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The Rising Sun Chapter 485 Helpless

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    As soon as Ganwu gave the order, the tens of thousands of escort troops stationed in the capital immediately became busy, busy with various preparations before the expedition, and also busy with the transfer of defense to the new soldiers in the Jizhou camp. New officers were frequently appointed and mobilized.  , the officials of the capital soon noticed the abnormal behavior of the escort team, and within a few days, the news spread that Qianwu ordered the 60,000-strong escort team to expedition to Japan and Annan.  The officialdom of the capital was in an uproar. No one expected that Qianwu would start a war not long after he ascended the throne, and he would go on an expedition to Japan and Annan at the same time. Not to mention that Qianwu had usurped the throne, even an ordinary new king could not be so abnormal.  !  Officials, big and small, were talking about this, and all the ministers and ministers were watching closely. Everyone knew that Qianwu was bypassing the cabinet's order. This was the first change between imperial power and cabinet power after Qianwu ascended the throne.  A confrontation!  On duty in the cabinet, Chief Assistant Zhai Luan turned his back on what was going on outside the window and was focused on debating the 'performance test method'. He knew very well that Qianwu Yuji must carry out drastic reforms. Whether the innovation can bear fruit depends on whether the official is  The key, and performance appraisal is a curse on officials, Qianwu attaches great importance to it and has mentioned it several times.  A Zhongshu bowed at the door and reported: "Master Chief Minister, several cabinet ministers are here." Zhai Luan paused the pen in his hand for a moment before saying: "Invite them in." After saying that, he put down his pen, and he naturally understood what was going on.  Why did the ministers come together? When Xu Zan, Xia Bangmo, Mao Bowen, Zhang Bi, and Wang Gao filed in, he stood up and said with a smile: "We are all here, but something big happened? Everyone is sitting down."  After seeing the ceremony and sitting down, Xu Zan said: "The emperor bypassed the cabinet and issued an order for the escort to conquer Japan and Annan. I wonder if the chief minister has heard about it?" "Is there such a thing?" Zhai Luan pretended to be surprised.  He asked: "Fighting on two fronts, can the ammunition supply keep up?" Seeing that he changed the subject, Zhang Bi said unceremoniously: "It is a major matter of the country. Only sacrifice and military affairs, tens of thousands of troops marched thousands of miles away, and the cabinet actually didn't even hear about it.  I don¡¯t know, has the cabinet become a decoration? Officials all over the city are waiting to see the cabinet¡¯s jokes. Please lead us to argue with reason!¡± Zhai Luan glanced at the crowd and sat down slowly.  He said: "You haven't been back to the capital for long. But you should also know something about the situation in the capital. Let me ask you, what are the escorts? Are they the imperial guards?" Hearing these words, several people couldn't help but be stunned.  Although the escort was large in scale, it had not been included in the imperial court's establishment, recruitment of soldiers, appointment of officers, payment of military pay, and firearms equipment.  The logistics were heavy, and the imperial court had not paid a single fortune. In fact, the escorts could only be regarded as private soldiers - Qian Wu's private soldiers!  The few people who saw him were in a daze, and Zhai Luan continued: "Let me ask you again, how much national money was spent on the expedition of tens of thousands of troops?" National money!  Several people immediately fell silent. In recent years, the imperial court has been unable to make ends meet, and this time Jiajing visited the west.  Cleaned out the inner and outer treasury of the capital, as well as the large and small silver treasury, including the inner transport treasury, the Hubu Taichou, the Gongbu Jieshen treasury, the Taipu Temple Changying treasury, and the Guanglu Temple silver treasury.  These treasuries now don¡¯t even have copper coins, let alone silver!  Naturally, when Qianwu's army went out to fight, they all used Qianwu's private money!  Not only that, for the past six months, all the expenses of the imperial court have been borne by Qianwu.  Several people were beaten speechless by Zhai Luan with two sticks in succession, and Zhai Luan was not ashamed of himself.  Just as he was about to send a few people out, Xu Zan unexpectedly said: "The state has national laws, and every family has its own rules. The emperor is now the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and the emperor has no private affairs. The emperor also has no private soldiers. Both Japan and Annan are vassal states of the Ming Dynasty. They suddenly raised troops."  , The general must be well-known, how can he rashly attack the military and national affairs? " "That's right." Mao Bowen also agreed: "The strength of the escort is nearly 200,000, about half of it.  They are all selected from the frontier army. Although they have no official name, they are actually real. The military system of the imperial court cannot be tolerated. We must pray for the name of the escort team to be corrected immediately. " Zhai Luan glanced at a few people and then said: "Everyone.  , you are all cabinet ministers now. Do everything for the emperor, the court, and the world. You must start from the big picture. The imperial court originally had a chief envoy in Annan. The emperor sent troops to conquer.  It is to regain the homeland. It is true that the Japanese country is a vassal state, but it is reasonable to conquer it after several years of absence. How can it be said that the emperor has no self-interest and has no selfless soldiers to return the escort to the court  "At this point, he glanced at Xu Zan and Mao Bowen and said unhurriedly: "Even if the emperor has no objection and agrees to incorporate the two hundred thousand guards into the imperial establishment, I don't agree with the two hundred thousand guards!  Can the imperial court afford it? " Hearing this, several people couldn't help but feel discouraged. The salary of the escort was much higher than that of the border army. There were 200,000 soldiers. The total salary was only five million taels of silver a year.  , if you add military uniforms, quilts, firearms, ammunition, etc., it would cost nearly ten million, and the court really couldn't afford it!  Seeing the depressed expressions of several people, Zhai Luan sighed softly and said:"Although the emperor is strong, it may not weaken the power of the cabinet. You don't need to fight for a while. Moreover, even if you want to fight, there is no way to fight. Now you rely on the emperor everywhere, what is the use of fighting?" After a slight pause, he said with a smile.  : "If we say we must fight for it, there are two things that you must fight for. One is the gold and silver mines of the Japanese country. The total annual output is equivalent to two million taels of silver. This must be brought under the jurisdiction of the imperial court. The other is the  The tariffs on sea trade, the five overseas provinces, and the enfeoffment of overseas trade will be beyond imagination in the future" "It's still a little discerning" Following the words, he took a step forward.  After stepping in, no one in the room expected that Qian Wu would personally come to the cabinet at this time to check in. They quickly stood up and knelt down, saying: "The ministers are waiting to greet the emperor." "No courtesy." Qian Wu walked to Zhai Luan casually.  Sitting down on the seat, he saw Zhai Luan looking at Zhongshu at the door. He said with a smile: "I didn't let him speak out, don't blame him." Seeing Qian Wu speak for him, Zhai Luan naturally did not dare to blame, and quickly ordered  "Go and make a pot of tea." "Everyone, sit down." Qianwu glanced at a few people and said, "The news of the conquest of Japan and Annan has spread. The cabinet is all here. They are not discussing how to fight with me.  Right?" "Wei Chen and others don't dare." Zhai Luan quickly bowed and said with a smile: "Nowadays, there are so many things to do, there is no time to fight in the ring." "It seems that I still have the heart to fight in the ring.  As Wu spoke, he looked at several cabinet ministers one by one. They all lowered their heads with guilty consciences. With a slight sigh, Qian Wucai said: "I didn't inform you about sending troops to Annan and Japan. This is because the convoys' expedition to the two countries has already been completed."  It lasted for a long time, and there was no reason to give up halfway. The purpose of conquering Japan was for gold and silver, and conquering Annan was for the granary of Southeast Asia. Have I told you that Southeast Asia is a natural granary, more powerful than Huguang, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang?  It¡¯s not a small matter. Annan is the springboard for the Ming Dynasty¡¯s conquest of Southeast Asia. Only the two major granaries of Jiangnan and Southeast Asia can provide guarantee for the rapid growth of the Ming Dynasty¡¯s population. Don¡¯t get involved in this matter!¡± Qian Wu actually explained to them,  The dissatisfaction in the hearts of several people disappeared immediately, and they heard that Southeast Asia is a large granary comparable to Jiangnan, and the conquest of Annan is to prepare for the conquest of Southeast Asia. If the Ming Dynasty really has two Jiangnan, it will be enough to support an army of 200,000 in continuous campaigns.  Obviously, Qian Wu's move was to prepare for the world hegemony he mentioned. How dare a few people say anything, and they quickly bowed and said: "Wei ministers, please obey the order." The few people he saw understood what he was talking about, and Qian Wu nodded slightly.  , then said: "The gold and silver mines of the Japanese country must be handed over to the imperial court, and the army will be conquered overseas. Both the imperial court and the people should benefit from it. Only in this way can a virtuous circle be formed. On this point, you don't need to fight for the land and mines for overseas expansion.  They are all owned by the imperial court. I suggest that the imperial court contract the mines to private individuals and enjoy the profits. The Japanese country is rich in gold and silver and has a good reputation. The imperial court publishes the news in Jinling News and subcontracts each mine. This way, not only the imperial court but also the merchants will benefit.  