I'm only seven years old, Lao Zhu, you let me supervise the country?

Chapter 9 Whales Can't Swallow It, Then Eat It

The ban on the sea is an order issued by Lao Zhu after the founding of the country.

Sheets are not allowed to enter the sea.

Limited by the times, Lao Zhu's approach is actually understandable.

But from the perspective of future generations, Zhu Yunxuan found that banning the sea was undoubtedly not a good choice.

The Age of Discovery is coming, and opening up the sea ban will bring huge benefits to the Ming Dynasty.

But the truth behind it is both simple and complex.

Is it easy to open the sea ban?

Pulled around and moved the whole body.

There are always people who benefit from any national policy, whether it is good or bad.

Changing it will infringe on the interests of vested interests, and they will definitely oppose it.

This is why, no matter how good a reform is, it will always cause a lot of opposition and it will always be difficult to implement it.

Not to mention, this was ordered by Lao Zhu himself.

It's not that easy to let him go.

Zhu Yunxuan's thoughts were racing in his mind, and he quickly ruled out the idea of ​​talking to Lao Zhu now and analyzing the pros and cons. He said: "Grandpa Huang, I heard that there is a crop in the West called sweet potato."

Lao Zhu was noncommittal on the issue of collecting business taxes.

But not taking a stand is also an attitude in itself.

Zhu Yunxi no longer tried to persuade Lao Zhu from a commercial point of view, but started from agriculture.

This is what Lao Zhu cares most about.

"Sweet potato?" Zhu Yuanzhang frowned slightly.

"Yes, sweet potato." Zhu Yunxian said: "This kind of thing can be used as food, and it is easy to store and transport."

"And it is very drought-tolerant, and has very low requirements on the environment and land. I heard that the yield is still very high!"

"I think, if there are sweet potatoes planted in my land of Ming Dynasty, and they are widely promoted, they will be able to feed hundreds of millions of people..."

……

He went on and on, detailing the benefits of sweet potatoes.

"And this sweet potato is in an overseas western place, and you can only get it by going to sea."

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression changed and he suddenly stood up.

But in just a moment, he returned to normal and sat back down again.

There was still an emotionless expression on his face.

"Grandpa Huang, what's wrong with you?" Zhu Yunzhen pretended to be scared.

"It's okay, it's okay." Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and waved his hands.

After a pause, he asked again: "Xiao'er, how did you know about the sweet potato?"

Zhu Yunwen made nonsense: "Zhen'er and her second brother were playing outside a few months ago, and accidentally heard what a businessman from outside said."

Although Zhu Yuanzhang strictly banned the sea, Nanjing also had a wharf when it was building the Yangtze River.

There are also Fanren merchants who come quietly from far away, but they are not many in number.

Smuggling was banned repeatedly from the Ming Dynasty to the Longqing Switch.

There is more and more silver in Ming Dynasty, most of which are produced overseas through trade.

Not to mention, it was not until the 23rd year of Hongwu, that is, two years ago, that Zhu Yuanzhang completely banned foreigners from coming to Daming.

Before this, the people of the Ming Dynasty were strictly prohibited from going to sea, but they could not prevent people from coming.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, as if he had thought of something, and asked again: "Did you hear about it together with your second brother?"

Zhu Yunzhen's heart moved and he said: "Yes, but the second brother doesn't seem to be interested in these, and I don't know if he heard it."

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at Zhu Yunxuan thoughtfully, as if he was thinking about something.

"Zhen'er, Grandpa Huang will seriously consider this matter you mentioned."

"Yes." Zhu Yunzhen nodded excitedly like a child who had done something for an adult.

But did not continue the topic.

Opening the sea ban is not a trivial matter, and it is impossible to make a decision based on the rumors of a merchant. Now it can only be a thought buried in Lao Zhu's mind.

In the online novels of later generations, it is impossible for the protagonist to make the emperor change the national policy and play the emperor and the civil and military ministers of the Manchu Dynasty as fools with a casual word.

Zhu Yuanzhang's mood obviously improved a lot, he stretched out his hand and hugged Zhu Yunxi in his arms.

He cheerfully asked: "Xiao'er, if the sweet potato you mentioned really exists and solves the food problem, how can Mongolia be pacified?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was always smiling, but there seemed to be some deep meaning in his smile.

Zhu Yunxi thought for a while and said, "Grandpa Huang, I believe that it is almost impossible to pacify Mongolia by military alone."

"Oh?" Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up, and he looked at Zhu Yunxi with even more relief, and said, "Why do you say that?"

Zhu Yunzhen said: "Grandpa Huang, I think military victory is always only temporary."

"We can expel the Mongols from the Central Plains because the Central Plains is our territory and it is not suitable for the Mongols to fight."

"We can defeat them, but we cannot conquer them."

Zhu Yuanzhang asked: "Why can't you conquer?"

Zhu Yunzhen said: "Because they have their advantages."

"Mongolia is a nomadic people, good at guerrilla warfare, and the entire grassland is their home field."

"Hit and run, that's the hardest part."

"Our army can't stay on the grassland all the time. We can't afford it."

"And it is precisely because of this that the Mongols are confident."

"Grandfather, is what Xi'er said right?"

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed for a long time, and said tiredly: "Yes, what Xi'er said is all right. Grandpa Huang was worried about these things, so he didn't send troops in large numbers!"

Zhu Yunxiang tilted his head, thought for a while and said: "Grandpa Huang, Xuer has an idea, that is... I don't know if it will work."

Old Zhu smiled, and said softly: "What do you think? Tell us!"

Zhu Yunxuan's eyes moved slightly, he took Zhu Yuanzhang's hand and said in a childish voice:
"Zhen'er believes that if you want to completely conquer Beiyuan, there is only one way to consolidate the vassal."

"Gu Fan?"

Zhu Yunxuan felt Zhu Yuanzhang's broad palm tremble slightly.

Zhu Yunxi nodded, and said, "It's about strengthening the feudal clan and demarcating pastoral areas so that the various Mongolian tribes can't run around."

"This way, they won't be able to guerrilla."

"And I heard that the various tribes in Mongolia have enmity. As long as pastoral areas are designated, these tribes will restrict other tribes from entering."

"Then their nomadic range will be smaller."

"They can only move within a small area, which is equivalent to settling down like the Han people."

"Even if they are brave and good at fighting, they will never succeed."

"Usually, my father will let me see the art of war, and Sui'er certainly understands the truth,"

"If the whale can't swallow it, it will gradually eat away."

Zhu Yunxi knew that during the period of the Qing Dynasty's rule hundreds of years later, Mongolia had not been successful for many reasons.

There are technological advancements, changes in the times, and the Qing Dynasty's way of doing things and careful calculations.

There are also some despicable methods, which is not suitable for him to talk about as a child now.

And demarcating pastoral areas to prevent them from nomadic life is a very important reason, and it suits him.

Nomads have no way of nomadic life, just like big fish leaving deep water and coming to the shallows.

Although it can still survive, it is just an ignoble existence.

And even in the shallows, everything is in the fisherman's bag.

Although Zhu Yunxi didn't have any good feelings for the Qing Dynasty, he still very much approved of their approach.

They are just bad, not stupid.

They were originally tribes who entered the Central Plains from outside the pass, and they were very experienced in how to govern grassland tribes.

"If the whale can't swallow it... then it will gradually eat away..." Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up as he chewed Zhu Yunxi's words repeatedly.

Even his expression changed.

(End of this chapter)