I'm really not doing business

Chapter 1096 Great powers must learn how to bully the weak.
Conquering Jiaozhi was not a difficult task for the Ming Dynasty. In fact, due to the opening of the sea, the cost of war was decreasing rapidly, and the conquest went extremely smoothly. The key issue was the problem of governance.

In terms of how to rule Jiaozhi, Zhu Yijun chose a completely different path from that of the Yongle era.

During the Yongle reign, Zhu Di's main focus was on the northward campaign against the Mongols, so he chose a policy of appeasement towards the distant peoples in the Jiaozhi issue. Zhu Yijun, on the other hand, took a different approach, starting with the execution of Zheng Song. His overall strategy can be summed up in one word: kill.

Two important issues in governing Jiaozhi were: first, to eliminate the enemy's will to resist; and second, to prevent the fruits of victory from being reaped by one's own people.

Could they maintain a stable rule over Jiaozhi? The court officials still had doubts about this, but Zhu Yijun had no doubts; he knew he could.

Sometimes, some barbarians take advantage of the Ming Dynasty's kind heart.

During the French rule of Annam, even local women had to breastfeed the dogs kept by the French army. Bloodshed would occur at the slightest provocation. At this time, the Annamese people no longer mentioned shame, but instead began to say that this was an inevitable process needed to become part of civilization.

If it weren't for the help of the People's Republic of China, Annam would still be French Annam.

In Zhu Yijun's mind, some barbarians were nothing but lowly and base.

Why did Annam dare to defy the Tang and Ming dynasties? Because these barbarians, like Zheng Song, believed that as long as they surrendered, they could live; as long as they made a fuss, they would gain great benefits, and the court would give in. They felt that the cost of ruling was too high and would give up.

This explains why Zheng Song was so composed before meeting the emperor, but was completely dumbfounded upon hearing about the execution of his entire clan.

Zhu Yijun didn't care what choices the previous emperors of the Ming Dynasty or the future emperors would make. Anyway, this was his choice. Although the ministers had their objections, time always proved that His Majesty was right. It was not easy to object to such an important matter.

"The situation in Annam is always so bad." Zhu Yijun looked at the memorial in front of him and fell silent.

While the Ming Dynasty was at war with Annam and even occupied most of the Red River Plain, the trade in imported grain and foreign slaves not only did not stop, but actually saw a tremendous increase.

It's only April, and the total amount of imported grain has already exceeded six million shi (a unit of dry measure). In the past, it was only about six million shi per year. The number of barbarian slaves has increased from three thousand per year to five thousand per year.

This was completely unexpected by the emperor himself.

"Sell grain to the Ming Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty uses the grain to supply the army, and the army fights Annam, right?" Zhu Yijun could actually understand why this would happen. Although he lacked military talent, he was good at managing logistics and never let the soldiers fight hungry.

Zhu Yijun always felt that Qi Jiguang's constant emphasis on the fact that fighting was all about logistics in his war theory was a way to sing praises, shape the emperor's sanctity, and emphasize the emperor's role in the war.

For this reason, Qi Jiguang even quoted the famous saying from the founding of the Ming Dynasty: "Build high walls, store up grain, and delay declaring yourself king."

However, in the emperor's understanding of the current military situation, he personally felt that logistics were not that important, because they could get food from the enemy, and if they didn't have food, they could just plunder it. How could they possibly starve to death?

Upon hearing the emperor's understanding, Qi Jiguang said that His Majesty should not try to understand in the future.

In military affairs, Your Majesty fully consults the theory of war, so there will be absolutely no major mistakes. Even if there are, the powerful Ming army can handle them.

Can you really get it by robbing?
It's impossible to seize it; His Majesty has completely overlooked the complexity of the battlefield.

Let's set aside the fact that civilians in enemy countries have ears and legs, and upon hearing of the impending war, they would flee with their families.

On the battlefield in Annam, how could your Ming army possibly defeat the Annamite army?
Your Majesty understands the army as an armed force to protect the country, but the army itself is a concrete reality of violence. In the eyes of the people of Annam, the Annam army is not a force to protect the country, and the military discipline of not committing any offenses is not something the Annam army can have.

