Chapter 771 Let everyone believe that the Ming Emperor is really rich
On the 25th of the twelfth lunar month in the fourteenth year of Wanli, the Ming Emperor received a memorial from Luzon. Yin Zhengmao told his majesty the tragedy that happened in Luzon without any concealment.
This was a premeditated attack, targeting Han Chinese living in Luzon during the Ming Dynasty. The most important purpose was to target Tongxiang Town.
The reason why these Yi people wanted to break into the house, kill people, and rob the women's family members was to get several hesitant tribes nearby to join the attack on the Ming Dynasty Copper Factory. If they committed such a serious crime, the governor from the Ming Dynasty would naturally suppress it. Come, we can only capture Tongxiang Town together and then make plans.
In the eyes of these Yi people, the Ming Dynasty people robbed the wealth that should belong to them. Even though Tongxiang Town was discovered by the Ming Dynasty and built on a large scale, it became the scale it is today. The Ming Dynasty took away the copper materials, but refused to Make them richer.
"In the next chapter of the cabinet, I fully agree with the various decisions of the Marquis of Sishui." Zhu Yijun approved the memorial.
He didn't curse, didn't get angry, or even lost his temper. He just calmly approved all the decrees and did not establish household registration for the Yi people, separate the Han and Yi people, check the concubines, impose no industrial restrictions, give no tax concessions, and immediately attack. The implementation of policies such as war, rice and smoke convection, straight-line demarcation, raising thugs, and mentoring.
Zhu Yijun and Yin Zhengmao had some correspondence discussions on the issue of the Luzon Governor's Mansion. According to Zhu Yijun, this should have been done long ago. Zhu Yijun strongly agreed with Wan Shihe's words: "Barbarians have wolf faces and beast hearts, and they fear power." If you don't have a good attitude, you'll start to go to the house and lift the roof.
This is also true for the Lee Dynasty, which is highly similar to the Ming Dynasty. The stories of Lu Dongbin and the dog, the farmer and the snake, and Mr. Dong Guo and the wolf are always put on new clothes and repeated.
Daming really suffered a lot in this regard.
"That Ligas will be detained for another five days, right? Let him go and let him spend the New Year in peace. Don't let him get to New Year's Eve and he will be unclean during the New Year." Zhu Yijun specially pardoned Ligas.
This guy has five days left in his sentence. Zhu Yijun released him and let him live a good year. Legas just took a loudspeaker and shouted loudly in the emperor's ears. In the process of colonization, Ming Dynasty may step into a trap. .
But there are some pitfalls that cannot be circumvented. Only when you fall down will you feel the pain. Only when you suffer a loss and are deceived will you put away the morality brought by a highly developed society.
Ming's compassion to save all sentient beings is also a kind of arrogance.
Feng Bao sighed and said: "If Ligas knew that the Ming Dynasty suffered such a big loss in the process of converting Luzon to the king, he would probably make up another joke."
"Just laugh." Zhu Yijun waved his hand and said, "That means you stepped on a trap, fell down, and don't let anyone say a few words?"
"I obey the order." Feng Bao obeyed the leader's order.
Zhu Yijun picked up Lin Fucheng's "Travel to Nanyang". Lin Fucheng went deep into the plantation to conduct visits and research, and gave a very clear explanation of the plantation economy.
The plantation economy is a large agricultural organization form that uses slave labor to grow one or a few types of crops, mainly for export. The large agricultural organization form is relative to the small farmer economy.
In comparison, the production efficiency of the small-scale peasant economy in the Ming Dynasty was actually not high, and the main focus was on eating rather than using it as a commodity.
The main commodities in Luzon are palm oil, rice, sugar cubes, spices, rubber, abaca, wood, etc. Most of them are agricultural products that need to be processed.
Lin Fucheng spent a lot of space describing the production process of these agricultural products. For example, the refining of palm oil is a very, very hard work.
The coolies in the plantation took the palm fruit bunches to the oil mill. The coolies in the oil mill began to beat the palm fruit bunches. There were about two thousand palm fruits on each bunch. After beating, they screened out the dead leaves of the palm fruits and separated them into buckets. The palm fruit is thrown into the iron pot and started to be steamed. After half an hour of cooking, it starts to be crushed.
