As the saying goes, "Seven liang is ginseng, eight liang is treasure." Zhao Bing looked at his ginseng. Even after dehydration, it weighed 1 pound, three liang and two qian. What is even more rare is that his body is very beautiful. The most amazing thing is that it has all five elements, a beautiful figure, and must look like a leather strip, with obvious pearl dots and fine lines on brocade skin. The ginseng is definitely more than a few hundred years old, and it can be called the best among ginseng.

He remembered that a ginseng king in his previous life was less than 300 grams, and the weight unit he converted into is only more than 9 taels, which is smaller than his own, but it is already a national treasure. Unfortunately, it is not worth much now, and it is worth 180 taels of silver. So it is no wonder that he took the ginseng as a reward and made everyone despise it.

But Zhao Bing felt that it was really not his fault for this. When he suddenly saw this ginseng being placed in the warehouse casually, he was still shocked. Although he had never eaten such rare wild ginseng in his previous life (in fact, he didn't know that old ginseng can be killed in the legend, and by making a piece of it, he quickly found an exquisite box to store it and prepare to save it for his life.

What made Zhao Bing feel frustrated was that he was preparing to reward the things that saved his life, but it was despised by people. But this can only blame him for being born at the wrong time. If he delayed for more than a hundred years, he could change to a fifth-rank official with just this ginseng. If he could carry this ginseng and travel back in time, he would become a millionaire in minutes.

In fact, at this moment, people did not realize the value of ginseng. Zhao Bing asked the imperial physician how to distinguish the authenticity of Codonopsis. They said, "But let the two walk together, one with ginseng, and the other without ginseng, and walk about three or five miles. Those who do not contain will have a lot of breath. Those who contain ginseng will have a free breath, and the ginseng is true." Shangdang ginseng still had a status in people's minds at that time, at least it helped to restore people's physical strength. There must be a few people who think that Codonopsis is very expensive, otherwise they would not be sent to the Zhennan Prince's Mansion as a tribute.

Zhao Bing thought that the price of ginseng was stir-fried, in fact, the blame should be borne by Zhu Yuanzhang's unfilial descendants. The reason why he knew this was because people learned about the rise of the Liaodong Jurchens.

Historically, until the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, ginseng was still a very cheap commodity. A pound of ginseng was only one cent and five cents per pound; during the Wanli period, the criterion price rose to about three taels of silver per pound; by Chongzhen, the criterion price had reached sixteen taels of silver per pound. According to the "Compendium of Materia Medica", the reason for the price increase was that the ginseng harvesting industry in Shangdang was declining, and in fact, Codonopsis was eaten into a rare species.

The naming of ginseng is very mysterious. There is a story in the novel "The Five Elements of the Contemporary and Modernity" of the Sui and Tang dynasties: "During the time of Emperor Wen of Sui, someone in Shangdang heard people's calls every night after the house, but he couldn't get it. When he went to the house for about a mile, he saw that the branches and leaves of ginseng were abnormal. He dug it into the ground and got ginseng, just like the human body, with all the limbs, and the voices were gone."

Li Shizhen compiled "Compendium of Materia Medica" and regarded this mysterious and mysterious story as the origin of the medicinal effect of ginseng. He also wrote it in: "The roots of ginseng are like human shapes and have spirits, so they are called ginseng and divine grass." People are afraid of being famous and pigs are afraid of being strong, and ginseng is the same. The emperor ordered: ginseng is a good thing! Then, flattery and flattery followed one after another, turning ginseng from a grass chicken to a phoenix.

Local people must dig a large number of ginseng every year to pay tribute to the palace. If the amount of tribute is not enough, local officials will be condemned. In the end, the pressure exerted by all levels will not be able to withstand such torture. No matter how many ginseng is, it will not withstand such torture. The number of ginseng fell sharply. In addition, the forests in Wutai Mountain in Shanxi were later cut down in large quantities, so by the late Ming Dynasty, there were basically no ginseng in Shanxi!

After Shangdang pilosula was withdrawn from the market, the Ming Dynasty imported a large amount of Liaodong pilosula from the Jurchens outside the pass as a substitute. The huge market for food pilosula made the ginseng trade between the Jurchens and the Ming Dynasty in a huge amount. From the 11th year of Wanli to the 12th year of Wanli, the Ming government paid 30,000 taels of silver for the purchasers of ginseng. The ginseng trade became the most important source of wealth for the Jurchens, and gradually gathered the strength to fight against the Ming Dynasty.

After entering the Qing Dynasty, because the northeast of ginseng was a "land of dragon growth" and was filled with "king spirit", ginseng was naturally regarded as the manifestation of this "king spirit". Its status was once again raised and became a magical medicine. The result of the refinement of ginseng was the surge in ginseng's price. The royal family took ginseng a large amount and rewarded it as a gift to officials and foreign ministers.

As the saying goes, the upward action is effective, and the actions of the royal family have also played a demonstration effect on the people. The people's superstition about the "miraculous effect" of ginseng has become uncontrollable, and they have the obsession of "not curing ginseng, but taking it completely". At the same time, doctors are also catering to the superstition of ginseng. Since no matter the rich or poor, they believe that ginseng can cure chronic diseases through warming and tonic, then as a doctor, the safest and most profitable way is undoubtedly to prescribe more ginseng when prescribing medicine.

Because the patient also believes that the ginseng is so expensive, ginseng is naturally the best medicine. Doctors are also willing to take advantage of the patient's psychology and prescribe ginseng for them at any time. However, after taking ginseng, if the condition does not improve, they will not blame the doctor. Because in their opinion, the disease that ginseng cannot be cured will definitely not be cured.

