I'm really not doing business

Chapter 1070 Relying on the size of the nation and the number of its people

After Zhu Yijun finished processing the memorials from Yingtian Prefecture, a problem arose before him that he had to consider.

Qi Jiguang was completely trustworthy, but what about Li Rusong?
There is another crucial issue here that Zhu Yijun must consider.

The two pillars of the state, Zhang Juzheng and Qi Jiguang, were both Zhu Yijun's mentors. One was a civil official, and the other a military strategist. They taught Zhu Yijun how to be a qualified ruler. This relationship between the emperor and his tutors brought the emperor even closer to Zhang Juzheng and Qi Jiguang.

Just like Gao Qiyu's essay "Shun also gave orders to Yu" in the provincial examination in Yingtian Prefecture, the emperor didn't really care much. On the contrary, Zhang Juzheng never let Gao Qiyu off the hook for the rest of his life.

It is obvious that Li Rusong's relationship with the emperor was not so close; it was purely a relationship between ruler and subject, just as Shen Shixing would never dare to act presumptuously in front of the emperor.

However, the number of times Zhang Juzheng argued with the emperor was comparable to the number of times Zhu Yijun and Empress Wang argued.

At this point, the military system needs further reform, requiring the intervention of a balancing force.

This check and balance was not the check and balance of eunuchs and civil officials on the commander-in-chief Li Rusong. There are enough historical experiences and lessons to show that the balance of power between generals and commanders is useless. If it were useful, there wouldn't have been so many military governors killed in the mid-to-late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

The emperor stood up and searched the bookshelf behind him, eventually finding a memorial from Qi Jiguang. This was the memorial written by Qi Jiguang when the origins of the border soldiers were determined. The Ming Dynasty had conducted a comprehensive population census in the border garrisons, returning soldiers who had left the military to civilian status. The Ming Dynasty's military population had decreased from two million to one million, but the pay remained unchanged.

Military pay should be distributed to soldiers.

At that time, Qi Jiguang said that he wanted to form a border garrison. Qi Jiguang's reason was that the border garrison not only guarded the border, but also occasionally needed to attack. Therefore, the border garrison was very important. Qi Jiguang planned twenty-seven border infantry battalions to be stationed in nine key border areas.

When Zhu Yijun saw this memorial again, his feeling was completely different. The border infantry battalion not only had the function of attacking the border, but also had the function of balancing with the capital garrison.

A system of checks and balances at the top level is not enough; a balance of power is also needed to keep ambitious individuals within the Beijing garrison from acting violently and out of control.

Zhu Yijun searched for a while longer and took out another memorial by Qi Jiguang. This memorial was written in the sixteenth year of the Wanli reign (1681) after Qi Jiguang's triumphant return, in which he discussed the reasons for the rise and fall of the Ming Dynasty's capital garrison.

The Ming Dynasty's capital garrison experienced numerous ups and downs, undergoing several disbandments, reorganizations, and reforms. However, no matter what it did, the capital garrison would gradually weaken.

The reasons behind this are complex. While the garrison troops were very capable, they were also very expensive. However, the high cost was not the problem with the garrison troops; poverty was the problem with the Ming Dynasty. The rise and fall of the garrison troops were always related to the health of the Ming Dynasty's finances. When the court was rich, the garrison troops were strong; when the court was in financial distress, the garrison troops were weak and powerless.

Zhu Yijun sought out this memorial because he remembered a passage from it.

As the ancients said, "An arrogant army will perish." Why? Because the most important matters of state are military affairs and sacrifices. An arrogant army underestimates its enemy and is overconfident, and will inevitably be defeated by the enemy, as well as by its own internal forces.

An arrogant soldier often relies on the size of his country and the number of his people. When he is abroad, he underestimates the enemy and advances recklessly, making mistakes in his advance and retreat, which is a great taboo. When he is at home, he is arrogant, lawless, tyrannical, and oppressive to the people, which is unbearable.

