Although many nobles in the Japanese country were unwilling to perish and annihilate their country, they rebelled one after another, but they were all like moths flying into a flame, to no avail.
Moreover, as the Japanese people obtained their own land or found jobs in the newly opened factories of the Ming Dynasty, they became more and more accepting of a peaceful life, and were unwilling to support the rebellion of the Japanese nobles. They even condemned and hated many Japanese nobles for continuing to rebel. the behavior of.
The Japanese state was completely destroyed and became a province of the Ming Dynasty. It was inevitable.
Many Japanese nobles themselves understood this and were very sad because of it.
"Yamato, it's gone!"
Nambu Toshinao, a nobleman of the Morioka clan who fled to Korea, cried sadly in front of a group of friends, and then resolutely committed suicide by committing seppuku.
"It's pity that our world, Yamato, has existed for thousands of years. Now, in just a few decades, it has been completely destroyed by the hands of the Ming Dynasty! We can no longer see our ancestors!"
Ishihara Morinobu, a Japanese aristocrat who studied in the Ming Dynasty, also committed seppuku and committed suicide.
For a time, many Japanese nobles committed suicide out of despair.
As for the civilians of the Japanese country, they did not feel the pain of the country's subjugation.
Because after ruling here, the Ming Dynasty, which no longer needed primitive plunder, greatly reduced the tax burden, and took advantage of the large amount of cheap labor here to move many low-tech but highly dangerous factories here, giving them There are many jobs for civilians here, which has greatly increased the income of civilians here.
As a result, these civilians finally began to have a surplus of wealth, instead of just working hard not to starve to death, and therefore they could afford to buy a large number of cheap industrial products from the Ming Dynasty.
As a result, the living standards of these civilians have been greatly improved.
They have no objection to the rule of the Ming Dynasty, and are even very happy. Under the propaganda of the government, they are also willing to believe that the Ming Dynasty has rescued them, and they should indeed be grateful, grateful to the man who lives in the distant capital of the Ming Dynasty. The Bodhisattva is also the great Ming Emperor.
After all, praying to Bodhisattva is not effective, nor does it relieve the pain of life.
But the Holy Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, the Emperor of Tianqi, Zhu Youxiao, really brought them an improvement in their lives.
Even the scholars among the common people were very willing to accept the rule of Ming Dynasty, and were even grateful.
Because these scholars among the common people finally got the opportunity to become bureaucrats through the imperial examination.
And they are also very active in receiving Chinese education.
Just like the people of the Rakshasa Kingdom, the people of Japan also used their own cheap labor to obtain cheap industrial products from the Ming Dynasty, thus solving the problem of overproduction in the Ming Dynasty.
But in this context, no one expected that Ming Dynasty would transform from an empire that invaded countries around the world to an empire that rescued human beings around the world.
And this pace did not end just because one or two countries were annexed.
Because the Ming Dynasty continues to have new populations, these people need employment, income, and a better future.
And Ming's productivity is also constantly improving.
Therefore, the total production volume is still increasing, the demand for the market is still increasing, and the commodity market needs to continue to be expanded.
This also means that Ming Dynasty needs to continue to annex other countries.
The current Ming Empire is somewhat similar to the Great Qin Empire at the end of the Warring States Period in history.
Historically, the Qin State implemented a military merit system that allowed civilians to advance to the nobility through military merit and own land. As a result, the empire had to continue to expand outwards as its population grew.
The same is true for the Ming Dynasty now. In order for the newly born Han people to have very good jobs and enough wealth, the Ming Empire had to continue to expand and annex until it could no longer annex.
"Next, North Korea must also be included in the territory of my Ming Dynasty! The common people there also need to have the ability to consume. The Li family and his bureaucrats have gone too far! Taxes have increased year after year, so that the people are struggling to make ends meet! We need our help Master Wang, go and rescue him! After all, I am the lord of the world, and I should be a benefactor to the whole world!"
Zhu Youxiao stood in the main hall at this time. After speaking to his ministers, he waved the sleeves of the emperor's robe and ordered: "The Privy Council and the Cabinet will immediately discuss who will be sent to lead the troops in North Korea and who will be appointed as the Governor of North Korea! In addition, , I declare that North Korea will be renamed Lelang. This place has been the soil of our Han family as early as the Han Dynasty. It was just that I couldn't bear to deploy weapons here to hurt the local people, so I never cared about it! But now the Li family has no virtue and should be taken back. , for my land of China!”
"According to the order!"
…
"The first movement to save the common people of all mankind started at the end of the 44th AD and was launched by the then Emperor Apocalypse. He completed the unification of the earth. This achievement is unmatched by all recorded emperors in ancient and modern times. It is truly He is the emperor of the ages!"
A historian and writer from the Ming Academy of Social Sciences later recorded what Zhu Youxiao was doing at this time when he was writing "The Biography of Tianqi".
The A.D. mentioned here is not the A.D. of the world before the time traveler Zhu Youxiao traveled through, but the A.D. based on the newly compiled Yellow Emperor's calendar.
