Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 124 Has the Emperor gone mad?!

"Father, good news, great news!"

Fourth Brother's side has achieved a great victory! The matter of the anti-Japanese naval force has been resolved.

Many traitors who harbored disloyal intentions and colluded with the enemy were all captured in one fell swoop!
Of the more than 40,000 troops stationed against the Japanese, not a single one escaped; they were all well-guarded and under control!

Zhu Biao said repeatedly, his voice full of excitement.

This time, his fourth brother truly gave him a huge surprise.

He kept thinking that as long as his fourth brother didn't get into any trouble, that would be the best outcome.

Who would have thought that not only did the fourth brother escape unharmed, but he also completed the mission exceptionally well, just as his father had predicted.

Zhu Biao never expected that his fourth brother would accomplish such a remarkable feat.

No one else could have done as well as my fourth brother.

Just as Father Emperor said, Fourth Brother is a promising talent with great abilities.

Because now many things are already out in the open.

Today, my own father is having a showdown with Hu Weiyong and Li Shanchang.

It's no secret that the need to deal with the Japanese naval forces is not a secret.

Therefore, when Zhu Biao saw Hu Weiyong and Li Shanchang there, he did not hide anything from them.

He was overjoyed and immediately shared the news.

This was not only said to his father, the emperor, but also to Hu Weiyong and Li Shanchang.

Hu Weiyong was taken aback.

Is Zhu Laosi really that fierce?
Just a short while ago, he was thinking to himself that Zhu Yuanzhang spoke so confidently, as if with his fourth son Zhu around, everything over there could be resolved.

Let's not end up messing things up.

Not only did they fail to solve the problem there, they also cost Zhu Laosi his life.

That would be great fun.

He had absolutely no confidence in Zhu Di's abilities.

They felt that these younger generation members only achieved their status because they had an emperor as their father.

They have such wealth and honor.

Who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, Zhu Laosi would bring such good news.

That was a resounding slap in the face!
If it weren't for what Crown Prince Zhu Biao said, he would definitely have suspected that someone was making things up or exaggerating.

Even though Zhu Biao said it, he felt that it must have been someone from the Chaohu naval forces who embellished the report when reporting military achievements.

The matter was likely handled by the Chaohu naval forces; Zhu Di was merely nominally in charge.

However, Zhu Di was, after all, a prince, and thus held the highest status.

It's perfectly normal for someone below to put in the hard work and give him the biggest credit.

"Not a single person escaped?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was somewhat surprised when he heard this.

He had considered that his fourth son might be able to handle things well during this trip.

But I never expected that it could be done to this extent.

Of the more than 40,000 troops in the Japanese navy, many harbored ulterior motives.

The difficulty of keeping them all here, not a single one of them leaving, is simply unimaginable.

After Zhu Yuanzhang asked this question, Li Shanchang and Hu Weiyong also turned their attention to Zhu Biao.

I want to hear the real story.

“Father, that is indeed the case.”

The fourth brother led only three hundred personal guards and entered the Japanese naval camp first.

Persuade Wu Zhong.

He then summoned all the officers and generals of the Japanese naval forces to meet with him.

"We deployed guards beforehand and captured all these high-ranking officials in one fell swoop! The situation was under control."

Zhu Biao was very emotional when he said this.

At the same time, my eyes felt a little hot.

Firstly, I was thrilled that my fourth brother had accomplished such a remarkable feat.

Secondly, she felt lingering fear about the dangers her fourth brother had encountered.

It goes without saying how dangerous that situation was.

How dare my own fourth brother do such a thing!

Hu Weiyong was once again dumbfounded, and felt a slight pain in his face.

In this short period of time, he has been proven wrong time and time again.

Things turned out to be so different from what he had imagined!

It wasn't Yu Tongyuan and his men from the Chaohu Navy who did it.

Zhu Di did not simply claim credit for others; he earned his credit through genuine hard work.
No... how old is this Zhu Laosi?

Although he had served in the military before, he had never experienced any major battles.

How dare they do such a thing with only three hundred men this time?
This is simply unimaginable.

Then I thought of my son, who has accomplished nothing and recently become obsessed with racing.

Hu Weiyong then began to have some thoughts of disciplining his son properly.

