Li Jie has been thinking about why the imperial court strictly prohibited private trade in the past few years. The huge profits cannot be invisible to the imperial court. The income from tribute trade in recent years is just the tip of the iceberg. However, no one in the imperial court has proposed opening up the sea. Until recently, Li Jie It just dawned on me.
"Second uncle, in fact, in my nephew's opinion, the real reason for banning the sea is actually the word "ritual". The emperor sits in the center, receives the mandate of heaven, governs the world, and controls all countries with etiquette. Once the sea ban is opened, tribute will be With this unnecessary move, overseas countries will have private trading channels, and official channels will inevitably be affected, and the scene of thousands of countries coming to Korea will no longer exist."
Lin Han didn't expect Li Jie to think so deeply. It took him twenty years to understand this truth. Officials from Fujian and Zhejiang did not know the pain of the sea ban and did not want to do something for their hometown. However, the solid sea ban made it difficult for Lin Han to understand. People are intimidated.
"Shenzhi, I didn't expect you to see so clearly. Do you have any good ideas?"
Li Jie was frightened when he thought about this at the time. In the final analysis, this was a systemic issue. The Ming Dynasty, which was dominated by Confucianism, had a very difficult time getting the court to give up tribute, but Li Jie was not helpless.
"Second Uncle, if the imperial court stipulates that foreign trade must obtain qualifications through tribute, for example, the original survey only issued ten citations, but after paying tribute, the number can be increased. In addition, treaty ports will be opened in Fujian, Zhejiang, and Guangdong, and the draw method will be implemented. Imposing heavy taxes, one out of ten is one out of five, so that the imperial court can gain fame and enrich the national treasury."
Tribute trade is also called Kanhe trade, that is, the Kanhe is issued differently to each country. Each mission carries a Kanhe when paying tribute. It needs to fill in the personnel, tributes, etc., and then the Chief Secretary checks the book, and waits until the mission enters Beijing before sending the Kanhe. After detailed verification, trade can begin.
Except for Ryukyu, which is a country that does not need to hold Kanai to pay tribute, the other eleven countries in the South China Sea and the three Western countries all need to hold Kanai. In addition, the Japanese country is a limited Kanai country and is allowed to pay tribute once every ten years. The situation of Japanese invasion and the border The Tatars' demands for tribute are actually similar. They all want to start trade with the Ming Dynasty to make up for their own shortcomings.
Lin Han pondered for a long time after hearing this, and after a while he said: "Be careful, this method seems to have both sides, but there are still some problems with it. If you can't get the approval of most officials, it will be difficult to implement it. Not everyone can do it. Officials from Fujian, Zhejiang and Guangdong see it so clearly."
Li Jie thought for a moment and sighed: "That's it, second uncle, the time has not come yet. Although my nephew is now in the holy family, he is still like a rootless Ping. In the eyes of others, once I lose the holy family, I will lose my power." Even then, the foundation is still unstable.”
Lin Han is most satisfied with Li Jie here. It is very rare to have a clear mind. He will never overestimate himself, and certainly will not underestimate himself. If Li Jie wants to forcefully remonstrate, he will definitely try his best to dissuade him. Being too young and not having enough experience in officialdom makes it difficult to convince the public.
One year later, the important ministers of the court were standing around in the Wenhua Hall, and everyone was smiling. Today is the day for the sweet potato harvest in Shanglin Garden. According to the rough report from the previous supervisor of Shanglin Garden, a bumper harvest is inevitable. As for the final yield per mu, let’s look at today’s summary.
The atmosphere in the palace is very harmonious. Of course, there are also intrigues, but there are not as many as when Liu Ji was in power. Everyone still has the same idea in the general direction.
Like the previous disputes between the Xunqi Group and the Civil Service Group, as the national treasury has gradually become less and less full in recent years, the emperor, who is confident, has also changed his previous conservative attitude towards the outside world. In recent years, he has also intended to follow Chengzu's expedition to Mongolia and expand his territory. , Conquering the barbarians is an unspeakable temptation for any monarch. The conservatism at the beginning of the throne was also hindered by the situation. Times have changed, and nothing remains unchanged.
