Xinshun 1730

Chapter 463 Comprador is the road of no return
"Heaven is healthy, and a gentleman strives for self-improvement. Although the Dutch can rely on them for help, they cannot rely on the Dutch. In the end, we must rely on governance to strengthen ourselves."

Although Tokugawa Yoshimune praised his son for daring to think, he also believed that his second son was not a cowardly and incompetent master of success.However, the idea of ​​a war between Dashun and the Netherlands is not considered possible.

In the past, he was also the standard way of thinking of Japanese aristocrats, and even the world would give way to his plan for things he planned.

But the reality slapped him hard. It wasn't just the Sino-Japanese war this time, but he knew in his heart that the insurance reform he led had actually failed.

From being determined to reform, it has become tinkering, which ultimately does not help.

It's just that in his heart, he feels that it's not that there is a problem with his reform thinking, but that it's just "odd luck" and bad luck.

"The ancients said: It is up to people to plan things, and it is up to heaven to make things happen."

"Presiding the reform for my father, but the way of heaven is impermanent. Originally, rice was too expensive. Although rice is expensive and gold is cheap, it is so expensive that it is outrageous.

"Cultivation of land has just been effective, but the weather is favorable once in a hundred years, and the summer is warm for three consecutive years. The yield per mu is the highest in a century, so rice is so cheap that no one cares about it. The samurai uses rice as a salary. A lot of money."

"Father managed to stabilize the price of rice with great difficulty, enriched the finances, abolished the rice system, and re-entrusted the feudal vassals to attend the throne, and there was a little more money in the treasury."

"As a result, two consecutive years of cold summers immediately ushered in. In the Kansai area, there was no harvest, and millions of people were starving.

"Fortunately, there are sweet potatoes and coinage reforms, and finally there is no great chaos. But after the natural disaster, there was another man-made disaster, and the Tang people came to attack again..."

"Nowadays the people of Tang are oppressed. If you want to be independent in the future, you have to start with internal reforms. However, how difficult is it to change? It's up to people to plan things, and it's up to heaven to accomplish them. If heaven doesn't grant it, what can we do?"

"If the sky doesn't grant it, what can I do? What can I do?"

Tokugawa Zongwu did not approve of Tokugawa Yoshimune's self-evaluation in his heart.

A few words if God does not grant it, it shows that Tokugawa Yoshimune thinks that he is unlucky and caught up with natural disasters, which led to the reform to the present, which is a mess.

But Tokugawa Munetake discussed with his cronies and aides, and boldly said that some people think that the idea of ​​reform itself is wrong.

Even Munetake Tokugawa believed that many of his father's reforms were done at the stroke of his head.

Some use the idea of ​​being a feudal lord to govern a county to govern the whole of Japan, and use the experience of reforming the Wakayama feudal lord before becoming a general to guide the entire Japan. This is simply impossible to succeed.

Some things, which are good governance in a village, will not work at all if they are promoted nationwide.

Some policies may be implemented under a vassal with hundreds of thousands of shi, and the people applaud, but if they are promoted throughout the country, it will lead to a disaster.

For example, Tokugawa Munetake thought that the reform failed the most, or that the whole toss could be called "reform" rather than "repair", and it didn't last for two years.

When Tokugawa Yoshimune was a feudal lord, he witnessed the development of the commodity economy, which led to the gradual disintegration of feudal land ownership.

The people have no money—ask the merchants for loans—mortgage the land—repay the money—the merchants annex the land—continue to lend—more and more mergers.

So as soon as Tokugawa Yoshimune took office as a general, he immediately issued a policy: prohibiting the sale of land mortgages.

After the decree was issued, all land mortgages were illegal.

Before the decree was issued, the mortgaged land would be redeemed in seven years at an annual rate of 15.00% of the mortgage price.

As a result, the decree was issued, and in less than two years, Japan was in chaos.

How can the already poor people who want to pledge their land pay back the 15.00% annual land price?
And some common people cooperated, took the newly issued decree, went to the businessman to ask for the land directly, refused to pay, and made a fuss, thinking that they had paid enough interest before.