"Congratulations on your ascension to the throne! Congratulations on your ascension to the throne! You have resolved the issue of the Japanese navy in one fell swoop!"
His Highness the Prince of Yan is truly mighty!

"Truly befitting the son of the ruler!"

Li Shanchang offered his congratulations.

Hu Weiyong was startled awake by the voice and quickly joined in with congratulations, praising Zhu Di.

This time, when they praised Zhu Di, they were truly convinced and their praise came from the bottom of their hearts.

Even those of them who had lived through the years of war were completely convinced and impressed by what Zhu Di had done.

"It's just kids fooling around."

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and waved his hand, appearing completely unconcerned.

It seemed as if Zhu Di had accomplished something trivial.

Such a reaction made both Hu Weiyong and Li Shanchang's eyes twitch.

For a moment, I had an urge to beat up the emperor.

I've seen people who show off, but have you ever seen anyone more arrogant than an emperor?
His son had done something so extraordinary, yet he said it was insignificant.

He's practically on par with Xie An, that guy who's always putting on airs.

If what Prince Yan, Zhu Di, did were all trivial matters.

Then what about their children?
"With His Highness Prince Yan's actions, the Japanese naval forces will no longer pose a threat."

This would be more conducive to opening up the seas and restarting the Maritime Trade Office.

Hu Weiyong quickly steered the conversation back to the main topic.

A hint of excitement appeared on his face.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, and no longer kept Hu Weiyong in suspense, letting him come up with a solution.

According to Hu Weiyong's position, there is also the level of understanding.

In this matter, it's practically impossible to come up with a really good, satisfactory solution.

"We have these ideas regarding how to restart the Maritime Trade Office and how to operate it after restarting."

Upon hearing Zhu Yuanzhang say this, Hu Weiyong immediately shut his mouth.

He adopted a posture of listening attentively.

It was clear that the emperor had already considered this.

If you have an idea, just say so sooner rather than later. Why make things difficult for yourself?

Let me start by saying something here.

"After the establishment of the Maritime Trade Office, it was under the full control of the imperial court."

The Maritime Trade Office had the power to levy taxes.

They have management rights over imported and exported goods, ships, luggage, and other personal belongings.

Which goods can be shipped out, and which goods are prohibited from being shipped out?

Which goods can be shipped from overseas to the Ming Dynasty, and which goods cannot be shipped to the Ming Dynasty?

In the future, the Maritime Trade Office will have corresponding regulations.

All of them fall under the jurisdiction of the Maritime Trade Office.

At the same time, the Maritime Trade Office also had corresponding powers such as apprehending smugglers and cracking down on pirates.

From now on, no one will be allowed to go to sea to conduct trade without authorization.

To engage in overseas trade, one must first obtain a maritime operation license from the Maritime Trade Office in accordance with relevant regulations, thus acquiring the qualification to conduct business overseas.

Only those who have obtained the corresponding licenses may operate maritime trade in accordance with relevant regulations.

Those who engage in maritime trade are required to pay taxes in accordance with the law.

Tax evasion and other similar behaviors are within the scope of severe crackdown.

Once caught, the punishment will be determined based on the amount involved and the severity of the offense.

The penalties range from minor fines to outright revocation of operating licenses.

In particularly serious cases, execution is an option!
As for those who smuggle people across the sea without obtaining an operating license, once they are caught, they will be punished for treason and executed without mercy!

And my Great Ming Dynasty will also establish the Great Ming Navy.

The navy is responsible for combating pirates and clearing the seas, thus creating a favorable environment for our Great Ming's foreign trade.

At the same time, we will resolutely crack down on smugglers.

In this matter, the Ming Navy will cooperate closely with the Maritime Trade Office.

After the establishment of the Maritime Trade Office, there will be zero tolerance for smuggling.

We'll deal with each one we find, showing no mercy to anyone!

We will not allow anyone to harbor any illusions!

As Zhu Yuanzhang spoke, his voice became increasingly somber.

The atmosphere in the Huagai Hall, which had just been filled with joy because of Zhu Di's outstanding military achievements, suddenly became heavy.

The numerous maritime merchants in Jiangnan had long been spoiled by the Yuan Dynasty.

