In July, the sun is like a brazier scorching the earth.
The horses coming from Hetao all looked tired, but along the way to Beijing, there were scenes of wheat harvests. Compared with previous years, the suffering of the heat wave was nothing.
In recent years, the situation has been good, and there has been no trouble in the imperial court. Especially since the private horse herding policy has been cancelled, the burden on the people has been lightened, which is why we can have this scene of curling smoke.
What he and his group sent to him were the memorials sent to the emperor from the governor of Hetao.
When Zhu Houzhao saw it, Wang Shouren had already led his army deep into the desert. Even though he was more trustworthy than him, he still felt a little worried without the final result.
It's just that you can't let the ministers see it.
It just so happens that something big happens.
Today, Attendant Jing Yang will officially leave for Ningbo. Due to the monsoon, the day can no longer be postponed. After arriving in Ningbo, he will go to sea by boat with Deputy Admiral Shen Guangxun of the Navy and visit various countries.
This is an official trip, so every time he goes to a country, Jing Yang has to meet with the official heads of the countries. It doesn't matter whether they are serious kings or rebellious generals. The important thing is to convey the voice of trade and peace among the great Eastern countries.
To this end, silk, porcelain, tea and the most precious cotton textile embroidery in the south of the Yangtze River will be stored on the ship, as well as silver and gold.
If the other country is willing, then Jing Yang will also submit a letter of credence, send greetings on behalf of the emperor, and at the same time conclude friendly commercial relations in the name of the two heads of state in order to expand the scale of trade between the two countries in the coming year.
If the other country is unwilling, the tone Zhu Houzhao has set for him is to leave him alone. If the other country wants to be isolated from the world, then leave it to him and lock it away for decades. In the future, it will become even more backward and easier to deal with.
This was the first time since the Sanbao eunuch's voyage to the West that the Ming Dynasty organized an official team to go to the ocean. In addition to expanding trade, this trip also had another purpose, which was to become familiar with the shipping routes.
And this is related to Zhu Houzhao's next policy.
Outside Fengtian Gate, the emperor held a grand farewell ceremony for Jing Yang. He paid tribute to Jing Yang just like Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty treated Zhang Qian. Because the journey was long and he had to face various difficulties and obstacles, even whether he could come back alive was a question. Therefore, before he left, the edict to promote him to the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Prime Minister had already been issued.
Now Jing Yang is a serious diplomat in the Ming Dynasty. He represents the emperor's will, and his actions are the policy practice of the Ming Dynasty.
Zhu Houzhao also knew that in this era, such a trip was not much different from risking one's life, and compared with one's life, official position was nothing, so he said that this tribute was sincere.
“Since Pangu created the world, three emperors established the country, and five emperors established the territory, our Chinese people have gathered on the banks of the Yellow River and multiplied on the banks of the Yangtze River. For more than a thousand years, the borders of the Han people have been continuously expanding... until our emperor Mingding established the world, I realized how big the world is, not only the Central Plains, but also the vastness of thousands of miles... There are also many countries. My minister Zhu Houzhao adheres to the will of heaven and the will of his ancestors, determined to revitalize the glory of the Han people... Now I am sending the foreign affairs minister Guan Jingyang to travel to all countries. , promote our country’s prestige, and promote our border trade..."
All the ministers thought that the emperor just read a poem like this to cheer up Jing Yang. Unexpectedly, the emperor also added the words "the government and the people work together to open up the ocean" in the words of practice.
Although it is just a small sentence, the connotation behind it is huge.
In fact, the Ming Dynasty had a road guide system. Even on land, it was not easy for people to move around at will, let alone on the sea.
The road guide system is a policy to control the flow of people. It had a positive effect on stabilizing social order, but now that the commodity economy has gradually developed in the Ming Dynasty, it has become somewhat hindered.
It seems that it is just a matter of getting a certificate. This shows that he does not understand the way of doing things in the government.
Just put it this way, if you go to a yamen, will you have to pay another yamen for the sacrifice? Is it the price of one more certificate if I apply for one more certificate? Where can it be as simple as running an errand?
To extend it further, it is possible that when you run over, someone will tell you that there are some prerequisites. For example, you must first prove that you are a local. You said my father is from the local area, well, you prove again that your biological father... is your father. In short, if there is no money, there are many ways.
All kinds of policies will almost become quite complicated under the layers of alienation. This is a knot brought from the mother's womb and is difficult to resolve.
Of course, as the feudal dynasty gradually decayed, various policies were returning from reality to paper, and the road guide system was also one of them. In the middle and late Ming Dynasty, this binding force had become much smaller, and there were even geographical features like Xu Xiake Scientist, traveler.
But Ming Dynasty is now reviving ZTE!
As the bureaucracy gradually regains its vitality under Zhu Houzhao's strong control, its accompanying systems will naturally be uncovered.
This runs counter to the development of the commodity economy. Zhu Houzhao has considered that even in the Jiangnan region, where the private commodity economy is developed, regional abolition or relaxation of some controls can be a phased goal.
Then he considered that in fact, all the policy systems of the entire feudal dynasty were adapted to the small peasant economy. Anyone who has understood some political economics will understand this.