The decline of the Beijing garrison was due to arrogance, and its demise was inevitable.

Qi Jiguang's memorial to the throne examines the rise and fall of the Beijing Garrison from the perspective that an arrogant army is bound to be defeated.

In his view, the decline of the Beijing Garrison was not only caused by huge financial losses, an imbalance between civil and military affairs, and the promotion of civil over military affairs, but also by its own arrogance. Externally, it underestimated the enemy and acted rashly, which easily led to defeat on the battlefield. Internally, it committed many illegal acts, which the people could not tolerate, thus forming a consensus to weaken the Beijing Garrison.

The Tumu Crisis is a true reflection of this. Underestimating the enemy and advancing recklessly, the Battle of Tumu Fortress resulted in a crushing defeat. The rapid decline of the Beijing garrison's fighting strength was obvious. Moreover, Qi Jiguang cited many examples, mainly that the garrison soldiers, relying on their strong fighting power, committed various illegal acts.

Upon rereading this memorial, Zhu Yijun gained new insights. The reason why the Beijing garrison had become so arrogant was simply because they relied on the size of the country and the number of people.

The country had to rely on the Beijing Garrison to wage war against foreign enemies, and the people had to rely on the Beijing Garrison to ensure their safety. When the emperor needed to use troops, he could only dispatch the Beijing Garrison. There was no one else he could use but them, so naturally they became arrogant.

"General Xuan is here." Zhu Yijun picked up two memorials, preparing to have a good talk with Qi Jiguang.

"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty be well." Qi Jiguang bowed in greeting. The eunuch who went to announce his arrival did not say anything, and Qi Jiguang did not feign illness to decline; he came alone.

Qi Jiguang glanced around briefly. Based on his experience, there were no axemen or any signs of an ambush.

"Sit down. I have found General Qi's two memorials." Zhu Yijun gestured for Qi Jiguang to sit down and speak. He sat down next to Qi Jiguang and handed him the memorials.

After reading the two memorials he had written, Qi Jiguang asked with a puzzled look, "Your Majesty, is there anything wrong with these memorials?"

"General Qi, are you really seeing things, or are you reminding me that the military system should continue to be reformed during the Wanli Reforms?" Zhu Yijun asked with some curiosity. Zhu Yijun suspected that he was being tricked. Qi Jiguang's action of staring at the dragon robe was not quite in line with Qi Jiguang's cautious personality.

His life was one of walking on thin ice. Just when he was about to reach the other side, this happened. Zhu Yijun subconsciously felt that Qi Jiguang was playing the emperor, reminding him that military system reform must be promoted to prevent the Beijing garrison from becoming arrogant.

Qi Jiguang was taken aback for a moment, then smiled self-deprecatingly and shook his head, saying, "Your Majesty, if I have any ideas, I will certainly present them to Your Majesty in person. I am old and my eyesight is indeed failing me."

"That's just how people are; they're very fickle."

He was even somewhat relieved that if this had happened to another emperor, let alone a heartfelt trust, or the ambush of five hundred axemen, it would have been because the emperor was magnanimous and benevolent. But the emperor he served had subconsciously found a suitable reason for him.

By this time, His Majesty had completely forgotten the warnings from Feng Bao, Zhang Juzheng, and Qi Jiguang. These three men always told Zhu Yijun that people are unreliable because they are extremely fickle and cannot even empathize with their former selves.

"I have achieved today's prosperity thanks to the civil and military achievements of Mr. Qi and General Qi. The matter of the Beijing Garrison is of great importance. Without this action, I would never have been able to make up my mind to continue the reform." Zhu Yijun had previously rejected Qi Jiguang's memorial on the construction of the border army's field camps. His actions, reminding the emperor, make sense.

Qi Jiguang shook his head again and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty, but I am ashamed."

If you're mistaken, you're mistaken. Trying to find an excuse to cover it up only makes you look like you're trying to hide something, which can cause a rift between the emperor and his ministers. Instead of backing down, Qi Jiguang told the truth and was pragmatic.

