My Brother-in-law is the Prince Chapter 112

Chapter 112 Your Majesty's silver is here

The book was bought by Yang Taigong for 1,500 taels.

Only one copy.

No way, at this moment, I can only make do to let the six children in the family watch it together.

His heart was bleeding.

The one whose surname is Zhou is not human!

This is so wicked that it smokes from the ancestral grave.

But Mr. Yang had no choice.

Even if this book can only increase the probability of six children by 10%, if you don't buy it, then this 10% probability belongs to another family.

For a family like Yang Taigong, the way to make a fortune is actually impossible to be the so-called diligent and thrifty family management.

The fact that the Yang family was able to serve as officials for many generations and accumulate such a large family fortune is essentially a monopoly.

In the Yuan Dynasty, the Tartars who ruled here didn't know how to manage at all, so the Yang family got the right to pay taxes, that is, in this place, as long as the Tartars pay the amount of taxes they set on time every year, everything else is up to them. The Yang family came to take care of it. As for how much the Yang family collected and how to collect them, it was beyond the control of the Tartars.

With the help of these, the land was monopolized immediately, and after the fields were all in hand, a lot of money and food were piled up on the nephews to study.

Others have no money to buy pens, inks, papers and inkstones, but Yang's family has enough pens, inks, papers and inkstones. Others hire low-ranking scholars to teach people knowledge, while Yang's invites scholars, even Jinshi.

Other families or even a clan provide for one child to study, while the Yang family provides ten or twenty.

Because of this, for Taigong Yang, the so-called reading is essentially a monopoly and a zero-sum game. This is not just the Yang family in Taihe County, but all big families are like this.

They won others by rolling at the beginning, and now they have become masters. They have promises of great wealth, countless fields, and their children and grandchildren are spreading branches and leaves. Naturally, they have formed path dependence, which cannot be changed.

It's a pity that, as wise as Taigong Yang, this time he was still missing a move, because someone was more ruthless than him.

If you lose, you lose. If you lose, you have to obediently give the money. Even if it is 1,500 taels a copy, this is still a friendship price.

Although someone suggested that you can go to the next county to buy it, Mr. Yang knew that it was futile because you couldn't buy it!

The Yang family is born a winner in life, how can a winner in life not understand what the winners in the next county think?

Even Taigong Yang was very glad that he was not bought by the Huang family and Li family in Taihe County. These two are also rich families. If they were bought by them, it must be for their own children to study. Everything must be burned.

Although Zhou's surname is unscrupulous, he is just hoarding goods in the end. He knows that he was born as a merchant, and his children have nothing to do with it.

Thinking about it this way, my heart is finally balanced. I think there are not a few big families in Taihe County who are willing to spend money to buy them. After spending such a large amount of money, everyone is back on the same starting line, but it is better than being taken the lead by others. , seize the opportunity and be strong!

He read the second edition with interest for a while, and then continued the emotional integrity of the first edition, and couldn't help cursing: "The one surnamed Zhang is not human."

As usual, it is still the routine of the first edition, but the paper is even worse, and it has almost reached the point where it has been turned over and destroyed.

Even Taigong Yang couldn't help but wonder how such inferior paper was made?

It's just the content of this book, there are indeed many eye-catching feelings, the only fly in the ointment is that... soon reached the stage of wanting to know what will happen next.

"Despicable!" Taigong Yang was so angry that his head hurt, he cursed, and finally felt that such a curse would be degrading his identity, so he tried his best to suppress his anger.

"Master, master..." The manager came again, panting, "The bookstore... There are many people around now."

Yang Taigong took a look at the steward, frowned and said, "Just replenish the stock?"

He was almost suffocating. If he replenished the stock at this time, wouldn't he be taken advantage of?

"It's not true, but the bookstore is selling Dibao."

"Di Bao?"

"At first, everyone was not interested in it, but someone bought it first, but saw the first article in the mansion newspaper, which is the imperial edict that His Majesty requires the imperial examination to pass the policy theory before the admission of merit."

Yang Taigong raised his eyebrows when he heard it, and the strategy was qualified...

Policy theory has always been tested, but the examiners don't pay attention to it at all, so everyone gradually doesn't take it seriously.

Anyway, just write whatever you want, as long as the stereotyped writing is good, you can be named on the gold list.

