I'm really not doing business

Chapter 620 Strange Rationalization

The law of government-run factories and private factories was actually a compromise of the Ming Dynasty court to the imperial power. It was a typical example of politics achieved through bribery. The Ming Dynasty court dragged the emperor into the car, which was equivalent to dragging the royal family and imperial power into the car, and tied the government-run factories and private factories firmly to the imperial power. Whoever touched the government-run factories was challenging the imperial power, and the bribe was half of the annual profit share.

When Wang Chonggu was exploring the official factory manufacturing method, he gained an in-depth understanding of the two systems in the early Ming Dynasty, the military garrison system and the resident craftsman system, one of which was the Taizu Gao Emperor and the other was the Taizong Wen Emperor.

Wang Chonggu discovered that the powerful and wealthy people in Jiangnan, led by Yang Shiqi, requested the court to buy the useless Longjiang Shipyard seven times in the early years of the Zhengtong period. Even though Empress Dowager Zhang refused the first time on the grounds that the ancestral heritage should not be sold, there were still seven requests, and finally the shipyard was burned down.

At this time, Wang Chonggu was determined to tie the official factory system and imperial power firmly together. Even the emperor had to take the banner of ancestral foundation into consideration. Even if it was rotten or burned, it could not be taken over by these bastards. After the last fire at Longjiang Shipyard, it slowly became a relic under the erosion of time.

Everyone in the world is selfish, and the emperor is no exception. The political proposition that the world is ruled by only one emperor, which was advocated by Yu Qian, is also an ideal country. The reality is that the emperor can also be selfish, and the state-owned factories have become the emperor's property. This is the method that Wang Chonggu found on the tortuous road. It is not the best, but it can be used.

And now, some people have set their sights on these "junk metal" again.

"The clamor for land abandonment is the result of government-run factories absorbing the labor of craftsmen. This is just the beginning. As long as public opinion affects the court's decision, the next step is to sell it off. Even if the court is unwilling to sell it off, the government-run factories can still sell it off in the trading house to raise funds." Wang Qian talked about the specific means of occupying public property. One of them is to directly buy the "poorly performing" government-run factories, and the second is to do it slowly.

After all, some assets, even the foolish Emperor Hui of Jin knew, were gooses that laid golden eggs, such as overseas plantations, which only required minimal maintenance costs to generate huge profits, such as rubber, sugarcane, palm oil, mahogany, coconut, abaca (raw materials for treasure notes), tobacco, tea, etc. After all, the Japanese slaves, eunuchs, and black foreigners were all cheap labor, and these cash crops were also hard currency.

How does public opinion influence court decision-making?
In fact, it is very simple. Wind-driven public opinion is a saturation bombardment through various conspiracy theories, lies, and out-of-context quotations. It is like a person holding a loud speaker and shouting in your ear. Over time, three people make a tiger. These despicable Confucian remarks continue to erode the stable public order and good customs. After hollowing out the foundation, they reshape the public order and good customs, and then use the reshaped public order and good customs to influence decisions in laws, government orders, military affairs, economy, etc.

The Ming Dynasty had experienced this many times more than a hundred years ago. That was the transition from opening the sea to closing the country to the outside world. This was a typical case of how public opinion reshaped public order and morality.

Zhu Yijun couldn't manage his own affairs after his death, and no one could either, but in his hands, no one could do anything about it! These scraps of copper and iron were rusted through, so don't even think about touching them.

Li Zhi and Lin Fucheng had arrived a long time ago. They had been waiting in another box until the emperor and Wang Qian finished talking about the Yanxinglou Trading Company. Only then did they come to the Tianzi Box.

"It is really a great honor for me to have two masters come to welcome me. One is the only son of the current Prime Minister, and the other is a nobleman with the highest military honors. I am just a commoner, but to have two of you come to welcome me, I will die without regrets." Lin Fucheng said proudly as he sat on the chair. His posture was very relaxed.

Zhu Yijun observed the sitting postures of Lin Fucheng and Li Zhi. Li Zhi was a madman, a real madman, but he was still involuntarily restrained when sitting opposite the emperor. His butt was half sitting on the chair. He didn't dare to look around, speak arrogantly, or even speak too loudly. When Wang Qian poured him tea, he held the teacup with both hands.

