Chapter 641 Only Arrogance Can Defeat Ming
Although Ming’s sea ban policy is open enough under the general trend of opening up the sea, it still needs ship pilots to smoothly enter Ming’s ports. If merchant ships do not have Ships and tribute ships that are not suitable will not be allowed to dock at the Ming port, and will even be treated as pirate ships for boarding inspection, expulsion, and annihilation.
The galleons shipped by Spain and Portugal every year are all tribute ships, not ships. They are tribute ships, not merchant ships. Qualitatively, the galleons trade is tribute trade, because the galleons are only Do business with the court.
Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and even England all have merchant ships operating in the Ming Dynasty's waters. They cannot reach the five major shipping companies in the hinterland of the Ming Dynasty and can only dock at the Manila Port in Luzon. They I am very curious about Ming Dynasty, but because of Ming Dynasty’s conservative trade policy.
It has become a fantasy for these believers of the Wisdom Sect to come to the Ming Dynasty for pilgrimage.
The main believers of the Daming Sect are the crew members.
People are always like this when they can’t get it. What they can’t get is always in commotion. The less they can see it, the more they want to see it. These merchant ships made a request to the Luzon Governor’s Palace in Manila Port. The Luzon Governor-General’s Palace had to pay attention to the demands of pilgrims, because if the Luzon Governor-General’s Palace did not respond in any way, these merchant ships would venture northward.
Going to sea these days is an adventure in itself.
So, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty received a memorial from Guo Zhengmao, requesting the opening of a pilgrimage route for these merchant ships to come to the Ming Dynasty for pilgrimage.
The culprit of all this is Xu Fan, who created the House of Wise Men.
"This issue is very complicated. According to the teachings of the Daming Sect, Your Majesty is not a god, but the incarnation of wisdom." Wan Shihe, as the Minister of Rites, was already sweating, but Wan Shihe still explained the issue. His Majesty said In the narrative of the Ming Dynasty, it is not God, but the incarnation of wisdom.
Xu Fan's House of Wise Men, the narrative of the Ming Dynasty he created, although hasty, is still extremely rigorous. The emperor is not a god. Fuxi, the innate gossip, is the creator god, and the emperor is the emperor. He is the human emperor entrusted by God to manage the human world, so it is very reasonable for the wisdom mastered by Fuxi, the creator god, to be transformed into an emperor.
“As for the reason why the Thai and Western people are convinced, it is actually very simple, that is, the Ming Dynasty was canonizing kings of Korea, Annan, Ryukyu, Japan, etc. In the East, the Emperor of Ming Dynasty is also canonizing the kings of other countries. In the eyes of Westerners, in their understanding, Ming Dynasty is the Holy See of the East." Wan Shihe explained why some people believed in Xu Fan's fictional Far Eastern Holy See. , because this is also true.
The canonization of the Holy See is a kind of shaping and maintenance of order. The canonization of vassal states by the Ming Emperor is also a kind of shaping and maintenance of order.
"How can Mr. Wange find a reasonable place for such a bizarre thing?!" Zhu Yijun said with a frown: "It is simply unlucky to find a way to stop the expansion of the Ming Sect. ”
As the emperor, Zhu Yijun believed that this was a kind of bad luck, but anything that had anything to do with gods and ghosts was undoubtedly bad luck. The emperor of the Central Plains did not need such illusory theories of gods and ghosts as a ruler. Base.
“I’m afraid we can’t stop.” Wan Shihe said with an embarrassed look on his face: “Your Majesty, Lin Fucheng and Li Zhi said in the section discussing the alienation of people by religion that if they want to abolish religion, then To get believers out of an environment that requires religion, believers need an imaginary other side to escape the cruel reality.”
“Your Majesty, the reason why the Daming Sect can affect so many people so quickly has even disturbed Your Majesty. , completely because it does not fictionalize the other side. The other side of the Ming Dynasty, that is, the Ming Dynasty, is real. "
The speed of the spread of the Ming Dynasty is astonishing, and it is entirely in its narrative. , the other side is not fictional! It is a real existence, even if you have not seen it with your own eyes, but the goods of the Ming Dynasty are distributed in Lisbon, and the teachings of the Ming Dynasty are also spreading everywhere with the flow of goods.
