The Resurrection of the South Seas of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 757 Salt Administration! (seeking subscription)
The population figure at the end of Ming Dynasty is actually a mystery. Since there were a large number of private households fleeing from households, the official statistics of a population of 7000 to [-] million must be unreliable.

Since the official statistics are unreliable, we can only use other data to push back.

According to the statistics of cultivated land in the late Ming Dynasty, Daming had a total of 11 billion mu of cultivated land.

This data is almost reliable, because the arable land area of ​​modern China is less than 20 billion mu.

However, when the Ming Dynasty did not control the grasslands, the Western Regions, Liaodong and other places, the figure of 11 billion mu should be not bad.

Calculated according to the ancient productivity, four acres of land can barely support one person.

Calculated, the population of Ming Dynasty must be more than [-] million!

If the budding of capitalism in Jiangnan and other places is included, the population that can be supported by the vigorous development of industry and commerce may be even more.

It is even exaggerated to say that [-] million is not impossible!
Even if it is a conservative estimate, there must be [-] million.

Otherwise, after the natural disaster, there would be refugees all over the place.

To put it bluntly, the reason why there are so many refugees is because the land can support the population saturated. After the natural disaster, once there is a reduction in food production, it will not be able to support so many people.

People who can't survive can only find another way out!

For example, rebellion!

Apart from population data, the most important thing is the data of cultivated land.

The area of ​​arable land calculated by the Ming Dynasty is similar to that of later generations, but in the area of ​​arable land calculated by the statistics, there are large tracts of land that are in a state of abandonment.

For example, in the southwestern provinces, as well as in the war-torn Guanzhong and other places in Henan, large tracts of land are abandoned and fertile.

What Zhu Hongyu can do now is to organize farming as much as possible, and the court spends manpower and material resources to restore these abandoned fields to production.

With a population of more than 7000 million, there are 11 billion mu of arable land!

On average, one person can have fifteen or six mu of arable land, and basically no one will go hungry, isn't it just a prosperous and prosperous world?

So, Zhu Hongyu said that now is the restoration of prosperity, is there a problem?

As long as the skin is thick enough, of course there is no problem!
Flipping through the work reports of various departments, Zhu Hongyu's face was full of approval.

Apart from the statistics of arable land and population, the most dazzling achievement of the imperial court this year is the annual revenue data of the Ministry of Finance.

Compared with last year's annual income, Daming's total annual income this year has increased by about [-]%!
This number is exaggerated enough!
Because, not only is Daming's annual income rising this year, but the annual income of previous years has also been fighting at such a speed.

Accumulated, this number is very impressive!

Comparing Daming's annual revenue with that of the Chongzhen period, it is more than adding a zero after the number.

After regaining the Northland, Zhu Hongyu ordered the local government to reduce or exempt taxes to recuperate and restore people's strength.

Therefore, although the agricultural tax has increased, it is not much.

That is to say, some provinces in the south have reached the period of tax reduction and exemption, and they can pay taxes normally, so that the agricultural tax of Ming Dynasty has increased somewhat.

The real big driver of Ming's tax growth is industrial and commercial tax!
With the promulgation of stimulating policies for industrial and commercial development by the imperial court this year, the industrial and commercial development of Ming Dynasty is still advancing rapidly.

Taxes for business and industry are rising steadily!
An increase of [-]% can be regarded as an exaggeration anyway.

Suddenly, Zhu Hongyu froze, and he saw the specific amount of salt tax.

The current salt tax in the Ming Dynasty must have increased compared with that at the end of the Ming Dynasty.

At the end of the Ming Dynasty, the annual income of the imperial court in salt administration was only about 120 million taels.

After the restoration of Daming, under Zhu Hongyu's rectification, Daming's income from salt administration has increased.

Now the annual income is about 600 million silver dollars!

Compared with the Chongzhen period of the Ming Dynasty, the annual income of the Yanzheng government has increased by five times, which is not a small amount.

But compared with the income of 3000 to [-] million taels of Yanzheng in the Qing Dynasty alone, it is definitely incomparable.

But Zhu Hongyu is quite satisfied with this!
Because, the current price of salt in the Ming Dynasty and the price of salt in the Qing Dynasty are the same as the sky and the same place.

At present, the price of salt in Ming Dynasty is about ten cents per catty!

It will fluctuate due to the distance of the transportation route and the fineness of the salt, but the average price is about ten yuan.

Note that this is the selling price of the terminal, not the exit price!
So, the price is really not high!

However, the price of salt in the Manchu Qing Dynasty was really high to the sky!

According to the historical records of the Qing Dynasty, the ex-factory prices of coastal prefectures reached more than ten renminbi per catty when they were at their highest.

The ex-factory price is higher than Daming's selling price!
When it comes to the sales terminal, it is normal to add a zero to the end of the specific price.

