Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

The core of this strategic plan lay in Zhu Cilang's goal not only to capture the market through Ming Dynasty goods but, more importantly, to gradually establish dominance over the global economy through control of the circulation of these goods. Especially in trade between the East and the West, through this series of industrial and commercial layouts, the Ming Dynasty would gradually expand its share of the global economy, thereby achieving control over global economic flows.

As Li Xiaolin listened to Zhu Cilang's words, his mind gradually became clear. He realized that this was not just a revolution in commodity trade, but also a far-reaching plan for the future development of the Ming Dynasty.

As the emperor, Zhu Cilang had obviously seen the potential of the Ming Dynasty on the world stage, and the plan he proposed was to promote the dual rise of the Ming Dynasty at sea and on land through carefully planned economic and military strategies.

In other words, Zhu Cilang's strategy was to use the political entity of "Xinming" to unite the maritime merchants of various provinces and the powerful domestic productivity, use silver as a trading link as a medium, establish a complete trade chain, and then control the circulation and distribution of bulk commodities such as grain, tobacco, spices, and dyes.

His ultimate goal was to launch an asymmetric trade war through this chain, challenge the trade hegemony of the Netherlands and Spain, and gain a place in the global business landscape.

Zhu Cilang not only aimed to reshape the Ming dynasty through military means, but also to transform it into a hub of international trade through sophisticated economic strategies. He understood that while command of the seas was important, the real long-term economic benefit came from controlling the flow of global commodities.

His vision was not limited to the short-term war and victory in front of him, but was based on the future. He planned to gradually weaken the economic foundation of maritime powers such as the Netherlands and Spain through the rise of the new Ming Dynasty, and ultimately achieve control over global trade circulation.

In this semi-triangle trade system composed of Xinming, Japan and Korea, and Nanyang, Zhu Cilang's layout is full of strategic significance.

Xinming sat at the center of this system, playing a crucial role. Specifically, Xinming would utilize its abundant resources and robust production capacity to supply raw materials needed by workshops across the country, such as tobacco, cotton, raw silk, and steel. These commodities would then be processed into finished goods like sugar, silk, and porcelain, which would be sold through maritime trade to Japan, Southeast Asia, and even further west.

These regions, in turn, imported vast quantities of silver through trade in exchange for Xinming goods. This not only enabled Xinming to acquire significant wealth but also to dominate the distribution of global trade. More importantly, the Xinming handicraft production base, centered in Jiangnan, would become a central hub for domestic production and export.

These workshops and production facilities will provide a continuous supply of various manufactured goods, not only meeting the needs of the domestic market, but also enabling large-scale export, particularly to Japan and Southeast Asia. At the same time, these regions will become the main markets of the new Ming Dynasty. The silver, copper, iron, sulfur, and some mounted goods exchanged will flow into the Ming Dynasty through this trade system, bringing a continuous stream of wealth to the country.

At the same time, the Jiangnan region, as the core of the Xinming handicraft production base, will continuously import raw materials, produce a large number of handicrafts, and dump them together with the transshipped goods to Japan and Southeast Asia, thereby obtaining rich silver returns through continuous trade.

In this vast international trade system, the southern region played a crucial role. Siam, Annan, Taiwan, and other regions would become important sources of raw materials for the Xinming. Food, sugar, dyes, spices, and other commodities from these regions would flow continuously into the Xinming.

The Xinming, with its strong handicraft production capacity, exported a large number of handicrafts to these areas, thereby obtaining a huge trade surplus. Through this mechanism, silver from Manila would also flow into the Ming Zheng continuously, providing a stable source of wealth for the Xinming.

However, the core of all this is how the Xinming used its control over maritime trade and, through a series of clever economic means, made it impossible for its opponents to resist, ultimately achieving the goal of completely suppressing the enemy.

Zhu Cilang envisioned maritime bans and war as his weapons for igniting a trade war. If the new Ming decided to use maritime bans and other means to drive down raw material prices, or even resort to war to create pressure and cleverly shift the blame onto the Dutch and Spanish, these trading vassal states would be powerless to resist and would be forced to submit to the Ming's manipulation.

For the Spanish and Dutch, this would be an extremely painful trade war, in which they would face severe shortages of food and daily necessities, while popular goods would be left unsold due to supply chain disruptions.

To maintain their rule over Manila and Taiwan, these colonists would have to face the reality that they would inevitably succumb to the trade pressures of the New Ming. This situation would be similar to what happened in history—the Western powers would ultimately have to compromise with the New Ming in order to safeguard their commercial interests and status in the Far East.

But for the Han Chinese in Luzon, Indonesia, and Taiwan, Zhu Cilang's strategy brought about a completely different situation. With their huge market demand and strong ability to absorb goods, the Han Chinese in these areas were eagerly awaiting support from the new Ming.

For these Han merchants and artisans, the rise of the Xinming was undoubtedly the only way to solve their plight. Xinming's goods and crafts would become the key to their economic prosperity, and the Xinming, through the expansion of these markets, would provide itself with a continuous source of wealth.

As the New Ming gradually expands its influence in these regions, the Han Chinese will become one of the most important forces in this trade war, and their support and participation will provide solid backing for the New Ming. It is foreseeable that with the implementation of this strategy, the New Ming will gradually build a vast international trade network.

Through sophisticated economic planning and flexible trade strategies, Zhu Cilang was not only able to control the flow of global trade, but also gradually weakened the status of maritime powers such as the Netherlands and Spain in the process, and eventually replaced them to become the leader of global business.

Through victory in this trade war, Xinming will win more strategic space for itself and further enhance the country's economic strength and international influence.