The food is rare and everyone eats it. The quantity is limited, so the surge in ginseng prices will come naturally. But the happiest one was the royal family of the Qing Dynasty. They firmly controlled the ginseng trade in their own hands and became a monopoly business exclusively operated by the royal family. In the early Qing Dynasty, the royal family set up a special ginseng collection organization in the northeast "Beat the Ula General Office", and the Eight Banners princes were also allowed to send people to designated mountains to collect ginseng. Private ginseng collection was strictly prohibited, and there was even an edict that "if you meet Han people in the ginseng collection site, you will be arrested."

During the Qianlong period, in order to increase control over the ginseng trade, the "Official Bureau" was established. It was stipulated that all people who went to the mountains to collect ginseng must hold certificates issued by the government. Some of the ginseng collected by the ginseng bureau were for use in the palace, some were handed over to the Ministry of Internal Affairs for sale or disposal, and the remaining ones were sold to the ginseng merchants. This system ensured that most of the profits of the ginseng trade in Northeast China fell into the emperor's private pocket. At most, the amount reached one million taels of silver per year.

The result of the imperial court's monopoly on ginseng trade has further surged. In the Jiangnan region, the Ministry of Internal Affairs designated the "Jiangnan Three Weavings" and Guangdong Customs and other ginseng franchised distributors. These official distributors spared no effort to raise the price of ginseng. By the middle of Qianlong, the price of ginseng had reached 800 taels of silver per catty; during the Jiaqing period, it broke through to 2,000 taels of silver per catty.

Even ginseng later developed into a strange tonic culture, which was passed down to prosper in later generations, and it was a disaster. So in Zhao Bing's previous life, all the wild ginseng in Liaodong was eaten, and they could only rely on breeding to make up the numbers. The price of ginseng naturally rose to a higher level and became a unique product for the privileged class. Little people like him could only listen to legends...

"The low price may not be inferior. As long as the right symptoms are the best medicine. Your Majesty has worked hard, and Jiang Shuai will definitely be grateful for Your Majesty's care." Seeing that the little emperor's face was awkward and unstable, Wang Yinglin smiled and relieved His Majesty's worries.

"Wang Xiang's words are reasonable. At that time, our navy had only a few merchant ships. Who would believe that we could defeat the Mongolian and Yuan navy? Now our three navy masters have thousands of warships. Not because of the foundation laid by those merchant ships, who would dare to make noise!" Zheng Yong said from the side.

"..." Zhao Bing was speechless when he heard this. What Wang Yinglin said was reliable. What Zheng Yong said was nothing to do with it.

"Yes, Qiongzhou is just a barren corner, with poor resources and sparse population. No one is optimistic that His Majesty will use this to restore the country, and who can ignore it now!" Pan Nian also echoed.

"Your Majesty is just stingy. Isn't there two spiritual pills given by the bare-spoken Taoist in West Lake? Why don't you give it to Jiang Shuai!" But Ni Liang was ignorant. After all, he added fuel to the fire.

"Get out, that's a poison for killing people. It will kill people if you take it. Otherwise, I'll give it to you!" Zhao Bing felt better, and was angry with him again, and said like a flies.

"I am strong and not need such a big tonic!" Ni Liang rolled his eyes and said, obviously he didn't dare to try it either.

"Haha, Your Majesty, don't be upset. As the saying goes, sending goose feathers thousands of miles away, the gift is light and the affection is heavy." Lin Zhizhi general Ni Liang pulled aside and said with a smile, "Although the Codonopsis was not a valuable thing in the past, it was not easy to get it by itself. Especially this purple ginseng is also a treasure among them, and this century-old ginseng is even more rare, and useful people are hard to find. It is the right time for Your Majesty to give this thing."

"I feel very comforted with such a wise man!" Zhao Bing reached out and pointed Lin Zhiwu and nodded and smiled, "Wang De, please remember what I said today. However, when the Northern Expedition recovered Yanyun, the production of Codonopsis pilosula must be transformed into the forbidden area of ​​the imperial garden. No one is allowed to go to the mountains to collect pilosula, and only for use by the Damen. However, Lin Zhiwu can be rewarded with 100 kilograms of good pilosula every year, and others will not give it a thousand gold!"

"I thank Your Majesty for your great reward!" Lin Zhiwu said with deep tribute after hearing this.

"Sir Lin Cao, you have learned to be charming. A hundred pounds of Dangsugar is only a few dozen taels of silver, but you dare to claim to be a reward. I am so embarrassed!" Ni Liang snorted coldly and said despicable.

"Ni Dushuai, you don't know what you have. In the future, Your Majesty banned the origin of Codonopsis pilosula, which is only for use in the country. It is impossible to obtain in the people, and it is difficult to find a thousand gold coins without years. At that time, only the imperial codonopsis pilosula was given to me by my mansion. I don't know how many people envied. If you have something to ask for, you can't ask for it in vain!" Lin Zhiwu explained with a smile.

"Well, it's true that as you said, the price at that time was more than a thousand gold, and I would be willing to save my life!" Ni Liang thought for a moment, as if he had figured out the key points, and nodded.

"That's true. At that time, will I get rich? Even if you want to use it, you will also come to my house to ask for it!" Lin Zhiwu teased.

"Please give me some advice!" Several people followed suit and said with politeness.

"You are so stupid. The Imperial Garden belongs to the guardian of the Imperial Guard. I...hum!" Ni Liang still stood up straight, his big eyes rolled around and snorted coldly.

"Whoever dares to say that this guy is stupid in the future, I will be anxious with him!" Zhao Bing was stunned for a moment and cursed with a smile.
Chapter completed!