I'm really not doing business

Chapter 469 In a world of great strife, the strong will become stronger, and the weak will perish!

Wang Chonggu opposed the inclusion of speculation in the criminal list. He did not oppose it without reason, nor did he stand in a right-wing position to defend those Shanxi merchants who manipulated ticket prices, but based on practical considerations.

Wang Chonggu looked at His Majesty's face and whispered: "Your Majesty, this kind of news, whether true or false, has never been uncommon. Three people become tigers and everyone speaks for gold. Many times, rumors spread, and it may be some idle people. You guys are talking nonsense. This word of mouth is spreading more and more evil. Rumors only need wise people to distinguish right from wrong and determine the authenticity. It is the speculators who need to judge the authenticity of these messages. "

Speculation is speculation whether true or false.

It is difficult to trace, and even if the law is formulated, how to implement it is still a problem.

What is a rumor, what is intentional noise, and how to define it? The trading house itself is filled with all kinds of true and false news.

Don't the speculators who participate in the game in the trading house think that they must be smarter than others and be able to distinguish between true and false and then make profits?

The trading house is a besieged city. When you stand on the outside, you will see it very clearly. Once you get in, you will lose your rationality. People who get in want to get out, but the sunk costs keep them trapped and unable to extricate themselves.

If manipulating ticket prices is a criminal offense, not just an administrative penalty, then who would be willing to enter the market? The trading house's new policy was a complete failure.

"Your Majesty, take this time the dealer manipulated Chidao Tickets as an example. This time they continued to manipulate for fifteen days before it became known to everyone. If fifteen days becomes three months, then Slowly, eat in bit by bit, spit out bit by bit, this is the second issue I am worried about, how to define normal trading and manipulation of tickets." Wang Chonggu expressed his second concern.

Because of the difficulty in defining it, this crime can easily become a bunch of crimes. The most feared criminal name is such a vague definition and unclear language. The harm is that the handling officials are indiscriminate and rely on this crime for everything. In the end, this provision will be because of Over-enforced, it gradually turns into a sleeper clause.

In the gap between human nature and evil, finding the boundary between good and evil is a long-term contradiction, and laws and regulations need to be constantly adjusted with the development of the times. They are never static.

This happened more than once in Ming Dynasty.

Wang Chonggu was irritable. He was already furious, but he soon calmed down because he discovered something that he had not noticed in the past. If Lu Guangzu hadn't asked, Wang Chonggu would not have thought about it. His foundation In fact, it has changed.

Officials can always get more information than ordinary people by taking advantage of their positions and status. Once officials and merchants team up to seek huge profits in trading houses, this is unfair to other people and violates the Constitution of the Ming Dynasty. kind".

In the twenty-sixth year of the Jiajing reign, the Qian family in Taicang had musicians secretly trading with their servants. The master's family was dissatisfied, but the servants clamored for a deed of prostitution. In response, they all came to their master's door and forced themselves to deed.

This was a slave rebellion that few people knew about. At that time, everyone's eyes were focused on the Japanese invasion. Few people heard about the slave rebellion, or they simply reported it to the imperial court as a Japanese invasion.

A trading house is a place for speculation. In a place of speculation, the gains from speculation must be confiscated and fined. What is the difference between this kind of behavior and taking off your pants and farting? If you want to rob, just say it outright. Is it necessary to make such a big detour?
Its internal logic is anti-corruption, and its fundamental purpose is to prevent collusion between officials and businessmen.

Wang Chonggu said quite accurately: "If the income is less than 5,000 taels, the income will be confiscated and a fine of twice the amount will be imposed; if the income is from 5,000 to 10,000 taels, the income will be confiscated and the fine will be tripled; if the income exceeds 10,000 taels, the income will be confiscated and the fine will be triple the fine. Fines, if the amount is extremely large, may be severely punished.”

"A very specific metaphor." Zhu Yijun agreed with Wang Chonggu's words. He himself is a farmer. When the wheat is ripe, it must be cut. Even if the king of heaven is here, I can't stop it! Seeing the wheat rotting in the field was worse than killing him.

Zhu Yijun got the second issue of "Xiaoyao Yiwen".

After filling in the blank, Ke Daoyan finally stopped.

