I'm really not doing business

Chapter 633 Because, Yuan Fu is kind!
"The notarization contract for the mutual trade conducted by Shen Yikuan, the governor-general of the three borders of Shaanxi, is not free at all. The court has stretched its hand too far." Lin Fucheng seemed a little dissatisfied with the notarization contract for the mutual trade in Jiayuguan. Lin Fucheng was a liberal, and this was obviously not free.

"Oh? You can't say that." Zhu Yijun frowned and asked doubtfully, "Could it be that Master Lin has another opinion on this matter?"

"It's just a bunch of miscellaneous taxes under various pretexts." Lin Fucheng drank a sip of tea, shook his head and said, "Mr. Huang is a nobleman in the General's Mansion, and he may not understand how the people below do things. As for this notarization of the mutual trade, if it does not involve the issue of money and goods, it is just a collection and management contract, which is easier to say. Once it involves money and goods, no matter whether it is the Western Region Hu merchants or the hinterland merchants, they cannot get a cent of silver or a penny of goods from the government office."

"The government office is like a Pixiu, a Pixiu that only takes in but never leaves."

"Mr. Huang, did this merchant pay the deposit to the Hu merchant or to the official in charge of the inter-trade trade?"

"Supervisory official." Zhu Yijun frowned and said, "Because the Hu merchants have no fixed place to live, if we give them the deposit, what will we do if they don't come next year, or simply die in the desert? So after the price is determined and the trade is completed, the deposit will be paid to the Hu merchants."

"Mr. Huang, do you think these supervising officials will give the silver to the Hu merchants? The same is true in reverse. Will the supervising officials give some of the confiscated goods to the merchants?" Lin Fucheng shook his head and said, "The prefect who destroyed the family, the county magistrate who exterminated the family, and the police officer who confiscated the property, once the killing stick is used, the people can only admit their losses obediently. It is difficult for the people to sue the officials."

If a citizen sues an official, according to the Ming Dynasty law, he must first be beaten with twenty sticks of the cane. This does not mean that the official will be held back and the person will be beaten to death directly. How can there be any injustice?
During the Hongwu period, the people could arrest officials and tie them up in the capital, but that was only during the 30th year of Hongwu. After that, the "Great Edict" became a dormant law. The ancestral laws could not be changed, but people could choose not to enforce them.

"Who in this hall dares to sue me?" This is the second dilemma of citizens suing officials. If you go to the magistrate to file a complaint and report it to the county, how can you possibly win the case?
What about bypassing the county magistrate? The Ming Dynasty law stipulates that if the military and civilians have grievances, they can report to the prefecture or county, and they are not allowed to report in a different way. If they violate this rule, they will be punished with fifty strokes of the cane.

Jumping the report means filing a complaint to a higher level. Once a soldier or civilian jumps the level, he or she will be beaten with fifty sticks. Moreover, these fifty sticks will mean being sent back to their place of origin. The next fifty sticks will be imposed by the government office at the level that has been jumped. If the fifty sticks are carried out in anger, there is basically no chance of survival.

It is as difficult as climbing to heaven for citizens to sue officials.

As long as these goods and deposits enter the pockets of the government, they will be completely consumed without leaving any residue.

"Did Shen Yiguan lie to Your Majesty? In his report to the court, he said that the notarization by the supervisor was carried out very well and there were many responses. Almost all the merchants would choose the notarization by the supervisor." Zhu Yijun shook his head and said, "Shaanxi and Gansu are not ruled by Shen Yiguan alone. There are so many people watching him, including the inspectors, the censors, and all those who are eyeing his position, waiting for him to make a mistake."

Lin Fucheng thought for a moment, shook his head and said, "Then I don't know."

Li Zhi said with certainty: "I think that in the eyes of the Hu merchants and the merchants, it may be because compared with a transaction without any guarantee, it is better to give the supervisor an official and increase taxes to the government office in exchange for the smooth progress of the transaction. Even if the contract is really broken, it is better than giving it to the other party. After all, you can still hope that the supervisor has a conscience."

