prosperous age

“The aid to the Mongol tribes will not be carried out this year, but will likely continue for a long time to come. Therefore, our Great Ming Dynasty must grasp the population situation of the Mongols, issue household allowances, and provide food according to the household allowances.”

Wei Guangde spoke slowly, but his tone was unusually resolute.

The Ming Dynasty was an important dynasty in Chinese history, and its establishment marked the end of the Yuan Dynasty's rule and the revival of Han Chinese regimes.

As the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, the Hongwu Emperor, deeply understood the importance of governing the country.

In the early years of his reign, Zhu Yuanzhang implemented a household registration system in order to reorganize the country's resources and administration.

This system not only formed the basis of social management in the early Ming Dynasty, but also had a profound impact on the later household registration system.

The household registration system originated very early, and during the Spring and Autumn Period it developed into the book society system, with 25 households forming a society. "The household registration of the society was recorded on the map," and the map was the household registration.

After Qin unified China, it made the common people register their own land, and thus land ownership was recorded in the household register.

During the Han Dynasty, the household registration law stipulated that in August, each region would "investigate households and compare the people," recording the land and other property owned by each household in the household register as the basis for levying population taxes and allocating military and labor services.

At this time, the household registration system combined the three registers of population, land, and taxes. The Han household registration was compiled every three years, called "Da Bi," and was also reported every three years. The annual check before tax collection was called "Xiao An Bi," which was a regular registration and statistics.

During the Tang Dynasty, household registration was also compiled every three years. The people themselves declared their household registration and land ownership, which was recorded in the "hand record". The village head then compiled the register based on the hand record.

Officials determined the household grade based on the amount of assets and the number of people in each household. During this period, households were divided into nine grades according to the standard, and household taxes were levied accordingly.

The Song Dynasty continued the household registration system of the Tang Dynasty, but the household registration in the Yuan Dynasty became very chaotic because complicated household grades and categories were added.

However, there was a significant difference between the household registration system of the previous dynasty and that of the Ming dynasty: all the information on the ascension to the throne was held by the government and the village head, and the common people did not have household registration information.

When Zhu Yuanzhang created the Yellow Register and Fish Scale Register, he not only made multiple copies of each register and handed them over to different government offices, but also issued household registration certificates to the people, which are the household registration books of later generations, which can be considered an innovation.

He implemented the "household registration" system, which required detailed registration of each household's population, land, cattle, and slaves.

After verification and signature by local officials, each household received its own "household registration certificate," which not only recorded their household registration information but also detailed their property status.

This system successfully curbed the encroachment of powerful families on land and effectively protected the legitimate rights and interests of ordinary people.

Zhu Yuanzhang standardized the household registration system, clearly requiring that household registrations be checked every year and that household registrations be recompiled every ten years to reflect actual population changes, thereby ensuring the dynamism and timeliness of the data.

The annual verification and ten-year update system of household registration records ensured the dynamism and timeliness of the data. This continuous dynamic management method provided a solid and reliable basis for the taxation and corvée system of the Ming Dynasty.

From then on, all people within the Ming Dynasty's control were registered in the Yellow Register and held household registration certificates issued by the government.

However, the people who held household registration certificates were limited to areas actually controlled by the Ming Dynasty. For example, the “Three Xuan and Six Wei” in the southwest, as well as Tibet, Mongolia, and the Liaodong Jurchens who were nominally submitted, were not registered in the Yellow Register and were not issued household registration certificates.

In fact, this also shows that the Ming Dynasty did not actually rule them, but merely issued a letter of appointment and granted official titles to their leaders, as if they could command them to do things.

In reality, they were local tyrants in their own territory and didn't care about the orders from the capital.

After Burma is completely under control and the government appoints officials to divide the country into prefectures and counties for administration, it will certainly need to compile a large number of yellow registers and issue household registration certificates to the locals.

As for the other factions, it seems that the Ming Dynasty has virtually no way to actually control them at present.

However, Wei Guangde proposed registering the Mongols and issuing household registration certificates at this time, which was actually an attempt to extend the Ming Dynasty's rule to the grasslands.

Registering household information was ostensibly to help the Mongols survive natural disasters, but the Ming Dynasty was willing to sacrifice some money and grain to gain access to important information about the grasslands.

In the past, tribal leaders would casually report to the Ming Dynasty how many people and how many cattle and sheep they had.

This situation also applies to the Jurchens of Liaodong.

After Wei Guangde spoke, the room fell silent, and no one spoke.

They understood Wei Guangde's meaning: it wasn't the usual disaster relief model of the imperial court, which simply gave the enemy leaders some grain and let them distribute it as they pleased, just enough to get by. Instead, he wanted the authority of the Ming Dynasty to truly penetrate into the grasslands.

Imagine if the herdsmen had household registration certificates issued by the Ming government, telling them that they were now Ming citizens. What would happen?
When the grasslands are hit by a disaster, and the imperial court distributes relief to each household, what will the herders think?
Previously, they would only be grateful to the Khan and the chieftain; now they should be grateful to the Ming Emperor and the court.

