Chongzhen's domineering

Chapter 107 If we're talking about who's the strongest in robbing and plundering (Part 1)
Zhu Jue asked Zheng Zhilong a few questions and got a general idea of ​​what the guy was thinking.

This questioning technique is actually a skill that those in positions of authority must master.

He seemed to be asking whatever came to mind, but he was actually asking some key questions.

In retrospect, Zheng Zhilong, the pirate leader, was not an ambitious man.

This guy just wants to stand out from the crowd, bring glory to his ancestors, and live a life of prestige.

As for money, this guy is not greedy. Otherwise, with his current strength, he could easily rob more than a few hundred thousand taels a year.

The facts are there for all to see. This guy not only did not use his power to rob indiscriminately, but he also generously provided relief to disaster victims in Fujian. This proves that he values ​​face more than money.

Such people are the easiest to manipulate; just give them face if they want it, and face becomes worthless.

Zhu Jue thought for a moment, then solemnly said, "Zhilong, as you know, the Ming Dynasty is currently plagued by constant wars and natural disasters, and money is needed everywhere."

The problem is that it's not easy to make money within the Ming Dynasty right now. The only way we can earn enough money to save the people from suffering and even raise a large army to pacify the surrounding areas is to engage in overseas trade.

Therefore, you must find a way to help me earn enough money to save the country and its people. If you can do this, it will be a great achievement for posterity. Even if you never achieve further military merit, I will still grant you the title of Duke.

Oh dear, you've saved the country and its people, your merit will last for generations! You should even grant me the title of Duke!

This is too much of a favor, it's beyond measure! We have to do this, or we'd be bastards.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Zhilong trembled with excitement and said, "Your Majesty thinks so highly of me, I will do my utmost to help Your Majesty save the country and its people."

You're really easy to manipulate.

Zhu Jue nodded with feigned satisfaction and said, "Yes, I was right about you. As long as you do your job well, you will surely become the greatest contributor to the revival of the Ming Dynasty and go down in history."

The greatest contributor to the restoration of the Ming Dynasty?

And their names will be remembered in history!
Zheng Zhilong said rather impatiently, "Your Majesty, just give me your orders, and I will go through fire and water for you."

Okay, that's enough of the bluffing, let's get down to business.

This guy just mentioned that the issue of sourcing goods wasn't a big problem for him; he could handle the supply of silk, cloth, porcelain, and tea.

There is plenty of space in the new city to the north, which is perfect for building labor-intensive factories.

However, spinning and weaving both require machines and factories, while making porcelain requires not only machines and factories, but also the transportation of high-quality clay from Jiangxi. These are not problems that can be solved in a short time.

The only problems that can be solved immediately now are silk and tea.

Zhu Jue nodded slightly, then said solemnly, "The most important thing now is to make money. With money, things will be easier. You said you can't get enough goods. I can find a way to solve that for you."

"I won't let you suffer any losses. I will reorganize your troops into a navy and provide them with provisions and pay. From now on, you won't have to spend money to support them. Also, I guarantee your annual dividends will not be less than 500,000 taels. You just need to help me develop overseas trade."

Does this mean I can receive 500,000 taels of bonus without having to work myself to the bone for a year?

That would be great.

Zheng Zhilong nodded repeatedly and said, "Your Majesty, I understand. I will do whatever you say I should do, and I will do my best."

Yes, Not Bad.

Zhu Jue nodded slightly, then pondered, "The issue of supply cannot be generalized. Cloth and porcelain may still need some time to arrive. The demand for these is also very high among the people. If we need enough stock, we will have to produce them in large quantities ourselves."

"I can solve the silk and tea problem for you right now. Just tell me how much silk and tea your current maritime trade routes can sell, and I'll find a way to get you that much."

Uh, is the question how many of these can be sold?
Upon hearing this, Zheng Zhilong cautiously replied, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I'm not bragging, but silk and tea are in very high demand. As many goods as Your Majesty can procure, I can sell them all."

You can sell them no matter how many there are?
How much silk and tea could the Ming Dynasty produce in a year?
"I don't know that yet." Zhu Jue thought for a moment, then simply said, "Summon Shi Gao to come and pay his respects."

Soon, Bi Maoliang strode in, cupped his hands and bowed, saying, "Your humble servant greets Your Majesty."

Zhu Jue nodded slightly, then asked, "Shi Gao, do you know how much silk and tea the entire Ming Dynasty produces in a year?"

