prosperous age

Wei Guangde scolded them and then explained why the opening of Songjiang port this time could not limit the number of ships like Yuegang did.

If you want to get more support, you have to get as many people as possible involved and have them get a piece of the pie, so that the voices of opposition will be weakened.

Wei Guangde planned to open the sea not to make profits from maritime trade, but mainly to enable the Ming Dynasty to keep up with the upcoming open era.

Although the Ming Dynasty nominally banned maritime trade, the imperial court only imposed strong restrictions on maritime trade and did not completely close the country's borders. There were still many contacts with overseas countries, but it was obviously not enough.

In the next few centuries, Ming Dynasty needs to adopt a more open attitude, accept advanced Western technology, and enhance its own scientific and technological strength and economic development level.

In a word, only in this way can the Ming Dynasty truly maintain its position as the number one in the world.

Once Western countries launched the Industrial Revolution before the Ming Dynasty, there would be no way to save it.

In fact, the West’s leapfrogging of China originated from the Industrial Revolution.

Only if China also masters these technological strengths can it catch up and maintain its position during the great changes in productivity.

Not only Wei Guangde but also most officials in the court knew that the Ming Dynasty possessed strength far exceeding that of other countries of the same period.

Otherwise, the Western barbarians would not have traveled thousands of miles to the Ming Dynasty to engage in commercial activities with it.

In the pre-industrial era when handicraft production was the main industry, the economic strength of the Ming Dynasty was absolutely unquestionable.

“Too many ships will always affect our interests.

The court cannot be too lenient on lending at once, as this will still arouse opposition from too many people.

I think it would be better to move forward steadily like Yuegang did, and everyone would be happy to accept this result.”

Xu Wenbi still didn't want to change their plan and continued to persuade them.

"The Ming Dynasty not only has Yuegang, but also Jiugang."

Wei Guangde said, "Yuegang can be said to be operated relying on the huge national strength of Ming Dynasty, but what about Jiugang?

An old port with more than a dozen families, big and small. The big families have more than ten ships, and the small families also have one or two sea vessels.

Before the South China Sea Navy arrived at Yuegang, this tiny country supported hundreds of sea vessels, and they only relied on trade between the South China Sea countries and then sold them to the barbarians.

Is it true that the Ming Dynasty can only maintain such a small fleet? "

Wei Guangde responded immediately.

“Also, I’m afraid you don’t know that Spain, which came to trade with our Ming Dynasty, is only a small country, but it already has thousands of ships sailing on the sea. Its fleet is even larger than Zheng He’s fleet back then.

Moreover, this tiny country, relying on only a few thousand ships, has already conquered 10 times more territory than the Ming Dynasty."

Although the news that Spain and Portugal occupied and divided America was not a secret in the Ming Dynasty, not many people knew about it, especially in the capital, which was far away from the South China Sea.

Only a small number of senior officials in the Cabinet and the Ministry of War knew about this matter, and this was the first time that Wei Guangde spoke of it to the public.

"This matter needs to be kept secret. The three of you are the pillars of the country, and you should know about it, but it must not be spread. At least it must not be revealed before the court issues an order."

While the three were digesting the news just revealed, Wei Guangde had already given them instructions.

The first person to react was Zhang Yuangong. He was younger than Wei Guangde, but he was also in his twenties. He was a man with a quick mind and a strong ability to accept things. He immediately asked, "Lord Wei, how much land do we have overseas that the barbarians can occupy ten times the territory of our Ming Dynasty?"

When he said this, Zhang Yuangong still had an expression of disbelief on his face.

"Have you all forgotten the Yuan Dynasty's Western Expedition?

The Mongolian cavalry went thousands of miles west to a vast continent, which was dozens of times larger than the land of our Ming Dynasty.

But compared with our Ming Dynasty, they are all poor and backward places, and naturally inferior to our Ming Dynasty in all aspects.

But don’t forget what Jiangnan was like during the Song Dynasty. If it weren’t for the Southern Song Dynasty’s full efforts to develop it, Jiangnan might not be what it is today. I’m afraid it would not be much different from the Northwest.

So even though it is poor today, it may become like the Jiangnan region today in the future.”

Before the Northern Song Dynasty, the most developed region in China was actually in the Central Plains. Whoever gained control of the Central Plains would be equivalent to obtaining the orthodoxy of China and could gradually expand to the surrounding areas to complete the final unified hegemony.

This is also why the struggle for the world is likened to the fight for the deer in the Central Plains. When Qin lost its deer, the whole world chased it together.

The large-scale development of the south actually originated from the Northern Song Dynasty's migration to the south to establish the Southern Song Dynasty, and they were forced to rely on the refugees who could not escape from the north to develop.

In addition, the Song people's business activities allowed Jiangnan to surpass the war-torn Central Plains region in a very short period of time, causing China's economic and cultural center to move south.

