The Ming Dynasty: The opening scene features Zhu Di angrily accusing him of illegitimate succession.

Chapter 85 It is our duty to strike down the Japanese pirates

Hearing Zhu Di's almost shameless urging, Lin Yue's lips twitched slightly, and he secretly grumbled in his heart.

So you secretly moved the lucrative revenue of Liulichang to the relocation of the capital, and now you're forcing him to find another emergency solution?

However, Zhu Di actually made the right choice again.

Compared to the glorious act of annihilating the Japanese invaders, the Yongle Emperor's overreaching behavior was merely a trivial matter.

In order to raise enough funds to wipe out the Japanese pirates, Lin Yue's ideas flowed like a torrent, and countless plans poured out of his mind.

Soon, Lin Yue shouted loudly.

"Your Majesty has recently granted a general amnesty. As the Zhou Rites say, 'When the law is applied to the state, it should be balanced.' Now that the Ming Dynasty has just achieved peace throughout the land, it is appropriate to combine leniency with severity!"

Lin Yue stepped forward and spoke very quickly: "Why doesn't Your Majesty take this opportunity to establish clear regulations, so that, apart from the ten heinous crimes punishable by death, all soldiers and civilians who commit crimes punishable by caning, penal servitude, or exile can pay grain to redeem their crimes?"

Those convicted of crimes and exiled to distant lands were to pay a tribute of five shi of grain, which was to be sent to the granaries of the coastal garrisons in Zhejiang and Fujian provinces used for suppressing Japanese pirates. Officials would inspect the grain, and once it was stored, the sentence would be cancelled, without the slightest hindrance.

Lin Yue spoke eloquently: "We can also take grain from the people. Students who contribute 100 shi of grain can enter the Imperial Academy to study and be exempted from the annual examinations. Those who contribute 200 shi of grain will be directly granted the qualification to take the provincial examinations and will be ranked on the same level as students."

The local gentry and wealthy households who contribute 500 shi of grain will be granted the official rank of the ninth grade and will be allowed to refuse to bow to officials. Those who contribute 1,000 shi of grain will be granted the privilege of exempting one of their sons from corvée labor and from military service.

During the reign of Emperor Wen of Song in the Yuanjia era, when the Northern Wei invaded the south and the army was short of funds, a system of paying rice to redeem sins was implemented. Within ten months, a million bushels of grain were obtained, which finally relieved the siege of Xuanhu.

This strategy requires no new officials or court policies; a single imperial edict can be issued throughout the land, and tens of thousands of bushels of grain can be collected within a month, directly filling the gaps in the frontline granaries. Isn't that a quick and effective measure?

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di nodded repeatedly, expressing his great appreciation.

"Excellent! This policy not only fulfills the name of a benevolent amnesty but also relieves the urgent need for provisions. It is more popular with the people than increasing taxes and saves a lot of trouble in levying taxes!"

Zhu Di thought this was a sound plan and was about to instruct Hou Xian to record it when he saw that Lin Yue had no intention of stopping and was still quickly talking about various ways to raise military funds.

Lin Yuezhen said, "When Jianwen abolished the Maritime Trade Office, maritime trade became disorderly, smuggling was rampant, Japanese pirates colluded with unscrupulous merchants, and the coastal areas were not peaceful."

Your Majesty, having ascended the throne, may immediately prepare to re-establish the Maritime Trade Offices in Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong, modeled after the system of levying taxes on foreign ships in the Southern Song Dynasty. For legitimate maritime merchants, they only need to pay a one-time fee of fifty taels of silver to suppress the Japanese pirates, and they will be issued a maritime certificate, allowing them to trade between the East and West Oceans. The government will send officials to escort them to avoid being plundered by the Japanese pirates.

In addition to the regular tax levied on tribute ships, an additional 10% tax was temporarily levied on Japanese troops. This did not increase their costs, but it did increase their military resources.

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During the Shaoxing era of the Southern Song Dynasty, the profits extracted by the Maritime Trade Office accounted for up to 15% of the national treasury revenue, with Quanzhou Port alone contributing a staggering one million strings of cash annually.

Furthermore, there was a system of government-owned ships, where officials and merchants jointly operated the vessels, and the profits went to the national treasury.

The re-establishment of the Maritime Trade Office will not only provide revenue but also help to weaken the influence of illegal Japanese pirates along the coast and protect legitimate maritime merchants.

As a result, many maritime merchants were no longer willing to associate with the Japanese pirates. Without the support of the mainland, the Japanese pirates were like having lost their eyes, ears, and arms, making them easier to wipe out!

This strategy will show results within ten days; why not implement it?

The ministers in the cabinet were speechless with astonishment, and Yang Rong couldn't help but turn to Yang Shiqi and whisper to him.

