The Ming Dynasty did not revolutionize

Chapter 206 Feudal Bureaucratic Capitalism
In the Qianqing Palace of the Forbidden City in Yingtian Prefecture of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Zhu Zhonglin of the Ming Dynasty was speechless as he read the letter from his son.

Is it necessary to act to this extent?

In order to save his father, the emperor, his mother, his eldest brother, and his brothers and nephews in the city, he spared no effort to ensure that the unruly people could leave the city peacefully.

If there is a riot by unruly people in another city, should it be suppressed at all costs to show the difference between having relatives in the city and having relatives in the city?

So that all the rebels will understand that the lives of the royal family are more important than anything else, and as long as the lives of the royal family are saved, any sin can be forgiven?
The old emperor felt very helpless and didn't want to do such a thing at all, but for the sake of his youngest son, he finally decided to cooperate with Zhu Jianxuan.

Then, the old emperor's expression gradually became extremely angry, and suddenly he slammed the imperial desk hard:
"Not only are the followers not questioned, but the main culprit is not punished at all? He is even rewarded? What kind of logic is this? Is there anyone who suppresses rebellion like him?

"Fei Chun, right? Go back and tell the King of Wu to attack the city immediately and kill all the rebels without leaving a single one alive!"

The labor manager and dyeing manager of Yingtianfu Labor Union, who were just appointed by Zhu Jianxuan, were shocked when they heard the old emperor's roar and knelt down instinctively:
"I know I am wrong, Your Majesty, please spare my life..."

Fei Chun was also an experienced man. Although he was not particularly scared, he knelt down in cooperation:
"Your Majesty, please calm down. Your Majesty, please calm down your wrath for a moment. The reason why Your Highness the King of Wu compromised is that he was afraid of putting his parents and elder brother in danger.

"If the King of Wu is stingy with his official titles and wealth, and his parents and elder brothers suffer harm, the King of Wu, as a son, will regret it for the rest of his life."

The old emperor shook his head and gasped for breath, but he still seemed to be able to bear it:
"I am now over seventy years old, so this unexpected moment is also a happy death. My eldest brother is also over fifty years old, so his passing at this time is not considered a premature death.

"Go back and tell the King of Wu to attack the city immediately.

"I know he has powerful new guns and cannons, so take the city in one fell swoop!
"If the eldest brother and I die in the city, King Wu will ascend the throne outside the city.

"Continue to kill the rebels!"

The two bosses of the workers' guild were almost scared to death, and realized once again that His Royal Highness the Prince of Wu was definitely an outlier.

This old emperor looks like a true traditional emperor.

He couldn't stand the rebellion of a commoner like me, and he would never look at me in the eye.

The two were extremely panicked and had no idea how to respond.

If the old emperor insisted on letting the King of Wu attack the city, he and other workers in the city would be doomed.

The King of Wu can indeed attack the city, and even the Emperor has given the order.

The two were almost in despair, and subconsciously turned their heads to look at Fei Chun, hoping that this gentleman could convince the old emperor.

The former crown prince Zhu Jiancan was also confused. Could his father be serious?
Although I am already fifty years old, I have many sons and grandsons, and they all still live in the palace.

If my father and I are gone, my descendants won’t be able to survive.

Fei Chun was also sweating a little at this time, wondering if the old emperor really wanted to do this.

However, as a minister of the King of Wu, Fei Chun would only choose the approach that would be most beneficial to the King of Wu, so he stiffened his neck and continued:
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. When I entered the city, His Royal Highness the King of Wu repeatedly told me to put the safety of my parents and brothers first.

“Although Wu Guo’s new guns and cannons are powerful, we cannot guarantee that they will not fail, let alone damage the Forbidden City.

"The King of Wu would never do anything unfilial or unfraternal. There is no possibility of that happening.

“The king also said that if Your Majesty is angry and impulsive, I must comfort him.

"Your Majesty, please do not get angry. Do not get angry for a group of common people who are struggling to survive.

“Moreover, the reason why these common people acted like this is because the owners of many factories in Yingtian Prefecture were greedy and did not spare the people’s efforts.

"Even if there is a need for punishment, the bosses should be punished first, not the common people."

The old emperor stood up immediately after hearing this, and seemed to laugh out of anger:
"Fei Chun, you are a minister of Wu State, so you don't obey my orders, right?
"Then I won't give you any more nonsense, I will teach my own son a lesson.

"Tell the King of Wu to come in, and I will beat him up myself!"

Fei Chun's forehead was slightly sweaty:

"If Your Majesty does not issue an imperial edict, the workers in the capital will not be able to feel at ease and will naturally not dare to withdraw from Yingtian City, and His Royal Highness the Prince of Wu will not be able to enter the city."

