Zhang Huangyan said anxiously: "Your Majesty, this cannot be rash. Merchants are pursuing profits and their desires are unsatisfactory... We should learn from the northern Shanxi merchants who are familiar with foreign countries."

Zhang Guowei also said: "English and commerce are all based, and I have no objection, but if the businessman is allowed to enter the officialdom, this will not work."

Wu Zheng smiled and said, "You guys are too nervous. I didn't agree to the merchants joining the government. But no matter whether you are a farmer, a worker or a businessman, you will rule the people. As long as you don't break the law, you will be a good citizen. The status of the merchants must be improved. Only in this way can you truly fight the northern merchants. Everyone knows in their hearts that the power of the northern merchants is the wealth controlled by the eight imperial merchants of Shanxi merchants alone is as huge as tens of thousands of taels of gold. In extraordinary times, extraordinary means, frontal wars of the army and secret wars of the merchants are indispensable."

Zhang Guowei and Zhang Huangyan heard Wu Zheng explain their position, so he agreed.

At this time, there were still many controversies among the merchants there, mainly two points: one is the disclosure of business skills and experiences of each company, and the other is the distribution of students in the future.

This is obviously nothing to do with Wu Zheng’s proposal, that is, the merchants have almost no objection to the war with the North and the establishment of business schools.

Businessmen were eager for the rise of social status, and Wu Zheng satisfied them. Although there was still no possibility of entering the officialdom, everyone knew that with the establishment of a business school recognized by the government, this means that businessmen would squeeze into the circle of scholars in the future.

This is very important. Just imagine that when one class is held every two years, countless business school disciples are filled with the people and compete with the gentry for their students. The Finance Department, the yamen that is important to the court, will inevitably become an existence that cannot be ignored influencing the government affairs.

No one objected, even if he had previously no longer hesitated about whether he agreed to Shanghongkou District.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, which will enable businessmen who were originally at the bottom of society to be side by side with farmers and workers from now on.

When a merchant pursues profit, if he doubles his profit, he dares to trample on all human laws; if he has triple profit, he dares to commit any crime.

What's more, this is an opportunity to change their lives and their descendants.

Xi Benzhen came up to salute and said, "We are willing to obey the prince's orders. It is only the northern merchant gang, especially the Shanxi merchants, who have received secret support from the Qing court. This is probably not something we can compete with with our financial resources."

Wu Zheng said: "There is the Qing court behind the Shanxi merchants, and the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce is also standing behind me. I will provide you with military guarantees, but one thing to be clear. Given that the two sides are now in a ceasefire, I cannot support you on the surface."

This is a disguised guarantee, and the merchants sighed deeply when they heard this.

"Dare you ask the prince, when will he want to start a business war?"

"It's OK at any time. Remember to suppress the other party, seize the market, harm others or even be unfavorable to oneself..."

"I'll understand."

When they said goodbye, Wu Zheng said: "Xi and Cheng stay, and I have something to tell you."

Lead the two to the study.

Wu Zheng said: "What is mentioned below is the biggest secret of this king. Even the Dukes of the General's Mansion do not know the details. You must not disclose a little bit to the outside."

Xi Benzhen and Cheng Benyuan Surong said: "We will definitely keep our mouths tight."

Wu Zheng thought about it for a while and said, "I guess you two have heard that pirates robbed merchant ships going to the north on the sea?"

"yes."

"What I want to tell you is that this group of pirates was sent by me, and the purpose is to crack down on the trade between the Qing court and the northern merchants."

Wu Zheng's words made the two of them feel cold sweat oozing out and soaked their backs.

Xi Benzhen asked hoarsely, "I wonder what the purpose is to tell me about this?"

Wu Zheng said seriously: "The sea trade of the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce is growing. If you only rob a merchant ship to the north, it will inevitably be equivalent to telling the people of the world that this group of pirates was sent by our dynasty or instructed by our dynasty. The purpose of this king tells you is that you need to arrange a caravan to be robbed every once in a while, and everyone on the robbed ship must be trustworthy people, and they must also be equipped with food and daily supplies. Of course, they will give you enough gold and silver to compensate for all these expenses. In addition, there is also a point to tell you that it is also to calm your heart. In the business war, there will be a navy in the morning to protect your safety. In the evening, pirates rob Feng Fang's merchant ship to clear the source of each other's goods."

Xi Benzhen and Cheng Benyuan opened their mouths and looked at each other, and the shock in his heart was imaginable.

Wu Zheng picked up the bamboo pole he had folded before and handed it to Cheng Benyuan and said, "I have to worry about Cheng Yuanwai. According to the previous method, we will divide the bamboo pole into thousands of parts, and strive to be as good as it is."

Cheng Benyuan asked in surprise: "I don't know what the prince is for?"

"I want to unify the measurement and use this rod as the basis to make rice, ten equal parts as decimeters, ten equal parts as centimeters, and ten equal parts as millimeters." Wu Zheng replied casually.

This shocked Cheng Benyuan and the others inexplicably, "Is the prince going to abolish the measurement of size, size, and size?"

This is indeed a bit crazy. In the eyes of Cheng Benyuan and the others, it is even more crazy and there is no need to do it.

It is true that the name is Tongwen and the chariots are the same as the same track, but Wu Zheng only has six palaces under his command, and the entire Yixing Dynasty is only the thirteen palaces. Together, it is just a territory that was established in the Ming Dynasty.

Only by the land of one province, mature measurement standards have been abolished, and outside the Yixing Dynasty, there are dozens of times the land that cannot be changed, which will cause huge shocks in the six palaces, not only merchants, but also involve the people and even everyone.

Just imagine, how much chaos will this cause when domestic and foreign merchants suddenly change the weight and measure methods when entering and leaving goods?

There is a reason why Cheng Benyuan and the other two were shocked.

Looking at their wide-eyed expressions, Wu Zheng laughed and said, "You two are overly worried. I just want to change the measurement standards in the military workshop, so as to distinguish them from the measurement standards of the Qing court in the north in the future... Well, this has nothing to do with you, so there is no need to ask more questions."

This is true. A weight and measure is proposed, not because it is so accurate, but because it is important to support its strength.

Even if Wu Zheng doubled the bamboo pole now and called it one meter, as long as it is implemented, it will be an unquestionable one meter.

Wu Zheng knew that the world's metric metering convention will be signed in France more than 200 years later. So, more than 200 years will be enough for the East to establish this standard first. This is a gap that will be insurmountable in the future.

Of course, it is difficult to implement this standard, especially when the land under its jurisdiction is insufficient.

Wu Zheng had to settle for the second best, first promote it in the military workshop, and then find a way to slowly spread it out.

Of course, Wu Zheng’s purpose is not only this, but another important purpose is to enable the military workshop to realize assembly line operations.

By making the muskets and artillery accessories and then assembling them, this level of improvement will evolve into an industrial revolution.

And to achieve this change, the most important thing is the norm of weights and measures.

Only by strictly controlling the weight and measurement standards can the accessories be assembled on any musket or any cannon.

Of course, Cheng Benyuan and the other two could not understand. They finally felt relieved when they heard Wu Zheng's answer.

"Cheng is willing to serve the prince."
Chapter completed!