Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 147 Is the Emperor doing business? Who sends so many soldiers to do business?

On the eleventh day of the first month of the ninth year of the Hongwu reign, all officials went to court.

After the New Year, I spent eleven consecutive days without going to the office to handle government affairs.

This was a truly novel event for many officials during the Hongwu reign.

This was the most comfortable year they had ever had since the Hongwu Emperor came to power.

At the end of the year, most people received a large sum of money due to their performance.

We got another eleven-day holiday.

This year's holiday was truly comfortable; I felt completely relaxed.

All the fatigue of the year was swept away.

The fatigue accumulated over the past year, as well as dissatisfaction with the government and other aspects, dissipated considerably with the distribution of the money and the passing of the holidays.

However, many officials felt somewhat dazed.

The promised eleven-day holiday... how did it end so quickly?

It feels like the holiday just started, and in the blink of an eye, it's back to the office.

What did I do in those eleven days?
Sure enough, the days when you're not in the office to handle government affairs go by quickly.

"Let's re-establish the Maritime Trade Office."

The Maritime Trade Office shall have one Director and two Deputy Directors.

The chief supervisor of the Maritime Trade Office was a fourth-rank official, and the deputy supervisor was a fifth-rank official.

The Maritime Trade Office was not under the jurisdiction of the local government.

It is directly under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Revenue, and even the Emperor himself is involved…

After discussing some matters, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang began to talk about the Maritime Trade Office.

This is the most important event of the year.

Previously, the taxes levied by the Maritime Trade Office were the responsibility of the province where the office was located.

This displeased Zhu Yuanzhang greatly.

There were many reasons why the Maritime Trade Office was in such a state in the past.

However, the taxes levied by the Maritime Trade Office were the responsibility of the respective provinces where it was located, which also played a significant role in this process.

He is now re-establishing the Maritime Trade Office in order to make money and to reach out to overseas markets.

They acquired overseas wealth for the use of the Ming Dynasty.

He knew all too well how profitable maritime trade was and how much wealth was overseas.

Everyone in the Ming Dynasty understood this better than anyone else.

This is a huge sum of money.

In that case, it's impossible to let middlemen make a profit.

Although the entire Ming Dynasty is a game of chess, from top to bottom it all belongs to the Ming Dynasty.

But whoever holds the money has a different say.

The imperial court and local governments were in a hierarchical relationship, but they were also subordinate to each other.

However, throughout history, the imperial court and local authorities have also clashed in various ways.

For example, outwardly complying while inwardly opposing, and deceiving superiors and subordinates.

This is perfectly normal.

There are many things that involve local authorities, and even a simple official document from the central government won't suffice.

It takes several official documents and stern urging to get it done.

That's considered pretty good.

Some of these documents, no matter how many they issue, are essentially useless.

Locals don't even bother with them.

To get things done, the imperial court had to send censors and other officials to supervise the process.

If the government could issue an official document and the local authorities would simply follow it, that would be wonderful.

The goal of achieving political harmony and social stability has long been attainable.

This is especially true when it comes to money.

Money is a powerful lure; who wouldn't want to make a quick buck?
When the imperial court has money in its hands, it will be more assertive in its actions.

If you work hard to establish the Maritime Trade Office, only to have it placed under the jurisdiction of the provincial administration commissioners in various regions.

Therefore, the taxes collected would certainly be first sent to the provincial administration commissioners in various regions.

Once it's in their pockets, it won't be so easy to get it back to the imperial court.

Even if they collect it, they will still skin it alive.

It's perfectly normal for them to receive two million taels of my money while I only receive one million.

Furthermore, in the future, if the imperial court wants money, it will have to be subservient to the local officials in charge of the Maritime Trade Office.

Read their expressions and act accordingly.

Leaving aside the financial issues, this approach will likely lead to problems.

The Maritime Trade Office, which I have vigorously reorganized, will probably return to its old ways in just a few years.

The Maritime Trade Office will be embezzled, and smuggling will once again flourish.

Zhu Yuanzhang naturally did not want this to happen.

Therefore, at the beginning of the re-establishment of the Maritime Trade Office.

We must start from scratch and reshape the rules.

The government directly transferred all administrative and tax collection powers of the Maritime Trade Office to the imperial court.

The Maritime Trade Office was responsible to the imperial court, and local governments were not allowed to interfere.

Taxes cannot be touched in the slightest.

At the same time, the rank of the chief official of the Maritime Trade Office was also promoted from the original fifth rank to the fourth rank.

