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"The area outside the pass is bitterly cold, and we must first solve the problem of getting through the winter." Su Ning summoned craftsmen and said, "Promote the use of heated brick beds and provide coal subsidies to each household. Open coal mines in Fushun and Liaoyang, and give priority to supplying migrants."

He also personally designed a new type of "row house" where dozens of houses are connected together and share walls, which greatly improves the insulation effect.

Immigrants from Sichuan and Yunnan initially struggled to adapt, but after their first winter, everyone exclaimed, "With these heated kang beds and warm rooms, winters outside the Great Wall aren't so bad after all!"

After surveying the coal mines in Fushun, Su Ning immediately submitted a memorial stating: "The Fushun coalfield is rich in resources. Please allow the establishment of government-run coal mines and the recruitment of 10,000 miners to mine them."

At the same time, he discovered high-quality iron ore in Benxi and immediately decided: "Build a steel plant here, adopt a new type of blast furnace, and manufacture weapons and agricultural tools."

In less than a year, the first modern steel plant rose from the ground in Benxi.

The furnace fire illuminated half the sky, and the craftsmen worked day and night to smelt steel.

"Abolish the garrison system and replace it with a military settlement system." Su Ning announced at the military conference, "Soldiers are soldiers in wartime and farmers in peacetime. Each soldier will be given thirty mu of land and may settle down with their families."

Naturally, some veterans questioned: "Your Excellency, if this is the case, won't the soldiers be busy with farming and neglect their training?"

Su Ning laughed and said, "On the contrary. With land and families, soldiers will be more determined to defend this land to the death. And training can be concentrated during the off-season without any problems."

On the banks of the Liao River, Su Ning personally supervised the construction of water conservancy projects.

“Building a sluice gate here will serve both flood control and irrigation purposes. We will also develop paddy fields along the river to try growing rice.”

The agricultural official from Jiangnan initially doubted: "How can rice be grown in the cold weather beyond the Great Wall?"

But when the first batch of rice ripened in Liaodong, everyone was shocked.

Suning specially sent the harvested rice to the capital, with a note: "This is produced in Liaodong. Please have a taste, Your Majesty."

“Establish schools in various places and recruit tutors. Children of immigrants can all enroll.” Su Ning attaches great importance to education, “We want all the children on this land to read the classics and know loyalty, filial piety and righteousness.”

He also established the "Liaodong Bookstore" to publish agricultural books and industrial and technical classics, and to promote advanced production technologies.

……

In the autumn of the sixteenth year of the Wanli reign, Liaodong ushered in an unprecedented harvest.

Golden waves of wheat roll across the plains, coal mines produce tens of thousands of tons of coal daily, and steel mills operate day and night.

Newly built towns are scattered everywhere, and the sound of reading fills the schools.

As Chen Lin accompanied Suning on his tour of various locations, he couldn't help but exclaim, "Three years ago, this was a battlefield; now it's a paradise where smoke rises from chimneys and the sounds of chickens and dogs can be heard."

Standing on the newly built Liaohe River embankment, gazing at the bustling port and the ships coming and going, Su Ning said in a deep voice, "This is true conquest. Swords can only subdue people, while development and construction can win their hearts and minds."

When he finally returned to the capital, he brought not only glorious military achievements, but also a new Liaodong with abundant granaries and developed industry and mining.

From then on, the area outside the Great Wall was no longer the frontier of the Ming Dynasty, but an unbreakable northern barrier for the empire.

……

The seventeenth year of the Wanli reign, in the capital.

Inside the Wenhua Hall of the Forbidden City, Grand Secretary Shen Shixing gently placed his ivory tablet on the imperial desk and bowed deeply to Emperor Wanli on the dragon throne.

"Your Majesty, this old minister is getting on in years and has recently felt increasingly powerless. Grand Secretary Su has pacified Liaodong and expanded the territory of Korea, which has made great contributions to the country. This old minister wishes to pass the torch to the more capable and requests permission to retire."

There was an uproar in the hall.

The senior officials looked at each other, none of them expecting Shen Shixing to resign at this time.

