Chapter 569: The courtiers are silent, they must be acting like monsters!
"Power is just a dream, which can be realized when you wake up." Zhu Yijun looked at Li Zhi and said a personal experience he had in the first year of Wanli.
Zhu Yijun mentioned to Zhang Juzheng a woman named Ran from Yunnan, and now Concubine Ran has entered the harem.
This is the most intuitive expression of power, which is almost equivalent to omnipotence.
Li Zhi has a great reputation, but whenever he wants, there are countless people who are willing to put their land under his name; from Li Zhi's official appointment to the prefecture of Yao'an, the prefect has already become a high official, and most of the people will spend their entire lives. As long as he wanted to realize the power in his hands, he would get more silver than he could spend in his lifetime;
But Li Zhi didn't do it.
Among the officials of the Ming Dynasty, how many were truly honest?
Li Zhi pondered for a moment, then shook his head with certainty and said: "Your Majesty, I disagree. They are just slaves of power. The difference between people and everything in the world is that people have spirituality and material desires. Lust is human nature, and it is something that people cannot get rid of. If a person cannot restrain himself and completely surrender to his own desires, it will run counter to his own spirituality. "
" Living is not just living, but living. If you clearly realize that you are living as a human being and completely surrender to your nature, you will lose your spirituality and degrade yourself to an animal lower than a human being. This is no different from a beast.”
"The alienation of people by power." Zhu Yijun immediately sat up straight, looked at Li Zhi and asked with great interest: "In addition to the alienation of relationships between people by power, what other expressions do you have about alienation? ”
Zhu Yijun immediately understood what Li Zhi was thinking about. He was thinking about the alienation of people. To be precise, the alienation of people by power. A more violent expression is: after people have power, or even the power to control the life and death of others, they gradually Lost in the animalization of nature, from a rational person to a beast completely surrendered to material desires and lustful nature.
"Money alienates people." Li Zhi frowned and shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, I am still thinking, but it is not complete. It is better not to show my shame in front of Your Majesty."
Li Zhi However, I was deeply impressed by Mr. Huang's eloquence, or perhaps I was still frightened, so I didn't throw out an immature theory to make His Majesty laugh.
It would be better to continue to improve your theory and present it in front of His Majesty. Otherwise, His Majesty will ask you a few questions and you will be dizzy, which is really ridiculous.
Li Zhi now has two topics to work on. One is no taxation without representation, and the other is human alienation. If he can express it systematically and completely, then he will definitely have a place in the historical process of the Wanli Reform. .
No taxation without representation. Zhu Yijun hoped that Li Zhi could completely bind the emperor to the people of the world and turn the emperor into a representative of the poor coolies, just like Emperor Taizu Gao during the Hongwu period.
As for human alienation, Zhu Yijun hoped that Li Zhi could be more powerful and describe it completely.
As a latecomer, Zhu Yijun could actually express it himself, but if he expressed it himself, he would not know whether these were really needed by the Ming Dynasty, and many things that were taken for granted in later generations were not applicable in the Ming Dynasty. Ming Dynasty, such as the natural emergence of these discussions, proves that it already has the foundation for the birth of these theories.
Rather than Zhu Yijun suddenly proposed it and created a castle in the air.
"After you complete your alienation theory, I will give you the official status of a doctor of the Five Ranks and Five Classics." Zhu Yijun looked at Li Zhi and said with great conviction: "You are indeed not suitable for being an official. To be an official, you must first have a competitive spirit. How can you be promoted step by step if you don’t even want to push for fame and fortune?”
Li Zhi is not suitable for being an official. The ones Zhu Yijun has seen most in his life are officials. There are countless kinds of them. To be an official, you must first have a strong ambition. Li Zhi does not have that. He also wants to be promoted, but he cannot be cruel. No. It is difficult to make progress if you turn yourself into a beast in disguise.
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty." Li Zhi shook off his sleeves and bowed again to express his gratitude. He was a loser in the officialdom, but Your Majesty was willing to give him an official position to ensure that he would not starve to death.
All Li Zhi wanted was a job that would prevent him from starving to death, and then he took refuge in His Majesty to complete his theory.