The coolie holds a hammer to crush the palm fruit, pick out the palm kernel, put all the palm meat into the rotary press, and start to squeeze the palm oil. The red palm oil is squeezed out under the strong pressure of the screw press. It flows into wooden barrels. A small wooden barrel can hold about three hundred kilograms of oil.
Palm kernel oil is yellow, these oils have a walnut scent and are therefore more expensive.
The land of the plantation, the palm trees, the carts that pull the palm trees, the land of the oil mill, the wooden rods, screen frames, iron barrels of the oil mill, the iron pots for cooking palm fruits, and the rotary press all belong to the owner of the manor. These production tools are not They were allowed to be taken out of the workshop, and even various crowbars were fixed to the machines.
Only the palm meal after oil extraction will be added to the grain and mixed with it for the coolies to eat. If there is too much of this residue, it will be taken to Hanxiang Township to make wine.
The same is true for other agricultural products.
"Your Majesty, Lin Fucheng's travel notes have solved my doubts." Feng Bao said with emotion: "Whether it is a plantation or a workshop, slaves cannot resist their masters."
Uprising? Doesn't exist.
Lin Fucheng's travel notes introduced the life of these coolies. There was no rebellion, only flattery.
The first reason is that the cost of resistance is extremely high and the success rate is low.
The coolie who is determined to resist must first guard against the coolies around him. As long as he reports you to the manor owner, the coolie can not only have a big meal and get some rewards, but may even become a management coolie. The person;
Coolies generally lack weapons, and the manor owner is not in the manor most of the time, but lives in Hanxiang Town. He only goes to the fields during the harvest time of the year. The walls in Hanxiang Town are insurmountably high. wall.
The housekeepers who live in the manors and manage these manors have weapons such as swords, guns, swords and halberds, bows and arrows, and even firecrackers.
Success means having a good meal, failure means death, and it is easy to die.
The second reason is that the living and working environment is extremely harsh. It is normal to not have enough to eat. Even food mixed with dregs is extremely precious. After eating and working, you have no strength at all.
When I work for a long time, I don’t have time to think about who I am and why I have to suffer this. When I take a break, I fall asleep because tomorrow will still be a tiring day.
Lin Fucheng summed it up as: every repeated day is so similar until death.
"So the plantation is very profitable. It only needs to provide the most basic rations, and the rest is production surplus." Zhu Yijun doesn't care much about this.
There are about 600,000 Japanese slaves in Luzon, Cebu, and Mindanao. They work in these plantations, accounting for two-fifths of the plantation coolies. Another two-fifths are local barbarians, and another five One-quarter came from the Ming Dynasty and were mainly responsible for managing various plantations and workshops affiliated with the plantations.
Lin Fucheng also observed a phenomenon, Nanyang Sister.
Most of the Ming Dynasty people who went to Nanyang were single. Ding Yang, who went to Nanyang with his family, was actually a minority. Areas with a high concentration of young and middle-aged men were hotbeds of prostitution and business opportunities.
These young adults who have been working hard all day need to vent and have money in their hands.
I don’t know since when, custom streets began to appear outside Tongxiang Town and Hanxiang Town. In Tongxiang Town alone, there are 1,500 prostitutes serving the craftsmen of Tongxiang Town. There are twelve Tongxiang Towns in Luzon, There were at least thirty thousand prostitutes.
Among these prostitutes, 50% are Japanese women, 40% are barbarians, and the remaining 10% are from more complicated sources, including Persians, red-haired Fans, golden-haired Fans, and black Fans.
Lin Fucheng couldn't quite understand that these gangsters also had business, and they looked pretty good.
When the Japanese women board the ship at the Nagasaki Governor's Palace, they will first go to Matsue Prefecture for screening, and then after being screened, these Japanese women will move to Nanyang;
Persian Barbarians, Red-haired Fans, Golden-haired Fans, and Black Fans were all brought to Luzon by Arab and Thai businessmen;
There are no practitioners of Han women. This does not mean that there are no Han women in the population movement in Nanyang, but the Han women who migrate to Nanyang are usually the first choice of craftsmen in choosing spouses. Moreover, because the number is small, the relationship between supply and demand is seriously imbalanced, and betrothal gifts are also required. Very high.
