I'm really not doing business

Chapter 1100 Human life is the cheapest, human heart is the most precious.

Zhu Yijun valued practical results over morality. If he had valued morality, Wang Chonggu, a treacherous official, would not have been able to serve as the second-in-command for eighteen years and control the imperial workshops, the lifeline of the court.

He only looked at actual results and achievements. If someone had achievements but was morally corrupt, he would protect them. If someone had no achievements and was morally upright, Zhu Yijun would only regard it as an empty title.

This merit-based system will naturally allow some pedantic scholars to stand on the moral high ground and point fingers, but that doesn't matter. Zhu Yijun stands on the high ground of power and points fingers. Let's see who can point fingers first.

Zhu Yijun prepared many things for Zhang Juzheng after his death. The "Record of the Meritorious Deeds of the Prime Minister in the Reform Movement" that he mentioned was one of his preparations. It contained a copy of all the memorials and articles that Zhang Juzheng wrote to promote the government, and the emperor personally annotated them.

The emperor's annotations were much longer than Zhang Juzheng's memorials. For each matter, Zhu Yijun would provide a detailed account of the cause and effect, the circumstances at the time, the compromises made during the design of the system, the motivation for the system design, the details of its implementation, the initial results of its implementation, the revisions made to the system during its implementation, and the future outlook for the policy.

Each item had to include so much content, which naturally made writing very troublesome. Moreover, this matter could not be written by someone else; only Zhu Yijun could do it himself. After discovering that the fourth volume of "The Theory of Classes" was not suitable for publication, Zhu Yijun began writing this book.

Zhu Yijun spent thirteen years writing this record of his achievements.

After Zhang Juzheng returned power to the emperor, he began to work on this matter. Because he was truly in charge now, he had to thoroughly review Zhang Juzheng's new policies, summarize them, build on the past and open up the future, and complete the Wanli Reforms based on Zhang Juzheng's new policies.

The reason this book took so long to write is that Zhu Yijun kept making additions, especially regarding the results of the implementation of some policies, such as the Single Whip Law, land survey, and land return. These new policies that were being implemented needed to be supplemented as needed.

Moreover, Zhu Yijun often finds new insights in his readings, and he incorporates these new ideas into the book.

Rather than a record of achievements, it is more accurate to define the nature of numerous historical issues since the Wanli Reforms.

No matter who it was, if they dared to question Zhang Juzheng, Zhu Yijun would pull out this book and throw it at their face, making them read it carefully before questioning him.

This is also why the Ming Dynasty officials are becoming increasingly reluctant to deceive the emperor. The emperor's understanding of the problems since the Wanli Reforms even surpasses that of Zhang Juzheng himself. This is due to his natural talent, as well as his active and diligent governance.

It's very difficult to fool the emperor; the cost of fooling him is too high. This can be fully felt from the more than four hundred memorials His Majesty reviews every day. His Majesty is a wise and virtuous ruler.

Zhu Yijun withheld the memorials impeaching Zhang Juzheng, Wang Xilie, and Shen Yiguan from the censors and officials, and even issued an imperial edict: "This is what I did, so what?"
The emperor waited for a while, but neither the censors nor any officials from the Censorate continued to submit memorials impeaching him nor any news came that they would stage a coup at the palace gates. Zhu Yijun waited for a full fifteen days, during which time the large sailing ships from the West had already docked. It seemed that the matter had simply passed.

Zhu Yijun originally thought that these seventeen censors were keeping quiet and were definitely planning something big! But fifteen days passed and there was still no movement.

"Are these seventeen censors planning to cause trouble at the Huangji Gate again after I return to the capital?" Zhu Yijun frowned, feeling that things were developing differently than he had expected.

Zhang Hong said in a low voice, "The news from the capital is that these seventeen censors are busy with their own affairs. Recently, they have been focusing on the anti-corruption case in Shandong and are all after the anti-corruption case."

Impeaching Zhang Juzheng is too risky; it's much faster to fight corruption and gain merit. In officialdom, how to correct mistakes made by superiors has always been a difficult problem. If it were simple, there wouldn't be so many incompetent rulers. The risks are high and the rewards are low, while anti-corruption is low-risk and high-reward.

