Chapter 319 Your Majesty is my Ming Dynasty
In any case, under the influence of the imperial court's policies, no matter how the miners in the pass settled down and relocated, they would eventually have to go outside the pass.
Unlike Zhang Cong's heavy tax on mining within the customs, which caused a lot of criticism, Xia Yan's tax reduction and exemption policy outside the customs naturally received praise.
Influenced by Huang Lizhang, Jiang Nan from Cangzhou also came to Mobei. At this time, he had successfully borrowed 100,000 silver dollars and contracted a large-scale open-pit coal mine in Mobei.
However, Jiang Nan discovered that many government-run coal mines outside the customs were already using steam engines for mining. For this reason, he could not help but express his idea of using steam engines for production to Fan Da, the governor of Monan, at a business meeting hosted by the governor of Monan. After all, the production efficiency of steam engines was It is high and does not require too much manpower, which can solve the problem of low population density outside the customs and difficulty in recruiting workers.
Fan Da, the governor of Monan, directly conveyed Xia Yan's order from the cabinet and expressed his willingness to once again provide low-interest loans to Jiang Nan and other merchants who came to mine outside the customs to purchase steam engines.
Jiang Nan and other merchants who came to mine outside the customs were naturally more happy, and all of them were much more enthusiastic about doing business and mining outside the customs.
In short, under the influence of the imperial court's policy of tightening internal regulations and loosening external policies, more and more people from inside the Pass migrated outside the Pass, and the land use value outside the Pass also increased. The people who came outside the Pass also benefited from the preferential policies of the imperial court. The income is not cheap, and the wealth of these people outside the customs has also stimulated more and more people from inside the customs to pour in outside the customs.
Although many places outside the Pass have become bitterly cold due to the colder temperatures, under the temptation of money, more and more Han people have begun to settle outside the Pass and gradually gathered in cities and towns. And because of the bitter cold outside the Pass, the Han people's Living styles and lifestyles are also quietly changing.
The people inside the pass brought more new elements from within the pass to outside the pass.
The warmer brick and tile houses have become the most popular residential buildings for people outside the Guan. Wealthier people will also install glass to protect them from the cold. The briquettes and mud stoves that have emerged in the capital have also begun to become popular outside the Guan.
After commerce led to the emergence of market towns, the nomadic lifestyle was gradually replaced. Many people began to just sit around the fire and find work in the market towns in their free time, just like the people in Jiangnan towns.
Only active and prosperous production activities can allow the dynasty to rule this region for a long time. Otherwise, the dynasty will have no foundation to rule this region.
Nowadays, in order to effectively and long-term rule over the southern and northern deserts outside the Guan, the Ming Dynasty used the administrative capabilities of the state machinery to turn many areas outside the Guan into areas with prosperous commercial and production activities. Naturally, this also allowed the Ming Dynasty to effectively rule this area. .
Even if the imperial court gave away a lot of benefits and lowered the tax rate to a very low level in order to prosper the mining market outside the customs, the annual tax revenue outside the customs is enough to support a powerful army that can intimidate the Oara tribes in the west and the women's straight tribes in the northeast.
Moreover, it has given the people's livelihood foundation outside the pass, and the troops stationed outside the pass and their affiliated families also have a foundation for survival outside the pass.
Because outside the customs is virgin territory, the political system established is the most progressive and reasonable and comprehensive. After all, there is no need to reform the old things, only to directly copy them.
It's just that the increasingly cold weather not only affects agricultural production outside the customs, but also affects commercial trade. The transportation of goods has become more difficult. Fortunately, the emergence of the cement industry has minimized the impact of the temperature drop on commercial trade. In winter, officials who already have some knowledge of scientific management also began to organize workers to use industrial salt to melt snow and clear roads.
