Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 397 Integration
These new economic activities not only boosted productivity but also contributed to the reshaping of social structure. People's incomes gradually increased, their living standards improved, and the shackles of clan ties that had previously plagued them were gradually broken.

In the past, those powerful local clans often used the blood ties between clans to build their own status and power networks. They controlled most of the land and means of production, and in the process of colluding with the government, they infringed on the interests of most clan members.

Although the existence of clans can provide certain protection for the people and help them resist external threats such as oppression from the government and harassment from bandits, the inequality and exploitation they bring have always been the deep-seated contradictions in local society.

Zhu Cilang rebuilt a new framework for grassroots society through the new organizational form of tunbao. This model of combining farmers and soldiers allowed the people to not only farm and support their families but also to defend themselves through armed forces, increasing their sense of security and autonomy.

Under this new system, the means of production originally controlled by the clan leader and elders were redistributed and became the common property of all members of the tunbu, and were uniformly allocated and supervised by the tun chief and the chiefs.

This change directly weakened the traditional clans' control over land and resources, causing the clan leaders who originally occupied important positions to lose the economic foundation on which they depended for their livelihood. Part of the profits would even be converted into taxes and flow into the national treasury to support the growing army, while the other part would be used to ensure food for the people in the garrisons.

Although this change was gradual, it had a profound impact on the existing power structure. More importantly, as the tunbu system gradually improved, this model would be expanded to more areas, especially those where war and unrest were frequent.

The people in the tunbu will be able to enjoy more fair and reasonable resource distribution, and their living standards will be improved. They will gradually break free from their original clan relations, join the new national system, and become part of national development.

Not only that, with sufficient resource support, agricultural research institutions will be gradually established on top of the Tunbu system. This is not only to explore new agricultural technologies, but also to systematically summarize and promote agricultural production, improve production tools, innovate planting techniques, and promote the improvement of agricultural productivity.

With the application of new technologies, people's farming efficiency will be significantly improved and grain production will increase significantly.

The fundamental purpose of all this is to solve the bottleneck problem of food production through technological and institutional changes, make the country's food supply more sufficient, and ensure that people's lives are no longer threatened by famine.

However, in a smallholder economy, such technological progress is almost impossible to occur spontaneously. Even if advanced technologies occasionally emerge, they are often difficult to popularize due to the dispersion of resources and the lack of effective promotion mechanisms.

Zhu Cilang therefore understood that to truly resolve the food crisis, he must rely on national strength to promote overall productivity. By operating the garrison system, centralizing resources and standardizing production would not only increase people's enthusiasm for production, but also better address food supply issues and safeguard the country's long-term development.

From a longer-term perspective, the success of the Tunbu system would not only impact the solution to food security but also the structure and pattern of society as a whole. Through this series of reforms, local clans would no longer be the dominant force in people's lives, and would be replaced by a more standardized social system.

This was not just a boost to agricultural productivity; it was a profound social transformation, involving comprehensive reforms across production, education, politics, and more. The cumulative effect of all this would ultimately lead to a stronger and wealthier nation, a powerful empire capable of withstanding foreign aggression, maintaining a stable government, and ensuring a peaceful and prosperous life for its people.

After a long period of war and turmoil, almost all the land in Henan and Shandong provinces had been confiscated. These lands originally belonged to large landlords and local tyrants, but as the situation changed, the ownership of the land underwent a dramatic change.

After a series of policy adjustments, the portion of land rent that originally belonged to the landlords had been returned to the settlers in the form of tax reductions and exemptions. Although this policy seemed simple on the surface, it contained great strategic intentions.

Even for ordinary settlers with only 50 mu of land, after paying taxes, unless they encountered extreme weather disasters, the harvest was usually enough to maintain their basic living standards. This gave the settlers in Henan and Shandong a relatively stable economic foundation, allowing them to rely on their land for survival and ensure basic food and clothing.

However, Zhu Cilang knew that while this situation could temporarily calm the people, it was far from enough to achieve higher-level goals. Therefore, his policy in this area did not stop at pacifying the people and restoring agricultural production.

