Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 132 A Bloodbath

"Biao'er, let's have a cup of tea before we go."

No rush.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Crown Prince Zhu Biao, who had rushed over from the Wenhua Hall after receiving the news, and greeted him with a smile.

He picked up the teapot and personally poured two cups of tea.

One cup was for Crown Prince Zhu Biao, and the other was for himself.

"Father, it's past noon."

Or... let's skip this tea and go to Tianjie Temple to see those people and get things done?

It's so cold outside, and the Emperor won't let them rest inside the palace; they can only stay in the courtyard.

"Won't everyone freeze to death?"

Zhu Biao was ultimately a soft-hearted person.

Although he knew that his father was doing this to give these maritime merchants a good dressing down and to punish them slightly.

This will make things proceed more smoothly from here on out.

But now, I couldn't help but speak up.

He felt that his father had been leaving these people hanging for too long.

Early in the morning, these people had already gathered at the Heavenly Realm Temple.

The Emperor also sent guards and others to go over there and restore order.

Of course, calling it organizing order really just meant keeping everyone in the courtyard, not allowing them to go inside, and letting them enjoy the cool breeze.

But this took quite a long time.

When Zhu Biao grew up, he became somewhat anxious.

"Biao'er, don't worry. These bastards need to be given a good cold wind to sober them up."

Understand their position.

It would be best if these bastards froze to death!

Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but curse aloud.

I harbor a great deal of resentment towards these people.

"Don't worry, it's them who should be worried, not us."

Let's have a cup of hot tea first, to warm ourselves up.

It's freezing cold outside; you don't want to catch a cold if you go out later.

It's already the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, and the end of the year is just around the corner.

It snowed a couple of days ago, and the snow is melting now; it's the coldest time of year.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao smiled somewhat helplessly.

Even his own father, the Emperor, is still so unique.

But think about all the things these maritime merchants did.

Over the years, no one knows how much money they have secretly amassed. Zhu Biao felt that his father's actions were not bad.

The things these people did deserve the suffering they endured.

Since their own father wanted these people to be properly frozen.

Let them freeze then!

These people really need to wake up.

It would be bad if, when they meet the Empress Dowager later, some people were not thinking clearly and made some wrong choices.

He knew very well that this time, even though it was his own father, the emperor, personally meeting with these maritime merchants, it was still a serious matter.

But what my father did this time was like snatching food from a tiger's mouth, cutting off someone's source of wealth.

Taking back the wealth that was illegally seized by maritime merchants and bringing it to the imperial court was undoubtedly like cutting flesh with a knife.

Even when facing their father, the emperor, these people did not submit so easily.

Letting it air dry a little longer isn't necessarily a bad thing.

He immediately felt relieved and stopped thinking about those maritime merchants.

He was having tea with his father, the emperor, here.

I've decided not to say anything more about this matter.

This time, I need to observe more, think more, and speak less.

He kept all of his father's actions firmly in mind.

Learn more.

If there are any things I don't understand, I'll ask Father when I get back.

Zhu Yuanzhang and his crown prince Zhu Biao were drinking hot tea and chatting, creating a pleasant atmosphere.

But things are different at Tianjie Temple.

Two or three hundred merchants dressed in plain clothes gathered at Tianjie Temple.

Many people have been waiting since morning, and their snot bubbles have frozen up.

He stood there stamping his feet repeatedly to keep warm.

Many of them felt that the emperor was truly anxious this time.

They even issued official documents, inviting these people to meet at Tianjie Temple and personally receiving them.

Then I will definitely come to meet them very early in the morning.

After all, these people, even though they were dressed in plain clothes.

But in reality, he wielded considerable power.

In particular, they have more wealth in their hands.

It can be said that they controlled many businesses in the Jiangnan region and other areas.

It was understandable that the emperors in the past were not very clear about these things.

Now the emperor clearly knows how much money they and their ilk are making.

They want to get a share of the profits from maritime trade.

And they'll get the biggest slice of the pie.

