Chapter 176 Lao Zhu: Obstructing reform?Confiscating the family and genocide! ! In June of the 25th year of Hongwu.
Mu Ying, the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Expedition Army, ordered people to escort 100 million taels of silver to Ningbo Port again.
At the same time, he also brought back two pieces of news.
The first news is that the current Eastern Expedition Army has achieved a rendezvous between the north and the south.
Zhao Shenyan's troops successfully fought their way out of Shikoku Island and directly merged with the Eastern Expeditionary Army, which had conquered all of China, achieving a powerful alliance between the Eastern Expeditionary Army.
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, no matter how stupid he was, knew who he was facing at this time.
Through inquiring, they found out that Ouchi Yoshihiro had been destroyed a long time ago, and China had been completely occupied. They were frightened and were planning to negotiate peace.
The conditions proposed by Mu Ying were also very simple, ceding the entire Sado Island as a military base for the Eastern Expedition Army.
This incident caused an uproar in the Japanese Nu Northern Dynasties.
The Japanese people in the Iwami Silver Mine may not know its content, but they have long known that the content in the Sado Gold Mine is not low.
So a hundred people refused.
However, Mu Ying and others of the Eastern Expedition Army have successfully digested the Chinese enemies and have enough strength to annex the entire Japanese slaves.
In this case, even if the Japanese slaves in the Northern Dynasty resisted stubbornly, it would be useless.
Mu Ying is planning a battle plan on how to annex Northern Dynasty in one fell swoop.
According to Mu Ying's information, the entire Kyushu region is waiting and watching.
Without the Chinese region as a bridge, all the warlords in Kyushu are watching the show and have no intention of joining any party.
However, Zhao Shenyan has done a lot of preliminary work, and many warlords from Kyushu are in contact with the Ming Dynasty.
Kyushu Exploration Jinchuan Liaojun has room for further negotiation.
The second news is from North Korea.
Since the Eastern Expeditionary Army has frequently done business with North Korea in recent months, North Korea finally knew that the Eastern Expeditionary Army had begun attacking Japanese slaves more than half a year ago, and Tsushima Island was just a springboard.
And their country, North Korea, only acted as a food supply.
While exporting food, they also discovered an important problem, that is, with the large input of cotton cloth from the Ming Dynasty, a large number of their own cotton craftsmen were facing unemployment problems.
Many small farming families who were not engaged in the main business began to go bankrupt. This issue was divided into two factions in the North Korean court.
One faction is a faction close to the Ming Dynasty. Even under such circumstances, they must insist on importing cotton cloth, as long as the price of grain exports is increased.
The other group actively promotes the protection of the domestic cotton market, believing that if the cotton of the Ming Dynasty is excessively introduced, the cotton of the Ming Dynasty will have a huge advantage in price, and North Korea will have to rely on it. From then on, the issue of clothing for North Koreans will be We must rely on the gifts of the Ming Dynasty.
If the relationship between the two countries is very good, then everything is easy to say, but once problems arise, they will face catastrophe.
……
Domestic direction.
After two months of continuous import of 200 million taels of silver, the imperial court continued to allow people to exchange treasure banknotes.
All 200 million taels of silver were exchanged, and the value of the treasure notes increased to a certain extent, from 330 to 350 wen.
In terms of grain procurement, a large amount of grain from Jiangnan was put into storage, and part of it finally reached the northwest region after traveling through official roads for several months.
The people finally had cheap food like the people in Jiangnan, and the northwest region was full of joy.
Based on the Jenny spinning machine, the cotton textile industry invested in the Hongwu spinning machine that can spin 32 yarns at a time, and the efficiency has been greatly improved.
However, the problems caused by this finally broke out.
This time, without any incitement, a large number of craftsmen began to protest against the introduction of new technologies.
For them, new technology means cheaper cotton.
But large workshop owners have a large number of orders and a large number of workers who can make small profits but quick turnover. However, for small farmers, this means bankruptcy.
So a large number of people became dissatisfied.
This is why the court meeting was held today.
The right minister of household affairs in the court said with a look of sorrow and indignation: "Your Majesty! Your Highness! The promotion of new technologies has brought a new atmosphere. However, a large number of people are unemployed and bankrupt, which will inevitably lead to more people being displaced.
Weichen believes that the promotion of new technologies should be done in a gentle way, moisturizing things quietly, rather than in a sudden and violent manner, making it difficult for a large number of people to even eat.