“Your Majesty, is it possible that the censors, being in charge of the censors, have no reason not to report it now that they know, otherwise it would be dereliction of duty? Moreover, they mustered up the courage to submit their memorials because they think Your Majesty has been deceived. Since Your Majesty is fully aware of the situation, there is no reason to continue impeaching them?” Zhang Hong, combining the news from the capital, felt that His Majesty was being too lenient with his enemies.

Where did the Ming Dynasty get so many treacherous and sycophantic officials? The Wanli Reforms lasted for twenty-three years, and everyone could see the benefits they brought, and everyone got a share of them.

The position of a censor was indeed difficult. If a censor heard something but did not report it, it would be considered dereliction of duty. If he did report it, he would anger the emperor.

"Your Majesty, the current officials in the Censorate and the Six Ministries are different from those of the past. They are all Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) after the Wanli Reforms," ​​Zhang Hong reminded the emperor. The officials in the Censorate and the Six Ministries, as well as the Censors of the Censorate, have all been replaced several times.

The era when censors willingly became the swords of ministers and opposed the emperor is over.

These newly appointed scholars, who could even be described as fanatical, submitted a joint memorial probably out of anger at Zhang Juzheng and others for daring to do such a thing behind the emperor's back. However, knowing that it was His Majesty's decision and that His Majesty was fully aware of it, and that it was not a deception, there was no need to pursue the matter further.

These fervent scholars' loyalty is currently limited to the enlightened ruler, rather than the Ming Dynasty's empire. The concept of the Ming Dynasty's empire is too broad, while loyalty to the emperor is very specific.

The emperor didn't notice this until recently when he summoned Dai Shiheng, at which point he became aware of this sentiment. The fact that the emperor noticed it indicates that it had become quite widespread.

Zhu Yijun was taken aback. He said somewhat uncertainly, "Really? Am I overthinking things?"

Soon, Zhu Yijun realized that he had indeed been overthinking things.

Contrary to his expectations, the target this time was not Zhang Juzheng, but Shen Shixing.

Because Shen Shixing submitted a memorial explaining the whole story to the emperor, Zhu Yijun realized that he was unaware of the cause and effect of the events that had occurred in the capital since he had left the capital.

The seventeen censors impeached Zhang Juzheng to show Shen Shixing that when His Majesty is not in the capital, they want Shen Shixing to behave himself.

When the emperor was seriously ill, Shen Shixing was regarded by the Beijing garrison as the mastermind behind the plot to assassinate the emperor, because if His Majesty were to pass away, Shen Shixing would be the biggest beneficiary.

Moreover, because Shen Shixing took the blame for the Crown Prince, and when it came to difficult political matters that the Crown Prince was clearly unable to handle, Shen Shixing wrote a memorial to persuade the emperor, his ministers, and his son to compromise. From then on, Shen Shixing was regarded as a member of the Crown Prince's faction.

The purpose of these seventeen censors bringing up old matters and impeaching Zhang Juzheng was not really to bring him down. As long as His Majesty was still alive, Zhang Juzheng could not be brought down; this was a consensus that had long been reached by unanimous agreement.

On the 23rd of every month, His Majesty would go to the Marquis of Yicheng's residence for a free meal. Regardless of whether Zhang Juzheng had retired or not, with this honor alone, it was undoubtedly a pipe dream to think that Zhang Juzheng could be brought down by the matter of cheating in the imperial examinations.

The seventeen officials had only one goal: to make Shen Shixing behave himself. They dared to criticize his mentor and the first meritorious official in promoting the empire's reforms, but if Shen Shixing did anything out of line, they would attack him like a pack of wolves.

"One choice, a lifetime of regret." Zhu Yijun said with a wry smile after reading Shen Shixing's petition.

He's been guessing and speculating here; that's how things are with relationships.

If Shen Shixing had known that the memorial he wrote for the Crown Prince would have such a profound impact, he... would still have written it. That's Shen Shixing for you; he truly wants everyone to be considerate.

In fact, Ming Dynasty officials did not have much resistance to high-ranking officials interfering in the imperial examinations. They knew it was wrong, but they didn't have a good solution.

For example, when Ling Yunyi's son committed a disgraceful act, the court pardoned him after eight attempts and eight deliberations, and no one pursued the matter further. In fact, apart from Ling Yunyi himself, no one brought up this old debt.
For example, when Wang Chonggu arranged for Wang Qian to become a Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations), some people initially criticized Wang Chonggu. However, gradually, no one brought it up anymore. After all, Wang Qian had done a good job and was an upright official. He performed well in both Songjiang Prefecture and Luzon.

