Emperor Zhengde

Chapter 287: Preventing the Opening of a New Weaving Bureau
Zhu Houzhao asked Luo Xiang to take the first batch of steam spinning machine equipment to Songjiang Prefecture, which was the most developed area of ​​the empire's textile industry and the area with the highest cotton planting density.

However, with the rise of overseas trade in recent years, the demand for cotton yarn and raw silk has increased significantly, resulting in most of the farmland in Songjiang Prefecture and other areas being used to grow cash crops such as cotton.

However, this has also caused the prices of cash crops to continue to fall. After all, with the use of chemical fertilizers and the advancement of farming technology, the total demand for global trade has not increased rapidly, which has affected the income of the people in the south of the Yangtze River and even has a downward trend.

The arrival of steam spinning machines will undoubtedly increase the demand for cotton, and the increase in demand will naturally lead to an increase in the purchase price of cotton, thereby increasing people's income.

Moreover, according to Zhu Houzhao's plan, after Luo Xiang arrived in Songjiang Prefecture, he should immediately open an official weaving bureau.

Zhu Houzhao had abolished the craftsman registration system, and the operating model of the Weaving Bureau also changed from free service by the bureau's official craftsmen to hired service.

This also avoided the phenomenon of weaving bureau workers evading conscription, allowing the weaving bureau's production to continue.

However, due to the backward production methods of the weaving bureaus, a large number of workers taking private jobs and backward management methods, the profits of the weaving bureaus in Nanjing, Hangzhou, Suzhou and other places did not catch up with those of private textile workshops.

Now, Luo Xiang is going to reopen a state-run weaving bureau, preparing to change the low-profit situation of the state-run weaving bureau.

Of course, the reason why Zhu Houzhao did not let Luo Xiang directly transform the old weaving bureau but went directly to Songjiang to open a new weaving bureau was naturally very simple. The original weaving bureau was difficult to transform. There were many eunuchs and official workers who relied on the original weaving bureau for their livelihood, and even many fathers and sons or even grandfathers and grandchildren had several generations of families working in the weaving bureau.

If Zhu Houzhao wanted Luo Xiang to make changes hastily, it would only cause a large number of state-owned workers who relied on the original weaving bureau for their livelihood to become unemployed.

Therefore, it was undoubtedly a better way for Zhu Houzhao to let Luo Xiang reopen the weaving bureau.

Sometimes, the empire is too big and has too many stubborn problems, so drastic measures may backfire.

However, the fact that Zhu Houzhao sent Luo Xiang to Songjiang to open a weaving bureau had already been known to the gentry in Jiangnan by this time.

"The inner court is going to open another weaving bureau in Songjiang. I'm afraid that it will force down the purchase price of cotton, which will hurt farmers!"

When Xu Jie, who came from a wealthy family in Jiangnan, went to Beijing to take the imperial examination, he could not help but sigh when he saw the news in the "Beijing New News" that Luo Xiang was ordered to go south to open a weaving bureau.

It was not just Xu Jie who thought so. Many gentry in Jiangnan also thought so. Some local gentry in Jiangnan had already begun to use public opinion to let the people know about this.

The urbanization rate in Jiangnan is high and the education level is high, so unlike farmers in other regions, it is difficult to organize them into a force to fight against the government.

Therefore, under the influence of public opinion and organization of the gentry, before Luo Xiang brought the steam engine equipment to Songjiang Prefecture, the people of Jiangnan were already in an uproar. They all gathered in front of the prefectural government to petition, asking the chief official of Songjiang Prefecture, Xiong Jia, to uphold justice and stop Luo Xiang from opening a new weaving bureau in Songjiang Prefecture.

"Sir, you can't just ignore this matter. Songjiang Prefecture is the clothing of the whole world, and the people in the prefecture all make a living by growing cotton and picking mulberry trees. If the inner court really wants to open a weaving bureau in Songjiang Prefecture, it will definitely rely on its power to lower the purchase price of cotton and raw silk! By then, the people of Songjiang Prefecture will have no way to survive! It may provoke a civil uprising!"

At this time, some gentry from Songjiang Prefecture had already expressed to Xiong Jia their concerns about the inner court official Luo Xiang coming to Songjiang Prefecture to open a weaving bureau.