It’s hard to say.

Bi Maoliang thought carefully for a moment, then said cautiously, "Your Majesty, if we only consider the production of silk, I can't say for sure. It's because there are too many raw silk sellers now, and a lot of raw silk has flowed overseas. If the raw silk didn't flow out, then the Ming Dynasty should be able to produce more than ten million bolts of silk every year."

Tea production had already been surveyed as early as the Hongwu reign. The total tea production of the Ming Dynasty was over 50 million catties. While this might fluctuate depending on weather conditions, it was roughly around 50 million catties.

Are the production volumes of silk and tea high?

If this were in later generations, this output wouldn't even be enough for a large city for a year!
In later generations, who doesn't have a closet full of clothes? A megacity with ten million people would consume more than ten million bolts of high-quality fabric. As for tea, fifty million catties seems like a lot, but if divided among ten million people, it would only amount to five catties per person per year, less than half a catty per month.

The Ming Dynasty had a population of fifty to sixty million, but the average amount of tea distributed to each person was less than one pound per year.

The production of silk and tea is too low. We need to find a way to increase it. If we sell them all, the Ming Dynasty will have nothing left. In that case, everyone will be wearing plain clothes and there won't be any tea to drink. This is not a prosperous and thriving era.

However, this output cannot be increased in a short period of time.

Zhu Jue thought for a moment, then asked, "How much silk can the workshops controlled by the Imperial Textile Bureau produce in a year, and how much tea can the court collect in a year?"

How can I possibly explain this?
Bi Maoliang thought for a moment before carefully saying, "Your Majesty, among the departments under the Imperial Textile Bureau, only the Jiangnan Textile Bureau produces silk. Originally, at the beginning of the Wanli era, the Jiangnan Textile Bureau could still deliver more than 100,000 to 200,000 bolts of silk every year, but now it is becoming less and less. It is considered good if it can deliver 30,000 to 50,000 bolts a year, and in some years there is none at all."

As for tea, the sale of private tea was strictly prohibited during the Hongwu reign. The tea tax alone, which was one-tenth of the total tax, could collect more than five million catties of tea. At that time, the tea-horse trade was a trade of one load of tea for one good warhorse. The court could obtain 50,000 good warhorses every year just from the tea tax.

But that's no longer the case. The tea permits have all been divided up, and the tea tax hasn't been paid for many years. Otherwise, the border army wouldn't be short of warhorses. Even without exchanging tea tax for warhorses, they could still earn over two million taels of silver annually just by wholesaling them at market price.

These vested interest groups really snatch away all kinds of benefits! The silk from the inner court and the tea tax from the imperial court have all been taken by these guys!
You're robbing me, aren't you?

Zhu Jue frowned slightly, then asked, "Zhilong, what are the profits from selling silk and tea overseas?"

There are many intricacies involved here.

Zheng Zhilong explained in detail: "Your Majesty, silk is not a single type of silk. The so-called brocade and satin are all silk. The cheapest silk is only a little over one tael of silver per bolt, while the more expensive ones can cost tens or even hundreds of taels per bolt."

My humble servant can only procure the most common kind of silk, which costs about one tael and two mace. It can be sold overseas for thirteen taels of silver a bolt, and people are scrambling to buy it. That's ten times the selling price and nine times the profit margin.

As for tea, the only kind I can get is the lowest grade, the kind that costs about one or two hundred wen per pound. We call it "old hemp leaf" in our area; it's the kind that no one with a bit of money drinks. But it can sell for two or three taels of silver per pound overseas, and the demand still exceeds the supply.

With such high profits, we absolutely must reclaim all the stock!

When it comes to looting, no one can compare to Wei Zhongxian. Even Zheng Zhilong, the pirate leader, can't match Wei Zhongxian's ability to rob.

After all, Wei Zhongxian could rob him millions of taels a month, while Zheng Zhilong couldn't even earn a million taels a year.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jue decisively said, "Summon Wei Zhongxian to come and pay his respects."

His Majesty is probably going to resort to violence again.

This sounds like the phrase "close the door, unleash the dogs, and let them bite!"
Upon hearing this, Bi Maoliang couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Zhilong's eyes lit up.

This was all because Wei Zhongxian and Wei Liangqing treated him very well, and he liked these two uncles and nephews.

(End of this chapter)