Haisheng Mingdi

Chapter 404
"In today's eventful autumn, the most urgent task is to raise wages. The source of wages is nothing more than land tax, Dingyin, water administration, salt administration, customs duties, and lijin are the main items..."

Zhu Yihai still has a huge gap in military expenditure, and the supply of silver and food is related to the military pay and equipment of the imperial camp, and it is also related to the expansion of the imperial camp, and it is also related to the reorganization and improvement of the Beijing camp and the provincial camp.

As soon as the cannon was fired, ten thousand taels of gold were sold, but the soldiers and horses did not move, and the food and grass went first.

Ruan Dacheng and Ma Shiying now each govern a province, both of which are the wealthiest provinces.

"During the Taiping period in the south of the Yangtze River, the tariffs on Diding Caoyan could account for one-third of the country, while the annual income of Diding Caoyanguan in Zhejiang Province could get half of Jiangnan, accounting for more than one-sixth of the country."

Ma Shiying is also a more pragmatic official. Although he has an unshirkable responsibility for the collapse of the Hongguang court, especially the fierce internal struggle with the Donglin Party, but now Zhu Yihai's subordinates have also changed their past, and no longer engage in party struggles. It's for the emperor's favor, and he specializes in local affairs, especially restoring people's livelihood and grabbing money and food.

Jiangnan, also known as the Southern Zhili area, is now divided into two provinces, Jiangsu and Anhui. Among them, only Susongtai, Changzhen, Jiangsu Province, plus the original three prefectures of Hangjiahu and West Zhejiang, provided amazing taxes to the imperial court.

This is because the industrial and commercial tax was abolished by the bureaucrats headed by Donglin before the Ming Dynasty, otherwise it would be even more serious with the development of Jiangnan's industry and commerce.

As the governor of Jiangsu, Ma Shiying was in charge of a province, and he took over a province that was abolished. Fortunately, Songjiang was quite stable last year, developing well, and had a good foundation.

Now the imperial court opened port trade in Shanghai again, set up a shipping department, established a foreign trade firm, etc., and began to restore the handicraft business in the Jiangnan area. The cotton in Songjiang and the silk in Suzhou are all very famous in the overseas trade market. It is also a very popular item on the market, especially the Japanese are rushing to get it, and they want as much as they can.

Affected by the war before, cotton planting, mulberry leaf planting, and silkworm and silk weaving in the south of the Yangtze River were greatly affected. Now Ma Shiying proposes to restore grain planting first and increase the area of ​​grain planting to ensure that Jiangsu Province can be self-sufficient in grain and have a surplus In addition, we should try our best to restore cotton and mulberry planting, restore sericulture, restore silk weaving, etc.

Especially under the new tax system, these handicraft manufacturing industries can provide a lot of taxes, let alone absorb a large number of southward refugees for employment.

In the middle and late Ming Dynasty, although the south of the Yangtze River was rich, but because of the development of handicraft commerce, most of the fields in the south of the Yangtze River were actually used to grow cash crops, and a large number of people also moved to the city to become small handicraftsmen. The land of fish and rice, on the contrary, cannot be self-sufficient in food, and has to rely heavily on the food supply of Huguang and Jiangxi.

However, they are different from places in Shaanxi and Gansu that lack food self-sufficiency. They are originally granaries, but because of the development of handicraft industry and commerce, they do not grow food and grow more profitable cash crops.

Now it's all over the place.

As the governor of Jiangsu, Ma Shiying was very bold. He did not say that the fields in Jiangsu Province should be used to grow grain. Instead, he formulated a more detailed plan. In order to ensure self-sufficiency in grain, he even had to supply Nanjing and a part of the imperial camp. In addition, without completely abandoning handicraft commerce, the planting of some cash crops must be resumed to ensure the supply of raw materials for Jiangsu's handicraft manufacturing industry.

Agriculture and handicraft business are both, and he does not want to give up either.

"You want to have both, but how can it be easy? Do you have any good solutions?"

"My minister thinks this way. First of all, of course, the fields cannot be left unused. In fact, each prefecture, county, village, and even the landowners and farmers must draw a red line according to their arable land to ensure the cultivation of grain within the red line. The number of acres must also ensure the amount of natural grains that are handed over to the land tax, and then the land outside the line can be used to grow cash crops.

In addition, in order to increase food production, after all, food is also very precious in times of war, so we plan to increase the cultivation of miscellaneous grains in mountain forests, a variety of miscellaneous grains such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn, sorghum, soybeans, and radishes promoted by His Majesty. Even if some mountain forests and dry land lack water, they can still be planted. Even if the harvest is less, but if they are planted more, a lot of miscellaneous grains will still be added.

Miscellaneous grains such as sweet potatoes and potatoes were usually planted as pig food when they were imported from abroad in the early years, but even the poorest grains can become life-saving grains in today's era of war and famine.

