Back to Ming Dynasty with Industrial Revolution System

Chapter 807 An Impossible Provincial System (Part [-])
"Mr. Sakai, you must be crazy. That's a salary of 12 shi!" The shogunate ministers in the secret room felt incredible. Tadakatsu Sakai of the great vassal wants to voluntarily give up 12 shi of land, which is equivalent to abolishing himself as a commoner!

Sakai Tadakatsu said slowly: "Please listen to me, gentlemen. It is understandable that you think I am crazy. Our enfeoffment system is already far behind China's centralized power system, and we are unable to concentrate power. No matter how we change it It doesn't help. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a regime centered on the shogunate, and implement the provincial system like China, so that it is possible to keep pace with them. Our territory can be divided into eight large provinces, each province There are state capitals under it, and counties under the state capital."

The shogunate ministers were silent.Even if they know how terrible the explosive power of Huaxia's centralized power system is, they also know that such a system is stronger than the enfeoffment system in Japan, but their big names are the beneficiaries of this system and vested interest groups.There are thousands of people under the daimyo's rule, and there are more than 10,000+ people. How can it be possible to give up this power so easily?

Tokugawa Iemitsu was also feeling uneasy at this time. Even Tokugawa Ieyasu failed to collect the land of all his subordinates into the hands of the shogunate.The only one who could have done it was Oda Nobunaga, though he was killed early on in the Honnoji Incident.

"I disagree. Although the provincial system has many advantages, it is not necessarily suitable for our Dongying situation. If we want to forcibly take back the land in the hands of the various vassals, some neutral vassal lords will definitely turn to the rebels. The rebels led by the Shimadzu family The army is huddled in Kyoto and Osaka, and may counterattack the Kanto at any time." Aoyama Xingcheng said.

"I also oppose it." Some shogunate ministers said.

The ministers that Tokugawa Iemitsu recruited were all the most loyal retainers of the Tokugawa family, and even they opposed this measure, which made Tokugawa Iemitsu, the head of the family, helpless.The biggest difference between Chu Yun and him is that the Central Plains is used to centralized power, and the local government has a strong centripetal force towards the central government.On the contrary, Dongying tends to be similar to the cracked soil feudal lords in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty.

"But gentlemen, you have to think that once we fail to reform, we will face the possibility of massive invasion by the Kyushu Army at any time. At that time, we will lose not only the land, but also our heads! The shogunate can grant various privileges to the feudal lords who surrendered their land. By investing in the factory and becoming a big businessman, a big chaebol, life is no worse than now, and there is no worries!" Sakai Tadakatsu said bitterly.

These landowners, however, showed little interest.In their eyes, warriors are the noblest class, and merchants are inferior.

"After the implementation of the provincial system, you can still be appointed as the highest officials of a province, and your status is also honorable..." Tadakatsu Sakai wanted to persuade them.

"Enough." Tokugawa Iemitsu stopped Tadakatsu Sakai's earnest words. He already knew that most of his men were unwilling to give up the land they held in their hands. "Even if the provincial system is not implemented, I think we should be able to adopt other measures. Measures for self-improvement. Tadakatsu Sakai, you explain other reform measures to everyone.”

"Yes." Tadakatsu Sakai looked like a defeated rooster, feeling a little lost. "The Kyushu Army relies on three people: schools, factories, and newspaper offices. Schools train talents, factories produce a steady stream of goods, and newspaper offices control editorials. Among them, factories as the key point, and musket and artillery factories are the most important. We should set up factories in various important cities, introduce machines and technicians, and develop firearms comparable to the Kyushu Army, so as to compete with the Kyushu Army. The shogunate will be in Edo The city established the Edo Ordnance Factory."

It was only after hearing that musket and artillery factories were to be built that the ministers regained their interest.During the Warring States period, daimyos competed for the number of matchlock guns. They knew that muskets and artillery were good things.

"In territories with mines, iron ore should be mined and transported to Edo Castle for the production of ordnance. For each feudal lord, the shogunate will require it to set up corresponding factories according to the size of its territory, such as textile factories, smelters, Sugar factory. At the same time, we call on all places to boycott Chinese goods, so that we can benefit from the establishment of factories.”

"In addition, the shogunate will set up the Edo University in Edo Castle to fight against the Tokyo School. At the same time, there should be a university in various places. In addition to the university, there should also be private schools to spread new learning. After all, we can only send to the mainland to study. A very small number of people, most people need to be cultivated in our native land to reduce the illiteracy rate."

"The newspaper office is no exception. We will form the Edo newspaper office to compete with the Kyushu newspaper office!"

Tadakatsu Sakai listed the main reform measures, almost all of which were copied from the measures of the Kyushu Army that he could see.

"Sakai-san, if all of our territories are going to set up colleges, where should the teachers who teach new learning come from? And what language should they teach in?"

The ministers of the shogunate below were talking a lot. It is hard to find people who can read, and people who need to learn new things are simply embarrassing them.

"We will recruit teachers from mainland China, and the teaching in the university will naturally be in Chinese." Sakai Tadakatsu said helplessly.

Now people who know new learning are all Chinese. If you want to learn new learning, you must use Chinese textbooks.And there are teachers who know both Chinese and Japanese. There are Dongying students in the Tokyo Academy, but they haven't graduated yet.

"This..." The ministers of the shogunate stared wide-eyed. This change came and went, isn't it exactly the same as what the Kyushu Army did in their territory?

"You may think that we are just helping the Kyushu Army to do what they have done, but these things are in the hands of our shogunate, and they are completely different concepts from being in the hands of the Kyushu Army. If the Kyushu Army controls these things Things, they will fully control us." Tadakatsu Sakai knew that he was just a toddler in Handan, but he had no choice!

This is already the autumn of the shogunate's life and death, as long as there is a promising approach, you should try it!

"I've decided. I want to join the mission to the Chinese mainland." After Sakai Tadakatsu introduced the main issues of the shogunate reform to everyone, he announced temporarily to everyone.

At present, the only reform measures he can think of are the actions of the Kyushu Army in Edo Castle, but he wants to see how the Chinese mainland works.

"Approved." Tokugawa Iemitsu pinned his hopes on Sakai Tadakatsu.

If it wasn't for staying in Japan to defend the shogunate, Tokugawa Iemitsu would have wanted to go to the mainland for investigation.

(End of this chapter)