"What do you think is the most important thing for a country?" Wei Zhongxian said thoughtfully.
"Well, I thought it was military power. Military power is the most important. I have read history books and understood a truth. As long as military power is in hand, all other problems can be solved. Just like the current system in Japan, samurai have established three shogunates in succession. , which eclipsed the emperor who clearly had actual power during the Sui and Tang Dynasties."
Wei Zhongxian nodded and said: "You are right, military power is the foundation of everything. The reason why I failed is because I did not master the military power. However, if you want to master the military power, there is another prerequisite factor."
Matsumoto Shigeru immediately asked: "What is that? Please ask Wei Gong to clarify my doubts."
Wei Zhongxian pinched it with his thumb and index finger and said with a ferocious expression: "That's money, that's silver."
Matsumoto Shigeru nodded immediately. It's true. Without money, soldiers won't listen to you.
These days, being a soldier is not to protect the emperor and the court, but to support your family in Hukou. As the saying goes, if you raise the recruiting flag, you won't have to worry about food.
"The same goes for the imperial court. Without money, nothing can be done." Wei Zhongxian continued: "I was originally a member of Concubine Zheng's family. I snatched the emperor and fought against Donglin during the palace transfer. And the emperor, father and son are all Donglin supported me. Normally when Tianqi came to power, I should have disappeared from the world, but why did he become so successful and powerful?"
Wei Zhongxian put his hands behind his back, looked into the distance, and said lightly.
If there is a level of equipment 13, at this time, Duke Wei will definitely be at full level.
Looking at Shigeru Matsumoto, my heart is filled with excitement and infinite admiration.
Look, this is the real boss and big shot from heaven.
I don’t know when I will be like Wei Gong, who wakes up to hold the power of the world and lies drunk in the lap of a beautiful woman. The emperor, courtiers, and generals were all under control.
"That's because I discovered a secret, a big secret that determines the success or failure of the imperial court and the life or death of the emperor."
"What secret?" Shigeru Matsumoto asked excitedly, his mouth dry.
"That's taxation. This is the basis for the survival of a dynasty." Wei Zhongxian stretched out his right hand and grabbed it forward, as if he had caught something in the air.
"Your Majesty also understands this. He knows very well that only I can get money and keep the court running. Otherwise, the Ming Dynasty will collapse."
"Why must Wei Gong handle this matter?" Matsumoto Shigeru continued to ask.
"Because there is a question of who to collect money from." Wei Zhongxian said with a smile.
Seeing that Matsumoto Shigeru didn't understand, he continued: "The court is short of money, so it has to get money. One is to collect money from the people of the Ming Dynasty. Anyone can do this. Just torture them if they don't pay. Give it to dogs. A piece of cake can be tied to the neck, and a dog can do it."
"Mr. Wei is really funny, haha," Shigema Matsumoto said with a smile.
"Alas! I also come from a poor background, and I know the situation below better than anyone else. The people are already barely making ends meet. If you don't want the government to force the people to rebel, it's best not to increase their burden." Wei Zhongxian said helplessly.
"So, only those who have money can increase taxes. The rich businessmen in Ming Dynasty are rich, the landowners are rich, and the workshop owners are rich. People who smuggle at sea are rich, and those who mine privately are rich. But behind them all are It's a civil service group. Anyone who dares to collect their money is like swatting a fly on a tiger's head."
Shigeru Matsumoto nodded in agreement and said: "Yes, Japan is the same. It only dares to increase taxes on the common people, and does not dare to collect taxes from daimyo, samurai, and merchants."
"But you Japan has the favor of God. You don't have to force the people. You can dig out money just by digging in the ground." Wei Zhongxian also said with some envy.
"Iwami Ginzan" Matsumoto Shigeru said loudly.
Wei Zhongxian nodded to indicate that the boy could be taught.
He sighed in his heart, his mother, how come there is no such good thing in Ming Dynasty. If there was such a mine, would I still have to fight to the death with Dong Lin?
"If that day comes and General Tokugawa won't let you survive, you should know what to do." Wei Zhongxian said enigmatically.
"Hi! Thank you, senior, for clarifying my doubts. I will never forget this great kindness to the 300,000 members of my sect." Shigeru Matsumoto bowed ninety degrees and said excitedly.
