I'm really not doing business

Chapter 670 It’s these powerful and wealthy people who have caused me so much trouble!
After Shen Shixing took office in Songjiang Prefecture, he began to pilot maritime insurance.

Because of the inevitable risks involved in maritime trade, insurance was born in this environment. It is a method that came from the Netherlands, a low-lying region in the West, to reduce the risks of maritime trade and increase the enthusiasm of ships to go out to sea.

In Antwerp, the busiest port in the Netherlands, the maximum voyage for ship insurance is 33,000 miles, and insurance merchants set premiums based on comprehensive factors such as tonnage, number, hydrological risks, and piracy.

The longest voyage insurance business of the Ming Dynasty is 100,000 miles, which is an ultra-long global trade insurance. The next is 50,000 miles of ocean trade insurance, 33,000 miles of Ming Dynasty territorial waters insurance business, and 10,000 miles of near-sea insurance.

Following the success of the maritime insurance pilot project in Songjiang Prefecture, the Mizhou Maritime Customs followed suit and established a government-run insurance office to operate insurance and encourage going to sea.

This was originally a good policy, intended to encourage going out to sea.

Zhu Yijun did not encounter any crying emperor in Jiaozhou Bay. Wang Yi'e did not arrange such a scene, but the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty still read the files of Jiaozhou.

"From this case, I saw the alienation of money on people." Zhu Yijun put down a pile of files. These files were a series of cases. All the cases revolved around one topic: insurance fraud.

Over 95% of the Ming Dynasty's voyages returned home, which means that for every 95 ships that went out to sea, more than ships could return safely with full loads. This was due to the Ming Dynasty's excellent shipbuilding technology and the fact that the scope of its trade was still limited to the South China Sea within the Strait of Malacca. In addition, the Ming court spared no effort to wipe out pirates, which created a myth.

The scope of maritime trade insurance is constantly expanding, and the average profit of Ming Dynasty's maritime trade insurance has reached an astonishing 5%. The surplus excluding compensation can reach 5% of all insured funds.

Maritime trade insurance is like a huge casino, and the Ming Dynasty’s official insurance is the banker. Since there is a banker, there must be cheating.

There was a Liu family in Jimo County, who were also maritime merchants for generations. They set their sights on insurance compensation. In the beginning, Liu Pinghai, the head of the Liu family, was cautious and did not dare to go too far. He operated some aging ships improperly, which eventually led to various accidents at the docks and ports and he received compensation.

Any new thing will grow wildly at the beginning, and maritime trade insurance is no exception. The officials are short of staff and cannot conduct a detailed investigation of the accident. If they find that it is indeed an accident or even a sinking, they will pay compensation according to the regulations.

As soon as Liu started this, merchants throughout the Ming Dynasty were like cats that smelled blood, and they all took action. Soon, Shen Shixing discovered that the return rate and rate of return of Ming Dynasty ships were declining. After discovering some clues, the insurance offices stationed at the five major maritime customs offices began to patch the problem and add a term. In other words, the insurance premiums of ships would increase with the increase in the number of years.

The overall insurance business of Daming was constructed based on the institutional construction of Antwerp insurance merchants, and the age factor was a summary of Daming's practice.

Western ships generally do not have the problem of age. There are simply too many Western pirates, and some ships simply do not live to see the day they become old.

There is no need to insure ships that are more than fifteen years old. The annual insurance money is enough to buy a new three-masted frigate.

Liu Pinghai of the Liu family did not give up when he saw that there were no loopholes to exploit, because he saw the loopholes in the Ming Dynasty's official insurance.

The government-run insurance department had no investigative powers, no right to summon crew members, no right to search, no right to arrest, etc. In other words, the Ming Dynasty's government-run maritime trade insurance could not conduct a comprehensive investigation of the accident. Liu took advantage of this loophole and began to grow bolder.

This time, Liu chose a new strategy, dismantling the ship.

The insured Ship A did not sink at sea. After forging witnesses and evidence, it was brought back to the port by Ship B for compensation. The ship, which should have sunk, was taken to a shipbreaking yard for dismantling and then sold in batches, killing two birds with one stone.