This has led to strong support for overseas expansion from both the government and the public. As for sea trade tariffs, they will naturally be handed over to the court. Nowadays, those that can be called tariffs are mainly in Temasek, Karopa, Hanwu, Guangzhou, and others.  Nowadays, all ports are engaged in domestic trade. I want to reform the commercial taxation area, and maritime trade must also be strictly managed. These measures will be gradually introduced this year and next year. " Hearing this, Zhai Luan and others were ecstatic.  With such access to Qianwu, the imperial court's income will immediately increase significantly. Not to mention overseas land, the mining and sea trade tax revenue can increase by one million taels of silver a year. It will really seize the super large silver in the Americas.  Mine, isn't the imperial court rich?  Everyone was secretly happy when they heard Qian Wu continue: "I am going to abolish the sea ban and fully liberalize all coastal ports" Lifting the sea ban?  Several people couldn't help but be quite surprised. The Ming Dynasty now has five provinces overseas, and it will soon be divided into overseas provinces. How can this maritime ban not be abolished?  What does Qian Wu mean?  During this time, Zhai Luan devoted himself to inquiring about various aspects of Xiaoliuqiu. He was very familiar with various situations in Xiaoliuqiu. When he saw Qianwu's words were quite solemn, he immediately reacted and said hesitantly: "The emperor is ready to let go."  Slave trade? " The slave trade between Nanyang and Xiaoliuqiu has become a common practice. Anyone in the capital who knows a little about Xiaoliuqiu knows about the slave trade. When he heard that Qianwu was going to let go of the slave trade, Wang Gao immediately said: "Your Majesty, overseas  The five provinces are vast and sparsely populated, suitable for slave development, but the mainland of the Ming Dynasty is narrow and densely populated. If a large number of slaves flood in, they will compete with the people for food.  "Brown" "Your Majesty, think carefully." Xu Zan also bowed and said: "It is not a blessing that many foreigners have poured into the Ming Dynasty" "Your Majesty, think twice"  "The few people he met reacted violently, and Qian Wu couldn't help but secretly cursed, "Pedantic!" He really wanted to let go.The local slave trade in the Ming Dynasty was an extremely huge market. Liberalizing the slave trade would not only rapidly increase the population base of the Ming Dynasty, but also help expand the scale of handicraft workshops and bring huge financial resources to Dongxing Port. Now  Of sea trade, the slave trade is the most profitable!  The impact of this matter was too great. Qianwu did not want to use force. It would not be too late to wait for two years. He immediately lowered his head and said: "Ryukyu and Nanyang have now liberalized the slave trade. Since you are all worried, let's observe a few more times."  Years." As he spoke, he changed his mind and said: "There are two other things. One is to establish a naval academy. Naval talents must be continuously cultivated. I plan to establish a naval academy in Hanwu Port to systematically train naval officers and soldiers.  . The second thing is that the overseas enfeoffment has been settled with the vassal kings and must be announced to the world as soon as possible. "The Naval Academy is actually a martial arts school. In the Han Dynasty, the court did not have money anyway, and the martial arts was just a matter of notification.  They just said it, and Zhai Luan immediately bowed and said: "I obey the order." "There is one more thing about the Ministry of Household Affairs." Qianwu continued: "I recently learned about the imperial treasury system, and there is a lack of a  The unified central treasury has chaotic management of various bank accounts, which is not conducive to coordination. The Taicang Bank in the Ministry of Accounts is the most important bank in the imperial court. For the time being, the Taicang Bank is used as the central bank, and our internal transportation warehouse is also used.  They are all under the management of Taicang Bank. Now all the warehouses are clean and tidy. It is time for unified planning and management. Xu Zan, Xia Bangmo, and Wang Gao are all familiar with the situation in the household department. You three are responsible for this matter."  The transportation warehouse was all classified into the Taicang Silver Treasury. Several people were overjoyed. The inner transportation warehouse was the emperor's private treasury. Although there was no silver now, there were more than one million taels of gold and silver in a year. Zhai Luan was slightly startled.  He immediately bowed and said: "Your Majesty, the imperial court does need a central bank. However, it is better that this internal transport warehouse is not included in the central bank." Qianwu smiled and said: "Although I am the emperor, I still distinguish between public and private matters.  Well, Zhong Ming, don't always want to exploit my private money. Even if I am as rich as the country, I have spent this year in the sea and the river, and the life of the court is better than mine. I have agreed with the princes.  All the arrears of Lumi have been written off. There is a truce in the northwest and a truce in the southeast. The world is at peace. Huge military expenditures have been saved. The military salaries of the frontier troops have also been greatly reduced. However, the income of the vassal vassals has continued to increase.  "Stop staring at my pocket." Being told by Gan Wu that he was worried, Zhai Luan couldn't help but said with a stern expression: "Wei Chen doesn't dare. Wei Chen is worried that the internal transportation warehouse will be included in the Taicang Palace Treasury."  It will be significantly reduced as a result." How much does gold flower silver cost per year?  It was only more than one million taels a year. Qian Wu simply dismissed it and immediately smiled and said: "The imperial court has money, but don't give up good wealth. The bank must reserve some silver for emergencies, but don't want it."  If you are a miser, horse administration will disturb the people. Now that the Tatars have surrendered, horses can be purchased from Tatars. It would be a good thing to abolish the horse administration. " Upon hearing that the horse administration was to be abolished, Wang Gao quickly said: "Your Majesty,  The Tatar horses are not given away for free, they need to be bought with money" "In the past two years, the court and the Tatars have traded each other. How much is the price of a good Mongolian horse? Eight taels, what is the price among the people?  Twenty-four taels!" Qian Wu glanced at him and said, "In a few years, Taipu Temple will be rich, so why care about the people's little money? The court can't be greedy, and the Tatars must surrender.  The common people will also benefit from it, right?" This was a bit serious. Wang Gao quickly knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I forgive you. I am not in favor of reducing the burden on the people, but it is true that Taipu Temple can't get any money now.  , He couldn't even get the capital from the exchange with Tatar. " Qianwu shook his head dissatisfied and said, "How much is the capital from the exchange? Is there no bank account in the capital?  The shopkeeper will come to you immediately." As he said this, he glanced at a few people and said, "I am short of money now that the army is on an expedition. I will think more about it when something happens." After saying that, he stood up, and Zhai Luan and others hurriedly said.  Standing up and kneeling to see him off, everyone was thinking, what did Qian Wu mean by asking the court and charity to break up the money?  After leading Qianwu out of the door, a few people stood up. Xu Zan said directly: "It's only April now. The summer tax has been waived for this year. When will the autumn food have to wait? Is it possible that half the year's expenses are all compared to the money from the charity association?"  "What's the relationship between the Charity Association and Dongxing Port?"  Money?" Zhai Luan said, walked to his seat and sat down slowly, poured himself a cup of tea, and sipped the tea slowly. Seeing this, Wang Gao said with a smile: "Sir, don't be so pretentious.  "Zhai Luan put down the tea cup and said: "The largest silver mine in Japan is called Shisen Silver Mine, and it is said that the annual output is as high as one million taels." "Hasn¡¯t the Japanese country not been conquered yet?  "Xu Zan looked at him suspiciously. "The Japanese country has not been defeated, but the Shisen Silver Mine has been defeated.  Zhai Luan said with a smile: "Last year, the emperor led the escort Wang Fugui to attack the Ouchi family. The main target was the Shisen Silver Mine. He published a report in the Jinling Newspaper and subcontracted the Shisen Silver Mine at a low price and received a year's worth of silver in advance.  At least nine hundred thousand taels.  " "Wonderful!  "Xia Bangmo said with a smile. Xu Zan smiled bitterly and shook his head. Wang Gao said in confusion: "Is there something wrong?  " "The emperor is not without money.  Xu Zan seemed to be holding a piece of coptis in his mouth, with a bitter look on his face, "It's a good thing we didn't go to the bank account. I can guarantee that we won't be able to borrow money if we did. The emperor not only forced the court to agree to his sending troops to conquer the Japanese country, but also  The imperial court also wanted to praise him vigorously.  " "The gold and silver mines of Japan are all given to the court without reservation, and it is appropriate to praise them.  Mao Bowen said bluntly: "This is not two million taels, this is two million taels per year!"  To be honest, I totally agree with this kind of overseas expansion!  I don¡¯t know when the emperor is going to send troops to America. It¡¯s really exciting.  Xu Zan pondered, "Well, there are gold mines in Xiaoliuqiu and Luzon"  " Zhai Luan was originally smiling. After hearing these words, his face suddenly darkened and he said, "Don't Tingmei think that the emperor is easy to talk to?  " "Since the Ryukyu Province has been merged into the Ming Dynasty, won't the mining land be returned to the imperial court?  Xu Zan said in a deep voice: "Since the emperor regards the world as public, he should not privately occupy Jinshan!"  " "The income from Jinshan is used as the salary of the escort team. How do you treat it?  If the income from that point is not enough to pay military salaries, will the court make up for the shortfall?  Zhai Luan said angrily: "Why do you have to catch a louse and put it on your head?"  "(To be continued)
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