"Why, is it possible that Dali Qing wants to let the Great Situ or Sikong resign?" Wang Chonggu frowned, raised his hands and said: "Dali Qing, please don't spend all day with those officials of the Ming Dynasty. We raise them just to let them find fault. We are all working and we are not the same people as them.”

"These are all trivial matters. They are not worth mentioning. This time it is really not me, but there are already ways to deal with them. These science and education officials can no longer hold on to them, so I It's over here." Wang Chonggu explained, and regardless of whether Lu Guangzu believed it or not, he turned around and left for the Penal Department Yamen.

The meaning of Wang Chonggu's words is very clear. There are too many fools and not enough liars. How strong a will does one need to be able to resist cutting leeks?
"If the punishment name doesn't work, what do Wang Cifu think we should do?" Zhu Yijun wanted to know how Wang Chonggu could fill this gap. It was impossible without formulating rules. This was something the court fiddled with. The court must draw a clear path for people to follow. Play under the rules.

Ever since Lin Fucheng fought with the Confucian scholars in Taibai Tower without falling behind, the Songjiang School has gained a firm foothold in the Ming Dynasty Jingtang!
And Wang Qian no longer made things difficult for Lin Fucheng. Soon, "Xiaoyao Yiwen" began to discuss the boundaries of freedom. It does not violate public order and good customs, and it does not violate the laws of the Ming Dynasty. This is the first element of the boundaries of freedom. Otherwise, the liberal school will become a helper. For evil, they cruelly exploit reasonable advocates from top to bottom.

Is Taicang the only one case?

"It's best to end here." Lu Guangzu was relieved when he heard Wang Chonggu say this.

Just like Zhu Yijun, as the emperor and the top carnivore in the Ming Dynasty, supported absolute freedom, then as the emperor he could rob it openly, and Mr. Huang could kill Lin Fucheng in the street.

"Wang Cifu, stay, stay." When Lu Guangzu saw that Wang Chonggu was going back to the Ministry of Punishment, he took two hurried steps and asked in a low voice: "Wang Cifu, is this matter over here?"

With the fluctuations in the trading houses and this private trading fair with thresholds, these bookmakers obviously have their own sources of information. They have accurately received the news in advance several times and used the information to make huge profits. At this time, there is no The definition of what is is blurred, but whenever officials are involved, it is manipulation of tickets.

Liberal order emphasizes individual freedom, which is by no means disordered freedom, but is carried out within a certain order framework.

Zhu Yijun and Wang Chonggu had an in-depth communication about the multiple fines. After getting a satisfactory answer, Zhu Yijun asked Wang Chonggu to leave.

"Yeah! Okay! Let's take a look at Wang Cifu's draft." Zhu Yijun finally adopted Wang Chonggu's opinion.

Lu Guangzu asked Wang Chonggu if it was over. This was strange in itself. What did the whole thing have to do with him, Wang Chonggu? !
Lu Guangzu's opinion is not his personal opinion, but perhaps the opinion of the entire Jingtang. Wang Chonggu has a motive to do this. Wang Guangguang is a traitor to the Jin Party. Cleaning up the family is the first motive, and the second motive is to formulate the rules of the trading house. , let the rules benefit you from the beginning.

Soon, Wang Chonggu completed the "Regulations on Trading Houses" and supplemented the "Constitutional Matters" to fill this legal gap. It prohibited manipulation and collusion between officials and businessmen. Officials had to act as "well-informed persons". ', then he will face punishments of different specifications such as confiscation of income, demotion, dismissal, deprivation of official status, exile, etc. Multiple fines will restrict the people.

Wang Chonggu said with a strange expression: "I am stupid, let alone go to Suiyuan to build the Chi Road, even if the guillotine is put on their necks, they should probably do it back. Some time ago, when the Ming Dynasty attacked Bansheng, the Bai family still had the pass. Sometimes, when you are in a trading situation and faced with countless idiots, it is difficult not to take action. It is like when the crops are ripe and the court says they cannot be harvested, how can the people resist? "

After the Taicang Slave Revolution, there was an Oolong Hui in Taicang, specializing in robbing families and homes, and fighting against Sochi. At its peak, there were 3,400 people in the village, which made them famous for a while.

