Zhu Youjian's feudal colonial business turned out to be a loss-making business!
In fact, foreign colonial development is not a business that guarantees profit but no loss. Only by colonizing wild lands rich in precious metals and trading nodes on the sea, or directly invading countries that are rich but not strong, can it be easier to make a profit.
And the kind of feudal colonization that aims at exporting a large number of people and occupying large tracts of land will most likely have to endure long-term losses. Even if it can make a profit, it will be many years later. It is hard to say whether the Ming Dynasty will still be able to control these vassal states. , so it is impossible to expect that the vassal states created by this kind of feudal colonization can feed back the local people.
This is also the reason why Zhu Cixiang did not engage in this feudal colonial system in his previous life. It was not because he could not afford to lose money, but because this loss-making business actually used the wealth of the Ming Dynasty to subsidize the vassal states. Even if a vassal country only moved 20 thousand households (not counting the people who wandered over), and each household cost 200 taels of silver, 20 thousand households would be 4 million taels!
Opening a country with 4 million taels is definitely very economical. But that was also the wealth of the Ming Dynasty. Why should it be used to subsidize the vassal state? Therefore, Zhu Youjian's colonization mainly followed the commercial route, grabbing trade nodes, grabbing gold and silver mining areas, and at the same time deceiving a large amount of private and aristocratic capital investment - whoever invests will benefit!
And now under the rule of Chongzhen, how much income does the Ming Dynasty have in a year? How many 4 million taels can we get to compensate?
Currently, the five provinces of Beizhili, Shandong, Henan, Shanxi, and Shaanxi have very limited fiscal revenue due to natural disasters.
The 10 provinces that can still make money for Emperor Zhu are Lianghuai, Lianghu, Sanjiang (South Zhili, Jiangxi, Zhejiang), Sichuan, Guangdong, and Fujian. With Zhu Youjian's ability in tax collection and financial management, it would be great to be able to collect 60 million yuan a year.
And these 60 million have to support hundreds of thousands of troops and tens of thousands of bureaucrats, and deal with many necessary infrastructure projects. Some of them have to be used for disaster relief, and they have to be used to fight wars (the troops involved in combat really cost money. Almost like running water). Fortunately, Zhu Youjian didn't know about industrialization, otherwise he would have to spend part of his money to invest in steam engines and so on... Although the Ming Dynasty's annual surplus was not small, it could not sustain the large-scale colonial spending at a loss. Sales.
According to Bi Ziyan's estimate, if there were no particularly severe famines, no large-scale wars, and not counting the expenses of enfeoffing countries and titles, there might be a surplus of more than 20 million yuan a year. It seems like a lot, but since Zhu Youjian came to the throne, which year in the Ming Dynasty has there not been a major disaster? And according to Zhu Youjian, ten years after Chongzhen, the Ming Dynasty will undergo a catastrophe!
Even if there was no such thing as a natural disaster, the surplus of more than 20 million yuan this year could not help but be used by Zhu Youjian, the prodigal emperor and the Great Khan.
Because not only did he want to obtain the vassal state for a large group of sons, but he also wanted to entrust heroes! Even the youngest baron had to supplement 25,000 taels of silver or the equivalent in grain!
One or two barons may not be a problem, but Zhu Youjian is very generous in conferring nobility. Last time, he conferred 188 titles in one breath... Among them are the more "expensive" dukes, marquises, earls, and viscounts!
It’s true that being awarded a title is like running water, and spending money is just like running water! But this title had to be granted, and the money had to be spent!
Because Zhu Youjian regarded knighthood as a means of immigrating to the border, the lordships he awarded to seventh-level knights were either north of the Great Wall, on the island, or in the mountains in the southwest. These are the kind of territories that are difficult to control with floating officials, so this kind of ennoblement is actually used to replace the long-outdated military household system.
If 1,888 nobles could be granted in the Ming Dynasty’s frontier fortresses, wilderness, and islands, and each title granted an average of 1,000 households, that would be nearly 1.8 million military households!
Based on the calculation of one soldier from every ten households, wouldn’t there be nearly 200,000 troops?
