Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 372 A Spirit That Swallows Ten Thousand Miles
As the winter months approached, the north wind howled like a knife across the border, and the world was shrouded in bleakness.

After inspecting the camp that day and deciding on the strategy of reinforcing troops and waiting for the decisive battle in the spring, the emperor did not immediately return to the capital. Instead, he stayed in Xuanfu, the most important town on the nine borders of the Ming Dynasty.

Cao Wenzhao had already shot off like an arrow, leading over ten thousand elite cavalrymen away amidst a cloud of dust. The military affairs of Xuanfu were jointly overseen by Man Gui and Duke Zhang Weixian of Yingguo.

For the entire month, Zhang Weixian spent almost all his time living within the city walls and camp of Xuanfu.

His imperial sable cloak was now covered in dust from the city walls and the smell of gunpowder from the camp.

He didn't care at all; on the contrary, he thought the scent was better than the sandalwood incense worn by the Grand Secretaries in the capital, and it made his old bones feel a sense of life and passion.

During this time, he followed Man Gui and traversed almost every corner of the Xuanda border army.

He had seen soldiers practicing their formations at dawn, braving the biting wind and exhaling white breath. The rhythmic sound of their uniform footsteps on the frozen ground was breathtaking.

He had seen soldiers from the artillery battalion practicing loading and firing repeatedly at the firing range at noon, their bare arms exposed. The smell of sulfur and saltpeter was so strong it made his eyes sting, yet it was the most comforting fragrance in the world.

He had also witnessed the sunset, with patrolling scouts returning from the distant horizon, man and horse as one, silently entering the camp, leaving behind only a lonely yet resolute silhouette.

The more Zhang Weixian saw, the more he could not contain his joy and awe.

In the past, he only knew that Man Gui was brave and that Xuanda had a strong army, but he did not know where their strength lay.

Only now, having witnessed it firsthand, do I truly understand that the strength of this army lies not only in its fearless soldiers, but also in a military spirit that permeates from top to bottom and is deeply ingrained in its very bones!

Such military spirit cannot be cultivated overnight, nor can it be obtained through favors; it originates from that young emperor who sits high on the throne.

It was the emperor's trust that gave these battle-hardened warriors dignity, it was the emperor's provisions that gave these valiant soldiers confidence, and it was the emperor's strategies that gave these brave warriors hope!

Zhang Weixian even had a wild idea in his mind. He knew that this was by no means an isolated case!
In Liaodong, the Guan-Ning Iron Cavalry, which struck fear into the hearts of the Jurchens, had long been a model of a strong army under the guidance of Sun Chengzong and the forging of Yuan Chonghuan.

In the southwest, it was heard that the newly appointed Governor-General of Guangdong, Lu Xiang-sheng, a scholar, had trained an army called Tianxiong, whose bravery was no less than that of the border troops.

Not to mention Sun Chuanting and Hong Chengchou, as well as Qin Liangyu, the female general from Sichuan, whose White Spear Soldiers were also formidable forces!
The Ming Dynasty was not without soldiers, nor was it without generals!
Standing on the city tower, Zhang Weixian gazed at the distant, sprawling military camps, feeling an unprecedented surge of pride filling his heart.

He seemed to see an invisible giant net slowly unfolding, waiting for the right moment to completely ensnare the self-righteous Jurchens!
Whenever he thought of this, Zhang Weixian would turn around and bow deeply in the direction of the imperial carriage's location.

With the emperor in court and capable generals on the frontier, civil officials strategize within the country and military officials serve to the death on the frontier.

With such a magnificent sight, how can we worry about the prosperity of our nation? How can we worry about not avenging the shame of the Civil Engineering Project!
……

The generals were immersed in the excitement of the upcoming great battle and the prospect of making a name for themselves, and their daily discussions revolved around nothing more than the army, supplies, tactics, and terrain.