Liu's actions were very secretive, but the Liu family had a gossipy daughter-in-law who told her family about this. Soon, what was supposed to be a secret became an open secret. Taking advantage of the large scale of state-run insurance and the difficulty of auditing, the Ming Dynasty merchants began to empty the insurance money that should have belonged to the public.

Soon, Wang Yi'e discovered the clues of this matter. Because it originated from the Mizhou Maritime Customs, the situation in Mizhou was the most serious.

The disadvantages of state-run insurance emerged. State-run insurance represented the face of the court and the emperor. Many times, even though they knew there might be problems, in order not to be too rigid and lose face, all accidents needed to be investigated. Due to a shortage of staff, state-run insurance became somewhat difficult.

As a last resort, Wang Yi'e and Shen Shixing exchanged letters and connected the tax inspection offices and tax inspection houses in various places to the government-run maritime trade insurance.

The sea may not know when a ship sinks, but trade will tell. If your ship sinks, so should your cargo. If your cargo is still there, how can your ship sink? After the Taxation Bureau and the government-run insurance department opened up all the procedural links, the trend of forging evidence and concealing and dismantling ships was finally curbed.

In the autumn of the 12th year of Wanli, the unwilling Liu Pinghai became bolder. He was used to getting something for nothing, so he felt that it was okay for him to do so, and his behavior became more and more bold.

This time, Liu Pinghai began to bribe many officials in the Insurance Department, forged insurance policies, and embezzled insurance money.

They got something for nothing. They had a ship that didn't actually exist, but it had all the necessary paperwork. After it was insured, it would soon sink. Everything was compliant and legal, but they still made the insurance money.

When Liu bribed people, he always said something that was particularly touching: It's not your money anyway, it's public money, if you don't take it, there are plenty of people who will.

How to turn public money into his own money was Liu's initial motivation for becoming increasingly unscrupulous throughout the case, and it was also the basic logic of the entire insurance fraud case.

Truth cannot be hidden. During the year-end planning for the 12th year of the Wanli reign, this insurance fraud was uncovered. Soon, all the officials related to the Mizhou Maritime Customs were thrown into prison, and Liu's family also ended up having their property confiscated. Liu Pinghai fled overseas but was captured before he even left the port.

Is it only the Liu family that is unlucky? Is it all the sea merchants who are unlucky?

In order to prevent public money from becoming private money, the five major customs offices began to make the entire compensation process lengthy, and soon the compensation cycle began to lengthen. The compensation requirements must have a tax payment certificate from the Tax Inspection Office, as well as a case closure certificate from the Tax Inspection Office and the Coast Guard Inspection. This extended the compensation time from three months to one year.

Everyone complains about the lengthy process, but this is the result of the struggle, and everyone has to bear the consequences together, without exception.

"Your Majesty, this case is quite representative." Zhang Juzheng said solemnly, "If Liu is not brought to justice, then the exploration of insurance, which is supposed to promote the prosperity of maritime trade and provide a safety net for dangerous maritime trade, will have completely failed. Sometimes, heavy-handed punishment is necessary."

"I don't want to be called a tyrant and a traitor every day, and I don't want to kill people every day. But sir, look at what the Liu family has done, what can I do? I can only kill them." Zhu Yijun said with a little emotion.

Isn't Liu looking for death? The money in the insurance pool is public money.

However, the emperor's treasury accounted for half of all the maritime affairs. This was a result of bribery, but it was also a compromise made by the court to ensure the smooth implementation of policies. The money in the insurance pool was indeed public money, everyone's money, but also the emperor's money.

I didn't want this either. It's these powerful people who have caused me so much trouble!

Zhang Juzheng discovered that Your Majesty was a mature politician. Look at what he said, it was so shameless and he didn't feel guilty at all.

"Seventy-two people were convicted and executed, and more than four hundred were exiled. After this case, I hope to curb the trend of insurance fraud. Of course, if they insist on continuing, I can also play along with them." Zhu Yijun looked at Feng Bao and said, "Confiscate the Liu family's wealth and use it to build a highway from Kaifeng to Jiayuguan."

