I'm really not doing business

Chapter 1013 The winds in the court were becoming increasingly militaristic and aggressive.

The collapse of consensus was a terrible problem that the Ming Dynasty realized only after seeing the various chaotic phenomena that Japan was experiencing. In fact, this was one of the important results of Wanli's great deliberation, namely the interpretation of the Mandate of Heaven.

After the Wanli Reforms, the Ming Dynasty understood the Mandate of Heaven as the "Three Flowers Gathering at the Top," which means that the past, present, and future selves all agree on the "Three Flowers Gathering at the Top."

If the sages of the past knew of today, they could rest in peace in the afterlife; but we, the people of today, endure calamities, and are determined to continue our journey.

Future generations will remember the blood and tears, and history will praise their virtues; with the three flowers gathered at the top, the mandate of heaven shines brightly.

The collapse of consensus not only undermines the current consensus but also the past consensus. The endless denial of the past has a profound impact on the shaping of future consensus.

The collapse of consensus is the collapse of destiny.

At present, if Toyotomi Hideyoshi wants to launch another war against Korea, he needs to make all the Japanese daimyo submit, even if it's just nominal submission like Oda Nobunaga's. But Toyotomi Hideyoshi simply cannot do that.

The Ming Dynasty's intervention in Japan was comprehensive. The Ming Dynasty had driven too many obstacles into Japan, including Tsushima Island, Iwami Silver Mine, Osaka Bay Garrison Command, Nagasaki Governor's Office, Japanese currency, and now there was another military garrison in Edo.

The comprehensive control over Japan through military, political, economic, and cultural means has led to growing divisions and a rapid breakdown of consensus.

If you want to rebel against the Ming Dynasty, I will be its lackey; if you want to abolish paper money, I will resolutely possess it; if you want to control the silver mines, I will sell them to the Ming Dynasty; if you want to reduce the outflow of Japanese pirates, I will increase it; these disagreements are numerous.

Zhu Yijun and Qi Jiguang then discussed in detail the situation in Japan and the issue of the garrison in Edo.

Something unexpected happened that neither the emperor nor the general anticipated.

Xiong Tingbi implemented a land redistribution policy near Iwami Silver Mine, which was not about returning land to its owners, but about equalizing land distribution.

The standard for returning land to the family during the Ming Dynasty was that no family or clan could return more than 100 hectares, which is equivalent to 10,000 mu. If they wanted more, they had to divide the family property.

Meanwhile, Xiong Tingbi implemented the policy of equal land distribution at Iwami Silver Mine, stipulating that no family or clan could have more than one qing (100 mu) of land. This policy was very successful and had even spread from the Ming Dynasty's actual control to the Mori family.

The Ming Dynasty's control over the territories of Japan was like a sacred mountain pressing down on the country, adding fuel to the fire of the already frequent uprisings. As more and more people learned about the equal land distribution edict of the Iwami Silver Mine, their dissatisfaction with the daimyo, the shogunate, and the Japanese court intensified, and their anger was spreading like wildfire throughout the entire country.

The Japanese shogunate and daimyo were no longer able to quell the civil unrest. Only the Ming army, which destroyed the sacred mountain of Iwami Silver Mine, could put an end to this wave. However, these daimyo were full of contradictions and could not unite to eliminate the Ming army.

Qi Jiguang believed this was a good thing. Xiong Tingbi's actions had accumulated enough experience for the Ming Dynasty to return land to its military control and implement land redistribution. Once the calamity worsened, His Majesty could dispatch elite troops from the Beijing Garrison to carry out a comprehensive land return program for the Ming Dynasty.

Qi Jiguang then spoke about military training and discipline, which was also a required course for the emperor during his daily military inspections.

The general's lecture was well-prepared, and the content he taught was a continuation of the previous lecture: without blood ties, there is no supreme favor; the promotion of literature and the integration of military and civil affairs will naturally lead to success.

If there is a bond of brotherhood, the soldiers will form a unified whole with their general at the center, advancing and retreating with a clear strategy, and attacking and defending in a coordinated manner, thus ensuring victory in every battle.

However, without blood ties, local comrades naturally emerge, making the army prone to getting out of control. This is precisely where the problem lies.

The army is not the imperial court. Once the army starts to form factions, the long-standing conflicts and the resulting clashes are not like those between civil officials, where it's like holding a needle and poking each other, erecting a monument, or writing a book.