They were used to smuggling, used to ignoring the imperial court's prohibitions, and not paying taxes to the court.

The most important thing for establishing and successfully operating a maritime trade office today is to resolutely crack down on smuggling.

This left those people with no way and no courage to bypass the imperial Maritime Trade Office and engage in smuggling.

Only in this way could the imperial court collect the corresponding taxes and fees through the Maritime Trade Office.

Otherwise, the Maritime Trade Office's desire to make a profit and return to its peak during the Song and Yuan dynasties would be nothing but empty talk.

Upon hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words, Li Shanchang's expression changed, but he remained silent.

Hu Weiyong was also taken aback and did not want to speak at this moment.

But he was the prime minister, and before this, the emperor had been asking him about the Maritime Trade Office.

There's no way to avoid it.

All I could do was try to calm myself down, organize my thoughts, and carefully choose what to say before I spoke.

"Now that you've taken over, how do you plan to collect taxes going forward?"

This is the most crucial of all.

Why did the Maritime Trade Office collapse?

By the time of the Ming Dynasty, it had collapsed and was only a shell left. Why were there still so many people who wanted to abolish the Maritime Trade Office?

Among these factors, the most important one was not to avoid paying taxes to the imperial court and to obtain as much profit as possible.
Ultimately, it all comes down to money.

Could the emperor reopen the Maritime Trade Office and make it profitable?

Combating smuggling and requiring maritime merchants who want to engage in overseas trade to obtain operating licenses from the Maritime Trade Office are secondary considerations.

Most importantly, it depends on how the tax is collected.

With reasonable taxation and the emperor's domineering power working in tandem, it's not impossible to temporarily establish a framework.

If the taxes are unreasonable, those maritime merchants will not be able to make a profit.

That would make things difficult.

Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Maritime trade is extremely profitable, and it is also a newly established industry."

Naturally, the tax should be the same as that of the border markets to the north, six-tenths of the tax; there should be no favoritism.

When he said this, Zhu Yuanzhang looked completely at ease and nonchalant.

It was as casual as if they were talking about what to eat tonight.

But his words startled Hu Weiyong so much that his heart almost jumped out of his throat.

No?

Six out of ten taxes?
It's still 60% tax?
Has the emperor gone mad with greed lately?
They also said that, just like the trade markets to the north, they should not favor one over the other.

Can the affairs of the Maritime Trade Office be compared to those of the border markets in the north? The border markets in the north are indeed newly established.

Before this, very few people traded with the tribes on the northern grasslands.

Moreover, with a large army gathered on the northern front, even if the commercial tax was reduced to 60%, with so many troops present, few would dare to be reckless and cause trouble on this matter.

However, since we're talking about maritime trade now, it's a completely different story.

Many maritime merchants have become accustomed to not paying taxes over the years.

I spend as much as I earn.

Even if it requires showing respect and bribing certain people, the cost is still far less than paying taxes to the imperial court.

Hu Weiyong felt that if the emperor initially imposed a tax of one-thirtieth, or at most one-fifteenth, it would already be quite reasonable.

Unexpectedly, the emperor was so ruthless that he directly imposed a tax rate of 60%.

Isn't this going to kill those maritime merchants?

Zhu Yuanzhang's intention was not to reopen the Maritime Trade Office at all.
It would be a miracle if he could establish the Maritime Trade Office and make it profitable again with his methods.

Those maritime merchants weren't fools; they wouldn't give up a carefree life and so much profit.

They came here to be subject to government control, and they also had to pay such high taxes.

Getting numerous maritime merchants back under the court's control was an extremely difficult task.

Now, the emperor has directly increased the tax rate by six-tenths.

This kind of thing is simply impossible to accomplish, right?

No wonder the emperor forbade him to speak, and instead told him about his ideas.

Even if one racks one's brains, it is absolutely impossible to raise taxes to 60% like an emperor.

But now that the emperor has spoken, he can't very well not respond.

Therefore, he had no choice but to calm himself down and carefully begin to speak.

"What the higher-ups are considering is indeed very reasonable."

One of the biggest reasons why the Maritime Trade Office declined rapidly in the late Yuan Dynasty was the prevalence of smuggling.