"I obey the order." Feng Bao obeyed the leader's order.

The highway from Kaifeng to Jiayuguan had a new sponsor. The wealthy families in Xitucheng were forced by Zhu Yiliu to donate a lot of money to celebrate the emperor's departure. The Zhang family of Hejian, who secretly colluded with Japanese pirates, set up a private mirage, and trafficked in opium in Tianjin, also contributed a part.

Zhang Juzheng frowned, realizing that the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was probably going to confiscate the property during this southern tour! It was to make up for the deficit of the Kaifeng to Jiayuguan Highway! The huge investment in the Kaifeng to Jiayuguan Highway might be recovered on this southern tour.

Wang Yi'e said that to solve some problems, strong measures are needed to ensure downward distribution in order to guarantee domestic demand.

"Your Majesty, can I donate a little? It's not much, but I have a surplus of 2.4 million silver coins at home. This money cannot be brought with you when you are born and cannot be taken with you when you die. It is my duty to help Your Majesty share your worries and solve the court's problems." Wang Chonggu said eagerly.

Zhu Yijun looked at Wang Chonggu and asked, "Will you erect a stele for the second assistant at Jiayu Pass?"

"Okay, okay." Wang Chonggu said immediately without any pretense.

It is true that he shared His Majesty's worries and solved the court's problems, and it is also true that he wanted to erect a monument. Although he was born a rebel, he was recognized by His Majesty after the assassination of Li Sanhu. However, the world still does not recognize his achievements, Wang Chonggu.

We were all involved in those events at the end of the Longqing reign and the beginning of the Wanli reign, and we all know what happened.

Wang Chonggu has only one son, and Wang Qian is able to take care of himself. Wang Chonggu can use all this money to exchange for fame.

"Good." Zhu Yijun smiled and said, "When the time comes, I will write a memorial in my own handwriting. It will be erected not only in Jiayuguan, but also in Ci Fu's hometown, Puzhou. I will also erect another memorial at the Chonggu Chidao Monument to honor his achievements. In Puzhou, I will erect the memorial next to the Temple of Loyalty and Bravery. What do you think, Wang Ci Fu?"

"That's great, very great!" Wang Chonggu's face was filled with joy when he heard that a monument would be erected in his hometown.

"Your Majesty, when accumulating wealth becomes more and more important in the Ming Dynasty, and even becomes the most important thing, moral norms will also change accordingly, and are changing now. The improvement of Ming Dynasty laws and the construction of systems need to keep up with this change, otherwise the conflicts among the people cannot be alleviated and turmoil will follow." Zhang Juzheng reminded His Majesty that the moral norms of the Ming Dynasty are changing.

In the past, it was about accumulating virtue, and now it is about accumulating wealth.

Copper, silver, and gold, these general equivalents, these currencies are generally recognized, and currency becomes a medium for storing value.

General equivalents are generally recognized by people and can be used to exchange for the fruits of other people's labor. This power of exchange does not have to be exercised immediately and can be exercised when needed. Therefore, currency, as a special commodity, has become the only tool for storing value.

The value and wealth that essentially belong to everyone can be privately possessed through various means. The possession of value means the possession of power by private individuals. The large influx of silver is exacerbating this contradiction, and the reason that prompts all this to happen is people's desire and greed for money.

Is human nature evil or good? Human nature has both good and evil, which is a contradictory unity.

What the court needs to do is to improve the laws, promote the construction of the legal system, make society more fair, and prevent unrest.

The next day, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty went to the beach. The wind at the beach was still a bit biting in this season, so the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty put on a thick cloak and went to the beach with Queen Wang and the eldest son Zhu Changzhi.

People who have not seen the sea with their own eyes cannot imagine its vastness or how rough the waves are. Zhu Yijun saw the sea with his own eyes, a sea with waves three feet high even without wind. The waves rolled forward and hit the rocks on the shore, breaking into crystal waves. When the water receded, the rocks appeared. As the tide receded, the rocks on the seashore changed from a dark shadow on the sea surface to a piece of rock.

