I'm really not doing business

Chapter 974 The ambition to seize power has once again been thwarted by His Majesty's scheme.

The livelihood of millions of grain transport workers was a problem that the Ming Dynasty had to face.

The Inland Waterway Transport Department's establishment of a transfer commissioner to oversee waterway affairs is a direct confrontation of the problem, rather than an attempt to evade it.

The first time the Ming Dynasty faced such a problem was the shift from river transport to sea transport, which began in the second year of the Wanli reign. It took six years to completely change the transport of four million shi of grain from land to sea.

This number continued to grow rapidly after the ninth year of the Wanli reign, and to this day, it has exceeded 1200 million shi of grain transported from Songjiang Prefecture's new port.

The route goes from Matsue Prefecture's new port to Naha Port in Ryukyu, and then turns north, because once you reach Naha Port, you can use ocean currents to reach Tianjin, Mizhou Maritime Trade Office and other places.

The amount of grain transported by sea was still growing rapidly. This was because officials in Huguang, Jiangzuo and Jiangyou, Zhejiang and other places used the purchase of imported grain to complete the imperial tax collection. In another sense, this completed the unfinished Single Whip Law.

When the river transport system was first converted to sea transport, the resistance encountered was far greater than that encountered when the Inland Waterway Transport Bureau was established today.

That was the first time the Ming Dynasty had attempted to solve the problem of providing food and clothing for the million canal workers, and it was a great success. The transport capacity of the canals was fully released, the economic vitality of the Grand Canal was fully activated, and the lights on both banks stayed on all night.

Compared to the first time when they were cautious and inexperienced, this time the court's decision-making was much more skillful and adept.

The construction of tugboats to tow barges was to supplement insufficient transport capacity. When transport capacity was sufficient, goods would flow more smoothly, and more workshops would appear. Similarly, a large number of laborers would be needed at each dock, which could relieve the pressure on the boat trackers.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Works promised that it would build ships while observing the situation, and would take five to eight years to complete the transformation of official ships, and ten to twenty years to gradually change the lives of these boat trackers, rather than doing it all at once, in order to minimize the impact.

Regardless, such changes will have a huge impact on the lives of these boat trackers.

They had to change their lives of the past decades, or even centuries, to adapt to the new era, and this growing pain was borne by the people.

The court meeting on the 25th of the twelfth lunar month is a year-end summary. After the summary, the emperor will write a work report, which will be burned as a prayer to the Heavenly Emperor and the ancestors when he worships at the Imperial Ancestral Temple on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Minister of Revenue Zhang Xueyan took out a memorial and said, "Your Majesty, this year there has been no snow in Xuanfu, Datong, the capital, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu and other places."

The Ministry of Revenue waited until the 25th of the twelfth lunar month, but still received no good news. This year's situation was worse than last year's. At least last year, there was a flurry of activity that calmed the restless people.

But this year, there wasn't a single snowfall.

"It's snowing heavily in Suiyuan, Liaodong, and Shandong, causing snow disasters. The snow is more than a meter high when you go outside." Wang Yi'e, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, said with a bitter expression. In some places, there was no snow at all, while in others, the snow kept people indoors and prevented them from going out.

The snow in Dengzhou and Laizhou prefectures has been particularly heavy this year, with snowfalls high enough to bury people.

This is the true nature of the imbalance between water and drought, just like the emperor's temper—capricious and unpredictable, truly treating the Ming people like Japanese invaders.

Zhu Yijun felt like the Marquis of Fengxian County, who had somehow offended the Jade Emperor, causing Fengxian County to suffer from drought and floods, and the Marquis was completely helpless in the face of this situation.

However, Fengxian County only waited three years before the Monkey King came to solve the problem. The upheaval in the Ming Dynasty was of unknown duration.

“Actually, it could snow,” Zhu Yijun said, sitting up straight. “I’m not in these places, so local officials can write reports that it snowed to please me.”

"But the local officials did not. At least they remembered what I said: to give the people a way to live and not to force them to die."

Whether it snowed or whether there was a famine affected the exemption of land taxes for the following year. If local officials dared to talk nonsense on such matters, the emperor might actually refuse to exempt them.

In order to collect taxes, local governments will have to take from the people. With natural disasters and man-made calamities, civil unrest will break out immediately.

Since the Wanli Reforms, whenever a civil unrest broke out in a place, the local officials had only one fate: beheading and public display of their heads. Moreover, the beheadings were carried out locally, with no leniency shown.