Xiong Jia also knew that many eunuchs were cunning and ruthless. If they really wanted to lower the price of cotton and raw silk for the people, even the government would be unable to do anything about it, after all, it was the inner court.

Of course, Xiong Jia also knew that the reason these gentry came to him with such concern to ask him to stop Luo Xiang from coming to Jiangnan to open a weaving bureau was not because the interests of the people would be harmed, but because once the eunuch Luo Xiang really wanted to lower the purchase price of cotton and raw silk, he could export at a lower price, and then he would occupy more foreign markets. The gentry of Songjiang Prefecture who began to engage in maritime trade openly after the opening of the sea would definitely suffer losses.

But in any case, the common people will definitely suffer the most serious losses. After all, the prices of cotton and mulberry leaves have been falling continuously, and the profit margins of the common people have been extremely reduced. If the eunuch Luo Xiang really wants to force the prices of cotton and raw silk to be lowered again after coming to Songjiang Prefecture, the people of Songjiang Prefecture will really have no way to survive.

What's more, Xiong Jia has now seen the public resentment, and there are already many people kneeling outside his government office.

In this era, the people of the Ming Dynasty were still accustomed to kneeling down and begging the government to give them a way to live, but this was also the last compromise and trust. If Xiong Jia, the chief official of Songjiang Prefecture, did not listen to public opinion, the next step would lead to riots.

"The will of the people cannot be violated! I will give an explanation to the people of Songjiang Prefecture!"

Xiong Jia resolutely changed into his official uniform, rode to the gate of the mansion, and shouted: "Fellow villagers! I have understood your wishes. All of you please stand up. I will stop the eunuchs of the Imperial Horse Administration for you. Unless they step over me, they will never be able to open a weaving bureau in Songjiang Prefecture!"

When the people of Songjiang Prefecture saw that the prefect Xiong Jia had made a promise, they all became delighted and shouted, "Thank you, Lord!"

Immediately, these soldiers and civilians made way.

Xiong Jia left Songjiang Prefecture and prepared to intercept Luo Xiang on the official road.

Luo Xiang had just passed Shanghai County when he was stopped by the people of Shanghai County, Songjiang Prefecture. The crowd of people shouted, "You are not allowed to open a weaving bureau! You are not allowed to open a weaving bureau!"

There were even many people holding sickles, hoes and sticks, all of them were furious, as if if Luo Xiang took another step forward, they would beat Luo Xiang and the people behind him who were related to the weaving bureau to death.

Luo Xiang was also very angry when he saw this scene: "What are these people trying to do! It is said that Jiangnan is a gentle and wealthy place, why are these people like unruly people! What do they want to do? Do they want to disobey the order?! It is the will of His Majesty to open a weaving bureau, how can they have the final say!"

However, Luo Xiang did not bring any troops with him when he came to Jiangnan this time, so he could only return to Suzhou Prefecture temporarily. He also sent an official letter to Xiong Jia, who was also the military governor, asking Xiong Jia to send troops to maintain public order.

At the same time, Luo Xiang also secretly reported back to Beijing to Zhu Houzhao, stating that the people in the south of the Yangtze River were fierce and intercepted court officials for no reason.

……

However, before Luo Xiang's secret report arrived in the capital, Zhu Houzhao did not know that his first batch of steam engine equipment would be boycotted by the people of Songjiang Prefecture when it was transported to Songjiang Prefecture to be used in actual production by setting up a new weaving bureau.

The reason for the boycott was not because steam engines would squeeze the foreign market share of their gentry's private textile workshops, but because they were worried that the corruption of eunuchs would lead to a reduction in the profit margins of the people of Songjiang Prefecture.

It was because Zhu Houzhao took the interests of the people into consideration that he did not hastily reform the old weaving bureau. However, he did not expect that even if he sent people to open a new weaving bureau, it would lead to dissatisfaction among the people.

First of all, Zhu Houzhao originally believed that the use of steam engines in the textile industry would only benefit the people who grew cotton and picked mulberry leaves, because after the steam engine was used in the textile industry, the scale of the textile industry would certainly expand, and the demand for raw materials such as cotton would certainly increase, thus solving the problem of saturation in the raw materials market.

However, the steam engine revolution in the textile industry actually harmed the textile industries in foreign countries such as the Philippines and Japan.

Because their textile productivity will lag behind that of the Ming Dynasty by one era, and will be inferior to that of the Ming Dynasty in both quality and price.