Under such circumstances, one naturally cannot act arrogantly towards these people.

He would surely come to see us long ago if we and our companions arrived.

But who could have imagined that the emperor wouldn't come, no matter how long they waited?
The sun has been setting in the west, but the emperor still hasn't arrived!
This made many of them extremely impatient and anxious!
That bastard Zhu Yuanzhang did it on purpose.

It's specifically designed to leave them hanging!
How dare this damned emperor do such a thing?

This time, it was clearly the emperor who needed their help.

He wants these people to work for him.

Get money from them.

Shouldn't we adopt a better attitude?

As a result, the emperor has now turned against the Heavenly General.

When we called them over, they started acting all high and mighty.

Everyone earns money by kneeling, but this dog emperor wants to earn it standing up.

How could such a good thing happen?
Many people were filled with uncontrollable rage.

But many people dare not speak out against their anger.

"May I ask, sir, when will His Majesty arrive?"

Someone couldn't help but look at one of the Ministry of Rites officials in charge and ask him a question.

"Your Majesty is extremely busy with state affairs, and there are always things to do every day."

I have no idea when His Majesty will arrive.

Just wait and see.

Since His Majesty has summoned you to meet today, you will certainly come to meet him today.

As for when we will meet, that is beyond my knowledge.

It has always been others who wait for Your Majesty; there has never been any reason for Your Majesty to wait for others.

"Then, sir, could you... allow me to wait inside the house for a while?"
It's really too cold outside.

"No, seeing His Majesty is a very important matter."

One must be respectful.

The fact that we didn't make you burn incense and bathe, and that we allowed you to move around in a small area, is already the greatest favor we can bestow upon you.

How dare you want more?

Are you really trying to make things difficult for me?

The official from the Ministry of Rites refused to budge an inch or give them any face whatsoever.

Although the merchant was indignant, he didn't say much about it.

"Well... can we at least have some hot soup?"

I've been waiting since morning, without drinking a drop of hot water or eating a single bite of food.

The weather is cold, and we are hungry and cold. If this continues, we won't be able to endure it.

The younger ones are alright, but the older ones can't withstand this kind of strain.

"Just wait and see!"
Who hasn't eaten or drunk a single grain of rice or a drop of water since morning?

Why are you the only ones who are hungry and cold?
I and all the accompanying personnel who have come here, aren't we all the same as you?
So many people can tolerate this, but you can't?
Once His Majesty arrives and you meet him, you may go wherever you wish and eat whatever you desire.

Before meeting His Majesty, one must not behave improperly before the Emperor!

Upon hearing these words from the Ministry of Rites official, the merchant ultimately dared not argue any further.

Don't underestimate these people; in their respective places, they are all influential figures who can command respect and influence.

But when we arrived in the capital, it really wasn't enough.

At the end of the day, they're just a bunch of businessmen.

It can't be brought to the forefront.

Now, the people around us are clearly up to no good.

They naturally didn't want to continue to cause trouble at this time.

They had no choice but to swallow their anger.

"Lord Yushan, what... what do we do now?"

Someone approached Yu Shan Gong and asked in a low voice.

Upon hearing this, Lord Yushan said, "What else can we do?"
Let's just wait like this.

The emperor is clearly trying to put us on the back burner.

Fortunately, when we meet again, things will be easier to talk to.

As he said this, he couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

The emperor's tactic was indeed rather crude.

However, it is also clear from this that the emperor was actually quite uncertain about this matter.

Very guilty.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to resort to such methods.

They had already begun their psychological warfare even before the person arrived.

"Don't worry, the emperor will definitely come."

What we need to do now is to stay calm and not lose our composure.

Having said this, Lord Yushan fell silent, tucking his hands into his sleeves, and waited patiently.
Compared to many others present, he appeared remarkably calm, exuding an air of confidence and composure.

Many anxious people could only suppress their impatience for the time being.

Then they suffered from hunger and cold, continuing to wait for the inhuman emperor to arrive.