The more respectful his expression was, the more polite he was, and he didn't dare to say a word in reply.

If you were disrespectful in front of the emperor, you would be dragged away and beaten with a stick in the court, and even Zhang Juzheng was no exception. Of course, the emperor was reluctant to do that.

But Lin Fucheng was completely different. He leaned back in his chair, looked left and right, and spoke very casually, freely, and boldly.

It is obvious that even after Li Zhi's repeated hints, Lin Fucheng still did not realize the true identity of Mr. Huang.

"Mr. Huang, I'm on the grassland and I got a book. It's a curiosity. Let Mr. Huang read it for fun in his spare time." Lin Fucheng took out a book and pretended to hand it over.

Li Zhi's face changed drastically. He snatched the yellowed book away with his hands. His forehead was covered with sweat. For a moment, Li Zhi wished there was a fire pit in front of him so that he could jump into the fire pit with the book. In this way, no one would be able to know what was written in the book.

"What's wrong? Bring it here for us to see." Zhu Yijun looked a little puzzled and asked Feng Bao to bring the book.

Li Zhi secretly said, "It's over!" It's all over now. His hands naturally drooped, and he leaned back on the chair. He had no desire to live. There was nothing worth lingering in this world. He only hoped that His Majesty would not execute his entire family. His face was ashen, as if he had lost his parents.

Lin Fucheng just felt that Li Zhi's reaction was strange. When he first got the book, Li Zhi was reading it with great interest. Why couldn't he share it with Mr. Huang?

One person's happiness shared with two people equals two happinesses! Li Zhi did not know how to share.

Zhu Yijun took a quick look and glanced at Lin Fucheng with a normal expression. One can only say that this guy is sometimes really smart, and sometimes, he is really stupid. This matter involves prophecies, and Lin Fucheng dared to show it to him. He is very courageous.

The contents of this book are "Gossip about the Zhu Family", "Zhu Di proves that my mother is my real mother one hundred and seventy years later", and "The story that His Majesty the Emperor and the Third Lady have to tell".

The original name of this book is "The Origin of the Mongols". It is a historical document written in Mongolian. This book was originally intended to record the Mongolian Khans such as Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan, but the glory of Mongolia has passed away and no one read it, so it became gossip about the Ming Emperor Zhu's family.

In order to attract people's attention, they will do anything.

Zhu Yijun turned to the chapter involving himself and was stunned. The scandal between him and Sanniang was well documented in the book, and there was even a long and detailed description.

"No, the Third Lady came to Beijing in the first year of Wanli. The emperor was only eleven years old at that time and was powerless! Could you please consider the age issue when making up such stories?!" Zhu Yijun was dumbfounded when he looked at the content above.

The first time Sanniang came to Beijing to meet the emperor was on the foundation of Huangji Hall. At that time, the central axis of the imperial palace was burned down by a fire. Zhu Yijun was in danger of his death, and he hid behind the iron triangle of Empress Dowager Li, Feng Bao, and Zhang Juzheng, trembling in fear.

Li Zhi was so nervous that he couldn't speak. It wasn't that he was afraid of death, but dying while making up jokes about the emperor was too ugly. He couldn't accept this way of dying.

"How about saying it's a joke?" Lin Fucheng said quite naturally.

"Okay, the latest version." Zhu Yijun flipped through the book. The section about him was very long, and it was already up to date and kept up with current affairs.

Sanniangzi adopted a daughter and reported this to the imperial court. She had made up her mind to adopt a daughter. The governor of Suiyuan was a temporary official, not a hereditary chieftain. Sanniangzi did not even adopt a son. In this book, the adopted daughter of Sanniangzi was born secretly to the emperor, and everyone called her the Fourth Princess.

She really keeps up with current affairs. She even has a very clear timeline of when she got pregnant. One year, Sanniang went to Beijing to deliver wool and encountered a heavy snowfall. There were no roads at that time, so she had to celebrate the New Year in the capital. It was during that time that she got pregnant. The child was raised secretly in the capital and was brought back to the grassland only after the child survived the age when he was most likely to die.