If the common people make more use of gardens and mountains to grow some miscellaneous grains, then they can sell more rice, and miscellaneous grains can also replace some rations, ensuring the food and clothing of the family and even increasing their income.

"If you can ensure self-sufficiency in food, but also restore the planting of economic crops in the south of the Yangtze River and the handicraft business in the south of the Yangtze River, then I think that with today's new tax law, the income of land, salt, customs, business, etc. in Jiangsu province can More than 600 million, if there is a five-year recovery, it may even reach tens of millions of taels."

Ruan Dacheng was not to be outdone at this time. In the Jiajing Wanli era, Zhejiang’s tax revenue could account for nearly one-fifth of the country’s tax revenue. Now Zhejiang is the land of Emperor Longxing, and it is also the place where the New Deal reform was first implemented. It is in turmoil elsewhere. More often than not, Zhejiang is also the first to recover and develop, especially the land of eastern Zhejiang.

Zhejiang has the three prefectures of Hangjiahu in the western Zhejiang plain, and Ningshao in the south of Qiantang. It is actually not worse than Jiangsu in terms of geographical advantages.

Yanzhou in the mountainous area used to be the second largest economy in Zhejiang Province.

Ningbo used to be the designated port for trade between Japan and Ming Dynasty.

Now Zhu Yihai has set up trading ports in Ningbo, Taizhou, Wenzhou, Hangzhou, and Jiaxing. Now the sea routes with North Korea, Japan, and Ryukyu are resumed. Silk and paper from Jiangsu and Zhejiang are exchanged for copper and silver materials from Japan. The profit of the trade is extremely high, especially the silver, copper, and sulfur that Zhu Yihai urgently needs.

It has also started trade with Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and other countries. Although it is still in its infancy, the huge profits that used to be in the hands of Jiangnan gentry and maritime merchant groups are now mostly in the pockets of the court.

"1000 million taels of silver a year, I believe you can do it, but there is no need to rush, stability is the main priority. Restoring handicraft commerce and foreign trade is very important, but the safety of food production is also more important. In this year, sometimes even gold There is no exchange for food."

Food, a strategic material, must be safe and sufficient food is the foundation of Nanming's foothold. In order to ensure this food security, slowing down the recovery and development of industry and commerce is also a necessary sacrifice.

Manpower and fields must be prioritized to ensure food cultivation.

Zhu Yihai knew that Ruan Dacheng and Ma Shiying, two former treacherous ministers, were working hard to implement his new policy, and they were still working hard, but he was also worried that these two people were working too hard and overdoing it.

"Of course, we are now also in contact with Japan, North Korea, and even Luzon, Annan and other places. We export silk, porcelain, etc. to them in exchange for food and spices, but food is not an ordinary commodity, which is not conducive to long-distance transportation. The cost of transportation Very high, if we can produce it ourselves, it will definitely be more cost-effective than buying it from a distant overseas market."

In fact, as long as the safety of Jiangnan can be guaranteed and the Tartars are not allowed to cross the river to plunder and slaughter, the Jiangnan occupied by Zhu Yihai will definitely be richer than the Central Plains currently occupied by the Tartars.

After all, the north has been fighting for many years, various peasant armies, and then the official army and the Qing army repeatedly fought, especially after the Qing army entered the pass, causing even greater damage, and Zhu Yihai's Northern Expedition also added fire.

The area currently occupied by the Tartars, the Huguang area of ​​the granary, is now completely destroyed, and it will not be able to restore its status as a granary in a short time.

Huainan, another relatively prosperous place, is now also smashed, especially the salt industry in the Huaihe River and Huaihe River, which has been almost completely destroyed. The Ming army took advantage of the navy and now has control over the Yangtze River, canals, and coastal waters in Xuhuai. The two most important treasures of Lianghuai salt and Cao are now being held by Zhu Yihai.

Lost the Huguang granary, lost the salt canals in Lianghuai, and then lost the handicraft business in Jiangnan, the trade in Fujian and Guangdong, and the taxes in central Sichuan.

Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia in the northwest is a wasteland waiting to be fed. It has been in chaos for so many years, and now it can be said that it has been completely destroyed.

Henan and Shandong are not much better. The once prosperous Central Plains experienced swordsmanship and chaos, and now there are even thousands of miles of uninhabited areas.

In the heart of the Central Plains, as a result, the fields were barren, and the chickens and dogs were no longer heard.

Shanxi and Hebei are not much better. The Liaodong area and the Ningyuan Corridor are also very poor anyway. On the contrary, the area east of the Liaohe River has been occupied by the Tartars for a long time and has been in business for many years. On the contrary, it is the most stable part of the Tartars today. Get a better piece.

Not only can it be self-sufficient in food, but it can even provide a lot of support for the Tartars entering the customs.

Everyone needs time.

Today, the situation in the Central Plains is far worse than that in the south of the Yangtze River.