"Lin Shidu is truly a genius; he can effortlessly recall ancient and modern salt laws and maritime trade systems. The depth of his knowledge is truly unfathomable!"

Yang Shiqi nodded, his eyes filled with amazement: "Lin Shidu's talent is a hundred times greater than mine."

When it comes to making money, Scholar Lin's methods seem a bit too impressive.

Yao Guangxiao, who had been silent all along, also looked at Lin Yue in surprise.

He wasn't shocked by Lin Yue's many ways of making money; he was surprised that Lin Yue became inexplicably excited whenever he mentioned the Japanese pirates, just like when he urged Zhu Di to rebel.

Could it be that the Japanese pirates and Lin Yue have a grudge?

For the first time, Yao Guangxiao became interested in having in-depth conversations with Lin Yue.

Everyone was shocked, but Lin Yue did not stop and continued speaking.

"During the Jianwen era, the powerful and wealthy were lenient and indulged. In the Jiangnan region, there were many who concealed their land holdings and failed to report their taxes!"

The household registration system and land records are used to know the difference between the rich and the poor. If the state does not know the number of acres of land, it will be difficult to collect taxes accurately.

When I was supervising the waterway management in Jiangnan, I had already seized hundreds of thousands of acres of hidden land from powerful and corrupt officials. Why doesn't Your Majesty immediately dispatch imperial censors to various prefectures in Jiangnan to implement the land registration system of the Southern Qi Dynasty and investigate and recover the taxes on the hidden land?

It was explicitly stated that any common people who voluntarily donated grain to support the suppression of Japanese pirates along the coast could have their confiscated land purchased at a fair price, and would be exempt from taxes for five years.

.

Lin Yue's tone became more serious, and his face showed excitement: "In this way, the country can not only clarify the land, but also obtain provisions for suppressing the Japanese pirates, and also allow landless people to cultivate land. It's a triple win!"

Lin Yue spoke happily, and Zhu Di listened with great pleasure.

As expected of the minister whom he had repeatedly lenient with, he actually possessed such great talent in governing the world. Emperor Yongle was indeed right to have chosen the right person!

I'll tell the historian later that he must make sure to record in detail how he protected Lin Yue. Lin Yue's strategies deserve at least half the credit.

Emperor Yongle leaned forward, and Lian Sheng urged, "Speak quickly! What other strategies do you have? Such methods are truly unheard of."

Lin Yue lived up to Emperor Yongle's expectations and immediately said that he still had a way to raise military provisions.

"Hasn't His Majesty already prepared official naval vessels for voyages to the Western Ocean?"

Longjiang Shipyard already has dozens of large ships, and officers and soldiers are also assembled in Liujiagang, Taicang, ready to be ordered. The ships are strong and the cannons are powerful, far surpassing the old ships of the coastal garrisons.

Why not establish a coastal shipping fleet locally, emulating the maritime transport strategy of the Yuan Dynasty? Grain and fodder from Jiangnan could be loaded onto ships at Liujiagang and, taking advantage of the monsoon winds, directly transported to the coastal garrisons of Zhejiang and Fujian. With favorable winds, they could arrive in three to five days, more than ten times faster than land transport!

Lin Yue further stated, "If Minister Xia can clarify the waterways in Jiangnan as scheduled and open up inland waterway transport, then the combined transport of sea and inland waterways can be realized. Grain ships can travel from Suzhou and Songjiang prefectures via inland waterways to Liujiagang, and then transfer to sea to the front lines, with the entire journey taking no more than seven or eight days."

In the past, when the Southern Song Dynasty was confined to the south of the Yangtze River, it relied on this method of maritime transport to ensure the supply of military provisions to the front lines, with an annual transport volume of six million shi (a unit of dry measure).

This combined transport method is far more efficient and faster than conventional canal transport, eliminating any concerns about the obstruction of grain transport and ensuring that the army fighting the Japanese pirates will not run out of food!

This series of strategies was more ingenious than the last, covering everything from procuring grain and funds to transportation, and all of them followed ancient practices while also meeting the urgent needs of the time.

Zhu Di was greatly surprised and listened with rapt attention. He immediately raised his hand and gave instructions to Hou Xian, who was standing to the side of the hall.

"Quickly! Minister Lin's plan is truly as wonderful as fine wine!"

Every single strategy must be recorded, not a single word can be omitted!

Hou Xian strode forward, his brush flying across the paper as he quickly took notes.

Lin Yue was eloquent and offered a series of suggestions on raising funds to suppress the Japanese pirates.

Soon, beads of sweat appeared on Hou Xian's forehead, and the brush in his hand could hardly keep up with Lin Yue's speaking speed.

Amidst the shocked gazes of the crowd, Lin Yue frowned slightly, then began to ponder deeply, and as expected, once again presented a way to make money.