Between the imperial decrees and the people's livelihood, the emperor demanded that his officials choose the people's livelihood.

Zhu Yijun was not in a hurry. The Ming Dynasty did not face any obvious external pressure, so it could be more flexible in its policies. It could use the extended period of time and the presence of overseas governor-general offices to exchange for the intensity of the painful changes.

"Reduce the land tax by another 20% next year, and if there is a drought, it will be completely waived." Zhu Yijun, despite having no money, once again drastically reduced the land tax by 20%.

With the emperor implementing such a reduction, the court's fiscal revenue during the Jiajing and Longqing reigns was likely to drop to a point where it could no longer be sustained.

The profits from government factories, the grain transported by sea, and imported grain alleviated the financial difficulties of the imperial court, giving it more resources to address these conflicts without having to collude with local powerful families to take the last grain from the people's rice bowls.

"Your Majesty is wise." Zhang Xueyan and Wang Yi'e bowed again. With His Majesty's word, millions more people of the Ming Dynasty could live.

This is not nonsense. Given the severity of the drought and floods last year, there should have been all sorts of civil unrest in various places long ago. But there was no civil unrest last year. Heaven took the lead in reducing land taxes, and the local powerful families could only grit their teeth and accept the rent reductions during the disaster year.

“Your Majesty, the celestial anomaly is not frightening; what is frightening is the simultaneous occurrence of natural disasters and man-made calamities. Power and fortune complement each other.” Zhang Xueyan said with a strange expression. The impact of the celestial anomaly was not as great as imagined, and life was more tenacious than expected.

The reason why no major chaos that would have threatened the very foundation of the state occurred was because natural disasters and man-made calamities did not occur simultaneously.

If natural disasters and man-made calamities occur at the same time, then the imperial court should be busy putting out fires everywhere.

"I really have no way to deal with Heaven. Heaven has sent down a celestial calamity, and I can only accept it. Do you think I have no way to deal with these powerful and influential people, local gentry and elders?" Zhu Yijun clearly expressed his attitude.

If we can't deal with God, can't we at least handle these powerful figures?
The powerful, wealthy, and influential local gentry did not cause man-made disasters because they were virtuous. Of course not, it was because the emperor was wicked.

The court cannot control natural disasters, but it can control man-made disasters. In particular, last year His Majesty sent troops to Rongcheng, which made the local powerful families realize that no matter what, they must not provoke the wrath of the emperor.

This provoked a furious reaction. When the Beijing garrison arrived, they would arrest people indiscriminately and organize the return of farmland. This severed the roots of the local gentry and gentry, and they would not recover for at least several decades.

However, popular uprisings will inevitably invite thunderous wrath.

The Ming Dynasty called imperial power the power of authority and blessing. These two words, authority and blessing, are indeed wonderfully profound. Especially after experiencing the famine relief last year, Zhang Xueyan has a deeper understanding of these two words.

When a wise and powerful ruler gains great prestige, he can bring blessings to the world.

A gentleman who is not dignified will not command respect. A gentleman is dignified in four aspects: speech, conduct, appearance, and taste. That is, he is cautious in his speech, dignified in his conduct, proper in his manners, and refined in his tastes. If one's words and actions are not dignified, one will not command respect.

Of course, it can also be interpreted as a gentleman lacking authority if he doesn't strike hard.

The fact that Zhang Juzheng, Wang Chonggu, and Ling Yunyi were the chief and deputy chief ministers perfectly illustrates Xiong Tingbi's unorthodox Confucianism.

After Zhang Xueyan presented the emperor with the correct strategies for dealing with the celestial changes in the coming year, he returned to his seat.

"Minister Gao, how is the matter of the Pan-Pacific Merchant Alliance going?" Zhu Yijun inquired about the progress of the negotiations with the Pan-Pacific Merchant Alliance.

Next February, this group of envoys from the Eastern Pacific Governor-General's Office will return home, and around June or July, the Eastern Pacific Governors-General will travel to the Ming Dynasty to sign the overall agreement.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty is benevolent and has allowed me to make concessions. I have followed Your Majesty's instructions and explained to the envoys that Your Majesty's benevolence is widespread. All the envoys are deeply grateful for Your Majesty's boundless grace. At present, all agreements have been reached. The envoys will travel to Wanguo City in Songjiang Prefecture after the New Year and return in February." Gao Qiyu quickly reported the details.

All that's left is for the governors to sign off as a formality. In fact, the Pacific Rim Business Alliance has already reached a consensus and been established.