When these Annamese soldiers started looting, they really plundered the ground thoroughly, leaving no stone unturned, not even the soot at the bottom of the pot.

The idea of ​​scavenging from the enemy might be useful for surprise attacks and long-distance raids, but the amount of food seized is simply not enough for a large army. In large-scale operations, there is no way you can expect to scavenge from the enemy.

Qi Jiguang told the emperor with great certainty that war is all about rear supply and logistics, because logistics is the foundation of morale.

Soldiers know exactly what they eat and how much they eat each day. Moreover, marching and fighting are extremely physically demanding. If they don't eat enough, they will get hungry. When they are hungry, they will start to have wild thoughts. In order to find something to eat, they will do anything, which will naturally lower their morale.

Without morale, even the strongest army cannot fight.

Later, Zhu Yijun really didn't understand. He had never been on the battlefield, so he had no right to speak because he didn't understand.

Zhu Yijun was very knowledgeable about logistics. War is extremely expensive. The reason why imported grain and trade with foreign slaves were so prosperous was that fighting against the Ming army cost money, or money as a general equivalent representing goods.

Gold, silver, grain, steel, fire feathers, and so on—all of these require a massive amount of silver to prepare.

What if an emperor lacks military talent? In his book "On War," General Qi Jiguang wrote a chapter specifically about how wise rulers use troops, teaching emperors how to fight battles step by step.

Moreover, this very simple three-pronged approach, with its foolproof one-click operation, can not only achieve military victory but also political victory.

The three main tactics can be summarized in four words: bullying the weak.

This three-pronged approach is very simple: first, occupy a territory; second, exert sufficient military pressure; and third, wait for the enemy to disintegrate on its own, then reap the rewards of victory.

By examining the campaign against Annam, one can understand the specific operational methods of these three steps.

Luo Shangzhi first occupied Haiyang City and Guang'an City, and then began to exert military pressure to force Zheng Song to react. Zheng Song either had to advance with a large army to recover the lost territory, or he would have to maintain a stalemate in the face of military threats. However, the cost of maintaining a stalemate was higher. Being ready for war at any time required a huge amount of money to maintain the defense.

Zheng Song chose to attack. At that time, it was not yet the general offensive phase. Luo Shangzhi, with a try-it-out mentality, defeated Zheng Song's army.

After the Ming Dynasty occupied the Red River Plain, it launched a campaign against Annam, which entered the second phase, a stalemate. The Ming Dynasty exerted too much military pressure, and in order to resist, even the most vital food and able-bodied men had to be sold through Da Nang.

In order to cope with military threats and pressure, the government has to resort to internal means, constantly exploiting the civilians, which has led to a rapid rise in public discontent. The country has lost credibility, and people's doubts have been raised. The greater the military threat, the more severe the exploitation. The final result is alienation and disloyalty.

The phrase "united as one, overcoming difficulties together" is difficult to achieve in a state of war.

In the third stage of the attack, victory is very easy, and there may even be scenes of welcoming the king's army with food and drink. This is because humans are animals and have the instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm.

These three moves are really simple: attack, hold out, wait for the enemy's morale to collapse and their hearts to crumble, then sweep away the enemy army like autumn leaves in the wind, and reap military and political victories.

If you look closely at this strategy, you'll find that it's a weakened version of Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang's "inch-by-inch" strategy.

By advancing inch by inch, establishing buffer zones, and gradually encroaching, Li Chengliang used this tactic to expand Liaodong, and it was very effective. However, it is still somewhat difficult for Your Majesty's military talent.

Qi Jiguang devised a three-pronged approach for His Majesty the Emperor. From then on, when waging war, one should follow this formula. While victory cannot be guaranteed, defeat will certainly be avoided.

Bullying the weak is not a shameful thing; it is a very serious issue. There are always some small, insignificant countries that, for various reasons, provoke large and powerful nations. Every major power must learn to bully the weak at a lower cost and with less effort.

Spain was powerful enough, with its invincible Armada and Spanish phalanx dominating the West, but its expedition to England directly destroyed the Spanish British Empire.

For a large and powerful nation, learning how to bully the weak is a fundamental principle.