Meanwhile, the other group of people who accompanied the emperor—the civil officials who usually dealt with pens, abacuses, and documents—had a different set of thoughts swirling in their minds.

Especially Fan Jingwen, the first president of the Ming Dynasty Treasury Notes.

In his view, His Majesty's personal visit to Xuanfu, braving the wind and snow, to oversee the frontier was clearly intended to intimidate the Jurchens and prepare for the upcoming national war.

After all, Cao Wenzhao had already led a large army out of the pass, and the subsequent grain and military supplies amounted to millions, all depending on the Xuanfu line.

With the emperor present, the army's morale is as stable as Mount Tai, and the logistics are as solid as a rock.

This is both the art of rulership and the orthodox way of military strategy.

However, after a few days, a doubt gradually arose in Fan Jingwen's mind.

This cloud of doubt was as subtle as a wisp of smoke, yet as resilient as a spider web, making him somewhat uneasy.

He discovered that ever since the day the emperor inspected the Xuanda military camp and demonstrated his overwhelming determination to wage war, he had never set foot in the camp again.

Besides reviewing memorials from the capital and summoning accompanying ministers for discussions, he spent most of his time in the warm pavilion with a group of officials from the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Commerce, as well as several envoys from the Mongol tribes. They would point at a huge map that far exceeded the territory of the Ming Dynasty and discuss it in hushed tones.

The military generals assumed that His Majesty was strategizing for future battles, but Fan Jingwen had a vague feeling that something was amiss.

Because on that map, the emperor's finger traced more of the southern and northern deserts, and even the unfamiliar lands further west marked with the Oirats and Kazakhs, while the Liaodong region where the Jurchens were located was rarely touched.

The emperor's gaze seemed to have moved beyond the greatest immediate threat and turned toward a more distant and expansive unknown.

This question was finally answered one day in late December.

This answer, however, stirred up a storm in Fan Jingwen's heart, far more shocking than when he first saw the 100,000 border troops.

On that day, the sky cleared up slightly. The emperor traveled lightly with only Fan Jingwen and a few close ministers. Under the protection of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he left Xuanfu and headed west, heading straight for Guihua City.

Guihua City was built by Altan Khan of the previous dynasty. Now, after the Ming Dynasty and the Mongols reached an alliance, this place has become the core hub for trade between the two sides.

The emperor decreed the establishment of a "Special Trade Zone for Imperial Clans" here.

When Fan Jingwen and his party arrived, the sight before them astonished even this seasoned scholar who had traveled all over the country.

Beyond the rammed earth city walls stretched a vast market that extended for miles.

Countless Mongolian yurts of various styles are interspersed with Han Chinese tents and shacks.

Han Chinese merchants speaking in various accents mingled shoulder to shoulder with tall, robust Mongolian herdsmen in fur coats, creating a cacophony of noise.

The air was filled with the rich smells of ghee, mutton, and leather, mixed with the scents of tea, dyes from fabrics imported from Han China, and the metallic smell of ironware.

Countless cattle, horses, and sheep were driven into a huge enclosure guarded by Ming soldiers, while cartloads of brick tea, bolts of silk, and bags of salt and grain were transported out of the newly built brick warehouses.

Above the city wall, the dragon flag of the Ming Dynasty and the nine-legged white banner of the Chahar tribe, the Sulide banner, fluttered side by side.

Inside the city, straight streets, warehouses, and government offices planned and constructed by the Ministry of Works of the Ming Dynasty are under construction in full swing, and the dispatched tax officials and Ministry of Commerce officials have hung brand-new plaques at the entrances of their respective offices.

How can this be considered a frontier city?
It is clearly a burgeoning metropolis brimming with vitality and boundless business opportunities!

The emperor stood with his hands behind his back atop a newly built watchtower, quietly observing the bustling and chaotic scene below, a mysterious smile on his face.