"This conscience does not monitor the individual officials, but the entire bureaucracy. For example, if someone embezzles deposits or goods, once the responsible councillor, governor, or governor-general finds out, they will be in big trouble."

The merchants had no way to deal with the Hu merchants who liked to break their appointments, and the Hu merchants had no way to deal with the cunning merchants. After much thought, everyone decided that it would be better to rely on the corrective power of the Ming court and officialdom. After all, if the supervisors really did not give any support, it would destroy the business environment and run counter to the Ming Dynasty's strategy of reopening the Western Regions.

No matter how bad the order is, it is better than no order at all. This is why mutual trade notarization can gain widespread support.

Zhu Yijun nodded. Li Zhi had practical experience. Obviously, Li Zhi understood the various rules of officialdom better than Lin Fucheng. Being an official cannot do whatever he wants. Even the emperor cannot do whatever he wants.

"The mutual trade notarization was required because the foreign merchants and the guest merchants did not trust each other. Then, is there no trust between the producers and meat eaters in the Ming Dynasty?" Zhu Yijun thought of the first problem of this administration, the issue of trust. The mutual trade notarization could have been successful because there was no trust at all.

Li Zhi said confidently: "The mutual distrust has reached the point where the imperial court must intervene. Otherwise, if the craftsmen want to enter the government factory, they don't need to use connections, find ways, or spend money. Now, even if you want to work as a kiln worker in the Xishan Coal Bureau, you need at least nine taels of silver."

The government-owned factories and private factories have formed a control group. The harder it is to enter the government-owned factories, the more serious the labor-capital contradiction between the meat-eaters and the producers. When the government-owned factories in various parts of the Ming Dynasty recruited new members, they were all flooded with responses, which is very telling.

"That makes sense." Zhu Yijun nodded. The standard that Li Zhi talked about was very reasonable.

Li Zhi continued: "In the process of alleviating this contradiction, we must not only rely on top-down constraints. When rights tend to be equal, strength becomes the key to determining victory or defeat."

"Meat eaters often have stronger economic power and can afford to spend more, while poor people and coolies don't know what to eat or drink the next day if they don't go to work. Meat eaters often have stronger political influence. They maintain close ties with local government offices and even officials in Beijing. Some of them are even officials themselves. Meat eaters often have more abundant material conditions to bribe witnesses and fabricate evidence."

Li Zhi stopped here. Knowing that he was the emperor, there were some things he couldn't say.

"Just say what you want to say. It's just idle talk. Only when we understand it can we explain it to the general, and only then can the general explain it to Your Majesty, right?" Zhu Yijun saw that Li Zhi had something he didn't dare to say, so he reminded Li Zhi that he was now Master Huang and he should just say what he wanted to say.

"Mr. Huang, what is the Wanli Reform?" After getting the emperor's promise that he would not blame him, Li Zhi was still cautious to make his words not so harsh.

"It is an incomplete reformist political struggle, aimed at reviving the Ming court and restoring the Ming Dynasty, rather than completely changing the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, in the process of identifying contradictions, the explanation of contradictions is extremely important. Only by explaining the contradictions clearly can we ease the contradictions or try to resolve them." Zhu Yijun clearly told Li Zhi the nature of the Wanli Reform.

The Wanli Reform was not a revolution to completely change the Ming Dynasty, but a reformist political struggle to give the Ming Dynasty, or China, a competitive advantage and safeguard the interests of all citizens under the conditions of material scarcity and low productivity.

It is crucial to explain the contradiction.

"I have observed that the conflict between meat eaters and meat producers is the root of all unrest, a hotbed for major changes, an important source of crisis for the dynasty, and may even overthrow the dynasty." Li Zhi spoke very carefully, trying to make his words not so violent and straightforward.

"You are right. It's not just about workshop production, but also about farmland. Master Li, stop rambling and make your point more clearly." Zhu Yijun didn't quite understand what Li Zhi wanted to express. His expression was a little too obscure.

Li Zhi then hesitated and said, "After the imperial court issued an order to abolish the slave system, a slave rebellion broke out in the south of the Yangtze River. The slaves gathered in the mountains and forests, took up arms and demanded their rights. These two forces eventually forced the local gentry and powerful people who held the indentures to compromise."