Once an army begins to form factions, at best it fosters bandits to enhance its own power, and at worst it leads to regional warlordism.

During the period of regional warlordism at the end of the Tang Dynasty, how many military governors had their heads chopped off by their own soldiers?
If there is a need for frequent warfare, the soldiers will be completely disorganized and mixed after entering the camp. After fighting two battles, the soldiers will become closer than fellow villagers, but without blood ties, the army will be linked together by the bond of fellow villagers.

"Commander Qi, is he the Huai Xi Military Merit?" Zhu Yijun frowned. The Huai Xi Military Merit was also a typical example of someone who emerged from his hometown.
"Cough cough..." Qi Jiguang was drinking water and almost choked. After thinking carefully, he shook his head and said, "The situation of the Huaixi military merits is more complicated."

The situation described by the Huaixi Army and Qi Jiguang, where there is no blood feud but local ties arise naturally, is similar but not entirely the same. It is mainly a political matter rather than a purely military affair.

Conquering the world was no easy feat. Zhu Yuanzhang and the Huaixi military heroes were bound by blood and loyalty. The biggest problem was that Zhu Yuanzhang won. He sat on the dragon throne and became emperor. Even if he was inclined to support his old brothers, he still had to consider the interests of the world when making decisions.

Qi Jiguang didn't say much. His Majesty's political talent is extremely high, and His Majesty fully understands this without Qi Jiguang having to say it.

For example, when the family of Li Wei, the Earl of Wuqing and the father-in-law of the Emperor, made a mistake regarding paper money, His Majesty punished them severely without leniency. His Majesty's choice was exactly the same as that of Emperor Taizu Gao.

After concluding his conversation with Qi Jiguang, the Ming Emperor took a small train back to his study in Tonghe Palace. The day's training exercises had delayed him considerably, so Zhu Yijun immediately began processing the memorials upon returning to his study.

By the time the emperor finished processing today's memorials, it was already late. Zhu Yijun leaned back in his chair, looking at a newly published memorial from the Hanlin Academy.

Research on oracle bone inscriptions is yielding more and more results, and some of the most significant findings will be presented for preview.

In the first year of the Wanli reign, Qishan County in Fengxiang Prefecture, Shaanxi Province, consisted of only four townships and twenty-nine li. After a land survey in the fifth year of the Wanli reign and a general census of population in the ninth year, the county was re-divided into nine townships and seventy-two li according to the population based on land area. After a large number of hidden populations were surveyed, the administrative divisions would change.

In Fengchu Village, Qishan County, villagers unearthed dragon bones while digging cellars. These dragon bones were not oracle bones, but fossils of various ancient creatures. Daming often unearthed fossils of various plants while mining coal. Daming believed that these fossils were all molted dragons, not actual dead ones.

In Zhu Yijun's private treasury, there was a huge dragon molt, which Pan Jixun obtained during the dredging of the Huai-Ji River when he was managing the Yellow River. It was several tens of feet long, with scales, claws, and horns all intact, and its bones were as hard and white as jade.

When villagers unearthed dragon bones, they usually sold them to passing merchants for some silver. To make it easier for the merchants to receive the goods, the villagers thoughtfully broke the dragon bones into small pieces for easy loading and unloading. The merchants who were buying the dragon bones soon discovered something was wrong, because dozens of pieces had writing on them!
The fact that there were words on the bones was a big deal. The merchants reported it to Fengxiang Prefecture, and Fengxiang Prefecture reported it to the imperial court.

Soon the scholars of the Hanlin Academy obtained an imperial decree, and a compiler specializing in epigraphy, along with six editors and dozens of imperial guards, rushed to Fengchu Village and unearthed more than 14000 sets of oracle bones.

After years of collation and analysis, and comparison with the oracle bone inscriptions discovered at Yin Ruins, the Hanlin scholars finally reached a preliminary conclusion and presented the emperor with a conclusion that could be described as crazy: the Shang and Zhou dynasties shared a common origin.

This conclusion is quite revolutionary.

During the Wanli era, people believed that the Zhou dynasty had a very short history. King Tai of Zhou, Gong Danfu, fled to Qishan and established the Zhou dynasty. King Tai of Zhou, King Ji of Zhou, King Wen of Zhou, and King Wu of Zhou—the Zhou dynasty only lasted for four generations before it overthrew the Shang dynasty, which had lasted for countless years.