"I have an idea," Zhu Yijun said, placing the two memorials together. "We should find a way to establish these twenty-seven border infantry battalions, and not just these twenty-seven battalions."

"Two emperors of the Western Jin Dynasty were captured by the Xiongnu, the Western Jin Dynasty was destroyed, and the Eastern Jin Dynasty was established; two emperors of the Northern Song Dynasty were captured by the Jurchens, the Northern Song Dynasty was destroyed, and the Southern Song Dynasty was established."

"Emperor Yingzong was captured by the Oirat Mongols while he was being held captive in the north, but the Ming Dynasty won the battle to defend the capital, defeated Esen's Oirat Mongols, protected the country, and even brought Emperor Yingzong back."

"The Emperor Jing, Yu Shaobao, Shi Heng and others relied on the reserve troops and anti-Japanese pirate troops in Beizhili, Shandong and other places. After these reserve troops entered the capital, they defeated the Oirat people."

"When you only have one knife, no matter how sharp it is, it may break, get damaged, or hurt you. But when you have two knives, if one becomes unusable, you can still pick up the other one."

That's how different the Ming Dynasty was. Even with the emperor captured, the defense of the capital was still won thanks to the efforts of the military garrisons.

No matter how capable Zhu Qiyu, Yu Qian, or Shi Heng were, without troops to use, they were like a skilled cook without rice.

Zhu Yijun shared his views on the Tumu Crisis. Zhu Qizhen, leading the Beijing Garrison, lost, while Zhu Qiyu, leading the Japanese Pirate Defense Army and the Military Training Army, won. The reason for this miracle was that Zhu Qiyu still had troops available.

Even during the Chongzhen era, the Ming Dynasty still had no shortage of soldiers loyal to the court.

The key to preventing the Beijing garrison from becoming arrogant lies in two things: relying on the size of the country and the number of its people.

Zhang Hong was only shocked. It was common knowledge that His Majesty was not good at military affairs, but at this moment, Zhang Hong realized that perhaps Qi Jiguang was too dazzling, so no one had noticed that His Majesty did have some talent in military affairs.

"Your Majesty, please allow me to think this over. I will take another look at the memorials." Qi Jiguang carefully read through the two memorials again. He did not mean this when he wrote the two memorials, but when the two memorials were put together, they were indeed as Your Majesty said.

"Your Majesty is wise." Qi Jiguang truly admired His Majesty. These two memorials were from many years ago. The one titled "Memorial on the Rise and Fall of the Capital Garrison" was from the third year of the Wanli Emperor's reign, almost twenty years ago. Qi Jiguang could hardly remember the specific contents, but His Majesty still remembered them and even found them.

Your Majesty has an excellent memory and can remember what you've seen, so you can retrieve it when you need it. This is a political talent.

"Does Commander Qi also think it's feasible?" Zhu Yijun sat up straight and began talking with Qi Jiguang. Qi Jiguang's thoughts were also opened by the emperor's words, and he spoke eloquently. The two talked for a good half hour before the emperor and his minister stopped.

"I will go back and draft a memorial to present to the Emperor for discussion in court." After sorting out his thoughts, Qi Jiguang planned to go back and write a memorial to formally promote this matter. He was indeed impressed by the idea that this matter could indeed promote further reforms in military and political affairs, which would be conducive to the greater stability of the Ming Dynasty.

To prevent the Beijing garrison from becoming arrogant, Qi Jiguang's solution was to focus on military discipline by establishing a system of reporting to the emperor to save the common people, enacting strict military regulations, and providing generous pay. However, His Majesty's answer was to find a balance, with the key being to prevent the Beijing garrison from becoming arrogant due to its privileged status.

"General Qi, wait a moment. I think I've figured something out." Zhu Yijun spread one hand, his brows furrowed in thought for a long time before tentatively saying, "General Qi, doesn't this seem familiar? The border troops we're discussing now, if we go any further, isn't that the Five Military Commands?"