Perhaps it was really a matter of changing fortunes, or perhaps it was because the Central Plains region had run out of luck and never had a chance to recover to be the most developed region in China. Or perhaps it was due to limitations in various aspects of its own conditions that made it inferior to the Jiangnan region.

In short, after Jiangnan absorbed enough population, the economic development center shifted southwards and could no longer be reversed.

Wei Guangde's words were not exaggerating, they were just stating the facts.

In just over a hundred years, Jiangnan had transformed from a fertile land into a prosperous Jiangnan. The people of the Ming Dynasty were naturally quite aware of this, not to mention the three duke-level figures.

"You mean, those poor and remote areas will develop into the Jiangnan region today?"

Xu Wenbi was the oldest, a few years older than Wei Guangde. At this moment, his eyes were rolling around.

"That would take a hundred years, a large population, and a wise monarch to govern."

Wei Guangde nodded.

"What if the Ming Dynasty was like the Yuan Dynasty?"

Xu Wenbi started to speak, but soon began to stutter and did not continue.

"Myanmar is the limit of what the Ming Dynasty can rule. If it is further away, we can only adopt a similar feudal system and give overseas governors greater arbitrary power.

But at least it’s difficult at this stage.”

Wei Guangde hesitated, but finally spoke.

At this time, Zhu Yingzhen, the son of the Duke of Chengguo, said, "Three of you, let's talk about the matter of Songjiang Prefecture. Whoever wants to go overseas can go. I don't want to go."

"Yes, let's talk about the affairs of Songjiang Prefecture. The affairs overseas are taken care of by His Majesty and the elders. We will not be involved."

Xu Wenbi said immediately.

He was just attracted by the scene described by Wei Guangde. After all, this represented huge wealth, so he was distracted for a moment.

If you really think about it, is it worth it to leave the colorful world of Ming Dynasty and go to those places to open up new land?

Don't just wishfully think that once you arrive in the Ming Dynasty, you will use this opportunity to expand your territory and plunder gold, silver and treasures.

In reality, the rewards for great efforts are very limited.

We thought that Spain became prosperous because it discovered mountains of gold and silver in Mexico and South America, but if we think about what Spain was like in later generations, we should be able to understand it to some extent.

During this period, the Ming Dynasty had no need to seize territory. Instead, it should focus on domestic affairs and solve various problems.

As long as you have cultivated your inner strength, wait a hundred years until the West has developed the world almost completely, and then you can directly seize it by force.

Don’t find it incredible. As a late-developing country, Britain snatched most of its colonies from the Spaniards, and the Philippines eventually fell into the hands of the Americans.

It’s just that China at that time in history did not take care of its internal affairs and did not open its eyes to the world, and thus missed the real big stage.

The Spanish took great pains to explore the world, but it was the British who finally made it happen. "Okay, let me tell you about my plan this time. It concerns your noble affairs. You can discuss it with the others and decide what to do."

Wei Guangde opened his mouth and immediately attracted the attention of the three people.

"Here's what I thought. This time, Songjiang Prefecture will issue 150 boat licenses for the first time, 50 more than Yuegang.

Thirty of them belong to you nobles. Not only you, but also nobles from other places. You should all have a share, more or less. It is only right that everyone can make money.

After all, you all work for the country and need this income.”

Wei Guangde had fully considered the needs of the nobles. The value of thirty ship licenses was already very high.

"In addition, each of the major government offices in the capital will also be allocated 30 boat licenses to appease the officials in the capital. They can't even have a sip of soup."

Wei Guangde continued his plan for the distribution of more than 100 ship permits, "The royal family will also receive 30 ship permits, but they will be allocated according to the prince's palace, and they will distribute the benefits to their respective branches.

These ninety ship licenses should be distributed in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce, with fixed or floating dividends collected each year.

For example, as for your noble ship guides, you can ask someone you trust to find a chamber of commerce to negotiate and manage them. Each government will be given shares, and when you get dividends, you can divide the money according to your share.

The officials and royal family will also receive their share in the same way. All the major government offices will hold shares, and the money will be divided according to the shares to issue subsidies to the officials in Beijing."

"Where's the rest?"

Zhang Yuangong asked hurriedly.

Wei Guangde distributed ninety boat guides at once, but he didn't say how to divide the remaining sixty.

Wei Guangde glanced at Zhang Yuangong, and then slowly said: "The two capitals and thirteen provinces, including Liaodong, will all get some, so that their merchants can also participate."

Wei Guangde didn't really want to make money in this way. Although he did make money from this, his fundamental purpose was to drive economic development in various parts of the Ming Dynasty and preferably to promote the generation of a batch of capital.

Only when capital is generated will they think about making more money and be willing to invest money to enable craftsmen to make technological innovations and promote the development of productivity.