When Zhu Youxiao decided to annex North Korea, the current king of North Korea, Li Di, also learned from Ye Yuanzhang, a Japanese nobleman who had taken refuge in North Korea, that Japan was annexed by the Ming Dynasty and its local nobles were deprived of their status.
And because of this, Li Di couldn't help but said to his ministers: "Now it seems that it is only a matter of time before the Ming Dynasty annexes Korea! They are afraid that they will also rescue our common people and untouchables, and will not recognize the status of the Yangban!"
The classes in the Joseon Kingdom are divided into yangban, middle people, ordinary people, and untouchables.
Among them, the middle people are the class established by King Injo of Joseon.
The two classes here are the aristocratic class, that is, the scholar-bureaucrat class.
Therefore, the two classes mentioned by Li Di at this time are the nobles of North Korea.
"How did China become like this! In the past, it was just a matter of plundering our country, North Korea, and killing our North Korean officials. Not to mention, now it wants to annex the entire world!"
North Korean Minister Song Shiyeol also echoed this.
"Why should our untouchables rely on the Celestial Empire to save us?! Why should such a Celestial Empire respect them as their sect leaders!"
Another minister, Yin Xuanju, also echoed.
"But the Celestial Empire is not our enemy. If we really don't respect it as the suzerain, we will just give up on its words and make it more conducive to annexing our country! My dears, it's better to think of other ways. What should we do to avoid being exposed? The country is annexed!"
Li Di asked as he spoke.
At this time, Minister Xu Mu stood up resolutely and replied: "The only way is to reform and implement the new policy of reform and development!"
Li Di therefore replied: "My beloved, please speak."
"Your Majesty, I have studied in China and have carefully inspected it. As far as I know, China has reached this point because after the steam engine appeared in the country, the rate of its production of goods increased sharply, and a larger market was needed. consumption, and the domestic market of the Ming Dynasty can no longer meet its consumption, and even the existing foreign markets cannot meet its consumption. Therefore, what the Ming Dynasty actually needs is the market, so it continues to expand."
Xu Mu replied.
"But didn't North Korea do business with it? Now the whole country, the homes of the rich, and everything in their clothing, food, housing and transportation are not made from the goods of the Ming Dynasty? Are they still not satisfied?"
Li Di asked.
"Your Majesty! Now the Ming Dynasty does not need our wealthy people to buy its rare things, but it needs a large number of our common people to buy their ordinary goods in large quantities. Therefore, if we can enable our people to buy their ordinary goods in large quantities, , they will give up annexing us!"
Xu Mu replied.
After hearing this, Li Di nodded and said, "Keep talking."
"yes!"
Xu Mu continued: "So, we need reforms and we need to take the initiative to increase the income of our Korean people. The first thing to do is to reduce and reduce taxes. This will increase the people's income, and then they can purchase Ming Dynasty goods in large quantities, and it can also be regarded as winning the hearts and minds of the people. , but it cannot cut off the income of the imperial court, so it is necessary to impose heavy taxes on rentiers and at the same time strengthen the army. And when the time comes, as long as our country is united and ready to fight to the death, the Ming Dynasty will definitely be afraid and will not be willing to annex our country. way to expand the market!”
"Absurd! Our Kingdom of Korea has always been based on the scholar-bureaucrats of the two classes, so we exempted and exempted them from taxes to ensure the eternal peace of the royal family. How can we be so mean to the scholar-bureaucrats and impose heavy taxes now?!"
Song Silie was the first to object.
"Your Majesty! This is what the Ming Dynasty did, and it was able to achieve its current prosperous situation. Before their emperor completely abolished the corvee and land tax, he first implemented the system of paying grain to the officials and gentry as a whole! Cancellation of the gentry's preferential treatment! Only then did they have enough financial resources to Enrich the people and strengthen the army!"
Xu Mu replied.
"Nonsense! The Ming Dynasty has greatly increased its national power because of its good luck and the sudden appearance of the steam engine! As for harshly criticizing the gentry, it did not help much. Instead, it made its kings notorious in the country for being mean, unkind, and cruel. ! Do you also want our king to be so infamous?!"
Yin Xuanju also loudly questioned Xu Mulai.
Xu Mu also argued: "If the emperor of the Ming Dynasty had not dared to damage the surplus of the gentry and make up for the lack of national funds, how could he have abundant official funds and organize tens of thousands of people to develop steam engines, so that the Ming Dynasty had such a powerful machine?!"
"alright!"
Li Di quickly waved his hand to stop the quarrel between the two parties.
There are also serious party disputes in the court of the Joseon Kingdom, which have never subsided. Nowadays, the phenomenon is likely to intensify because of the Ming Dynasty's annexation of Korea.
Therefore, Li Di had no choice but to say: "Let's discuss the reform later. Now let's talk about whether there are other ways."
"Why don't we take the initiative to ask the Ming envoy! Let the Ming envoy give us an idea."
Song Shilie replied.
Li Di nodded and replied: "Just do this."