The Wanli Emperor remained silent for a moment, then glanced at Su Ning, who stood solemnly below the steps: "What does Minister Su think?"

Su Ning stepped forward, his expression calm: "Grand Secretary Shen is highly respected and virtuous; I dare not overstep my bounds."

"My mind is made up." Wanli stood up. "Shen Shixing is granted permission to retire and is granted the title of Grand Tutor. Effective immediately, Su Ning will succeed him as Grand Secretary and take charge of all government affairs."

……

Three days later, Su Ning summoned the ministers of the six ministries to his office in the cabinet.

“I have three policies to implement.” He got straight to the point: “First, implement the land tax system, merging the poll tax into the land tax; second, implement a system where officials and gentry pay taxes together; third, reform the tax system, reducing the agricultural tax to 1/50 and raising the commercial and mining taxes to 3/10.”

Minister of Revenue Wang Zhiyuan immediately objected: "Your Excellency! Tax exemption for officials and gentry is an ancestral system. This move will surely be opposed by scholars throughout the land!"

"Ancestral rules?" Su Ning sneered. "When the founding emperor established the nation, the total arable land was only three million hectares. Now it exceeds seven million hectares. How much of that land is registered under the names of officials and gentry to evade taxes?"

He stood up, his gaze sharp: "In the province of Jiangnan alone, there are over a thousand scholars who have passed the imperial examinations and provincial examinations, yet they occupy half of the province's land and pay not a single penny. If this continues, how will the national treasury be replenished? How will the people bear the burden?"

……

The following month, the "Edict on the New Tax System of the Great Ming Dynasty" was promulgated throughout the empire:
“Starting from the eighteenth year of the Wanli reign, the poll tax was abolished and levied on all land; all those with official titles paid taxes in the same way as ordinary people; the agricultural tax was reduced to one-fiftieth, while the commercial and mining taxes were increased to three-tenths.”

The imperial edict caused a stir throughout the court and the country.

Students at the Nanjing Imperial College went on strike, and gentry from Jiangnan jointly submitted a petition.

Some people even secretly spread rumors, claiming that Suning "violated ancestral rules and disrupted the imperial court."

Faced with opposition, Su Ning advised the emperor in the Qianqing Palace: "Your Majesty, the Ming Dynasty is like an ancient tree that is lush and verdant on the outside, but riddled with insects and ants on the inside. If we do not address the root cause, we risk collapse."

Emperor Wanli stared at the memorial on his desk for a long time before saying, "Since I have appointed you, I have no doubts about you. Go ahead and do it."

……

At the same time, a series of policies to encourage industry and commerce were introduced:
"Each prefecture and county shall establish an Industry and Commerce Bureau to oversee the registration of workshops and businesses; the artisan household system shall be abolished, allowing artisans to operate freely; in private mining, the government shall take three-tenths of the profits, with the remainder to be kept by the artisans; a patent system shall be established, granting a ten-year monopoly on new machinery."

Most notably, Su Ning petitioned to establish the "Da Ming Qian Zhuang" (Great Ming Money Shop), with one million taels of silver from the imperial treasury as capital, to provide loans to business operators.

“Those with skills in the common people often suffer from a lack of capital,” Su Ning explained at the court meeting. “A money shop can solve their problem; with just three people providing joint guarantees, they can borrow a hundred taels.”

Driven by Suning, Daming began to comprehensively develop its industrial base:

The Zhili Iron and Steel Plant was established in Hebei, adopting the Liaodong experience, with an annual output of one million catties of refined iron; the General Bureau of Textile Manufacturing was established in Jiangnan to promote new looms; coal mining was expanded in Shanxi to supply fuel to the north; and the Shipyard was established in Guangdong and Fujian to build ocean-going ships.

To cultivate talent, Su Ning also petitioned: "Establish craft schools in various prefectures and counties to teach arithmetic and mechanics; select bright young men to study in Europe and learn Western skills."

……

Two years later, the effects of the new policy gradually became apparent.

The Ministry of Revenue reported that the national treasury's annual revenue had increased to eight million taels, half of which came from commercial and mining taxes; workshops were springing up everywhere, employing hundreds of thousands of displaced people; and new looms had caused the price of cotton cloth in Jiangnan to drop significantly, making new clothes affordable for ordinary people.