The "Constitutional Affairs" is specifically used to regulate the behavior of officials, with a total of ninety-five articles. This is a typical example of using power for personal gain and is the focus of the court's anti-corruption campaign.

"A fine?" Zhu Yijun's eyes lit up, he leaned forward and said, "Speak carefully."

Punishment of multiple fines applies to powerful people in the private sector, wealthy businessmen, and "Constitutional Matters" applies to officials, who are dealt with according to corruption.

"What do you mean?" Wang Chonggu looked at Lu Guangzu's brows and asked, "Dali Qing, is it me who started the public opinion criticizing Da Situ and Da Sikong this time?"

Wang Chong's ancient saying is concise and concise: "Fine money."

The Kedao Yanguan is not a deformed product. On the contrary, they have always been an extremely important correction force for the Ming Dynasty. These Kedao Yanguan catch and bite whoever they want, but the six ministries that do things cannot be like them.

In order to make it easier and more intuitive to understand, Lin Fucheng in the second issue of "Xiaoyao Anecdote" described in detail the victory of slave ownership in the south of the Yangtze River. There were wealthy households with as many as one or two thousand slaves. All such slaves had a contract of sale, and their descendants would not be able to survive for generations. Deregister.

He suddenly realized that his foundation had changed from the deep-rooted Jin Party in the past to that of the government and factory. The officials in the capital still looked at people with old eyes, thinking that he must take the opportunity to torment the kingdom because of past grudges. Light, but Wang Chonggu himself knew very well that his motives were insufficient.

In "Xiaoyao Anecdotes", Lin Fucheng listed the "Li Renhui" in Macheng, Hubei, the "Bi-cutting Class" in Jintan, Changzhou, and the "Dadao Gang" in Jiading, Kunshan. These are dynamic civil society groups with tens of thousands of people seeking life deeds. The momentum is huge and a very cohesive slogan is gradually forming.

Lin Fucheng's definition of freedom is very clear: not subject to the will of others.

This definition is simple and clear, and even seems a bit vulgar, but Lin Fusheng defines it this way, because many times, in order to make some definitions look elegant, too many comments actually make the definitions confusing, so it is not as clear as a simple and clear explanation.

The government-factory alliance was more reliable than relying on the clan party. This discovery made Wang Chonggu ecstatic.

Some wealthy households led their servants to suppress them, and many slaves broke down the door and set fire to the house; some wealthy households returned the deed to the slaves, but the slaves still refused to let go, broke into the hall, and raped the female relatives; some tied up the master's house. Those who use knives to tattoo, carve humiliating writings on people's faces, etc.

Eradicate the noble and the lowly of masters and servants, and bring peace to the rich and the poor.

Lin Fucheng used a lengthy article to describe in detail the living conditions of slaves in the south of the Yangtze River, the fierce conflicts between slaves and their masters, and the brutal struggle, and criticized the production relations that forced personal dependence.

"No more?" Zhu Yijun turned to the last page and said with unfinished content.

Jiangnan has developed to the point where there is no way to annex it, and the resistance has begun. The slaves use various methods to kill the masters who were domineering in the past. The methods are different, and the nose-cutting team will catch them. The boss cuts off the nose, the machete gang chops people into pieces, and the Oolong Society takes over the fields and opens warehouses to store grain.

"Master Lin has seen the phenomenon, found the problem behind the phenomenon, and explained the reason. So what's the solution? Is this gone?" Zhu Yijun put down his happy anecdotes and said angrily.

Feng Bao said cheerfully: "In Master Lin's own words, how can they have any solution? If there is a solution, why are they still working as pen editors in the poetry club?"

As a master of correct writing and smooth talk, Master Lin's ability to do this is already his limit. The scar has been picked. As for how to cure the wound, that is a matter for the court. If there is a solution, then It's time to sit in the Wenhua Hall and be the Ming Gong.

"That makes sense." Zhu Yijun handed "Xiaoyao Yiwen" to Feng Bao and said, "Show it, sir."

"Yes."

In fact, the imperial court has also noticed the problem. The first step to implement Wang Chonggu's "Ask for the Equalization of Fields" is to conduct a census of Dingkou to find out how many people there are in the Ming Dynasty before proceeding. The most important thing is to conduct a census of Dingkou. It is to find out the hidden members of the powerful family, and the hidden population is actually the actual slaves of the Ming Dynasty.