"The logic in this book is surprisingly complete." After reading the entire collection of stories, Zhu Yijun had to admit that the writer's logic was very rigorous, because Sanniangzi's political stance was a complete reconciliation faction, that is, a reconciliation faction that integrated the Ming Dynasty and the grassland into one.

Politics is very complicated. Everyone's decision in the torrent is closely related to the world situation. To understand political activities and positions, a lot of complex information is needed. This book understands several issues about the Ming Dynasty's attack on the grassland from another easy-to-understand perspective.

This book answers several questions. The first one is why Sanniang was determined to follow the court after going to Beijing to meet the emperor. The real reason was the change in national strength. When Sanniang saw the emperor on the foundation, she knew that the world had changed, but the book concisely summarizes it as: because Sanniang was the emperor's mistress, simple and crude.

The second question is why Sanniangzi did not take any action when the Ming Dynasty attacked Altan Khan, but surrendered impatiently on the day Bansheng City was captured. The real reason was, of course, the powerful strength of the Ming Dynasty's soldiers and generals made it impossible to resist. It was also to practice the idea of ​​complete reconciliation. This was the joint efforts of the reconciliation faction, not the decision of Sanniangzi alone, but the book summarizes it as: Sanniangzi was the emperor's mistress.

The third question is that after the imperial court conquered Suiyuan, it did not start a massacre, but chose to establish Suiyuan and then implement the monarchy. Sanniangzi was still the local ruler of Suiyuan and was active in political activities. The Ming Dynasty invested more than 30 million silver to develop mines and roads, and vigorously promoted fixed livestock rather than nomadic pastoralism. Why did the Ming Dynasty spend such a huge cost on the monarchy?

The real reason was that the Ming Dynasty was concerned about the stability of the border areas and the mineral resources in Suiyuan. The book summarizes it as: Sanniangzi was the emperor's mistress.

For example, why was the wool business distributed to Sanniangzi? Because Daming discovered that the grassland people could not calculate accounts, but Sanniangzi could. Mathematics is like a divine book to some people, and the book concludes that Sanniangzi is the emperor's mistress.

In a word, everything became completely reasonable because Sanniang was the emperor's mistress.

As for the fact that Sanniangzi was the emperor's mistress, in the eyes of the grassland people, it showed the emperor's sincerity in ruling the grassland.

Yes, in the eyes of the grassland people, this is sincerity. The book does not hesitate to use any flattering words, praising the wonderful relationship between Sanniang and the emperor, praising the Ming emperor for his words and deeds, and not letting his women suffer any grievances. It also allows the grassland people not to worry about the emperor going back on his word.

Due to the harsh environment, the levirate marriage system was still very popular on the grassland. After the death of her husband, a woman would marry her uncle, aunt, son (except biological son), nephew, etc. This was levirate marriage. Therefore, Sanniangzi's relationship would not be considered as a betrayal by her, because Sanniangzi was snatched from Wala by Altan Khan. At that time, Sanniangzi married Altan Khan when she was nine years old.

In the book, this is a tragic love story of love that cannot be achieved, but because of the livelihood of the people on the grassland and the peace and stability of the country, the lovers have to live apart, can only meet three times a year when delivering wool, and cannot stay together forever. It is somewhat similar to the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl.

"This is sheer nonsense!" Zhu Yijun finished reading the whole book and slammed the table, saying, "Madam Zhongshun is a politician. I, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, respect her efforts for the peace and prosperity of the grassland and the Ming Dynasty!"

"This book is widely circulated in the grasslands, and the people of the grasslands generally recognize it. Mrs. Zhongshun, the governor of Suiyuan, also seems to have acquiesced to the spread of this book. After all, it is not easy for a woman to be the head of a family." Lin Fucheng could understand why Sanniang acquiesced to the spread of such rumors.

Because of the spread of such rumors, Sanniang promoted two Wanhu in order to stabilize her position. These two Wanhu later betrayed her and defected to Altan Khan. Now, because of the spread of such rumors, these two Wanhu have turned to her again.

If this rumor is true, then the emperor will spare no effort to suppress the rebellion on the grassland.

