there is no merit, but hard work."

Emperor Hongzhi didn't give him any chance to complain. A coal yard with a daily output of millions of catties has a monthly net profit of more than 100,000 taels of silver. This does not include future expansion of production. After this year, the figure is astronomical. How could he trust this unreliable son?

  Naturally...it has to be handed over to him for safekeeping, so that people can rest assured.

   "Stop messing around!" Emperor Hongzhi scolded.

  Zhu Houzhao was silent like a cicada, but he was a little unwilling, and whispered: "Old fox..."

  The old fox's words were very light, but Emperor Hongzhi didn't hear them, but Fang Jifan did, and couldn't help but chuckle.

   "Ahem..." Emperor Hongzhi looked at Fang Jifan with a straight face, "Fang Qing's family, what are you laughing at?"

   "Uh..." Fang Jifan glanced at Zhu Houzhao, and then said, "Your Majesty is wise..."

   "What?" Emperor Hongzhi looked suspicious.

Fang Jifan smiled and said: "Your Majesty's kindness is so great, and I look up at the mountains, and I have long admired the five bodies of my Majesty. Now I think that I am not selling coal with Zhan Shifu, but with the palace and with Your Majesty. I am very happy." mad…"

   "Okay, okay." Emperor Hongzhi understood now that Fang Jifan was a shrewd as hell, but this guy didn't change his nature, so he insisted on being so nasty.

  Emperor Hongzhi didn't like flattering people. If he was someone else, he would have been punished long ago. He was a proper traitor, but at Fang Jifan's age, he said such shameless words in a smooth and smooth manner, and he didn't seem to have much sense of disobedience.

  Of course, this is also related to Emperor Hongzhi's views on Fang Jifan. He really gradually regarded Fang Jifan as a junior. This junior is flattering, can he still beat him up?

Emperor Hongzhi was too lazy to pay attention to Zhu Houzhao, but stared at Fang Jifan: "This time, you have made a great contribution. This coal yard must start work quickly without delay. I will not send more eunuchs there. I know that this coal is very valuable." You have contributed a lot, and I can rest assured that I will let you take care of it. The palace and you will still follow the agreement between the crown prince and you, and the accounts will be split fifty-fifty. I will not take any more from you. What is yours is yours!"

Fang Jifan said without hesitation: "Your Majesty does not compete with the people for profit. He is indeed a model of a sage. This kind of mind is truly unprecedented. Even if Tang Zong and Song Zu were reborn, it would be impossible to flatter your Majesty. At this moment, I only have One thought, that is, I want to sing loudly, praising my emperor, long live long live long live!"

  ...

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  (end of this chapter)