It was just this moment, but Taigong Yang was thinking about it. His expression gradually became serious, and he subconsciously said: "There are many people rushing to buy books at the bookstore, right?"

"Exactly." The steward said: "Everyone says that if you haven't tried this theory, wouldn't it be a waste of effort?"

"There are also scholars who say that the most important test of policy theory is the current understanding of the important affairs of the family and the country. If you don't even know the recent memorials and intentions of the palace and court, you may not be able to write the article."

"The one surnamed Zhou went to buy again?" Grandpa Yang was shocked when he heard that.

"That's not true." The steward said: "The mansion newspaper is said to be in sufficient supply. There are thousands of copies in our county alone!"

"Furthermore, according to reports, three copies will be supplied every month in the future. In this way, there is really no need to cover it, and this mansion newspaper is cheap, fifty cents is a large sheet..."

Mr. Yang immediately said: "Then what are you doing in a daze! Hurry up, hurry up and buy ten."

At that moment, the steward hurriedly went to the county, and only in the afternoon did he buy the residence newspaper.

This Taigong Yang is a knowledgeable person. Just by looking at the content of this mansion newspaper, he knows that it is definitely copied from the Secretary of General Administration.

Fifty Wen a piece is only cheap for Yang Taigong, but it is already a rare thing for ordinary people.

After reading it carefully, he raised his head and said to the steward, "From now on, whenever you have this newspaper, you will buy ten copies and put it on the old man's desk on time."

The steward said: "Master, will you let me go after the exam?"

Taigong Yang opened and closed his eyes, looking thoughtful, and said in his mouth: "What do you know, there will be news from Beijing in the past, but these news, if it is true or false, it is difficult to distinguish, and it is true and false. Either the person who transcribed it made a mistake, and sometimes, if a sentence is wrong, the meaning will be completely different!"

"Don't underestimate this kind of mansion newspaper. It seems to be full of official articles, but people who can understand can always see the changes in the current situation, as well as the future movements of the imperial court and local governments! There are many mysteries in it. Furthermore, it is not only useful for the students to read more, but it will also be of great benefit to them if they are able to obtain fame in the future.”

After the steward listened, he quickly responded.

Yang Taigong continued to read the residence newspaper.

The more I look at it, the more I feel that the movement in Chaozhong seems to be a little different at this time.

"How come there is the atmosphere of Emperor Taizu Gao?" Taigong Yang put down the mansion newspaper, fell into deep thought, and then subconsciously said: "Also, to kill a county magistrate and three clans, it is reasonable for someone in the court to intercede for him. After all, it is too Strict! But why did the Xiejin and others in the court not say a word, and did not see their memorials? Did it not be recorded in the residence newspaper, or... did they smell something?"

"Also, the emperor ordered the crown prince to welcome Zheng He, who returned from the country of Wa. With such grace, it can be seen that the voyage to the West in the coming year is inevitable."

"Floods in Suzhou and Songjiang have finally been settled, and His Majesty has given permission to exempt taxation for a year. Isn't it difficult for the treasury these past few years? Besides, Your Majesty is very happy, why... is he willing to give generously at this time?"

Taigong Yang frowned, thinking carefully, slowly digesting the content of the mansion report.

Soon he couldn't sit still, so he hurried to his study, took the pen, ink, paper and inkstone, and began to write books for his son Yang Xiang who was far away in the capital.

"My son Yang Xiang, my father is still safe, and now I heard the trend in the capital, I have a warning, remember, remember: my son will take the high school exam, the county has come to announce the good news, I am very comforted for my father, you are in the capital, and you will be elected soon When an official enters the court, whether he enters the court or not in the future, he must be cautious in his words and deeds, especially not to talk about state affairs, let alone involve in palace affairs. Anyone who discusses this with you, my son should avoid it, and remember this Say, don't be rash. Your mother is safe, don't read it!"

After writing, he immediately sealed the letter and ordered someone to send it out with a fast horse.

Yang Taigong had a premonition that there would be drastic changes in the future court situation!

Although he doesn't know what the change is, he knows that if there is a change, someone will criticize it, and these people headed by Xie Jin, who take the world as their own responsibility and are good at judging the right and wrong of the court, are so silent, so it must be Because the wind direction is wrong.

At this time, if his son is not cautious in his words and deeds, he may become a young bird at that time, and he will die without a place to bury him.