In December of the fourth year of Wanli, Wu Guifang, the governor of water transport, returned to Beijing and submitted the "Six Discussions on Farming", the fourth of which was: The refugees were called to provide farmland, and those who were unable to cultivate the land were given cattle seeds by the officials, and returned to Sanmin the following year. The original owner of the service is recognized and no dispute is allowed. The original owner was not allowed to appeal, even if the law did not support or recognize the deed of sale. Wu Guifang's article was for farming. At that time, this article could not be implemented, and the remaining five articles were eventually implemented in Daningwei, Quaningwei, and Liaodong.

At that time, the administrative power, military power and economic power of the Ming Dynasty could not support the practice of this article. Therefore, the Ming Dynasty officials were not unclear about the problem, but they could not do it.

Zhu Yijun picked up the memorial, which was written by Wan Shihe, the minister of the Ministry of Rites. He had written a new "Overseas Fanguo Zhi". This volume was about the Mughal Kingdom, or India. Wan Shihe had exhausted all his resources. Despite my own efforts, there are really too few historical materials about India. The most detailed records are from the current Mughal Kingdom.

Wan Shihe discussed a type of commodity in his memorial, cotton and cotton cloth.

In the tenth year of Emperor Xiaozong's reign in the Ming Dynasty, the Portuguese Vasco da Gama bypassed the Cape of Good Hope and arrived at the Port of Calicut in India. He finally came into direct contact with Indian weavers. This was the first time that the Thai people came into contact with Indian weavers. A lot of middlemen are needed.

Before Vasco da Gama arrived in India, Persian merchants used ships to transport cotton and cotton cloth from India, and then rode camels across the desert to deliver the goods to the Ottomans. The Ottomans then used ships to sell cotton and cotton cloth to various parts of the West. .

Cotton cloth is completely different from silk. Cotton cloth is a bulk commodity, not a luxury product like silk, which is equivalent to gold. The trade of this bulk commodity will directly promote maritime trade and prosperity.

In Wan Shihe’s view, only bulk commodities are qualified to become global commodities, and only bulk commodities can promote maritime trade to develop a complex maritime trade network centered on the Ming Dynasty. Only bulk commodities can maintain the scale of the industry. Only bulk commodities can provide enough wealth to form an army and project violence to distant corners of the world. In Wan Shihe's view, cotton cloth will become a global commodity.

However, Ming Dynasty did not have a product advantage in terms of cotton and cotton cloth.

Global commodities is a concept mentioned by Wan Shihe. In his view, global commodities require several necessary conditions. First, they are bulk commodities, second, they are widely used, and third, they are easy to preserve and transport. Silk does not have this. potential because its production is limited and it will not be widely used.

Porcelain can become a global commodity, cotton can become a global commodity, alcohol can also become a global commodity, tobacco can also become a global commodity, and silver can also become a global commodity.

Worldwide commodities connect all the criss-crossing economies on the earth. Worldwide ocean trade is being built. Even England is actively exploring the world trade system. During this construction process, Ming Dynasty must maintain its status as a celestial kingdom and not succumb to it. If you want to fall into the abyss, you must control the product advantages of more global products.

There was no place to grow cotton, but the Ming Dynasty had more advanced cotton spinning technology. It had to be ahead of the Mughal Kingdom in both horizontal and vertical scales in order to ensure the absolute advantage of cotton products and make the Mughal Kingdom a country of raw materials.

The steam engine is the original spark that ignited everything. Now it is shining with tiny bits of light, and in the future it will surely shine like the sun in the sky.

Wan Shihe used the scroll of the Overseas War to Mongolia the Ughur Kingdom and asked His Majesty to pay attention to world commodities and the world sea trade network.

The original order of the entire world is gradually disappearing, and the entire world is also looking for a new order. In the process of shaping the new order, how many civilizations are dying quietly? The Spanish colonists brutally wiped out the Mayan kingdom and destroyed everything.

There is nothing special about the civilization of the Central Plains, and it is not as resilient as imagined. It also perished once two hundred years ago. In the fourth year of Jingtai, the Roman Empire in the West was defeated by the Ottoman Empire. Rome was declared officially destroyed and never returned like lightning.