His true intention was to further stimulate the human resources within the garrison system through this complex distribution system, thereby strengthening the military and restoring the former Ming Dynasty's martial virtues. For the garrison households, although land could provide basic livelihood security, it did not necessarily mean that they would live a more prosperous life.

If they wanted to improve their living standards, obtain a better social status or other qualifications, they had to make more efforts, which usually took the form of participating in peasant soldier training, performing corvee labor or even directly joining the army.

Zhu Cilang's institutional arrangements were, in fact, a highly efficient integration of social resources. Through the interdependence between the army, peasant soldiers, and the people, he formed a powerful internal circulation that not only met the needs of national defense but also effectively restored social order and productivity.

Zhu Cilang envisioned a tunbao as more than just a combination of military and peasants; it was more like a self-sufficient, mutually supportive social system. The core of this system was to blur the distinction between soldiers and civilians through various types of peasant-soldier training and corvée labor, thus forming a highly integrated and mutually supportive structure.

This system can fully mobilize the enthusiasm of the settlers, allowing them to feel their own value when participating in the construction of the army and the defense of the country, thereby increasing their loyalty to the new regime.

In addition to these basic social structures, Zhu Cilang further strengthened the social and economic system by guiding trading companies to invest and control the construction of a series of workshops such as weapons workshops, textile workshops, ceramic workshops, and cigarette workshops.

These workshops not only supplied daily supplies to the army and the garrisons, but also provided a large number of employment opportunities for the local area, driving economic development. Most importantly, the management system of these workshops had undergone significant progress compared to other workshops of the same era.

Zhu Cilang boldly introduced the concepts of simple division of labor and standardized management, combined with corresponding incentive mechanisms. This not only boosted workshop productivity but also provided further impetus for social reform. At this time in Ming Dynasty society, despite technological limitations and resource scarcity, basic management innovations and the effective use of human resources could quickly yield results.

He understood that this did not require an immediate earth-shaking technological breakthrough. As long as he could promote gradual innovation in technology and management methods on the existing basis, he would see results in the short term.

Although many advanced technologies and management ideas from the 17th century had not yet been widely used in the Ming Dynasty, they were gradually absorbed and put into practice through a series of institutional initiatives. For example, in the production of textile and ceramic workshops, Zhu Cilang gradually improved production efficiency by promoting market competition and technological cooperation.

Regarding the construction of cigarette workshops, although this technology was initially unfamiliar, innovative management and process improvements rapidly increased production capacity, not only meeting the needs of the military but also generating considerable profits through export. These changes gradually enabled Xinming to demonstrate strong resilience and competitiveness in both the economy and military. This series of reforms and innovations inevitably attracted the attention of Western powers.

But through this gradual reform, he will continue to accumulate advantages until he surpasses others completely.

The smooth progress of all this was inseparable from the support of a group of capable civil servants and local elites. In the Xinming government system, Li Banghua and Ni Yuanlu were undoubtedly the two most critical figures.

Although Li Banghua held a high position within the civil service, he did not simply remain confined to his study, but personally participated in every aspect of the construction of the garrisons. As the official in charge of Zhili, Li Banghua not only had a thorough understanding of local affairs but also possessed the ability to mobilize resources and integrate forces.

He not only played a driving role in the construction of Tunbu, but also fully exerted his influence in cooperation with major trading companies.

As a key official in the Ministry of Revenue, Ni Yuanlu was responsible for the nation's financial and land policies. Under the guidance of Zhu Cilang, he worked closely with Li Banghua to coordinate various matters and ensure the smooth operation of the garrison system and workshops.

Whether it is the distribution of land, the management of workshops, or the allocation of social resources as a whole, Li Banghua and Ni Yuanlu are able to ensure to the greatest extent that the implementation of the new policy does not deviate from the expected goals.

With this efficient collaboration, Xinming's economic system gradually took shape and social order was effectively restored.