He sent out the letter with a serious face, still feeling uneasy, so he ordered people: "I repeat, there is the latest mansion newspaper, go buy it immediately, don't be afraid of delay, buy ten copies, no, buy thirty copies, ask It is distributed to people from all houses in the clan to see, as well as to the ethnology department, and everyone who wants to study also has a look."

Immediately, he picked up the mansion newspaper again, and looked at the meticulous official articles inside, with complicated eyes.

Agent's booksellers are crazy.

At first, they thought that if such a large number of books and newspapers were put into the market, it would be much more difficult to get the funds back.

So this purchase is actually taking a huge financial risk, and the pressure is too great.

But what happened next was completely beyond their expectations.

All the books were distributed to various prefectures and counties, and after more than an hour, all the shops actually sent people to the provincial capital quickly.

Sold out.

All sold out.

Restock, restock quickly.

In this world...how come so many scholars suddenly appeared?

Just when they were suspicious, the booksellers suddenly realized when someone told the truth. Those people are crazy... No, those people are not crazy, they are all too smart.

Is it true that an unsavvy person can pass on poems and books to his family, and can he become a superior person in these four villages and eight miles of land?

The goods on the provincial government side are actually sold out, so I had to ask Zhang Anshi to print it with a large amount of pre-order money.

Seeing that the mountain of gold and silver is right in front of you, and there is no stock in hand, can this still make people stop jumping?

Not only that, the sales volume of Di Bao also far exceeded expectations. Within two days, it was sold out.

On the one hand, the price is within the range of readers, on the other hand, it is influenced by policy theory, and on the other hand, some people actually have a huge demand for information.

It is heard that not only scholars are ordering, but also many merchants, even officials in the Yamen, are willing to order.

It may be that people in the capital, or those who have experienced the baptism of information explosion in later generations, cannot feel that under the information conditions of ancient times, it is difficult to obtain information.

Even if it is the news from the court, by the time people in all the states and capitals of the world know about it, the news has actually been passed around more than a dozen hands.

Maybe a month ago, the emperor had a bad appetite and asked the imperial doctor to see a doctor. A month later, somewhere, the message became that the emperor was eating shit, and he was eating it happily.

Even if it is the local government, they entrust special people to copy the mansion newspaper and bring it back to understand the trend of the court. In fact, the cost of obtaining information is also very high. People rushed back day and night, and they may have collected information for a month, or several months, and then sent it back together.

At that time, when I see you again, the day lily is already cold.

On the other hand, the transcribers are often ordinary civil servants, but they do errands. The magistrates, state officials and county magistrates have always had a natural distrust of civil servants. Just one oversight and the meaning is completely different.

The Mansion newspaper published now is obviously different. This is obviously the original version released by the Secretary of General Administration, and it has been printed in large quantities, so it must have been proofread and reviewed again and again before printing, which can almost eliminate the possibility of mistakes. !

The main reason is that they are profitable. Basically, they can guarantee that an edition will be issued every ten days, and then quickly pass through various trade routes to various state capitals for sale.

Of course, when everyone can buy it, it may indeed be ten days, or even a month later, but it is much better than before.

So, the agent in Jiangxi alone received 70,000 orders!

This is definitely a terrifying number, which means that following the Stereotyped Writing Talk published once a year this year, the booksellers have gained another stable source of income through cooperation with the Zhang family.

At this time, everyone was convinced, so they sent people to the capital to urge the goods like crazy.

And here in the capital, they got countless orders and had to print desperately!

Even if it is too late for the academy exam, the market demand for it is still huge. After all...500,000 is sold out, but the vast majority of scholars still haven't bought the second edition.

Zhang Anshi had no choice but to set a goal of printing 300,000 more copies. In addition, according to the orders from the provinces, he planned to release the second edition of the Di Bao.

Zhang Anshi never hides other things in this mansion newspaper. All the content in it is sorted out and proofread by the Secretary of General Administration. Zhang Anshi is only responsible for maintaining the channels, and just typesetting and printing.

As for other means of profit, it is not possible to move yet, and the time is not yet ripe.

This huge printing gap has also brought prosperity to the printing industry. In addition to the fact that almost all the printing workshops in the capital are now cooperating with the Zhang family, Zhang Anshi also plans to build a large-scale printing workshop here at Qixia Ferry.