Now, through the oracle bones unearthed in these two locations, it has been determined that the Zhou king and the Shang king were worshipping the same ancestor.

In the sacrificial rites of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, one's own gods only ate the offerings of one's own family, and one's own family only worshipped one's own ancestors. If outsiders offered sacrifices, the gods would not eat them.

The Qishan Phoenix Chick and the Zhouyuan Oracle Bone Script are both divinations that occurred before King Tai of Zhou, and they are consistent with the ancestral sacrifices of the Shang kings. The texts and scripts of the divinations are highly similar.

The vassal state of Zhoufang appeared much earlier than the recorded time.

It's not the result of four generations of effort, but the result of countless generations of effort.

The Shang and Zhou dynasties were actually one family. The Zhou people also used human sacrifices, but it was not until the time of the Duke of Zhou that human sacrifices were completely abolished.

Since the Shang and Zhou dynasties share the same origin and lineage, a very serious question arises: what exactly is the "Rites of Zhou"?
For Confucian scholars, this was almost a fundamental question, similar to the question of whether gods existed or not. The idea that the Shang and Zhou dynasties shared a common origin completely negated the divinity of the Zhou rites.

In traditional Confucianism, the Zhou rites were considered to be based on the laws of the Three Dynasties, which were not the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, but rather the Yao, Shun, and Yu dynasties.

Its narrative states that during the time of Yao, Shun, and Yu, everything was wonderful. Later, the Shang Dynasty replaced the Xia Dynasty, and began to practice human sacrifice, causing the world to lose all morality.

The Zhou Dynasty revived the rites and laws of Yao, Shun, and Yu, and promoted them throughout the land, thus restoring morality. The Zhou rites can be seen as a symbol of the transmission of the Mandate of Heaven by Yao, Shun, and Yu.

The Confucian tradition states that Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, Wen, Wu, the Duke of Zhou, Confucius, and Mencius were the ancient sages before the Duke of Zhou, and Confucius and Mencius were the sages.

After five years of discussion, the scholars of the Hanlin Academy regretfully announced that the Zhou rites were the rites of the Duke of Zhou, not those of Yao, Shun, and Yu.

Duke Zhou was the younger brother of King Wu of Zhou, Ji Fa. After Ji Fa's death, the throne passed to King Cheng of Zhou. However, King Cheng was still young when he ascended the throne, and a rebellion broke out. Duke Zhou led the army to the east to fight the rebellion. He was virtuous and cautious in his punishments, and he governed the country with propriety, which led to the reign of Cheng and Kang.

Before the Duke of Zhou assumed regency, the rites and laws of Zhou and Shang were almost identical. It was only after the Duke of Zhou took over that reforms began.

After the Duke of Zhou, the Zhou dynasty spent hundreds of years continuously revising and revising the "Rites of Zhou" before it became the Zhou Rites revered by Confucianism.

"Lord Zhou, this is a bit too impressive." Zhu Yijun came to this conclusion naturally after reading the article from the Hanlin Academy.

People used to think that the Zhou rites were powerful because the Zhou dynasty was powerful;
But now the Hanlin Academy has found these oracle bones, proving that the Zhou Dynasty became powerful because of the Duke of Zhou's greatness.

The Duke of Zhou's personal struggle was the true revolution and the true renewal of his destiny.

“If the Shang and Zhou dynasties truly share a common origin, then the Book of Documents’ record of the Duke of Zhou is indeed somewhat conservative,” Feng Bao said, expressing his strong agreement.

"The Shang and Zhou dynasties share the same origin, and the Zhou rites trace back to their origins." Zhu Yijun looked at the memorial in front of him, shook his head and said, "Once this article is published, these few Hanlin scholars will probably be immediately labeled as heretics. The old scholars will probably go to the Huangji Gate to kneel before the palace gates, emulating Bi Gan's death in remonstrance, and also have these people executed to prevent such subversive and rebellious words from bewitching people's hearts."

"Even Gao Qiyu, who was in charge of the Hanlin Academy, probably couldn't escape it."

This memorial is extremely serious. Once it is definitively established that the Shang and Zhou dynasties share a common origin, and that the Zhou rites were merely the result of the Duke of Zhou's personal struggle, it would be subversive to all Confucian classics and constitute heresy. In order to uphold the Confucian orthodoxy, the lowly Confucian scholars might even resort to the burning at the stake.