Many maritime trades bypassed the Maritime Trade Office.

This resulted in the Maritime Trade Office being unable to collect taxes.

This caused the revenue of the Maritime Trade Office to plummet.

If the Maritime Trade Office is to become profitable again, the most important thing, as the superiors have said, is to strengthen the management of maritime merchants.

They should stop trying to circumvent the Maritime Trade Office and pay taxes according to the law.

These people had been smuggling since the Yuan Dynasty and disobeyed the imperial court's orders.

Now His Majesty has re-established the Maritime Trade Office, intending to bring them back into submission and make them abide by the laws and regulations of the court.

I'm afraid it won't be easy.

If... if the tax were lower, it would be easier to handle.

But now, a direct tax of 60% is really... really too high.

This far exceeded the price that maritime merchants had to pay in the past.

These maritime merchants are probably not happy about this..."

Hu Weiyong practically said that the tax rate was outrageously high, with six out of ten taxes being excessively high.

The price that the maritime merchants had to pay was far greater than the profits they shared with officials at all levels when they were smuggling.

If taxes can be brought to a reasonable level, things will be easier to handle.

But now, it's really impossible to do.

Is a 6% tax rate really high?

Do you really think we don't know how profitable maritime trade is?
Even after taxing six out of ten, the remaining profits are still enough for these people to live a life of luxury.

We won't let them work for nothing.

Zhu Yuanzhang, seated on the dragon throne, spoke.

Now that he's back, the Maritime Trade Office is not only reopening, but also significantly increasing taxes.

These people used to evade taxes even when the tax rate was 1/30. They're living a good life, so let's give them a hard time!
Now, taxes must be reduced to 60%!

They blocked their path.

These people are all spoiled. The better you treat them, the more insatiable they become and the more they want more.

"Of course, we will develop a more detailed catalog later."

Not all trade in goods is subject to a tax of 60%.

Some goods will be cheaper, some more expensive, and some may even be tax-free.

Hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words, Hu Weiyong breathed a slight sigh of relief.

I knew that the emperor couldn't just act recklessly.

"For example, grain can be subject to low taxes, or even tax exemption."

Not a single grain of our Great Ming Dynasty is allowed to be transported or sold overseas.

However, the transport of grain from overseas to the Ming Dynasty was unrestricted and without limit.

We can ship as much as we want.

Grain transported here is exempt from tax.

Zhu Yuanzhang never thought he had too much grain.

Even in the Ming Dynasty today, people still starve to death every year.

Zhu Yuanzhang felt it was necessary to implement overseas trade in the future and to transport more grain from overseas into the country to make a necessary supplement.

Even if the Ming Dynasty can achieve self-sufficiency in grain in the future.

He would also encourage maritime merchants to transport grain from overseas.

After all, once people have enough to eat, they should start looking for ways to improve their quality of life.

Meat, eggs, and dairy products should also be included.

If we have enough rations, we can continue to transport grain to be used as animal feed.

After hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words, Hu Weiyong, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, became anxious again.

No... what is the Emperor saying?
Tax exemption for grain?
Even with tax exemptions on grain, many people are still unwilling to transport it.

The profit margin for transporting grain is simply too low.

Compared to transporting spices and many other commodities, it is far inferior.

"Your Majesty, I dare to speak my mind."

Based on my understanding, it is truly unlikely that maritime merchants will be able to reduce taxes to 60%.

On our side, is it possible to collect a little less tax at the beginning?

First, lure the maritime merchants to the Maritime Trade Office.

Once the framework of the Maritime Trade Office is established and operational, we can gradually find ways to increase taxes later.

It's really too difficult to get fat overnight.

Hu Weiyong planned to use the method of "boiling a frog in lukewarm water".

Li Shanchang, who was standing to the side, nodded to himself.

I think Hu Weiyong's consideration is worthwhile.

If this matter is handled as the higher-ups say, directly raising the tax rate to 60%, it will indeed be difficult to implement.

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head: "No, collecting taxes has always been a matter of cutting flesh with a knife."

It hurts whether you cut a little or a lot.

No matter how much or how little is cut, these people will be very resistant.

Many things are easier at the beginning.