However, the voices of opposition have never ceased.

One day at court, Censor Li Sancai of the Censorate openly impeached the Grand Secretary, saying, "The Grand Secretary's new policies have disheartened scholars and allowed merchants to profit. If this continues, it will surely lead to the collapse of morality and social order!"

Instead of being angry, Su Ning smiled and said, "The Li family owns a thousand acres of land in Tongzhou, and according to the new system, they need to pay two hundred shi of grain every year. If you are worried about the cost, I can pay it for you."

The entire court fell silent, realizing that the Grand Secretary knew everything about everyone's finances. Late at night, Emperor Wanli summoned Su Ning to the Qianqing Palace.

“Mr. Su,” the young emperor said, unusually using an old title, “there are very few officials in the court who speak well of you.”

Su Ning bowed and said, "I only know that weavers in Jiangnan can now earn two taels of silver a month, miners in Liaodong can support their families, and herdsmen in the Hetao region have seen their incomes double thanks to wool spinning workshops. As for the grievances of the gentry, I am willing to bear them all."

Emperor Wanli sighed softly: "I remember you saying that today's killing is to prevent future bloodshed. Why are you offending the scholars of the world like this now?"

"So that the Ming Dynasty will not repeat the mistakes of the Song Dynasty." Su Ning raised his head, his gaze firm. "If the gentry refuse to pay taxes, the national treasury will eventually collapse; if industry and commerce do not flourish, the country will remain weak and the people poor. What I want is a peaceful and prosperous era that can make the people rich, fill the national treasury, and ensure the eternal stability of the Ming Dynasty."

The palace lanterns swayed, casting the shadows of the two people onto the vermilion wall.

Outside the window, the lights of thousands of homes in the capital were on, and the faint sound of looms from the newly established workshops could be heard.

This is the Ming Dynasty in the midst of transformation, a time of suffering yet brimming with hope.

……

Spring of the 27th year of the Wanli reign.

With the two five-year plans now concluded, the Ming Dynasty stands tall in the East in an unprecedented manner.

On the Grand Canal, steam-powered paddle steamers puffed out white smoke, transporting silk and tea from the south to steel and machinery from the north; in Tianjin Port, ocean-going giants flying the Japanese and Chinese flags slowly docked, unloading rice from Southeast Asia, silver from Japan, and precision instruments from Europe.

……

The Forbidden City, the Hall of Diligent Conduct.

A special royal meeting is being held.

Grand Secretary Su Ning presented a thick memorial to the Emperor, his voice steady and powerful:
"Your Majesty, since the implementation of the New Policies in the seventeenth year of the Wanli Emperor's reign, the annual revenue of our Great Ming Dynasty has increased from eight million taels to thirty million taels; the state-run steel mills produce five million catties of refined iron annually, while the private iron production is three times that amount; the new-style schools have trained more than 30,000 craftsmen, and workshops across the country employ more than one million displaced people..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the assembled officials in the hall:
"However, even now, 70% of the national treasury's annual revenue is still used to support the regional princes. The Prince of Shu receives 50,000 shi of rice annually, the Prince of Zhou receives 80,000 taels of silver annually, and the number of other princes and generals is countless. If this continues, the achievements of the new policies will surely be completely devoured by these parasites!"

The Wanli Emperor, seated on the dragon throne, frowned slightly: "Mr. Su, the princes are relatives of the emperor, as instructed by the Taizu Emperor..."

"Your Majesty!" Su Ning interrupted without hesitation, "It was these very 'royal relatives' who forcibly seized 200,000 hectares of farmland in Henan, illegally opened silver mines in Huguang, and allowed their servants to run rampant in the countryside of Shandong! This is the evidence of their crimes that I have compiled—"

With a wave of his hand, his attendants carried over more than ten wooden boxes filled with account books and confessions.

"King Zhu Zaiting of Zhou forcibly seized farmland, driving thirty-seven people to their deaths; King Zhu Huakui of Chu illegally opened a silver mine, evading one million taels of silver in taxes..."