The stake was also a form of human sacrifice.

However, the oracle bones that were actually unearthed proved that the Shang and Zhou dynasties were worshipping the same ancestor, and that the worship began as early as the reign of King Wu Ding.

“Your Majesty, this is a good thing for Confucianism, but a bad thing for Confucian scholars today.” Feng Bao explained the meaning of his words in detail, which was also the fundamental reason why the Hanlin Academy was writing this memorial.

Confucianism needs reform. No matter how powerful the wisdom of the sages is, it can only guide us for five hundred years. After five hundred years, this wisdom will become an obstacle to development.

If Confucianism survives the growing pains of this transformation and innovates, it will remain a prominent and unshakable doctrine of self-cultivation in the future. However, if Confucianism fails to seize the opportunity presented by this great wave of change, it may be eliminated.

Although Zhou was an old state, its mandate was renewed.

The reason why Confucianism remained a prominent and even sacred school of thought from the pre-Qin period to the Ming Dynasty is because of its powerful vitality in adapting to changes in the times.

Confucianism has lost its sacredness. If it continues to cling to outdated ideas, it may even lose its status as a prominent school of thought.

The followers of the theories of contradiction, public and private, and freedom are already as numerous as sparks, and even the theory of class has loyal supporters, while Confucianism is still clinging to outdated ideas and will surely be eliminated.

"Since they are prepared to be martyred, let it be published in the official gazette." Zhu Yijun still allowed the memorial to be published in the official gazette.

When things reach an impasse, change is necessary; only through change can progress be made. Although Confucianism has not yet reached its dead end, it is not far off.

Since the things that the Confucius family in Yanzhou did were repeatedly embellished and circulated among the people, the sanctity of Confucianism has been completely lost. At this moment, Confucianism is still a prominent school of thought, but it exists only because of inertia. These few true Confucian scholars saw the crisis.

"Alas, I have actually seen such integrity in these Hanlin scholars." Zhu Yijun had to admit that these Hanlin scholars were truly very brave, daring to even deny the sanctity of Confucian classics.

“Your Majesty, the scholar-officials of the Ming Dynasty still have a certain integrity, such as Hai Rui, Xu Chengchu, and Yuan Keli.” Feng Bao believed that not all the scholars of the Ming Dynasty were rotten to the core; there were good and bad, but there were just too many bad ones, which made things a mess.

Integrity is not lacking.

"Your Majesty, some time ago, several censors went to Songjiang Prefecture. In order to teach the students the character 'perseverance,' they sent them to the military. It's not surprising that the Hanlin Academy scholars did this," Feng Bao reminded His Majesty. The integrity of the Hanlin Academy scholars was not without precedent.

Those imperial censors who went to Songjiang Prefecture insisted on subjecting the Ming Dynasty students to the hardships of military service because they saw a crisis.

"What you say makes sense." Zhu Yijun nodded. The scholar who had grown up during the Wanli Reforms had finally entered officialdom, bringing even more changes to the political arena.

In another ten or twenty years, even if Zhu Yijun wanted to turn back, there would be no way back. From top to bottom, inside and out, everyone was a reformer, someone who had grown up in the great tide of reform. Their view of reform was that it should be this way. If Zhu Yijun wanted to be a good emperor, ensure his own survival and health, and completely outlive the old guard, then the reformers would win.

"Where is Liang Menglong at this time?" Zhu Yijun inquired about the progress of the Pingbo Campaign. Liang Menglong had arrived in Chengdu, and the imperial edict from the Ming Dynasty would only be reaching Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Guizhou by then. With preparation time added, the battle probably wouldn't start until the end of the year.

"Judging by the time, Minister Liang should be arriving in Xi'an Prefecture by now." Feng Bao wasn't talking nonsense. Liang Menglong would travel by imperial road to Xi'an Prefecture, and then set off from Xi'an Prefecture to Chengdu. Judging by the days, he should have arrived in Xi'an by now.

Zhu Yijun attached great importance to the Pingbo War, but he was also afraid that it would turn into the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan Wars, which would result in the loss of vital resources due to the defeat of a hereditary chieftain, and that this would not be the emperor's intention.

The longer the war to pacify Bozhou lasted, the less respect these southwestern chieftains showed.

"Hmm." Zhu Yijun nodded. After washing up, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to rest. He reflected on everything that had happened that day before lying down on the bed and falling into a deep sleep.