A popular explanation is that the political atmosphere and policies that emphasize agriculture and suppress business will not give birth to free trade for another thousand years.
What kind of cause you sow, what kind of result you get.
Now this 'fruit' of the Ming Dynasty has been changed a little by Zhu Houzhao. The more prosperous the commodity economy is, the more it will conflict with various current policies.
It is impossible to control and oppress politically and yet be full of vitality economically.
The road guide system is just one of them, including the previously relaxed banknotes.
In fact, it is unknown how many of these policies there are.
Therefore, most fundamentally, Zhu Houzhao wanted to establish a consensus that the court should formulate appropriate policies for agricultural and industrial development and make small-scale, gradual improvements in inappropriate places.
But this is so difficult.
The ancestral system is immutable and is almost an insurmountable mountain these days.
Presumably, it would be better only to gradually build up the awareness of the civil servants in this regard through practice, and then ask them to come up with solutions to practical social problems.
All radical reforms must be carried out with great caution.
This is exactly what Zhu Houzhao is doing now. He did not say anywhere that he would cancel the road guide. He just mentioned one more sentence in his words of practice to encourage the people to go to sea on their own.
In this situation, it is not easy for everyone to interrupt the process of practice and to fiercely oppose it.
What's more, sea trade has been open for ten years, and people have already gone to sea. This change is from the previous default to the current encouragement.
After Zhu Houzhao finished reciting, his expression remained as usual. He glanced around, and the courtiers had no objections, but still focused on Jing Yang.
Jing Yang was wearing a red robe and official hat, with a solemn look on his face. He raised his hands flat to receive the credentials handed over by the emperor, "I will obey your Majesty's will and go through fire and water without hesitation!"
"Remember, when you leave the country, you are a courtier of the Ming Dynasty. You represent me and the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, you must treat others in a neither humble nor arrogant manner. Remember also that I will never forget any of my courtiers. If you are in danger, you will send someone to the Ming Dynasty no matter what. If someone comes back with a message, I will raise an army to attack him!"
These words are domineering, but the key is that they are not empty words. Why did Japan make the emperor so angry? One of the important reasons is that the Japanese threatened and insulted Ming officials!
"Thank you for your grace!"
"Please get up quickly." Zhu Houzhao faced the officials again and said: "I said a few years ago that the sea is also a territory. I read history books and found that Japanese pirates also invaded the Central Plains during the Song and Yuan Dynasties, but at that time they were only for scabies. , and in this dynasty, the troubles of Japanese pirates have become more and more serious. Times have changed, and it is not as good as the Han and Tang Dynasties. If the sea is not the frontier, the security of the coastal areas will be handed over to others. The pirates and bandits on the sea can come and leave when they want. Killing people and plundering things, as if entering uninhabited territory, has caused the people along the coast of the Ming Dynasty to live in fear every day, and the national prestige of the Ming Dynasty has also been completely lost. This situation must be changed!
Today, I take the opportunity of Jing Yang's voyage to the sea to expressly instruct all ministers, coastal provinces and our Ming Dynasty Navy. From Liaodong in the north to Guangdong and Guangxi in the south, all our Ming Dynasty territory near the sea is also our Ming Dynasty territory and is under the jurisdiction of our Ming Dynasty. Merchant ships can freely Passage is allowed here, but warships are not allowed and must not approach without authorization. The same goes for Japanese pirates and pirates. In this way, by isolating sea dangers, we can protect our people! "
There is no international law at this time, and Zhu Houzhao will not set a specific distance to limit himself. Anyway, it is offshore. How close is considered depends on the situation.
"I am definitely not looking for great success, but based on reality. Since the maritime ban was lifted, Ningbo, Zhoushan, Quanzhou and other places have been prosperous for a while. There are hundreds of thousands of merchants and farmers living there. Every year, half of the court's tax money goes to sea trade. Southeast Asia If it is stable, the Ming Dynasty will be stable. If the southeast is shaken, the Ming Dynasty will be shaken. Shouldn't we strengthen the defense of such a critical place?! We need to know that the dangers of the sea are not weaker than the dangers of the Great Wall."
The Great Wall border troubles are more important because the emperor is here.
Now that the status of the southeastern coast has become more prominent, sea problems naturally need to be taken seriously.
In fact, defeating Japan does not mean that the Japanese pirates will disappear. The more fiercely they rob Japan, the more severe the Japanese pirates may be, and people have to find a way to survive.
Fengtianmen, the emperor is wearing a dragon robe, making this sound on such an occasion, this is the imperial edict.
Wang Hao and Yang Tinghe were on guard, and all the civil and military officials knelt down one after another, shouting in unison: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"
"Get on your feet." Zhu Houzhao looked into the distance, "I have set the general direction. Officials from various places must be careful not to mislead the people at will, saying that the ocean is not important. In the decree issued by the imperial court, the ocean and the southeast coast must be The importance of Ming Dynasty is elaborated in detail so that this concept can be deeply rooted in people's hearts as soon as possible."
Today, the seventh day of July, was a day he chose specially.
With the blessing of this emotion, what Jing Yang did had an extra layer of meaning in his eyes. He very much hoped that Jing Yang could return safely so that the Ming Dynasty could establish contact with the world and fully participate in the great era of navigation. among.
(End of chapter)
