prosperous age

Wei Guangde simply showed them the newspaper, wanting to know if there were any things he hadn't considered, or if there might be anything inappropriate.

If so, then it should be changed.

However, seeing that people didn't seem to care much about the newspaper, and didn't even look at it carefully, they felt relieved.

They're not fools; a glance at the newspaper tells them this stuff is mainly aimed at the general public.

Scholars might read it too, since it contains imperial edicts, but what would probably attract them most are the stories that follow.

The working class spends most of their time earning money, so they are working.

In other words, scholars have more free time.

The biggest audience for vernacular stories is not the general public, but scholars.

Then, it's the ordinary people who come first.

So, in the end, we'll return to the topic of the Ming Dynasty's money shops.

However, this time, everyone felt there was nothing much to say; with a little polishing, it should be ready to be submitted to the palace.

Therefore, Jiang Zhi and Zhang Xueyan both expressed the same idea: to send the draft to the emperor for his review as soon as possible.

"Yes, I've been thinking about this for the past two days, and after a little polishing, I'll submit it."

Wei Guangde nodded in agreement.

As long as these people support it, even if someone discovers some flaws in the charter after it is made public, it can be corrected.

But even if he agreed to reject this memorial, these people would not agree.

After seeing them off, Wei Guangde went back to the backyard and rested immediately.

I'll polish it up; I'll have time to think about it slowly in the cabinet tomorrow.

However, the very next day, after he stepped into the cabinet, he soon received a memorial from Liu Yaohui, the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, regarding the moat.

After protracted negotiations, which were suspended for more than half a month around the Lunar New Year, a preliminary agreement was finally reached.

Wei Guangde carefully reviewed the memorial sent from Guangdong and spoke in accordance with the court's wishes.

The Portuguese council was abolished and replaced by the Haojing Residents' Council, which, based on the current permanent residents of Haojing, is tentatively set to have four Portuguese and five Chinese members.

This figure is not because Liu Yaohui insists that the Chinese population exceeds the Portuguese population, but because the Chinese population currently slightly outnumbers the permanent residents of Haojing.

As for those in the surrounding area who have been working in the area for a long time, the Portuguese resolutely refuse to acknowledge them.

Regarding the voting rights in the council, the Portuguese, knowing that there were not enough members, proposed that more than two-thirds of the votes, or at least six votes, were required for passage.

Naturally, this was the only way the Portuguese could control the Chinese when they were outnumbered.

As long as they are united, they can veto any proposal with their four votes.

Unless the proposal takes into account the interests of at least one foreign member of parliament and wins him over, the proposal has no chance of being passed by the council.

Is it democratic?
It's a form of democracy, I suppose.

As for the gentry in Guangdong, although they were dissatisfied with this, Liu Yaohui sent someone to tell them to arrange for the scholars in their families to settle in Haojing.

On the one hand, Liu Yaohui hinted that he would try his best to get Hao Jing a separate list during the provincial examination, which meant giving Hao Jing a certain degree of scholar status.

Guangdong is also a strong province in terms of literary talent, and the competition for the provincial examinations is always fierce.

Now that Liu Yaohui has hinted at helping Hao Jing to become independent in the provincial examination and offering him a fixed number of Xiucai (scholars), the attraction is naturally not weak.

Moreover, if the family's scholars go to Haojing, they can compete for the position of councilor and gain a voice in Haojing.

This also benefits their family's business in luxury mirrors.

This method finally managed to temporarily suppress the discontent of the Guangdong scholars.

Afterwards, Liu Yaohui held several consultations with the Guangdong Provincial Education Commissioner and finally settled the matter.

Subsequently, the Provincial Education Commissioner submitted a separate memorial to the imperial court regarding this matter.

After all, this matter is equivalent to elevating Haojing's status to the level of a "county". Although there is no county magistrate, it is still under the jurisdiction of Xiangshan County.

Such a big matter requires the permission of the Ministry of Rites.

In addition to the draft agreement attached to the memorial, there was also a draft proposal on the inclusion of foreigners in the Ming Dynasty's household registration system.

The Ming Dynasty only accepted the assimilation of foreign tribes by wealthy people and those with a special skill.

For the wealthy to obtain citizenship, they were required to pay commercial taxes to the Ming Dynasty for five years. However, skilled workers had to go to the Ministry of Works in the two capitals for examination and be registered as artisans before they could obtain citizenship.

Liu Yaohui's memorial was quite important, and even as the Grand Secretary, Wei Guangde could not make arbitrary decisions.

Immediately, he summoned Lu Bu outside and asked him to invite Shen Shixing and Wang Jiaping to come and discuss the matter, to draft a proposal in the name of the cabinet, and to report it to the Qianqing Palace.

"It largely meets our original requirements, and I think we can request His Majesty's permission."

After reading the memorial and the attached agreement and charter, Shen Shixing spoke up.