The old emperor seemed unable to bear it:
"Draft an imperial edict! Boss, go write the imperial edict. Write it according to King Wu's requirements! Write it immediately!"

Zhu Jiancan was shocked and relieved. No matter whether his father was serious or not, the final result was good.

Zhu Jiancan quickly picked up the brush and wrote three orders as quickly as possible.

The minimum wage in Yingtian Prefecture was set at five silver dollars, and all participants in the out-of-control operation were pardoned. The King of Wu was responsible for establishing the Yingtian Prefecture Labor Union.

After reading it with great displeasure, the old emperor asked the eunuch in charge of the seal to issue it.

The two bosses of the workers' guild, now the two managers of the Yingtianfu Labor Union, also breathed a sigh of relief at this time.

The matter was finally resolved.

Although the old emperor was obviously very unwilling, he should not tear up the order he issued.

Especially since they are the King of Wu’s men...

Although this may not completely guarantee their safety, it is the best we can do now.

Fei Chun and the two union managers saluted the old emperor, then took the old emperor's imperial edict and left the Qianqing Palace, leaving the Forbidden City and returning to the outskirts of the city.

After a brief discussion with several worker bosses, Fei Chun and other Wu officials worked out a simple handover plan based on the previously agreed framework.

The garrison outside the city first lifted the siege on the north, south and west sides of Yingtian City, and the workers also first cleared the blockages in the doorways of the other three city gates.

The workers threw their weapons on the city wall, then dispersed and left the city wall, returning to their usual places of residence and factories.

The defenses at the east gate of Yingtian Prefecture, namely Chaoyang Gate, will not be withdrawn for the time being, but the blockages in the doorway will be cleared at the same time.

After the workers in other directions retreated, the workers around Chaoyang Gate were the last to leave.

The designated union managers can also leave on their own. If they do not want to continue to be the manager, they can leave on their own.

If you want to be a manager, wait until after the Lantern Festival and then report to the Yingtian Prefecture Yamen.

The retreat lasted from the afternoon until after nine o'clock in the evening.

Finally, the Wu troops began to enter the city.

First, control the Chaoyang Gate of Yingtian City, the Dong'an Gate of the Imperial City, and the Donghua Gate of the Forbidden City.

Then control the Wenhua Hall, Wuying Hall, and Qianqing Palace.

Finally, Zhu Jianxuan, accompanied by his guards, entered the Qianqing Palace to pay homage to the old emperor.

On the last day of the 42nd year of Xianning, December 30th, the night of New Year’s Eve.

Zhu Jianxuan met his father and elder brother again after six years.

The old emperor Zhu Zhonglin looked Zhu Jianxuan up and down as soon as he entered the room, as if he was confirming that this tall young man was the half-grown child who left home six years ago.

Zhu Jiancan looked at Zhu Jianxuan with the same feeling of emotion.

Zhu Jianxuan saw his old father and elder brother, and after hesitating for a few seconds, he decided to pay his respects to his father. After all, they hadn't seen each other for six years, and it would be unreasonable not to pay respects to such a thing in this era:
"The sixteenth son of the emperor, Prince Wu Jianxuan, pays homage to his father, the emperor, and his eldest brother."

When the old emperor saw Zhu Jianxuan kneeling down, he immediately called out:

"Please stand up, and stop fighting with the floor."

Zhu Jianxuan stood up with a smile:

"Thank you, Father..."

The old emperor coughed loudly and waved to Zhu Jianxuan, who hurried over.

The old emperor said in a not-so-loud voice:
"Is this matter over? Are you really going to let those troublemakers go? You won't even punish the ringleader?"

Zhu Jianxuan answered as a matter of course:
“Of course the main culprit must be dealt with, but these common people are not the main culprits, they are just struggling to survive.

“Although it cannot be said that the government forced the people to rebel, it can be said that the businessmen forced the people to rebel, and the real culprits are the bosses in the court’s jurisdiction.

“What I am going to do next will not be directed at any one person, but to make the entire Jiangnan industrial and commercial community experience what pain is.

"Of course this includes the rebellious workers, but more importantly the profit-seeking bosses.

"Let them learn a lesson from the methods of the feudal bureaucratic bourgeoisie."

The old emperor's curiosity immediately aroused:

"What are you going to do? What are the methods of the feudal bureaucratic bourgeoisie?"

Zhu Jianxuan casually explained:

"Father, do you still remember the letter I wrote to you last year in which I mentioned the situation in the central court market?