Pan Jixun was mainly in the Hetao area. The area east of Suiyuan was managed by Sanniangzi. As a woman, it was inconvenient for him to manage the area. It would be much easier if he took advantage of the power of another.

For politicians, reputation is also a tool that can be used.

This sentence also applies to Zhu Yijun. Everything is for the sake of stable rule.

Zhu Yijun looked through his own gossip and then looked at Zhu Di's gossip. His blood pressure rose as he read. The book said that in the first year of Hongwu, Emperor Shun of Yuan was beaten by Xu Da and fled Beijing. When Emperor Shun of Yuan fled in a hurry, he left behind a concubine named Da, who was already pregnant at the time. Later, this concubine Da was taken into the harem by Zhu Yuanzhang and gave birth to Zhu Di three months later. Zhu Di was a Mongolian prince, so Zhu Di's five expeditions to the north of the desert were actually going home. Otherwise, why would he feel as familiar as going home every time he went to the grassland to fight?

Since he couldn't defeat Zhu Di, he spread rumors about Zhu Di to gain some psychological comfort.

"In the first year of Hongwu, our Emperor Taizong Wen was already eight years old and could wield a spear and a stick! Nonsense, absolute nonsense!" Zhu Yijun slammed the table and said angrily: "Your Majesty would have accepted the slander for the sake of ruling the country, but you cannot tolerate the slander against Emperor Chengzu."

"We will report this to His Majesty and have this book banned."

"Doesn't that prove that the emperor and the third lady have an affair?" Lin Fucheng said blankly.

Zhu Yijun wanted to ban the book "The Origin of the Mongols". It takes only a few words to spread rumors, but it takes a lot of effort to refute them. Many times, the more you refute a rumor, the more people believe it. The way to deal with a rumor is often to use another rumor. As long as the Ming Dynasty bans this book, it will be like mud falling out of a pants crotch, and it will never be clear.

"Choose the lesser of two evils." Zhu Yijun thought about it and decided to do so.

In fact, it is very simple. The rumor about Zhu Yijun was at most a romantic affair, but the rumor about Emperor Chengzu Wen involved the issue of his biological mother. If Zhu Di knew that the grassland people slandered him like this, he would probably jump out of Changling and continue his Northern Expedition.

"I have another book called 'Two Histories' here." Lin Fucheng took out another book and pushed it to Mr. Huang. This was also a book of gossip.

Li Zhi looked at Lin Fucheng in disbelief. Why did this guy start testing the waters between life and death as soon as he returned to Beijing?

"Two Histories" written by Wang Shizhen, who was a literary leader during the Jiajing period, the governor of Yunyang, and traveled around the country while serving as the governor, and had an affair with Wang Xijue's daughter Wang Xiangu who ascended to heaven. In the Two Histories, Prince Yiwen Zhu Biao, the Prince of Qin, and the Prince of Jin were made illegitimate children, not the biological children of Empress Ma.

Wang Shizhen wrote this because Xie Jin also wrote this in "Tianhuang Yudie", saying that Zhu Biao, Prince of Qin, and Prince of Jin were not the biological children of Empress Ma. Zhu Di personally refuted this rumor during the Yongle period.

Saying that Zhu Biao was born out of wedlock is too outrageous.

Civil officials are like this. The emperor still has to think about the rationality of things. Prince Yiwen Zhu Biao's status in history is unique. No one will believe this if you say it out loud. However, civil officials have to consider a lot just to flatter the emperor.

To use the words of the Wanli period, Xie Jin had no integrity at all. In order to please the emperor, he even dared to say that Zhu Biao was not a legitimate son.

What was Zhu Biao's identity? He was the crown prince who took charge of government affairs starting in the 10th year of Hongwu.

The King of Qin, the King of Jin, and the King of Yan were all frontier kings. In that chaotic era, they were the real princes who commanded the troops. They were not born of legitimate parents. How could they be allowed to guard such important positions and the capitals of all dynasties?
There has been no debate for the past 170 years. However, during the Jiajing period, books such as "A Study of the Two Histories" and "Abolition of Relics" appeared, which turned these legitimate children into illegitimate children. Isn't this nonsense?