The Ming emperor waited and waited for more than ten days, but no one came to the Huangji Gate to pay their respects. The lowly scholars had once again disappointed His Majesty.

These great Confucian scholars had the ability, determination, and courage to risk their lives and fortunes to lead the transformation of Confucianism.

The lowly scholars didn't even have the courage to kneel before the Emperor's throne, which greatly disappointed the Ming Emperor, as he missed out on another entertaining spectacle.

Not to mention impeaching these Hanlin scholars, there wasn't even a single memorial to the throne, because these Hanlin scholars were themselves old pedants and great Confucian scholars.

"Zhang Yingdeng, a supervising secretary of the Ministry of War, submitted a memorial stating that Annam was not obedient and had repeatedly caused trouble. He earnestly requested that the imperial army march south to punish the disobedient." Zhang Juzheng's expression was very complicated as he held a memorial and read it aloud to the many court officials.

"The Annamite Mo family has received imperial favor for generations, yet instead of showing respect, they outwardly comply with the Ming Dynasty's decrees while inwardly defying them. Now, they have sent envoys again to presumptuously discuss state affairs. Their crimes are heinous, and it is time to punish them and bring them to justice!" said Wang Guoji, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, in a stern voice.

These words sparked a flurry of discussion among the court officials, the cause of which was quite simple.

Merchants from the Ming Dynasty bought too much grain in Annam. With such a large population, what would happen if there wasn't enough grain to eat?
Easy, just turn the extra people into barbarian slaves, and the problem will be solved.

Merchant ships from the Ming Dynasty would carry large quantities of goods from Guangzhou to Da Nang in Annam. After unloading, they would load up the barbarians that had grown out of the ship's hold and transport them to plantations in Southeast Asia. Then, they would transport the raw materials produced in the plantations back to the Ming Dynasty, carry more goods to Da Nang, exchange them for enough grain, and return to the Ming Dynasty.

This trade cycle could run two or three times a year, and each three-masted deck ship could make a net profit of fifty to sixty thousand taels of silver, so the business was naturally very prosperous.

In May of this year, the Annamite Ma family sent envoys to the capital again. In June, the Annamite envoys presented a memorial, hoping to obtain His Majesty's leniency and abolish the legality of imported grain and trade with foreign slaves.

This military official directly impeached Annam, demanding that the imperial court severely punish the imperial army.

Zhu Yijun frowned as he watched the court officials' discussions. Most of them agreed that Zhang Yingdeng's army should go south to punish the enemy, while only a few stubborn conservatives, such as Zhang Juzheng, Zhang Xueyan, and Qi Jiguang, did not agree with sending troops now.

The political climate in the court is becoming increasingly... militaristic and aggressive.

This was inevitable, because the Ming army's might was awe-inspiring, and the Ming had a high probability of winning a war. A military victory would allow them to plunder wealth, and a political victory would allow them to expand their territory.

Even if they didn't win, the Ming Dynasty wouldn't lose; this was the fundamental reason why the Ming court was so warlike.

King Antonio of Portugal, abandoning his previous decadence, led his Papal Army to victory against the Spanish invaders. However, Portugal was weak, and Antonio could only go to Spain to plead for peace. He neither won nor lost the war, which made him increasingly militaristic.

"Previously, there was a prevailing sentiment in the court to promote both civil and military affairs. We had just escaped the predicament of 'forgetting war is dangerous,' but now things have changed completely, and we've entered a dead end of exhausting our resources for war. What are you all talking about?" Zhang Juzheng's face was ashen, and he raised his voice slightly to suppress all the discussions.

When Zhang Juzheng lost his temper, the court officials would look at each other and fall silent, though their eyes held a hint of resentment.

This Wenhua Hall is the seat of divine artifacts, not a place for Zhang Juzheng to dictate terms. Isn't court deliberation just about arguing? If you can't win an argument, you resort to using your power to suppress others. What's the point of court deliberation then? You, Zhang Juzheng, can just make all the decisions by yourself.

“Prime Minister, history never judges aggressors, much less victors.” Gao Qiyu’s voice sounded particularly abrupt. As the Minister of Rites, Gao Qiyu’s words caused quite a stir.

The court officials began exchanging glances. This traitor from the Zhang family, after becoming the Minister of Rites, had started to cause trouble for Zhang Juzheng!