"Huh?!" Qi Jiguang was taken aback, then nodded somewhat absentmindedly.

The construction of the nine border garrisons and twenty-seven battalions was successfully completed, totaling 8 men. In addition to the nine border garrisons, twenty-seven coastal defense battalions, totaling 8 men, will also be established along the coast from Liaodong to Guangzhou, directly under the jurisdiction of the imperial court (including the Beijing garrison). The total number of battalions will reach 26.

In this way, we can prevent the Beijing garrison from becoming arrogant and the border regions from having any intention to attack, and we can also prevent the navy from becoming too powerful and causing an imbalance between land and sea.

The Ming Dynasty pursued both land and sea trade, but the profits from maritime trade were so great that the imbalance between the two was also evident in military administration. This move could be described as achieving multiple benefits at once.

As Your Majesty said, after going around in circles, we still returned to the ancestral laws, the Hongwu military system, and the Five Military Commissions.

Since the end of the Jingnan War, except for the border areas, the land of military garrisons and guard posts in other places has been annexed, and soldiers have had to flee to survive. As the garrisons in the hinterland fled, the Five Military Commissions became nominal and ineffective, and have become the current situation of governors-general, governors, and military commanders in charge of military affairs.

The Five Military Commissions existed in name only. On the surface, it was the military merits led by Duke Zhang Fu of Yingguo who lost the struggle for power with the Three Yangs during the Zhengtong era, leading to the decline of the system. However, the fundamental reason was the eventual result of the desertion and corruption of the garrisons.

Because of the perilous nature of war, the border regions preserved the garrison system intact, thus protecting the Ming Dynasty for two hundred years.

When Qi Jiguang quelled the Japanese pirates in the southeast, the garrison system had completely collapsed throughout the southeast. The only source of high-quality soldiers was miners, and the Yiwu soldiers were indeed very useful.

Once these 160,000 troops in 54 battalions are assembled, the system of the Five Military Commissions will be restored.

"After two hundred and twenty years of twists and turns, the Ming Dynasty has finally returned to the Five Military Commissions." Qi Jiguang's expression was extremely complex, but the road ahead suddenly became extremely clear. Combining the military garrisons and Five Military Commissions of the Taizu Emperor, the capital garrison, the camp soldiers, and the emperor guarding the country's gates of the Zuwen Emperor, this was the path that the Ming Dynasty's Wanli Reforms, in terms of military and political affairs, would ultimately take.

In military affairs, Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu were indeed insurmountable mountains.

Qi Jiguang left Yanqing Palace. He stood in front of the palace gate for a very long time, looking at the Imperial Study. He quietly looked at it for a full quarter of an hour before leaving. He had been looking at it for so long, and his emotions were very complicated.

Qi Jiguang's expertise in military affairs did not mean he was completely ignorant of politics. Although the ministers did not spread the word and kept the matter to themselves, they naturally had different thoughts in their hearts.

However, the emperor's summons and his request for him to submit a memorial in the name of the Grand General to continue promoting military reforms finalized the matter.

Qi Jiguang was looking around the Imperial Study, while Zhu Yijun stood by the window watching him. Unlike Qi Jiguang's complex thoughts, Zhu Yijun's thoughts were simpler: Qi Jiguang had really grown old. When they first met, he was so full of vigor and spirit, but now he was old and frail.

"For the past twenty years, it has been you and Marshal Qi who have protected me. From now on, it is my turn to protect them." Zhu Yijun returned to his desk after Qi Jiguang left and said sincerely to Zhang Hong.

Regardless of Qi Jiguang's intentions, Zhu Yijun had to ensure that this matter was resolved smoothly and without any incidents that could harm the posthumous reputations of Qi Jiguang and Zhang Juzheng.

