Everyone was silent for a while. The Dan family was also a large merchant in Suzhou Prefecture, and had contacts with many families present, as well as in-laws. With the Dan family excluded, many people could not make this decision.

They didn't speak, and Li Taiyuan didn't speak either. He just looked at them. After a while, someone said, "I promise Brother An Xuan."

"I also promise Brother An Xuan." The others also said one after another when they saw someone speaking.

Li Taiyuan counted the number of people very carefully and made sure that everyone had agreed. Then he agreed to send an envoy to the capital to inquire about the matter. After saying this, he specifically took a look at the place where the Dan family and his son were standing just now.

They had already turned around and left, sneering and saying: 'I can't find any clue that your family is a White Lotus cultist, but it would be good to add some trouble to your family.'

…

…

"Your Majesty, is it inappropriate for you to make such a big decision without permission?" In Prince An Zhu Ying's bedroom in the courtyard, a eunuch who was serving him bravely said.

"How could this be a decision made by Gu without permission? It was clearly approved by the officials." Zhu Ying said.

"Your Majesty, the official letter clearly asked you to resolve the matter in Nanyang, but it did not say that you were allowed to raise money in the Central Plains." The eunuch said again.

Today, Zhu Ying summoned Li Taiyuan and other major merchants in Suzhou Prefecture to raise money to build the Kra Isthmus Canal.

At the beginning of this year, he sent people to explore the local conditions to see if a canal could be built. After more than half a year of exploration, a detailed topographic map of the Kra Isthmus area was drawn, and suitable routes for canal construction were planned, and construction could begin. But at this time

The parties involved discovered that there was no money to repair it.

Many countries have planned to build the Kra Isthmus Canal in later generations, with project budgets exceeding tens of billions of dollars. Although labor costs were very low in this era, and there were no valuable large-scale machinery to invest in, the construction period would also be prolonged, and the total budget was based on

In terms of purchasing power, it is not much less than tens of billions of dollars in later generations.

The Siamese people immediately shrank. If they could afford this money, why didn't the monarch use it for pleasure and to expand the army? Don't tell the whole story, even if it was one third, they couldn't afford it.

Of course, Pu Fan could not afford it. Pu Fan often attacked the surrounding indigenous tribes. Although he created the impression of a powerful military, his military expenditures were also very large. The indigenous tribes did not have anything valuable and did not have any wealth at all.

After Zhu Ying and Zhu Xian, representatives of Siam, discussed the matter, they reported the matter to the court. Yun was stunned for a moment when he saw the budget: This is more money than the war. Don't say that you will send troops to attack Bangladesh, even if you don't attack Bangladesh.

, the imperial court could not come up with so much money at once.

Yun thought for a while, and squeezed out hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cash, grain, and cloth from the treasury, allocated them to them, and wrote to Zhu Ying. On the one hand, he asked him to continue to reduce costs, and on the other hand, he asked them to

Use the money to start construction first, and the subsequent expenses will be dealt with later. At the same time, Siam is ordered to contribute the money. The letter ends with a slight mention: If you can raise money by yourself, I will definitely issue a reward and have your name engraved on the monuments at both ends of the canal.

superior.

After obtaining these things and squeezing out tens of thousands of dollars worth of money from the Kingdom of Siam, he began to recruit or abduct workers to start construction. This matter was also taken over by a dedicated person, and Zhu Ying was no longer responsible.

But after Zhu Ying saw Yun's letter, he became more concerned about this matter than before and wanted to raise money for the construction of the canal. But he was not familiar with the place in Nanyang and could not raise money; the banks in Guangdong and Fujian felt that it was not worthwhile,

Unwilling to do so, Zhu Ying set his sights on businessmen in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Suzhou is the second most prosperous place in Jiangsu and Zhejiang after the capital. Zhu Ying summoned local businessmen here, concealing some of the facts and asking them to pay.

Build canals.

"Moreover, Your Majesty, the government is strictly prohibited from borrowing money from merchants other than banks," the eunuch said again.

"Just let these people open a bank. The government does not stipulate that temples and Taoism are required to open a bank." Zhu Ying said: "Don't worry, if they agree to borrow money, Gu will tell the matter after they open the bank."

The official family will also send people to sign the loan documents later, so I will not handle it."

"My lord, why are you so troubled? Since you are willing to go to such lengths for this matter, why don't you ask the official for an order to seal it?" the eunuch asked again.

"Haha," Zhu Ying seemed to be laughing, but there was no smile in his voice. "If I don't even have a son, why would I be granted a title upon request? Wouldn't the fief be taken back by the court after a few decades? Anyway, even if I don't grant it, it's okay.

If you can enjoy life in the capital, why bother to be sealed?"

"But I don't want to be forgotten quickly after my death. I am working hard to raise money to build the Kra Isthmus Canal. If I do it, my title and name will be engraved on both ends of the canal, and people who come and go on the canal can see it, it will be considered dead."

Leave your name behind so that no one except the person guarding Gu’s tomb will forget Gu.”

"Also, I have been enjoying myself for half my life, but I have not done anything for the court, and I feel uneasy. If I can facilitate this, it will be considered as having done something, and I can continue to enjoy myself with peace of mind."

"So I want to raise money for the construction of the Kra Isthmus Canal."

After hearing Zhu Ying's words, the eunuch breathed out a sigh of relief and had nothing more to say.

"Liu Banban, remember to remind the orphans before tomorrow and ask them to come over and ask them if they are willing to pay."
Chapter completed!