"Your Majesty, Jiangnan has long been known for its silk, which is found throughout the world. Its silkworm, mulberry, cotton, and hemp products are unparalleled globally. This is a gift from heaven!"

He stepped forward and said loudly, "Now that Jiangnan is suffering from floods, there are many displaced people and craftsmen are idle. Why not take this opportunity to set up government-supervised merchants to run weaving and dyeing workshops?"

Following the model of the "Jijin Yuan" (锦院) of the former Song Dynasty, it brought together displaced people and artisans to produce large quantities of hemp clothing for the army fighting against Japanese pirates and for coastal relief, while silk was supplied to princes, nobles, and the Maritime Trade Office for export.

"Your Majesty, I request that you allow wealthy merchants to invest and subscribe to shares, grant the government a three-year exemption from miscellaneous taxes, and send honest officials to supervise the construction, standardize the materials and workmanship, and strictly control the quality."

In the past, the Song Dynasty's Imperial Silk and Brocade Bureau had hundreds of looms and more than a thousand artisans at its peak, producing countless brocades and damasks every month, which served both military needs and national expenses.

Today, sericulture in Jiangnan is far more prosperous than in the Song Dynasty, and the skills of artisans are even better than before. With such proper management, profits will surely be seen within three months.

Zhu Di, upon hearing this, was not convinced.

It was just a government-run workshop, a kind of state-owned enterprise, something that existed in every dynasty and wasn't anything special.

Moreover, with profits expected in three months, the task of suppressing the Japanese pirates is urgent and cannot be delayed; it seems that distant water cannot quench immediate thirst.

He remained expressionless, only nodding slightly to signal Lin Yue to continue.

Lin Yue abruptly changed the subject, his voice becoming firm and resolute.

"Your Majesty, the court is vigorously developing the textile and dyeing industry in Jiangnan. Anyone with discerning eyes knows that this is a sure-fire way to make money."

Your subject earnestly requests the court to publicize this matter extensively and to establish the Jiangnan Textile Factory through the method of "raising funds and holding shares".

In the far west, in Rome, and during the Yuan Dynasty, there was a system of tax farmers. The textile factories in Jiangnan may have imitated this system, with wealthy merchants jointly operating, sharing risks and profits, which led to a period of prosperity.

Wealthy merchants from Jiangnan are now gathering here; if they hear of this excellent opportunity, they will surely rush to invest.

The government does not need to invest a single penny; it only needs to issue special permits allowing merchants to subscribe to shares in silver, and to receive dividends according to their shares after making a profit. The military funds needed to suppress the Japanese pirates can be drawn from the factory's profits first!

Wouldn't this be a win-win situation, satisfying both the suppression of the Japanese pirates and the generation of profit?!

Lin Yue's train of thought was so abrupt that everyone in the pavilion was dumbfounded.

Yang Shiqi was so shocked that his beard trembled, and he muttered, "Using commerce to support war, reaping profits without spending public funds, is there really such a way?"

""

However, wouldn't this method have a huge impact on the textile industry in various parts of Jiangxi?

Yang Shiqi hesitated for a moment, unsure whether he should support it. He was from Jiangxi Province, and his ancestral home was Taihe County, Ji'an Prefecture.

In Ningdu County, southern Jiangxi, cotton and hemp textile industry is the main sideline and source of income for farmers. Historical records state that "during the off-season, the daily production of cloth is in the tens of thousands, which are used to assist in farming."

Fenyi County in western Jiangxi was a famous "hometown of summer cloth" at the time. The people in the vicinity of Jiangxi could be said to be among the best-off people outside of Yingtian Prefecture.

Zhu Di sat there for a moment, then suddenly slammed his hand on the table and stood up, his face beaming with uncontrollable excitement.

Emperor Yongle never hesitated to shower praise on those who were good at making money.

"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!"

Lin Qing is truly a pillar of the nation! My gaining Lin Qing is like Emperor Gaozu of Han gaining Zhang Liang—like a fish in water, like a tiger with wings!

He paced back and forth a couple of times, praising Lin Yue repeatedly.

"I only knew you were resourceful and had some knowledge of miscellaneous subjects and water management. I never imagined you also had such insight into business, and that you could come up with a method of raising funds and investing in companies."

Zhu Di glanced at the cabinet ministers present and waved his hand, saying...

"That concludes today's meeting. You may all disperse."

The cabinet ministers bowed to receive the order and left the Wenyuan Pavilion in turn. As they passed Lin Yue, they all cast admiring glances at him.

Yao Guangxiao stood in front of Lin Yue for a few more glances before slowly turning and leaving.

Lin Yue was left alone, leaving only Zhu Di and Lin Yue in the pavilion.