There are dozens of fishing boats on the sea preparing to go out to sea. These are hardworking fishermen who are going to various sea fields to plant kelp. Kelp is a specialty of Shandong, and the scale of planting is gradually expanding. The sea breeze is still very cold, but it can't stop the enthusiasm of the fishermen.

Zhu Yijun originally planned to try fish sashimi, but was stopped by Zhang Hong, who said that His Majesty could not eat it, and the chief physician Pang Xian also stopped him. Indeed, marine fish are not freshwater fish, and in theory, the parasites of marine fish cannot survive in the human body.

"Your Majesty, during the Three Kingdoms period, there was a Guangling governor named Chen Deng. He was extremely depressed, his face was red, and he could not eat or drink. He asked Hua Tuo to treat him. Hua Tuo used medicine as a guide, and Chen Deng vomited three liters of worms, all with red heads and shaking heads and tails. People at the time were shocked and asked why. Hua Tuo said: It's because you eat too much raw meat. You will die in three years. Chen Deng died in three years."

"It's true, Hua Tuo is helpless against little bugs." Pang Xian told a story from the Three Kingdoms period.

The eldest prince Zhu Changzhi stared at Pang Xian in amazement. Vomiting three liters of worms?! What a horrible scene.

"Your Majesty, the medical officer Xu Wei of the Nagasaki Governor-General's Office has reported that the most serious disease in Japan is schistosomiasis. If there are really these problems, I am not capable of taking good care of them." Pang Xian spoke frankly. If Your Majesty wants to eat, you can, but if anything happens, he will run away without even a look.

It can't be cured, there's no hope, goodbye.

"No, no." Zhu Yijun felt his scalp tingling after hearing what Pang Xian said. He immediately said that he valued his life very much and would not eat sashimi, nor would he eat freshwater or saltwater fish. In this era, there was really no way to deal with parasites.

Zhu Yijun gave up on sashimi, even though he heard it was delicious, just as he gave up on tasting Korean girls and Japanese prostitutes.

The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was on a southern tour, Prince Lu was making a fuss, and Japan was at this time facing internal and external troubles. Oda Nobunaga, who had not been seen for a long time due to a gunpowder assassination, finally made a public appearance again, and as soon as he showed up, he caused a big fuss!

Oda Nobunaga promulgated the Land Survey Law.

The land survey law required the use of unified measuring tools to survey all of Japan's land, clarify land ownership, and classify it according to different conditions such as land fertility, precipitation, and harvest. The specific conditions of the land were used to determine matters such as tribute and conscription.

Oda Nobunaga demanded that the estates of temples and daimyo be inspected, and specific tax standards be set. All monks and daimyo had to be taxed and follow the basic tax rate of one public and two private citizens, and no additional levies were allowed.

If they refuse to comply, they will be punished.

All of a sudden, Oda Nobunaga stood against almost all the meat-eaters, but he still had to do it, even in the face of several assassinations.

When this land inspection law came out, the whole country was in an uproar!

What is more strange is that Oda Nobunaga's opponent, Mori Terumoto, did not stand up and oppose him at the first time, and use this as an excuse to gather opponents to resist, but chose to remain silent.

Mori Terumoto's silence made everyone realize that Oda Nobunaga and Mori Terumoto may have reached some kind of tacit understanding.

On February 28th of the 13th year of the Wanli reign, two small boats from the Mori clan and the Oda clan sailed into the Nagasaki Bay as the sun set. They looked like two ordinary Japanese merchant ships. After all, both the Mori clan and the Oda clan maintained close trade relations with the Nagasaki Governor's Office of the Ming Dynasty.

But behind these two ships were two huge fleets on the sea outside Nagasaki Port. The navies of Mori Terumoto and Oda Nobunaga were mobilized in full force. This time they were not mobilizing to attack Nagasaki, but to guard against each other.

The passengers of these two small boats were Mori Terumoto and Oda Nobunaga himself. They came to the Nagasaki Governor-General's Office to negotiate in person about the war, the implementation of the land inspection law, the food crisis, and the treasure banknotes.

For these two mortal enemies to sit down at the same table and talk, they had to mention the guarantee given by the Nagasaki Governor's Office.