“A large number of factories in the Jiangnan region actually grew and expanded wildly under the stimulation of special demand.

“The large number of products they produce are mainly for disaster relief, overseas development, and European luxury goods.

"Later, we had to add military supplies for the Northern Expedition and comprehensive industrial construction in the northern region.

“And all of these demands are directly controlled by the Ming court and the Wu Kingdom.

"I can put a halt to trade between the United States and Europe.

"We can let Americans concentrate on developing the Great Plains of North America, developing coal and iron ore, and building railways to connect the east and west coasts.

“We can slow down construction in the north and only buy Australian products for the time being.

"Now the disaster victims have basically been relocated, and the remaining transportation tasks can be temporarily handed over to Wuguo Immigration Company.

“We can have all these special needs suddenly cut off at the beginning of next year.

“The vast majority of orders from most factories and businesses in Jiangnan have simply disappeared.

“They can’t sell what they have already produced, and the materials they purchased will be wasted if they keep them in stock. If they continue to produce, they will be even less likely to sell them.

"If they don't get a new round of loans, they won't be able to repay existing loans or continue to pay their employees.

“The court has now also forcibly increased the minimum wage.

"A large number of private companies will surely be unable to hold on soon and go bankrupt due to insolvency or inability to pay workers."

To put it in modern terms, what Zhu Jianxuan wanted to do was to proactively trigger an economic crisis.

Zhu Jianxuan did explain it to the old emperor, but he did not mention the term economic crisis.

After hearing this, the old emperor also asked directly:

"But you also said at the time that this would affect the stability of the court, and we should avoid this situation as much as possible.

“If factories and businesses go bankrupt on a large scale, it will lead to the merger of the elites who understand management and technology with the lower-level workers, forming the basis for the most dangerous social unrest.

"At that time, you asked me to pay the workers so that civilian demand would gradually replace the court's needs for disaster relief, immigration, and the Northern Expedition..."

Zhu Jianxuan smiled and said:
“So we are going to set up a special company to buy out the shares of these factories and businesses at low prices when they go bankrupt.

“Then we will add this factory and business to the range of suppliers for the imperial court, and continue to participate in the European and North American trade, the development of East and North Africa, and the industrial construction in the north.

"That is, through the demand controlled by the imperial court, new orders are directly allocated to these manufacturers to revitalize them.

“Most of the employees in the factories and businesses will be able to keep their original jobs, and the imperial company will pay them directly in the future.

“During this bankruptcy and acquisition process, we can adjust and merge a large number of similar manufacturers.

“For low-end manufacturers that have no value to retain, just let them go bankrupt and let the workers work as laborers to dredge the Yellow and Huai rivers and build reservoirs, canals and hydropower stations.

“Through propaganda organized by the trade unions, workers were made to believe that it was the government that saved them, otherwise they would all be unemployed when private manufacturers went bankrupt on a large scale.

“The bankrupt employers resented the workers, and it was the workers who kept causing trouble that forced the government to raise their wages.

“The court finally took over their business, which was also saving their lives.

“So-called feudalism refers to the traditional land aristocracy, which controls social status and a large amount of land, which is the most basic means of production.

“The so-called bureaucracy is because after the Ming Dynasty abolished the prime minister, the emperor was actually the leader of the bureaucracy, and the entire court was a bureaucratic system controlled by the emperor.

“Capitalism is the control of a country’s human resources through the use of productive assets and funds.

“Use the court’s comprehensive advantages in these three areas to squeeze out as much assets as possible from private manufacturers.

“Turn as many valuable industries as possible into state-owned industries, and fundamentally change the economic foundation.”

Every economic crisis in past history is a feast where big capital eats small fish, or it can be said to be a harvest season for big capital.

The time between two economic crises is the period of time to allow small fish to grow freely and allow leeks to grow on their own.

However, Zhu Jianxuan was not pursuing pure capitalism, but rather the path of state capitalism.

The country's key infrastructure industries were directly controlled by the imperial court, and the total state-owned economy accounted for the majority of the country's total economy.

It's just that this country still has a king.

After listening to this, the old emperor did not make any direct comments. Instead, he turned to look at the former crown prince Zhu Jiancan next to him:
"Boss, do you understand? You don't have as much evil as this living saint, so he is more suitable to be in charge of the Ming Dynasty than you are.

"Books of sages can teach good people, but they cannot teach good kings and monarchs. This kind of thing still depends on talent..."

Zhu Jiancan didn't know what expression to use:
"Brother Xuan's wisdom and strategy are unparalleled in the world. I am far from being able to match you..."

Zhu Jianxuan was immediately speechless. Are you two praising me?

(End of this chapter)