Upon hearing this, Zhang Juzheng looked at Gao Qiyu, his expression growing increasingly grim. He explicitly opposed aggressive military expansion, because the long history had already shown everyone the consequences of such expansion.

But Gao Qiyu is right: history does not judge the victors, nor does it judge the aggressors.

Throughout history, both in China and abroad, many countries that have committed aggression have never faced any punishment!

On the contrary, these invaders never repaid the enormous benefits they had taken, nor did they even apologize.

The vast territory of the Ming Dynasty was never obtained through justice and morality, but through force, by reclaiming the lost lands.

During the Yongle reign, the Ming Dynasty launched two campaigns against Annam. Regardless of justice and morality, which are concepts of good and evil that change over time, the Ming Dynasty never gave back what it had gained from Annam.

Spanish colonists stormed into the ancient Inca kingdom, killed their king, burned their homes, and massacred all the inhabitants. Using smallpox as a weapon, they conquered and plundered the land, squeezing every last drop of blood and every last bit of wealth from the barbarians.

Spain was not put on trial; it was Felipe who went mad and insisted on launching a campaign against England.

“Prime Minister, it is indeed wrong to wage war and expand militarism. So how about this, let’s be hypocritical. Grandfather invades, father is friendly, son apologizes, and so on. Wouldn’t that be better? Or the son doesn’t apologize at all. If he doesn’t admit his mistake, then he’s not wrong.” Gao Qiyu’s voice was not loud, and his tone was very calm, but his words were extremely cruel.

The strong will prevail, the weak will perish. In this age of great strife, the highest moral standards are meant for the people of the Ming Dynasty, not for the barbarians.

"Young Master, watch your words." Zhu Yijun picked up the bronze hammer in his hand and struck the small brass bell, reminding Gao Qiyu not to speak so directly, especially to his teacher, and to maintain sufficient respect.

The bronze hammer and bronze bell were placed in front of the emperor's desk. They were treasures left by the Jiajing Emperor. If the noise got too loud, the Taoist priest would strike them. Of course, sometimes, when he was in a hurry, he would strike them continuously.

Zhu Yijun rarely used this tool before, but today he tapped it and found the sound to be quite crisp.

"Your Majesty, I am filled with trepidation," Gao Qiyu hurriedly replied. He knew he had gone too far, but he had made his point clear.

The Ming Dynasty was an empire with enormous military expenditures. Since its founding, it had been in a state of war almost every year. It had a large and powerful bureaucratic system with extensive jurisdiction, low taxes, and little fiscal revenue. Most of its limited tax revenue was invested in war, and it protected its trade through a maritime ban.

An empire should do what an empire should do. Instead of spending all day meticulously calculating lost territories, why not calculate Shuntian Prefecture as well!

When the Ming Dynasty's finances were no longer constrained by military power, aggressive military expansion became inevitable.

"No need for formalities." Zhu Yijun was merely reminding Gao Qiyu to be careful with his words; he was not opposing Gao Qiyu's argument.

The Ming army spends 1470 million taels of silver annually to maintain the massive Beijing Garrison and navy. The Beijing Garrison and navy always have to do something to prove their necessity and value.

Gao Qiyu looked at Zhang Juzheng without flinching or avoiding him, and said with a serious expression, "Prime Minister, what the Ming Dynasty wants cannot be obtained without fighting. Even though the Ming Dynasty has a commodity advantage and produces a wide variety of goods, all we have earned from maritime trade over the years is hard-earned money."

"It was only after the Prince of Lu took up his fief in Jinshan Kingdom and began to beat, coerce, and entice the three governorates that a fundamental change occurred, allowing our goods to command a higher price."

"This premium includes the costs of war; to put it bluntly, it's about receiving protection..."

"Ding Ding Ding!"

Zhu Yijun struck the bronze bell three times to interrupt Gao Qiyu, but did not give any further instructions. This Gao Qiyu used to speak in a refined and roundabout way, but now that he has become the Minister of Rites, he has become more and more outspoken!
What does "collecting protection money" mean? It's clearly about sharing the necessary expenses for maintaining trade security!

To put it another way, it would be easier for people to accept: protection money. The Ming Dynasty wasn't some kind of criminal gang. Saying it like that is too harsh.