Zhu Jin started to get busy again because of this, he was actually a little bit crazy by this operation.

A book sells 800,000 copies, what is the concept?

The frightening thing is that these 800,000 copies cost three taels of silver each. After deducting the bookseller's meager profits, transportation costs, and printing costs, the remaining net profit is beyond Zhu Jin's imagination. .

A boatload of silver has now begun to be sent to the capital.

The Zhang family only built a warehouse at the ferry. It was just a temporary warehouse, but countless gold and silver were randomly piled up.

No way...there are too many, and the daily progress of the gold bucket, the silver can't be counted!

For this reason, Zhang Anshi has recruited a lot of trustworthy strong forces and let them guard.

Zhang Anshi couldn't help being moved to the point of tears by his righteous deed. Of the seventy people recruited in total, none of them protected himself, but all went to protect Yinzi.

Naturally, there is already a lot of scolding in the capital. Many scholars know the local situation, some through family letters, and some feedback from the counties and prefectures in Nanzhili.

This is desperate money, it's really black hearted!

The curse can be blamed, Zhang Anshi was unscathed.

And he opened up a school field here at the ferry, specially for Qiusong to play with gunpowder.

Qiu Song enjoys playing here like a duck to water, and never tires of it.

Gunpowder is not as simple as detonating, maybe for some people, it is just that.

But professional people are different. He will determine the different effects after the explosion according to the amount of gunpowder and the location where the gunpowder is buried.

As for what to add to the gunpowder bag, which kind of gunpowder bag is the most lethal, and which kind of gunpowder is more suitable for destroying buildings, these are all university questions.

This is professional!

Only by thoroughly researching a thing and understanding all its characteristics, the power of the same gunpowder in the hands of Qiu Song will be completely different from that of other people.

One is to destroy the world, while the other may only cause damage.

"Brother, I think Qiu Song is very dangerous. Sooner or later he will be blown up by his own gunpowder." Zhu Yong expressed that he was very worried.

Zhang Anshi sighed helplessly: "You all saw it. I didn't encourage him to play, but he wanted to play."

Boom...

There was a loud noise, and the earth shook again.

The violent explosion seemed to make Zhang Anshi stagger again.

The gunpowder buried in the ground broke out of the cocoon, and countless gravel and soil flew into the sky, and the gunpowder smoke rose.

Qiu Song raised his head calmly, looked at the rising little black mushroom, then lowered his head, thoughtful.

Zhang Anshi had no choice but to sigh again: "Let someone watch him, we don't stay here, if something happens, Duke Qi will kill our heads to sacrifice the flag."

At this time, Zheng He's fleet had already returned.

His ship arrived at Songjiangkou, and Emperor Yongle ordered Prince Zhu Gaochi to greet him in person, and immediately entered the palace to have an audience after entering the capital.

It is said that in the Wenlou, Zhu Di closed the door and had a private conversation with Zheng He for three full hours, so that even Zhu Di's closest confidant could only watch outside the Wenlou.

Among the eunuchs, although Yi Shiha is the most favored on the surface, Yi Shiha knows best in his heart that Zheng He is the most trusted by His Majesty.

After all, a fleet of tens of thousands of people, plus hundreds of ships, was built by Ming Dynasty with all its strength. The sea is no better than the land. Once a person goes to the sea, the court will be beyond reach, but Zhu Di entrusted all this to Zheng He, naturally convinced.

Zhu Di not only trusted Zheng He, but also recognized his ability, and believed that he could bring the fleet back intact.

After discussing with Zheng He.

Zhu Di didn't sleep all night.

He seems to have wild horses in his heart.

This body can no longer hold his unrestrained wild horse.

Desert…

Western...

Thousands of achievements.

Thousand-year achievements are within reach, but seem to be far away.

You will encounter countless difficulties and setbacks along the way. You have to be patient and able to withstand the hardships. When ordinary people hear about these difficulties, they will definitely shrink back without hesitation.

Being an emperor is rich all over the world, with three thousand beauties, and immersing yourself in it every day, isn't it good?

At this time, Zhu Di seemed to have the blood of Emperor Gaozu awakening in his bones.

He was in the bedroom, the tiger's eyes suddenly became as sharp as the blades, and he murmured: "Sailing against the current, if you don't advance, you will retreat!"