By then, it would be no problem for Ming Dynasty's textile industry to dominate the world. Furthermore, it would not be a problem for the people of Ming Dynasty who grow cotton to monopolize the entire global cotton market.

But what Zhu Houzhao did not take into account was that the interests of the gentry were affected. Once your state-run weaving bureau intervened in the textile market, it would naturally mean that part of the profits in the textile market would be transferred from the gentry to the state-run weaving bureau.

However, the corruption of the eunuchs gave the gentry the opportunity to divert the conflict. They did not directly say that they opposed the inner court coming to Songjiang Prefecture to set up a weaving bureau because they were worried about the shrinking of their profit margins. Instead, they said that once the eunuchs of the inner court came to Songjiang Prefecture to set up a weaving bureau, they would only rely on their power to forcibly seize the profits of the people and lower the price of cotton.

The people of Songjiang Prefecture are essentially still farmers, a group that only cares about immediate interests and is easily deceived (I don’t mean to discriminate against farmers here, I am also a farmer, this is just an objective statement). What’s more, the gentry are all their clansmen from the same hometown. Therefore, in the eyes of the people of Songjiang Prefecture who believe everything they hear, Luo Xiang and others who came to Songjiang Prefecture to open a weaving bureau are here to rob people.

Even the frustration caused by the loss of profits due to the unlimited expansion of cotton planting area turned into anger against the eunuchs in the inner court from setting up a weaving bureau.

……

"Once the steam spinning machines are put into operation in the new weaving bureau, the textiles of the Ming Dynasty will be cheaper and better quality. The local textile markets in Japan, the Philippines, Ryukyu and other countries will also be monopolized by us. But I think that the markets of these countries alone cannot meet the market capacity of textiles of the Ming Dynasty. We have to sell them to more distant places, to open up the markets in the Western Regions and even the West! Otherwise, what will happen if the cotton grown by the people of the Ming Dynasty is unsalable, and what will happen if the textiles produced by factories and workshops cannot be sold!"

At this time, Zhu Houzhao was still only discussing with cabinet officials at a macro level about the possible consequences of the use of steam spinning machines, namely that it might increase Ming's demand for overseas markets, forcing Ming to open up more shipping routes and occupy more overseas markets.

The chief minister of the cabinet, Wang Qiong, did not dare to undermine the enthusiasm of Emperor Zhu Houzhao. After years of serving as an official, he had come to understand more and more that whatever his superiors said was right, and he had to believe it even if he did not believe it.

Therefore, although he could guess that the so-called new technology was not known to everyone in the world, it would not be easy to promote it, because Jiangnan was different from the capital, the mountains were high and the emperor was far away, and the government was seen as bandits by the gentry and people in Jiangnan, and there was a natural sense of distrust. Not to mention opening a weaving bureau, even reforming the old weaving bureau would be difficult. Of course, Wang Qiong still admired the wisdom of his own emperor, after all, he thought that the old weaving bureau would not be easy to reform at once, and he simply opened a new one.

Wang Qiong concealed his ignorance and did not show in front of Zhu Houzhao that he understood the gentry of Jiangnan better than Your Majesty the Emperor.

Kang Hai was a scholar-official, even more idealistic than Zhu Houzhao, so naturally he could not think of this.

Yang Yiqing had been in the border town for a long time and did not know the intricacies of internal affairs. Moreover, he was also an old fox, just like Wang Qiong. He thought, Your Majesty, whatever you say, I support and agree with it.

Fortunately, Zhu Houzhao had secret reports and the secret reports of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to read. Otherwise, as the emperor, he could not expect to learn from the mouths of a few so-called historically capable ministers in his cabinet about the true reaction of the lower-class people to the emergence of the steam engine.

"Prevent the establishment of a weaving bureau? Why should the people of Songjiang Prefecture prevent it? Even if it was the gentry of Songjiang Prefecture who prevented it, it would be understandable! After all, once the steam engine is used by the weaving bureau, it will naturally take away their profits. However, I have also issued an edict to allow private loans to purchase new machines from the Royal Industrial Company!
Why do these gentry oppose it so much? And the common people are planting cotton as part of agricultural production, and the new machines are improving textile production, which will only benefit them. Why do they also oppose it?