"But then, what will be their status among the barbarians in Haojing?"

Wang Jiaping suddenly asked another question.

Previously, Haojing had always existed there as a concession.

Since it was land leased by the barbarians, they were naturally allowed to live and reside there. As long as they did not violate the laws of the Ming Dynasty, the government generally would not interfere.

However, the current agreement is tantamount to overturning the lease agreement originally signed between the Yi people and Xiangshan County, so there will naturally be no rent payments in the future.

"Haojing belongs to Xiangshan County, which in turn is under the administration of Guangzhou Prefecture."

Naturally, this place was also under the jurisdiction of Guangzhou Prefecture.

Since Guangzhou has opened its ports to the sea, and this moat has never ceased its trade with the outside world, it would be better to directly incorporate it into Guangzhou Port and make it an affiliated port.

The Yi people of Haojing were still subject to the previous regulations, and were not allowed to leave the Haojing area without a document, just like in other port areas.

That area also allowed people from other regions to reside and stay for extended periods.

Wei Guangde explained that this method avoids delving into the identity of the Yi people in Haojing, who are essentially foreign vassals stationed in the port area.

As long as they don't leave the port area, they are free to move around.

If you want to leave, you need to apply to the government for approval before you can leave.

"That would be feasible."

Ports that have already opened to the sea have designated areas near the port for foreigners to live in and even conduct business within the port area.

Of course, the government also levies taxes on such shops.

Some foreign merchants have already opened shops in various ports of the Ming Dynasty to sell the goods they carry.

After all, when selling goods in large quantities to local Chinese merchants, prices are often driven down.

In order to ensure profits, wealthy merchants, when they had surplus funds, were willing to open shops in the port area and sell their goods to visiting Ming Dynasty merchants.

Such prices are often much higher than those for large-volume buyout transactions.

Of course, this method is limited to large-scale merchants.

Merchants with weaker financial strength are more concerned with the flow of capital, that is, quick conversion into cash, so as to facilitate the purchase of goods and strive to enter and exit more ports in a short period of time to earn the price difference profit.

Moreover, these stores can also purchase goods from the Ming Dynasty on a long-term basis, and the prices are often cheaper than bulk purchases.

In short, the port area is now beginning to transition into a small town.

This trade method not only did not affect the imperial court's tax revenue, but also increased the local employment rate and commercial tax revenue.

It should be noted that in the past, when foreign merchants entered and exited ports of the Ming Dynasty, they could only negotiate with a few powerful merchants and trade a full ship of goods at once.

The profits naturally went to the merchants of the Ming Dynasty.

Because the value is suppressed, the port charges lower tariffs.

Now that free trade has taken shape, tariffs have actually increased significantly due to the surge in trade volume.

"It's about commercial taxes. The bulk of it stays in Haojing and is controlled by the council hall." Wang Jiaping frowned slightly and mentioned it.

"Compared to other ports, there are indeed more trestle mirrors left."

However, the location of Haojing is not as good as that of Guangzhou Port.

Many merchant ships would not actually dock at Haojing, but would instead go straight to the Pearl River Estuary to load and unload cargo at Guangzhou Port.

It's estimated that the area is mainly inhabited by Portuguese merchants.

Wei Guangde chuckled.

Wei Guangde was right. Although Haojing was an important foreign trade area in the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty for a long time, the annual trade volume was actually extremely limited compared to the Guangzhou Maritime Trade, which never stopped.

In any case, it is not as convenient for transportation as Guangzhou Port in the Pearl River Estuary.

In reality, apart from Portuguese merchant ships carrying some sensitive goods, foreign ships almost never chose to dock at Haojing.

This is also why the development of luxury mirrors has been limited for a long time.

The presence of the Haojing (a type of ancient Chinese mirror) has almost never shaken the status of Guangzhou Port, and subsequently, Hong Kong.

Ultimately, the city had to shift its focus to gambling and tourism, and trade and industry were almost entirely abandoned.

"The port of Haojing was merged into the port of Guangzhou, and officials from the port of Guangzhou were allowed to collect customs duties there in conjunction with the Haojing Council."

The difference is slight, but it shouldn't be significant.

Wei Guangde spoke up.

"That's acceptable."

Wang Jiaping thought about it and nodded.

He had looked at the map; Guangzhou Port was much closer to Guangzhou.

Haojing, located off the coast of the Pearl River Estuary, primarily attracts merchants from neighboring areas on the west bank of the Pearl River.

Most of the goods entering and leaving Guangzhou Port from other places flow to Guangzhou Port because it is closer.

Correspondingly, goods unloaded at Haojing and transported to various places involved a longer overland journey, naturally diminishing their appeal to merchants for procurement.

It can only be said that, in order to avoid an overreaction from the Ming Dynasty government, the Portuguese did not dare to choose the more advantageous location of the Pearl River Estuary in Fujian to establish a base.