Silk, mountains of cotton, extremely hard iron pots, invincible firearms, invincible ships, etc., these are all what these captains and merchants saw with their own eyes, and they enjoyed it. Telling various legends about the Ming Dynasty to everyone he met further promoted the rapid spread of the Ming Dynasty in Western Europe.
The Ming Emperor and the Ming court were unable to do anything about this, because the emperor and the court could not free these believers from the environment that required religion.
“Your Majesty, North Korea calls the Ming Dynasty the country of its parents, the Kingdom of Heaven, Japan, Ryukyu, Annan, Siam, Ceylon and other places also call it this way. This minister really has nothing to do, and even if it is not Xu "Fan, with the opening of the sea, others have come up with something similar." Wan Shihe told the emperor that this was the inevitable price to be paid for the opening of the sea.
Because we have to deal with Thai and Western people, the existence of cultural differences requires each other to find rationality for each other's existence, so the birth of the Ming Sect appeared naturally. It would not have been done by Xu Fan. It was someone else who came up with this narrative structure.
"Pilgrimage is nothing! Ming Dynasty is not a holy place! Then Yuan Shen deducted the wages of the craftsmen for five years for such a small cost! If the craftsmen had not been intolerable this time, a beast like him would still have to Continue to be domineering and domineering! Is this what a holy land should be like?" Zhu Yijun was still very angry. As an emperor, he felt that the "Heavenly Kingdom" was scolding Zhu Yijun, the leader of the country, for being incompetent.
"Your Majesty, the forest is big and there are all kinds of birds, but the Ming Dynasty is the Ming Dynasty." Zhang Juzheng advised your Majesty not to be angry, as anger will harm your health.
This kind of thing happened yesterday, today, and will happen again tomorrow. It is as normal as the ubiquity of contradictions. With so many people in the Ming Dynasty, it is normal for this kind of thing to happen. This does not affect the Ming Dynasty at all. The fact that the Celestial Kingdom is a kingdom is because at this moment, for all countries in the world, Ming Dynasty is the most prosperous place and the holy land in their hearts.
Zhang Juzheng mentioned a small detail that went unnoticed. He whispered: "Your Majesty, the Thai and Western merchants are willing to pay."
"Oh? Pay? How much?" Zhu Yijun was stunned and then asked.
"A pledge of 50,000 taels of silver for a ship." Zhang Juzheng had read Yin Zhengmao's memorial, and he knew that people did not make the pilgrimage empty-handed.
"Pilgrimage is not allowed, tribute is allowed, let's talk about business, don't make it so complicated." Zhu Yijun thought about it again and again, and finally made an opening.
Zhu Yijun's decision was definitely not for money, but mainly for the stability of the coastal areas. Without making any openings, these Thai and Western merchant ships took risks in the Ming Dynasty coastal areas every day. Wouldn't this cause trouble for the coastal defense inspections?
Absolutely not for money!
Not everyone can pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty. The Luzon Governor-General will screen and screen all merchant ships. For example, if there is a conflict with the Ming Dynasty, the merchant ships of the Goa Governor-General's Palace will not be allowed to fight for two and a half years. It is allowed. For example, English merchant ships whose privateering licenses have not been revoked will not be allowed, nor will merchant ships suspected of carrying prohibited goods, smuggling, etc.
Yin Zhengmao, the governor of Luzon, had already listed the conditions when he reported to the court. After screening, in fact, there were less than twenty ships that met the requirements, and they only came to Ming Dynasty. You can stay briefly in the Wan Guo City of the five major shipping companies, with a maximum period of no more than fifteen days for trading.
And Yin Zhengmao provided more information about Taixi. These merchant ships could obtain a large amount of information that was difficult to distinguish between true and false without even paying money. After Yin Zhengmao sorted out the information, he reported it imperial court.
For example, the Ming Emperor finally figured out why Felipe was going crazy and insisted on attacking England.
Because English pirate ships attacked Seville and burned the main church in the center of the city. In this church, there are the remains of a person, that is, Columbus, who established Spanish maritime hegemony and discovered the New World.
In the fifth year of Hongzhi, Columbus was dispatched by King Ferdinand II of Spain, carrying letters of credence to China and India, and embarked on the great voyage. At that time, Columbus estimated that the Ming Dynasty was about one year old. The distance is thousands of miles, but in fact it is a full 40,000 miles away. If he knew it was so far away, I am afraid it would be difficult for Columbus to make up his mind to set off.
