prosperous age

Constitutional monarchy is a state system relative to absolute monarchy. It is a system that retains the monarchy but establishes popular sovereignty, limits the power of the monarch, and realizes the ideal of republicanism in practical matters without adopting a republican form of government.

Although constitutional monarchy can be divided into two types: dualistic constitutional monarchy and parliamentary constitutional monarchy, it actually emerged at different stages of the development of the constitutional monarchy system, rather than being formed from the beginning.

The Glorious Revolution in Britain is considered a precedent for constitutional monarchies, but Britain initially practiced a dual constitutional monarchy. It was only later, with the development of history, that it transitioned to a parliamentary constitutional monarchy.

In later times, parliamentary constitutional monarchy became the mainstream, and most countries that retained a monarch adopted this system.

In reality, this was also the result of a struggle between imperial power and parliamentary power.

In 1215, England issued the Magna Carta, which for the first time limited royal power.

The Magna Carta, also known as the Magna Carta of Liberty, was a document that King John was forced to sign at Runnymede on June 15, 1215, by English nobles.

The Magna Carta, consisting of 63 articles written in Latin, stipulates that all free citizens enjoy the right to freedom and that no one may be convicted without due process of law.

It upheld the rights of nobles and priests, and protected the interests of knights and free peasants.

It limited many of the king's powers and established the principle that "the king is subject to the law."

It also covers aspects such as protecting commercial freedom, protecting private property, and standardizing weights and measures.

The Montfort Parliament convened in 1265, which for the first time included representatives of the common people. By 1295, the Model Parliament had established the basic structure of the English Parliament.

From the 14th century onwards, Parliament was divided into the House of Lords, composed of nobles and clergy, and the House of Commons, composed of knights and citizens, to formulate English laws.

At this point, the power struggle between the King and Parliament began to revolve around the country.

It wasn't until 300 years later, through the so-called "Glorious Revolution" of 1688, that Parliament achieved an overwhelming victory.

In 1689, Parliament passed the Bill of Rights, establishing the principle that Parliament was superior to the monarchy.

In 1701, Parliament passed the Act of Settlement, which further restricted eligibility for the throne and consolidated Parliament’s legislative power.

In 1721, Robert Walpole became the first prime minister. The cabinet was formed by the majority party in the House of Commons and was responsible to Parliament, creating a situation where the king "reigned but did not rule," and "King's Landing" became a symbol of sovereignty.

This is the development process of the British constitutional monarchy, and the so-called "Glorious Revolution," also known as the "Coup of 1688," was a coup d'état in which the British Parliament overthrew the Stuart dynasty and restored the monarchy.

Since the Reformation, the anti-Catholic tradition in England has been very strong.

In 1685, after James II ascended the throne, he attempted to restore Catholicism and feudal autocratic rule, which led to conflict with the British people.

On June 30, 1688, with the support of the Tories, the Whigs invited William III, the Dutch consul, to send troops to attack James II.

In late October or early November of the same year, William III led his army to land in Devonshire.

On December 10, James II fled London to France.

Subsequently, the British Parliament passed a resolution to allow William III and his wife Mary II to rule jointly in Britain, thus completing the coup.

These were all things that Wei Guangde had learned by curiously researching materials in the past.

It can only be said that James II stood on the opposite side of the country.

In fact, it originated in the 16th century and has already become dominant in England.

James II, however, chose to go against the tide and wanted to restore the Catholic Church's position in the English religious community, which naturally led to widespread opposition and alienation.

In particular, the defection of John Churchill, the deputy commander of the Wang army, became the last straw that broke the camel's back, causing the Wang army to lose without a fight despite having the upper hand.

Did the Ming Dynasty have the conditions to create such a revolutionary atmosphere?
of course not.

In the Ming Dynasty, imperial power was always supreme, unless the country was in chaos and the foundation of the court's rule was shaken.

However, at that time, it wasn't that the people wanted rights or to form a "people's parliament," but rather a change of dynasty.

Therefore, it was simply impossible to establish a constitutional monarchy in the Ming Dynasty.

In China, the only option for revolution is for a republic to replace the monarchy; there is no other choice.

However, a republic is simply out of the question; it simply doesn't have the foundation.

Although republicanism seems to be compatible with many social systems, it first appeared in the slave societies of ancient Greece and Rome, and later formed urban republics in medieval Italy, Marseille, France, and other places.

However, the true republican system was not formally established until the French Revolution in the 18th century, which is a relatively late development.

The concept of republican politics originated in the West. In the 19th century, the Japanese translated the word "republic" from the "Annals of Zhou" in the Records of the Grand Historian, and it spread.

The reason it is translated as "Republic" is because the Japanese believe that from the time King Li of Zhou lost power to the time King Xuan of Zhou took power, the Western Zhou Dynasty experienced a monarchical autocracy without a Zhou king, and the fourteen years of reign by the Duke of Zhou and the Duke of Shao were called "Republic," which is closer to the Western concept of "republic."