Zhu Di's excitement subsided slightly. He gestured for the eunuch to leave and then spoke to Lin Yue.

"Lin Yue, what you just said about raising funds to invest and start a weaving factory is very much to my liking."

"I have a question for you; please tell me in detail."

Emperor Yongle leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "Could this method of raising funds and holding shares be applied to Liulichang?"

"Recently, the imperial treasury's expenditures have been enormous. I wish to find some ways to generate revenue for the imperial treasury without disturbing the outer court. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yue looked surprised and was somewhat speechless.

He had thought that Emperor Yongle had kept him alone to discuss some important military or national affairs, but little did he know that it was actually to "eat alone" his own private treasury!

Emperor Yongle was truly shrewd; having just obtained a brilliant strategy to suppress the Japanese pirates and generate profits, he immediately turned his attention to monopolizing the profits of Liulichang.

The urge to hurl insults was rising, and Lin Yue frowned, shouting loudly.

"Your Majesty is mistaken! As Mencius said, 'Why must a king speak of profit? He only needs benevolence and righteousness!'"

Your Majesty is the sovereign and father of the people; you should be concerned with the well-being of all people. How can you indulge in the private interests of the imperial treasury and engage in activities that compete with the people for profit?

"Liulichang was a state-run enterprise, in charge of the production and sale of rare items such as glass and telescopes, originally intended to replenish the national treasury and benefit the military and the nation."

Han Fei Zi once said that power is the wellspring of a ruler. A monarch should use public resources for public purposes. If he turns government offices into private property and competes with the people for profit, he has lost the way of a wise ruler!

"Is Your Majesty's action today intended to lower yourself to engage in the kind of business that competes with merchants for profit? You should know that a ruler should bring peace to the world with benevolence and righteousness, not imprison the people for personal gain!"

"Once Liulichang is taken over by the imperial treasury, officials will inevitably exploit merchants to curry favor with His Majesty, ultimately damaging their reputation and shaking public morale—a losing proposition!"

Zhu Di, who had been full of expectations, immediately frowned upon hearing this and retorted.

"Lord and father, lord and father, what a load of rubbish about being a ruler and father!"

You brat, you've even started imitating those pedantic scholars, spouting nonsense about competing with the people for profit!

He slammed his hand on the edge of the table, his voice suddenly rising in pitch.

"I thought you were extraordinary, outspoken, and unconventional, but who knew you were so pedantic! I truly misjudged you!"

"Don't forget, if I hadn't tolerated your arrogance, you would have been beheaded long ago for the crime of speaking ill of the nation!"

Now, when asked to find a way to generate revenue for the imperial treasury, you resort to these grand principles to fob them off, unlike those who only talk empty words of benevolence and righteousness.

How are they any different from cynics who mislead the country and its people?

Upon hearing this, Lin Yue became furious.

What does this mean, Zhu Di? You can criticize Lin Yue for being arrogant and lawless, but how can you say he's like the cynical civil officials of the Ming Dynasty? That's incredibly insulting.

Lin Yue immediately changed his tune and agreed to Zhu Di's plan.

"Very well! Since Your Majesty wishes to turn Liulichang into a source of profit, I will comply!"

He held his head high and spoke with certainty.

"Your Majesty may entrust the matter of raising funds and investing in Liulichang to me!"

I not only want merchants to compete to subscribe to shares, but I also want to price glassware and telescopes according to grade and sell them to overseas vassal states!

"Within a year, no, within a month, His Majesty's treasury will be overflowing with wealth, making tens of millions of strings of cash, guaranteed to satisfy His Majesty!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di's anger vanished instantly, and he nodded repeatedly.

"Excellent! Excellent! Minister Lin is indeed a loyal and virtuous minister who cares for the country."

Emperor Yongle didn't really take the "tens of millions of strings of cash" to heart. Lin Yue was always fond of making alarmist statements and often said some outrageous things. Perhaps it was a side effect of being a censor for so long.

But the fact that he agreed so readily and was willing to share my burdens shows his remarkable loyalty, which is truly commendable.

Zhu Di stood up, walked to Lin Yue's side, patted him on the shoulder, and spoke in a gentle tone.

"You've just recovered from a serious illness, and you were so agitated just now; you must be feeling unwell."

I have ordered the side hall to be prepared and female officials to attend to you so you can take your medicine. You should go there to rest and receive treatment, and please take good care of yourself.

We'll discuss the Liulichang matter in detail another time.

Upon hearing this, Lin Yue's heart stirred slightly.

Although Zhu Di loved money, he was still considerate of his subordinates. He really enjoyed using the beauty trap.

Lin Yue's attitude also became respectful, and he bowed to express his gratitude: "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I will obey your decree."

Having said that, he couldn't wait to follow the eunuch and turn to walk towards the side hall.