When Qi Jiguang's memorial was presented to the court, a sense of genuine fear immediately arose among the officials!
On the surface, the collapse of trust between the emperor and the general should be the best opportunity for the ambitious figures of the Ming Dynasty. If the emperor and the general were to cause trouble, how big would the commotion be!
But as soon as Qi Jiguang's memorial entered the court, things immediately became clear: the emperor and the general were cooperating to promote military reform!

This memorial, with its subtle foreshadowing, connects the various military reforms, including the re-establishment of the Beijing Garrison in the first year of the Wanli reign, the discussion of the shortcomings of the Beijing Garrison in the third year of the Wanli reign, the expansion of the army to 100,000 in the sixth year of the Wanli reign, and the confirmation of border registrations. It is not a temporary remedial measure.

Moreover, this memorial was submitted by Qi Jiguang, which indicates that the relationship between the emperor and his ministers remained harmonious.

In the ninth year of the Zhenguan era, Li Jing led an expedition against the Tuyuhun, defeating them decisively. Tuyuhun Khan Fuyun was assassinated by his own men, whose heads were presented to the Tang army as a reward. Fuyun Khan's eldest son killed several traitors wanted by the Tang Dynasty and surrendered to Li Jing, resulting in a great victory for the Tang Dynasty.

Originally, Li Jing's triumphant return should have been a cause for celebration. However, upon his return to Chang'an, Gao Zengsheng, the chief administrator of the Salt and Marsh Circuit, and Tang Fengyi, the chief secretary of the Guangzhou Governor's Office, impeached Li Jing for treason.

Li Jing vehemently defended himself, but after a thorough investigation, Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, determined that the two had made false accusations and punished them by exile.

After this incident, Li Jing began to keep his household in seclusion from the ninth year of the Zhenguan era, prohibiting guests from entering, even relatives.

On the surface, it was a false accusation by the two men, but Emperor Taizong of Tang investigated this case, which was obviously a false accusation, in such detail, and the punishment was only exile. Li Jing naturally understood the implications of this.

This is what constitutes a discord between the ruler and his ministers. However, Qi Jiguang's memorial, which still involved him in important matters, indicates that there was no discord between them at all.

The same event appears completely different from the perspectives of the emperor, the general, and the minister.

It is entirely reasonable for the ministers to think this way.

For the past twenty years, the relationship between the emperor and the general has been one of entrusting each other with their lives. The emperor was young and the country was in turmoil, so he entrusted military affairs to the general. In fact, the general also entrusted all his honor and disgrace to the emperor.

The emperor risked his life, betting that Qi Jiguang would not rebel. Qi Jiguang risked his life and his entire family, betting that the emperor would not discard him after he had served his purpose. This mutual willingness to entrust one's life to the other is generally referred to as "comrades-in-arms".

Such rulers and ministers are not uncommon in history. For example, Liu Bang and Lu Wan, and Zhu Yuanzhang and Xu Da all had such close relationships.

Rather than believing in their internal strife, it's more reasonable to believe in their joint efforts to promote military reform. From this perspective, everything immediately makes sense.

Qi Jiguang's memorial to the throne was 7,000 words long and divided into six chapters and three parts.

The first part describes the construction of the Nine Garrison Battalions; the second part discusses the long-term plan for the coastal defense battalions; and the third part explains why this was done, emphasizing that it was an established practice of the Taizu and Chengzu emperors.

His memorial sparked a wide discussion. The memorial did not mention what the next step would be after the establishment of the naval and land forces. But it was all too obvious that the next step would be to restore the Five Military Commissions system, relying on the fifty-four border infantry battalions.

The military garrison system was not perfect. Its biggest flaw was land annexation. After the loss of means of production, soldiers deserted. However, the camp troops were a strong army directly supported by the imperial treasury, numbering 160,000. The imperial court could afford to support them, and supervision was also effective.

"This memorial is brilliant!" Wang Jiaping said to Liang Menglong as he looked at the memorial. "Wonderful, wonderful! In this way, the Beijing Garrison will have to become strong. If the branches are strong while the trunk is weak, the An Lushan Rebellion will come immediately."

