sjar Chapter 610: Against the current and against the wind.
Chapter 610: Against the current and against the wind.
Ye Kun affirmed Xue Changfeng's idea and said with a smile: "As the governor, you really need to take the lead in changing customs and habits."
After staying in Luoyang for two days, Ye Kun set sail back to Zhuo County.
This time we go back, we are going upstream.
And it's against the wind.
Ye Kun ordered the ship's pilot to sail at full speed to see how long it would take.
As a result, it took a full forty hours to get back to Zhuojun from Luoyang.
It’s a little over 20 kilometers per hour.
Ye Kun was not very satisfied and felt it was still a little slow.
Wu Qiong said, "Your Majesty, this speed is already very scary. If you tell others, the common people will not believe it. You have to know that for a normal merchant ship, it would take at least seven days to travel from Luoyang to Zhuojun in the case of adverse wind and current!"
Sang Buyi also said: "With the increase in the number of steamships in the future, this cargo capacity and speed will fully meet the needs of commerce. There is no need to pursue speed excessively. If the speed is too fast, it is easy to collide with other ships."
Ye Kun shrugged: "Okay, I'll listen to you this time. I'm no longer pursuing the speed of the canal ship, but the safety of freight."
Ship experts from the Science and Technology City also accompanied them on this trip and immediately went back to research and develop new ships that were suitable for the canal.
Ye Kun requested that twenty new ships be built first for trial operation.
Build a few more light ships to serve as special postal ships to meet the communication needs of the people from Luoyang to Zhuojun and on both sides of the canal.
Several passenger ships and cruise ships should also be designed so that people can travel between Zhuojun and Luoyang.
After resting for two days, Ye Kun implemented various proposals for the trip to Luoyang.
The greening and infrastructure construction of the Grand Canal, the construction of banking systems in the five major capitals, the design and production of iron sand ships on the Yellow River, and the construction of new cement plants on both sides of the Yellow River and in various places.
The Yellow River iron sand ship is very simple. It can be made by simply using retired small warships and modifying them.
The construction of the cement plant will take some time.
After arranging all this, it was already early winter.
Ye Kun wanted to visit Chengdu, so he applied to Sang Buyi and Jiubu.
No doubt everyone disagrees.
Sang Buyi said: "The emperor has just finished his military expedition to the North Sea and is inspecting the Grand Canal. It is really not appropriate for him to inspect Chengdu at this moment. The capital is the center of the country, and the emperor is the pillar of the capital. He must stay in the capital."
Ye Kun complained: "Isn't it okay for me to pay for it myself?"
Wu Qiong pondered and said, "Even if the emperor takes the money himself, he will have to wait until next spring. The prince's wedding is coming soon, and the emperor should arrange this matter."
Prince Ye Feng is already sixteen years old.
The scheduled wedding date is just around the corner.
The Crown Princess Shangguan Hui, the daughter of Shangguan Jifu, has been brought over from Jinling and is waiting for the wedding.
Ye Kun sighed, "The Crown Prince's wedding will be held as scheduled, but no extravagance is allowed and no disturbance to the people. Except for officials of the second rank and above in Zhuo County and the ministers of the nine ministries, no congratulations will be accepted, no gifts will be received, no banquets will be held, and no honor guards will be used."
Wu Qiong was startled, thinking that Ye Kun was speaking in anger, and he clasped his hands and said:
"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince's wedding is a major event for the country. How can we be careless? I have already prepared two million taels of silver to decorate the Crown Prince's mansion and purchase various festive items."
"How can I use the court's money for my son's wedding?"
Ye Kun refused and waved his hand, saying, "The Crown Prince's wedding will be organized by the Imperial Palace and the Crown Prince's Mansion, and the national treasury will not be required to pay a penny. The two million taels of silver you prepared can be used for other things.
"For the festive items that have been ordered, please submit the list to the palace. If you can return them, return them. If you can't return them, I will pay for them."