Otherwise, it would turn into Felipe's expedition, resulting in a double loss of both wife and army.

Zhu Yijun's assessment of these three methods is that they are effective and he will continue to use them.

After reading all the reports of victory in Annam, Zhu Yijun issued an imperial edict to Luo Shangzhi, praising the Ming army's impressive military might.

Time flies like an arrow, and the emperor was once again busy. Only then did everyone in Songjiang Prefecture fully understand why, during the month the emperor was seriously ill, the people of Shuntian Prefecture went to the temple to burn incense and pray for blessings. Even the wealthy families of Xitu City went to offer incense and were more willing to fulfill their vows.

His Majesty is very active. If you pay attention, you can see him leaving Yanqing Palace almost every day to go to the shipyard, the port, the camp, and the official factory to promote policies and issue decrees explaining why these policies were formulated and what their purpose is.

Such an active emperor was extremely rare in the history of the Ming Dynasty.

For everyone in Shuntian Prefecture, seeing the emperor every day was as reassuring as seeing the sun rise as usual. Some people in Shuntian Prefecture even went out of their way to find out what the emperor was busy with every day, compiled it into a booklet, and sold it, which sold better than many other newspapers.

If the emperor doesn't leave the palace for a day, people will wonder why the little train that usually blows its whistle didn't run as usual that day.

The sun, which was rising as usual, suddenly stopped rising. If this wasn't the sky falling, what was it?
Soon, Songjiang Prefecture experienced something similar. The emperor didn't leave the palace for three whole days. Coupled with the emperor's serious illness last September, rumors quickly spread, with all sorts of things being said.

"No way, they've even started keeping my death a secret?!" Upon hearing similar rumors, Zhu Yijun said to Zhang Hong with a wry smile, "I only rested for three days. Without me, will the sky of the Ming Dynasty collapse?"

"Yes," Zhang Hong said with certainty.

"Nonsense." Zhu Yijun waved his hand dismissively, saying the world would keep turning no matter who was gone.

Zhang Hong immediately said, "Your Majesty bears the weight of the sun and moon on your shoulders and the fate of the nation on your shoulders; this responsibility cannot be taken lightly."

The emperor did nothing for the past three days, just rested, and Zhang Hong thought His Majesty had done a good job.

His Majesty had promised Zhang Juzheng that he would have one day off every six days. However, due to frequent meetings with officials from outside the capital, the Emperor himself took a break to make up for the days he had missed. Otherwise, Mr. Zhang would have been nagging again.

The chief physicians conducted a five-year retrospective analysis of the emperor's serious illness that began last September, and they discovered that His Majesty's illness was inevitable.

Judging from His Majesty's diet and other habits over the past five years, he has been extremely busy. An emperor in the prime of his life, whose diet has not changed much in five years, has lost a full eighteen pounds in just two years due to his southern tour and stay in Songjiang Prefecture!

With no significant changes in diet or exercise, such rapid weight loss indicates that the emperor's body was constantly operating beyond its capacity. Even a machine would break down after two years of such activity, let alone a person.

He lost another 30 pounds in a month of serious illness. It was only because His Majesty had a strong foundation in martial arts since childhood that this serious illness could have been fatal.

Your Majesty really can no longer take advantage of your youth and act so recklessly. Moreover, for the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, thirty-three years old is really not young.

The claim that he fell ill from overwork was definitely not something the chief physician said to shirk responsibility.

Therefore, who would supervise the emperor's rest became one of the biggest problems for the Ming Dynasty. Zhang Juzheng was still alive and willing to nag, and the emperor was willing to listen. Even if he worked overtime, he would take time off to come back.

When the emperor finally decided to rest, Zhang Hong discovered that the emperor's entertainment was extremely limited. He loved to stand on the Wenhua Tower and watch the cargo ships glide by on the Huangpu River, sometimes for an hour at a time.

That's all.

When Zhang Hong discovered this, he broke out in a cold sweat. The emperor used to be so busy that he was practically running around, and over time, Zhang Hong had taken it for granted and hadn't bothered to find any amusement for His Majesty. This was a dereliction of duty on his part as a high-ranking eunuch.