In officialdom, only superiors matter. Even if one reaches the highest position of Grand Secretary or Second Grand Secretary, one will still be passively affected by the results of the imperial examinations, even if one does not take initiative.

"Is Commander Qi still fishing at Dragon Pond?" Zhu Yijun picked up a memorial written by Xiong Tingbi. He didn't quite understand the contents of the memorial.

He decided to ask Qi Shuai if he didn't understand something.

"Yes, sir." Zhang Hong quickly prepared his carriage.

Longchi is located within the grounds of Yanqing Palace. If Songjiang Prefecture was the secondary capital, then Longchi would be within the palace grounds. Qi Jiguang fished in Longchi all day, which was actually very dangerous. He used his prestige to protect the safety of His Majesty the Emperor, but it would not be easy for His Majesty the Emperor to deal with him.

Throughout history, it has been rare for emperors and generals to reach such a level of relationship, but it is not unheard of.

For example, Emperor Wu of Han and Wei Qing. After Wei Qing fell seriously ill, Emperor Wu of Han visited him at his residence many times, even lowering his rank. When Emperor Wu of Han went on tours, Wei Qing always accompanied him.

Qi Jiguang smiled as he watched His Majesty stride over. His Majesty was coming more and more often.

Although His Majesty was very busy, he would come to visit every few days, and the favors he bestowed upon him never ceased. Others might not understand, but Qi Jiguang could clearly sense the reason why His Majesty did this: he and Zhang Juzheng were both very old, and an accident might happen to them one day, so His Majesty always came, hoping to see them as much as possible.

Zhang Juzheng didn't notice this subtle thought, but Qi Jiguang, a military general, sensed it perfectly.

Even a warrior needs to be meticulous in order to seize opportunities in battle.

"Greetings, Your Majesty! May Your Majesty live long and be well." Qi Jiguang hurriedly paid his respects. Zhang Juzheng was not here today; he had gone to Hangzhou to gather material. Zhang Juzheng's trip south was for sightseeing, not to be like the emperor, working like a donkey pulling a millstone.

"No need for formalities, no need for formalities. How many fish did Commander Qi catch today?" Zhu Yijun looked at the fish basket with great curiosity.

"I didn't catch anything. The weather is bad today, a bit gloomy, and the fish aren't biting." Qi Jiguang analyzed the reasons why he hadn't caught any fish, and he thought it was because of the bad weather.

Zhu Yijun looked up at the sky. It was just a bright, sunny day. Fishermen would subconsciously find excuses for themselves, and no fisherman was an exception.

Zhu Yijun rummaged through the fish basket and said with a sigh, "Not even a few fish? Is it because we baited the area too much and the fish are full, so they won't bite? Should we pump out some water?"

Zero! Star! Fish! Win! Draw! Water!
Upon hearing this, Qi Jiguang immediately lost his composure, his head throbbing with anger. "Your Majesty has read too many books, and read them too well!" A mere mention of a few fish catches had broken the guard of the great general who had fought countless battles and killed countless people.

Is your general really that good at fighting? What good is being good at fighting if you can't catch any fish?

Scholars can be quite sharp-tongued when they speak. Chen Zhun, a rebel from the Later Yuan Dynasty, seems to be cursing in a truly vulgar way the more you think about it. Li Yashi's words, that Felipe made no contribution to the progress of history, directly angered Felipe to the point that he smashed up the palace. The emperor used four words to make Qi Jiguang lose interest in fishing.

"Your Majesty." Qi Jiguang smiled with relief. Actually, this was quite good. In private, His Majesty never put on airs or acted authoritatively as an emperor, nor did he treat him as a general. Instead, he regarded him as a mentor in martial arts.

"Xiong Tingbi wrote a memorial, which I read but didn't quite understand. I would appreciate it if Commander Qi could take a look and see if what he said makes sense." Zhu Yijun and Qi Jiguang discussed the important matter of their trip.

Regarding military affairs, Zhu Yijun was diligent in learning and asking questions.

"Oh? What did he write?" Qi Jiguang took the memorial and read it carefully. His emotions changed quite obviously. He frowned for a moment and then relaxed his brows. Finally, he said with great certainty, "Xiong Tingbi's military talent is indeed very high."