A standard-bearer who advocates freedom takes refuge in the authoritarian emperor to realize his own theory of freedom. This is like a mouse tying a bell on a cat. But the biggest carnivore in the Ming Dynasty, the biggest tiger in the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yijun allowed this His behavior is just for Daming to become better.
"Stay back and think carefully, don't worry about those gossips, my words are still very useful in the capital." Zhu Yijun gave Li Zhi a promise. As long as he studies his alienation theory carefully, those criticisms will be eliminated. , Don't worry, Zhu Yijun will naturally take care of those famous scholars.
"I retire." Li Zhi bowed his head and resigned again. He glanced at Zhang Juzheng. When he was young, he also imagined that he would rise to power, stand in the center of the Wenhua Palace, scold Fang Qiu, but in the end he did not leave. When they arrived at the Wenhua Hall, they didn't even enter the Jingtang Hall.
Zhang Juzheng looked at Li Zhi's back and shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, I don't like him."
"Why?" Zhu Yijun asked curiously.
"He is not an official." Zhang Juzheng thought for a moment and said: "The idea is a bit unrealistic. If he is an official, he will only make things a mess. He wants and wants more, how can he This is a good thing, and I am extremely disgusted with people who talk and talk. "
The impossible triangle is to want and want at the same time. In this world, the most you can do is to want and want at the same time. That's too greedy.
"Your Majesty, you have to read what these talkative people say, but you can't listen to them all. Most of the time they talk while standing up. Their opinions are somewhat unrealistic."
< br>Zhang Juzheng has only one consistent attitude towards these opinions, and that is to shut up.
Zhang Juzheng was very dissatisfied with the unrealistic statements made by officials who kept talking about stealing love. He didn't like these advices because they were often unrealistic. Practical talk.
"Of course, some of the Ming Dynasty's scientific and technical officials are not as good as Lin Fucheng. Lin Fucheng was at least willing to go to see the field, and he also went deep into the countryside to inquire into various issues. The issues he talked about , are all problems that Ming Dynasty needs to solve urgently." Zhang Juzheng is very sure of Lin Fucheng who was trained by his Majesty.
When Lin Fucheng first came to Beijing, he pointed out the Ming Dynasty's political decrees. He said from the very beginning that the government, factory, and engineering regiments would inevitably fail, and the engineering regiments and camps would inevitably fail. That is to say, His Majesty was very interested in his theory of freedom. , otherwise Wang Qian would have told him to shut up.
"So he is not suitable to be an official. Let's think about it with Lin Fucheng. He is suitable to be an opinion basket." Zhu Yijun acknowledged Zhang Juzheng's evaluation. Li Zhi wanted both his own reputation and the fulfillment of the imperial court's mission. The taxes must be paid, and the people under the rule must live and work in peace and contentment. In an era when production relations have not yet changed, and going to the countryside to collect taxes is almost equivalent to raiding, this is an impossible triangle.
"Your Majesty has something to do. I must communicate with your Majesty in advance." Zhang Juzheng looked at the emperor, looked left and right, and whispered: "Annan."
Zhang Hong remained calm. I pressed Zhongshu Sheren's hand. There are some things that are not suitable to be written in the notes on daily life. What if future generations look through the notes on daily life and find that Zhang Juzheng is a scholar?
In the third year of Wanli, Zhang Juzheng ordered the shipping departments of various cities to increase the import of grain to Annan. It has been eight years since he went back and forth, and he finally saw the results.
"Sir, please speak." Zhu Yijun leaned forward and whispered in the same voice.
Discussing the secret posture and volume of voice, it is obvious that the appearance of the monarch and his ministers is somewhat of an illusion.
"Since the fourth year of Wanli, we have begun to import grain from Annan in large quantities. On the one hand, it is indeed needed by the Ming Dynasty, and on the other hand, grain transportation by sea is becoming more and more mature. It can be considered that the fruit is ripe. Last year, we imported from Annan. This amount of rice." Zhang Juzheng held out four fingers.
"Four hundred thousand shi?" Zhu Yijun had tried his best to make a bold guess. One stone of grain was 150 kilograms, or 60 million kilograms. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Cao Cao's income from farming in Xudu was exactly 400,000 kilograms. Shi's grain was cultivated in Xudu, allowing Cao Cao to conquer all directions without the labor of transporting grain. What Cao Cao was best at was actually farming.