In addition, even if the new weaving bureau will lead to layoffs in private workshops, I have also issued an edict, asking Wu Wendi, the governor of Southern Zhili, to make proper arrangements! But in fact, the weaving bureau has not yet been opened, and layoffs have not yet occurred. Why are these people in Songjiang Prefecture so resistant! "

Zhu Houzhao asked with some confusion. He didn't expect that the promotion of new productivity among the people would encounter such great resistance.

"How can the ignorant people understand your Majesty's good intentions? Your Majesty, do not worry. People all over the world will understand your Majesty's good intentions."

The chief minister of the cabinet, Wang Qiong, tried to comfort him. He would naturally not deny Zhu Houzhao and would not say to the emperor that he was too naive and thought that because the people thought he was a good emperor, they would believe that the eunuchs in his inner court were good slaves. Not to mention that eunuchs and civil servants were all officials who were seeking profit and competing for profit. The fact that the gentry officials transferred the crime of oppressing the people onto the eunuchs would make the people change color when they heard about the inner court.

"Never look down on the people. They must have their reasons for doing this. Yang Qing, you are from Zhenjiang and you should have a better understanding of what the people in the south of the Yangtze River think. Tell me what you think about this matter."

Since Zhu Houzhao became more and more tough, the officials in the court became more and more cunning. Unless Zhu Houzhao asked, they would not take the initiative to show themselves.

Yang Yiqing didn't expect that Emperor Zhu Houzhao would ask him this question, and he became a little flustered for a moment, fearing that his answer would not satisfy Emperor Zhu Houzhao.

Officials all work for their own interests, so Yang Yiqing naturally didn't really want to find out the real answer. Now he just secretly thought that the emperor already had an answer in his mind, and he couldn't give a different answer from the emperor, as that would only make it seem that he and the emperor had different opinions and make the emperor look down on him.

Yang Yiqing thought that since His Majesty said not to look down on the people, he should probably analyze the people carefully.

then.

Yang Yiqing replied: "I guess the people are worried that the new weaving bureau will take away their profits."

Zhu Houzhao nodded. Yang Yiqing's answer was to the point, at least he thought so, because everyone could guess that the people were preventing the opening of the weaving bureau because they were worried that the new weaving bureau would take away their profits, otherwise why would they stop it.

But Zhu Houzhao admitted that Yang Yiqing's answer had some value.

Zhu Houzhao looked at Wang Qiong and Kang Hai and said, "My dear ministers, what do you think?"

Yang Yiqing breathed a sigh of relief. Although he didn't know whether the emperor was satisfied with his answer or not, at least he did not anger the emperor.

Wang Qiong decided to pretend to be crazy and stupid, but also give appropriate advice to the emperor. After all, he was the chief minister of the cabinet, and he couldn't appear to be as useless as Yang Yiqing and say nonsense that even the emperor could know.

So Wang Qiong bowed and said, "I made some mistakes in my words just now. I beg Your Majesty to forgive me. I said that the people are stupid. It was really stupid. But I thought about it again. It's not the people who are stupid, but the gentry who are stupid!

The gentry all thought that the opening of a weaving bureau in the inner court would certainly take away the profits from the people. Little did they know that opening a weaving bureau and using steam engines could take away huge profits from overseas. Although it would sacrifice small profits, it would still benefit the country and the people after being compensated by large profits.

After Wang Qiong said this, Kang Haixian understood: "Your Majesty, what the Prime Minister said is both right and wrong. It is not that the gentry are stupid, nor that the people are dull, but that the eunuchs in the inner court are mostly those who behave improperly and plunder, and it is also possible to investigate why the people are vigilant and hate them. Therefore, the reason why the new weaving bureau was blocked by the people is not because the people are dull, but because the eunuchs are not trusted by the people! I think that Your Majesty can send civil officials to open a new weaving bureau."

Zhu Houzhao could already hear by now that among the three cabinet ministers, Kang Hai was the most honest, and the other two were obviously pretending to be crazy. Wang Qiong was better, as he reminded himself in a roundabout way, but he also reminded Kang Hai at the same time, causing Kang Hai to directly express his understanding of Wang Qiong's implied meaning.

But Wang Qiong was very angry with Kang Hai now. He could see from the expression on Zhang Zhong's stretched face that he had been badly betrayed by Kang Hai. He had obviously not directly said that the corruption of the eunuchs had caused the inner court to be unpopular among the people, but Kang Hai had expressed his understanding, making Zhang Zhong think that they, the outer court officials, were indirectly weakening the power of them, the inner court officials.