The powerful eunuchs of the Wanli Emperor's reform era couldn't even keep the emperor company with eating, drinking, and merrymaking. Besides, His Majesty was no longer young. Cricket fighting? His Majesty thought crickets were noisy and childish, something that Zhu Changzhi, Zhu Changchao, and Zhu Changhong didn't even play with. Bird walking? His Majesty would rather go and check on the breeding of dodo birds. As for antiques and the like, His Majesty would rather read a few more pages of the Hanlin Academy's research on oracle bone inscriptions.

Zhang Hong was so eager to capture a few Japanese slaves and dissect them for His Majesty's amusement.

"Stop speculating, I think this is fine too." Zhu Yijun leaned back in his chair, telling Zhang Hong not to bother finding amusement for him, as he felt he had rested very well for the past three days.

He discovered that the biological clock doesn't exist at all; laziness is human nature.

For example, for the past three days, he has been sleeping until late morning before getting up. Even when he is awake, he likes to stay in bed for a while. He has nothing on his mind and doesn't seem to have any biological clock at all.

After he woke up, he went to see the ship. After seeing the ship, he lay on the deck chair, read some newspapers and novels, and made a few sharp comments. In the past three days, he also had an argument with Wang Yaozhuo, and this time he won the argument.

The couple has been arguing for so many years, and it's all because of their child.

Zhu Changhong possessed exceptional military talent. As Empress Wang Yaozhuo, she was reluctant to let Zhu Changhong learn martial arts, fearing that the struggle for the throne between Emperor Renzong and the Prince of Han would repeat itself.

If Zhu Changhong was not allowed to practice martial arts, he would practice secretly on his own, and the palace maids and eunuchs around him dared not tell the Empress.

But eventually the Empress found out. The Emperor spoke to her about it, and they ended up arguing. The argument escalated to the point where they ended up in bed together. After the argument, the Empress was persuaded and allowed Zhu Changhong to learn martial arts.

All I can say is that children and grandchildren have their own blessings. Zhu Changzhi was her own son, but wasn't Zhu Changhong also her son?

Zhu Yijun also spent a whole day assembling the model.

Zhao Shizhen, the general manager of Songjiang Shipyard, knew that the emperor liked it, so whenever a new ship was launched, he would send a model to the palace. Moreover, the models were all in pieces, so that His Majesty could assemble them himself.

Zhu Yijun quite enjoyed assembling these things, especially when he did it with Empress Wang and the children.

During this break, the model he assembled wasn't a ship, but a birthday gift for Wang Yaozhuo. He assembled a nine-dragon and phoenix crown ornament and gave it to Wang Yaozhuo.

From the age of ten, Wang Yaozhuo received a birthday gift personally prepared by the emperor every year, a unique privilege in the Ming Dynasty's imperial harem. Even the favored Consort Ran never received a gift from the emperor, only the usual rewards.

All we can do is envy them. Even if we defeat Empress Wang, what difference will it make? His Majesty won't care about anyone else.

Besides, even Empress Wang couldn't be defeated; that wasn't fighting the empress, it was fighting the emperor.

"Stop guessing. Next chapter is Songjiang Prefecture. Tomorrow, Empress Wang, the Fourth Prince Zhu Changhong, and I will go to the Shanghai Almshouse to make a public appearance. These lowly scholars only know how to spout nonsense." Zhu Yijun decided to go to the Almshouse to make a public appearance, so that people would know that the emperor was perfectly fine.

The next day, the emperor went to the almshouse, but nothing happened.

Assassinate the king? The powerful figures no longer have the motivation to do so.

If the king were really assassinated, and an unreasonable person were replaced, it would be better to have this reasonable one. If the king were assassinated, and the fanatical officials of the Ming Dynasty wanted to drag all the powerful and influential people down with them, then no one would be willing to do it.

Your Majesty is truly reasonable. Those troublemakers who try to extort money by taking advantage of the salary cuts have not been completely favored by Your Majesty.

In the present day, if it were in the past, who would dare to extort money from powerful and influential people? If they didn't drown the other party in the Huangpu River, they could be considered morally upright.

It's just that during the Wanli Reforms, His Majesty was diligent, and the powerful and influential dared not do such things anymore. It's only been a few years since we had to wear mourning clothes for dogs.