Sang Buyi was also surprised and whispered, "Your Majesty, the prince's wedding should not be too simple."
"Whether it's the Emperor or the Crown Prince, you must keep public and private affairs separate. Whether it's a simple or grand event, I'll be the one to pay for it."
Ye Kun made the final decision: "Eunuch Huang Ye, you are responsible for taking over this matter. Cut some red tape, reduce the guard of honor, and adopt a system of dining together at the banquet, with eight people per table, and no more than thirty tables for guests.
By the way, the cost of each table of food and wine did not exceed twenty taels of silver, and the banquet ended in one day.
Adjust it according to my idea and show me the plan."
Huang Ye bowed and accepted the order.
Ye Kun said, "By the way, let's announce this to the public. Officials who come to congratulate us are not allowed to present rare treasures, jewelry, or jade. All gifts cannot exceed ten taels of silver, otherwise they will be rejected!
If we accept gifts openly, I am afraid that the officials will rack their brains to collect all kinds of rare treasures, compete with each other for novelty and beauty, and disturb the people. "
Sang Buzhi and Wu Qiong were stunned.
According to Ye Kun, the upper limit is thirty tables, each table costs twenty taels of silver, and the total cost is only six hundred taels of silver.
It is hard to believe that the prince's wedding banquet was paid for with only six hundred taels of silver.
Also, the gift must not exceed ten taels of silver, which is almost the same as not accepting any gifts.
“Do you think this budget is too much?”
Ye Kun looked at the expressions of the crowd and said with a smile, "Yes, twenty taels of silver for a table of wine and food is indeed too extravagant. I have investigated outside Luoyang City. When ordinary people entertain guests, a table of sumptuous wine and food for ten guests only costs half a tael of silver."
Wu Qiong bowed and saluted: "Your Majesty is diligent and frugal, comparable to the ancient Emperor Wen."
Emperor Wen's frugality is recorded in history.
It is said that Emperor Wen wanted to build a pavilion in the imperial garden, but after inquiring, he found out that the cost would be as much as the property of ten households, so he gave up the idea.
Ye Kun was so demanding about the expenses for the prince's wedding that he could be considered a replica of Emperor Wen.
Sang Buyi and others all clasped their fists and bowed, praising Ye Kun's benevolence.
Ye Kun waved his hand and said, "Since everyone knows that I am frugal, you should also learn from me. The whole country should form the habit of saving. Save money and spend it where it should be spent."
Everyone nodded together.
Ye Kun returned to the palace and apologized to Xie Baochan.
Because I promised Xie Baochan to accompany her to Chengdu.
Xie Baochan smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I am happy to follow you to Luoyang this time. It doesn't matter if we don't go to Chengdu. Let's plan the prince's wedding during this period."
"Don't worry, Princess Bao. Wu Qiong has already agreed. Next spring, we will be allowed to go to Chengdu. However, we have to pay for it ourselves."
"That's fine. Your Majesty, don't worry about spending money. I have money here."
Xie Baochan became happy again and said with a smile: "I will notify my family in Chengdu and ask them to be responsible for the reception. I guarantee that it will not cost the court a penny."
The Xie family in Yizhou and the Han Chun family are both wealthy enough to rival a country.
It is their honor to receive the Emperor in private when he comes for inspection.
Ye Kun smiled and said, "We don't spend the court's money, nor the Xie family's money, we just spend our own money. Don't touch your private money, I have money here."
Jiaonu's small treasury always has tens of thousands of taels of gold.
Ye Kun's private business is still making money.
Not to mention going to Chengdu, even if you travel around the country all year round, you still can’t spend all the money.
After bidding farewell to Xie Baochan, Ye Kun went to Fengyi Palace to discuss the prince's marriage with Jiang Yourong.
After explaining his plan, Ye Kun smiled apologetically at Jiang Yourong:
"My Lady, will you be angry if I knock on the door like this? Do you feel that I have wronged Feng'er?"