Anti-Qing: Starting from the Reincarnation of the Ming Dynasty

Zhu Jing'an thought about this as time passed quietly.

Soon, the group arrived at Yanyu Tower.

Zhu Jing'an's personal guards immediately accepted the defense of Yanyu Tower and checked inside and outside several times. After confirming that it was safe, Zhu Jing'an was ready to enter.

At this time, the gentry in Nanjing City, headed by Mr. Wang, had been waiting outside Yanyu Tower for a long time.

Seeing Zhu Jing'an approaching, surrounded by his personal guards, the gentry all stepped forward to salute.

"Students meet His Highness the Crown Prince!"

"The Ming Dynasty will last ten thousand years, and your Highness will live a thousand years!"

"..."

Most of the gentry in Nanjing City were famous, and the Ming Dynasty also recognized the Manchu Qing Dynasty. Therefore, it was normal for them to call themselves students in front of Zhu Jing'an.

A group of people knelt in a row outside Yanyu Tower. Zhu Jing'an took a few steps forward, stretched out his hand to help the leader, Mr. Wang, up, and then said warmly.

"Haha, all sages, please get up!"

"I am busy with military affairs, and now I have some free time, so I came to the banquet. You all have been waiting for a long time!"

Seeing this, Mr. Wang said.

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is busy with military affairs, but he can still find time to come to the banquet among all the things. The students and others are really frightened."

Zhu Jing'an laughed loudly when he heard this.

"Why do you have to be so polite, gentlemen? You all deserve credit for the Ming Dynasty being able to stabilize the situation in Nanjing so quickly. You'd better take your seats first!"

After hearing this, Mr. Wang did not hesitate and called Zhu Jing'an to walk into Yanyu Tower.

"Your Highness, please come quickly. The students have already ordered people to prepare a banquet!"

"Your Highness, please take a seat!"

Zhu Jing'an didn't hesitate and sat directly on the main seat.

Seeing this, Mr. Wang clapped his hands and signaled the attendants in Yanyulou to serve the food.

Not long after, we saw plates of delicious food being served.

There are many delicious dishes such as bear paws and tiger whip.

Of course, there is no such thing as protecting animals in this era. No matter how precious and rare an animal is, it is just a dish in front of humans.

Besides, as the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Jing'an was the ruler of a backward and ignorant feudal dynasty, but no one could control him.

In addition to the delicacies that would make people sit in jail for future generations, there were also jugs of fine wine.

One young and beautiful maid came in from the outside and began to pour wine and dishes for everyone in the hall.

Then, a dancing girl and singer wearing a light gauze and a graceful figure walked in.

Start dancing in the lobby of the hall to the sound of silk and bamboo orchestra!

The soft waist and graceful figure are displayed in front of everyone.

Zhu Jing'an's eyes were slightly intoxicated.

Who said the nightlife of the ancients was monotonous?

This little song is sung with a twisted waist. Who wouldn’t be confused after watching it?

The dancers and singers were performing. Zhu Jing'an also squinted his eyes and beat the rhythm gently with the chopsticks in his hands.

Seeing this scene, Mr. Wang on the side carefully came to Zhu Jing'an and said.

"Your Highness, the student knows that you are coming to the banquet today, so he specially invited two oirans from the Qinhuai River who have not yet been combed to dance and sing for you."

"If Your Highness is interested in them, you can keep them by your side to serve them."

When a group of big men get together, the easiest way to get closer is through drinking and sex.

Since Mr. Wang invited Zhu Jing'an to the banquet, how could he not make preparations in advance?
It was natural to invite a few courtesan from the Qinhuai River to warm up the scene and add to the fun.

Hearing this, Zhu Jing'an opened his eyes and said with interest.

"Oiran? Have you ever had your feet bound?"

Zhu Jing'an has never denied that he is greedy for money and lustful. He is indeed very interested in the courtesans of this era.

However, his disgust and aversion to footbinding is also real.

Zhu Jing'an felt sick to his stomach at the thought of a person's good soles being bent into the shape of a three-inch golden lotus.

When Mr. Wang heard this, he nodded and said.

"Don't worry, Your Highness, they are all natural and have never been entangled."

It's no secret that both father and son of the Zhu family are disgusted with foot binding. Since Mr. Wang wants to give Zhu Jing'an away, he naturally wants to find out Zhu Jing'an's preferences.

Otherwise, if flattery hits the horse's leg, it will be a waste of more than gain!

After Zhu Jing'an heard this, he nodded with satisfaction.

"That's right, let someone come up!"

Mr. Wang nodded, and then waved to the singers and dancers standing in the hall to step back and let the two oirans from the Qinhuai River come in.

Zhu Jing'an also looked towards the door with eyes full of curiosity and exploration.