Even if a craftsman dies unexpectedly, because of the pension policy of the official factory, these women can maintain their own lives without having to hold a lowly job, and they can even raise their children without remarrying.
On the main island of Luzon, especially in places like Manila where transportation is relatively developed, bride price has also begun to spread to the barbarians.
The Yi people simply understand it as those who can provide high betrothal gifts, which can provide a more stable life. The trend of betrothal gifts spreads rapidly in Luzon, impacting the lives of local people. This is why many Yi people in the local area would rather The reason why I choose to be a Nanyang sister is that I don’t want to get married.
From Nanyang Sister, Lin Fucheng talked about the local changes caused by the intrusion of bride price, such as intensive farming, composting of manure, etc.
From the changes made by the Ming Dynasty to Luzon, Lin Fucheng finally came up with a clear picture and talked about a problem: the Ming Dynasty's doubts.
The powerful military power of the Ming Dynasty, the giant ships visible to the naked eye leaving the port like moving castles on the sea, the dazzling variety of goods, the luxurious lifestyle, the noble and polite conduct of people, and the international status of the Celestial Kingdom all made the Yi People have doubts.
As long as the Yi people and the Ming Dynasty have a little contact, they will involuntarily have doubts. What power created such brilliance? What system and management method lay the good conditions for all this? Is everything in the Heavenly Kingdom accidental or inevitable? Will if we follow the example fully, we will live the same life as the people of Ming Dynasty?
The answer given by Lin Fucheng is no, and the reason is simple: imitating others.
Lin Fucheng believes that what is even more bizarre is:
Scholars of the Ming Dynasty are running around and shouting that the Ming Dynasty is in danger, everything about the Wanli Reform should be opposed, and any achievements should be questioned;
Even the Ming Dynasty officials were worried. The Ming Dynasty embarked on this road, whether it was good or bad. The advantages were visible to the naked eye, and the disadvantages followed closely;
And the struggle volume compiled by His Majesty the Supreme Emperor himself leads to an absurd inference that the Ming Dynasty will perish, and that such a tyrannical kingdom will also perish;
The Ming Dynasty is changing the world, at least the world within sight, and the Wanli Reform is creating all kinds of doubts. Not only overseas, but also in the hinterland of Ming Dynasty.
"This Ming Dynasty is a besieged city. People inside want to get out, and people outside want to come in." Zhu Yijun Zhu approved Lin Fucheng's "Travel to Nanyang" and allowed it to be published in "Xiaoyao Yiwen" and published all over the world.
The Ming Dynasty is indeed affecting the direction of the world. For example, the Portuguese king canonized by the Ming Dynasty, the Mughal Kingdom sent children of princes and nobles to study in the Ming Dynasty, and the rapid development of the Great Guangming Sect.
The culture of the Ming Dynasty is impacting the world along with goods and rivers, and is also quietly reshaping the world.
"Your Majesty, Shanxi Governor Zhou Liangyin has sent this congratulations." Feng Bao placed a memorial in front of the emperor.
After reading the memorial, Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and said: "After the new year, let Chen Mo take two people to Xuanfu and Datongfu to punish thousands of households. It doesn't matter what Zhou Liangyin says."
After Zhou Liangyin eliminated redundant personnel in Guangling County, he began to push the elimination to Datong Prefecture and Xuan Prefecture. At the end of the fourteenth year of Wanli, Zhou Liangyin made a report and completed the elimination of the two prefectures.
The reason why the elimination was completed was that the local powerful right-wingers and rural gentry could no longer tolerate the inefficient administrative efficiency.
Chidao brought about the rapid circulation of goods and also brought about the demand for efficiency. The salt from the capital of the Ming Dynasty was sent to the Xuanfu. It took half a year or even a year to flow from the treasury to the people. In a yamen, most of them were freeloaders. , there are only a few hard-working cows and horses, doing work that is impossible to finish. These cows and horses asked for additional manpower, but when they looked at the list, there were too many people.