Zhu Hongwu dared to act in this way, intending to use such methods to exert pressure and instill fear in them.

Obviously impossible.

Doing so will only make them angrier.

After waiting for about 45 minutes, even Yu Shan Gong, who had seemed calm and unhurried the whole time, was starting to lose his patience.

Three sharp cracks of the whip were heard.

A large number of elite armored soldiers surged forward from the front.

In an instant, the area was guarded and completely surrounded.

A eunuch's drawn-out voice followed: "The Emperor has arrived!"

"His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!"

Officials bow, and commoners kowtow.

Hearing this commotion, many of these people who had been suffering greatly breathed a sigh of relief.

coming! coming!
Zhu Hongwu has finally arrived!
"Quickly! Quickly! Everyone, bow!"

Officials from the Ministry of Rites hurriedly greeted them.

Then he knelt down first, facing the direction the emperor had entered.

Many of the businessmen present also knelt down.

After they knelt down, a person dressed in a black and gold dragon robe walked in with a majestic gait.

Beside him stood a man dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe.

It was Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang and Crown Prince Zhu Biao.

The Ming Dynasty was not so strict in its use of dragon patterns.

Whether it was the emperor's dragon robe, the princes' imperial robes, or even the robes worn by county princes, they all featured five-clawed dragons.

The only difference is in the color and style of the robes.

For example, the style of the dragon robe worn by Crown Prince Zhu Biao was no different from that of the emperor's dragon robe.

The dragon is also a five-clawed golden dragon.

However, the color is bright yellow.

Princes' imperial robes, however, cannot be bright yellow...

The use of four-clawed dragons for princes and crown princes only appeared during the Qing Dynasty.

At that time, the hierarchy became even more rigid.

The five-clawed golden dragon became the emperor's exclusive possession. Some people knelt down, secretly raising their heads to observe the emperor.

Upon meeting Zhu Yuanzhang, he walked with a powerful stride and appeared to be in excellent spirits.

A wave of sadness and despair washed over me.

What does it mean that good people don't live long, while evil people live for thousands of years?

Zhu Yuanzhang, this cruel ruler, is already so old, almost fifty, how come he still looks so healthy?

Isn't it said that most emperors who conquered the world on horseback were in poor health, suffering numerous injuries, both overt and covert, while fighting for their empires, and that living to fifty was considered quite old?
How come Zhu Yuanzhang is still in good health?

Judging from this, living for at least another ten years shouldn't be a problem.

What exactly did the emperor eat on a daily basis? And how was it prepared?

I heard that this guy is extremely diligent and only sleeps for two hours a day.

At other times, there are always endless things to do.

Why can't they die?
This is outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!

Zhu Yuanzhang, accompanied by his crown prince Zhu Biao, slowly walked through the path cleared by the kneeling crowd.

I walked to the slightly higher platform that had been set up temporarily at the back and sat down in a chair.

Then he looked at everyone and spoke:

"Everyone, get up."

Led by officials from the Ministry of Rites, everyone expressed their gratitude and rose to their feet.

Then he turned to face the emperor.

The scene was very quiet, and no one dared to say a word.

Even if someone wanted to fart, they would hold it in and dare not make a sound.

Despite their large number, they had previously spoken highly of Zhu Yuanzhang (Hongwu Emperor).

His words, and his heart, held a great deal of disdain for the emperor.

But now that they had actually met the emperor, no one dared to show any disrespect on the surface.

After all, given the current emperor's personality, daring to do such a thing would undoubtedly be playing with the lives of himself and his entire family.

He really killed someone.

"You all know why we called you here, don't you?"
You've all made your decisions, right? Then let's talk about them.

Looking at this group of "good men" of the Ming Dynasty, these "heroes" who dared to stir up trouble, Zhu Yuanzhang got straight to the point without any preamble.

Zhu Yuanzhang's actions surprised many merchants.

Very surprised.

After all, in many of their imaginations, the emperor had been waiting until now to arrive, leaving so many of them hungry and exposed to the cold wind for so long.