This seemingly asymmetric trade war was actually centered on Zhu Cilang's plan to change the global trade pattern, break the old international order, and create an international trade system that was more favorable to the New Ming and more competitive with the outside world through careful planning and clever operation, with the rise of the New Ming as the core.

In this game of commercial layout and maritime strategy, Japan, Indochina, and the growing domestic market became key factors in preventing economic losses for the New Ming. For Zhu Cilang, these regions were not only crucial pillars for maintaining economic stability, but also the foundation for stabilizing the economy by dissipating external pressure. Through effective maritime control and trade strategies, the New Ming gradually gained control of the trade lifeline in these regions, possessing a strong economic buffer, which enabled the New Ming to maintain relative stability in the face of external challenges.

In Xinming's strategic blueprint, the market positions of Japan and Indochina are particularly prominent.

Zhu Cilang was well aware that the influence of Western powers, particularly the Dutch and Spanish, in this region, would severely weaken the Ming Dynasty's strategic space if not curbed. Therefore, before Li Xiaolin prepared to launch his offensive, stabilizing the situation in Japan and Indochina became one of Zhu Cilang's most pressing tasks.

This was not only to ensure that the commercial interests of these regions were not divided up by foreign powers, but also to cut off the logistical supply lines of the Dutch and Spanish and completely destroy their commercial and military influence in Asia.

Li Xiaolin finally realized all of this at this moment. As a seasoned businessman familiar with maritime trade, he had never imagined that business planning could be so profound, complex, and precise.

Behind all this, Li Xiaolin was struck not only by Zhu Cilang's vision and courage, but also by the depth of his planning. If he hadn't witnessed it with his own eyes, Li Xiaolin would have found it hard to believe that a country's business strategy could be so meticulously planned, encompassing every inch of sea, every shipping route, and every market.

Of course, Li Xiaolin didn't realize that the underlying reality was far more complex than he'd seen. Zhu Cilang's thinking had long surpassed the economic model of his time. Three hundred years later, the maturity of financial theory would reveal a deeper truth.

Zhu Cilang's financial tactics in this trade strategy, as well as the competitive advantage he derives from his immense naval control, are all built upon this vast theoretical framework. This isn't just a game of maritime trade; it's an economic war that transcends time and tradition. While Li Xiaolin couldn't fully comprehend all of this at the moment, he already felt its weight.

If this plan is successfully implemented, not only will Shibosi's merchant ships be able to sail freely at sea, but even commercial activities previously limited to the domestic market will gain unprecedented room for expansion. In particular, merchant ships holding "Shibosi" tokens will not only be able to easily bypass existing trade barriers, but will also be able to accept more shipping orders, which means that merchant ships will usher in unprecedented business opportunities and profit margins.

From a purely economic perspective, the sale of tokens from the Maritime Customs Office was a massive source of wealth. The sale of tokens alone could bring in hundreds of thousands of taels of silver annually, potentially doubling to over 400,000 taels. This was a significant sum, representing a significant financial and military boost for the Ming Dynasty.

Through this series of business plans, the Ming Dynasty can gradually accumulate stronger capital and influence, and bring Ming Dynasty merchants and people in Taiwan, Southeast Asia and other regions under the protection of the country, thereby ensuring their safety while also gaining more commercial benefits.

Yet, even as Li Xiaolin experienced all this, he also harbored countless questions and confusions. He had accumulated extensive experience through countless business dealings, but the current situation made him realize that this war was no longer simply a commercial struggle; it was a profound confrontation between nations, between maritime powers and maritime trade forces.

Through this series of measures, Zhu Cilang was actually creating a new economic lifeline for the new Ming Dynasty, enabling it to exclude other powerful nations through trade and maritime control, and even to gain a place in future global economic competition. This was not only to combat foreign influence, but also to create a strong enough economic foundation for the Ming Dynasty to support its future voice in international politics.

However, achieving this goal was not easy. It required a strong naval force, which was not something that could be accomplished overnight. To stabilize the markets of Japan and Indochina and expel the Dutch and Spanish, the Ming Dynasty needed to further strengthen its navy and ensure the safety of shipping routes.

At the same time, this also requires bargaining and compromise with other major powers, especially in diplomatic strategy. How to maintain balance and how to stabilize the attitudes of other powers will determine whether Xinming can successfully achieve these grand goals in the future.

Under Zhu Cilang's meticulous planning and deployment, local forces in Southeast Asia and Taiwan had almost no room to refuse the Ming Dynasty's demands. The handicraft industry in Southeast Asia was weak, with few local workshops and even the most basic daily necessities dependent on external imports.

While Taiwan's land is fertile, it primarily relies on agriculture and primary production, with minimal industrial output. Because of this, these regions have a strong demand for handicrafts and daily necessities dumped from the Ming Dynasty. Their economic lifeline—the various raw materials and specialty crops—also requires a wider market.

This was the key point of Zhu Cilang's policymaking. As long as the flow of trade was firmly under control and Ming became the dominant force in overseas markets, then the Ming people living overseas would naturally gain a superior position in the commercial system.

As subjects of the Ming Dynasty, they not only enjoyed preferential trade rights but also took the initiative in rule-making. Compared with subjects of other countries and regions, they naturally developed a sense of belonging and superiority.

The development of this sense of belonging was crucial to consolidating Ming's overseas influence and ensuring its continued expansion. Previously, when the Ming Dynasty implemented maritime bans, overseas Chinese were often forced into a gray area, even becoming second-class citizens and facing widespread marginalization in many places.

However, now that the Ming Dynasty is a nation based on trade, it has re-established the maritime order and granted overseas people unprecedented privileges and opportunities, allowing them to occupy an important position in local forces with the support of their motherland.

This bond of economic interests made them no longer as resistant to the imperial court's policies as before, but instead more willing to accept the Ming Dynasty's management and guidance. (End of this chapter)