These measures all aimed to increase the influence of the Maritime Trade Office.

This made people realize how much importance they placed on the Maritime Trade Office itself.

This also increased the influence of the Maritime Trade Office.

You must hold your money bag firmly in your own hands.

The courtiers were not particularly surprised when they heard Zhu Yuanzhang say this.

After all, there had been rumors about the Maritime Trade Office for quite some time last year.

The emperor, too, had been waging a major war over this for a long time.

The brothers Wu Zhen and Wu Liang were two marquises who founded the country, and they have a place in the Temple of Meritorious Officials on Jilong Mountain.

Wasn't it because of the Maritime Trade Office that he was executed by the emperor?

The anti-Japanese naval forces and the river defense forces also underwent significant reforms.

At the Longjiang Shipyard, ship production is now at full capacity.

Before the New Year, the emperor condescended to gather many smuggling merchants at Tianjie Temple and personally met with them for a detailed discussion.

He even killed someone on the spot for this.

Was everything done in order to target the Maritime Trade Office and make money?
It is perfectly normal for the emperor to make these arrangements at this time.

If we don't do it, they'll become suspicious.

As for the taxes collected by the Maritime Trade Office, they were all confiscated and placed under the control of the imperial court.

This is not surprising at all.

Since the blank seal case last year, and the subsequent adjustments made by the emperor to the tax collection and transportation in various regions.

Apart from a very few fools, no one anymore thought that the emperor was completely ignorant about finance.

How could the emperor not know?

The emperor knew all too well.

Anyone with eyes to see can see how beneficial this would be for the imperial court.

Moreover, most of the court officials present were from the capital.

There was no objection to this.

The officials in the Ministry of Revenue, in particular, were almost ready to wholeheartedly agree with the emperor's decision.

The emperor's move was brilliant; we must applaud it!
If the Maritime Trade Office can be established in the future, the Ministry of Revenue will be in a much better position with the income from it.

It's unlikely that his hair would start falling out constantly after he became the Minister of Revenue.

Therefore, apart from a few minor individuals who raised objections, no one else objected.

As for the few cats and dogs, there was no need for Zhu Yuanzhang, the emperor, to say a word.

He was then showered with spittle by the Minister of Revenue and the newly promoted Vice Minister.

"The Maritime Trade Office is of great importance, and we cannot repeat the old mistakes."

Therefore, this time the Maritime Trade Office was not opened up in the same way as the original three Maritime Trade Offices.

It was the Maritime Trade Office of Songjiang Prefecture.

Once the Maritime Trade Office in Songjiang is successfully established and mature experience is gained, then Maritime Trade Offices can be established in other places.

Things have a sequence; you can't get fat in one bite.

Zhu Yuanzhang naturally wanted to see the Maritime Trade Office flourish.

Merchant ships came and went in an endless stream.

Large amounts of wealth flowed into the Ming Dynasty through the Maritime Trade Office.

The treasury is full.

But these are things we can only admire from afar for now.

Governing a country and handling affairs is not a game; once all the conditions are met, it can be done immediately.

Instead, it needs to be done one thing at a time.

Songjiang Prefecture is located at the mouth of the Yangtze River, a truly golden waterway.

The Yangtze River provides excellent communication between the upstream and downstream areas.

It is especially necessary to establish a maritime trade office here.

Songjiang Prefecture was very wealthy, and the surrounding Suzhou, Hangzhou, and even Zhenjiang and Wuxi along the Yangtze River were far richer than other places.

Su Daqiang isn't called that for nothing.

In modern times, Zhu Yuanzhang also witnessed the prosperity of Shanghai.

Moreover, the establishment of the Maritime Trade Office has already begun to spread in places like Suzhou and Songjiang Prefecture.

These places are relatively close to the capital, making them easier to manage.

Therefore, it is not surprising at all that Zhu Yuanzhang first established the Songjiang Maritime Trade Office.

"The position of Director of the Maritime Trade Office will initially be held by the Prince of Yan."

The Prince of Yan was given full authority over the affairs of the Maritime Trade Office.

When Zhu Yuanzhang brought up other matters, the court officials, who had anticipated this, were able to remain calm.

But at this moment, as soon as Zhu Yuanzhang uttered these words...

In an instant, many of the court officials showed expressions of surprise and doubt.

No one expected that the emperor would appoint the Prince of Yan as the Director of the Maritime Trade Office!
Now, the emperor's sons were getting older and older.