After the singer and dancer all left, not long after, two women were seen walking into the hall from the outside.

She has a slender figure, the pigeon on her chest is slightly raised, her body curve is not very obvious, her small face is only the size of a palm, her facial features are delicate and delicate, and there is a touch of sadness between her eyebrows. She is a very typical delicate beauty that conforms to oriental aesthetics. .

The other person is a plump, tall, curvy figure, with bright and majestic facial features. She is quite beautiful. At first glance, she can bring a strong visual impact to people.

Both of them are top-notch in figure and appearance. They can be said to be fat and thin. They have their own characteristics. I can only say that they are worthy of being the oirans selected from the Qinhuai River.

This appearance and style are indeed outstanding!

Even better than the women before Zhu Jing'an.

Zhu Jing'an's eyes looked at the two of them unscrupulously. His naked and hot eyes without any concealment made the two of them feel uncomfortable.

It's not that Zhu Jing'an doesn't know how to hide his emotions, it's just that these people in front of him are not worthy of him.

Before Zhu Jing'an could make his next move, he saw the two women taking a few steps forward, saying a blessing and saying.

"Folk girl Liu Ruyan/Huang Cai'er, please see His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Jin An!"

The two voices also have their own characteristics, one is gentle and sweet, like the sound of nature, the other is soft and weak, Wu Nong's soft words are also quite pitiful.

Looking at the two beauties presented to him, Zhu Jing'an couldn't help but feel excited.

But Zhu Jing'an did not stand up immediately, but just spoke calmly.

"let's start!"

Liu Ruyan and Huang Cai'er heard this and started preparing for a song and dance performance without hesitation.

Liu Ruyan played the piano and Huang Cai'er performed the dance. The two also had a tacit understanding.

As the sound of the piano sounded faintly, Huang Cai'er began to dance in the hall...

Along with the dancing gauze, the waving sleeves and the melodious sound of the piano, Huang Cai'er's soft and plump figure brought a great impact to people.

As the singing and dancing continued, Huang Caier began to sing. "The east wind blows thousands of flowers and trees down at night, and even blows them down, and the stars are like rain..."

The singing voice is melodious and melodious, making people involuntarily indulge in it.

After a while, the singing and dancing ended, and the two of them bowed to Zhu Jing'an again and said a thousand blessings.

Zhu Jing'an stood up from his seat, clapped his hands, and walked towards the two people standing in the hall.

"Not bad!"

"The piano is played well, and the lingering sound makes people feel like hearing fairy music."

"The singing and dancing are also very good. The dance movements are agile and flexible, and the singing is melodious and graceful."

"You are worthy of being an oiran, and you deserve your reputation!"

Zhu Jing'an strode up to the two women, helped them up one by one, and then pulled them towards his seat.

"Two beauties are here with me, and I will study music with you..."

After Zhu Jing'an took the two beauties back to their seats and sat down, it didn't take long for the hall to continue drinking and mingling.

Zhu Jing'an held two beauties in his arms and whispered into their ears. The hot breath from his mouth and nose sprayed on their crystal earlobes. Their earlobes and cheeks were all red.

As they drank and drank, the atmosphere at the banquet became more and more lively.

After the banquet was almost finished, Mr. Wang stood up from his seat, bowed deeply to Zhu Jing'an, and spoke.

"Your Majesty the Crown Prince, the student has a report to report!"

Zhu Jing'an narrowed his eyes, withdrew his attention from the two beauties in his arms, looked at Mr. Wang, nodded slightly and asked.

"What's the matter, tell me!"

Zhu Jing'an knew that the reason why the Nanjing gentry invited him to the banquet and arranged for him to be served by an oiran must be for something.

He had already made corresponding mental preparations before coming to the banquet.

If what the Nanjing gentry asked for was not too much, Zhu Jing'an wouldn't mind agreeing to it.

The Ming Dynasty, a feudal dynasty, had to cooperate with the gentry if it wanted to gain a firm foothold!

In this case, Zhu Jing'an naturally did not mind giving some benefits to the gentry, and then borrowed their strength to help Ming Dynasty gain a foothold in Jiangnan as soon as possible.

Besides, Zhu Jing'an is still holding the oiran presented by the Nanjing gentry in his arms, so he must be given a chance to speak.

If you want to burn a bridge across a river, you have to wait until the river passes!
When Mr. Wang heard this, he couldn't help but look happy and worried, and said.

"Your Majesty the Crown Prince, we have heard that the Ming Dynasty established a sea ban in Guangzhou to encourage industry and commerce, benefiting the people of Guangdong and Guangdong."

"Now that Jiangnan has been restored, students and others are begging the court to open sea in Jiangnan."