"Meng Bo, what are your thoughts on this scene?" Fan Jingwen bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, I see merchants from all over the world gathering here, exchanging goods and services. This is truly a great undertaking by the court to appease distant peoples and to spread virtue among the barbarians. If this continues, border conflicts will cease, the people will live in peace, and it will be a great benefit to both the country and its people."

He spoke these words calmly and sincerely.

Replacing warfare with trade has always been the best strategy for securing the borders throughout history.

The emperor smiled and shook his head.

"Appeasement and pacification? That's a good idea, but not enough. It's just a superficial approach."

He turned around and looked at Fan Jingwen with a deep gaze.

After saying this, he immediately issued an imperial decree that surprised Fan Jingwen, but also made him think deeply about it.

"By imperial decree," the Emperor's voice was calm and clear, "from this day forth, in the Mongol-Han trade markets in Guihua and elsewhere, I will implement a policy of 'pricing based on quality, with higher prices for higher quality' for all Mongol tribes, especially the Chahar tribe of Ligdan Khan. All top-quality warhorses, excellent breeding sheep, and flawless whole pelts will be purchased at an additional 10% above the current market price! As long as it is of the highest quality, I will buy it all!"

Fan Jingwen's heart stirred slightly.

This strategy doesn't sound like a pure loss; rather, it sounds like an incentive.

But before he could think it through, the emperor's next order arrived.

"Furthermore, for all goods that our Great Ming exports to Mongolia, such as tea, cloth, ironware, salt, sugar, and grain, I will implement a 'bundled sales, price-based pricing' method. Individual purchases will not change the price. However, if Mongolian merchants or tribes purchase more than a certain amount at once, for example, 100 catties of tea, they can buy an equivalent amount of salt at half price. If they purchase 1,000 bolts of cloth, they can use coupons to purchase ironware at a discounted price. In short, the more they buy, the more cost-effective the total price! We must ensure that the Mongolian tribes regard our Great Ming as their sole source of goods!"

"Your Majesty!" Although Fan Jingwen was no longer as distraught as before, he still frowned and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty's strategy is indeed ingenious, encouraging the Mongols to trade more high-quality goods and also boosting the sales of our Ming Dynasty's products. However, with one adding and the other subtracting, although our dynasty will not suffer a great loss, it will hardly make any profit. If this continues, the central bank will be overwhelmed with cash flow problems, resulting in minimal gains for the national treasury. I'm afraid this is not a long-term solution."

In his view, this was still an unprofitable deal.

How can international trade be about merely creating a spectacle without seeking profit?

The emperor, however, seemed to have anticipated his question. He simply smiled faintly, leaned on the railing, and pointed to the Mongolian merchants in the distance who were having a heated discussion about how to gather enough high-quality cattle and sheep to exchange for more discounted goods.

"Meng Bo, look at them, what are they thinking right now?"

Fan Jingwen was taken aback and stared intently. He heard the Mongolians using phrases like "top quality," "just to make up the numbers," and "bring more good stuff next time."

He replied thoughtfully, "They are thinking...how to offer their best to obtain the greatest preferential treatment from our dynasty."

“That’s right.” The emperor nodded. “My first step is to make them willingly and voluntarily send us their best horses and sheep in order to earn that ‘ten percent’ of the extra profit. In this way, if there are fewer fine horses and fewer strong cattle and sheep on the grasslands, won’t their war potential be weakened?”

The emperor paused, then changed the subject, pointing to the Han merchants who were counting large quantities of goods.

"As for dumping, while I may appear to be offering concessions, I actually have three objectives. First, I want to use massive amounts of cheap goods to completely destroy their fragile handicrafts and agriculture, leaving them with no livelihood other than herding. Second, I want to make them accustomed to the goods of my Great Ming. Without my tea, they can't get used to drinking mare's milk; without my iron pot, they can't cook beef and mutton properly. When a way of life becomes a dependency, this kind of control is more terrifying than swords. The third..."

A meaningful smile appeared on the emperor's lips.