"This is really something I dare not think about. In previous years, this place was still a vast grassland. In winter, heavy snow covered the entire wilderness. Cattle and sheep had to be killed to avoid losing weight, and people could only hide in sheds and dare not come out. Now It's good, even this In such a heavy snowy day, there is still the roar of machinery in the mining area, and there are many workers pulling coal on the cement road while breathing hot air. The more people there are, the more fat cattle and sheep will be eaten, and there is no need to worry about the slaughtered cattle and sheep. Can’t sell it!”
Yan Song, the Minister of Agriculture, who came to the north of Saibei to promote the cultivation of potatoes, a relatively cold-resistant crop, looked at the people outside Guihua City (Hohhot) in the ice and snow and could not help but say something. As a senior official of the imperial court, he was naturally willing to see this scene. Scene, after all, this is a symbol of long-term peace and stability.
At this time, in the court, Ming Emperor Zhu Houzhao and his cabinet officials no longer paid attention to matters outside the customs.
For Zhu Houzhao and the top officials of the empire, invigorating the economy outside the pass and preventing the court from paying a huge cost to support the army has already declared the success of the entire strategy. How to develop beyond the pass is no longer the focus of the empire.
The focus of the empire is still the south, still the ocean.
In the next two to three hundred years, the ocean will be the focus of competition for the interests of all countries and the cradle of their rise.
Emperor Ming Dynasty Zhu Houcheng understood this truth.
The enlightened ministers who followed Zhu Houzhao were also aware of this problem because they had already tasted the benefits of maritime trade.
Zhu Houzhao didn't know what kind of suffering the officials he sent overseas brought to the local indigenous people, but he knew that if the Ming Dynasty was to be freed from suffering, the suffering of being plundered and exploited must be passed on to these indigenous people.
"Outside the customs, only mining and animal husbandry can be developed. In addition, road construction and construction are all done. It is of little significance to continue to advance northward at present. I believe that the center of gravity of the empire should still be in the south, including Jiaocheng, Champa, Srivijaya, and Zhen. Latvia, Siam, Lu Song, Java and other places should be occupied as soon as possible. These areas have a lot of cultivated land and can produce a lot of food! ”
At this time, Xia Yan took the initiative to ask Emperor Zhu Houzhao to start letting the Ming Dynasty conquer the south. Zhu Houzhao also nodded. He naturally knew that the development of the empire should indeed be in the south, but the problem was how to develop in the south. It was only about robbing raw materials. Or should we directly turn Southeast Asia, South Asia, and even Oceania and other regions into industrial raw material processing areas, or should we turn them into agricultural civilizations and be responsible for food production.
"Of course these places must be occupied, but after occupying them, how will they govern these areas? Should they continue to mine or turn them into farming areas to supply food for the Ming Dynasty."
Zhu Houzhao asked. He already had an idea in his mind, but he still wanted to see the opinions of the ministers present.
"Reporting to your Majesty, I believe that what the empire needs most now is food, and what it will need more in the future will still be food. Food is the most important thing for the people. However, according to the investigation report of the Audit Office, places in the south of the Yangtze River and outside the customs are now purely dependent on food from other places. The grain production in Gyeonggi, Huguang, Sichuan and other original grain-producing areas is also declining, which shows that the rich grain-producing areas in the Ming Dynasty are gradually changing from rice to mulberry, and we need to plant more fields in other areas in the future. "< br>
Zhang Cong also said something at this time. After hearing this, Zhu Houzhao became more convinced of his point of view, and asked Wang Shouren: "The general of the Guards Army will meet with Gui Cai, the minister of the Ministry of War, to discuss the strategy of regaining Jiaozhi! The Jin Yiwei will strengthen the intelligence reconnaissance of Jiaozhi."
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Wang Shouren and others all nodded in agreement. They all understood that His Majesty was obviously determined to regain Jiaozhi, and they did not stop him, because they all knew now that the recapture of Jiaozhi was not a matter of great joy for His Majesty, but that the Empire had to regain Jiaozhi.
