After Liu Bowen's persuasion, Zhu Yuanzhang planned to establish the Ministry of Commerce, but before doing so, he had to seek advice from officials.
On the second day, in the Fengtian Palace, the court meeting had just begun.
Zhu Yuanzhang sat on the dragon chair and said directly to the civil and military officials:
"The country of Ming Dynasty is now stable, but its business is in decline. We plan to create a new department within the imperial court to deal with business matters. What do you think?"
Hearing this, Liu Bowen and Li Shanchang looked at each other with a vague look in their eyes. They both lowered their heads and said nothing.
The other ministers were very surprised by Zhu Yuanzhang's novel idea.
How low is the status of businessmen? Who is responsible for this?
To put it bluntly, since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang has repeatedly suppressed businessmen, looking down on them without saying anything. When he was short of money, he directly confiscated the businessmen's homes and exterminated their clans, and used them ruthlessly.
To be honest, Zhu Yuanzhang is different from other emperors. He has had a natural dislike for businessmen since he was a child. Businessmen are as detestable as corrupt officials in his heart, so he will naturally not show mercy to businessman Zhu Yuanzhang.
But now Zhu Yuanzhang's attitude actually made a 180-degree turn, which immediately made the courtiers extremely confused.
Although Zhu Yuanzhang occasionally behaved strangely, the idea of establishing a new department, and it was also an exclusive department for businessmen, made the ministers feel at a loss what to do.
Lu Chang, the Minister of Household Affairs in the palace, was even more surprised and took the lead in asking:
"Does the Emperor want to develop business?"
Without waiting for Zhu Yuanzhang to answer, Lu Chang said to himself:
"Since the founding of our Ming Dynasty, the emperor has been implementing a national policy of focusing on agriculture and suppressing business. Now that the emperor wants to promote commerce, it may not be a good thing for today's Ming Dynasty."
"Although the people of Ming Dynasty are now stable, because our Ming Dynasty has only been established for six years, the people are still very poor."
"Developing commerce at this time will not only waste people and money, but also cause commodity prices to continue to rise, which is also a burden to the people."
"Your Majesty, please think twice before acting."
After hearing this, other ministers couldn't help but nod their heads.
It is true that we implemented the policy of focusing on agriculture and suppressing commerce, but that was before. Now that the Ming Dynasty has gone through that bitch Li Jin's torment, it is no longer what it used to be.
Thinking of this, Zhu Yuanzhang touched his chin and explained loudly:
"We are not saying that we want to promote business, but because business has always been too free and unrestrained, it will easily go wrong over time."
"Establish the Ministry of Commerce and bring commerce into the management scope of the Ming Dynasty, just like agriculture. In this way, merchants can avoid any inappropriate behavior."
As soon as Zhu Yuanzhang finished speaking, Zhao Xingquan, the Minister of Rites on the side, stepped forward to admonish him:
"Since ancient times, the imperial court has not competed with the people for profit."
"A family that receives a salary only needs to eat the salary and does not compete with the people for the property. Then the benefits can be distributed evenly and the people can have enough."
"If the imperial court enforces the management of business, I'm afraid many officials will use it to make profits, and even the people will be unable to make a living. I hope the emperor will take back his order."
Zhao Xingquan belongs to the wealthy Zhao family in the south of the Yangtze River. Their family has been engaged in porcelain for generations and can be said to be wealthy.
The reason why he opposed Zhu Yuanzhang's establishment of the Ministry of Commerce was simple: to compete with the people for profit.
It's just that this competition for profits with the people is not a competition for profits with the common people, but a competition for profits with aristocratic families like them.
After all, Zhao Xingquan didn't care about the life and death of Sheng Dou Xiaomin. He was just worried that if Zhu Yuanzhang established the Ministry of Commerce in the future and really wanted to integrate commerce, their porcelain business might become owned by the imperial court.
Once it becomes the management of the imperial court, Zhao Xingquan may not want to see the subsequent interest involvement. How can Zhao Xingquan agree to something that harms his own interests?