In a world of great strife, the strong will be strong and the weak will perish!

This is a political commentary written by Wan Shihe, the Minister of Rites, from a global perspective. It has neither propositions nor political orders. On the basis of Huaide's thinking on the process of civilization.

This may be the essence of etiquette - civilization.

The capital of the Ming Dynasty gradually entered the deep winter. The haze caused by coal smoke made the scholar-bureaucrats who were not engaged in production intolerable, but the people of the Ming Dynasty were not so resistant to coal smoke.

One drink and one peck, the cycle of cause and effect, enjoying cheap coal, naturally has to pay some price. Most people in the capital are envious of the kiln workers and weavers. Whether they enter the Xishan Coal Bureau or the official woolen factory, they all It can be said that life is settled, and the school created by the government, factory and group is hope.

The price of coal at Xizhimen Coal Market has remained unchanged even after the weather turned cold, at six cents per pound.

This year, there is a kind of stove with a chimney in the coal market. A stove costs three taels of silver and can be used for five to ten years. If it is well preserved, it will last longer. The stove can use honeycomb briquettes, which are mixed with briquettes. It is shaped with loess and fried with crushed coal, which can be fully burned as fuel.

New briquettes are cheaper than coal, and even if you don't have a stove from the coal bureau, you can make a stove at home with mud.

There are many more customers in clothing stores than in previous years. Furs from the north, cotton jackets from the south, woolen clothes from the Yongding River, and brightly colored clothes and pants are all hot sellers. It’s the Chinese New Year, so buy a new one for your children. Clothes have become a new fashion.

Even the Brazilian rosewood has its own name, the fragrant dragon's blood tree, because the clothes dyed with the Brazilian rosewood have a scent, and the dyed clothes are bright red and do not fade for a long time, hence the name.

Officials all over the world are actually looking forward to a big drama, that is, the merger between Emperor Ming and Zhang Juzheng!
These ambitious guys have been looking forward to it year after year, but they still haven't arrived, but they always firmly believe that it will be soon!
In the eyes of everyone, this is a matter of course, and the emperor has always been like this.

As the supreme being in the world, when he was young, he gritted his teeth and hunkered down. No matter how much he hated in his heart, he had to respect his appearance and accumulate strength. When he grew up and had enough strength, he would definitely be thunderous to Zhang Juzheng who dared to restrain himself. revenge.

Such as Wang Anshi and Song Shenzong.

Renzong of the Song Dynasty was in power for forty years, and there was a so-called prosperous rule of Renzong. He was known as Yongxi in the world, and his rule was peaceful. However, the disadvantages of three redundancies in the Northern Song Dynasty began with Renzong.

In the 11613th year of Song Renzong's accession to the throne and the first year of Huangyou, the Song Dynasty's finances experienced a deficit for the first time. The annual revenue was more than 12034 million guan, the expenditure was more than 1152 million guan, and the extraordinary expenditure was more than 1500 million guan. There was a shortage of nearly guan. For thousands of years, the country's finances have been in deficit year after year, and all the treasures have been continuously distributed, so that after hundreds of years of accumulation, only empty books remain.

Song Renzong had no sons. Song Yingzong, who had adopted the clan, ascended the throne and sent 46,700 soldiers to build the Yongzhao Mausoleum and bury Song Renzong. Just four years later, Song Yingzong died.

Song Shenzong, the son of Song Yingzong, wanted to build a mausoleum for his biological father. The entire Song Dynasty court finally only spent 300,000 yuan, and the transportation department and 4,000 stone masons were hired to finish the job hastily.

Just like the Longqing Imperial Tomb only spent 11 silver, and was not settled until the next year, the Northern Song Dynasty was also facing the crisis of huge financial losses, and reformers like Wang Anshi stepped onto the stage.

There were many reasons for the failure of Wang Anshi's reform, but one of the reasons was that Song Shenzong no longer supported the reform as his finances were increasing.

According to the general laws of historical development, the war between the emperor and the emperor's master Yuan Fu will definitely proceed!