There is no way. Due to the rapid industrial development and the extreme reduction of agricultural civilization in the Ming Dynasty, more than half of the food has been imported. Among the sources of imported food, Cochin, Siam, Champa and other places account for the largest proportion, and if you want to To capture Siam and capture the city, you must first capture Cochin. If the Ming Dynasty wanted to occupy the grain-producing areas of Southeast Asia, it could only occupy Jiaozhi first.
Of course, if the Ming Dynasty now wants to obtain food from Jiaozhi, it actually does not need to go through war. However, as the empire's demand for food increases, it is obvious that trade is no longer enough for the empire to obtain more food. Natural occupation It would be more beneficial to destroy the country of Jiaozhi, get rid of its ruling class that sucks the people of Jiaozhi, and supply all the food produced in Jiaozhi to the Ming Dynasty.
What's more, only by turning Jiaozhi into Ming Dynasty's own territory can we conduct more advanced agricultural production technology research.
But for the Ming Dynasty, using war to conquer Jiaozhi was only a means. How to turn Jiaozhi into the Ming Dynasty's agricultural production base was the key.
Because of historical reasons, many scholar-officials in both the government and the public were more willing to restore the "prefecture and county system" management model for Jiaozhi, that is, to include Jiaozhi into the Ming Dynasty.
After all, during the reign of Emperor Yongle, the Ming Dynasty had incorporated Jiaozhi into its territory and implemented the "prefecture and county system" management.
Now, Emperor Zhu Houzhao has regained Jiaozhi and implemented the "prefecture and county system" management of Jiaozhi, which can naturally be regarded as a return to the glory of the Yongle period.
But what Zhu Houzhao is now struggling with is whether the people of Jiaozhi should be treated the same as the people of the Ming Dynasty. After occupying Jiaozhi, incorporating Jiaozhi into the mainland will mean that many cruel policies will not be implemented. Therefore, in the spirit of maximizing the interests of the people of the Ming Dynasty, For the purpose, it is obviously wrong to treat the people of Jiaozhi as the people of the Ming Dynasty.
How the Ming Dynasty will rule the occupied areas in the future is a question that needs to be clarified. At present, the Ming Dynasty mainly has two ways to rule the occupied areas, that is, the colonies. One is the Manchu-Japanese form. The Ming Dynasty appoints administrative heads to rule the Manchu-Japanese Empire. The real power lies in the administration. In the hands of the leader, King Manlajia is just an empty throne.
One is the Goa model, which combines the Asan traditional caste system, places the people of the Ming Dynasty at the first level of the caste system, and then uses caste hierarchy management.
"Corrupt Confucianists believe that all people in the world should be treated equally and be transformed into virtues. However, His Majesty's sacred teachings have taught me that the wealth of the world is limited. If we do not want to embarrass our people, we will suffer damage to other countries. If we want to benefit other countries, we will damage our people. Profit! ”
When Zhang Cong analyzed the current discussion about how to treat foreign people to Zhu Houzhao, he expressed his views and said: "Therefore, I believe that even if Jiaozhi is recovered in the future, the foreign people in Jiaozhi should not be treated the same as the people of the Ming Dynasty. , people of foreign races should be divided into grades and divided according to the degree of Chineseization! ”
"I don't agree with what the chief minister said. The Buddha said that the laws of the world are equal. Since we are all human beings, why are we differentiated by different ethnic groups? So, what is the difference between us and the previous Yuan Dynasty! Moreover, the outline of the Constitution also stipulates the so-called human rights Talent, only the emperor can substitute for heaven and abolish the basic rights of human beings. Now that the leader wants to tolerate people of other races, isn't it disrespectful to their human rights? ”
At this time, Wang Ting, a newly appointed academician in the cabinet, agreed with Zhang Cong's point of view.
Zhang Cong hurriedly replied: "The gift of human rights is true, but the gift of human rights means that your majesty has granted human rights, because your majesty is the heaven of my Ming Dynasty! And as long as your majesty says that these foreign people are not human beings, but slaves, then they are not worthy There are human rights! Whether or not there are human rights is naturally controlled by the emperor!”