“We need equal rights from the top down, and we also need the power to correct mistakes from the bottom up.”

Wang Qian looked at Li Zhi. This Li Zhi was indeed a liberal lunatic. He was really bold and reckless. His words were actually still very tactful.

The Tianzi Box fell into a long silence. For the imperial Ming Dynasty, if the proletariat united, the uncertainty and violence of the movement would be displayed vividly. Could the imperial power really remain immune in the torrent of this movement?

"It's already seven o'clock in the afternoon, and it's getting late. Let's stop here today and think about this matter another day. Young Master Huang is from the General's Mansion, and the General is very cautious in the court. If he goes back after the curfew, I'm afraid the General will be criticized by the lowly scholars." Wang Qian saw that the atmosphere was too solemn, and immediately announced that the meeting would end here.

Zhu Yijun thought what Li Zhi said made sense. Relying solely on top-down regulation could only make rights equal in law. The decree to abolish the slave system had been vigorously promoted throughout the Ming Dynasty. The legal basis for the slave system had been eliminated in law, but the slave system still existed widely because in the contradiction between producers and meat eaters, the power of meat eaters was stronger.

This requires the proletariat to unite and fight against the meat eaters.

"Your idea is correct, but I think we should not rush into it. If we don't even confirm the rights, we will rush to take the next step. If we take too big a step, we will easily get into trouble. The Ming Dynasty must first popularize labor contracts and clearly define the rights and obligations of both parties before we can talk about the next step."

"It's like surveying and returning the land. Nothing can be done if the land registry is not clear." Zhu Yijun did not back down but responded positively.

Can the proletariat unite? The answer is yes, but as an emperor and the person directly responsible for the government orders, Zhu Yijun cannot just talk about it in generalities like Lin Fucheng and Li Zhi, but must take one step at a time and move forward steadily.

But allowing the proletariat to unite would inevitably pose a threat to imperial power, which is why Li Zhi was so cautious.

How to unite effectively and efficiently is a more severe practical test. The premise of all this is to establish labor relations and to ensure that workers receive fair labor remuneration through legal means. This is the current task.

"Mr. Huang has extraordinary vision, why doesn't he take the imperial examination and serve the country?" Lin Fucheng recognized Mr. Huang's talents very much. In Lin Fucheng's opinion, Mr. Huang is more talented than the dandy Mr. Wang next to him. Wang Qian is an official appointed by the court, but Mr. Huang has no intention of pursuing a career in politics. It is a pity.

"The general has to avoid suspicion." Zhu Yijun explained the problem with a smile. As a member of the general's mansion, Mr. Huang passed the imperial examination, which meant that the general wanted to get his hands into the civil service system, which was very taboo.

Zhu Yijun didn't need to take imperial examinations. He was the emperor, so why should he serve him?
At the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, in the eighth year of Zhenghe, Song Huizong's third son, Prince Yun Zhao Kai, used a pseudonym and participated in the imperial examination. He won the first prize and became the top scorer. When Song Huizong knew about it, he was very happy. He thought that his third son was talented and could become a great man. He looked down on the crown prince, who later became Song Qinzong Zhao Huan, even more.

But in fact, this number one scholar was not a real name. Although it was a pseudonym, who in the examination didn't know that this was the third prince? It was basically a composition topic. All the imperial examination activities in the eighth year of Zhenghe were centered around the third prince winning the first place. The ultimate goal was to make Song Huizong make up his mind to abolish the crown prince Zhao Huan, so that Zhao Kai could smoothly seize the throne.

When the Jin army marched south, the internal strife in Kaifeng City was extremely complicated. No one expected that the Jingkang Incident would occur, in which Song Huizong and his sons were all killed, leaving only the ninth prince Zhao Gou. In the end, Zhao Gou became the founding emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty.

When Zhu Yijun returned to the palace, he wrote an imperial edict and submitted it to the cabinet, instructing the cabinet to study the notarization of the Jiayuguan trade and draft the notarization of the labor contract.