It doesn't matter that Zhang Zhong has this intention. What Wang Qiong is worried about is that Emperor Zhu Houzhao will have such concerns, worried that the outer court officials are still trying to seize the power of the inner court.

However, Kang Hai revealed the inner purpose of the civil officials who wanted to seize the power of the inner court. Although the reason was good, Wang Qiong believed that Kang Hai would not end up well because His Majesty would not be willing to let the inner court hand over power.

Wang Qiong is now waiting to see Kang Hai's joke. Will Kang Hai be driven out of the palace by the furious emperor now, or will he be slandered by Zhang Zhongjin and then dismissed from office in the next few days.

Zhu Houzhao was not furious, nor did he intend to dismiss Kang Hai from office. At this moment, he only sighed in his heart:
“This is the Ming Dynasty officialdom!

Even the cabinet ministers would only choose to speak for you, and at most would just remind you indirectly. If you were not a very smart emperor, you would probably not be able to understand the real reason from such cabinet ministers.

But officials like Kang Hai who speak directly as soon as they think something through are likely to offend people. Gu Dayong behind him is obviously unhappy, and he will not give up using these eunuchs just because they are rejected by scholars and people."

Zhu Houzhao had to admit that it was impossible for an emperor in ancient times to think that he could just raise his arm and call for the officials to respond in droves and successfully popularize new things.

Because, even if he was the emperor, he could not guarantee that all officials would be open-hearted with him and only consider the interests of the country.

After all, officials still prioritize protecting their own interests. That is, they have to keep their own official hats first before talking about national interests. Even if they are forced to talk about national interests, they dare not say it too bluntly to avoid offending too many people.

But no matter what, the words of the three cabinet ministers made Zhu Houzhao understand some of the reasons. He began to realize that this was related to the people's distrust of eunuchs, and ultimately it was caused by the decline in the credibility of the inner court.

Zhu Houzhao didn't know how honest Luo Xiang was. Although inner court officials could be impeached by the censors and could also be suspended for investigation, Luo Xiang had not yet been impeached by the censors.

But Zhu Houzhao knew that he had to relieve the people of this worry.

"The one who tied the bell must untie it. Since the people think that the inner court officials are here to exploit them, let's take this opportunity to change their influence. Kang Hai, draft an imperial decree, ordering Luo Xiang to purchase cotton and other crops at 50% of the supermarket price, and make it public. Let the people of Songjiang Prefecture and even Nanzhili know through newspapers and magazines that Luo Xiang came to Songjiang Prefecture to open a weaving bureau to solve the problem of unsalable cotton in Songjiang Prefecture and increase people's income!"

After Zhu Houzhao finished speaking, Wang Qiong sighed in his heart and thought, "It's over. His Majesty is indeed a wise ruler. He has seen through my little thoughts, otherwise he would not have asked Kang Hai to draft the decree. It is obvious that Kang Hai's frankness is more useful to His Majesty, while he despises himself and Yang Yiqing. Now my position as the Prime Minister is in jeopardy!"

Yang Yiqing now completely understood what the emperor Zhu Houzhao wanted, but he was not as disappointed as Wang Qiong. He just sighed in his heart: "It's not easy to be a close minister of His Majesty in the cabinet!"

……

After Luo Xiang received Zhu Houzhao's order, he immediately began to follow it and first posted a notice to purchase cotton and raw silk at high prices.

When the people found out, they were all shocked.

"Didn't they say that these eunuchs sent by the imperial court would lower our purchase prices? How could it suddenly become like this? Is this true?"

People may have talked about it, but once this notice was issued, the obstacles to the new weaving bureau were indeed reduced a lot.

At this time, some gentry engaged in the textile industry in Jiangnan were greatly surprised, because they did not expect that the court would directly raise the purchase price so high, which meant that they could no longer organize the people to stop the court's decision to open a new weaving bureau.

However, some Jiangnan gentry persisted and shouted, "These are all fake notices. They are tricked by the eunuchs in the inner court. How can they buy at 50% of the market price? This is simply impossible!"

Thanks to my friend Huachen for the 500 Qidian coins reward

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(End of this chapter)