If you start with a low tax rate, it won't be so easy to raise it later.

Every time it's brought up, it causes a scene; I wonder how much more arguing and effort it will take.

Now is the perfect time to re-establish the Maritime Trade Office and revise tax rates.

Let's resolve this once and for all, so we can avoid all sorts of disputes later.

Otherwise, there will be trouble later.

Zhu Yuanzhang had his own ideas and his own principles on this matter.

"This... Your Majesty, if I may be frank, but if this is truly the case, I'm afraid... I'm afraid the Maritime Trade Office will not be able to operate smoothly."

I am not questioning my superior's position, but merely stating the facts of the matter.

Hu Weiyong spoke hesitantly.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded.

“We know you’re telling the truth, but we’ll still do it anyway.”

The Maritime Trade Office must be established, and taxes must be collected at a rate of six out of ten.

Those maritime merchants who are willing to do it now go to the Maritime Trade Office to obtain operating licenses, accept government management, and pay taxes according to law.

If you don't want to, then don't do it.

Given the enormous profits of maritime trade, even if they pay 60% tax, they still feel it's not enough to make money, yet there are plenty of people willing to do it.

Not too little.

My Great Ming Dynasty lacks everything, except people, and even more so, people who want to make money and live a good life.

These are businesses that only they can do!

As for smuggling, we're not afraid.

We're serious about what we're saying.

In the future, we will establish a navy and thoroughly reorganize the coastal garrisons.

We will crack down on smuggling and have zero tolerance for it.

These are not just empty words.

If they are unwilling to be governed by the imperial court and unwilling to pay taxes, then they should not engage in maritime trade.

As for continuing to smuggle, then let them continue.

"Find one, arrest one, kill one, confiscate one's home!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's face was stern, and his words were filled with murderous intent.

A faint smell of blood filled the air as he spoke.

This alarmed Hu Weiyong and Li Shanchang.

"Well... the Yuan Dynasty was too lenient, and the new regime has set some of the strictest rules."

Isn't this...a bit of an overreaction?

After Hu Weiyong asked this question, even Li Shanchang and Crown Prince Zhu Biao felt that what Hu Weiyong said made a lot of sense.

I think it's indeed gone too far.

"To correct a wrong, one must go to extremes! Without going to extremes, one cannot correct a wrong!"

Zhu Yuanzhang rested his right hand on the imperial desk, looked at the crowd, and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"It was precisely because the Yuan Dynasty was too lenient with these people that they became increasingly arrogant and domineering."

Now that we're setting up the Maritime Trade Office, we need to clean everything up and start from scratch.

If these people want to sit at the table for a meal, they have to follow our rules.

The old ways won't work anymore!

"If you eat our food, you have to be under our control!"

Hu Weiyong, Li Shanchang, and even Crown Prince Zhu Biao were all greatly encouraged.

coming! coming!
That familiar yet domineering feeling is back!
"Prime Minister Hu, we will soon extend invitations to the maritime merchants in Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Songjiang Prefecture."

Tell them to come to Tianjie Temple on the fifteenth of the twelfth lunar month. We want to meet with them in person and have a word with them.

Even the emperor himself has said such things and shown such an attitude on this matter, so what can Hu Weiyong say?
They could only nod in agreement to show that they had remembered.

"If one takes the throne, won't that... easily lead to trouble?"

Li Shanchang said with some concern.

"Let it be chaotic; this whole affair is a war in itself."

All we need to do now is abandon our illusions and prepare for battle.

As he spoke, he looked at Li Shanchang and said, "By the way, Duke of Han, there is something we would like to discuss with you."

Upon hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words, Li Shanchang immediately became nervous.

Now, he has been somewhat overwhelmed by Zhu Yuanzhang's series of tactics.

"Old Li, don't be nervous, it's not a bad thing, it's a good thing."

It would have been better if Zhu Yuanzhang hadn't said those words; instead, Li Shanchang became even more nervous.

What good things could an emperor possibly do?
Zhu Yuanzhang said, "That's really good news. Your eldest son, Li Qi, isn't he getting any younger?"

Our daughter is getting on in years, so we're thinking of marrying her off to Li Qi. What do you think?

(End of this chapter)