Columbus crossed the Atlantic four times in his life and discovered shipping routes, giving Spain a first-mover advantage in the Age of Discovery.
The Seville Cathedral was built for Columbus, and the copper coffin was lifted by four kings: Castile, Leon, Navarre, and Aragon. Also the four coats of arms on the Spanish coat of arms.
In the fifth year of Zhengde's reign, Columbus's remains were moved to Seville by his son Diego. After Diego's death, Diego's widow planned to move the remains of her husband and Columbus to Dominica in North America in accordance with her will. However, The Spanish royal family did not agree to this, so the Cathedral of Seville was built to house the remains.
Columbus was impoverished during his lifetime, but became even more privileged after his death.
As much gold and silver as Columbus's discovery of the New World brought to Spain, the main church of Seville is so magnificent.
The English pirate ships sacked Seville, and the coffin of the Four Kings was pushed to the ground. Because the copper coffin was too heavy, the pirates did not take it away, but this matter still became Felipe's heart. That thorn is the reason to attack the English mainland no matter what.
Felipe II did not write this in his credentials, because it was a shame and would be looked down upon by the Ming Emperor. Solon did not explain it before he was beheaded in public, so that the Ming Dynasty still worked as a maritime merchant. The truth came out of his mouth.
“After the ban on ironware, the price of ironware in the Ming Dynasty rose instead of falling.” Zhang Juzheng reported some noteworthy situations in maritime trade.
Iron weapons are not allowed to leave the customs. This has been common since the Han Dynasty. Han law: Hu City, officials and people are not allowed to carry weapons and iron out of the customs. Those who dare to offend will be cut off from the waist and abandon the city.
The Tang Dynasty added silk and satin, gold, silver and copper to the list of prohibitions. Anyone who crossed the western and northern passes also cut off the market.
In the early Ming Dynasty, there was a sea ban. The list of sea bans was extremely lengthy. When the sea was opened in Longqing, the Shipping Department of Yuegang City revised the list of goods prohibited from leaving the customs. In the second year of Wanli, the Ming Dynasty added an additional A ban on raw silk was added, that is, raw silk was not allowed to leave the sea, and stricter restrictions were placed on the outflow of silver, but the ban on ironware and silk was correspondingly relaxed.
“After the ban is lifted and the supply increases, shouldn’t the price be reduced?” Zhu Yijun said doubtfully.
"Your Majesty, this is true from the perspective of ironware alone, but after the market opened, the increase in supply was far less than the increase in demand, resulting in an even greater shortage of ironware in the Ming Dynasty." Zhang Juzheng briefly explained this phenomenon.
In short, commerce opens up the market and makes demand grow more vigorously.
“Take Guangzhou City Shipping Company as an example. There is only one item of iron pot, ranging from one hundred companies to two or three hundred companies, to five hundred companies and even to one thousand companies. This iron pot has increased from one silver per mouth to three silver per mouth, and it is still growing rapidly." Zhang Juzheng took out Wang Jiaping's memorial.
Wang Jiaping introduced the phenomena, problems, causes and solutions in detail in the memorial.
The reason for the increase in the price of iron pots is very simple. The world needs the iron pots of the Ming Dynasty. Iron pots, which were very common in the Ming Dynasty, are rare things around the world, as scarce as silk.
A ship with a load of 600,000 kilograms has an iron pot of more than 300,000 kilograms, and an iron pot can be exchanged for three taels of silver, fifteen kilograms of sandalwood, or the Thousand Islands Kingdom and Yuanxu Islands spices, twelve waist knives, and twenty kilograms of ivory. These are the prices at the Guangzhou Shipyard. When they arrive at the overseas trading destination, they are even more expensive.
In Wang Jiaping's memorial, there is another commodity in the Ming Dynasty that deserves the court's attention, and that is steel needles. In the Persian Gulf, a steel needle can be exchanged for a sheep, and the premium is so terrifying that even Zhu Yijun was surprised when he saw it.
Akbar, the king of the Mughal Kingdom, was extremely flattering to the Ming Dynasty because Akbar was so profitable as a second-rate dealer. Silk, cotton, and ironware were the three major products exported by the Ming Dynasty. The silver they brought back every year could be measured in tens of millions of taels.