"You've done all the dirty work, Minister Gao, and I've done all the good work. Minister Gao has rendered great service to the nation." Zhu Yijun waved his hand, signaling Feng Bao to accept the reward.

Normally, Zhu Yijun would not bestow rewards upon his ministers in the Wenhua Hall, but rather after the court session. However, during this year-end court meeting, Zhu Yijun broke this precedent and bestowed an extra reward upon Gao Qiyu.

A young eunuch carried a rosewood box and placed it on the table.

Feng Bao opened the rosewood chest and showed it to the court officials.

The veins on Gao Qiyu's forehead throbbed. Inside the rosewood box was a Ziwei star, a palm-sized, fully purple, cotton-free egg-shaped face, crystal clear, and twenty-six smaller egg-shaped facets, each the size of a thumb.

Each generation taps a little, ensuring wealth for more than ten generations.

"Your Majesty, I am unworthy of this honor." Gao Qiyu was genuinely startled. Rewarding merit was the Emperor's governing principle, but what surprised Gao Qiyu most was that the Emperor was already broke! Yet he was still desperately bestowing such a precious treasure upon others!
Zhu Yijun sat up straight and said, "Actually, the main thing is to reward you for going to the danger to force Toyotomi Hideyoshi to surrender in Kyoto, Japan. The matter of the Pan-Pacific Trade Alliance has not yet been accomplished, so I will naturally not reward you."

"136 people have received military merits, and everyone has been rewarded. You, my dear minister, are worthy of receiving them."

Zhu Yijun hadn't forgotten Gao Qiyu. He went to Japan and burned down most of Kyoto with his divine fire and flying crows. It hasn't been rebuilt yet.

Everyone who has rendered meritorious service deserves a reward, and Gao Qiyu should also receive one.

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness." Gao Qiyu had no choice but to accept the reward because of the war with Japan. If he were to return it to His Majesty, wouldn't the Grand General and the 135 Generals also have to be returned to His Majesty?

Moreover, this is the key to building the Ming Dynasty's Winning Theory.

The Nine Victories of the Eastern Expedition constitute the study of winning, which includes not only "The Record of the Eastern Expedition" and "The Record of Heroes", but also various vernacular stories, storytelling, and this reward of stars. It is both storytelling and the construction of the study of winning.

The Ming Dynasty's theory of winning is consistent with the theory of winning throughout Chinese history; only by winning can one truly win.

Of course, there are also things to make up for. When you win, you should write about it extensively, rather than winning a single sentence and losing several books.

Zhang Juzheng and Qi Jiguang exchanged a glance. It seems His Majesty really made a lot of money selling jade.

People don't learn from history. The farce of exchanging fine cloth for fine woolen fabrics is still fresh in our minds, and now the Jade Bureau is back. People just don't learn from their mistakes. Powerful and wealthy people in the capital, the southern government, and Songjiang Prefecture have all started to adorele these beautiful stones.

What surprised Zhang Juzheng the most was that the rarer and more expensive this thing was, the more these powerful and wealthy people recognized it and flocked to it. Moreover, the emperor accurately grasped this trend and even deliberately broke up large pieces of jadeite to sell. Jadeite weighing more than two taels was extremely rare among the common people.

The scarcity of large pieces of jade was deliberately created, coupled with the additional exchange value bestowed upon the ministers by His Majesty.

Your Majesty has succeeded again in the jade saga.

Zhang Juzheng actually knew that His Majesty had been very merciful; not bringing tulips meant that it wasn't a deception.

The Ming Dynasty merchant ships brought back many strange tales. For example, in the Netherlands, a type of tulip called Young Noble sold for 480 ducats, equivalent to the price of four cows!
The jade that Your Majesty has acquired is extremely rare. This kind of gemstone, especially those that are full purple or full green, is very, very rare. It comes from the distant Toungoo region and is far superior to things like tulips.

As Your Majesty said, there are far more people who are robbed than those who are cheated. People are even willing to be deceived!
Grand Marshal Zeng Shengwu reported on the progress of this year's troop reduction and registration, which went very smoothly. Meanwhile, Grand Minister of Justice Ling Yunyi reported on a plan called "Great Cleanup," which aimed to thoroughly eliminate local ruffians, hooligans, bandits, and gangs in the countryside and the city.

The local patrol offices and yamen runners were responsible for carrying out the operation, and when necessary, the Beijing garrison could be dispatched for targeted clearing operations.

The first step in this cleanup plan will not begin with the gangs in the metropolis, but with the bureaucracy.