After the businessman saw this decree, he also saw the scene of the common people partnering to acquire land. They would rather the local people starve to death than lend money to the peasants.

All the vassals are poor, and tributes are being increased vigorously, and the people have even more money, unable to survive, and can only borrow money.

Merchants dare not borrow or take the pledged land, causing the people to simply throw away the land and go to the city to seek a living. There is not so much work to do in the city, and the law and order plummets.

The land was thrown away, the countryside was withered, and the price of rice skyrocketed. Because of financial difficulties, all the feudal clans asked businessmen to borrow a lot of money.

Taking advantage of the soaring price of rice, the feudal clans just happened to pay back the money, otherwise they would not be able to pay back the rice price, so they continued to pay tribute in order to collect more tribute rice during the peak rice price period and return it to the merchants at a discount.

The higher the tribute, the less the people can afford to grow land, and they have nowhere to borrow money, so more people throw away their land and run away...

What originally wanted to protect the small peasant economy turned out to be counterproductive, with rice prices soaring and land barren.

The shogunate and feudal lords and warriors only received tribute, but did not provide relief to the common people. Not to mention the young crop law in Japan, there is not even a Changping warehouse.

There is no green crop law, no official lending institutions, and no official control of all daily necessities such as firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, tea, etc. If we can achieve the legalist Guan Zhong's complete official control of the economy, we dare to cancel private lending.

This is no longer a slap on the head, it is purely brainless.

The result can be imagined.

Two years later, the only policy that could be counted as "reform" rather than "repair" was declared invalid.

As for how to reform, Tokugawa Zongwu also discussed in private with his cronies and staff, took the history across the sea as a mirror, studied it for a long time, and thought that what can be learned is the one who "holds high the "Zhou Ri" but practices business magic." bit.

Not seeking to enrich the people, but seeking to enrich the shogunate.

However, since Tokugawa Yoshimune believed that his reform was because God did not give him a chance, Tokugawa Sotake couldn't say anything at this time, and wanted to avoid this topic.

Now that he is not even an heir, if he bluntly proposes his own reform ideas at this time, if there is a disagreement, the chance of being the heir will be completely lost.

However, he wanted to escape, but Tokugawa Yoshimune did not let him go, and asked directly: "What is my son's opinion on future governance?"

Tokugawa Zongwu thought that he had some insights, but it was inconvenient to say it at this time.You have to wait for you to pass on to me and die before you can really have your own opinions.

Since he didn't dare to have his own opinions at this time, Tokugawa Zongwu only said: "Manpower is exhausted, whether the administration can be beneficial or not depends on whether it is bestowed by heaven."

"My son can't think so far, I can only talk about financial issues. In any case, the shogunate's finances must be reversed, otherwise it will be difficult to even spend money to buy firearms and drill flags."

"My son thinks that the government-run monopoly system should be implemented. For example, ware, copper ingots, etc., should be granted to big merchants for monopoly, so as to obtain the benefits of gold and silver."

"When the Tang people's goods enter the commercial port, we should also try our best to organize merchants to raise equity, grant them exclusive authority, and the shogunate will collect some benefits. Sell a large number of Tang people's goods to various feudal clans, collect tariffs, and obtain benefits."

"This way at least some gold and silver income can be obtained."

"With gold and silver, you can buy firearms and practice banners."

Tokugawa Sotake avoided the topic of reform, and Tokugawa Yoshimune could tell that Tokugawa Sotake was evading, but he also knew that reform was extremely difficult, and it was not something that could be said casually.

If the large-scale implementation of monopoly franchises, the support of royal merchants, and the support of intermediaries for trade with the Tang people have not touched the areas that really need reform.

Reform and reform, either go forward or go backward.

Going forward, the land will be merged, and the people will go to the cities. Japan has no colonies, no large export industries, and no workhouses.One step forward is bound to take two steps back.