"Eh? Wang Ci Fu is secretly doing something big!" After Zhu Yijun finished writing the imperial edict, he suddenly remembered something in the Dagong Dingjian project.

All the major projects that Wang Chonggu was responsible for were completed on time with guaranteed quality. As for the construction quality of the central axis of the imperial palace, Zhu Yijun was very skeptical. He thought that even if the Ming Dynasty fell, it would not collapse!
In order to ensure that the laborers and craftsmen recruited could receive labor remuneration, Wang Chonggu reserved six months of labor remuneration and handed it over to the Ministry of Revenue for custody. Even if he got into trouble, the recruited craftsmen could still receive six months of labor remuneration. This was a special fund for a special purpose. The approval of these labor remunerations required Wang Chonggu's personal signature. As the first person in charge of Dagong Dingjian, he had power but also assumed responsibility.

"Have any craftsmen in the Dingjian project that Wang Ci Fu is in charge of caused trouble over their wages?" Zhu Yijun sat up straight and looked at Feng Bao.

Feng Bao took out his thick memo from his sleeve, found the label of the black material, turned to the page about Wang Chonggu, read it for a long time, shook his head and said, "There was no disturbance of salary."

The rioting for pay was one of the characteristic movements of the Ming Dynasty. It meant that people would gather together to make trouble because they did not get their food and pay. It was different from demanding rewards. The latter was to ask for the promised rewards, while the rioting for pay was to collect the pay that they were supposed to get. It was common in military settlements, garrisons, and other places. The nature of the engineering battalions and official factories was highly similar to that of soldiers.

"Wang Ci Fu really has some unique ideas!" Zhu Yijun remembered what Wang Chonggu had told the emperor: whether a construction site can be successful depends on how many peddlers there are in front of the door and whether there are delicious dishes. This can tell whether the project is being implemented smoothly and whether the quality is up to standard.

Wang Chonggu does have some strange methods, and there is a reason why he is hated.

"Let me see your memo. What's written on it?" Zhu Yijun stretched out his hand to ask for Feng Bao's memo. Feng Bao had taken this thing out many times, and Zhu Yijun had always suppressed his curiosity. But now he was too curious about what else was written on it.

"It's better not to read it. There are a lot of news that have not been confirmed. They are specious and will disturb Your Majesty's hearing." Feng Bao didn't want to show it to His Majesty.

"Here you go." Zhu Yijun reached out and took the memo. He flipped through it and glanced at Zhang Hong. The memo contained a very detailed observation of Zhang Hong. It contained a lot of negative information, but in the end they were all proven false and crossed out by Feng Bao.

In fact, Feng Bao had always been extremely wary of Zhang Hong and kept a close eye on him.

Zhu Yijun believed that Zhang Hong also had such a memorandum in his hand, which was specifically used to collect all kinds of seemingly true but false information about Feng Bao. Contradictions were everywhere, and struggles were everywhere.

"Wang Chonggu had 172 concubines. After investigation, it was found to be a fabrication. What a pity. I thought that after Wang Ci Fu left, a bunch of illegitimate children would jump out to compete with Wang Qian for the family property. But I don't see that excitement anymore." Zhu Yijun was looking through the part about Wang Chonggu. If Wang Chonggu had several illegitimate children, Wang Qian would not dare to be so arrogant!
Wang Qian should be given a tough test. This guy spends money like water in Taibai Tower. He spends 11,000 silver coins with just a wave of his hand!

The next morning, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty rode his landlubbers to the Wenhua Hall to hold court. After the etiquette had been streamlined several times, the court meeting process in the Wenhua Hall had been simplified a lot, making the administration more efficient.

"Your Majesty, long live your Majesty, long live your Majesty."

"My dear ministers, please don't be polite. I am very pleased that Wang Ci Fu has returned to the court. I will reward you as well." Zhu Yijun saw Wang Chonggu with a smile on his face and gave another round of rewards to all the court officials. Regardless of whether he was impulsive or brave, judging by his deeds rather than his heart, the result was that Wang Chonggu came back to continue working.

"We bow down and thank your Majesty for your grace." The ministers bowed again, then sat down and began today's court meeting.