In Ling Yunyi's words, without eliminating these rebels, these gangs, thugs, and ruffians could never be eradicated. Only by eliminating the officials in the court who were protecting these criminal forces could further action be taken. The purge would begin in the 19th year of the Wanli reign and continue until the 29th year, with the expectation of achieving results within ten years. The Ministry of Justice and the Anti-Corruption Bureau would cooperate closely, using the anti-corruption campaign as a pretext to target and eliminate these officials.

After careful consideration, Zhu Yijun approved Ling Yunyi's memorial. The reason for the emperor's hesitation was very simple: Ling Yunyi's bloodthirstiness was just too great.

In his memorial, Ling Yunyi proposed the normalization of the Beijing garrison's dispatch of troops.

In every province reached by the imperial road, a battalion of 3,000 men was dispatched, rotating every five years, to specifically target and eliminate mountain strongholds and urban gangs that the local authorities were powerless to control.

Ling Yunyi, after reviewing all the old cases in the Ministry of Justice, discovered that many times, it wasn't that the government didn't want to eliminate the bandits, but rather that it was powerless to do so.

Some bandits outnumbered the yamen runners, and the yamen runners and archers were helpless against them, forced to let them cause trouble.

When the Beijing garrison went to Rongcheng County, they discovered this fact: the two bandit strongholds in Rongcheng had more weapons, including knives, spears, halberds, bows, crossbows, and armor, than the Rongcheng County government office.

The reason Ling Yunyi wanted to eliminate these troublesome bandit strongholds was not for the sake of the common people, but because of the changing times.

Weather changes lead to reduced grain production and increased instability, which allows these mountain bandit strongholds to take advantage of the chaos and start uprisings.

Desperate refugees have little organizational capacity and can't cause trouble, but they often gather near bandit dens or even become part of the bandits, which is like adding fuel to the fire.

What could have been a relief and aid to the displaced people could quickly escalate into an uncontrollable riot.

The purpose of the regular deployment of troops by the Beijing garrison was not entirely to suppress bandits, but to prepare for the change of military control.

If the situation deteriorates to the point where military control is necessary, the regular Beijing garrison can respond quickly, distributing all supplies under military control to prevent further unrest.

Zhu Yijun ultimately approved the memorial, stipulating that before a large-scale civil unrest broke out, the Beijing garrison would only be responsible for suppressing bandits. Once a large-scale civil unrest occurred in a region, a rapid response would be required, with complete control of the local government offices, and even land reclamation and resettlement of the people to reduce the possibility of a large-scale civil unrest.

This is a set of stability maintenance strategies devised by Grand Minister of Justice Ling Yunyi, with the Beijing Garrison as the main force, for the sake of the country and its people.

The Beijing Garrison is a sharp sword; once drawn, it will surely draw blood.

After concluding the last court meeting of the year, Zhu Yijun became busy again. He was going to visit the family of the Marquis of Duntai in Daxing Nanhaizi, to visit the orphans of the Imperial Guards, to inspect the official factory of the Beijing Garrison, to visit the families of the elite soldiers of the Beijing Garrison in Beidaying, and to meet with the imperial family members in Shiwangcheng to show their kinship.

On the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhu Yijun reopened the Huangji Gate and received officials, elders, and common people. Nearly a thousand people from all walks of life, randomly selected, wrote down their most pressing concerns in the corridors on either side of the Huangji Gate.

The people of the court and the emperor inquired about the laws and regulations of governance.

On the thirtieth day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhu Yijun received New Year's greetings from his officials. On the first day of the first lunar month, he went to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to worship his ancestors. On the second day of the first lunar month, His Majesty the Emperor took thousands of petitions from the people to the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests for self-reflection.

During the period of reform and opening up, Zhu Yijun was to read through all the petitions from the people, and even if he could not solve the problems, he was to have a clear understanding of them.

The emperor prayed for snow for seven days, but the attempt failed. He then extended the prayer for snow for three more days, but the attempt still failed.

The air in the capital was slightly murky. Under the haze, the city took on an eerie purple hue in the sunlight, which made people feel extremely uneasy.

On the fourteenth day of the first month, the emperor left the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and issued several memorials, requiring all localities to carry out locust control measures in drought-stricken areas in accordance with the "Memorial on Locust Control," to prevent the drought from turning into a locust plague, and also requiring local officials to strictly urge local gentry and elders to fulfill the promises made sixty-four years ago and not to create man-made disasters from natural disasters.