For example, Sichuan has entered a climax of extinction in history since then. The forces of the Qing and Ming armies in Xiying repeatedly massacred, and finally there was an official registration of more than 300 million people. In the early years of Kangxi, Sichuan statistics only left More than 6 people have been placed, and the total number of old and young is only [-] or [-].

The troops of the Qing army stationed in Sichuan were often so hungry that they could only catch prisoners and eat them.

And the Ming army in central Sichuan, such as Wu Dading, Wang Xiang and Yuan Tao's tribes, often fought each other, and in the end they could only plunder each other's people on the other side's territory to satisfy their hunger.

Such is the destructive power of war.

During the Three Kingdoms period at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Jingzhou area was the place where the Three Kingdoms saw each other, resulting in a sharp drop of more than [-]% of the population, and it did not recover until the Southern Song Dynasty.

However, the massacre in Sichuan in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties forced the Qing Dynasty to reclaim Sichuan from Huguang.

Sichuan is relatively closed, and the population flow is difficult, and it is difficult to recover by itself.

The situation in the Central Plains is relatively better. During the war and famine, large-scale and large-scale population flows, but when the war and famine pass, they will soon return.

Even if the population is lost, it can quickly be recruited from other places to rebuild.

After all, the Central Plains is the heart of the world.

But in the current situation, because of Zhu Yihai's appearance, it is impossible for the Tartars to swallow the world, and the war has unexpectedly entered a stalemate stage. In this situation, the two sides will fight more frequently and cause more damage.

War exacerbates famine.

Zhu Yihai didn't want the Central Plains to become as desolate as Sichuan in the early Qing Dynasty in history, but the direction of development now is towards that.

In order to prevent the flames of war from spreading to the Jiangnan area and make it impossible for Jiangnan to recover, Zhu Yihai could only choose to burn the flames of war to the land occupied by the enemy.

The Qing army cannot be allowed to resume production in the Central Plains, and they cannot be allowed to resume taxation, especially the front-line Huguang and Huaiyang areas.

If Jiangsu and Zhejiang can be stable, they can have an income of several million taels a year. If the two provinces are stable for a few years, they can even contribute more than 2000 million taels a year. The army will not cross the river.

If the Qing army crossed the river, the damage caused would make it impossible for Jiangsu and Zhejiang to recover.

"Your Majesty, the rebels in the Hunan area have not been completely wiped out, and the rebellion in Shadingzhou, the chieftain of Yunnan, has spread further. Now the imperial court is using troops in Taiwan in the southeast to fight against the Dutch. Now if we cross the river to the north again, will we not be able to handle it? ?”

Yan Wogong asked if it was possible to delay the time of the Northern Expedition, even for another year or a half. The rear is unstable, and the front continues to use troops, especially when the situation on the western front is deteriorating again.

"Because the western front is unstable and there are so many problems in the rear, we have to make the main northern expedition. Don't I know that multi-front warfare is dangerous, but if we stop the northern expedition at this time and turn around to deal with the rebellion in the rear, then It’s not worth the loss, and it’s even very dangerous.”

For the rebellion in Yunnan, the local Ming army in Yunnan, as well as the Ming army in Hunan, Guangxi, Sichuan and other places, were required to help quell the rebellion. They even had to make appropriate compromises. For the chieftains in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and Guangxi, make appropriate concessions and give them some appeasement rewards. Use their power to crusade against these rebellious chieftains.

Although doing so is actually breeding tigers into trouble, after all, this is a hidden danger in the future, and the fire is imminent right now, so we can only concentrate on taking care of the present.As long as these chieftain tribes in the rear can be appeased first, they have to endure it.

Zhu Yihai reiterated that they have only one enemy, and that is the Tartars.

The Tartars occupying the Central Plains must be wiped out before they can be distracted and focus on other things.

In all Zhu Yihai's strategies, the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions are the top priority. This is his base camp and his basic base, which must be protected. In order to prevent the Qing army from attacking, he has to take the initiative to attack.

The battlefield has to be in Jiangbei, it has to be in Xuhuai, Shandong, and it must not be in Jiangnan.

The core of the Imperial Army, the three divisions, the three armies and the eighteen towns, are actually not too strong, and the battlefield is the best training ground, and it is useless to replenish armor and weapons without fighting.

"Who does Your Majesty plan to use as the commander of the Northern Expedition?"

"I will personally send the Sixth Division to cross the river for the Northern Expedition. This time, I plan to divide the Northern Expedition into three groups. The left route will attack Hefei from Anqing, the central route will attack Xu and Huai from Yangzhou, and the right route will attack Shandong from the sea."

Although there is no latest news from Sichuan and Shaanxi, for Zhu Yihai, he has already determined that the western front will lose, so it is even more necessary to start the Northern Expedition on the eastern front.

(End of this chapter)