If we rely solely on nobles and royal family members, they will only want stable income and will not consider making any innovations to earn more money.

They are willing to use their power to seize new ways of making money that others have found.

Letting them do it themselves is just overthinking.

But if these people are not given some sweet benefits, although they cannot accomplish anything, it does not mean they cannot do bad things.

"By the way, don't think that you can ignore the Marquis of Wuqing just because he is a nobleman. There are also the Marquis of Gu'an Chen Jingxing, the Marquis of Deping Li Ming, and the Deputy Envoy of Wensi Academy Wang Wei. They are also considered among your nobles."

Wei Guangde pointed out four more people in one breath, all of whom were also earls of the current dynasty, but unlike Xu Wenbi and Zhang Yuangong, they were relatives by marriage.

Li Wei, the Earl of Wuqing, was the father of Empress Dowager Li, so he was granted the title of Earl. Chen Jingxing, the Earl of Gu'an, was the father of Empress Dowager Chen. Behind them stood the two Empress Dowagers of the inner court.

As for Deping Earl Li Ming, his status was slightly lower, but he was the biological father of the late Emperor Longqing's wife, Empress Xiaoyi Li, so the young Emperor Zhu Yijun had to treat him with respect.

After Prince Yu Zhu Zaigui ascended the throne and became emperor, he still followed the rules and conferred the title of Deping Earl on her, and posthumously conferred the title of empress on Li.

Of course, if we talk about close relationships, Li Wei is definitely closest to Emperor Wanli, as he is his grandfather.

As for the last deputy envoy of Wensiyuan, Wang Wei, it was naturally because of Sister Wang Xi.

Although the young emperor has not yet married, Wang Xijie's identity has been established and she will soon become the empress who rules the country. Now Wang Wei is only waiting for his daughter to get married so that he can be granted the title of Earl.

“They want it too.”

Zhang Yuangong was halfway through his words when Xu Wenbi interrupted him, "Okay."

"How can this be."

Zhang Yuangong was about to speak, but Xu Wenbi interrupted him again, saying, "Since you are both nobles, you should be of the same blood."

"Did you discuss this with them? If it's something else, you can just leave it alone, but next time when you divide the shares, you have to invite them along. At least it will show that you nobles and the palace are of the same mind, right?"

Wei Guangde smiled.

The nobles may not care, but Wei Guangde cannot help but consider it.

He knew about what happened this afternoon in the cabinet, after all, so many nobles gathered in Cuihua Building.

"But what if they want more?"

Zhu Yingzhen asked.

“No matter how many there are, they can’t be more than you guys. After all, they are very special and have a close relationship with the palace.

Moreover, their titles cannot be compared with yours."

When Wei Guangde said this, he was actually revealing that once these earls died, those positions would naturally become invalid.

After all, this part of the benefits belongs to the nobility, and only those with titles can obtain them.

The biggest change that the Jiajing Dynasty made to the system of honorary relatives was to change the system of conferring titles on relatives by marriage from a hereditary system to a lifelong system, that is, the title would only be conferred on the relative for life, and his descendants could no longer request a hereditary title.

However, correspondingly, the newly appointed relatives by marriage will also join this team and participate in the distribution of benefits.

After seeing them off and Wei Guangde returned to the backyard, Xu Jianglan asked them about what they had discussed.

Wei Guangde gave a general account of the situation without hiding anything.

Now, only a few people know the situation, besides the nobles, there are Tan Lun and others.

The reason why it was revealed to the nobles was because Wei Guangde had already had a preliminary discussion with Zhang Juzheng on the matter.

Zhang Juzheng did not explicitly oppose it, and in fact he probably knew that he could not oppose it.

If he opposed, it would be tantamount to making an enemy of the entire interest group, especially since Wei Guangde was tied to various government offices in the capital. In the future, officials in the capital would be able to obtain additional income through ship guides.

It is not easy to live in the capital city, especially for many minor officials.

If it weren't for the subsidies from the government from time to time, life would have been really difficult.

Even Zhang Juzheng couldn't object to this point.

This is also the reason why Wei Guangde was not worried about anything. After he came up with the idea, he directly sent people to Songjiang Prefecture to purchase houses and land. It was an open conspiracy that no one could oppose.

As for changing the location, haha, that also requires the consent of Lord Xu.

Given the close relationship between Xu Jie and Zhang Juzheng, it was impossible for Zhang Juzheng to oppose this matter.

In order to develop the economy of the Ming Dynasty, Wei Guangde thought he had worked hard enough and it was natural for him to earn some hard-earned money.

Anyway, after the two capitals and thirteen provinces have distributed the boat tolls, the cabinet still has at least ten boat tolls that can be used, so he has nothing to worry about. (End of this chapter)