On the sixteenth day of the first month, the Beijing garrison began to be dispatched. The first dispatch consisted of ten battalions, which were sent to ten places: Liaodong, Shandong, Henan, Shanxi, Suiyuan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Huguang, Jiangzuo, and Jiangyou.

Because of the imperial roads, these places can be quickly dispatched and rotated at a relatively low cost.

Zhu Yijun was prepared. If there was a locust plague, he would follow the example of Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, by swallowing locusts to show his determination to overcome the disaster with the people.

Before becoming emperor, Zhu Yijun thought that Li Shimin eating locusts was just a show. Although the emperor was willing to put on a show for the people, it was already considered benevolent, since there were many insects that he didn't even bother to put on a show for.

But after becoming emperor, Zhu Yijun realized that it was not a show at all, but a necessary measure to appease the people.

In the West, all sins could be attributed to God, since no one could judge God. But in the Ming Dynasty, there was no God, so all sins could only be attributed to the emperor, and if the emperor was killed, the emperor would die.

In an effort to appease the public, during severe locust plagues, people resorted to eating locusts alive as a desperate measure to protect themselves.

Zhu Yijun was prepared to swallow locusts alive and communicated the details with the Ministry of Rites, hoping that the people of the capital would also witness it.

During a locust plague, raising any number of chickens or ducks is useless, because once the density of locusts exceeds a certain critical value, they will secrete a toxin. When the locust plague passes through, the result can only be that locusts fly and darken the sky, fill windows and doors, leaving no room for anything, and devour all vegetation for thousands of miles, even cattle, horses, and banners.

From the perspective of the Mandate of Heaven, this is a severe blow to the Emperor's Mandate of Heaven.

"What does Heaven mean?" Zhu Yijun stood in front of the Imperial Study in Tonghe Palace, looking up at the swirling snowflakes in the sky, staring blankly.

It was snowing, and it was snowing heavily. Zhu Yijun was a little disoriented, his hair and eyebrows covered in snow.

He prayed for snow for ten whole days at the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. The sky was cloudless. He released the contingency plan he had prepared long ago, intending to withstand this year's weather changes.

As soon as he woke up in the morning, Feng Bao scrambled to the outer room of the palace and shouted with great joy, "It's snowing!"

Moreover, it was snowing heavily, and judging by the intensity, it must have been at least three feet deep.

"Your Majesty, the weather is like this, unpredictable." Feng Bao breathed a heavy sigh of relief; this snow was just in time!

Extreme drought breeds locusts. If there is no rain this spring, the locust plague in March and April will be overwhelming, causing widespread suffering.

"Issue an imperial decree to the cabinet: after the snow stops, go to the Temple of Heaven to offer sacrifices and pray for blessings. Have the Celestial Master Zhang Guoxiang write a prayer for the heavens." Zhu Yijun walked around in the snow several times before shaking off the snowflakes and issuing the decree to Feng Bao.

A late response is still a response. It's already good enough that God is willing to send snow and rain. We can't ask for too much. At least this snowfall will prevent the drought in the north from turning into a locust plague, and the people can at least harvest a season's worth of potatoes.

Zhu Yijun immediately decided to go to the Temple of Heaven to fulfill his vow, and even went to great lengths to offer sacrifices to Heaven.

When it comes to faith, the people of the Ming Dynasty always showed flexibility. One minute they were cursing the heavens, and the next they were praising the heavens' great benevolence.

Potatoes are nutritious and can be a staple food, keeping people from starving.

Having food to eat was one of Zhu Yijun's crazy ramblings. Like the Dinghai school system, the emperor's proposal of five large tile-roofed houses was a crazy rambling, but it was slowly being realized.

On the eighteenth day of the first lunar month, the snow stopped, the emperor suspended the morning court session, and led his officials to the Temple of Heaven to solemnly offer sacrifices to Heaven.

"A message came from the Nagasaki Governor's Office that Toyotomi Hideyoshi was assassinated three times, escaping twice by luck and being wounded once." Zhu Yijun went to the Quanchu Guild Hall for a meal, picked up a report from Japan, and handed it to Zhang Juzheng.

Jiaozhou Bay is an ice-free port, and the news was relayed back to the Ming Dynasty by the coastal defense patrol that departed from Nagasaki.

Each of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's three assassination attempts was more dangerous than the last.

An arrow struck Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the chest, and an explosive device caused him to be wounded. While recovering, poison was added to his medicine, which killed him.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi was constantly on the run from these three assassination attempts within just three months.