At that time, because of the high price of salt, many people chose to "be patient and light food" and "not know the taste of salt for several months".

What you need to know is that in the Qing Dynasty, the method of drying salt had already matured, and the cost price of salt was not high at all.

Even if the transportation cost is included, it shouldn't soar to such an extent!
To put it bluntly, the reason why the price of salt in the Qing Dynasty was so exaggerated was that the Manchu Qing Dynasty was using the salt policy to squeeze the bones and squeeze the people.

Therefore, the annual income of the Salt Administration in the Manchu Qing Dynasty could be so exaggerated!
Zhu Hongyu is already very satisfied that Daming can still have 600 million silver dollars in annual income while keeping the price of salt down.

Although if Zhu Hongyu is a bit shameless, he can also earn 3000 to [-] million a year through the Salt Administration, just like the Manchus.

However, Zhu Hongyu would rather send troops to rob outside than make troubles in matters related to people's livelihood like salt.

People can't live without salt!

As long as a regime is a bit responsible, it should not knock the bone and suck the marrow on the salt administration.

Apart from taxation, it was the military expansion of Ming Dynasty last year.

Last year, the size of Ming's army successfully broke through the 50 mark, and the number of troops stationed in various important places was finally able to relax.

The imperial court can also have some mobile troops, which can be used for emergency dispatch!

The training of the army, as well as the change of equipment, are progressing in an orderly manner, and everything is developing in a good direction.

"what!"

Zhu Hongyu flipped through the report of the Daming Royal Arsenal, and suddenly let out a small sigh.

He saw a piece of content that interested him a lot!

The Royal Arsenal of the Ming Dynasty produced a sample of a breech-loading needle gun.

The key information lies in the rear loading, needle shooting, single-shot ammunition, paper shell fixed ammunition...

After the trigger is pulled, the long rod-shaped firing pin on the bolt pierces the paper cartridge case, hits the primer, ignites the propellant, and ejects the projectile.

The technical difficulties of this gun probably lie in the primer, firing pin, and machining accuracy.

According to the test data given by Daming Royal Arsenal, the rate of fire of this type of gun is about 10 rounds per minute.

The initial velocity of the bullet is about 270 meters per second, and the effective range can reach about 300 meters.

And more importantly, the jamming rate of this gun is not high, only about [-]%!

The only problem is that the air leakage of the rear-loading gun is a bit serious. If it is not operated properly, it will easily cause burns or even disfigurement to the user's hands and face.

To be honest, Zhu Hongyu is very satisfied with the performance of this sample gun!

Judging from the paper data alone, although the performance of this gun is not as good as the Dreiser needle gun, the first breech-loading rifle in human history, it is not much worse.

To put it simply, this gun has practical value.

If it can be mass-produced, it can be equipped with the army.

Zhu Hongyu pondered for a while, then spoke.

"Send the order and arrange it. I'm going to inspect the Daming Imperial Arsenal!"

Zhu Hongyu gave the order, and the little eunuch who served beside him clasped his fists to promise, and then went to arrange the itinerary.

Zhu Hongyu said he wanted to inspect, but he didn't mean to leave immediately.

Things that need to be arranged before and after are very cumbersome.

You have to give others a time to prepare for the reception, right?

……

Wa country, Edo!
The elderly Zhu Zhiyu stood outside the humble house where he had lived for several years, with his hands behind his back.

Turning around, he looked at the humble house quite reluctantly!
He has lived and lectured here for several years, and he already has feelings.

However, deep in his eyes, there is a deeper nostalgia for his hometown.

"Sir, everything is almost packed!"

"Your books, manuscripts and other students have also been sorted out and archived, and there are no mistakes or omissions!"

A student dressed in a Confucian shirt said to Zhu Zhiyu.

Zhu Zhiyu nodded slightly when he heard the words.

"Now that everything is packed, let's get ready to go!"

After finishing speaking, he boarded a carriage beside him with the support of his disciples.

After Zhu Zhiyu sat down, the coachman flicked his whip and made a crisp sound, and the carriage began to move forward slowly.

Walk the streets of Edo!
When the pedestrians around saw Zhu Zhiyu's carriage, they all stopped and bowed to the carriage.

Worship the teacher!

Zhu Zhiyu lifted the curtain of the car, and nodded to those who saluted him on the road in return.

At this moment, Zhu Zhiyu's convoy was stopped by someone.

Tokugawa Ietsuna, the contemporary general of the Tokugawa shogunate in Japan, rode his horse all the way to the side of the carriage, then got off his horse, and saluted Zhu Zhiyu as a disciple.

Zhu Zhiyu didn't hold back, and got off the carriage, helped Tokugawa Ietsuna up, and spoke.

"You don't have to be polite, general!"

Tokugawa Ietsuna insisted on finishing the salute, and then spoke.

"Mr. preaches and teaches, and lectures for our country, and he is also a sage teacher!"