The Records of the Grand Historian, Annals of Zhou: "Duke Shao and Duke Zhou served as prime ministers and governed the country, which was called the 'Republic'."

Song Ouyang Xiu wrote in "On the Ming Dynasty's Righteous Succession": "In the past, during the chaos of King Li of Zhou, there was no ruler in the world. The Duke of Zhou and the Duke of Shao ruled for fourteen years before King Xuan ascended the throne. Thus, the Zhou dynasty was interrupted for fourteen years and then resumed."

However, historians of the Zhou dynasty recorded the years of Zhou and Shao as the Gonghe period, and Sima Qian also included them in his "Chronological Tables."

Wei Guangde didn't know why, but he suddenly had the idea of ​​limiting imperial power.

Perhaps, subconsciously, he had already realized that the woman in the Qianqing Palace seemed to be threatening his power.

Even so, whenever Wei Guangde regained his composure and faced reality, he abandoned this unrealistic idea.

He was not a "revolutionary" party member to begin with, and he was not good at revolutionary matters.

The current Grand Secretary is essentially a patch-up artist, keeping the Ming Dynasty afloat. Perhaps by utilizing the "prophet" brought by later generations to make repairs, it might be able to shine for a while longer.

He couldn't do anything, and he wasn't capable of doing it.

After lunch, Lu Bu cleaned up the dishes, and Wei Guangde began to rest.

Before long, Lu Bu came in with a book and whispered, "Master, this is from the Embroidered Uniform Guard. They said it was something you asked them to collect a few days ago."

"Oh, let me see."

Wei Guangde's mind was still a bit muddled at the moment, and he couldn't recall asking the Embroidered Uniform Guard for anything.

However, it was only when I took it in my hand and opened it that I suddenly realized what it meant.

This was an order he gave directly to Liu Shouyou more than two months ago, instructing him to use the convenience of the Embroidered Uniform Guards in various places to collect information on the income of people in all parts of the Ming Dynasty.

The current situation in the Ming Dynasty looks very good, especially after the opening of the seas, the huge amount of customs revenue has filled the national treasury and swept away the previous financial difficulties.

However, Wei Guangde had earlier realized that the overseas market was only so big and could not continuously absorb the creations of the Ming Dynasty.

To maintain the current economic development of the Ming Dynasty, we still need to focus on boosting domestic demand.

Appropriately breaking the small-scale farming model might enable greater development of domestic industry and commerce.

However, we must be cautious in dismantling this small-scale peasant economy model, as it could lead to serious problems if not handled properly.

After all, at this time, the people of the Ming Dynasty were mostly self-sufficient, and they took care of most of their own food, clothing, housing and transportation. Only a few commodities under the supervision of the court, such as salt and ironware, required them to go out to purchase, as they could not produce them themselves.

Therefore, Wei Guangde had long ago asked the Embroidered Uniform Guard to help investigate the income of ordinary families in cities and villages throughout the Ming Dynasty.

And what we have in our hands now is the first-hand information obtained by the Embroidered Uniform Guard when they went deep into the local areas.

This was far more accurate than the figures he had Zhang Xueyan compile through the Ministry of Revenue, so from the very beginning, Wei Guangde had no intention of having the court investigate and compile the statistics. Instead, he assigned the task to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who had manpower and a wide network, and could provide him with the most accurate data.

It should be said that, compared with later generations, the income situation of ordinary people in the Ming Dynasty is not much different now.

Urban households have higher incomes than rural households, and business households have higher incomes than households with employees.

At the same time, there are also obvious differences between the North and the South.

Well, in later generations it seems that the main difference was between the east and the west, but the information about the Embroidered Uniform Guard that was presented to Wei Guangde at this time showed a very clear difference between the north and the south.

This may be the biggest difference between national income in ancient and modern China.

According to the income data of rural families in Jiangnan collected by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the average annual income of ordinary people was around 14 taels of silver.

This is the income of farmers in Jiangnan.

They were almost entirely self-sufficient in terms of food, clothing, and shelter, and had no other needs. Therefore, according to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, they had a slight surplus after purchasing necessary supplies.

Even landless people, who are tenant farmers, can earn 9.8 taels of silver a year.

Their food and lodging were largely provided by the landlords.

The income of migrant workers in cities is significantly higher than that of farmers, reaching as much as 23 taels.

It specifically mentions that the Jiangnan weaving workshops employed a large number of female workers, whose annual income could reach more than 10 taels of silver. In particular, skilled female workers could even earn up to 30 taels of silver a year.

It is important to know that in ancient times, men were the main force in supporting the family and shouldering the heavy responsibility of providing for the household.

However, with the development of the textile industry in Jiangnan, women have a very high status in these workshops and their income is also very high.

Compared to the relatively high income of these urban "worker" families, the average annual income of ordinary urban laborers was only 18 taels.