"General Qi has said so much, it's quite complicated. The decline of the Beijing Garrison was because it was invincible. Without any external rivals, arrogance was born. Internally, the court had to rely on it, leading to lawlessness. Even with military spirit, the possibility of arrogance still couldn't be avoided." Liang Menglong said sincerely, "General Qi, you truly deserve to be called an unparalleled military genius!"

The ministers and the emperor had some different understandings of the checks and balances between the capital garrison and the border regions. Without external enemies, a potential threat was created internally. If the capital garrison was not strong enough, the regional military governors would inevitably emerge. The emperor, ministers, generals, and junior officers would all unanimously protect the survival and strength of the capital garrison.

After all, the history of the Tang Dynasty has taught us enough lessons. The capital garrison was not strong enough to control the border troops. After the An Lushan Rebellion, the border areas became regional warlords, the capital fell six times, and the emperor moved nine times.

“I intend to approve of this military system.” As a core figure in the Zhang family, Liang Menglong communicated with Wang Jiaping, the second-in-command, about the implementation of government orders. If they reached a consensus, the court meeting would proceed much more smoothly.

“I agree.” Wang Jiaping said with a sigh, “In fact, in the twenty-first year of Jiajing’s reign, Mao Sima also had a similar idea, but unfortunately, the court was so poor at the time that it was unable to implement it.”

The Mao Sima that Wang Jiaping mentioned is Mao Bowen, the military governor who led the expedition against Annam in the 20th year of the Jiajing reign.

In the twenty-first year of the Jiajing reign, Mao Bowen, drawing on his experience in managing the border regions, submitted a proposal for twenty-four border defense measures, including the idea of ​​establishing military camps on the border, which was quite similar to Qi Jiguang's ideas.

At that time, Mao Bowen wanted to build five border infantry and cavalry battalions to deal with the harassment from the northern barbarians. He saw that Altan Khan was becoming increasingly powerful, and the locations where he was stationed were also aimed at Altan Khan. He saw that Altan Khan was becoming too powerful and took precautions to prevent trouble.

Ultimately, the reason it couldn't be accomplished was because of poverty.

Liang Menglong understood his senior very well. He nodded repeatedly and said, "I know. Commander Qi mentioned this matter in his memorial. I have to say, it's really good to be rich. In our Wanli era, we could build twenty-seven battalions with a wave of our hand. After these twenty-seven infantry battalions are built, there will be twenty-seven coastal defense battalions."

"Mao Sima only asked for five border camps to cope with the overwhelming power of Anda Khan, but he failed despite all the grievances."

Because of this incident involving the border troops, Mao Bowen was falsely accused of treason and was exiled to a malarial region. However, the emperor pardoned him en route.

Everyone knows how good the soldiers in the camp are, but they are really expensive.

There were a total of 54 border camps, with 160,000 men. The annual military expenditure for these 160,000 men alone was as high as 4.5 million taels of silver, second only to the navy's 5.5 million taels of silver.

"Compared to the military system of Yiwei and the educational system of Dinghai, it's already very cheap. This year, the educational system of Dinghai cost the court 20 million taels of silver. Adding the 4.5 million taels to the military expenditure, it's only 16.5 million taels of silver, which is still less than the investment in education." Liang Menglong felt that it really wasn't much. The court's annual revenue is now 60 million taels of silver, so this amount of investment is really nothing.

Wang Jiaping took a sip of tea and said in a casual tone, seemingly unconcerned, "I thought the Ministry of War would object. After all, if the Five Military Commissions were to regain their former prestige, the Ministry of War would have nothing to do with it."

The Five Military Commissions regained their former glory, and the Ming army's might was awe-inspiring. However, the Ministry of War's influence in military affairs would be further weakened. The Duke of Fengguo was easy to deal with, but with the Five Military Commissions standing behind the top military meritorious official, the Ministry of War would only be able to defend itself.

From the Hongwu to the Yongle reigns, the Ministry of War was essentially non-existent, since the Grand Generals of that era were Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di.