Zhu Houzhao couldn't help laughing when he heard what Zhang Cong said. He found that Zhang Cong was right. The natural human rights regarded as truth by later generations seemed to be exactly what Zhang Cong said. Whether a person has human rights depends on the person who rules him. No matter what rights are given to him, if he wants to fight for more human rights, he still needs to have stronger power to fight for them.
"This is exactly what Shoukui said. Whether it is Jiaozhi or Champa, whether the indigenous people in these places have human rights cannot be granted by me. They have to rely on their own efforts. If they can force me to recognize their human rights, Of course I can regard them as the people of the Ming Dynasty, but they obviously don’t have the strength now!”
After Zhu Houzhao said, Zhang Cong also took over the words: "As your Majesty said, the Ming Dynasty has no need to favor the people of foreign races, and the Yinjian of Han, Tang and Song Dynasties is not far away. If you are tough with foreigners, you will be safe in all directions, and if you are gentle with foreigners, the world will be safe." Chaos. In my opinion, we should deal with it. The people are divided into the second class, and they are not allowed to have the opportunity to educate and become literate, they are not allowed to have the opportunity to enter China, they are not allowed to have the opportunity to do business, they are not allowed to have the opportunity to practice martial arts for the army, and they are not allowed to participate in the imperial examination. Opportunity to become an official! ”
After Zhang Cong said the "five prohibitions", Zhu Houzhao also nodded. He knew that once Zhang Cong's five prohibitions were implemented, it would mean that the people of Jiaozhi could only be serfs and provide food for the Ming Dynasty. This would undoubtedly be beneficial to the Ming Dynasty. Ming Dynasty, and it can also effectively hinder the civilizational progress of the Jiaozhi indigenous people.
"According to the report, in the future, the people who have transformed into foreign countries will use this as a system. They will order the world and all the people in the world to regard the people of the Ming Dynasty as the most superior people!"
After Zhu Houzhao said this, Zhang Cong and others all nodded and said yes. No one raised any serious objections to this. After all, the Ming Dynasty really needs groups that can be exploited. If the people of the country cannot do this, they can only exploit people of foreign races.
The recapture of Jiaozhi was officially put on the agenda, and the Guards began to prepare corresponding military rations, military pay, ordnance, and the deployment and training of troops. Although Jiaozhi belongs to the mountainous jungle, the requirements for the army's jungle operations are relatively high, but fortunately the Ming Dynasty has abundant resources. , all types of terrain are available, and all types of talents are available, so it is not difficult to mobilize a few mountain divisions.
While the Ming Empire was preparing to regain Jiaozhi, the royal clan meeting also arrived as scheduled.
The feudal princes and clans began to enter the capital one after another.
For the current Zhengde Dynasty, most of the domestic problems have been solved. The humble registration system and the craftsman registration system have been banned. The military household system is also gradually reformed. Development outside the customs has also begun. The tax policy in Jiangnan has also been reformed. Grassroots control has been implemented. Intensification has also been strengthened. In terms of official administration, there is already a passing examination method. In terms of economy, the state has controlled the main capital. In terms of military, there is a standing army in the form of a recruitment system, and there is also a supporting education and training system. There are also specialized research and development institutions in industry and science and technology.
But the only problem at the moment is that of the vassal kings. The increasing arrogance of these clans has posed a great challenge to the legal system and stability of the empire, and their speed of reproduction has also caused a considerable impact on the future financial expenditure of the empire. pressure.
Sorry, I spent a day today asking the master to install broadband, repair light bulbs, clean the house, and buy various daily necessities. Plus, I added the text, so I can only post 4,000 words. I will outline it tonight and I will definitely resume every post in the future. Updates of more than 6,000 words per day. Thank you to the book friend for the reward of 100 starting coins per pound of sugar.
(End of chapter)