Unexpectedly, his proposals were rejected one after another. Zhu Yuanzhang felt a surge of anger in his heart. He looked at the group of ministers in front of him with a faint look and said in a cold voice:
"The role of the Ministry of Commerce is only to make decisions for the people, not to let these people do business, nor to blackmail the people."
Speaking of this, Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at Zhao Xingquan with his cold eyes, and asked sharply with a cold tone:
"Master Zhao, if you don't agree, are you afraid that I will steal your family's ancestral porcelain business?"
Zhu Yuanzhang established the Jinyi Guards, and he knew most of the status of the third-rank and above officials in the court.
Zhao Xingquan was the Minister of Rites, so how could Zhu Yuanzhang not understand him.
Zhu Yuanzhang's question made Zhao Xingquan so frightened that he broke into cold sweat and hurriedly defended:
"Your Majesty, I...I didn't mean that, I just..."
Zhu Yuanzhang interrupted directly:
"That's because we misunderstood Zhao Aiqing."
"Is Zhao Aiqing willing to dedicate his family's business to the imperial court?"
Hearing this, Zhao Xingquan suddenly felt a chill that shot up from the soles of his feet to the sky. He hesitated and did not dare to speak.
The other ministers also lowered their heads and looked at their noses and noses, fearing that they would be noticed by Zhu Yuanzhang. After all, which of these officials did not have the support of family property?
With the salary of the Ming Dynasty, they would have starved to death on the streets.
Seeing Zhao Xingquan's reluctant look, the smile on Zhu Yuanzhang's face disappeared, and then he snorted coldly, stopped looking at him, and asked the others:
"What do you think of my proposal?"
With Zhao Xingquan as an example, no one in the palace dared to speak anymore. Finally, the establishment of the Ministry of Commerce was approved in the court. Zhu Yuanzhang announced that Liu Bowen would serve as the acting minister of the Ministry of Commerce. From that day on, the Ministry of Commerce would be established to manage the world's commerce.
...
After the establishment of the Ministry of Commerce, local businessmen in various parts of the Ming Dynasty celebrated each other, and then more and more chambers of commerce began to be established in various parts of the Ming Dynasty.
Following the call from the imperial court, businessmen with extremely low status came to hear the call and enthusiastically joined the Imperial Chamber of Commerce.
After all, for businessmen, they have always been a group that has been disliked by the court, but now the court is suddenly ready to accept them. This situation makes a large number of businessmen unable to bear the attraction, and they all come in droves.
With the participation of businessmen, more and more money was invested in the construction of various parts of the Ming Dynasty.
The operation of the Chamber of Commerce has also begun to play a corresponding role. Merchants work together as a group to buy and sell. This active business atmosphere has greatly reduced the cost of finding goods for merchants.
After the cost comes down, the price will naturally come down. After all, the court has explicitly ordered not to increase the price of goods, otherwise it will affect the normal commodity economy, and the court will impose heavy penalties on these merchants.
However, there is no need to raise prices, merchants' costs are greatly reduced, and merchants' profits increase instead of falling.
The people also benefited from it. Due to Li Jin's reminder, Zhu Biao emphasized the importance of grain prices in the memorial. Low grain prices hurt farmers. Zhu Yuanzhang clearly pointed out that the price of grains must not be lowered or increased.
The interests of farmers are guaranteed, but the prices of commodities are getting lower and lower, and the savings of the people of Ming Dynasty are also slowly increasing.
Of course, it was the court that ultimately benefited.
The imperial court's attitude towards businessmen became more and more open-minded, and they were subject to the imperial government's management. This also made the merchants no longer restrained in doing business. They vigorously entered into joint ventures, and through the olive branch of the imperial court, they made more and more money.
As merchants earned more money, the imperial court's tax revenue also skyrocketed, and the Ministry of Household's treasury revenue increased. Zhu Yuanzhang was greatly surprised by this.
In just three months, commercial tax revenue has increased by 10% compared to previous years. Although Zhu Yuanzhang now looks down upon the money, the implication is indescribable.
Zhu Yuanzhang listened blankly to Liu Bowen's report, and the figure of Li Jin could not help but appear in his mind:
A capable minister in governing the world, a talented king and assistant!