Long-term Governor Xu Wei guaranteed that no assassination would ever occur during the negotiations at the Nagasaki Governor-General's Office. Once anyone was assassinated during the negotiations, the initiator would be the enemy of the Nagasaki Governor-General's Office.

The Nagasaki Governor-General's Office has 4000 guards and foreign soldiers, and the Nagasaki Xingdusi's Osaka Bay Defense Thousand Household has a total of 4500 soldiers. In April, the Ming Dynasty will transfer 4500 troops from the Ninth Battalion of Zhejiang to supplement the troops of the Nagasaki Governor-General's Office.

Once the Nagasaki Governor-General's Office completely stands on someone's side, that person will inevitably become the winner.

When Oda Nobunaga heard that the Nagasaki Governor's Office had the idea of ​​​​resolving the conflict, he was overjoyed. Before setting off, he promulgated the land inspection law and then quickly rushed to Nagasaki. Oda Nobunaga was never afraid of death, what he was afraid of was that his ambitions would not be fulfilled.

"It's ridiculous to say that. Before, I just wanted to be a good ruler of Owari Province. Now, I hope that Japan will become better." Oda Nobunaga met with Nagasaki Governor Xu Wei, showed a very sincere smile and continued: "No matter what the result of this negotiation is, I want to thank the Ming Dynasty for its desire to bring peace to Japan."

"Commander Li, thank you again for sending troops to support us during the incident at Honnoji Temple."

Oda Nobunaga did not expect any good results from the negotiations this time, but he was still grateful for the Ming Dynasty's willingness.

Being able to sit down and talk together is a blessing in itself.

"Japan is suffering from severe food shortages due to the war, which has seriously affected the refining of silver. We don't care how you fight, but the refining of silver must not be affected by the war." Xu Wei once again stated his position. The reason why he asked them all to come to Nagasaki for negotiations was that the Ming Dynasty also had its own demands.

Japan's food shortage has reached the point where it is affecting the flow of silver into the Ming Dynasty. At this time, the Nagasaki Governor's Office can no longer ignore it.

Originally, Xu Wei and Sun Keyi judged that this was a short-term food shortage, which would no longer exist when the grain was harvested. However, as time went on, things became increasingly difficult to control, and the people's uprisings became more and more serious.

In just three months, there were more than 23 uprisings by the people in Japan, even at Iwami Silver Mine. The mining of silver was stopped for nearly a month before it began to slowly resume.

At this point, the Nagasaki Governor-General's Office had to intervene.

"It should be so." Oda Nobunaga sat down.

"Oda Kanpaku, I was indeed the murderer in the last assassination attempt, and I did send the assassin, but we all know why Oda Nobutaka died." Mori Terumoto talked about the last time he sent an assassin to assassinate someone, which made him very depressed.

In Japan, sending people to assassinate is very common. Before a war, sending some assassins is like a war etiquette, but successful assassinations are rare and they are just for show. Mori Terumoto just sent a few people at random. Who would have thought that the assassins could actually walk up to Oda Nobunaga and shoot him to death with one shot?

Mao Li Terumoto said indifferently: "Of course, the man was indeed killed by the assassin I sent. If you insist on fighting me to the death, I will accompany you."

"Let's talk about state affairs, not family matters." Oda Nobunaga replied very calmly.

"Mōri Terumoto, are you secretly colluding with Chen Sheng to plot against the water and fertilizer technology of the Ming Dynasty?" Xu Wei looked at Mori Terumoto and talked about the official report sent from the capital.

Mori Terumoto offered three million silver coins to buy the Ming Dynasty's water and fertilizer technology from a Ming Dynasty traitor. Chen Sheng was active in Beijing and was finally captured by Prince Lu and sent to the Kushioinyuan, where he was executed.

Mao Li Terumoto said calmly: "I am the lord of the country and the daimyo. Japan is so short of food. I am seeking water and fertilizer, not just for myself. I have a clear conscience. The Ming Dynasty will hold me accountable and can kill or chop me up at will."

Water and fertilizer are used to increase grain production. The reason why Mori Terumoto dared to come to Nagasaki was not because he was not afraid, but because he had to come. If he did not come, the Nagasaki Governor-General's Office and Oda Nobunaga would really stand together, and Mori Terumoto would definitely be defeated. He might die either way, so it would be better for him to venture into this dangerous place.