"Governor Wang said in the memorial that strict restrictions should be set on sea vessels to prevent overloading." Zhu Yijun looked at the memorial in his hand and said with a bit of sadness.
The Guangzhou Shipping Department is checking overloading. No ship can be overloaded, because overloading has become one of the killers of maritime trade. The murderer of ships is human greed.
Iron has a high proportion. Overloading the ship will greatly increase the ship's dead weight, reduce stability and maneuverability, and reduce the ability to turn and resist wind and waves. Moreover, if the ship is overloaded, if it is not placed properly, the ship will capsize in a big wave. , and research by the Songjiang Royal Ship Design Institute found that overloading will cause the deformation of the overall structure, further reducing safety.
The more you install, the greater your profits will be. This is an unbreakable truth in sea trade. However, if you only pursue economic interests and ignore the safety considerations of sea trade, with a fluke mentality, the final result is often Losing his wife and losing his troops, he lost both his men and his wealth.
“Governor Wang has done a good job. According to what Governor Wang said, let’s start the pilot project in the Guangzhou Shipping Department. If it is effective, the five major cities’ shipping departments will implement it in the spring of next year.”
"However, if this decree continues, I'm afraid the court will be scolded for being too lenient." Zhu Yijun agreed to this management method. The opening of the sea was in full swing. New challenges and new problems appeared every day, and these were formed by experience. The rules are constantly improved in practice.
The quarrel between Zhang Juzheng and Wan Shihe did not come to an end in the end, because there was nothing to solve the dilemma. After reporting some trivial matters of the dynasty, when they were preparing to leave Tonghe Palace, a small Huangmen fell into the imperial study with a standard 'threshold fall', holding a Tang newspaper in his hand, and said with great joy: "Your Majesty, a great victory!"
"A great victory in the southwest, Duke Muchang of the State of Guizhou Zuo, Sichuan general Liu Wei, Yingyanghou Zhang Yuanxun, and Yunnan governor Liu Shizeng attacked the royal city of Toungoo in four directions and defeated it in three days! The Burmese thief Mang Yingli escaped alone! "
Xiaohuangmen! He explained the matter simply in a very fast and clear tone. This was a good news. It came from the southwest and was rushed to the capital from 800 miles away from the Duke of Guizhou. The Ministry of War did not announce the good news immediately, but waited for the coastal defense inspection to comfort the old port. Si Jie's report was passed to the capital, and after mutual confirmation, it was reported to His Majesty.
The royal city of Toungoo was captured by the Ming Dynasty.
"Okay! Okay! There will be many rewards!" Zhu Yijun said to Feng Bao: "Six hundred thousand silver will be allocated from internal funds to reward the frontline soldiers!"
There were less than 120,000 soldiers fighting on the Toungoo front line, and each person was rewarded with more than five silver. This was an additional reward. The court's merit-based rewards needed to verify military merit.
Zhu Yijun picked up the Tang newspaper, glanced at it twice, and suddenly said: "Feng Daban, you come back first, don't transfer the money first."
It is true that the battle was won, but the two The Fengtang newspaper all said one thing, that is, after the Ming Dynasty captured Toungu City, they chose to retreat. This is the reason why Zhu Yijun asked Feng Bao to come back. The battle was defeated, but he could not hold it, so he had no choice but to retreat.
The territory of Toungoo is the old Ming Dynasty's Three Proclaims and Six Weis, Mengyang, Luchuan, Mengen, Burma, Laos, Babaidaidian, Demasa, and Dakula.
(Sanxuan Liuwei Map)
This time, the Duke of Guizhou, the General Soldier of Sichuan, the Marquis of Yingyang, and the Governor of Yunnan advanced in four directions to attack Dongyu. After defeating them, they had to The reason for the retreat was that Ming Dynasty used two tactics, Tian Ji's horse racing and leaping frog tactics.
Tian Ji raced against the enemy's fortified city and sent a group of auxiliary troops, such as the local chieftains of Yunnan Province, to surround the enemy's fortified city without attacking or attack without breaking it. After the containment effect, the Ming Dynasty's superior troops bypassed the opponent's military stronghold and attacked Taungoo like a frog jumping on a lotus leaf.