And these 1.8 million military households are all sealed in the border areas, which can still suppress the local area and maintain stability in the border areas. Because dukes, princes, uncles and other nobles can easily obtain high-ranking officials, these border villages can also let the central court know more about the situation in the border areas, which really serves multiple purposes. The only bad thing is that it costs too much. One hundred taels per household, and 1.8 million households will have to spend 188.8 million yuan!
If you add the 400 million needed for a hundred feudal countries, it will be almost 600 million!
In his previous life, Zhu Youjian always felt that he was short of money, but the shortfall was only a few million. It's good now, I got 600 million in one fell swoop... That's the wealth of the Ming Dynasty in ten years!
Thinking of this, Zhu Youjian's good mood disappeared immediately, and he was not in the mood to talk to a group of concubines. He waved his hand and said: "This is the end of the discussion today. Ruolan will stay, and the others will rest first." Bar."
All the twelve concubines stood up and performed blessing ceremonies to Zhu Youjian, and then they left together under the leadership of Empress Zhou. Xu Ruolan stood up and bowed to Empress Zhou, and then watched the empress leave. Then she turned around, holding out her six or seven months pregnant belly, and said to Zhu Youjian with a smile: "Long live my lord, it's inconvenient for me to be pregnant. If the slave is not well served, you cannot punish the slave!"
"Serve?" Zhu Youjian was stunned. He immediately knew that this rich woman in charge of money wanted to leave. He smiled quickly and said, "Ruolan, it's not the time yet! I keep you here because I want to discuss making money with you." Oh, you sit down first, I need to call two more people." He then said to Wang Cheng'en, the eunuch who was waiting beside him, "Wang Cheng'en, go and call Brother Chun and Tea Girl."
Wang Chengen responded and trotted away.
Xu Ruolan, who was already sitting on a chair, looked at Zhu Youjian curiously and asked: "Long live Lord, we can just talk about making money. What do you want two children to do?"
Zhu Youjian said: "You will know when they come."
Xu Ruolan nodded and wanted to ask again. Zhu Youjian asked about Xu Ruolan's fetal movements. Xu Ruolan had been with Zhu Youjian for many years. She had been pregnant once before and gave birth to a girl. Now she was pregnant for the second time, and she was hoping to have a son. However, this time she was very active and kept moving in her belly, so Xu Ruolan thought it must be a son.
The two of them chatted for a while about the relationship between fetal movements and having children (actually it has nothing to do with it, it was just nonsense), then they heard the sound of footsteps, and it was the traitor who had arrived!
I saw Wang Chengen walking at the front, bowing and leading the way. Nizi, who is only 9 years old, has a strong head and a strong head. He is very energetic and walks with great momentum. Zheng Teagu was jumping up and down behind him, looking lively.
The two little boys arrived in front of Zhu Youjian and bowed respectfully. Then Zhu's nephew Dama Jindao stopped and ignored Xu Ruolan. However, Zheng Chagu had a sweet mouth and shouted: "Mrs. Zhaobao is well."
"Brother Chun, tea girl, please sit down."
As usual, Zhu Youjian gave Zhu Cihong and Zheng Chagu a seat together - Zhu Cihong was the emperor's nephew, so it was nothing to give him a seat. But the meaning of giving Zheng Chagu a seat is not ordinary.
Tea aunt has no identity now, she is just a little girl who accompanies her nephew to study... Wu Sanmei, who also accompanies Zhu Cixiang to study, does not have such treatment. Every time she sees Zhu Youjian, she has to get old Stand honestly.
Seeing the two children sitting down, Zhu Youjian smiled and asked Zhu Cihong: "Brother Chun, do you know how to make money?"
"My son knows!"
He is indeed a traitor!
Zhu Youjian nodded, now relieved... The 600 million yuan was found!
"Besides," Zhu Youjian asked with a smile, "do you know any way to make money?"
Zhu Cixiang glanced at Zheng Chagu, who was young but already a beauty, and then replied with a smile: "The best way I know to make money is to rob!"
"Rob?"
its not right! Zhu Youjian's heart skipped a beat. What the traitor is best at is not robbing, but lying!
"Is there any more?" Zhu Youjian asked again.
"Also," Zhu Cihong said, "you can also collect protection fees! You can also make loan sharks!"
Grab money! Collecting protection fees and lending usury! Why does this number sound so familiar? Who taught him? When Zhu Youji thought of this, he turned his attention to Zheng Chagu...
