Traveling through the Ming Dynasty, as soon as you open your eyes, you will die

Chapter 152 Foreign Trade

Although there were objections, the household registration reform system was still adopted, freeing the shackles that had restrained the people for more than two hundred years, allowing class mobility to begin, and increasing the people's enthusiasm for production.

Zhu Cixi, the supervisor, said to Lu Mou again: "These rescued people are all extremely poor and need to be resettled as soon as possible."

Lu Mou nodded: "Brother Jianguo is right. We still have nearly 10 million acres of land that have not been contracted out, so we can contract it to them. In this way, during the autumn harvest, we can increase the number by at least 1.5 million acres, 400,000 acres, 450,000 acres An income of ten thousand silver. It’s just that they are all extremely poor and cannot afford to buy seeds and agricultural tools. They don’t even have a place to live. This must be solved.”

The ministers nodded in agreement.

The prince said: "This time, I will ask my father to allocate internal funds to distribute seeds, cattle and farming tools to these people for free."

The ministers praised the supervisor for his magnanimity and benevolence.

Since one of them is the villain, the other one must be the villain. Is this a better way to set off the greatness and generosity of the prince in charge of the country?

Lu Mou said: "But we cannot provide them with free houses and shelter, and cultivate their infinite dependence on the imperial court. Therefore, I have ordered the central bank to issue housing loans to these people, using the income from their land after autumn. Half of it is used as a mortgage, and it can be repaid in one year and then in two years."

The ministers laughed. As a supervisor of the country, he only focused on amassing money and would never waste an opportunity to increase revenue for the state treasury.

This is better. The prison country spends money to support the people, and the regent collects money to lay the foundation for the prison country to spend money. It's a perfect combination, isn't it?

Then Lu Mou faced the prince brother: "To the north, Zu Dashou and Wu Xiang, who entered the grassland, launched the movement to liberate the herder slaves in full swing, and the effect was quite good. At the beginning, my brother promised them to buy their captured goods and ensure their use. Fee. Therefore, I asked the supervisor to ask Brother Xu Chen to open a commercial port outside the Great Wall and conduct trade business with Zu Dashou Wu Xiang."

"Let's seek your opinions on this before deciding."

Lu Mou replied: "Of course."

The ministers discussed the pros and cons. In the end, there were many opponents and few supporters.

Although the inherent household registration system has been abolished and merchants are no longer humble, that is a matter among the people. You are a court composed of dignified scribes and elites. It is not bad for you to ignore the teachings of saints and the holy precepts that a gentleman should not speak of profit and directly form a group to do business. This is the loss of morality and the no lower limit of human nature.

Besides, opening ports to Mongolia means lifting the economic blockade against Mongolia and enemy countries.

The blockade of Mongolian supplies has been a national policy since the time of Zhu Yuanzhang. This is not an ancestral system, it is a national policy and it will never be shaken.

But if the blockade is really severe, it won't work if the Mongols don't have the necessary means of living. That will provoke the Mongols to desperately invade.

Therefore, every year, in the name of rewards, the imperial court exports certain necessities to Mongolia to maintain the minimum standard of life for the Mongolians.

The rewards here are not free rewards, nor are they tribute payments. Don’t get me wrong.

Rewarding is the face of the Ming Dynasty, but it is actually trade. Mongolians need to pay to obtain bounty materials.

But in the Ming Dynasty, when doing business with people, it is absolutely not okay for a gentleman to be unfaithful and unfavorable. It would be very embarrassing.

What should I do? It’s simple. Can everything be flexible?

Mongolians, please pay me tribute, such as the cattle, sheep, horses and medicinal materials that I urgently need. Then I accept your tribute, then I will show the generosity of my heaven, so I will reward you, such as the food, tea, salt, cotton cloth, etc. that you urgently need, which must have nothing to do with the war.

You see, in this way, don’t you have both inner and outer dignity?

But according to the regent, it is not feasible to directly set up a commercial port for direct trade. Who will lead this commercial port?

If it is led by the people, it is inevitable that a large amount of war materials will flow into Mongolia, such as the most important iron pots and rice spoons. This is absolutely not acceptable.

But it is controlled by the government, and the government does business? That's so shameless. This is absolutely not okay. After discussion among the ministers, most of them opposed the opening of ports at the border.