"The Joseon envoy Yi Houbai is still in the capital. Yin Geunsu returned to Joseon and reported that the Joseon King Yi Sun submitted a letter of apology. Although he offended the court for some reason, the king said he was guilty, so he was guilty. I beg the emperor to punish him." Wan Shihe said helplessly: "After Yin Geunsu returned to his country, he was killed in front of the gate of Sungkyunkwan."

"Some people believe that it was because Li Houbai and Yin Geunsu did something they shouldn't have done or said something they shouldn't have said in Beijing that they incurred the wrath of heaven."

Someone had to take responsibility, and Yoon Geun-su, who returned to Joseon, was the best choice. However, Lee Hou-baek did not dare to return to Joseon no matter what.

Zhu Yijun looked through Li Sun's letter of apology for a long time, picked it up and said, "It is very long and has nearly 1,500 words. Among these 1,500 words, is there a sentence written by Li Sun himself? Is there even a single word? Fortunately, I have read some books, otherwise I would not even recognize all these rare characters."

The King of Korea's letter of apology was 1,500 words long, fluent, and well-written with quotations from classics, but the king himself did not write even a single word, which showed his insincerity. It was obvious that the King of Korea did not fully implement the ancestral law of "serving the great and making friends with neighbors."

"No." Wan Shihe bowed his head and said, "It can be seen that this was written by a Jinshi from Sungkyunkwan, and the King of Joseon stamped it."

Although Li Cheng also studied Confucianism, everyone has seen what a natural nobleman looks like when he studies. This letter of apology looks like an apology, but in fact it is not his original intention at all.

Zhu Yijun held up the letter of apology and said to the court officials: "So, what Li Sun meant was that although we, Korea, took advantage, I have already bowed and apologized, what else do you, the Ming Dynasty, want!"

"I've read it over and over, and I've only seen this. If he really feels that he is wrong, why doesn't he come to Beijing to personally face the emperor and plead guilty? Isn't Korea far away from the Ming Dynasty? He can take a boat to Tianjin now, and it won't take him a day."

"I am not satisfied with his letter of apology."

What would it take for the Ming Dynasty to be satisfied? No matter what, it would not be satisfied.

The tribute trade of the Ming Dynasty was a loss-making one, as a little bit of scrap could be exchanged for a generous reward. However, the merchant ship trade derived from the tribute trade was profitable for the Ming Dynasty. The merchant ships were caravans other than the tribute ships. Zhu Yijun stopped the tribute trade, but did not stop the cooperation with Korean ships, which means that the derived merchant ship trade would not be affected.

"Just reply to him like this and let the King of Korea come to Beijing to apologize." Zhu Yijun narrowed his eyes and threw the letter of apology from King Lee Sun of Korea into the trash can.

"What if he really comes?" Wan Shihe said with some concern. He was not afraid that the King of Korea would not come, but he was afraid that he would be really bold and really come to the Ming Dynasty to apologize. In that case, the Ming Dynasty could only hold him high and let him go gently. Not only could it not keep the King of Korea, Lee Sun, but it would also have to escort him out of the country with courtesy. After all, the Ming Dynasty really cared about its reputation.

"He can't possibly come." Zhang Juzheng said with certainty: "Since the Yongle period, there has been a precedent that all Korean relatives must study at the Imperial Academy of the Ming Dynasty until they reach adulthood. After completing their studies, they return to Korea. For example, the Korean King Suyanggun Yi Yu studied at the Imperial Academy for seven years."

"Since the Zhengtong Tumu Incident, Korea has banned this. In the second year of the Wanli reign, Your Majesty issued an edict to order the Crown Prince of Korea to come to Ming to study with him according to the laws of the ancestors. The King of Korea refused in every possible way, and it was eventually abandoned."

"Grand Master, he really doesn't dare to come."

Zhang Juzheng talked about an old story. The attempt to restore the ancestral laws in the second year of Wanli failed. It was said that it was the emperor's decree, but in fact Zhang Juzheng was worried about the situation in the northeast, so he wanted to strengthen the Ming Dynasty's control over Korea. Zhang Juzheng also used similar measures against Annan, but they did not work.