"Can it be done?"

It took Zhang Xueyan a long time to finally speak.

Provinces like Shanxi were truly out of grain, but Tongzhou did indeed have granaries for the capital, which were grain transported to ensure a stable supply of food to the capital region.

If we can obtain grain from Southeast Asia, we can ship it directly to Tianjin, then transport it via inland waterways to Tongzhou, so there's no rush regarding the grain supply.

Unfortunately, he dared not voice his opinion on the fact that the Mongol tribes had moved east to the Great Wall at Jizhou.

This matter is of great importance; if it is not handled properly, it could lead to another Gengwu Incident.

Zhang Ke didn't dare to speak. He had already made the suggestion, but it was based on the premise that the cabinet had already decided to provide support to the Mongols.

As for mobilizing troops to strengthen the defense of Miyun, that is the responsibility of the Ministry of War. However, if anything happens, he, as the Minister of War, will be the first to be implicated.

He was afraid too.

Wei Guangde had naturally considered Zhang Xueyan's concerns, but he was betting that Huang Taiji would not dare to act rashly.

If he truly possessed such ability, he wouldn't have been so easily persuaded by Third Sister to abandon his plans to head south.

This only shows that Huang Taiji is a master of empty talk, daring to say but not daring to do.

The lesson Qi Jiguang had taught him was profound, making him afraid to take any real action.

So Wei Guangde smiled faintly and said, "What you're worried about is letting the wolf into the house, right? With the Great Wall of Jizhou in place and tens of thousands of troops surrounding us, do you think they would dare to make a move?"

If they really dared, they wouldn't have waited until now to launch their attack; they would have already invaded the south when the autumn air was crisp and clear.

With the ground covered in snow, the movement of government troops would be hindered, but the same was true for cavalry; it was simply not a time for fighting.

"The Prime Minister is right, this season is indeed not suitable for fighting."

Zhang Xueyan was the first to chime in.

"Isn't gambling with the safety of the capital region too risky?"

Zhang Siwei finally spoke up, expressing his continued fear of attracting the Mongol tribes and causing unforeseen consequences.

"How about transporting the grain from Tongzhou to Datong or Xuanfu?"

Shen Shixing also made a suggestion.

"Getting it to Miyun is already quite a hassle, and if it has to be transported to Xuanfu, that's another several hundred miles away."

If the Mongols were truly driven to the brink of starvation, it's hard to say whether they would fight back and directly attack Datong City.

Wei Guangde immediately said, "Let some tribes move east, while San Niangzi and Da Cheng Biji stay there and keep an eye on Huang Taiji."

As long as Huang Taiji doesn't act recklessly, even if there are minor clashes, they will only be directed at specific tribes, and the government troops should be able to suppress them promptly.

"So, will Datong and Miyun both register the household registrations of the Mongolian tribes and issue household registration certificates?"

Miyun is manageable; we can send students from the Imperial Academy with the main group. But I'm afraid we won't have enough manpower in Datong."

Zhang Xueyan added.

"Get Shanxi moving. Send all those with official titles from all prefectures and counties to Datong. The tribes there don't lack food, so we can take it slowly."

Wei Guangde replied.

Will Huang Taiji agree?

Shen Shixing asked doubtfully.

"If he doesn't agree, he'll put the Mongols to death."

The imperial court distributes disaster relief grain according to the registered households. But how can it distribute the grain if it cannot ascertain the population?
As I have already stated, the grasslands have suffered repeated disasters in recent years, and His Majesty was deeply concerned when I reported this to him previously.

Wei Guangde wasn't lying. When Emperor Wanli saw the intelligence from the Embroidered Uniform Guard about the grasslands in the Qianqing Palace, he knew that the grasslands had suffered from severe ice disasters in recent years. He was worried that the Mongols would take over and plunder the grasslands after the weather warmed up to replenish the lost population and resources.

Therefore, what he was worried about was not the life and death of the grassland people, but the potential impact on the Ming Dynasty.

At this moment, not only Zhang Ke and Zhang Xueyan, but also Zhang Siwei and Shen Shixing were constantly filtering through the records they had read about Huang Taiji's actions and speculating on his possible moves.

It must be said that Wei Guangde's guess may be true.

Huang Taiji's appeal to the Ming Dynasty for help likely stems from the fact that some tribes were truly unable to survive the winter; otherwise, they would never have bowed to the Ming Dynasty.

If we don't agree, the consequences are unpredictable.

They agreed. Although there was danger, it seemed not great, and they could also use it to gather information on the population and resources of the grasslands.

Don't forget, household registration records not only document the population but also their property.

“If none of you gentlemen have any clear objections, I suggest we all go to the palace together to explain the seriousness of this matter to His Majesty and ask for his wise decision.”

Wei Guangde added, "This is a form of interrogation, to see if anyone objects."

The cabinet's role is essentially to provide solutions when major issues arise, with the emperor ultimately deciding whether to implement them.

News has arrived from Datong, and the imperial court cannot ignore it; it must take action.