The time for them to go to their fiefdom is almost here.

In the past, emperors were always eager to send their sons to various places to serve as feudal lords.

Why does it seem like you're not in a hurry now? Not only that, but you're also letting your son handle many things.

The same applies to the events at Zhongdu City, as well as to dealing with Wu Zhen and the Japanese naval forces.

Even now, the establishment of the Maritime Trade Office is still the same.

This is truly unexpected.

By this time, many people had developed their own opinions about Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan.

They no longer thought of Prince Yan, Zhu Di, as a greenhorn who had never seen the world and had no skills.

In this matter concerning the Japanese naval defenses, Zhu Di truly opened the eyes of many.

Right now, the emperor seems to be treating Zhu Laosi like a donkey.

He had just finished dealing with the naval preparations against Japanese pirates, and now he was being asked to handle the Maritime Trade Office.

The significance of an ordinary official serving as the Director of the Maritime Trade Office is quite different from that of the emperor's own son serving as the Director of the Maritime Trade Office.

However, as unexpected as it may seem, upon closer examination, it also makes sense.

Given the importance the emperor placed on the Maritime Trade Office, it was understandable that he would send his own son there at this time.

Prince Zhu Di of Yan, dressed in a dragon robe, paid no attention to the reactions of these people.

Upon hearing this, he immediately stepped forward, bowed to his father, the emperor, and solemnly accepted the position.

It is truly a waste of his talents to have the dignified Prince of Yan concurrently serve as a fourth-rank official.

Generally speaking, when officials from the capital are transferred to other regions, they are promoted to the first or even second rank.

Even a lateral transfer is considered a demotion.

Now, this prince has taken on a position of only fourth-rank official, which is truly not high.

But Zhu Di was more than happy to do so.

He's already a prince, why would he care about official rank?
No matter how high the position, could it be higher than that of the Prince of Yan?
Could it be more important than the fact that he was the emperor's biological son?

What he cares about is how difficult this matter is.
Whether this matter is important or not for the Ming Dynasty.

If done well, how much contribution can it make to the Ming Dynasty?

And how long can they keep smug in front of that bastard, the third brother?

As long as these requirements are met, he will do it without hesitation.

Not to mention, according to my father, there are people planning a rebellion after the establishment of the Maritime Trade Office.

Then he couldn't afford to miss this opportunity.

The bigger and more dangerous the matter, the more he can gain recognition by successfully accomplishing it.

Only then can that despicable third brother not flaunt his power when facing him...

"Zheng Shiyuan was appointed as the Deputy Director of the Maritime Trade Office."

According to the original history, Zheng Shiyuan was also implicated in the Empty Seal Case.

He was also imprisoned.

His younger brother, Zheng Shili, even wrote a letter about this, which was recorded.

However, with his rebirth, many things have changed.

Zheng Shiyuan's fate was also rewritten.

He first served as the prefect of Fengyang and tried to handle matters in Zhongdu City, where he fought against many nobles from Huaixi.

This time, the blank printing case was not involved.

However, by this time, the matter in Zhongdu City had been settled.

The crackdown on those nobles from Huaixi has also come to an end.

These people did many things that really annoyed Zhu Yuanzhang.

But... how should I put it?

Sometimes, it's necessary to slow down.

Even if it's painful, you still have to be able to tolerate some imperfections.

This rectification effort, along with the handling and reprimand of the noble families of Huaixi, followed by this process.

They've kept the people of Huaixi in line for quite some time now.

We can take this opportunity to do something.

To this day, the Huaixi nobility as a whole remains a very strong force that he needs.

Repairs are fine, rectification is fine, and getting rid of some of the people inside is also acceptable.

But we can't just kill it with a single blow.

Otherwise, many things will become difficult to handle.

The reorganization of the Huaixi military elites, including the reorganization of the army, also required a long period of time.

When it's time to take decisive action, take decisive action; when it's time to take a gradual approach, take a gradual approach.

Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang decided to transfer Zheng Shiyuan to a different position.

Let's find another place to shine and contribute.

Zheng Shiyuan was upright and capable in handling government affairs.

It's quite good to be the fourth prince's deputy now, handling matters related to the Maritime Trade Office.

The Maritime Trade Office was an extremely important government agency.

The power they wield will be immense in the future.

The benefits of serving as the deputy director of the listed shipping company are self-evident.

It seems that demoting Zheng Shiyuan from the Prefect of Fengyang to the Deputy Director of the Maritime Trade Office was not a significant promotion.