Just as Wan Shihe said, the barbarians have wolves' faces and beasts' hearts, they fear power but not morality. When dealing with foreign relations, the Ming Dynasty is always at a disadvantage because of its high morality. North Korea dared to refuse because it was sure that the Ming Dynasty would not go to war over such a "small matter".

"What if he comes?" Wan Shihe said with some concern.

Zhang Juzheng said calmly: "If he really has the courage to come, he will not be able to acclimate to the local climate. Unfortunately, he is seriously ill and cannot go back. He is a bit passive, but he still has to do what he should do."

If the King of Korea really dared to come, Zhang Juzheng would dare to risk the world's condemnation and keep him. This was a game for the brave. Whoever retreated first would lose both face and dignity. Zhang Juzheng was not afraid of being scolded. In the early years of the Wanli Reform, he offended everyone he could.

Zhang Hong looked at the two secretaries beside him, but they did not take note of Zhang Juzheng's unorthodox words.

What? The Prime Minister of the Empire is shameless and forced people to stay here? How could that be possible! It is obvious that the King of Korea himself is not used to the climate and climate, and in order to prevent a sudden death on the way back, he stayed in the capital to see a doctor. If the King of Korea is really willing to come, this is the only explanation, because the Prime Minister is kind!
All the court officials looked at Zhang Juzheng. This guy was still as ruthless as ever. After all, as a scholar, he should have closed the door and blown out the lights. How could he be so straightforward and say that he was not used to the local climate?
"Then let's reply to the Korean envoy and ask him to come to Beijing to apologize." Wan Shihe thought about it and decided that since someone was taking responsibility and taking the blame, there would be no problem.

"Your Majesty intended to submit an imperial edict to the cabinet yesterday. We immediately felt that this matter was related to the rise and fall of the country, so it should be treated with caution. I discussed it with the Deputy Prime Minister for a long time and thought that we should visit and inquire before making a decision." Zhang Juzheng talked about the memorial that the emperor sent to the Ming Cabinet after nightfall yesterday.

Thanks to Wang Chonggu's return to Wenyuan Pavilion, Zhang Juzheng finally had someone to discuss things with. The situation of Zhang Juzheng fighting alone came to an end. This matter was of great importance, and it would not be excessive to be cautious.

"Your Majesty, the method of Dagong Dingjian, which is to save money in advance and wait for six months of labor remuneration to be withdrawn, is only suitable for Dagong Dingjian. It is not suitable for the court's own business. The savings of Dagong Dingjian are public money, not private money."

“If meat eaters were required to hire one person, they would have to save up six months’ wages for labor. On the one hand, a large number of small workshops would not be able to come up with the money. On the other hand, the government order would be widely opposed.” Wang Chonggu quickly explained that his method in Dagong Dingjian was only suitable for business with the court.

In his imperial edict, Your Majesty asked whether the method of advance savings used by Da Gong Dingjian could be promoted. Zhu Yijun noticed that all the craftsmen in Xishan Coal Bureau and Yongding Yongsheng Woolen Factory used this method to save six months of labor remuneration to ensure stable production and that the craftsmen could receive labor remuneration.

It is a sin to give away such huge sum of money to the poor just like that!

"All the government-owned factories in the Ming Dynasty will retain six months of labor remuneration to prevent accidents. Government-owned factories can do this, but private factories can't?" Hai Rui asked immediately. Hai Rui suspected that Wang Chonggu did this on purpose so that the government-owned factories could maintain their advantage in the brutal market competition and attract master craftsmen.

"Or to put it more bluntly, the Ming Dynasty's official factories must treat people as human beings, but private factories can treat people as non-human beings?" As the Minister of Rites, Shen Li further elaborated on the doubts raised by Hai Rui, making the doubts more clear.

Being questioned by the two upright officials of the court, Wang Chonggu felt a great deal of pressure for a while. He gritted his teeth and said, "You two, you must consider the resistance to the promotion of the decree. A decree is only effective if it can be widely followed."

(End of this chapter)