This is how public opinion gradually hollows out the foundation of cognition, then shapes new public order and morality, and ultimately influences the court's decision-making.

The Ming Dynasty is experiencing this.

"Even if you tear the mouths of these cheap scholars to pieces, it won't stop the stench!" Zhu Yijun threw the "Two Histories" aside and said sternly, "They are all evil books, all evil books."

To bring up these royal scandals in front of the emperor would be courting death, but Zhu Yijun did not implicate innocent people. Lin Fucheng just brought them up as a fun thing to share with Mr. Huang who liked to watch the fun.

After Lin Fucheng shared the fun with the emperor, he talked about the alienation of religion to people. This topic came to a temporary end here, because it had been studied clearly enough. Lin Fucheng classified Lamaism as a religion of ignorant witchcraft and determined that Lamaism was no longer suitable for the current era.

"Why can't we conduct an in-depth study on the alienation of power on people?" Zhu Yijun talked about the previous topic.

Compared with the alienation of people by religion and the alienation of people by power, Lin Fucheng and Li Zhi's discussion is really too superficial.

"That's not something we can discuss at all." Lin Fucheng shook his head and said, "Your Majesty is indeed very open-minded. He allows people to express their opinions freely. It has become a trend for the court to have gatherings and discussions. People talk about all kinds of things, and Your Majesty never stops them. But this alienation of power over people, and this matter involves the rich and powerful, I'm afraid it won't end well."

"It's like gambling your life on whether the rich and powerful have a conscience. You're bound to lose."

Li Zhi looked at Lin Fucheng with his eyes almost popping out of his head in anger. Now he knew that he had to avoid the powerful and wealthy. He knew that the powerful and wealthy could take his life, right?
Why didn't you show any reservations when sharing the emperor's gossip?

According to the prophecy, even possessing it is a serious crime, especially if you take it out in front of the emperor! What is the difference between this and calling a monk a bald donkey in front of him?
"What about the alienation of money to people? This also involves the powerful." Zhu Yijun also knew that the alienation of power to people was a difficult topic to touch upon. It could easily lead to a controversy. That is, Zhang Juzheng, who had been the prime minister for twelve years and the imperial tutor who had once served as regent, had held enormous power for a long time and was still somewhat submissive to the emperor.

"Mr. Huang, I am a fifth-rank official! I am an official appointed by the government! I am just a wealthy businessman, so why can't we talk? The old man Qu Hexing of the Qu family worked so hard to build up his foundation, but it was completely destroyed by his rebellious son Qu Youming and grandson Qu Daocheng. Let's start by talking about the rise and fall of the Qu family and explore the alienation of money on people!" Lin Fucheng said very affirmatively.

The official class is above the gentry class, and this is undoubtedly true in the Ming Dynasty, so Lin Fucheng is not afraid of these wealthy businessmen at all.

"But there will inevitably be a part missing, because the transaction of power for money and rent-seeking are not easy to discuss." Zhu Yijun told Lin Fucheng about the difficulties he might encounter.

To discuss the alienation of people by power, religion, and money is actually to discuss the influence of these three on all social classes. The elected official class and the hereditary official class are both part of the country, so they will inevitably be discussed, and resistance will arise at that time.

"Mr. Huang's words make sense. We still have to be cautious. If there is any trouble, we may have to trouble Mr. Huang." Lin Fucheng thought again and again. This project must be done. He can only seek help from the wealthy family. If there is any problem, he can ask Mr. Huang for help. Anyway, Mr. Huang is a man with connections.

There is no trace of Qi Jiguang in the public opinion of the Ming Dynasty. The lowly Confucian scholars of the Ming Dynasty just pretend that Qi Jiguang did not exist and avoid mentioning him whenever possible.

The emperor and Wang Qian welcomed the two doctors of the Five Classics because it was worth it. At least their trip to the grassland gave the court some leverage to reform the system, and they were meritorious officials.

Lin Fucheng shared a lot of his experiences on the grassland. At the end of May, the capital city was already very hot and the cicadas had begun their endless chirping, but it was still very cold on the grassland. The temperature difference between morning and evening was very large, so you had to wear a robe that was easy to put on and take off. You had to take it off at noon and wear it in the morning and evening to keep warm.