Apart from anything else, as long as the Nagasaki Governor's Office tied down his navy, the Mori family would be unable to resist the ground attack.

"If I kill you and skin you alive, won't you become a hero of Japan?" Xu Wei sneered and shook his head, saying, "If you really want it, you can tell the Nagasaki Governor's Office and I'll present it to His Majesty on your behalf. If His Majesty doesn't want to sell the craft, can't he sell you some water fertilizer? You've been sneaking around and secretly obtained the formula and craft, and ended up like this."

"Bring the three million silver coins, and let this matter be exposed. If you refuse to bring it, I will go and get it myself."

The theory of public and private is based on the theory of contradiction. Public and private are relative concepts. Public encompasses a larger collective, and the Ming Dynasty and Japan are obviously two collectives. Chen Sheng betrayed his collective for money and deserved to die, but Mori Terumoto did it for the collective interests of Japan.

The Ming Dynasty and Japan were two competing, even incompatible groups. It was normal for them to use all means when fighting each other. From the perspective of Japan, Mori Terumoto was not wrong. If the Nagasaki Governor-General's Office had really arrested and killed Mori Terumoto, he would have really become a hero.

But from the perspective of the Ming Dynasty, there must be an explanation. The three million taels of silver were a punishment, and the Ming Dynasty had obtained solid evidence of the other party's sneaky behavior.

"I lied to Chen Sheng. I didn't intend to pay so much money." Mao Li Huiyuan said helplessly, "But this matter disturbed the Celestial Empire, so it's reasonable."

The Ming Dynasty doesn't want an apology, just compensation.

"You must reach Nagasaki Port within three months. I will also present a gift to Your Majesty when Your Majesty visits Songjiang Prefecture in the south." Xu Wei gave a very clear deadline.

Xu Wei didn't care about fame at all. He actually had only one idea: if Mori Terumoto was alive, more Japanese would die in the struggle between him and Oda Nobunaga or his successors. This was Xu Wei's fundamental goal, to destroy the Japanese.

"Then let's discuss the land inspection law." Xu Wei spread his hands and said, "You have made Japan into this state. Aren't you meat-eaters heartbroken?"

Oda Nobunaga immediately said, "So we should emphasize agriculture and suppress commerce. All the grain should be used to make wine to supply the coastal cities. There was war and civilians were starving. Now a lot of grain is being used to make wine. Once the grain price goes up, some people will hoard it. Civilians will also start to store grain, which leads to less and less grain on the market."

Xu Wei was stunned and looked at Oda Nobunaga and said, "You mean to blame the Ming Dynasty? The Ming Dynasty opened the sea and trade was frequent, which led to the food crisis in Japan? Aren't you just making a fuss? Did the Ming Dynasty buy wine from Japan? Or did the Ming Dynasty ask Japan to brew wine? Or did the Ming Dynasty sell Japanese grain to the Ming Dynasty?"

"Don't blame Daming for everything! Whenever something goes wrong, you always find reasons and excuses. This is your own problem!"

Xu Wei was almost laughing out of anger. The implication of Oda Nobunaga's words was that it was all caused by the Ming Dynasty.

"No, what I mean is that Japan's current agriculture and sericulture cannot support commerce. The rise of maritime trade has caused this kind of chaos. Therefore, we need to investigate the land laws and clarify the land registry." Oda Nobunaga waved his hands repeatedly. Even if he had this idea in his mind, he did not dare to show it.

"Why don't you just issue an order to close the country?" asked Mori Terumoto with disdain.

Oda Nobunaga said, "That's exactly what I meant. I've already drafted a national isolation order to expel all foreigners, prohibit trade with foreigners, except for the Ming Dynasty, prohibit ships other than the Fengshu ship from crossing, and prohibit Japanese people abroad from returning to Japan."

"Ah? Are you crazy?" Mori Terumoto looked at Oda Nobunaga dully. He just said that, but Oda Nobunaga actually had a plan in place.

(End of this chapter)