So once you're here, you'll have to say something polite, no matter what.

Even if you don't apologize, you should at least offer a polite explanation or two about the matter.

This is human nature.

This is something the emperor should do.

But to everyone's surprise, when Zhu Hongwu arrived, he ignored the whole thing and went straight to the point without even exchanging pleasantries.

It was as if none of these things had ever happened.
How arrogant and domineering was Zhu Hongwu?
How utterly disregardful they are!

That's incredibly disrespectful and outrageous!

This time, they were doing very well in business when Zhu Hongwu summoned them.

But they ended up doing this kind of thing, and this is how they treat them.

Many of them were already extremely dissatisfied with Zhu Yuanzhang.

There are many emotions swirling in my mind.

At this moment, I felt even worse and more resentful.

At the same time, many people felt that it was only natural.

It seems that their pre-arranged stance on this matter was correct.

It's impossible for Zhu Hongwu to take so many benefits away from them.

Zhu Hongwu is so inhumane; he doesn't even respect these people.

He expects these people to cooperate with him to make money, but that's impossible.

Even clay sculptures have a touch of earthiness!

Not to mention them.

In other matters, they may not be as good as Zhu Hongwu.

However, when it comes to doing business, especially foreign business, Zhu Hongwu was far inferior to them.

"Your Majesty, we have seen the proclamation and are pleased with Your Majesty's proposal to reopen the Maritime Trade Office, lift the maritime ban, and issue maritime licenses so that all merchants will be subject to the management of the Maritime Trade Office."

Everyone else is strictly prohibited from engaging in smuggling at sea, a sentiment that is strongly supported.

I believe that what Your Majesty said is the truth.

We, your humble servants, support Your Majesty's decision.

A man who looked quite well-off and was around fifty years old spoke first after Zhu Yuanzhang finished speaking, breaking the silence.

This man is the one many people refer to as Lord Yushan.

"Your Majesty, I also believe that what Your Majesty said is the truth."

As far as I know, overseas is a wild and uncivilized land, inhabited mostly by people from uncivilized backgrounds.

In many places, people still eat raw meat and drink blood.

However, there are many good things there.

For example, gemstones, spices, etc.

Many barbarian people also have a great fondness for the silk, tea, porcelain and other products of our Great Ming Dynasty.

Trade between the two sides can indeed be quite profitable.

Foreign trade should indeed be uniformly managed by the Maritime Trade Office.

This can also reduce a lot of unnecessary trouble…

Another person spoke up; this person was a prominent figure chosen by Songjiang Prefecture.

He was considerably older than this Mr. Yushan.

He was around sixty years old and spoke with a slightly nasal tone.

I don't know if that's just how my voice is, or if it's just from the wind here.

This person's name is Li Youtian.

His name sounds a bit common, but he is a top-notch figure in Songjiang Prefecture.

They have quite a bit of money in their hands.

"Your Majesty, I also believe that a Maritime Trade Office should be established."

The Maritime Trade Office was responsible for the unified management of overseas trade.

We can set unified prices for all goods, specifying how much to sell to foreign merchants and what price to buy them from them.

It's good that there's a unified explanation.

To avoid a situation where no one is in charge, and everyone, in their rush to grab business, disregards industry profits and recklessly drives down prices.

This way, our Great Ming Dynasty will earn less money from those barbarians.

The person who spoke was not very old, in his forties, and had a refined and cultured demeanor.

This person was selected by the Hangzhou Prefecture.

His name is Li Sanshi.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded to himself.

It's not that I'm satisfied with these people's attitude.

Instead, they were satisfied with what Li Sanshi had said.

This person is quite knowledgeable.

From the perspective of overall interests, it's not necessarily true that the more businesses there are, the better.

With more businesses, it's actually easier to not make money, or rather, profits will decrease significantly.

After all, with so many businesses, they will lower prices or resort to other means to compete for business in order to make a profit.