The usual practice of giving some grain to appease them seems less effective than Wei Guangde's suggestion to try and intervene in the grasslands.

After all, providing only a little food would certainly not be enough, and in the end, some Mongols would still starve to death, resulting in heavy losses.

The grievances between the two sides will likely not be resolved by this small amount of food, but will instead be exacerbated.

They would think that the Ming Dynasty was abandoning those in dire need, since they didn't know the actual situation in the Ming Dynasty and that it was also suffering from severe disasters.

Yes, there were reports of disasters in border towns such as Shanxi, but it was not a large-scale snow disaster. The imperial court did not issue an edict for relief, but only allowed Shanxi, Gansu and other places to organize disaster relief on their own and to provide some supplies from the government treasury.

These were actually supplies stored locally, not relief from the imperial court; they were simply permitted to use them.

However, Wei Guangde did not know how much of the supplies were actually on the books.

Issuing such orders to local authorities is actually quite wise.

If things really come to a dead end, local officials, in order to avoid making any mistakes, will also ask local gentry to raise food and other supplies for disaster relief.

Otherwise, if a popular uprising really breaks out, they themselves will not be able to extricate themselves.

Zhang Siwei then spoke up, "Your Excellency, how about we follow the usual practice and give them a few cartloads of grain? That way, we won't have to take any risks."

"That was in the past. Judging from this memorial, the Mongols suffered particularly severe disasters this year, otherwise Zheng Luo would not have sought help from the capital."

Third Sister had already said in private that the tribes in the northern desert had lost too many cattle and sheep and couldn't hold out for long.

Huang Taiji initially wanted to annex these tribes, but ultimately didn't dare to do so, which shows that the amount of food needed was enormous. Therefore, he was unwilling to pay too much and thus brought the matter to us.

If this problem cannot be solved, the losses will be too great. Once the temperature warms up in spring, they will inevitably launch a large-scale southward raid and then return north; this is almost a certainty.

Wei Guangde said with great certainty.

This is actually the norm for the Mongol tribes. Why do the Mongols like to migrate south in large numbers before spring and autumn? Because they need to make up for losses or stockpile supplies for the winter.

On the grasslands, everything is decided by strength. Tribal leaders may obey the Great Khan, Shunyi Wang, but they will not be absolutely obedient.

If there are benefits, they will obey; if there are no benefits, they will outwardly comply but inwardly defy. In fact, it is quite similar to the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty.

This is also why tribes like the Tuman tribe, despite receiving orders from Altan Khan to establish friendly relations with the Ming Dynasty, still ignored them.

"Too much guarding will only make them underestimate you."

Wei Guangde said.

"Let's go to the Qianqing Palace and ask His Majesty for a decision."

Shen Shixing then spoke up.

He wholeheartedly supported Wei Guangde's decision; it was worth a try, as success would benefit the Ming Dynasty's control over the grasslands.

As expected, in the Qianqing Palace, after everyone bowed to Emperor Wanli and explained their purpose, they handed over the memorial of Zheng Luo, the Governor-General of Xuanfu and Datong. Emperor Wanli was initially quite hesitant.

Although no statement was made, the meaning was similar to Zhang Siwei's: to follow the usual methods.

However, after Wei Guangde explained his thoughts in detail before Emperor Wanli could express his opinion, his attitude became hesitant.

"Does Master Wei mean that Huang Taiji shouldn't dare to take this opportunity to cause trouble?"

The Wanli Emperor used a clever wording; instead of saying the Mongols invaded the south, he used the term "stirring up trouble," which broadens the scope considerably.

"Trouble-making is actually unavoidable, but it won't cause major turmoil."

Wei Guangde replied seriously.

Will Huang Taiji agree?

Emperor Wanli asked again.

“In recent years, natural disasters have occurred frequently on the grasslands. If Huang Taiji does not want the Mongolians to suffer greater losses, he will agree.”

At least, the next time a natural disaster occurs, my Great Ming will still provide them with assistance to help them overcome the disaster.

I have studied Huang Taiji. He is all talk and no action and is not capable of becoming a powerful ruler of the grasslands. He would not dare to harbor any improper thoughts about my Great Ming.

If he can accept the imperial court's orders this time, he will obey them next time and the time after that.

Only in this way could the imperial court truly control and influence the grasslands.

Wei Guangde began, "When His Majesty offers sacrifices to Heaven in the spring, he will report that the population and wealth of our Great Ming Dynasty will surely increase greatly."

The Ming Dynasty's rituals were modeled after those of the Zhou Dynasty. Every year when the emperor offered sacrifices to Heaven, he would report the situation of the Ming Dynasty to the Heavenly Emperor, thus demonstrating that the Mandate of Heaven was his and that the imperial power was supreme.

"Upon hearing of the disaster on the grasslands, I was deeply troubled and unable to eat or sleep. All of you, please act in accordance with the Grand Secretary's advice, register the grassland population and issue household registration certificates to facilitate the court's disaster relief efforts."

Emperor Wanli initially dismissed the matter, but his attitude changed drastically after hearing Wei Guangde's subsequent words. (End of Chapter)