Zhang Juzheng said in a lower voice: "Four million stones."
"Ouch!" Zhu Yijun leaned back tactically. He looked around and found that the people from Zhongshushe had already gone up. He went to the toilet and immediately said: "This is four million stones!"
Whoever can solve the problem of excessive food loss during thousands of miles of transportation will become the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty!
Zhu Yuanzhang originally reserved 50% of the tax for the local area because the money and grain were transported to the capital. The consumption on the road was really too great. When used, it was transported from the capital to the local area, which was another consumption. Zhu Yuanzhang gave Leave half of the space, and when it is needed, allocate it from the treasury. The result is that the treasury is empty.
The imperial court does not have it, nor does the treasury.
The Ming Dynasty had 8.5 million hectares of land and raised 120 million people. In fact, it was not very difficult. However, the transportation of grain on the road was a systematic engineering problem. Wang Guoguang once calculated that when the Ming Dynasty did not have grain transportation by sea, When the Ming Dynasty received one stone of rice, it had to consume a total of three to four stones of rice to transport it. This was the dilemma of transporting grain from the south to the north.
After the Ming Dynasty completed the grain shipping, the astronomical freight was finally reduced by about half a stone from three to four stone.
"In other words, the grain shipped to Beijing from Songjiang Prefecture is actually grain from Annan?!" Zhu Yijun immediately noticed the element!
No wonder no one has commented on the shipping of grain in the past two years, and everyone has even said nothing about it. Feelings are waiting here!
If the courtiers are silent, they must be acting like monsters!
What does it mean to have policies from above and countermeasures from below? This is it.
Zhu Yijun finally understood why the shipping of grains, which was so troublesome in the past, was so peaceful now. Everyone selectively ignored the matter of shipping grains, and the emotional cost was completely transferred to Annan!
"It's not that it's not easy to collect taxes in Han Dynasty. The collection burdens the common people, and land transportation is too expensive. In order for the people to breathe, the officials escort the grain every year, even to Songjiang. The government also consumes a lot of money, and labor and labor levy are a headache for the officials. "Zhang Juzheng said a few words to protect the officials, and there will be no problems in the accounts.
There is no need to pay expensive freight to be transported to Songjiang Prefecture for shipment, and there is no need to conscript labor to escort grain like capturing strong men. Conscripting labor is a local conflict that is more troublesome for any local yamen than collection. .
Hu Yuan called for labor to build the Yellow River embankment, which caused a rebellion in the world. The collection was already very serious, and the local government was also in trouble when it was still necessary to collect labor.
Zhu Yijun thought of the specific operation process. When he sent the empty parcel to Songjiang Prefecture, he actually used money to buy grain. , Silver will also gather in Songjiang Mansion. In the entire Ming Dynasty, Songjiang Mansion is the place with the most serious silver dam.
Use the purchased sea grain as grain for the canal, and then put it into the Songjiang warehouse until it is shipped to Beijing. In this way, there is no need to collect labor, and you can still collect a sum of four differences in silver, plus the reduced consumption on the road. The treasury will be filled.
"No wonder Wang Jiaping came to Beijing and worked hard. He even went to Wang Chonggu's door and requested to set up a Huitongguan Posthouse in Guangzhou. Love is waiting for me here!" Zhu Yijun immediately thought of Wang Jiaping's unusual behavior.
Besides going to Jiecuyuan to see his old friend Fan Yingqi, Wang Jiaping’s most unusual behavior was to kowtow in front of Wang Chonggu’s door. As a student of Ge Shouli, Wang Jiaping did not send congratulatory notes to Wang Chonggu during every year and festival. , without even a greeting, he ran to Wang Chonggu’s door to beg for help, and went there twice.
It can be seen that it is really for convenience.
"Ahem, Wang Cifu was tricked by Wang Jiaping. Cifu is now obsessed with large-scale construction. Now he can't see anyone all day long, either in the Xishan Coal Bureau or on the Beijing Expressway. Wang Cifu He probably doesn’t know all the purpose of Wang Jiaping, but it should be set up, no matter what, it must be beaten with a stick and given a sweet date." Zhang Juzheng said in a low voice.