Done!

Not only do you have to do it, but you also have to do it beautifully.

Zheng He is a steady person. He didn't mention the magnificence of the sea to Zhu Di, nor did he mention the glory carried along this journey, nor did he mention the fear in the eyes of the Japanese king after he saw the Ming fleet, and the fear it showed. obedience.

None of these need to be said.

He just told the emperor that the journey was very difficult, the wear and tear was great, and the fleet was expensive. The military households and sailors on the ship had a lot of resentment.

Suffering, risk, unknown!

And if you want to sail to the west, it means...more suffering, more danger, and the unknown unknown!

Zhu Di is not a gambler, although in the eyes of others, his life is a lot of gambling.

Every time he makes a difficult decision, he always considers the worst case.

And once he made up his mind, no one can stop him.

This night, Empress Xu woke up from a dream, and saw Zhu Di running anxiously in the palace like a madman under the dim light of the palace lantern.

She didn't move, and she didn't say anything. If she woke up at this time, Zhu Di would definitely apologize, so she continued to sleep with her eyes closed.

The sun was just rising and the sky was getting brighter. Zhu Di immediately shouted to the outside guards: "Call all the officials!"

Yi Shiha took the order and left.

In Qionglou Yuyu, there are countless side halls and side halls, as well as the main hall surrounded by buildings.

Hundreds of officials are here.

Zhu Di sat tall on the imperial chair, with a solemn face, in front of all the officials, Zhu Di said in a deep voice: "Come here, let the officials read."

With an order, a team of eunuchs who had already prepared came in, took the draft list, and distributed it to the ministers.

Xie Jin got a copy first, and opened it. Although things had been expected, after Xie Jin saw it, he still had an indescribable feeling.

This is the money and food needed for the voyage to the West.

This time the scale is even bigger. It can be said that it is three times larger than the scale of the Wa country.

Such a huge fleet is like a huge army. After seeing it, Xie Jin fell silent.

In fact, all the officials were silent.

Prince Zhu Gaochi sat sideways, bent over, only looked at the list, folded it carefully, and said nothing.

Seeing the silence in the hall, Zhu Di was slowed down for a while before finally speaking: "What do you think?"

In the main hall, there was only the echo of Zhu Di.

All officials are dumb.

Zhu Di frowned, and asked again sharply: "How?"

To a certain extent, in the eyes of all officials, His Majesty is not as good as Emperor Jianwen.

Emperor Jianwen worked for a few years, and he only did one thing to cut down the vassal, although this thing was also messed up.

But people don't mess around.

The money and food expenses required in this list can be said to have exceeded everyone's expectations.

At least three million taels of silver.

20,000 manpower, including soldiers, doctors, cooks, logistics, recording officers, sailors, and interpreters. In addition, a large amount of porcelain, silk products, tea, printing paper, and a large number of weapons need to be purchased.

Nearly a thousand ships, such a huge scale, is really unimaginable.

What's more, Ming Dynasty is already rich in the world, why waste people's and financial resources to open up the world? This is simply a joke. Will the rich care about the food of the beggar?

With so much money and food, it is better to improve people's livelihood and exempt several provinces from taxes!

The people are already suffering. A few days ago, in Shangyuan County, His Majesty even killed a good citizen, Huang Renyi.

At this time, Zhu Di looked at Zhu Gaochi first, and said, "Prince, tell me."

"My son..." Zhu Gaochi's face was flushed, he knelt down and said, "I think it's a bit too much, why not reduce the scale and explore the way first."

Zhu Didao: "I thought so too, but I learned from Zheng He's visit to the country of Wa last year that there are now many pirates in the world, and the large-scale pirates have as many as 2,000 people. There are many people with wolfish ambitions, if it is not on such a scale, once they are attacked or robbed, how will Da Ming deal with it?"

Zhu Gaochi listened, and then said: "Father is far-sighted, my son... my son didn't expect it, it is really dead."

Zhu Di turned his eyes, but looked at the officials below again, and said: "You all also talk about it, I am very lenient. If you have anything to say, it's okay to say it, and you will never add any crime."

Hundred officials seemed to be waiting for this sentence. It was fine if Zhu Di didn't say it, but when he said it, there was an uproar in the hall.