Through a series of policy innovations, Zhu Cilang successfully promoted the close integration of military, economy and society, which not only enabled the new Ming Dynasty to achieve stability at home, but also laid a solid foundation for its future rise.

The Xinming official structure was sophisticated and complex. Each department seemed independent, but in reality, they were all under the control of Zhu Cilang. More importantly, this highly centralized power management meant that no single party could control the entire system alone, and all forces had to operate in a balanced manner.

After Zhang Mingzhen took office, the maritime trade sector controlled by Li Xiaolin quickly became a key part of Zhang Mingzhen's strategic layout. Although Li Xiaolin's reaction seemed calm, he had been prepared. After learning that Zhang Mingzhen had taken over the position he had longed for, he immediately became obedient.

The confidants that Li Xiaolin had originally placed in various maritime trade departments were quickly transferred from their posts on the grounds of "lack of staff in the Maritime Customs Office". The sudden change in the situation shook his originally stable position in an instant.

However, after taking office, Zhang Mingzhen did not implement drastic changes. Instead, he steadily pushed for reforms in a gentle yet resolute manner. He first required all departments to conduct self-examinations to identify issues of "corruption, waste, and overstaffing." This seemingly simple measure, through meticulous inspections, uncovered many long-standing corruption and ineffective management loopholes.

He then quickly proposed reform measures to "practice austerity, cut redundant staff, and streamline the organization," reorganizing the functions of various departments and reducing unnecessary expenses and labor costs. This series of measures not only solved the problem of wasted funds but also further consolidated his voice in the new regime.

Moreover, Zhang Mingzhen did not rely solely on the power in his hands to achieve his goals. He paid more attention to winning over potential officials and businessmen at critical moments.

By "offering suggestions and brainstorming", he attracted many forces from all sides who wanted to join him. He did not suppress dissidents with tough means, but used a gentle strategy of winning over to make these people naturally stand in his camp.

After successfully rectifying corruption and redundancy within the maritime trade system, Zhang Mingzhen began planning a new business model—he proposed establishing a "Maritime Trade Company." This move was essentially a way for him to further position his trusted aides through adjustments to the new department.

Through this process, Zhang Mingzhen not only cut unnecessary expenses, but also reorganized and undermined some less obedient departments, making the power of these departments become nominal in actual operation.

At the same time, the saved funds and resources were reallocated to newly established departments and trading companies, injecting continuous impetus into future development.

After this meticulous planning and reform, Zhang Mingzhen ultimately completed the restructuring and reorganization of the maritime trade system, taking control of its operations. While Li Xiaolin still held a certain influence within the system, his control gradually waned as overseas trade expanded.

This series of changes wasn't just about adjusting the maritime trade system; it also affected the future of the new Ming regime. Through this restructuring of the commercial system, Zhu Cilang not only effectively divided military and financial power into three parts but also, through a carefully designed equity structure, redistributed the original interests.

This highly complex institutional design ensures that the new Ming regime can maintain flexibility in the face of future challenges while not being monopolized by any one force.

In the new business system, the military also began to intervene, taking shares in the form of "retirement benefits." Through this means, Zhu Cilang not only strengthened the economic strength of the military, but also greatly increased the military's voice in the emerging business group.

More importantly, this method of distributing equity broke down existing barriers to profit, preventing any single faction from independently controlling the system's resources and creating a more balanced situation. Zhu Cilang and several major interest groups within the military became shareholders of this massive commercial system through equity delegations.

During this process, the profits from maritime trade will flow back to the military in the form of dividends to supplement military expenditures and support military construction.

At the same time, this huge business group began to gradually purchase the Ming Dynasty's "national bonds", providing strong support for the country's finances.

The integration of commerce and the military brought about an unprecedented consolidation of power and accumulation of wealth. This commercial giant would not only become the economic pillar of the New Ming regime but also a crucial link between the military, local forces, and the central government. Through these means, Zhu Cilang successfully extended his control over all aspects of society, laying a solid foundation for the stability and development of the New Ming regime.

(End of this chapter)