Going backwards is the land variation well field system, prohibiting buying and selling, suppressing merchants, and canceling commercial activities. The shogunate monopolizes, implements the official craftsman system before the Spring and Autumn Period, and samurai decentralizes land. The whole of Japan is strictly frugal and completely feudalized. Break it again.

Going forward, going backward, it doesn't work.

However, Tokugawa Yoshimune did not have such a vision at this time. He always felt that there should be a path that could protect the shogunate, small peasants, and samurai, but he did not find it.

Tokugawa Zongwu avoided talking about it, and only talked about finances. Yoshimune did not continue to force him to talk, but warned some harms of compradors and supporting businessmen.

"This method can only be used for a while, but not for a long time. It is like the rice system, canceling the account of the pilgrimage, and asking the feudal clans to pay [-]% of the stone height instead of rice. It can be used when finances are lacking. Once it improves, It should be canceled immediately."

He can feel the harm brought by the "comprador franchise economy" to Japan.

It's like a glass of poisoned wine.

There is no way, if you don’t drink now, you will die of thirst.

I drank it. Fortunately, this glass of poisoned wine is chronic. As long as I survive this period of time when I am about to die of thirst, I will treat it slowly in the future.

Tokugawa Zongwu also knew the crisis inside, and said repeatedly: "Father is right."

"This method can be used for a while, as long as the politicians are sober and know that it won't work for a long time. Use it for the time being, first support those comprador businessmen, and when the financial situation improves in the future, you can abandon them."

Sotake Tokugawa is very confident, just like everyone who thinks quitting smoking, drinking and even drugs is really easy.

Use it now, and you can use it if you don’t want it in the future.

In order to show that he still has ideas, Tokugawa Munetake said: "In addition to this, we should also open source. If you can be self-sufficient according to local conditions, try to be self-sufficient to reduce the impact of Tang people's goods."

"For example, sugar and silk should be looked at separately."

"Those who produce silk have little production in their own country and occupy land. No matter what, they can't compete with the people of Tang."

"As for sugar, the people in this country are addicted to sugar, and there is no sugar cane in this country. But in terms of climate, it may not be impossible to grow it. If we can find out the method of planting, try planting in various places, and squeeze sugar by ourselves, then the Tang people will enter less sugar."

"First accumulate wealth through comprador franchises, and then divide this wealth into several shares."

"Part of it is used for training."

"Part of it is used to open up new fields and reclaim mountains and swamps."

"Part of it is used to grow sugar cane, expand marine products, specialize in papermaking, dig sulfur, etc."

"In this way, after 30 or [-] years, at least some goods can be sold to the Tang people, and the outflow of gold and silver can be reduced as much as possible."

"And this cannot be done without money. Therefore, knowing that switching trade is a glass of poisoned wine, I have to drink it for the time being."

Tokugawa Yoshimune nodded, this is a more realistic consideration.

The situation in Japan is completely different from that of Dashun. When Dashun is switched on and off, silver flies to the country; while in Japan, even if it is closed, the silver still flows out.

It is absolutely unrealistic to try to achieve a balance between imports and exports.Think realistically, that is, to accumulate the income from the comprador trade as principal and invest in some industries instead of squandering it.

After thinking about it, he asked again: "The people of Tang are strong and invincible. Do you think you can defeat the people of Tang by relying on military training?"

"Father, the military training is not to defeat the Tang people, but to prevent the Tang people from attacking again and grab more conditions. After the military training, we only need to wait for the world to change, and we will first cut down the feudal vassals, and then we can get stronger and take revenge."

Ji Zong sighed bitterly: "Has the world changed? I'm afraid that the world will change. The Tang Navy will go alone and go to Japan to become king on its own."

Tokugawa Zongwu shook his head and said, "Father's understanding of the world is from Ezo in his own country to Yangguan in China; from Korea to Annan."

"In today's world, are there only Tang people, Japan, and Korean Ryukyu Annan and other vassals?"

"When I say the world has changed, I mean when the Southern barbarians and the Tang people clash, and the Tang people have no time to look around."

(End of this chapter)