In mid-May, Zhu Yijun issued a special imperial edict to the world, mainly to urge officials to calm down, not to be fanatical, and to maintain sufficient rationality and vigilance.

Criticizing one's ruler is called respect; presenting good advice and refusing evil advice is called reverence.

If an emperor makes a mistake and his ministers do not correct it, do not criticize or offer advice, then they are treacherous, sycophantic, and wicked ministers. The real-world example of Philip's expedition to England serves as a warning. Do not fall into fanaticism and ignore the emperor's mistakes.

The best way to deal with the Ming Dynasty is to let it perish in its arrogance, and making the emperor arrogant is the fastest and most convenient way.

The emperor's edict, instead of helping, fueled the fervor. Yet, even amidst this frenzy, His Majesty remained calm, proving himself a wise and virtuous ruler.

After Zhu Yijun discovered this, he stopped issuing imperial edicts and instead rewarded Shen Li. Shen Li had been constantly going against the emperor lately, and sometimes the emperor won, and sometimes Shen Li won.

At the end of May, the large sailing ships from the West successfully arrived in Manila, Luzon, and many confirmed reports from the West reached the imperial court.

Zhu Yijun realized he had made a mistake; he had let Li Yashi escape.

He hesitated when he released the man back then, and regretted it after he left. Now, he finally realized that he shouldn't have released him. Li Yashi was different from Marion, and he shouldn't have let Li Yashi go back to Taixi.

Marion's martyrdom is worthy of respect, but Marion never lived in the Ming Dynasty and could only imagine the wisdom of the Ming Dynasty from between the lines. But Li Yashi is different. He has lived in the Ming Dynasty for so long that even his appearance is somewhat like that of a Ming person.

Muscles, like anything else, atrophy from disuse. Facial muscles change as you speak, and Li Yashi gradually developed a large, bright face.

Li Jiashi had such a deep understanding of the wisdom of the Ming Dynasty that when he returned to the West, he brought about tremendous changes to the West in a short period of time. For example, in just one month after Li Jiashi took over, Lisbon was transformed from a place of stench into a city of flowers.

Even in the places Antonio conquered, Legazí established camps.

Having seen the light, one cannot tolerate the darkness.

The presence of Regal's camp made Antonio's campaign against the nobles exceptionally smooth. Antonio knew exactly what the nobles were doing, how many troops they had mobilized, and where they were gathering even before he arrived at their location.

On at least three occasions, Antonio led three thousand elite soldiers to the nobles' castles, only to have the castles open their gates by themselves. The nobles had no choice but to kneel and pay homage to the king, because if they did not surrender, the rebellious knights would use their heads for a reward.

The Duke of Braganza, a Portuguese duke known even to the Ming emperor, was the highest-ranking noble in Portugal. In just one month, he handed over his castle and associated lands to the Portuguese royal palace, retaining only the right to his fiefdom, and moved into Lisbon.

The lesser nobles bowed down in obeisance, and the greater nobles began to surrender as well. In the lands Antonio conquered, all the nobles became nominally granted fiefdoms, only able to receive taxes from a portion of their territories, no longer having actual land grants.

The speed of this change exceeded Zhu Yijun's expectations. Antonio simply couldn't have done it; if he could, he wouldn't have waited so many years.

"I forgot! This Li Jiashi is Felipe, the Governor-General of the Far East and the de facto King of the Philippines! I was careless, so careless! I shouldn't have let him go back!" Zhu Yijun looked at the report on the situation in the West compiled by the Ministry of Rites, slapped his thigh, and regretted it too late.

Li Yashi behaved like a scholar-official in the Ming Dynasty, to the point that in the emperor's eyes, he was a literati who lacked practical experience but was somewhat eloquent. Zhu Yijun indeed overlooked the fact that Li Yashi was also a pioneering and valiant man with a wealth of practical experience.

"Is Your Majesty worried that Li Yashi has truly brought light to Taixi?" Zhang Hong hesitated for a moment before asking the question that had been on his mind. He frowned and said, "The environment in Taixi probably doesn't support him going to such lengths."

