If the first two reasons are just superficial reasons why Ming Dynasty did not open mutual markets.
Then the additional problems brought about by the mutual market are the last straw that breaks this policy.
Although the grassland tribes are good at fighting, they are not without brains. Their plans for the Central Plains Dynasty do not only involve war.
As soon as the mutual trade opened, the number of craftsmen caught at the border doubled day by day.
Not only do they inquire about the troops and subordinates at the border and the storage conditions of grain and grass, but they even recruit local people and inquire about information for them. They are so pervasive.
Then there is the situation of smuggling. When the imperial court opened up mutual markets, there were fixed trading locations. For mutual trade, the proportion of commercial taxes collected by the imperial court was much higher than usual.
Therefore, in the early days of mutual trading, many merchants still chose not to go through the markets opened by the government, but to trade with the tribes themselves.
What's even more frightening is that these merchants not only trade supplies specified by the court, but also trade prohibited military supplies. Some are even bold enough to use border military information as trading items.
They were mixed in with the merchants who were doing normal business, and the yamen on the border couldn't tell them apart.
Various disadvantages emerged one after another, which directly caused the imperial court to only open the mutual market for a short period of time.
Subsequently, trade between the people and the Mongolian tribes was completely banned, and a small amount of trade communication was maintained in the form of tribute.
So in fact, from the perspective of Ming Dynasty, mutual trading is not worth the gain.
But Zhu Qiyu knew in his heart that the confrontation between the Ming Dynasty and the Mongolian tribes could not rely on war for a long time.
In addition to war, trade is also an important means to weaken the Mongolian tribes.
After pondering for a moment, Zhu Qiyu said.
"The disaster of the former Song Dynasty was certainly due to excessive mutual trading, but times have changed, and the enemies we faced in the Ming Dynasty were different from those in the former Song Dynasty."
Chen Yi thought for a moment and understood what the emperor meant, nodded and said.
"Yes, during the former Song Dynasty, Liao, Jin, and Xixia existed side by side. Each had its own plans against the former Song Dynasty, and they were constantly at war with each other."
"But after Genghis Khan, there are now only Mongolian tribes outside the Pass. Whether they are Tatars, Oaras or other tribes, they are not organized and are not a complete country."
This is one of the prerequisites for opening up mutual markets.
Whether it is Liao, Jin, or Xixia, they are essentially a well-organized country. Such an organized country can gain considerable benefits from mutual trade.
Through the operation of the state machinery, materials obtained from mutual trade can easily be transformed into comprehensive national power, thus threatening the safety of the central dynasty.
But it is different now. Genghis Khan, a generation of genius, destroyed Xixia, attacked the Jin Dynasty, and conquered the Western Liao Dynasty, building a huge Mongol Empire, and at the same time destroying the existence of these countries.
The tribal traditions of Mongolia and the geographical restrictions of the grasslands, coupled with the vast territory of the Mongol Empire, resulted in a loose organizational structure.
To this day, the organizational structure of the various Mongolian tribes is still a loose structure of Khan Court - large tribes - small and medium tribes.
Today's Mongolia is generally divided into Tatars and Oaras, but under these two large tribes, it is also divided into many medium-sized tribes.
In terms of centripetal force and concentration, this structure is actually inferior to the complete state machinery of Liao, Jin, and Xixia.
Therefore, the former Song Dynasty actually had no choice. If it wanted to open a mutual market, it had to be open to the entire Liao Kingdom, or to the entire Jin Kingdom.
But for today's Ming Dynasty, there are many choices.
Mongolia is no longer a well-organized country. If the Khan's court does not have enough control over each tribe, the Ming Dynasty can choose one or a few medium-sized tribes to trade.
After these medium-sized tribes develop, the first thing they think about is to attack the throne of the Khan Court, rather than invade the south.
Whether they succeed or fail, the internal friction for Mongolia will be huge. The war between large tribes will consume Mongolia's vitality.
Zhu Qiyu said: "In the former Song Dynasty, the Liao, Jin and Xixia were coexisting and wanted to annex each other. But now, there are many Mongolian tribes, and our Ming court can completely separate them through mutual trade."
"Therefore, as long as the imperial court can control the objects and quantities of transactions, it can completely make the grassland unable to take care of itself and unable to invade the south."
The relationship between the Ming Dynasty and Mongolia completed the transformation from war to trade. In fact, it started when Anda paid tribute. What followed was a change in the Ming Dynasty's policy towards border tribes.
By supporting weak tribes and confronting powerful tribes, tribes outside the pass can be plunged into long-term civil strife.
The longer the chaos continues, the deeper and heavier the accumulated hatred between the various tribes will be, and the less likely it will be to reconcile, so that the Ming Dynasty can reap the benefits.
Of course, this approach is not without its shortcomings.
That is, if there is another Genghis Khan-like figure who can completely unite the power of various Mongolian tribes, then the resulting war between the two countries will be extremely terrifying.
But this is difficult, not to mention whether a figure like Genghis Khan can reappear. It is said that times make heroes.
The Ming Dynasty's mutual market could actually, to some extent, serve as an intermediary between the grassland forces.
As long as it is used properly, this bud can be nipped in the cradle.
In fact, from Zhu Qiyu's perspective, the implementation of this policy is relatively more effective than a purely confrontational war.
It is impossible for the Ming Dynasty to remain strong forever, but it can use this method to keep foreign races relatively weak.
In terms of results, this approach is effective.
At least after Anda paid tribute, the Ming Dynasty had no large-scale wars with foreigners that could threaten the country's security for a long time.
The Ming Dynasty eventually fell, not because foreign nations became stronger through mutual trade, but because of internal strife.
So the mutual market must be opened!
Chen Yi frowned, obviously thinking about the pros and cons of this approach.
He did not have Zhu Qiyu's vision. All he knew was the history of the opening of mutual trade in the former Song Dynasty, which led to the prosperity of Liao, Jin, and Xixia, and ultimately played with fire and burned itself.
Even though the emperor has explained the difference now, this matter is still not something that can be decided so easily.
To be fair, if Zhu Qiyu hadn't known about the subsequent development, he might not have dared to take this risk.
This is exactly why reformers in past dynasties are admired.
They are true pioneers who can stick to their beliefs and explore a path without hesitation even when they know nothing about the future.
This fearless adventurous spirit and strong self-confidence in facing the unknown are not something everyone can possess.
Seeing that Shen Yi was still having trouble making a decision, Zhu Qiyu decided to give him a tough blow.
Shen Yi was struggling, and suddenly felt that the emperor's mood was a little low.
When he looked up, he saw the emperor's expression was complicated, he sighed quietly, his eyes were mixed with a bit of helplessness and unwillingness, and he said softly.
"I wonder if Shen Qing has ever thought about why Tuo Tuo Bu Hua suddenly withdrew his troops when the war between Ming Dynasty and Ye Xian was at its peak?"
Chen Yi's eyes widened, an incredible guess welled up in his heart, and he breathed quickly and said.
"Is it possible that Wang Jianzhai..."
Zhu Qiyu nodded and said.
"Yes, at that time, Wang Wen was ordered to go to Liaodong as an envoy and had a secret edict from me."
"It is stated above that as long as Tuotuo Buhua is willing to withdraw his troops and stop attacking the Ming Dynasty, then after the war, the Ming Dynasty court will open trade to him and help him defeat Ye Xian and regain control of the Khan Court."