Since the opening of Guangzhou to the sea, people in Guangdong and Guangxi have made a lot of money, and their net worth has been rising.

It is impossible to say that Jiangnan is not jealous!

Therefore, the Nanjing gentry invited Zhu Jing'an to the banquet this time because they wanted to ask Zhu Jing'an for orders to open sea along the coast of Jiangnan.

In the pre-Ming Dynasty, the reason why the imperial court faced so much pressure to open the sea was not because the gentry did not see the benefits of opening the sea.

It's because they know the benefits of opening the sea too well!
How to put it, in fact, the Ming Dynasty's maritime ban was not a maritime ban at all. It was banned by the imperial court, but the gentry and maritime merchants still did business as usual.

The officials above would also share the profits from the crowd. To put it bluntly, the sea ban only targeted the poor and ordinary people who had no means.

The maritime ban cannot stop the truly powerful maritime merchants and gentry!

These gentry, merchants or pirates, colluded together to form a huge interest group.

In order to monopolize the benefits of sea trade, this huge interest group shares the benefits they can get from sea trade in order to prevent others from getting into trouble.

Therefore, this huge interest group began to try every means to prevent the imperial court from opening the sea!
However, the current situation is different from the situation in the pre-Ming Dynasty.

Due to the Manchu and Qing Dynasty's border relocation and maritime ban, most of the interest groups composed of inland gentry and pirates were eliminated.

The remaining three melons and two dates, after so many years of weakening and suppression by the Manchu Qing court, no longer have the ability to continue to monopolize sea trade.

In addition, the Ming Dynasty had already opened sea trade in Guangzhou. Therefore, after knowing that there was no hope of monopolizing sea trade, the gentry in the south of the Yangtze River could only ask the court to open sea in the south of the Yangtze River.

It is also good for them to make profits from it after the opening of the sea in Jiangnan.

As the saying goes, since the monopoly cake cannot be eaten, it is a good idea to make the cake bigger and let everyone eat it together.

When Zhu Jing'an heard this, he lowered his eyebrows and thought for a while, and then spoke.

"This matter cannot be decided arbitrarily by oneself. We still need to be informed by the court and ask your majesty and the cabinet to make a decision!"

"But I guess it shouldn't be a problem!"

"After the opening of Guangzhou, for more than a year, it provided the Ming Dynasty with more than [-] million taels of customs tariff silver. If it were opened in Jiangnan, the customs tariff should not be less than this number."

"The imperial court will not refuse such a large amount of financial revenue."

What Zhu Jing'an said is actually very meaningful.

On the surface, he rejected the request of the Nanjing gentry, but in fact he agreed and made a request.

Guangzhou Customs can pay 800 million yuan in customs duties to the court a year. The customs in Jiangnan, which is richer than Guangdong and Guangxi, cannot be less than this number in any case.

If you agree to this condition, the customs in Jiangnan can be opened.

Otherwise, there is no need to open this level!
As soon as Zhu Jing'an said this, Mr. Wang subconsciously turned around and looked at the other gentry in the hall.

But soon Mr. Wang spoke.

"To tell you, Your Highness, Jiangnan is not as wealthy as Guangdong and Guangxi, but Jiangnan is the place that was squeezed the most by the slave-building court, and people's livelihood has long been in ruins."

"I'm afraid I won't be able to come up with 800 million a year..."

Jiangnan has always been very resistant to paying taxes.

Therefore, Mr. Wang was ready to bargain with Zhu Jing'an.

However, Zhu Jing'an had no intention of bargaining with him. He just turned cold and spoke expressionlessly.

"Oh, really? Let's discuss the matter of the imperial court's opening and closing in Jiangnan later!"

Zhu Jing'an is a dignified prince. Being able to come to the banquet today has already given face to the Nanjing gentry.

But the Nanjing gentry still wanted to bargain with him, so it was a bit embarrassing!

Anyway, the Ming Dynasty has just captured Jiangnan, and even Zhejiang has not yet been completely settled, so it is not in a hurry to switch it on and off. Zhu Jing'an does not mind just letting the Nanjing gentry show off.

Let the gentry dry out so that we can negotiate terms!

When Mr. Wang heard this, he opened his mouth and wanted to say something else.

But the moment he met Zhu Jing'an's cold eyes, he understood that he was the one responsible for it.

His Royal Highness is really angry now!

I am just a gentry and not a minister in the court. How can I bargain with Zhu Jing'an, the crown prince who has a heavy army?

Thinking of this, Mr. Wang spoke up with a slightly frightened voice.

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince, although the people's livelihood in Jiangnan is in decline, they are still willing to contribute to the restoration of the country, the expulsion of the Tartars, and the restoration of China."

"Eight million taels of customs silver per year will definitely not be a problem!" (End of Chapter)