Wang Chonggu probably guessed that Wang Jiaping had his own purpose, but he didn't bother to delve into it. Although the Jin Party was almost broken up now, it was still a favor, and it was a good thing. Zhu Yijun frowned and said: "So in the end, the people don't have to send laborers to transport grain, the local government treasury doesn't have to spend huge amounts of money to transport grain to Songjiang Mansion, and the imperial court received four million grains per year as scheduled. Well, sir, just now He also said that if it is necessary and impossible to do, isn’t it possible? ”
“Then what’s the price?”
"It is the Annan people who bear the price." Zhang Juzheng said solemnly: "There is only one Danang in Annan. All food is collected and distributed in Da Nang. The merchants on the ground in Annan also have to transport food. Every time the Ming Dynasty gets a stone from Annan, Annan would consume three to five stones of grain for transportation.”
“Most of the four million stones of grain received by the Ming Dynasty came from Annan. This batch of grain was transported in Annan. It will consume more than 12 million shi of grain. The people of Annan are in dire straits. Even if the local area has three crops a year, it cannot withstand such a hustle and bustle."
"Your Majesty, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, and Luzon have reported that. Many Annan people escaped from Annan and went to Guangdong, Guangdong, Qiongzhou, Hainan, and Luzon to cut sugar cane. ”
"Cut sugar cane?" Zhu Yijun was stunned. Sugar cane, an economic crop, was introduced to the Central Plains during the Shang and Zhou Dynasties. It is a traditional economic crop in the Central Plains. It is very large in scale and can be found everywhere in Guangxi, Guangdong, and Qiongzhou. However, Sugarcane, a cash crop, requires the most fertilizer and will not grow without fertilizer. Therefore, this cash crop will encroach on fertile land.
For every thousand kilograms of sugar cane, one and a half to two kilograms of nitrogen, half a kilogram of phosphorus, and two to three kilograms of potassium must be absorbed from the land. In the absence of chemical fertilizers, each sugar cane needs to be absorbed once , the land will become barren. Guangzhou Baoqisi once tried to fully fertilize this economic crop. In order to grow big roots, leaves, and stems and ensure the yield of sugarcane, two thousand kilograms of fertilizer must be applied to one acre of land. of compost.
Growing sugarcane in Guangdong and Guangxi is done every two years.
Zhu Yijun said with a solemn expression: "This job is unstable. It is not available all the time. It is sour, bitter, and spicy, but there is no sweetness. Even if it is so hard, it is not something you can do if you want to."
“The most tiring part of cutting sugar cane is carrying it. From the field to the road, a bundle weighs 120 kilograms. You have to carry it a hundred times a day and push the cart. Especially in Guangdong and Guangxi, there are many rainy days. You can’t cut it when it rains. The road in the field is so muddy that the car will get stuck in it and cannot move. "
Zhu Yijun really knows how to farm. Zhu Yijun personally checks the memorials of Baoqisi in various places, and sometimes he will do it. Putting it into action, he carried 120 kilograms a hundred times a day. Cai Zhenming, secretary of the Guangdong Baoqi Department, described this job as having all three flavors of sour, bitter and spicy, but not sweet.
“You have to live after all.” Zhang Juzheng said quite calmly: “At present, the Annan Kingdom is divided into two. To the north is the Mo family kingdom, which is the arrogant minister, and to the south is the Houli Kingdom, which is nominally the King of Annan. , but in fact, the power was completely controlled by Taishi Zheng Song, and they were constantly fighting against each other. "
The Ming Dynasty's request for food was not a big deal in Annan, and no one even cared about it, because there were bigger troubles and conflicts. , that is a military disaster.
Since Mo Dengyong usurped power in the sixth year of Jiajing, the entire Annan Kingdom was divided into two, and wars continued. By the eleventh year of Wanli, they had been fighting for fifty-six years, and the fighting had devastated all living beings. Now the Annan was in turmoil, and the grain that Ming bought was all sent to Ming from Northern Mo and Nan Zheng, just to buy Ming's various swords, guns, swords and halberds.