It is not difficult to see the joy in the emperor's heart from his words and deeds. It is rare that he did not discuss state affairs with everyone, but instead chatted about home affairs. Huaien stood beside the emperor and was smiling. It was difficult to tell from his face that he was full of joy. En is already in his late seventies, and the lifespan of a congenital master is far longer than that of ordinary people. Judging from his appearance alone, Wynn looks like he is only fifty years old at most.
Wu Tong, the left prisoner of Shanglinyuan (the fifth rank), came in a hurry. After saluting, he said loudly: "Your Majesty, I am so happy, so happy! Ever since Your Majesty gave the sweet potato seeds to the supervisor of Shanglinyuan, I have tried my best to not be careless. Supervisor Lin Yuan planted a total of 1,200 acres of sweet potatoes and harvested a total of 34,800 shi, with an average yield of 29 shi per mu."
Shanglin Garden belongs to the royal garden and covers a very large area, extending to Baihe in the east, Xishan in the west, Wuqing in the south, Juyongguan in the north, and Hunhe River in the southwest. It is neither under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Husbandry nor the Shuntian Prefecture. It is also managed by internal officials, with a total of eighteen eunuchs.
The management of Shanglin Garden is extremely strict. In order to plant sweet potatoes this time, the Emperor specially ordered to allocate hundreds of people to the cultivation. The left supervisor of Shanglin Garden was personally responsible for taking care of it, and the Ministry of Works was responsible for supervision.
Although Zhu Youtang had learned about the harvest a long time ago, he still couldn't help being excited when he heard the report from Shanglinyuan. The yield was nearly 30 dan per mu, and the requirements for the land were not high. This thing was really It comes from heaven.
"Okay! Okay! Okay! I'm so relieved!"
Xu Pu took a step forward and said: "Congratulations, Your Majesty! God bless the Ming Dynasty!"
The others also echoed after seeing this.
"Congratulations to Your Majesty! God bless the Ming Dynasty!"
The congratulations of the officials in the Wenhua Hall continued for a long time. Zhu Youtang waited until everyone calmed down and spoke.
"Lin Aiqing, this gift is given to you, and it is indispensable that I am able to love you today! I will be promoted to Zuo Chunfang Grand Bachelor (full fifth rank) as a great reward!"
Strictly speaking, promotion in the imperial court like today is not in compliance with the procedures. However, even if Li Jie is promoted to the third level with his merits, there is nothing wrong with it. What's more, it is only one level. Other important ministers are too lazy to care about this matter. Even if it is Liu Ke and Yu Shi also pretended not to see it.
Li Jie stepped forward and said respectfully: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty!"
Xu Pu looked at Li Jie who was saluting with a smile. Xu Pu had realized Li Jie's political talent since the beginning of the examination that year. He initially opposed Li Jie's decision to appoint him as Huiyuan, and later supported him all the way. , now he has finally entered the ranks of the fifth rank, and the next level up will be the fourth rank, officially entering the ranks of important ministers. Of course, the current Li Jie has already been an important minister, but he does not have the name of an important minister.
Xu Guan looked at Li Jie's still childish face and was filled with emotion. This man was only in his twenties when he became an official of the fifth rank. He was only one step away from the fourth rank. He thought that the day when he would step into the fourth rank was not far away. With Li Jie In the process of contacting Jie, he often inadvertently forgets his age. His actions are not inferior to those of veterans who have been in officialdom for a long time. He always has a refreshing way of speaking. He is truly a genius.
Zhu Youtang said enthusiastically: "I intend to spread it all over the world. Xu Aiqing obeyed the order and left the matter to Aiqing. I want Aiqing to spread it to every land of the Ming Dynasty within three years. Is there any problem?" ?”
Xu Guan said categorically: "I accept the order! I will live up to your majesty's trust!"