Merchants, such as the oil seller and street vendors, could earn up to 20 taels of silver a year.

Wei Guangde's understanding of this was that among the people of Jiangnan, women were no longer staying at home to take care of their husbands and children, but instead went out to work in workshops.

Because of the addition of one person's income, the family income is significantly higher.

In contrast, the numbers in the north are simply unbearable to look at.

In rural northern China, an annual income of only 8 or 9 taels of silver was barely enough to support a family, let alone have any surplus.

Urban families earned only 14 or 5 taels of silver, significantly less than those in the south.

In the capital city, the wealthiest city in the north, artisans could earn up to 20 taels of silver a year, while those working in shops in the city could earn 14 taels a year, and those working in workshops could earn 15 or 6 taels. However, the income of ordinary people outside the capital city was almost halved, with only around 9 taels of silver.

The income of ordinary people in the capital was not as high as that in the Jiangnan region. No wonder the north was the most chaotic place at the end of the Ming Dynasty, while the Jiangnan region was relatively stable.

To put it bluntly, the economic foundation is there.

The people of Jiangnan are far more resilient to risks than those in the north.

A few years of drought in the north can directly lead to widespread poverty and hardship, especially among ordinary people.
Wei Guangde didn't want to say those four words; for someone from the modern era, they were simply too difficult to accept.

“It might work in Jiangnan, but we must not rush into it in the North.”

The vast gap between the North and the South made Wei Guangde realize that no matter what policies were implemented, the gap between the North and the South must be taken seriously.

The levies imposed at the end of the Ming Dynasty were the same in the north and south. As a result, the south was able to barely make ends meet, while the north was unable to make ends meet, which directly led to the people revolting.

"Reed cloth".

Wei Guangde called out to the door.

"master."

Lu Bu strode in and stood bowing before him.

"Have the Zhongshu (Secretariat) make six or seven copies of this document and send them over."

Wei Guangde gave the order, handing over the letter in his hand at the same time.

Half an hour later, Wei Guangde had already sat back down at his desk and started processing the remaining official documents. Lu Bu then returned the copied documents.

Wei Guangde picked out six copies and handed them back to Lu Bu, instructing, "Have someone deliver these six copies to the Six Ministries and give them directly to the officials in charge. Make sure they review them personally."

Then came the remaining copy. Wei Guangde stamped it with his seal before handing it to Lu Bu, saying, "Send this copy to the Directorate of Ceremonial and request that it be presented to the Emperor for review in the Qianqing Palace."

As for the original document handed over by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Wei Guangde simply placed it aside, intending to put it in the bookshelf later.

This is firsthand information, and we might need to take it out and look at it sometime.

"Yes."

Lu Bu agreed and took the copy out of the duty room.

He had certainly read the contents. He was not clear about the situation outside the capital, but the figures inside the city were quite accurate.

However, what truly opened his eyes was the record of the income of the people in Jiangnan.

In the past, he and those around him thought that in the capital, under the emperor's nose, their income should be considered high.

But after looking at the attachment in my hand, I realized that the income of people in the Jiangnan region was so high.

No wonder those scholars all say "Jiangnan is good," it seems that Jiangnan is indeed good.

Zhang Hong of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, along with the six ministers, soon received the copy sent by Wei Guangde, and their reactions varied.

After all, Wei Guangde only copied the data without making any annotations.

After carefully examining the income of people in various parts of the Ming Dynasty, Zhang Hong, from the Directorate of Ceremonial, only noticed that the income gap between the people in the north and south seemed rather large.

As for the ministers of the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War, Jiang Zhi and Zhang Ke were completely unaware of the metaphor in Wei Guangde's delivery of the documents, and thought it was perfectly normal.

It's only natural that people in the Jiangnan region have higher incomes than those in the North.

The climate in the Jiangnan region is favorable, and agricultural output, along with handicrafts, significantly surpasses that of the North, so higher incomes are to be expected.

Only Zhang Xueyan, the Minister of Revenue, through observing the huge difference between the income of rural people in the north and south, that was 14 taels and 9 taels, vaguely thought of the way the imperial court collected taxes from the whole country.

"This tax is levied based on output. Does Grand Secretary Wei intend to raise taxes in the south to subsidize the north?"

This was the only thing Zhang Xueyan could think of; otherwise, Wei Guangde wouldn't have sent it over.

Of course, he was actually overthinking it.

Wei Guangde used this document simply to remind these important officials that they must be clear about the differences between the North and the South of the Ming Dynasty, and that when discussing state affairs and issuing decrees, they must take these differences into account.

At the beginning of Shen Shi (3-5 PM), Wei Guangde finally finished his paperwork and had some free time.

Thinking of the document he had just sent out, Wei Guangde spread out Xuan paper and wrote a memorial, requesting imperial approval for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to make it a routine practice to investigate the income of people in various regions every year. (End of this chapter)