"Mr. Wei, I'm leaving. It's a very important matter. I have to go see Madam immediately." Matsumoto Shigeru said solemnly.
Looking at Matsumoto Shigeru hurried away, Duke Wei showed a sinister smile. Yang Fan had been exchanging letters with him. This was all agreed upon by the two of them.
There is no need for Yang Fan to personally occupy these gold and silver mines. This will cause a fierce war. This is the stupidest way.
All he had to do was provoke a war within Japan. Yang Fan had supplies, but Japan had no resources except gold and silver. As long as there is a fight, he is afraid that the money will not flow into his hands like running water.
The Japanese shogunate is now in financial difficulties like the Ming Dynasty. But Japan has an advantage that Ming Dynasty does not have.
Because Japan is an island formed by the compression of the Pacific Plate and the Asian Continental Plate, the crust is extremely unstable, small earthquakes occur almost every day, and volcanic activity is also frequent.
However, strong geological movements brought disasters to Japan and also brought rich gold and silver deposits.
The shogunate controlled the gold and silver mines and could use gold and silver to directly offset the fiscal deficit. In order to maintain the operation of the government and the salary of the warriors.
As long as you have money, you can stabilize the domestic situation.
At this time, the silver mined in Japan every year mainly came from a silver mine called Iwami Ginzan.
As long as this silver mine is controlled, the lifeblood of the shogunate will be strangled. The general was immediately unable to support his own warriors and troops.
However, it took less than a hundred years for the silver and gold to be mined.
For a long time, although Japan has been sitting on "golden mountains and silver seas", it has not been able to effectively exploit them.
Because their mining technology is not good.
So much so that copper coins imported from China have been used as currency for a long time. This embarrassing situation lasted until around 1530.
At this time, Japan's "Warring States Period" kicked off. In order to expand their military power in troubled times, the "Daimyo" in various places actively developed silver mines in various places. Used to import supplies.
It just so happened that at this time, new European technologies such as the "ash blowing method" and the "amalgamation method", a typical silver smelting method in traditional Chinese smelting technology, were successively introduced to Japan.
After acquiring the most advanced smelting technology from China and Europe, more than 50 gold mines and more than 30 silver mines were developed in a short period of time, and Japan's precious metal output increased significantly.
By the 1590s, which was the late Wanli Dynasty, its silver production once accounted for 1/4-1/3 of the world's total production. 225 tons of gold were mined.
During the heyday of Japan's overseas trade (1615-1625), Japan exported as much as 130,000-160,000 kilograms of silver every year!
This is equivalent to Ming Dynasty's 4.27 million taels of silver.
From 1600 to 1700, the output of Iwami silver mine accounted for one-third of the world's silver production at that time.
After the Summer Battle of Osaka, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's faction was defeated, his subordinate daimyo was deprived of vassal territory, and the Iwami Silver Mine was monopolized by the Tokugawa family.
Therefore, as long as Iwami Ginzan is controlled, the Tokugawa family will be choked.
What’s even more interesting is that the silver mine is less than thirty kilometers away from the Sea of Japan.
Yang Fan can supply Mrs. Masuda with unlimited amounts of armor, swords, guns, muskets, and even small three-pound infantry cannons.
As long as she can pay. It doesn’t matter how much you want.
Yang Fanzi read this history carefully. Under the pressure of the shogunate, the Tianzhu believers finally launched the Shimabara Revolution. embarked on the path of armed confrontation.
In the end, they failed because they were isolated and helpless. After all, the power of the shogunate was much greater.
What if Yang Fan helped them. Will they still fail miserably?
Reunion was banned from trade by the shogunate and refused to open to trade. Spain and Portugal, which were massacred and persecuted missionaries and merchants, then brought the Dutch with them.
Britain and France had already taken root in Goa and Bombay, India. It also has a certain amount of power.
At this point, there seems to be a lot to choose from. There is a lot of room to operate.
Wei Zhongxian coughed as the cool sea breeze blew.
"Wei Gong, it's windy outside, we should go back," Li Huaishu advised from behind.
He led a team of thirty fusiliers to protect Wei Zhongxian's safety. He knew that Wei Gong's adopted daughter was now the master's concubine. Or the Director of Intelligence. Wei Gong's safety is of great importance.
"Locust tree, why did I see a boat coming? Why is this boat so fast?" Wei Zhongxian wiped his eyes and said.