It is said that Xiong Tingbi was both a scholar and a warrior. Qi Jiguang had only seen Xiong Tingbi's fighting prowess before. But through Xiong Tingbi's memorial, Qi Jiguang truly saw Xiong Tingbi's extraordinary military talent.

In his memorial, Xiong Tingbi discussed a problem that almost everyone overlooked, and even Qi Jiguang had not noticed.

After serving as governor of Edogawa and gaining practical experience, he concluded that a navy takes a century to develop, while an army takes a millennium.

It may take a hundred years for a navy to become a world-class military, but for an army to become a world-class military, it takes a thousand years, not just a day or two.

In Xiong Tingbi's view, the army was far more expensive than the navy. From a purely financial perspective, the navy cost significantly more than the army, but the army was actually more expensive because almost no one realized that certain expenses also covered the army's military expenditures. The foundation of the army lay in the legitimacy of the imperial court and its mobilization capabilities.

Despite being in arrears with their pay for so many years, the Ming army was still able to muster a group of men to serve the dynasty when war was needed, even unto death. This was not due to money, but to the hearts and minds of the people.

Human life is really cheap. A musket flashes and a bullet whistles through the air, piercing into flesh and creating a cavity. Even if it doesn't hit a vital spot, a little blood loss will kill you. But human hearts are very, very expensive. How much silver do you need to spend to buy someone's willingness to risk their life?
War means death, and many, many people will die.

Human life is the cheapest, human heart is the most precious.

But there were always batches of people in the Ming Dynasty who were willing to die for His Majesty, the court, and the people of the Ming Dynasty, even if it meant going hungry, sacrificing their lives for righteousness and benevolence.

From this perspective, building a formidable army is invaluable.

The Ming army always maintained its fundamental loyalty and righteousness. From the founding of the Ming Dynasty by Hongwu to the Wanli Reforms, the Ming army never completely changed its nature.

“He is right.” Qi Jiguang gave the emperor an affirmative answer first. He thought for a moment and said, “Felipe should not have let the invincible Armada lose its invincibility. He relied on his strength to bully the weak and attacked England, but he was defeated and lost so badly that no one in the West was afraid of him anymore.”

"But when the Ming Dynasty did not have an invincible fleet, the surrounding foreign countries were still afraid of the Ming Dynasty. Unlike Spain, although the Ming Dynasty's military administration was corrupt, the Ming army was still very capable."

The emperor, who rose from beggarhood, has departed, but the beggar army that remains still guards the Ming Dynasty's land and its people.

Zhu Yijun pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "That Mang Yingli still launched a brazen attack on the Ming Dynasty. I have been thinking about this for so many years, and I still can't understand how Mang Yingli dared to do it."

"That's because Mang Yingli was stupid." Qi Jiguang was silent for a moment. Mang Yingli, Oda Nobunaga, and Toyotomi Hideyoshi all thought that the Ming Dynasty was a dilapidated house that would collapse if kicked. They kicked it, and a bunch of big men jumped out.

Military administration also has its ups and downs. After Emperor Wuzong's death, the collateral branches of the Ming Dynasty were incorporated into the main branch. The complex political struggles caused the military administration of the Ming Dynasty to completely deteriorate, which naturally gave others an opportunity to take advantage of it.

The Zhenwu Reform of the Wanli Emperor was a resurgence after a period of decline, and His Majesty seized this momentum, allowing the Ming army to display its might and power.

"That Xiong Da is still very powerful." Zhu Yijun nodded repeatedly after listening to Qi Jiguang's explanation.

Xiong Tingbi's understanding stemmed from his practical experience and lessons learned in Edogawa.

When Xiong Tingbi was in Edogawa, he hoped to organize the villagers to protect their land from being exploited by samurai. However, he quickly stopped this action because he realized that he was actually cultivating a new samurai class.

Xiong Tingbi referred to the Japanese samurai class as legitimate bandits.

These villagers, once armed, pointed their weapons at their fellow villagers, forcing them to hand over the last bit of rice in their rice bins.

This incident caused Xiong Da to suffer a major setback. Similarly, he finally understood Wan Shihe's words: "The Japanese have not learned three parts human behavior, but seven parts animalistic nature, which is deeply rooted."

The Ming Dynasty had a very wide range of patrol and inspection archers. These archers were armed, but they aimed their weapons at mountain bandits and wild beasts to maintain peace in the region, rather than at the people, who were robbing them of their money, grain, wives, and daughters.