However, considering the importance of the Maritime Trade Office, this was already a significant promotion.

If Zheng Shiyuan can do a good job, his future will be incredibly bright.

Zheng Shiyuan immediately stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

I accepted this task.

When Zheng Shiyuan stepped forward, many nobles from Huaixi in the court did not treat him well.

Zheng Shiyuan, however, did not care at all and remained calm.

He was unaware of how highly regarded the Maritime Trade Office was in the emperor's eyes.

Since it was the emperor who wanted him to take on this position, and the establishment of the Maritime Trade Office also presented many difficulties.

He was willing to do it.

To be honest, the emperor did not achieve complete success in the matter of the Huaixi nobles, especially in the matter of Zhongdu.

Zheng Shiyuan was not very happy.

But he also understood that the emperor needed to consider the overall situation.

It would be unwise for a newly established state to dismiss a large number of the Huai-Xi nobles who had helped him conquer the country.

In addition, the emperor's actions over the past year have become increasingly methodical.

Many of them were thinking of the people and considering the future of the Ming Dynasty.

Under such circumstances, he would naturally be willing to serve the emperor.

Furthermore, after serving as the prefect of Fengyang, he underwent a baptism of fire in handling matters concerning Zhongdu City.

When Zheng Shiyuan looked at other things again, he didn't think anything of them.

How difficult could it be compared to the clashes with the Huai-Xi nobles that have been taking place during this period?

Of course, the reason he was able to fight his opponent for so long and still survive was because he had the emperor backing him.

Many nobles from Huaixi hated him to the core, but none of them dared to actually take his life...

After promoting these two important officials, Zhu Yuanzhang appointed five more people and then stopped assigning more staff to the Maritime Trade Office.

More members of the team will be selected by Lao Si and Zheng Shiyuan.

Zhu Yuanzhang did not take on everything.

At this point, the basic framework of the Maritime Trade Office had been established.

However, it will still take some time before the Maritime Trade Office is officially operational...

……

Three days later, Zheng Shiyuan, the deputy director of the Maritime Trade Office, set off from the capital.

He did not go to Songjiang Prefecture, but instead went to Suzhou.

The Maritime Trade Office was to be established in Songjiang, but Zheng Shiyuan went to Suzhou instead, which seems rather strange.

But it wasn't that strange.

After all, at this time, compared to other places, Suzhou was the true center of the silk industry.

In terms of wealth, it cannot even compare to Songjiang Prefecture.

The key to this matter lies in Suzhou.

Zheng Shiyuan did not go alone; in addition to himself and some of the officials he led, he was accompanied by five hundred armored soldiers.

Such a spectacle left many people stunned.

Zheng Shiyuan knew that he was going to set up a maritime trade office.

If you didn't know better, you'd think there was going to be a war.

……

"This emperor really doesn't treat us people like human beings!"
That's outrageous!
They actually want to set up a Maritime Trade Office and raise the tax rate to 60%!

What a black heart!
With such heavy taxes, how much can Master Zhang and his ilk earn?

We're really going to lose money!

No wonder Mr. Zhang and his team haven't started work yet.

"If we lose money as soon as we start, I won't do it either."

In Suzhou, people are in a state of panic.

Countless people working in textiles and other workshops were filled with anxiety.

These people are different from the farmers.

They make a living entirely through manual labor.

The shutdown of the workshops is the most damaging and has the most direct impact on them.

At first, I resented those who ran the workshops for shutting them down.

However, as more information came out, the truth of the matter became clear.

The dissatisfaction and resentment towards this matter quickly shifted from the workshop owners to the imperial court...

February 2nd is the day when the dragon raises its head, which is a good day.

But for many workers in Suzhou, and even in Songjiang Prefecture of Hangzhou, life became even harder.

Many people are already running out of food.
During this period, the workshop remained closed.

More and more information is being released about the Maritime Trade Office.

For example, the imperial court has already established the Maritime Trade Office, and the deputy director of the Maritime Trade Office has already gone to Suzhou, Hangzhou and other places to meet with wealthy families.

When discussing matters concerning the Maritime Trade Office, they adopted a tough stance, leaving no survivors for the wealthy merchants.

This is tantamount to not leaving them any openings for conflict.

Amidst the widespread panic, some people soon began to act drastically.

Large numbers of textile workers, along with workers from other industries, gathered and began to march and demonstrate...

(End of this chapter)