In this way, the smaller countries outside benefited from it.

This is why many industries have giants in modern times.

In order to defeat the opponent, they will stop at nothing, including but not limited to spending a lot of money in the early stage and selling at a loss.

Outlast your competitors and steal their customers.

They even go so far as to manipulate public opinion, such as having the boss personally intervene to garner public support.

These are all common practices.

For what?
It's all in order to expand their market share.

It is good for implementing mergers and monopolies.

By eliminating competitors and establishing a monopoly, a single dominant player can control prices and gain pricing power.

If that happens, making money will be incredibly lucrative.

Large businesses can bully their customers, and some businesses can profit from both sides. All sorts of things can happen.

Making money is incredibly fast, and the profits are incredibly high.

If it were a domestic matter, Zhu Yuanzhang would not want to see such a situation occur.

But this is foreign trade, so the government should step in, bring together all the merchants, and set unified prices and management.

Use the same voice to conduct trade with other countries.

Zhu Yuanzhang was more than happy to oblige.

Why not make money outside?

However, he was not delighted by this.

They might think things will be easy to handle.

Because he knew that these merchants wouldn't be so easy to talk to.

Next, something else is bound to go wrong.

The others nodded in agreement.

This means that they all mean the same thing.

"Good, you are all loyal and patriotic people. I didn't expect you to be so reasonable."

Many of the arguments we prepared were useless.

Zhu Yuanzhang clapped his hands in praise, a smile spreading across his face.

"If that's the case, then let's settle this matter as it is."

After the New Year, the Maritime Trade Office will be established. You should all go there to apply for maritime licenses and obey the management of the Maritime Trade Office.

Operating legally and paying taxes according to law.

Zhu Yuanzhang immediately wanted to make a decision on this matter.

His behavior completely baffled the many businessmen present.

I'm very anxious.

No... there are still many things to be decided, and the emperor is about to make a decision?
How can you fool people like this?

"Your Majesty, it is good that you have established the Maritime Trade Office."

It's just... there are some things that aren't working out.

A tax rate of 60% is indeed too high.

In my great Ming Dynasty, the commercial tax has always been one-thirtieth.

The Maritime Trade Office suddenly raised the tax rate to 60%, which was really too high.

If taxes are levied at this rate, ordinary people will only lose money.

The man known as Lord Yushan hurriedly spoke up about the matter that everyone present was most concerned about.

The others echoed this sentiment, agreeing that it was indeed true.

"Is six out of ten taxes high? We don't think so."

We're already pretty good that we didn't raise the tax rate to 80% or 10%.

Do you think we don't know how profitable maritime trade is?

You people have been eating until your mouths are greasy.

With taxes at 60%, you'll definitely earn significantly less compared to before.

But it's definitely not to the point of losing money, as you've said.

The profit margin is still quite large.

"Your Majesty, this is really not acceptable, it's too high. One-fifteenth of the tax would be barely acceptable."

If taxes are 60%, there will be no room for doing business.

Your Majesty, could you perhaps make some leniency on this matter?

Yu Shan Gong said with a pleading expression.

"There is absolutely no room for negotiation on taxes."

Zhu Yuanzhang's attitude was firm.

"Your Majesty, this...this matter is of great importance. I request that you grant us more time to discuss it further before giving you a reply."

After pondering for a moment with a troubled expression, Mr. Yushan gave this reply.

They're going to have to use delaying tactics.

"It has been more than a month since we issued the announcement."

You've discussed everything you need to discuss, so don't try to drag things out any longer.

This matter needs to be resolved today!

Zhu Yuanzhang was unyielding on this matter.

Upon hearing this, Mr. Yushan and the many merchants present were all filled with anger.

Zhu Yuanzhang was far too tyrannical and unreasonable!
"Your name is Zhao Deyong, right?"
The Imperial Guards searched Wu Zhen's house, but they uncovered quite a bit about you.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Mr. Yushan and said calmly, "Prepare for a bloody battle."

(End of this chapter)