In a war, the first priority is to win.
"In your opinion, how long will the civil war in Annan last?" Zhu Yijun was curious about Zhang Juzheng's views on the civil war in Annan.
Zhang Juzheng shook his head and said: "One hundred years is not enough. There is no end to this internal strife. Now the tyrant Mo Maoqia of Beimo was struck by lightning in the sixth year of Wanli, and he has been recuperating until the ninth year of Wanli. He just showed up, because the regent Mo Jingdian died, and Mo Maoqia had to step in as director."
"Even though Nan Zheng destroyed Bei Mo and the wealthy Ruan family, Annan was still in a mess. . ”
“How can an era of chaos end so easily?”
The end of a period of chaos is always measured on a scale of a hundred years, such as from the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Sui Dynasty. It lasted for 361 years after its establishment. It lasted for 205 years from the Anshi Rebellion to Zhao Kuangyin's accession to the throne. It lasted for 165 years from the fall of the Southern Song Dynasty to the defeat of the Northern Yuan Dynasty in the 21st year of Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty.
This is true for both large and small countries. For example, the current Warring States Period of Japan has been fought for 116 years since the Onin Rebellion. It is finally ending in the hands of Oda Nobunaga, because the Ming Dynasty intervention once again became elusive.
The Ming Dynasty's request for these four million stones of food only accelerated the deterioration of the confrontation between the north and the south of Annan Kingdom.
"Take the juice out of the fire, add fuel to their fire, and sell them some arms!" Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and decided to step on the accelerator.
Zhu Yijun is also a scholar. Zhu Yijun is not lacking in the cruelty and ruthlessness unique to scholars. He did not try to reconcile the contradiction between the north and the south of Annan, but instead accelerated the deterioration of the situation.
The purpose is naturally to let them all be destroyed under the fierce conflicts, so that Ming Dynasty can take the opportunity to regain the Thirteen Divisions of Jiaozhi, or to achieve a result and stop pulling your hair like this.
Annan Kingdom is not a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, it is a vassal territory.
The official name of Annan Kingdom in the Ming Dynasty is: Annan Capital Commandery Division. Mo Maoqia, the tyrant of Northern Mo, was the Annan Capital Commandery and a second-grade military attaché.
This is all in name. Annan State is still independent in fact. The Ming Dynasty does not even have military control over it, because there is no garrison, only simple political control. The Ministry of Rites even directly Call it the Kingdom of Annan.
As the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he did not try to quell the civil strife in his territory. Instead, he added fuel to the fire and cooked the oil, fearing that the excitement would not be big enough. This is somewhat unforgiving.
However, Ming Dynasty takes priority, and Ming Dynasty’s interests come first!
"Sir, what do you think of Oda Nobunaga's request that the Ming Dynasty send coastal defense inspections to protect safety?" Zhu Yijun asked Zhang Juzheng his views on the establishment of the Japanese Kyoto Prefectural Special Investigation Department. Zhu Yijun simply stated I thought about it.
“It’s nothing to go to the Japanese country to lord it over the Japanese people. The soldiers of the Ming Dynasty did not go to the Japanese country to suffer.” Zhang Juzheng said solemnly: “Oda Nobunaga is actually opportunistic. The Ming Dynasty Once the coastal defense inspection is dispatched, even if it does not provide any protection, Oda Nobunaga's purpose will be achieved. "
"Because the arrival of the coastal defense inspection means that Oda Nobunaga is recognized by the Ming Dynasty. , even without the canonization of the Japanese king, he actually obtained a similar status to facilitate his next action."
"To be more clear, Oda Nobunaga asked the court to send a coastal defense patrol there. The fundamental purpose is to use the great power of tomorrow to determine where to go. "
The route Oda Nobunaga took before was that of the people of the world. He wanted to end the Japanese country's layered political structure. Changing the general trend of subordinates overcoming superiors in the Japanese country, refusing to accept the emperor's canonization as a general to conquer the barbarians, and not seeking the Ming Dynasty's canonization of the Japanese king, he followed the line of one-yuan autocracy.