In the 12th year of Wanli, at the end of May, it was the opening inspection day of the capital, and it was a carnival for wine. The capital became more and more lively. Yin Zhengmao and Deng Zilong, who were far away in Manila, Luzon, were also at the dock in Manila, gazing at the distance. The news came from Davao, Mindanao that the big sailing ship had arrived as scheduled.

Guo Xing Zhengmao and Deng Zilong looked solemn and stood straight. The people they personally welcomed were not the special envoys from the West, but a group of special people. A group of coastal defense inspectors led by Chen Dazhuang returned to the East, and there were also the ashes of twelve coastal defense inspectors. It was also dangerous to keep active in the West. These twelve coastal defense inspectors died in the pioneering work.

The mast of the sailing ship appeared on the horizon, and then it slowly sailed towards the port. The sails slowly lowered, the speed of the ship slowly decreased, leaving a series of water ripples, and the barge began to tow. When the sailing ship entered the port, water cannons began to fire, forming a sluice, and the sailing ship slowly passed through the sluice.

The sounds of trumpets and drums rang out one after another, solemn and dignified. This was the "Qingshan Tiegu Qu" composed by the emperor's uncle Zhu Zaiyu, a piece of music specially used for the establishment of the Temple of Loyalty and Bravery and for performance during sacrifices. All of this was to welcome the loyal souls back home.

The Western envoys were ordered not to disembark. Chen Dazhuang led the coastal defense inspection and slowly walked across the long pier carrying twelve urns.

"Go home." Yin Zhengmao, whose temples were already gray and whose back was a little hunched, took the box from Chen Dazhuang and said in a low voice. His voice was very low and drifted away with the wind.

Here is Yin Zhengmao's adopted son, a real son, not a slave who circumvented the Ming Dynasty law. He was the adopted son Yin Zhengmao accepted when he was fighting against the Japanese pirates in Guangzhou. His name was Yin Linghai, and his real name was Xiaoliu. He was from Qiongzhou. His father died and his mother remarried. He grew up eating at many people's homes, and made a living by wandering around and collecting pearls.

In the Battle of Dianbai Port, Xiaoliu, who was already a foreign soldier, saved Yin Zhengmao's life. Yin Zhengmao thanked him for saving his life and adopted him as his adopted son, changing his name to Yin Linghai. Yin Zhengmao treated Yin Linghai as his own son, even better than his own son.

Yin Linghai is a brave man and the ocean is his home. He followed Yin Zhengmao to fight across the oceans for more than ten years. Unfortunately, he died in the vast blue waves, leaving only his bones.

"Xiao Liu, go home, go home." Yin Zhengmao held the urn and kept repeating this sentence. He walked very far and came to the Luzon Loyalty and Bravery Shrine. There was a huge monument in the shrine. Behind the monument was a green grass field and a road paved with square stones. Hundreds of loyal and brave men were buried here.

"Eternal rest of the heroic soul!"

The somewhat sad voice of Chen Chengyi, the general manager of Tongxiang Town, echoed between heaven and earth. Three rows of coastal defense inspectors fired guns into the sky, announcing to the world that the heroic souls had returned home.

Yin Zhengmao placed the urn into the tomb and watched the burial mound cover the ashes little by little. Yin Zhengmao did not cry. He was the Governor-General of Luzon, the King of Luzon. No matter how sad he was, he had to show his toughness. After all, Xiaoliu had returned to his hometown.

Only after the remains of the twelve coastal defense inspectors were all buried did Yin Zhengmao allow the envoys from the West to disembark.

"Governor, traces of opium were found in the shipyard." The official in charge of inspection at the Maritime Customs discovered opium on the ship. It was opium, not tobacco. Opium was opiate pills that were strictly prohibited by the Ming Dynasty.

Yin Zhengmao frowned and said, "This bunch of red-haired barbarians violated the Ming Dynasty's ban! Let's go and take a look."

One sniffing dog might be at fault, but when several sniffing dogs are barking incessantly at a corner and scratching frantically in a somewhat anxious manner, there is obviously something wrong.

(End of this chapter)