In Weichen's humble opinion, we should stop promoting new technologies as soon as possible and give people more time to prepare. "
After the officials below heard this, many people stood up from the train, hugged the wat board and said: "I will reconsider this!"
"I believe that no matter what kind of technology it is, it must follow the principle of putting people first. After six months, the new technology has only made some workshop owners rich, but caused a small number of handicraftsmen to go bankrupt.
Such reforms are simply retrograde. "
When they said this, their eyes glanced at Chen Han's location from time to time.
In fact, what they mean is that the current new technology is not yet mature, or that the acceptance level of the current government and people needs to be improved, so it must be done step by step.
Then some officials knelt down on the ground and cried loudly: "Your Majesty, Marquis Pinglu's intentions must be good. In order to let more cheap cotton appear on the market, he had to lose some people's interests.
But this part is too much, too much. These people are also the people of the Ming Dynasty. They are innocent. If this so-called reform is really going to cause the blood of so many people, then we are willing to shed blood in the court first. "
Looking at the appearance of the ministers below, I might have thought that they were so loyal to the emperor and loved the people, just to seek benefits for ordinary people. In fact, it was clear at a glance what the calculation behind this was.
Chen Han, standing below, was tired of hearing such rhetoric.
Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, however, seemed not to take sides, and directly named him and said: "Chen Aiqing, this is your responsibility. How do you feel about it?"
Chen Han smiled and said: "To report back to Your Majesty, I have always felt that the tears of these people are crocodile tears, and they are just for show."
The official who was still crying just now changed his expression immediately: "Chen Han, what do you mean by this? Do you really have to carry out your reforms with the bones of so many innocent people? We have never obstructed new technologies. We are just asking if we can wait for a while, don't be so hasty, and give people a buffer time.
That's all, but you are so cold-blooded.
I think you are able to achieve such a status at such a young age because of His Majesty's appreciation, but don't you know that the people whose families were ruined by you are also His Majesty's people, and you are so indifferent? For the sake of the so-called reform, don't you give any favors at all?Even if you know that those are just ordinary people? "
Chen Han heard this and shouted: "Shut your mouth! Do you still need me to point out your purpose when you are acting so hypocritically?" The officials looked sideways, and many of them glared angrily.
Chen Han shouted angrily: "Opening your mouth and shutting up represents the people. It seems that you care about the people's lives. Those who don't know think you are so considerate of the people's hearts.
I bother!It is nonsense, has no logic at all, is simply barking like a mad dog, has no achievements at all, and is designed to make trouble for those who have vested interests. "
Chen Han was merciless. He always struck hard at those who obstructed reforms not for the sake of the people, but for their own benefit.
The right minister of household affairs was scolded so much that he was speechless and his face turned red.
Because Xia Yuanji is now the left minister of household affairs, he feels very happy about Chen Han's actions but cannot show it.
"You...you...spoke nonsense in the court, do you still have any official status?" The right servant of Tobe was speechless in anger.
Chen Han cursed: "It only took a hundred years for cotton in Songjiang to mature. After Huang Daopo learned new textile technology from Yazhou in the late Song and early Yuan Dynasties, the Songjiang area gradually became the central production area of cotton.
How come the people there have been eating this bowl of rice since ancient times?
Huang Daopo's technology created Songjiang's prosperity, and Songjiang cotton cloth has developed rapidly since then.
But the boy who slayed the dragon eventually became an evil dragon. The Songjiang area developed because of Huang Daopo's new technology, but new technologies were not allowed to appear elsewhere.
What is this called?This is called narrow-mindedness!
According to your statement, once the new technology spreads, all the people in the Songjiang area will starve to death! Then why didn't this phenomenon happen before Huang Daopo appeared? The cotton cloth in the Songjiang area is allowed to lead the world, but no technology that rivals it is allowed to appear in other places.
Once they appear, they will gather in groups and besiege them. They say they are for the sake of the people, but don’t others know what they are planning behind their backs?
Mr. Zhang, your family is also engaged in this business, so you are resisting so actively, right? "
As soon as these words came out, the right minister of household affairs was even more anxious.
Many officials below were sweating.
As Chen Han said, their resistance to new technologies is not all for the sake of the people. It is because they are doing this business at home. The price is originally high, and buyers from all over the country have to cross their own threshold.