“I would rather the Ministry of War be gone than see the world suffer because of poor military preparedness. The Japanese invasion in 1892 was truly a living hell.” Liang Menglong was silent for a moment before giving Wang Jiaping a reason.

As the Ministry of War gradually lost its power, was there still a need for its existence? However, compared to the painful lessons of the Ming Dynasty's invasion of the Japanese pirates, the Ministry of War still approved the reforms proposed by Qi Jiguang.

The evolution of systems always tends to change in the way of least resistance. This is a quote from Qi Jiguang. The political framework of the Ming Dynasty has evolved to its present state for a reason. Relying on wise and powerful emperors to forcibly revitalize the military, it will eventually return to its former state.

In order to reduce resistance, Qi Jiguang also clearly stated in his memorial that the basic principle of military personnel not interfering in political affairs should be upheld.

However, this principle is not foolproof. Violence is the cornerstone of all order, but once violence develops its own ideas, it becomes strange.

In other words, if the Ministry of War performs well, the Five Military Commissions, by their very nature, cannot deprive it of its power. However, if the Ministry of War fails to perform well, then the Five Military Commissions cannot be blamed for taking its place.

For a long time, the Minister of War of the Ming Dynasty couldn't even ride a horse. The focus of military affairs shifted from the Five Military Commissions to the hands of civil officials. However, the Minister of War, who couldn't even ride a horse, naturally resulted in the decline of military preparedness over time.

It wasn't until the Jiajing era that the Daoist priest ordered the Minister of War to enter the camp without being allowed to ride in a sedan chair, but instead to ride a horse. From then on, the Ministers of War at least had some military ability and could ride horses.

"Grand Minister Liang prioritizes righteousness." Wang Jiaping greatly admired Liang Menglong's courage. If this situation were handled poorly, the violence could spiral out of control, and the Ministry of War, which failed to correct the situation, would be condemned for eternity.

At the end of July, while the court officials were discussing Qi Jiguang's memorial, the Ming Dynasty's global trade caravans set off again.

Liu Ji, the captain who had sailed the world twelve times, stopped his journey and replaced him with a new captain, Huo Chengxin. Huo Chengxin had accompanied Liu Ji on nine circumnavigation voyages and was Liu Ji's first mate. He was quite prestigious in the circumnavigation trading fleet.

The Ming Dynasty's global merchant fleet set sail this time, traveling alongside the large sailing ships. Zhu Yijun personally went to Guanchao Pavilion to meet Huo Chengxin.

Huo Chengxin said to the emperor with a serious expression, "Your Majesty, there is a notorious pirate leader in England. He comes from a family of English maritime merchants and has 27 ships and 2500 pirates of various kinds. His name is John Hawkins."

"Around the forty-first year of the Jiajing reign, he captured three hundred Kunlun slaves on the coast of Guinea, transported them to Hispaniola, and exchanged them for animal hides, ginger, sugar, and various gems. He then shipped these goods back to England, where he acquired a large amount of wealth and rose to prominence in English high society."

“This batch of Kunlun slaves is different from the Kunlun slaves of the past. These living creatures have not been castrated.”

"This business lasted for several years, and finally in the fifth year of the Wanli reign, the Queen of England made a large investment in him, encouraging his trade in uncastrated Kunlun slaves, and granted John Hawkins the title of knight, allowing him to become a member of parliament. In the same year, he also became an officer in the English Navy."

"Your Majesty, England has been engaged in triangular trade in the Atlantic Ocean for thirty-two years."

Slave traders typically castrated Kunlun slaves to maintain slave prices and prevent plantations from obtaining cheap labor through breeding. However, John Hawkins' actions broke this convention.

This not only disrupts the market but also exacerbates the already deteriorating marine environment.

"These slaves, whose prices remain unchanged but who can reproduce on their own, have already become popular in the Atlantic," Huo Chengxin said with great concern.

(End of this chapter)