"Your Majesty, no, the people are suffering, how can you sit back and watch the people suffer unspeakably, and do such a great feat?"

Zhu Di immediately regretted what he said just now, "Your mother, you scold me for being so happy?"

At this time, another one said: "Your Majesty, I think that the time limit is not enough. This matter needs to be discussed in the long run. The vast ocean is just a barren land. How can we spend so much manpower and material resources to expand the vast ocean in the central country of the Ming Dynasty? When Emperor Zugao was around, he once..."

"Your Majesty..."

While everyone was chattering, one person slowly stood up and said slowly, "Your Majesty, I also think it's impossible."

Everyone looked at it, but they were all silent.

This is Hubu Zuoshilang, Natsuhara Yoshi.

The current Minister of the Household Department, Yu Xin, is weak and sick. In fact, everyone knows that Yu Xin will not live long.

And Xia Yuanji, the left servant of the household department, is the real helm of the household department now. He is very trusted by Zhu Di, and he knows the money and food situation in the world like the back of his hand. In addition, he has a high prestige in the officialdom, and all officials respect him very much. he.

To some extent, Xia Yuanji represents the entire treasury!

At this time, he saluted Zhu Di first, and then said: "Does Your Majesty know the truth of the world today?"

Zhu Di stared at Xia Yuanji, this time it was Zhu Di's turn to be silent.

Xia Yuanji said: "Since your Majesty ascended the throne, there have been floods in western Zhejiang first, and last year, Songjiang and Suzhou suffered frequent floods. Daming has gone to sea since last year, but there is no harvest. Eighty-nine out of ten of the grain and grass reserves have been used up, and the famine continues. When it happened, the inside and outside were exhausted, the treasury was empty, and there was no time to give relief to the people, so how could there be money and food for the squandering of the Western Seas?"

Zhu Di couldn't bear it after all, and said: "Then what is Xia Qing's original intention?"

Xia Yuanji said: "I think the most urgent thing is to relieve the hungry people, reduce taxes and corvees, stop building treasure ships to go to the West, and stop buying gold and silver from Yunnan and Jiaozhi. Resting with the people is a great virtue."

After hearing this, Zhu Di said coldly: "Relieve the hungry people, but where did the relief money and food go? Have the hungry people been relieved? Taxes and corvees have been reduced. As far as I know, the people have not been reduced or exempted. Instead, the rich get richer, and the poor the poorer the poorer."

"The tax set by Emperor Taizu Gao is appallingly low compared to the Song and Yuan Dynasties, but Xia Qing's family understands the people's sentiments. I'm here to ask you, with such a low tax, can the burden of the people be eased?" ? Now we want to reduce taxes and corvees, where did the reduced taxes and corvees go?"

Xia Yuanji had nothing to say about this for a while. He still knew about some situations, but from his standpoint, it seemed that was the only way.

So he said: "It's just that the national treasury is out of silver. If your majesty continues to print treasured banknotes, the treasured banknotes are now in the hands of the people, and no one is willing to accept them. Your majesty has the ambition of Lingyun, but the minister... has no choice but to come forward and tell the people. I am already exhausted, and the taxes and taxes have been spent seven or seventy-eight eighty-eight, and there is no more money to supply the needs of the voyage to the West, I implore Your Majesty to learn from it."

Stop pretending, it's a showdown, you just run out of money, you can figure it out.

Zhu Di was furious, but the whole court seemed to be silent, even his son Zhu Gaochi was silent and did not stand up to speak for him.

At this time, the carriages began to be loaded one after another.

After several rounds of calculations, the calculation of the silver in the carts was finally completed.

Zhang Anshi almost crossed his hands, and now he can be said to be smug, and said in his mouth: "Be careful, be careful, and, second brother, third brother, please pay close attention to me, don't let anyone steal us. of silver..."

Deng Jian was standing beside Zhang Anshi. He was here today to visit Cheng Enbo under the order of the Crown Princess Zhang, who knew he was arrested.

At this moment, he couldn't help but said: "Cheng Enbo, you are..."

Zhang Anshi then shifted his gaze from the carriage containing the silver to Deng Jian, and said, "I don't worry about keeping the silver here. After thinking about it, I'd better send the dividends from the palace to the palace."

Deng Jian was dumbfounded and said, "This...this...how much money..."

(end of this chapter)

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