A month later.
After Zhu Yuanzhang left court, a eunuch announced from outside,""Your Majesty, the Empress requests an audience."
Zhu Yuanzhang put down the memorial in his hand and nodded."Let the Empress come in."
Then…
The eunuch went out to report.
Very quickly.
A figure appeared at the door. It was the dignified Empress Ma.
When Zhu Yuanzhang saw her, he smiled and said,""Empress, come in quickly."
"Why have you come to see me today?”
Usually.
Empress Ma would not disturb Zhu Yuanzhang when he was reading the memorial.
Unless something big happened.
Empress Ma walked in with a friendly smile on her face.
"Chongba, do you still remember what you told me after returning to the capital?”
When Empress Ma said this, Zhu Yuanzhang reacted and quickly slapped his head.
"Aiya, look at my memory!"
"I remember now."
"It's the batch of glass that I brought back from Pei County.”
Zhu Yuanzhang held Empress Ma's hand and said,""At that time, Zhen gave the Empress the right to sell this batch of goods. It has already been a few months, so I really didn't think about it for a moment.”
Then…
There was a hint of anticipation on his face.
"How is it? Did the Empress already sell the sample?”
Empress Ma nodded and smiled even more happily.
"Yes, and the price was far beyond my expectations.”
As she spoke, she took out a list from her sleeve.
"Take a look for yourself."
When Zhu Yuanzhang took it, he heard Empress Ma continue,""Those ten pieces of glass were all sold at various banquets in the capital.”
"After selling two pieces, someone started to fight for the price.”
"The name list is a list of the officials who bought the glass.”
Zhu Yuanzhang opened the name list.
He was completely stunned.
Because…
The total price of the ten Glazed Artifacts was actually two million taels!!
On average, each item cost 200,000 taels.
When they gave Meng Yin a deposit of 100,000 taels, they didn't expect it to add up to such a high price.
However, he looked at the name on the list again.
Zhu Yuanzhang's expression gradually turned from shock to anger.
"Zhen did not expect that there would be a few ministers on this list.”
In the Ming Dynasty, how low was Zhu Yuanzhang's salary for officials?
900 stone meters per month for those of the first grade.
Rank-9 only cost 50 stone meters.
Not to mention other small officials, there would only be fewer.
Therefore…
Under such circumstances, there were still so many officials who could take out hundreds of thousands of silver to buy a piece of glass.
What this meant was self-evident.
Zhu Yuanzhang's expression was very ugly.
"Zhen's understanding of the ministers is still too little.”
That was exactly the case.
At the same time, he was even more determined to establish a new spy organization. It was also what he had thought of a month ago, the Jinyiwei.
After Zhu Yuanzhang finished thinking.
She raised her head and saw that there was no anger on Empress Ma's face.
He couldn't help but feel curious.
"Does the Empress not have any thoughts about this list?”
Empress Ma looked calm and said with a smile,""Yes, I do."
"I suddenly thought of someone.”
"Who?" asked Zhu Yuanzhang.
"Meng Yin."
Empress Ma had a smile on her face." When we were in Pei County, didn't the people say that Meng Yin was a corrupt official? However, he was only greedy for the money of the rich. He didn't care about the money of ordinary people.”
As she said this, Zhu Yuanzhang's expression slowly changed.
Empress Ma continued,"Now that I see it, I suddenly feel that Meng Yin did a good job."”
"Because the money of wealthy merchants is too easy to earn.”
"As long as something is expensive, no matter how high the price is, there will be people willing to buy it.”
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the total of two million taels on the list.
He also revealed a complicated expression.
After a long while, he sighed and said,"That's right. In just a few short months, he actually got two million taels from ten ministers."”
"There are many wealthy merchants in the capital alone. If we add in the wealthy merchants from other wealthy areas, there are also wealthy merchants from other places.”
"In the same amount of time, if a few more items are sold, I wonder how many times the silver will increase.”
Zhu Yuanzhang had to admit.
Back then, when she heard that Meng Yin was a corrupt official and that he was greedy for money.
In his heart, he wanted to kill Meng Yin.
However…
Now, after he and Empress Ma had tried it themselves.
There was a 'really fragrant' feeling to it.
He even wanted to do it again…
Seeing that Zhu Yuanzhang did not speak, Empress Ma continued to persuade him.
"Chongba, think about it, if you ask the officials of the court to donate money, even if all the officials in the court pay, they will definitely not be able to take out a few million taels.”
Zhu Yuanzhang finally broke the last trace of his bottom line.
"The Empress is right."
He continued to read the name list with a cold gaze.
"Zhen will remember these people.”
"Zhen is not in a hurry to settle the score with them. We will wait for more people to settle the score slowly.”
At that time.
As long as his subordinates found out who had money from an unknown source.
Then…
Naturally, it was the house that should be raided.
Exile that should be exiled.
In any case, he had never been merciful to corrupt officials.
However, there was a precedent like Meng Yin.
At that time, Zhu Yuanzhang would also follow what Meng Yin had once told him, distinguish between useful and useless corrupt officials, and then deal with them separately.
There was another reason.
That was, Zhu Yuanzhang had already seen how profitable Liu Li was.
Since he still needed those ministers to make money, he would not punish them for the time being.
Zhu Yuanzhang held Empress Ma's hand and said emotionally,""Empress, I also think what you said makes sense.”
"If Meng Yin can use this method, why can't we use it too?”
In any case, even if he didn't earn money from those wealthy businessmen, there would still be others who earned it.
Then why did he give up such a good advantage?
Empress Ma looked at Zhu Yuanzhang, who had finally thought it through, and smiled.
"In this way, Great Ming's national treasury can be quickly replenished.”
The money they earned was not for their own enjoyment.
It was for the sake of the Ming Empire.
Then…
Empress Ma also thought of something. She discussed with Zhu Yuanzhang and said,
"Back then, Meng Yin said that if we could get the title of the royal family's special supply, he would give us greater treatment.”
"Why don't we take this opportunity to give it to him?”
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