After Zhu Yijun and Qi Jiguang had a good talk, Zhu Yijun left in a hurry, just as he had arrived in a hurry.

Qi Jiguang watched the emperor's retreating figure with great satisfaction. He had seen His Majesty's busy figure for so many years, and every time he saw it, he still felt at ease.

His lifelong ambition was exactly as expressed in his poem of aspiration: "I do not desire to be ennobled; I only wish for calm seas and a peaceful world."

A very active emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he was the hope for another revival in the long history of the Ming Dynasty.

It only takes twenty years for a dynasty to go from its peak to its decline, and it also takes twenty years to go from its decline to its peak. Qi Jiguang personally witnessed all the hardships he endured over the past twenty-three years.

On the 27th day of the fifth month of the 23rd year of the Wanli reign, it was a day of continuous rain. As usual, the emperor got up early, washed up, and began his busy day. He summoned several ministers and communicated with them face-to-face about some issues raised in the memorials of the previous day, and made a decision.

After meeting with his ministers, the emperor reviewed memorials in his study, reading 124 in the morning. After lunch, he went to the Songjiang naval camp to inspect the troops, participate in military training, and have a detailed discussion with the naval commanders about the issue of garrisoning troops in Da Nang.

After returning to Yanqing Palace, the emperor continued to process the memorials. He still had more than two hundred memorials to deal with that day, and based on past experience, he would probably be busy until about 10 p.m.

As the sun set, Zhu Yijun had just sat down and finished processing three memorials when a eunuch rushed in, anxiously saying, "Your Majesty, the artisans of Liyu Cotton Mill, the largest cotton mill in Songjiang Prefecture, are sitting at the mill demanding firewood!"

"The governor of Songjiang, Li Le, and the prefect, Hu Junde, have already gone there."

"Commander Ti!" Upon hearing about the mass incident, Zhu Yijun immediately looked at the two Commanders Ti.

Liyu Cotton Mill is the largest cotton mill in Songjiang Prefecture and the culmination of Sun Kehong's life's work. It employs a total of 15,000 cotton mill artisans, so any disturbance there would be no small matter.

After Sun Kehong donated his family property, the cotton mill came under the control of the imperial court. This handover caused a mass incident, which Zhu Yijun naturally had to deal with.

"Your Majesty, we are here!" Zhao Mengyou and Luo Bingliang stepped forward, bowing their heads as they spoke.

"You two will each lead 1,500 men from the Imperial Guard. Commander Zhao, you will lead your men to control the streets and keep unauthorized personnel out. Commander Luo, you will lead your men into the Liyu Cotton Mill and control the situation. Prevent any bloodshed. I will arrive shortly after." Zhu Yijun sat upright.

Zhu Yijun did not go with him. He immediately summoned Ma Lin, the son of Yangcheng Marquis Ma Fang. As a meritorious official in the Eastern Expedition, Ma Lin transferred a thousand men from the Imperial Guard to accompany His Majesty to the Liyu Cotton Mill.

Soon, Qi Jiguang, having learned the news, also arrived at Liyu Cotton Mill.

When Zhu Yijun arrived at Liyu Cotton Mill, he breathed a sigh of relief. The situation was still under control and no bloodshed had occurred, which made it easy to handle. If bloodshed had occurred, the workers would have been agitated, and no one would have known what the situation would have become.

There were about six thousand craftsmen, holding various tools, sitting quietly on the open ground of the cotton mill. Even when the imperial guards arrived, they did not move. The leading craftsmen were empty-handed, or even shirtless, sitting at the front.

The scene was quiet; a power called silence was brewing.

After Zhu Yijun arrived at the cotton mill, he first summoned the craftsmen sitting at the front, and then summoned the manager of the cotton mill to find out the cause and effect.

Listen to the artisan's needs first; this order is very important.

The matter is very simple; it's all about money, or more precisely, about labor compensation.

"I never expected that Liyu Cotton Mill would owe wages for a full seventeen months without paying a single penny." Zhu Yijun said with great emotion. The craftsmen's demands were reasonable; they were asking the new manager to pay them back for their previous work.

"You've already paid the wages, how could this happen?" Zhu Yijun looked at the new manager, who came from a government factory and was originally the assistant manager of Yongding Woolen Mill. Obviously, he brought the bureaucratic style of the government factory to Liyu Cotton Textile. Whatever I say, the craftsmen have to listen to.