But now, even though the price has been lowered repeatedly, there are already few people at the doorstep.
Such a huge contrast is naturally to be blamed on Chen Han.
The right minister of household affairs also wanted to use forceful reasoning.
Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly on the dragon chair: "There are always some people who feel that Jinyiwei has now become a tax bureau, as if they can't spy on your every move. It's just a pity that some people are too naive.
Jiang Yingnian! ! "
Next to him, Commander of the Jinyiwei and Admiral of the Tax Inspection Department, Jiang Wei, stood up, holding a list in his hand.
"After investigation, Zhang Yi, the right minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, violated the law that officials are not allowed to do business and secretly gave information to his distant cousin at home, which made the business of the Longsheng Cotton Cloth Shop he founded become particularly prosperous.
After investigation, it was found that since the 17th year of Hongwu, when Zhang Yi was promoted to the right minister of the household department, he secretly informed the Songjiang Weaving Yamen to designate Longsheng Cotton as a tribute merchant for the internal treasury. Every year, his family distributed more than 120% of the profits, and a total profit of [-] yuan was made in the past eight years. Fifty thousand Guan notes! "
thump! !
Zhang Yi, the right servant of the Ministry of Finance, collapsed to the ground.
In fact, Zhu Yuanzhang had already mastered this information, but why didn't he bring it up? In fact, Zhu Yuanzhang knew very well that it was useless to just attack these people. He had to give them some good fruits to eat, so he turned a blind eye to the affairs of these ministers who asked their relatives to do business. However, I didn't expect that the right minister of household affairs would be so jumpy today, so of course I had to take him down.
"Zhang Yi knows the law and breaks the law. The crime will be increased to one level. The right minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs will be removed from his hair. The Ministry of Punishments will conduct a strict investigation. The Zhejiang Tax Inspection Department will immediately order the Zhejiang Tax Inspection Department to raid his home and confiscate his property. Other crimes will be discussed separately!"
Zhang Yi suddenly turned pale. He never thought that the imperial court would already have all their criminal information.
This is really shooting yourself in the foot.
"Your Majesty, please spare your life! Your Majesty, please spare your life!
I don’t dare to object anymore, I don’t dare anymore! "
After watching the right minister of Tobe being dragged down for interrogation, all the officials took a breath.
This is too fast.
Is this being dragged down? Now all the officials looked at Chen Han with fear.
Now they understand that Chen Han is definitely a favorite next to the emperor, the kind that no one can deal with.
Didn't see it?
The right minister of Hubei just raised objections, and Jin Yiwei immediately had evidence of guilt.
In fact, everyone knows that the evidence has long existed, but there was no need to show it before. But now that you are opposed to reform, it will be used against you.
Chen Han was of course extremely excited to see Zhu Yuanzhang supporting his reforms so much.
So he began to report his own affairs.
"Your Majesty, Mu Ying, the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Expeditionary Army, is reporting that North Korea intends to increase the price of grain exports in order to curb our Ming Dynasty's cotton exports. I wonder if the imperial court has any good measures to deal with it?"
This is related to the Eastern Expedition Army's interests on the Japanese slaves.
Prince Zhu Biao immediately replied: "A decision has been made on this matter. The opportunity for North Korea to pay tribute five times a year can be stopped and reduced to twice a year. After the food price recovers, the number of tributes can be restored again."
When Chen Han heard this, hey, this method is very interesting. The diplomatic warning will let the North Korean monarchs and ministers know what crooked ideas you people have. We have known for a long time, it depends on whether you are on the right track.
If you don't follow the path, there will be more plans waiting to deal with you.
Chen Han was satisfied and went on to say: "I will transport 100 million kilograms of coal from Shanxi. I hope the court will solve it as soon as possible!"
Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and thought to himself: "Are all good boys so blatant?"
But he still replied: "The ship is blocked in the direction of the canal. It will be delivered to you in three days at the latest."
Chen Han was even happier: "Wei Chen has one more important thing to report! Weichen has led the students of the Engineering College to complete the construction of the first cement road in Ming Dynasty. He also invites His Majesty and colleagues to visit the Engineering College tomorrow to visit and give guidance. If the acceptance is successful, the craftsman team of the Ming College of Engineering will first report the construction of the cement road in the capital. The roads are all hardened. "
When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, his eyes suddenly lit up...
(End of this chapter)