“You’re absolutely right,” Zhang Juzheng sighed. “Actually, what you’re saying is something that Wan Zongbo has said to me before, more than once. I know it, and I agree with it. Young Zongbo, if we only look at the conflicts between countries and engage in militarism, it’s not entirely a wrong path.”

"But war is never just an external conflict; the harm of militarism is more about exacerbating domestic conflicts."

The saying "those who love war will perish" is not just an empty phrase; history has repeatedly proven it.

Since the second year of the Longqing reign, there have been very few wars on the Ming Dynasty's own soil. After more than twenty years of peace, people have begun to forget what war looks like.

War gradually transformed into a glorious, honorable, and even romantic legend, into heroic deeds in storytelling, into almost omnipotent feats in folk tales, into a celestial general descending to earth, and people longed to become that great figure descended from heaven.

War is never a grand and heroic adventure, nor a wonderful and exciting experience. At the very least, the Ming Dynasty should not embark on the dead end of militarism amidst cheers.

The damage that war inflicts on society is devastating. Zhang Juzheng, as one of the leaders of the empire, was well aware of this. He had personally witnessed the immense suffering of the people caused by the northern barbarians' rampage and the rampant Japanese pirates, and the extremely bloody retaliation of the Ming Dynasty.

The result of war is a lose-lose situation.

Zhang Juzheng never advocated total war, but rather localized and rapid war. Since the Wanli Reforms, all wars have been localized and rapid. Even the longest-running war, the suppression of Japanese pirates in Korea, lasted only three years before it was stopped.

If things continue like this, and the day truly comes when we run out of resources for war, the Ming Dynasty, which is constantly launching attacks on all sides, will destroy itself in the process.

"Let's talk about Annam after the Pingbo War is over," Qi Jiguang said after taking a deep breath. "We're already fighting on two fronts in the southwest. We're fighting Toungoo, and we also have to fight the Bozhou chieftain. How can we fight Annam now? From a military perspective, this is a military adventure. I don't agree with using force against Annam now."

As the Grand General, Qi Jiguang made the final decision and rejected the idea of ​​using force at this moment.

"I believe the two gentlemen are right. The matter of Annam will be discussed again later." Seeing that Wen Zhang Wuqi had made a clear statement, Zhu Yijun made the final decision, and the matter was temporarily put aside.

"Your Majesty, we obey." Zhang Juzheng and Qi Jiguang led the assembled officials in bowing again, complying with the emperor's will.

After Zhang Juzheng sat down, his expression was filled with deep worry. With Wen Zhang, Wu Qi and Qi Jiguang in court, they could suppress this tendency toward militarism. But once Wen Zhang, Wu Qi and Qi Jiguang were gone, who would suppress this tendency?

Even Shen Shixing's gaze towards Zhang Juzheng became somewhat strange. Perhaps even this meticulous disciple felt that the conservative Grand Secretary was getting in the way.

Is His Majesty, sitting on the dragon throne, able to suppress this tendency?
Zhang Juzheng thought it was possible, but he wasn't entirely sure. His Majesty was a warmonger and never cared about his reputation or even the established laws of his ancestors.

Japan and Korea were among the fifteen countries that would not be conquered. Korea was a territory of the Ming Dynasty, and Japan had Ming troops stationed there.

Zhang Juzheng sighed and could only continue the court discussion. Death is fair to everyone; once someone dies, they are dead, and there's no way to control what happens after they die.

“This year, only three galleons from the West arrived at the new port, and all of them came from Portugal. Spain has completely stopped the galleon trade. Even these three ships had to pay a large bribe to pass through the Strait of Magellan.” Grand Minister Zhang Xueyan took out a memorial, his face solemn.

Last year, Spain sent envoys, but the amount of silver they carried was significantly reduced. This year, Spain has completely stopped the galleon trade.

Shen Li stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I inquired in detail with the Portuguese envoy and finally understood the reason. In order to conquer England, King Felipe of Spain mobilized all his ships and sent them to the battlefield. Although he achieved some results, he eventually withdrew them all from England."

Shen Li was also a conservative. He didn't think now was a good time to take action, so he explained why the large sailing ship trade had stopped.

Spain's militarism led it into a quagmire from which it could not extricate itself.

In war, people can only decide when it begins; no one knows when or in what form it will end.

The court's decision-making may indeed be somewhat conservative, even rigid and stubborn, but preventing the Ming Dynasty from easily getting bogged down in war may also be a moral high ground.

(End of this chapter)