Elimination means those who receive salaries but do not work.
There are twenty-seven treasury clerks in Datong Mansion, who are responsible for the entry and exit of the treasury, but there are only four people working there, and the rest are all people who have not been seen once a year. This time they were all eliminated.
Zhu Yijun didn't quite believe what Zhou Liangyin said in his memorial, so he asked Chen Mo to take two thousand households and two hundred cavalry to Xuanfu and Datong to visit the people and see if it was as Zhou Liangyin said. In that case, if it is true as the memorial says, this will be valuable experience for the reform.
If Zhou Liangyin really succeeds in Shanxi, Zhu Yijun will definitely invite Zhou Liangyin back to the court and join the Ministry of Civil Affairs as Zuo Shilang, responsible for improving administrative efficiency.
"This week, the governor probably used some inconvenient means to write directly into the memorial." Feng Bao did not doubt whether it was true or false. In the year-end audit, the administrative costs of Datong Mansion and Xuan Mansion dropped rapidly, and from the examination to the law Look, the administrative efficiency of Datong Mansion and Xuan Mansion is improving rapidly.
Zhu Yijun smiled and asked: "Feng Daban, what rumors did you hear?"
Feng Bao bowed his head and said: "I did hear it. What the governor wrote in the memorial this week was high-sounding, but that's not what I heard. He just followed the Jin Party's list to clean up, and received a lot of scolding from the Jin Party. All the party’s nepotism in Datong and Xuanfu were eradicated.”
"Some officials of the Jin Party also scolded Governor Zhou. It was not a purge at all, but a party unity and elimination of dissidents! They said that Zhou Liangyin also wanted to be Wang Chonggu!"
Elimination and layoffs can easily reach the main artery. Only those who are relevant can fish in troubled waters and not do serious work. They may not even do it once for many years. Those who are irrelevant can only work hard. If you are late and leave early, you will lose your job. Can the layoffs be targeted to relevant households? That can only cut the aorta.
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This is also the reason why Zhou Liangyin's first purge in Guangling County failed completely. That time he was so disgraced that he could only invite those who were purged back.
But this time Zhou Liangyin only dealt with related households, which seemed more like a party struggle to drive away all those who were disobedient, rather than a purge as Zhou Liangyin said.
"Anyway, the work is done. I don't care how it is done." Zhu Yijun thought for a while and decided to wait for the Tiqi's visit.
In fact, Zhou Liangyin's elimination was the same as the concerns mentioned in Shen Shixing's previous memorial. The Wanli Reform was destroying and disintegrating the old production relations and establishing a new order. In this new order, the Ming Dynasty's political system and administrative system must Be able to bear all the burdens that change brings.
A typical example is that Wang Xiyuan, the Prime Minister of Shuntian Mansion, was busy all day long and hit the back of his head. The changes in Shuntian Mansion were so fast that Wang Xiyuan felt completely unfamiliar.
"What is Wang Cifu going to do? Does he want to build 10,000 official residences?" Zhu Yijun looked at the memorial in front of him with some doubts and confusion.
"With tens of millions of Guangsha, the poor people in the world will be happy." Feng Bao answered this question cautiously, and he understood the proposal in a positive way.
The Jin Party is declining, but the Labor Party is getting stronger, and not just in an ordinary way. For example, now, Xishan Coal Bureau and Yongding Yongsheng Woolen Official Factory are building another 10,000 official residences. The Labor Party has already built 10,000 official residences. , and put into use, forming a large crafts workshop on the bank of Yongding River.
Because the number of craftsmen increased, the official residence was no longer enough.
The 20,000 official houses are 20,000 families. Most of them were born as poor coolies. Only with the official factory can they have a stable source of living, because the official factory provides housing, rice, flour, food, oil, firewood and other daily necessities. Their resources can be invested more in the education of their children.
This is Labour's base.
This is just for the Woolen Official Factory and the Coal Bureau. If all the official factories throughout the Ming Dynasty followed suit, there is no doubt that in less than twenty years, the Labor Party will become an indispensable and huge force in the politics of the Ming Dynasty.
Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and said: "It is indeed cheaper for official factories to build official houses, so let's get it right. If official factories are to be built in various places, their scale and style must be approved by the Ministry of Household Audit to ensure that they are capable of construction. They must not blindly build them." Follow the trend.”
The reason why Wang Chonggu wants to build another 10,000 official buildings is indeed that the original official buildings are not enough, but there is also another important reason, which is to distribute 30% of the profits downwards. Without carrying out destructive salary increases, Under the premise, the only option is to issue a house.
This year, the profits of the Xishan Coal and Iron Bureau have increased again. With the gradual closure of coal kilns, more and more craftsmen have invested in the coking plant, water and fertilizer plant and ironmaking plant under the Coal Bureau. The production capacity of water and fertilizer has increased again this year, but The bulk of the profit is still from ironware.
This time it is not an iron pot, but a stove made by the capital, which has been sold all over the country.
A craftsman named Chen Yilin turned the upper floor of the stove into a horseshoe-shaped return air structure. This return air stove can burn fuel more fully, save at least one-third of the fuel, and reduce gas insufficiency. Poisoning incident caused by complete combustion.
(horseshoe return air structure)
It doesn't matter if you can't afford a stove made in the capital. You can build an earthen stove at home and build this structure to increase combustion efficiency. It is a structure that increases the amount of air intake.
There were many furnace builders in the Ming Dynasty, who specialized in building furnaces for various houses. The quality of the furnaces all depended on the skills of the furnace builders. Xishan Coal Bureau found nearly a hundred craftsmen and taught them how to build this kind of horseshoe furnace. Wind stove.
"Your Majesty, Wang Cifu is the first leader of the Labor Party. He must do something for the Ming Dynasty while he is alive. In this way, Wang Cifu will not be the biggest weakness of the Labor Party." Feng Bao once again stated that Wang Chonggu The motive of benefiting the world at the same time.
The biggest weakness of the Labor Party is Wang Chonggu. He is now in power and has overwhelming power. After he leaves, if we want to break through the Labor Party, Wang Chonggu will undoubtedly be the best breakthrough point.
As long as Wang Chonggu is completely defeated, the Labor Party will fall apart, and it will be very simple and easy to defeat them one by one.
Zhu Yijun approved Wang Chonggu's idea of building a large official residence. After all, food, clothing, housing, and transportation were all very important to the people.
"Go and call the Great Situ and the Young Situ. I'm a little confused about their memorial." Zhu Yijun was holding a memorial in his hand, and he was a little unsure.
On the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, the official offices and factories of the Ming Dynasty have already closed for the New Year. They will have a holiday from the 24th to the sixth day of the first lunar month. When they wait until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, they will have another holiday until the twentieth day of the first lunar month to celebrate the Lantern Festival.
The folk holiday is moved directly from the 24th to the 20th of the first lunar month, but in recent years, some private workshops have started working on the sixth day of the lunar month.
The cabinet is still working until New Year's Eve.
Wang Guoguang and Zhang Xueyan took a small train and arrived in front of the imperial study room of Tonghe Palace. After passing through the small yellow gate, the two apprentices walked into the imperial study room.
"Starting from next year, Ming Dynasty's goods can be purchased with gold. Why is this? Shen Shixing said before that the Ming Dynasty's banknote method is bistandard, that is, copper and silver standard. This is already very complicated. How can we add gold? Isn't it more complicated?" Zhu Yijun asked doubtfully.
According to the memorial from the Ministry of Accounts, starting from next year, Ming Dynasty will accept precious metal gold transactions, instead of just accepting silver.
This double standard has really become a third standard, which is even more troublesome and changeable. The Ministry of Finance's previous attitude towards gold was also dispensable, but it seems that the Ministry of Finance has changed its mind.
"Your Majesty, this is actually to issue the Ming Dynasty treasure banknotes. The gold is not cashed directly. After the gold is collected into the national treasury, it is reserved to endorse the Ming Dynasty treasure banknotes." Wang Guoguang explained the reason why the Ministry of Revenue changed its mind , for the Ming Dynasty treasure money.