By now, the disadvantages of luxury mirrors have been fully exposed.

What Wei Guangde was really looking at was the barbarians there, and he was trying to use them to change the conventions that had been formed in China for thousands of years.

Try to apply the electoral system to the Ming Dynasty.

The ancient Chinese recognized the power of popular support very early on, but lacked ways to utilize it.

All dynasties ruled their countries through autocracy.

Managing political power certainly requires scholars and intellectuals.

However, Wei Guangde hoped to use elections to allow representatives elected by the people to exercise their right to supervise the government.

Making hasty changes will not only fail, but will also lead to failure and plunge you into an abyss.

Using a telescope to make this kind of attempt is a good choice in his opinion.

The prefects and magistrates of various prefectures and counties were still selected through the imperial examinations, but the people under their jurisdiction elected councilors to supervise the administration of the government.

As for whether this council hall would eventually become the private property of local gentry and official families, Wei Guangde did not care.

After all, history has already proven that even if you refuse their participation, the council chamber will eventually fall into their hands.

However, their involvement may be harmful, but it may not necessarily be a bad thing for the local area.

The prosperity of the region is more beneficial to these powerful families.

They would prevent local officials from plundering the people's wealth in order to ensure local prosperity and protect their own interests.

This is actually beneficial for governance.

After all, no one can expect people struggling to make ends meet to actively participate in politics.

Shen Shixing was asked to write it on his behalf, and the draft of Liu Yaohui's memorial was completed quickly.

"You shall take this document to the Qianqing Palace and present it to His Majesty in person."

Wei Guangde spoke up.

He should express his concerns himself, lest he blurt them out.

The emperor would definitely not support this.

It should be understood that throughout China's thousands of years of dynasties, the imperial power and Confucianism cooperated to rule the people, and no one truly gave the people rights.

Even supervision.

Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang did create the "Great Proclamation," which somewhat granted the people the right to supervise, and briefly allowed the people to directly arrest corrupt officials and bring them to the capital to file complaints.

But more than a hundred years later, who still brings up the "Great Proclamation"?

Petitions and appeals to the emperor, submitted through imperial edicts, were ultimately seen by the rulers as a backlash from the lower classes and a sign of discontent with their rule.

Even Zhu Yuanzhang himself eventually changed his attitude.

Although the "Drum of Appeal" system remained, allowing people to directly appeal to the emperor when they encountered serious injustices, the system was still in place.

It was even stipulated that officials who obstructed people from beating drums to appeal for justice would be severely punished.

Therefore, the Ming Dynasty Code stipulated that if ordinary people bypassed their own officials and filed complaints with higher-level officials or the imperial court, they would be flogged fifty times regardless of whether they won or lost the case.

This regulation aims to maintain the hierarchical order of the judicial system and prevent arbitrary extrajudicial proceedings from disrupting normal procedures.

It is evident that Zhu Yuanzhang later realized the importance of the system.

After everyone left, Wei Guangde began to handle the day's official business.

Around noon, Lu Bu came in to report the news from the Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Wanli and Shen Shixing held a secret meeting in the main hall, even dismissing the eunuchs around them.

The content of the conversation is unknown.

"Hehe, okay, I understand."

Wei Guangde just smiled.

The Wanli Emperor is increasingly resembling a ruler who makes decisions on a whim, knowing how to employ political maneuvering and maintain a balance in the court.

Clearly, regardless of Shen Shixing's actions, if he wants to maintain his status and position in the court, he must act in accordance with the emperor's wishes.

If he cannot, then the deputy prime minister must be replaced.

Don't think that Wei Guangde's decision to send Shen Shixing to the Qianqing Palace was a mistake. Even without this incident, Shen Shixing would have been required to go if summoned by the emperor.

Therefore, it is not true that letting Shen Shixing go was a wrong choice.

On the contrary, Wei Guangde's decision to allow Shenshi (3-5 PM) to enter the Qianqing Palace was actually beneficial for him to see his own position clearly.

At the very least, it would let him know that the Wanli Emperor was probably planning to cultivate Shen Shixing to keep an eye on him in the cabinet.

Compared to Xu Guo, Wei Guangde was more willing to let Shen Shixing take on this role.

It should be noted that Wei Guangde once attempted to overthrow the State of Xu.

Although Zhao Yongxian's final memorial was not submitted, Wei Guangde knew that the possibility of using the Huizhou Prefecture incident to bring down Xu Guo was zero.

Xu Guo was a pawn used by the Wanli Emperor to restrain him.

Without realizing it, Wei Guangde thought of Chen Ju, who had gone to Huguang, and Hai Rui, who was in charge of investigating the Zhang family's embezzlement of the Liaowang Mansion's property.

I wonder if they've arrived at their destination yet, and how things are progressing. (End of Chapter)