"I am a student after being taught by my master, and I should salute to my master!"

At that time, when Zhu Zhiyu first arrived in Nagasaki, he was about to buy land and start farming.

The deputy general of the Wa Kingdom, the uncle of the Great General Tokugawa Ietsuna, Tokugawa Mitsukuni heard that the great Confucian scholars of the Celestial Dynasty had arrived in the Wa Kingdom, and wanted to learn the preface.

So he sent Confucian minister Xiao Zhaishengshun to Nagasaki to hire Zhu Shunshui as the national teacher, and asked Zhu Zhiyu to give lectures in Edo.

When Zhu Zhiyu first arrived in Edo, he received great courtesy and respect.

A large number of people from the Japanese government and the public flocked to the humble house where Zhu Zhiyu lived to learn from Zhu Shunshui.

Even the contemporary general Tokugawa Ietsuna began to learn Confucianism from Zhu Zhiyu!
This is the influence of ancient China on the surrounding countries, especially in the Wanli Anti-Japanese War, after the defeat of the Japanese country, the culture of Ming Dynasty became more and more respected.

When a great Confucian arrives in the country of Wa, it can cause a great sensation in the country of Wa.

Therefore, what Tokugawa Ietsuna is doing to Zhu Zhiyu now is the ritual of discipleship.

Tokugawa Ietsuna looked like Zhu Zhiyu was about to go away, and couldn't help but speak.

"Sir, are you going home?"

He came to stop him personally after receiving the news that Zhu Zhiyu was going back to Daming.

When Zhu Shunshui heard the words, he just nodded and said.

"When the old country was overthrown and the world fell into the dust, the old man was cowardly and lacked the blood and courage to go through fire and water, but he was unwilling to shave his hair and make clothes easier, and be the man who subjugated the country under the rule of Jiannu."

"That's why I stayed away from overseas, in order to have a moment of peace of mind!"

"Now that the Ming Dynasty has been restored, and the clothes are upright and it is China again, it is time for the old man to set off and go home!"

Zhu Zhiyu has made outstanding contributions to the spread of Confucianism to Japan, but he has always been unwilling to admit that he traveled to the East to spread Confucianism, and he has always said to the outside world that he was seeking refuge.

The literati character in him is very upright!

Hearing the words, Tokugawa Iezuna knew that Zhu Zhiyu's attitude was firm, but he still wanted to try to persuade him to stay.

"Sir, do you feel uncomfortable living in Japan?"

"As long as you want what you want, I will do my best in Japan to satisfy you. Does your husband have to leave?"

Zhu Zhiyu shook his head slightly and said with a smile on his face when he heard this.

"It's not because I feel uncomfortable living in Japan!"

"It's just that the old man is old, and the loess has already buried half of it!"

"People, the fallen leaves have to return to their roots!"

"I don't want to close my eyes and live in a foreign land!"

When speaking, Zhu Zhiyu's eyes were full of nostalgia for his homeland.

Chinese people have a strong attachment to their hometown, and it is almost the obsession of all Chinese people to return to their roots.

Seeing this, Tokugawa Ietsuna also knew that he could no longer stop him.

Even if he forced Zhu Zhiyu to stay, he would definitely not be able to get any more knowledge from him, so it would be better not to stay.

So Tokugawa Ietsuna spoke.

"Since the master insists on leaving, it's not easy for the students to stop him."

"But today, let the students send off their husband!"

While speaking, Tokugawa Jiazuna helped Zhu Zhiyu into the carriage, and then he also rode along with him.

All the way to the port outside Edo city.

Along the way, Tokugawa Ietsuna kept asking Zhu Zhiyu for advice, and Zhu Zhiyu didn't hide his secrets, and tried his best to answer Tokugawa Ietsuna's questions.

A group of people came to the pier outside Edo City. On the pier, a merchant ship was moored.

The merchant ship is flying the flag of the Tagawa clan.

The owner of this merchant ship is the younger brother of Zheng Chenggong's mother and compatriot, Tagawa Qizaemon.

With the recovery of the Ming Dynasty, the prestige of the Zheng family in this three-acre land in East Asia is even greater than when Zheng Zhilong was the most prestigious.

Although Zheng Zhilong was the overlord of the sea in East Asia back then, he was nothing more than a Fujian general.

But now Zheng Chenggong is Daming's surname Lord, plus a different surname Wang.

How respectful?

With Daming as the backer and the ride of Daming's development of industry and commerce, the trade volume between Zheng's and Japan is rising at a very fast speed.

As the representative of the Zheng family in Japan, Tagawa Shichizaemon is planning to go to Nanjing around this New Year's Eve to pay a visit to his elder brother.

And when Zhu Zhiyu heard that Zheng's ship was going to Daming, he took the initiative to ask for a ride with the wind.

Naturally, Tagawa Shichizaemon would not refuse!
(End of this chapter)