With each recitation of a matter, the atmosphere in the hall grew more solemn.

Each and every one of these charges is supported by concrete evidence.

Three days later, a major case that shocked the court and the public began.

The Imperial Guards suddenly surrounded the Shu Prince's residence and found a dragon robe and several weapons.

Within three days, the King of Shu was convicted of treason and beheaded in the marketplace.

His family property was confiscated, amounting to 2.8 million taels of silver and 300,000 hectares of farmland.

The news sent shockwaves throughout the world.

Local princes submitted petitions to plead their cases, and senior officials in the court jointly appealed for leniency.

Emperor Wanli summoned Su Ning to the Qianqing Palace, his tone unusually stern: "Mr. Su, the Prince of Shu is, after all, my uncle. Why do you have to do this?"

Su Ning replied calmly: "Does Your Majesty remember the rebellion of Prince Ning during the Zhengde era? When vassal kings become too powerful, they are bound to harbor treacherous intentions. If we do not eliminate them today, they will surely become a great threat in the future."

"But……"

“Your Majesty,” Su Ning stepped forward, “the Ming Dynasty’s navy now dominates the four seas, its new army is well-equipped, its commerce and industry are thriving, and its people live in peace. Must all this be destroyed by these parasites?”

Emperor Wanli remained silent for a long time before finally waving his hand and saying, "Fine, let it be as you say, sir."

With the emperor's tacit approval, Su Ning's methods became even more ruthless:

The King of Zhou was stripped of his title and imprisoned for "corruption and abuse of power"; the King of Chu was executed along with his entire family for "illegally mining"; the King of Qin was found to have "colluded with the Mongols" and was forced to commit suicide...

Each time a vassal king was dealt with, a large amount of land and silver was added to the national treasury.

Suning deliberately made the seized accounts public:
"The wealth of the King of Shu could support a new army of 100,000 for a year; the land owned by the King of Zhou could be distributed to 30,000 refugees; the silver mines of the King of Chu could be used to build five steel mills..."

The concrete figures brought public support for the new policy to its peak.

……

With the collapse of the power of the vassal kings, Su Ning's power also reached its peak.

The cabinet is now almost entirely controlled by Su Ning; most of the ministers in the six ministries are his protégés and former associates.

After thoroughly eliminating resistance from the royal family, he implemented more comprehensive policies:
"Abolish the artisan and military registration systems, allowing military households and artisans to work freely, and implement a compulsory military service system; establish a patent office to protect new technologies; build railways to connect key areas in the north and south; establish the Great Ming Bank to uniformly issue Great Ming banknotes and silver notes..."

Those gentry who once opposed him are now either making a fortune in the industrial and commercial boom or losing their families in the political purges.

No one in the court dared to openly question the Grand Secretary's decision anymore.

……

On New Year's Day of the 28th year of the Wanli Emperor's reign, during the grand court assembly, Grand Secretary Su Ning presented a special gift: a huge "Complete Map of the Ming Dynasty".

On the map, the territory of the Ming Dynasty extended east to Japan, west to Central Asia, south to Southeast Asia, and north to Mongolia.

"Your Majesty, this is a golden age unprecedented in history!" Su Ning's voice echoed in the hall.

The officials shouted "Long live the Emperor!" their voices shaking the rooftops.

But amidst these cheers, some veteran officials secretly worried: Is the Ming Dynasty now truly the Ming Dynasty's domain, or is it the domain of Su Ning?

After the court session, Emperor Wanli stood alone on the terrace of the Jinshen Hall, gazing at the thick smoke billowing from the newly built steam engine factory in the distance.

The young emperor's face showed a worry that was beyond his years.

"Mr. Su, you have created a golden age for the Ming Dynasty, but where will it lead after this golden age?"

Meanwhile, in the Prime Minister's residence, Su Ning was reviewing a new plan—"A Preliminary Idea on Establishing a Parliamentary System".

In the candlelight, his eyes remained sharp, as if countless reforms awaited implementation.

This Ming Dynasty is heading towards an unknown future in a way that no one could have predicted.

...(End of chapter)