Zhu Yijun frowned and said: "How can this unredeemed gold endorse Ming Dynasty banknotes?"
"Confidence." Zhang Xueyan explained the reason concisely and comprehensively.
As long as banknotes are issued, even if it is a pure silver standard, there will inevitably be over-issuance. The Ming Dynasty cannot issue consistent banknotes for just one tael of silver. Since there will definitely be over-issuance of banknotes, the core key is that banknotes are not actually the standard. , but confidence, and this is actually the role of the standard.
And gold is also a way to support confidence.
Let everyone believe that the Ming Emperor is really rich.
Zhang Xueyan sat forward and said: "Your Majesty, there are 10 million taels of gold in the national treasury. In terms of the current price, that is 160 million taels of silver. At least 500 million taels of treasure banknotes can be issued. If the Ming people Everyone believes that there are ten million taels of gold in the national fund, so these five hundred million gold notes are real money.”
"I understand what you said, isn't it just a lie?" Zhu Yijun shook his head and said: "I have a total of 930,000 taels of gold in my internal funds, and I haven't touched them yet."
"Every once in a while, give some gold coins as rewards to the clan and heroes, and everyone will believe it." Zhang Xueyan heard the details of this scam, and gave some as rewards from time to time to make people believe that there really was so much gold.
Zhu Yijun smiled and shook his head and said: "Young Situ, why don't you say that I will decorate the table with gold, or even make gold boots to make people believe it?"
Wang Guangguang's eyes lit up and he said: "Your Majesty, this is a good idea!"
"Yes, just make some expensive gold objects with no practical use, price them at a higher price, and put them in the Imperial Mansion. As long as people passing by the Imperial Mansion see the gold objects, they will know that His Majesty is very wealthy! It's better to have a few merchants. In Huitongguanyi, you can also use silver to buy gold. As long as you can buy it in Huitongguanyi, it is enough to make people believe it.”
Guo Guangguang really admired His Majesty's business acumen, and he immediately pointed out the key to how to make people believe and tell the golden story well!
To make people believe that gold is within reach, as long as a few Huitongyi can buy gold, then no one will question how much gold is in the national fund.
"Um, Da Situ, is it possible that I am speaking sarcastically and do not agree with the banknote law?" Zhu Yijun spread his hands and said helplessly. This household department is probably crazy. The household department that has lost the right to mint coins can only send some money overseas. Use treasure money to maintain the reputation of the household department.
"Your Majesty, we are short of money." Wang Guoguang sighed and said: "The growth of Ming Dynasty's demand for silver is greater than the growth of silver inflow. Red copper is barely at the same level because of Tongxiang Town."
"Again?" Zhu Yijun said in surprise. Zhu Yijun scattered 30 million taels of silver on Kailongchi Road. After a while, it was not enough again.
"Your Majesty, at this time last year, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development predicted that the price of rice, flour, grain, oil and coal would rise a bit this year, by about 3% to 5%. However, not only did the price not rise this year, the price of oil also dropped a bit. This is because In the past few years, overseas palm oil has increased from 20,000 barrels to 30,000 barrels," Wang Guangguang said helplessly.
A large barrel is 1,700 jins, and the increase of 10,000 barrels is 17 million jins. Last year alone, there was an increase of 4,000 barrels.
"That's it, then let's collect gold from next year." Zhu Yijun agreed with the Ministry of Household's opinion and agreed to the practice of collecting and storing gold. The current price stability in Ming Dynasty is due to the large inflow of silver and red copper. Once the flow stops, There will be a possibility of price collapse.
The plummeting prices were like an avalanche for the Ming Dynasty, which had no money.
This means that everyone's wealth is shrinking. All inventory in the handicraft workshop will be lost if sold, and production will stagnate. Daming Handicraft Workshop will go bankrupt, and it is also related to the livelihood of out-of-work craftsmen. Once this trend occurs, even if it is issued The Ming Dynasty treasure money must also prevent this avalanche.
If we don't develop, we can't allocate increments. If we don't develop and we have to retreat, then we have to allocate stocks.
(End of chapter)