However, after capturing Toungoo, we found that the supply line was too long and the military fortresses along the way were not removed. Moreover, because Toungoo's combat effectiveness was too low, it collapsed at the first touch and did not effectively kill the enemy's effective forces. They could only retreat and make plans later.
Yingyang Marquis Zhang Yuanxun and Duke of Guizhou Mu Changzuo have different opinions on this matter. According to Zhang Yuanxun’s idea, guarding Toungoo is not a problem. There is no need to worry too much about logistical supplies. They can be transported by sea. However, Mu Changzuo believed that the uncertainties of shipping were too great, and finally Mu Changzuo ordered the evacuation of Taungoo.
"Ascend to the Wenhua Hall and convene the five palaces and court ministers for a meeting." Zhu Yijun highly recognized the results of this battle, but the Ming Dynasty is no longer a head reward, but a battle line. The momentum of this attack It is huge, but there is no substantial change in the battle line. Whether it is a great victory or not needs to be discussed and judged by the court.
Zhu Yijun summoned all the court officials. Liu Xian, Ma Fang, Shi Maohua and others who were idle at the Jiangwu School were also summoned to the Wenhua Hall. The civil and military ministers of the Ming Dynasty gathered in the Wenhua Hall to discuss the Tang newspaper.
Qi Jiguang, Liu Xian, Ma Fang, Zeng Shengwu and others have been reviewing the progress of this battle in front of the map. The three Dukes who did not lead the troops, the British Duke, the Dingguo Duke and Duke Cheng Guo did not surround Kanyu Tu at all. They did not lead troops but only offered sacrifices on behalf of the emperor in the suburbs and in the mountains and rivers of the four seas, which was the duty of the high priest.
Qi Jiguang and everyone discussed for nearly half an hour, and the martial artists finally reached an agreement.
"There is no doubt that this is an out-and-out victory." Qi Jiguang first clearly defined the report as a great victory.
“This time a four-pronged attack on Toungoo was a heavy blow to the opponent’s morale, effectively killing more than 7,000 enemy soldiers. The city of Toungoo was broken, and Mang Yingli had completely lost his position as the king of Toungoo. The entire Taungoo defense line against the Ming Dynasty was already crumbling. Several mutinies had already occurred, including camp breakdowns, mutinies, killing of generals, surrenders, and fleeing. This effectively weakened the enemy's will to resist, and many defenses in Taungoo were The collapse of the front can be seen that the enemy's will to resist has collapsed. "
"In fact, it can be declared that Taungoo has been destroyed. After the new successor Mang Yingli was completely defeated, the chieftains all over Taungoo. It has actually escaped the control of King Taungu."
Qi Jiguang explained in detail why the warriors thought this was a great victory, because Taungoo had died.
The capital city was breached, but the country was still able to survive. It was the Tang Dynasty that was surviving, not Taungyu. Taungyu did not have such a stable dynasty.
After the death of Mang Yingli's father, he took over the power of Toungoo. Without getting enough support, he tried to stabilize his position by provoking and launching a war against the Ming Dynasty. After the defeat, he escaped from the capital. Mang Yingli had completely lost the people's heart to continue to be king.
Qi Jiguang continued: "I personally think that after the invasion of Toungoo, in order to reduce unnecessary losses, it is a very rational decision to evacuate Toungoo."
"The reason why I think it is rational is because the goal of this battle is not to completely conquer Toungoo King City. The main purpose is to verify the new tactics, Tian Ji's horse racing and leaping frog tactics. Tian Ji's horse racing tactics require absolute control of the battlefield. strength, and the leaping frog tactic requires a superior force with a huge advantage."
"During the conquest, Duke Qian and others discovered that the enemy was about to collapse at the first touch, and they could still remain calm and choose in the face of huge results. Retreating is rational. Ying Yang Hou Zhang Yuanxun is a naval general. He has enough confidence in the ocean, but we do not have enough understanding of the local hydrology. Simply relying on naval supplies is a military adventure. "
"So, it is rational to retreat."
Qi Jiguang also analyzed the reasons why he attacked Taungoo and then evacuated. The enemy was so weak that after the tactics were implemented, he directly defeated them. Arrive at Donggyu Royal City.
In the face of the huge victory, the frontline soldiers did not let the victory go to their heads. There are many uncertain factors in war, especially in away games. A plague may turn victory into defeat. The withdrawal is for better occupation in the future.