"Meng Bo, do you think that when all the tribes want to buy my discounted goods, they will fight among themselves to seize the supply? When one tribe offers the best cattle and sheep, while another tribe can only offer inferior goods, will a rift develop between them? I don't need to sow discord; I just need to set a rule that will allow them to compete, fight, and strife among themselves."

The emperor took a deep breath and unveiled a plan that shocked Fan Jingwen even more.

"I intend to use my private funds to fund the establishment of the 'Great Ming-Mongolia Joint Baoyuan Bank', together with Ligdan Khan and the princes of the Mongol tribes."

"A money shop?" Fan Jingwen frowned. Although it was not unheard of, the fact that it was mentioned by the emperor himself and given the name "United Baoyuan" meant that its significance was far beyond that of an ordinary money shop in the market.

"Yes, money shops." The emperor's eyes gleamed with the composure and sharpness of someone who had laid out plans for the world and was waiting for the right moment to strike.

"This money exchange is where 'pledged loans' are made. It allows Mongolian princes and nobles to borrow silver from the money exchange by pledging their future cattle and sheep production, or even the annual income of an entire pasture. They can use this silver to buy our more beautiful silks, sharper weapons, more mellow wines, and even to purchase mansions in the capital."

The emperor turned his head, looked at Fan Jingwen who was almost in a daze, and smiled:

“Meng Bo, you are a financial expert. Tell me, when those Mongol princes are used to living beyond their means, using tomorrow’s wealth for today’s pleasure, and regarding the Ming Dynasty’s paper money as a convenient tool for the grasslands… what will become of them in the long run?”

Fan Jingwen stood there blankly, each word of the emperor like a silent bell, striking the depths of his soul and shattering the "distinction between righteousness and profit" and "the way of diplomacy" that he had built up over the past decades by studying the classics.

That seemingly disadvantageous "premium acquisition"... that cunning "bundled profit sharing"... and that chillingly destructive "collateralized lending"...

These seemingly unrelated actions were now rapidly connecting in his mind, weaving together a huge and invisible net.

He seemed to see the finest cattle, sheep, and horses on the grasslands flowing willingly into the Ming Dynasty's territory; he seemed to see the Mongol herders gradually abandoning their crude tools, becoming inseparable from the Ming Dynasty's iron pots, salt, and tea; he was even more horrified to see those unruly Mongol princes, in their extravagance and pleasure, mortgaging the future of their tribes, the livelihoods of the herders, and even the fate of their descendants, onto the ledgers of this "Baoyuan Money Shop"!

At that time, the prosperity or decline of the grassland will no longer depend on the abundance of water and grass, but on the rise and fall of the vermilion pen in the hands of the accountant of the Ming Dynasty bank!

What will circulate in the north and south of the Gobi Desert will no longer be cattle and sheep, but the precious paper money issued by the Ming Dynasty!
The lifeblood of the entire Mongol people will be silently grasped by an invisible hand without a single soldier being fired or a drop of blood being shed, leaving them unable to move!

This is hardly a trade fair; it's a battlefield where commerce is the only means of warfare, a battlefield without the smoke of gunpowder!

"This..." Fan Jingwen opened his mouth, only to feel his throat dry, and his blood seemed to freeze for a moment, and then suddenly boil over in the next moment.

He trembled slightly, not because of the cold wind from beyond the Great Wall, but because of the immense fear and awe that arose spontaneously after glimpsing this extraordinary strategy.

He originally thought that His Majesty's focus on Liaodong was already a sign of great talent and ambition.

He was wrong.

Fan Jingwen originally thought that His Majesty's vision covered the entire southern desert, and that he already possessed a boundless ambition.

He was wrong again.

The emperor's vision was not concerned with the gains or losses of a single city or the outcome of a single war.

What Your Majesty is doing is using the economy as the warp and the people's hearts as the weft to reshape the very fabric of the grasslands and change the fate of a nation!

Fan Jingwen finally understood what His Majesty was about to do!

(End of this chapter)