“Yes, the environment in Taixi is not supportive, but Antonio supports him!” Zhu Yijun said helplessly.

No king could trust Rigas and allow him to display his talents, except for Antonio. Antonio had no idea how to be a king; his purpose in attacking these nobles was simply to avenge the swordsman Marcus, nothing more.

The torch of the West was indeed lacking in fuel, but Antonio entrusted all the affairs of Portugal to Legazpi, and that provided the fuel.

Zhu Yijun had never worried about this before, because Legazí was Spanish, and how could the Portuguese possibly accept Legazí as Minister of State?

Meanwhile, King Henry IV of France was suppressing the Church of the Holy Light, and Felipe hated Legazpi to the core.

No matter how you look at it, Legazpi's future in the West is bleak.

However, things developed in a way that completely exceeded Zhu Yijun's expectations. As soon as Li Yashi arrived in Taixi, he found his stage, quickly got into the swing of things, and began his long-planned scheme.

"How did the Portuguese accept Legazpi as Minister of State?" Zhu Yijun frowned. He instructed the Ministry of Rites to personally ask the Portuguese envoy. Wasn't the Portuguese afraid that Legazpi would sell out Portugal because he was just a Spaniard?
Three days later, the Ministry of Rites responded to His Majesty's inquiry.

Portugal isn't really afraid of Lebanon being sold off, because they've seen it too many times. Let them sell, it doesn't matter.

Even after Antonio became king, the Portuguese nobles continued to sell out the country, hoping to get a good price. When Felipe's phalanx came, these nobles only thought about surrendering and remained unmoved.

Even if Li Yashi sells again, can he be more despicable than the nobles?

I'm not afraid of bad goods, I'm afraid of comparing them.

In fact, Xu Fan, the former Minister of State, was also betraying Portugal's interests to the Ming Dynasty, a fact that every Portuguese person was well aware of. However, the Ming Dynasty, as the suzerain state, took some of the benefits through reasonable war loan interest, leaving Portugal with the majority.

For small, foreign countries, there may not be many options. If they have to sell, they should at least get a good price. If they can't get a good price, at least they should be able to make a living.

As it turned out, Li Yazz did not sell out his interests to Spain, but rather to the Ming Dynasty.

As soon as Li Yashi became Minister of State, he abolished all taxes levied on Ming merchant ships at Portuguese ports and allowed Ming merchant ships and warships to dock at any Portuguese port for resupply.

During the State Council meeting, Rigasat cursed everyone from the King to the eighty-eight priests!
He propped up the blackboard and explained the logic inside, telling the king and the Chinese missionaries that tariffs are something that the weaker party always bears, just like the cost is always borne by the weaker party!
I don't know what they were thinking when they started taxing Ming Dynasty merchant ships. Did they not know who was the weaker party in the trade between the Ming Dynasty and Portugal?

Why do we need to explain something that's so obvious?

Antonio was given a severe dressing-down by Legazpi, so he focused on fighting. It's better to do what you're good at and not make things too difficult for yourself.

This is also why the Portuguese accepted Legazpi, who was the Great Envoy sent to the West by the Ming Emperor, and most of his people were from the Ming Dynasty.

"As expected, as expected! He's really learned something!" Zhu Yijun finished reading the Ministry of Rites' memorial and said "as expected" twice. Li Yashi had a complete plan to solve the problem of the darkness in the West.

His final solution was summed up in three words: unification!
If the West doesn't unify, it will continue to deteriorate. It may become rich in the short term through colonial plunder, but in the long run, it will eventually deteriorate again.

When Ricardo arrived in Lisbon, he said something that made Felipe want to twist Ricardo's head off with his own hands!

At the State Council meeting, when discussing policy toward Spain, he said:

The glory of the British Empire did not shine on ordinary people in Spain. The plundered wealth, like the land in the past, was concentrated in the hands of nobles and feudal lords. Madrid is still full of slums, just as it was thirty years ago, and it remains so today.

Felipe won the crown of the British Empire, but he did nothing to advance the course of history; he didn't even establish a loose Western business alliance.

Upon hearing this, Felipe practically smashed up the entire palace; he was extremely angry.

(End of this chapter)