The reason why the government factories could do this was because their artisans were guaranteed a stable income regardless of drought or flood, and the government provided them with good benefits. The artisans in the private workshops, on the other hand, relied on this meager wage to make a living. If they weren't compensated, it would be strange if they didn't cause trouble.

"There's no money in the account." The new manager remained silent for a long time before finally giving the emperor an answer. It was true; he wouldn't make up the shortfall and was even cutting redundant staff because there was no money in the account.

Zhu Yijun had the accounts brought over, and after carefully reviewing them, he slammed his fist on the table and exclaimed, "Are these second, third, and fourth sons really Sun Kehong's children? They're truly a case of a tiger father and his dogs! These parasites have actually emptied out such a large and profitable cotton mill!"

You don't know until you look at the accounts, and when you do, you're shocked.

If you ask a well-run organization how long it takes for a termite to develop from gestation to hollowing out the organization, Liyu Cotton Textile's answer is: ten years.

In less than ten years, the managers, accountants, purchasing agents, and other staff of the second, third, and fourth sons emptied out Liyu Cotton Textile, the largest cotton mill in Songjiang Prefecture. The accounts were shocking.

"A deficit of 2.4 million taels of silver! Besides the 520,000 taels of unpaid wages, the cotton mill actually owes the cotton merchants 1.9 million taels of silver for goods!" Zhu Yijun looked at the new manager with some curiosity and asked, "Why haven't the cotton merchants made a fuss about demanding their money back?"

There was no money in the account, the manager had no money to cover expenses, and he couldn't repay the cotton merchants, but none of the cotton merchants made a fuss.

"They dare not," the new manager succinctly told the emperor the fundamental reason.

Almost all powerful figures knew that when artisans and common people protested, His Majesty would ask them what grievances they had and try to resolve them. However, when wealthy merchants and powerful figures protested, His Majesty would only send troops to suppress them.

"First, use the imperial treasury to pay the workers' wages and resume production. The money owed to the cotton merchants can be paid off gradually as production profits increase. We absolutely cannot allow them to continue owing money." Zhu Yijun said to the new manager, "I'm giving you five days to find the second, third, and fourth sons and file a complaint with the Songjiang Prefectural Government. They must return the money they took!"

"Your Majesty, the list is here." The new manager had only been in office for five days, and before His Majesty had even finished speaking, he had already taken out the list and handed it to Zhang Hong.

"It's not just the craftsmen who are waiting for me, but you too?" Zhu Yijun saw the list, and then looked at Hu Junde who was present, and he began to understand.

This is not the first time Hu Junde has used leverage; the last time was during the public assembly.

The transformation of Liyu Cotton Mill from a private workshop to an official factory necessitates fundamental solutions to some historical issues. However, due to the involvement of behind-the-scenes deals between Sun Kehong and the emperor, neither Hu Junde nor the new manager could set a course of action.

As the matter dragged on, the craftsmen, who were already severely owed wages, naturally demanded their pay during the process of changing the flag at Liyu Cotton Mill.

Zhu Yijun was more than happy to leverage the power of ministers who were truly willing to work hard. Wasn't that what he, as emperor, was all about? He had supported Zhang Juzheng in the past, and now he was supporting upright officials throughout the land. He was to play his role as emperor well and lead the Ming Dynasty forward.

After summarizing all the information, Zhu Yijun said, "First of all, we must ensure people's livelihood. These 15,000 artisans represent 15,000 families, which is no small matter. We should use funds from the imperial treasury to solve the problem of labor remuneration first. Secondly, we must ensure production. Stopping production for even one day means losing money. The artisans will lose money, the cotton spinning industry will lose money, and the imperial court will lose money."

"As for these old scores, let's settle them all at once. Since Sun Kehong has handed over everything, he has no intention of protecting them."

Liyu Cotton Textile had no money in its accounts, was in arrears on payments to raw material suppliers, and its craftsmen were sitting and demanding their wages. However, the cotton textile business did not fall into operational difficulties and remained an extremely valuable asset. Whoever acquired it and sorted it out would be a golden goose.

In this respect, Sun Kehong did not deceive the emperor; he was not shirking his responsibilities. The means of production and the artisans were still there.

(End of this chapter)