Therefore, Song Shilie, the Right Councilor of North Korea, followed the king's order and prepared a courtesy visit to Han Zhiyuan, the Ming Dynasty's envoy to North Korea, and asked how North Korea would get along with the Ming Dynasty in the future and whether it would be annexed.
But Han Zhiyuan replied: "Since you regard yourself as Little China, you should have the consciousness to completely surrender to China. I don't know what your Majesty will do, but no matter what your Majesty's will is for you, North Korea, my It means that you all must obey the order and must not have any illusions of disobedience, otherwise the consequences will be more serious!"
"yes!"
Song Shilie replied with a sarcastic smile.
"Let us obey the order of the Ming Emperor. In other words, if the Ming Dynasty really wants to annex my kingdom, we can only accept the arrangement of being annexed?"
After hearing the envoy's answer from Song Siyeol, King Li Di of North Korea was quite disappointed and couldn't help but said: "What should I do about this?"
Li Di did not have the courage to reform and strengthen himself. Of course, he was also afraid that he would be drowned by the dignitaries of his country before he succeeded, but he was not willing to let the Korean Kingdom be annexed by the Ming Dynasty, and he was no longer the ruler. Reduced to the same level as ordinary civilians.
"It would be better to send a mission directly to the Ming Dynasty and bribe the important ministers and even the emperor of the Ming Dynasty with heavy money or beauty. In addition, you can also directly find out the attitude of the Ming Dynasty emperor. Of course, if a stunning person can enter the harem of the Ming Dynasty emperor, , it is a better thing to be favored by the Emperor of Ming Dynasty and to be able to give some advice to our Korean people from their pillows!"
"In this case, perhaps the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty only wants to cede me a piece of land, get another sum of money, or even the right to build railways or mines, etc., but not to annex my Kingdom of Korea!"
"Even if it doesn't work, we can move to the Americas like the Japanese shogunate. We also have our own colonies in the Americas. Although they are all obtained by the Ming Dynasty, there is no such threat as the Ming Dynasty in the Americas. We may be able to rebuild our country!"
Yin Xuanju started talking at this time.
"You think about bribes, you think about ceding territory to pay compensation, you think about escaping to America, why are you not willing to reform and strengthen yourself! If it is not just to save the people of your country and make the people of your country equal to the scholar-officials, why do you need the Ming Dynasty to do this? We ourselves It can be done well! At worst, when the time comes, the goods of the Ming Dynasty will be exempted from tariffs and free trade will be allowed. The Ming Dynasty will benefit from our market and no longer want to waste national funds to conquer our country! Especially if our country can strengthen itself and have the potential to The words of the Master of War."
Xu Mu spoke angrily.
Song Shilie rolled his eyes at Xu Mu: "Xu Gong said that self-improvement through reform is equivalent to self-destruction. Letting the head of Guizhou be ranked with the scholar-bureaucrats is actually self-destruction of ethics and self-destruction of the world! How is this different from being annexed by the Ming Dynasty?!"
"That's right! This is an act that goes against the benevolence! Rather than letting the untouchables of our country succeed in Guizhou as Xu Gong said, it is better to return them all to the Ming Dynasty!"
Yin Xuanju continued: "The key now is that the Ming Dynasty also has a great corruption of etiquette, and it is difficult to say that it has Chinese etiquette. As the saying goes, if you want to cure the chaos, you must first rectify its roots. In the opinion of the minister, you must make etiquette a reality." To restore, our Kingdom of Korea will not be destroyed. We need to rectify the etiquette of the Celestial Dynasty first, so that the country of the suzerain can return to the right path, so that our Korean vassal state can also return to the right path! Sending envoys to the Ming Dynasty is not just to bribe the kings and ministers of the Ming Dynasty. , This is just a technique, but there should be a way, that is, sending the country's great scholars to the Ming Dynasty to encourage the upright gentlemen of the Ming Dynasty to work with them to support justice, and even help the righteous people in the Ming Dynasty to restore ethics and stop practicing such tyranny."
"Excellent!"
Li Wei nodded and said: "We are told that Yin Qing has been promoted to Zuo Yizheng and is in charge of this matter. He will first select beautiful women of his age from all over the country and offer them to the Ming Dynasty. The whole country will not be allowed to marry during this period. Otherwise, Once found out, they must be dealt with strictly! At the same time, famous Confucian scholars with noble moral character must also be selected to serve as missions to the Ming Dynasty to lobby; in addition, rare and rare treasures must be purchased from all over the country as gifts to the Ming Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty must not be used The country underestimates the respect of North Korea!"
Xu Mu couldn't help but hurriedly remonstrated: "Your Majesty! This will only cause the officials to take this opportunity to exploit the people more! No one knows how many people will be ruined just by purchasing this item! In this case, I'm afraid it won't wait until If the Ming Dynasty invades, we will die first!"
"Xu, you are brave!"
Song Shilie roared and said hurriedly: "Your Majesty, please punish Xu Mu for his arrogant words and treason!"