Unfortunately, what is disappointing is that on December 23rd of the ninth year of Wanli, the Ming Emperor came to the Quanchu Guild Hall again with his empress Wang and his eldest son Zhu Changzhi. On the 23rd of every month, it was the emperor who came to the Quanchu Guild Hall regularly. On the days when they were busy eating, many people used this incident as a criterion for whether the relationship between the emperor and Yuan Fu was harmonious.

The Ming Emperor's jade chariot arrived as scheduled, which disappointed some ambitious people!

The eldest son of the emperor, Zhu Changzhi, rarely left the Tonghe Palace. The two-year-old Zhu Changzhi could jump up and down and speak very clearly. It was also the first time that Zhu Yijun brought his eldest son here to have a meal. Zhu Changzhi liked Xiong Tingbi very much and looked at Xiong Tingbi's tall and thick appearance. , instead of being afraid, I really liked the broadness on Xiong Tingbi’s back.

"How is Xiong Da's recent studies?" Zhu Yijun asked about Xiong Tingbi's recent studies.

Zhang Juzheng thought carefully and said: "He has both civil and military skills. He was not allowed to postpone the imperial examination before. He wants to join the army, and I plan to let him go to Suiyuan."

"Suiyuan? He is only thirteen years old." Zhu Yijun said in surprise. No matter how anxious Xiong Tingbi grows, he is still a thirteen-year-old child!
"You're not young anymore. Your Majesty led Tiqi to kill bandits in Xishan when he was fifteen years old. Li Rusong followed his father to kill captives in Liaodong when he was fourteen years old. Your Majesty, people should get married at the age of fourteen, which is two years earlier than the royal family. Years." Zhang Juzheng said seriously.

"Wait until you're sixteen." Zhu Yijun waved his hands and said, "That's different, there's nothing you can do about it."

"I obey the order." Zhang Juzheng thought for a while and agreed. Xiong Tingbi is a talent that can be made by his side. He can also learn more by being around him. It is not too late to go out and experience it. Xiong Tingbi's character is too direct and needs to be learned by Zhang Juzheng's side. A little tactful.

"The clearing of land in Sichuan finally started this year." Zhu Yijun talked about the return of land to land. Compared with the rapid growth in previous years, the number of acres returned to land in the ninth year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty was 844 million hectares, including the land returned to land in Sichuan. , last year it was 792 million hectares.

After the major case of Luo Yao accepting a bribe of 340,000 silver came to an end, Sichuan's Qingzhang finally began to get on the right track.

"This year's annual harvest is abnormal, a bit too much." Zhang Juzheng also received a memorial from the Ministry of Household Affairs. The Ming Dynasty's land tax this year was 1520 million silver, and the industrial and commercial taxes and official factories exceeded 1048% for the first time. , up to million silver.

After the Mingtian tax was converted into silver and the industrial and commercial taxes were added, the total amount was 2568 million silver.

The largest part of this industrial and commercial tax comes from the customs duties on the sea. The silver shipped to the capital by the Municipal Shipping Department exceeded 320 million silver. The official and factory groups contributed 180 million silver, which was the same as last year. The most important thing was the emperor. Leading Kaihai Investment’s dividend distribution exceeded 220 million silver.

Compared with last year's 723 million silver, the absolute value of the increase is as high as 325 million silver. You must know that during the Jiajing period, the imperial court's annual silver income was only more than million silver, six and a half years old.

"It's not surprising. In the entire Nanyang, the registered acres have exceeded 170 million hectares. There are 198 government-run plantations and private gardens, for a total of ." Zhu Yijun looked at the details of the audit very carefully. Understand that the main drivers of growth were tariffs and plantation revenues.

Farming and collecting taxes are indeed the two most profitable businesses at the moment.

"With so much income a year, I still have to issue national bonds to borrow money from the private sector. I really feel ashamed of Your Majesty." Zhang Juzheng's expression was as complicated as that.

The emperor borrowed money from the people. This was an evil thing that undermined the emperor's majesty. But the court really had no money and spent more money than it earned. Military expenditures alone exceeded 1200 million silver.

"In the spring of next year, we will invest 10 million silver to open the sea." Zhu Yijun talked about his plan to invest in the sea.

Shenshi Bank felt that it could subdivide some projects, raise funds from trading houses, and shift risks downward, but Zhu Yijun did not plan to do it immediately.

He plans to invest more.

(End of this chapter)