The strongest eldest son of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 91 This Ming Dynasty banknote is so hard I wouldn't even want to wipe my butt!

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the two founding heroes pleading in hushed tones, his expression complex, and sighed helplessly.

"How could we not want to make it happen? Miaoyun and Shengnan are both excellent girls, and Yao'er is lucky to marry them."

"But countless ministers in the court are watching this matter closely, and every family has daughters of marriageable age, and everyone wants to get married into this family."

"If we openly favor the two of you, it will surely draw criticism from the entire court and make it difficult to convince the public."

Xu Da and Deng Yu, upon hearing this, refused to give up and pleaded again, their tone becoming increasingly urgent.

"Your Majesty is wise. We beg Your Majesty to find a way. Our only wish is for our daughter to be happily married."

Zhu Yuanzhang pondered for a long time, his brows furrowed, before slowly speaking in a deep voice.

"Enough, we can't make a decision on this matter alone. Let's go to Kunning Palace immediately and discuss countermeasures with the Empress."

After saying this, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately got up, moved to Kunning Palace, and after meeting Empress Ma, recounted the whole story.

After listening quietly to the whole story, Empress Ma pondered for a moment, a knowing glint in her eyes, and smiled calmly.

"Your Majesty, this matter is simple, there is no need to make things difficult for it."

"Your Majesty, I personally summoned all the eligible young ladies from the court to go to the Liu residence in Chenzhou."

"I will personally oversee the process, allowing Yao'er to choose freely and according to his own preference."

"In this way, it is both fair and selfless, silencing the dissent of the court officials, and also ensuring a happy marriage."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands and laughed heartily, his face full of approval.

"Your Majesty's plan is brilliant! It kills two birds with one stone, is perfectly prudent, and could be better!"

"To avoid any unforeseen complications!"

Empress Ma looked at Zhu Yuanzhang with a gentle smile and earnestly gave him her instructions.

"Chongba, you must come with me to Chenzhou this time."

"Since Yao'er is our adopted son, it is only proper for his adoptive parents to personally oversee the selection of his wife, so as to be a solemn and thorough process."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang nodded repeatedly, "Excellent, that's exactly what we were thinking!"

Empress Ma changed the subject, her eyes crinkling with a smile, her tone slightly teasing.

"Speaking of which, you must have made quite a bit of money doing sweet potato business with Yao'er these days, right?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's eyebrows relaxed, and he grinned broadly, his face full of pride.

"It's not just a lot, it's outrageous! The money keeps coming in every day, piling up like mountains."

"Now I finally understand why everyone wants to do business. Making money this way is much faster than farming and paying taxes."

"It's even better than being an emperor!"

Empress Ma smiled faintly and then made a suggestion.

"Now that you've made a fortune, give half of your profits to Yao'er."

Zhu Yuanzhang's smile froze instantly, his brows furrowed slightly, and his face showed a hint of pain and reluctance.

"Why should I? I've already given Yao'er a significant portion of my capital for sourcing goods, managing distribution channels, and so on!"

"Besides, this kid has already made a fortune, and we haven't even asked him to give us any money. How can we possibly share some with him?"

"Besides, it's being split in half..."

Zhu Yuanzhang was quite distressed.

Empress Ma remained calm and composed, slowly explaining the reason.

"Yao'er is insightful and exceptionally skilled. If he hadn't provided the potato seeds and taught you the techniques, you wouldn't have earned a single penny."

"He is indifferent to fame and fortune and never strives for credit or profit. As an elder, it is only reasonable for you to give him more financial assistance."

"Furthermore, when it comes to choosing a wife and arranging a marriage for him, we need to have sufficient funds so that we can be confident and maintain a proper appearance."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang pondered for a moment, and after careful consideration, the pained expression gradually faded.

A playful smile flashed in his eyes as he secretly began to plot.

Fine, I'll take out half of the profits. Throwing out such a huge sum of money will definitely give this kid a big shock!

Otherwise, this kid will always think we only make a pittance.

Having made up his mind, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately approved Empress Ma's proposal.

The next morning, they packed up and set off.

Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma accompanied him, followed by more than twenty noble ladies from top-tier families, including Xu Miaoyun and Deng Shengnan.

The group of young women were all beautiful and elegant, with graceful figures, and full of expectations, they headed to Chenzhou.

After a bumpy journey, the large entourage arrived safely outside the Liu residence in Chenzhou.

Upon seeing Zhu Yao approaching, Zhu Yuanzhang's face instantly lit up with a smug expression.

Before Zhu Yao could even speak to pay his respects, he immediately waved to Zong Yonghe beside him.

"Take out half of the profits from this sweet potato business!"

Zong Yonghe immediately responded and personally carried out several sturdy wooden boxes, opening them in front of everyone.

The box was full of brand-new Ming Dynasty banknotes, stacked neatly and looking quite impressive.

Zhu Yuanzhang stood tall and proud, his eyebrows raised, his face full of arrogance, looking at Zhu Yao with a smug expression.

In his view, such a huge sum of money is enough to leave ordinary people speechless and shocked.

Zhu Yao looked at the chest full of banknotes, but his face remained unmoved, and a look of speechlessness flashed across his eyes.

His gaze was indifferent, as if he were looking at a fool, as he quietly observed the spirited Zhu Yuanzhang.

Zhu Yao frowned slightly, his tone tinged with helplessness and disdain, and spoke softly.

"Father, what are you doing taking out so many Ming Dynasty banknotes?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was taken aback upon hearing this, his face full of doubt, but he nodded subconsciously, his tone still proud.

"Of course it's for you! This is the majority of the profit, tens of thousands of strings of cash—a huge sum!"

"Take a look, my Great Ming Treasure Notes circulate throughout the land, their value is stable, and they are far more convenient to store than loose silver!"

He spoke at length, praising the convenience and value of the Ming Dynasty's paper money, his face beaming with pride.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yao shook his head slightly, a bitter smile of utter helplessness appearing on his lips.

"Dad, don't tell me I don't care about this little bit of money."

"These Ming Dynasty banknotes are depreciating rapidly these days, and their purchasing power is extremely low. I wouldn't even want to use them to defecate because the paper is too stiff and uncomfortable."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's smug expression froze instantly, and he fell silent, utterly speechless.

Zhu Yuanzhang's smugness vanished completely, his brows furrowed deeply, and he stared at Zhu Yao with a look of utter dissatisfaction.

His tone was tinged with anger and protectiveness as he spoke in a deep voice, rebuking him.

"How dare you speak so arrogantly and disrespectfully, child! How dare you slander the Ming Dynasty's precious paper money like this!"

Zhu Yuanzhang took a deep breath, his expression solemn, and began to earnestly recount the origins of the Ming Dynasty's precious paper money, his eyes filled with pride.

"When our Great Ming Dynasty was first established and the country was newly settled, copper was scarce, making it difficult to mint coins and causing great inconvenience to the circulation of currency among the people."

"In the seventh year of the Hongwu reign, an imperial edict was issued, and His Majesty the Emperor created the Great Ming Circulating Paper Money, backed by the court's credit, without the need for copper or silver as collateral."

"A single piece of precious paper can be used to pay taxes, facilitate trade, and reward officials."

"Without consuming copper, it can revitalize commerce throughout the land and replenish the national treasury. This is a timeless system created by His Majesty the Emperor, and the greatest fiscal and tax innovation!"

Zhu Yuanzhang became more and more excited as he spoke, his eyes shining, clearly showing his great admiration for his new policies.

Zhu Yao listened quietly, his expression calm, his heart completely undisturbed, and he even felt like laughing!