"Your Majesty, the current disagreements regarding the frontline generals are worthy of high vigilance. Your Majesty should inform the frontline that disagreements are extremely normal, but they cannot turn into internal strife. This is something the court will never allow. "
"The tooth soldiers and guest soldiers of the Old Port Governor's Palace can continue to rely on the superiority of the navy to continuously attack Taungu, while the Yunnan and Sichuan Han soldiers of the Ming Dynasty will stay put and wait for internal strife before attacking the people. "Cruelty."
Qi Jiguang gave further strategic planning. Qi Jiguang recognized Zhang Yuanxun's radical view of naval superiority and the conservative view of the Duke of Guizhou. This time, he defeated the Toungu Royal City. It can make Taungyu chaotic for a while, until everyone can't stand it anymore, and Ming Dynasty will continue the ground attack. But before that, the navy will continue to exert extreme pressure on Taungyu.
“After Qi Shuai’s analysis, it suddenly dawned on me.” Zhu Yijun was very satisfied, nodded and said: “What do you dear friends think?”
“I think that the front line should be rewarded. Soldiers, this is undoubtedly a great victory. Even if the battle line remains basically stable, rewards should still be given based on merit." Zhang Juzheng added his own point of view, that is, rewards!
If you win, you have won. If you win, you should be rewarded. This means clear rewards and punishments.
"That makes sense." Zhu Yijun said with great approval: "Feng Daban, send a reward to the Yunnan front line."
The imperial court's merit-based rewards are from the imperial court, and Zhu Yijun is given an additional reward. Since it was a great victory and each person received five silver coins, Zhu Yijun would never be stingy. Zhu Yijun had never been stingy in terms of rewards.
Instead of transporting 600,000 silver to Yunnan, you only need to send the acceptance bill to Yunnan. The acceptance bill can be exchanged for silver at the Yunnan government office, while Yunnan copper flows to the hinterland and silver flows to Yunnan. , to ensure that there will be no silver shortage in Yunnan.
The acceptance bill is an accounting currency, a silver-standard banknote. Yunnan has received the acceptance bill, which can purchase goods in hinterlands such as Huguang and Nanya, and can also withdraw silver.
Zeng Shengwu, who was born in the southwest, bowed his head and said: "I still think that to pacify Taungyu, a quick victory is not feasible. The terrain in the southwest is extremely complicated. I have been in the capital for a long time and do not know the rainforest. I may have an illusion. Taungyu , He is nothing more than a clown. If he talks about a quick victory, he will inevitably lose quickly. "
At this point, both the front and the rear will have the illusion that Taungoo is a broken house. It completely collapsed with one kick, but once we pursue a quick victory and ignore the objective unfavorable factors of the rainforest terrain, Taungoo is likely to become the graveyard of the empire.
Zeng Shengwu was a conservative. When the Ming Dynasty's war against Toungoo reached this point, there was only one possibility of losing, and that was to advance rashly, and that was arrogance.
With Ming's huge advantage, only arrogance can defeat Ming.
"What Da Sima said is very reasonable. A trapped beast is still fighting, so you should be careful." Zhu Yijun agreed with this very much. The Ming Dynasty was not in a hurry, but Taungu was in a hurry.
Until now, the southwest front has not asked the imperial court to transfer food and wages to Yunnan. The many campaigns against Luchuan in the early days of the Republic of China required the supply of food and grass from the hinterland. Transferring wages for half the world, the losses are really too great. In the eight years of orthodoxy, just It was to transport grain and grass for the conquest of Luchuan. Half a million civilians were conquered from Sichuan and Huguang at one time, and these 500,000 civilians were also eaten by horses.
At that time, Yunnan was not fully developed, and there were too few acres of land. Two hundred years have passed, and now there is no need to transfer wages from the hinterland. The cost of war has plummeted. The Ming Dynasty can now completely afford it. What can the Ming Dynasty do now? This is the reason why Taungoo was attacked using water mill skills.
"Then if there are no courtiers to add, just spread the good news to all directions." Zhu Yijun stood up, clenched his fists and said, "The Ming army is mighty!"
"Your Majesty is mighty! "Wu Xun, headed by Qi Jiguang, responded immediately.
(End of this chapter)