Lu Mou stood up and said: "You are worried that Mongolia is strong and will be detrimental to us. But you have ignored that this time we are not facing the Mongols when we open the port, but our Zhongyi Marquis and our Dongyang Marquis. This It’s not us versus the Mongols, the Manchu lackeys.”

For a moment, everyone's mind was at a loss.

Lu Mou continued to be tempting: "At the same time, I would like to ask everyone to pay attention to the fact that Zhongyi Marquis and Dongyang Marquis were to solve the northern threat for our Ming Dynasty, to open up territory for our Ming Dynasty, saying that they were fighting against the Manchus for us. We and him Trade strengthens him, not his enemy.

Besides, our iron pots are made of pig iron, and the Mongols do not have the technology to melt and cast them to make weapons. Since ancient times, our Daming iron pot has been a hard-to-find treasure for countries all over the world, and it will bring us a lot of income and profit. "

Hearing such words, all the ministers spoke of Zhang Yang and showed pride on their faces.

This is the reality. In the Ming Dynasty, iron pots were common items, but in the world, no one really mastered the casting technology of iron pots. Therefore, iron pots are really hard to find in other countries around the world.

Back when the Southern Song Dynasty had developed overseas trade, they exported whole ships of iron pots. In the Central Plains, an iron pot only cost about two cents and five cents, but if it was sold abroad, it would have to be exchanged for gold or an equivalent weight of silver.

In later South China Sea archeology, entire ships of iron pots were often discovered.

"And the Mongols were even more capable of possessing an iron pot. They crossed the border and went south to clear grass valleys countless times, which caused great trouble to us Han people."

This is a fact. In the grassland, an iron pot represents wealth, and owning an iron pot means that you can marry the most beautiful girl in the grassland.

For this reason, when the Tatars invaded the Central Plains, their first choice was the iron pot. Often when the Tatars go back, everyone becomes a scapegoat.

"Lianghou needs our trade support to grow and expand our territory. As for us, we need furs, medicinal materials and war horses from the grassland, especially cattle for farming now, which is even more urgent. Therefore, we must carry out bilateral trade with Lianghou. This is a major national event. This is the general trend.”

The ministers thought it made sense to be explained by such a change of concept.

"This time we open the port trade, we will directly hand it over to the private sector, and it will be supervised by the imperial court. I call this the official-supervised commercial office. I will send out Dongchang, Jinyiwei and household officials, in addition to the military supplies and strategic items needed for the second period. , two people must personally send people to purchase, and it is recorded outside the case that merchants are only allowed to sell materials that will not harm the Ming Dynasty, such as cotton and tea. And the three companies will collect one-tenth of the trade tax to replenish the national treasury and internal funds. Used to raise troops and practice martial arts.

Please remember that the commercial taxes we collect are not customs duties, because we and the two princes are one and the same as the Ming Dynasty. This must be remembered. "

Everyone was completely relieved. Doing business with the Marquis of your own family and supporting him to fight against the Manchus is in line with the current national policy and is feasible.

So everyone brainwashed themselves that we did not do business with the Mongols, we only did business with the Mongols liberated by Zu Dashou and Wu Xiang.

The Mongolians of Zu Dashou and Wu Xiang were under the control of two people, and they were officials of the Ming Dynasty, so a equals b. Then, by reasoning, the Mongols they managed were already subjects of the Ming Dynasty. Is it normal to do business with the people of Ming Dynasty?

Then, in order to support his brothers, the supervisor of the country lured the officials: "For this special tax, 20% will be collected from the internal funds, and 80% will be returned to the Ministry of Household Affairs. I want to ask my father for instructions, and the 20% will also be deposited in the Central Bank to earn interest. It becomes an additional year-end reward from the royal family for those who have meritorious service and outstanding political achievements.”

Upon hearing this allocation, even those who opposed it agreed. There is another reward to be won at the end of the year, so why object? Are you having trouble getting along with all of us? So they all praised the supervisor for his kindness and consideration for his ministers. The ministers could only work harder to repay the supervisor and the emperor's favor and win the extra reward at the end of the year.

That reward was not just money, it was the Three Emperors' affirmative praise for the minister's work.

The opening of the port to Mongolia has been opened, hum, wait, when I regain Shandong, I will lift the sea ban and let the Ming Dynasty move towards the deep blue.

After this matter was settled, Lu Mou personally escorted the urgently needed supplies from his ancestors, such as Dashou, to the Sihaiwei Pass, the first port to be opened.

(End of this chapter)