But this road is no longer feasible. Oda Nobunaga, under the Ming Dynasty's many ins and outs, was completely unable to implement his "Tianxia Buwu" concept, that is, the idea of unifying the entire Japanese country by force. He settled for the second best and accepted the The Japanese Emperor conferred the title and became the new Azuchi Shogunate.
In addition to the canonization from the Japanese emperor, he also needed the canonization from the Ming Dynasty to complete the construction of the shogunate.
But the Ming Dynasty was not active at all in the matter of canonization. Ashikaga Yoshiaki was still alive, and Ashikaga Yoshiaki of the Muromachi shogunate was the Japanese king recognized by the Ming Dynasty. This was the ancestral law of the Yongle period. Even if the Ming Emperor had this plan, it would still be a huge challenge to the Ming etiquette.
Oda Nobunaga had many difficulties in obtaining the official canonization of the Ming Dynasty, so he changed his approach and asked the Ming Dynasty soldiers to garrison in order to obtain the Ming Dynasty's recognition in a roundabout way.
Even if there is no written guarantee for this kind of recognition, or even an imperial edict, this is the best way Oda Nobunaga can think of.
“It turns out that this is his plan.” Zhu Yijun kept tapping his fingers on the table and said with a smile: “Oda Nobunaga was so smart that he was misled by his cleverness. It is easy to invite gods, but it is difficult to send them away. Well, if the Ming Dynasty really sends a coastal defense inspection to Kyoto, I am afraid that the entire power of life and death of the Azuchi Shogunate will be in the hands of the Ming Dynasty." Put it in the hands of Ming Dynasty in exchange for non-existent recognition."
Zhang Juzheng exhaled and said: "He is betting heavily that Ming Dynasty will not do those dirty things, and he is also betting on the fate of the country. , regarded the future of the entire Japanese country as a bet, and put it on the gambling table. If he wins, he will be the number one hero of the Japanese country. If he loses, it will only cost him his life."
"The situation of the Japanese country cannot be changed. It’s broken.”
Zhang Juzheng considered this issue from a political perspective and immediately discovered Oda Nobunaga’s plan. He was not inviting a garrison, but was clearly a member of the Ming Emperor’s family.
Oda Nobunaga changed his banner and changed his previous plan to deploy military force across the world. He needed a force that surpassed everyone in the Japanese country to help him complete the U-turn.
Of course, the Ming Dynasty will get a lot of benefits from this process. The Ming Dynasty’s spying activities in the Japanese country will become easier and simpler after having official legal status. For the hydrogeographic survey of the Japanese country, The movements of various famous names in the Japanese country can be grasped in their hands, and the Ming Dynasty can more easily obtain Japanese silver and so on.
"Sir, do you think we should agree?" Zhu Yijun asked Zhang Juzheng's clear attitude.
Zhang Juzheng leaned forward and whispered: "Promise him to use Japan's coastal defense and customs as replacement items. The Ming Dynasty will set up a special coastal defense inspection and detection agency in Japan, stationed in Osaka Bay. In the future, the Ming Dynasty will be responsible for all the maritime trade and capital expenditures of the Japanese countries, and the anti-smuggling and capital expenditures will be owned by the Ming Dynasty. "
"In the name of preventing Japanese invasion"
Oda Nobunaga thought. It is not that Da Ming cannot give you what you want, but you need to pay a heavier price. How can Da Ming's recognition be obtained so easily? The fate of your Oda family is something that Ming does not care about at all.
Zhang Juzheng knew that His Majesty would definitely ask for his opinion. He even thought about the fig leaf, including anti-smuggling and preventing Japanese invasion. This was the need of the Ming Dynasty.
Coastal defense and customs are actually sea power. Zhang Juzheng asked Oda Nobunaga to completely hand over sea power.
"The Ming Dynasty's strategy against the Japanese is to destroy the Japanese, so sea power is crucial. The Japanese also have a navy. If they unite, they will still have some troubles. It is better to divide them." Zhang Juzheng gave a complete discussion own plot.
Is this a plot to gain sea power or to prepare for the destruction of Japan, rather than reconciliation.
If the Ming Dynasty really intended to reconcile, it would have found a way to keep the Japanese state in a balanced state where no one could do anything to anyone, and thus maintain maritime security, instead of adopting such an offensive stance.
(End of this chapter)