"The reason for the assassination was very simple. Toyotomi Hideyoshi realized that the Blissful Religion had no concept of forgiveness or redemption. If you admit that you are wrong, you have to keep admitting your mistakes and keep paying more and more prices. Toyotomi Hideyoshi planned to resist and carry out an armed purge of the Blissful Religion, which led to the assassination." Zhu Yijun also handed over another case file investigated by the Garrison Command to Zhang Juzheng.

After reading it, Zhang Juzheng pondered for a long time before speaking: "If I were Toyotomi Hideyoshi, I would run to the Ming Dynasty and live the life of a wealthy man. If the Ming Dynasty does not accept me, I will go to Southeast Asia, carve out a piece of land, and live my own life. Japan is beyond saving."

Toyotomi Hideyoshi, this monkey, is not as good as Oda Nobunaga, this great demon king, but Toyotomi Hideyoshi is still a rare talent, and now he is in such a sorry state.

Zhang Juzheng said solemnly, "The consensus built by the Japanese dynasty has been distorted. The name 'Yamato' will disappear completely from the long river of history, becoming a drifting duckweed that no one cares about."

Japan sent envoys to the Sui and Tang dynasties. Through long-term exchanges, Japan gradually realized that the word "倭" (Wa) was a derogatory term. Therefore, it adopted the word "和" (He) for its proper use and valued harmony. During the Nara period, the word "和" was used to replace "倭" and people referred to themselves as "Yamato people".

The concept of Yamato (Great Harmony) is one of the most important consensuses in the construction of the nation and can be considered one of its pillars.

Zhang Juzheng never expected this outcome. He thought that the Japanese dynasty would be dismantled by the invincible Ming army, but the result was that the consensus was distorted.

The Blissful Sect is an extremely terrifying evil.

"Sir, I am quite worried that Toyotomi Hideyoshi will launch another war to attack Korea, using foreign war to alleviate complex internal contradictions. Once he defeats the Ming Dynasty, he can use the momentum of victory to solve domestic problems."

“Just like me.” Zhu Yijun expressed his concerns. He prescribed two doses of medicine, something Toyotomi Hideyoshi couldn’t do, but such a desperate gamble on the fate of the nation was also possible.

The Ming Dynasty must be wary of Japan's desperate gamble.

“It’s impossible.” Zhang Juzheng pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, “Unless he destroys the Bliss Sect, he can’t do it. The origins of the Bliss Sect are very complicated. A large part of it is the remnants that Oda Nobunaga failed to eliminate during his campaign to unify the country.”

The Ming Dynasty was far more terrifying than the Blissful Religion. Unless Toyotomi Hideyoshi possessed Oda Nobunaga's military talent and used victory after victory to continuously win over the people in the civil war, no one would support his desperate gamble on the fate of the nation.

The basic logic of a regime is this: it can be brutal and inhumane, but it cannot afford to lose; military defeat means total defeat.

"But we still need to be vigilant, especially in controlling Tsushima Island to prevent them from resorting to desperate measures." Zhu Yijun agreed with Zhang Juzheng's opinion.

The conflict between the Ming Dynasty and Japan, which has lasted for a thousand years, is coming to an end. This end can only be the complete destruction of one side. The Ming Dynasty is carrying out a comprehensive dismantling of Japan in military, political, economic and cultural aspects.

In terms of cultural dismemberment, the Blissful Religion was far more horrific than that of the Ming Dynasty.

"Last year, there were 43,000 Japanese slaves in the trade, and 26,000 Japanese women traveling to Southeast Asia." Zhu Yijun took out the third memorial. The number of Japanese slaves in the eighteenth year of Wanli was basically the same as in the seventeenth year, indicating that the Japanese slave trade had reached its peak.

Japan's young and middle-aged population is declining at an alarming rate, and these are young and middle-aged people, not the elderly, weak, sick, or disabled.

The horrors of the triangular trade were so terrifying that even the emperor was terrified. Japan's population was only seven million, and nearly seventy thousand able-bodied men were losing their lives every year. This ratio would make even the Ming Dynasty tremble, let alone Japan.

After Zhang Juzheng read it, Zhu Yijun crossed out that line, threw it into the brazier to burn to ashes, and stirred it again. The Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs had previously copied a memorial without details of the trade with the Japanese pirates.

If it's not recorded, it's as if it doesn't exist.

"There's no way to launch a counterattack against the Ming Dynasty anymore, there's no one left." Zhang Juzheng said with a solemn expression, "Your Majesty, the clamor of the Blissful Sect is about to subside. The Japanese can't accept such evil spirits either, and they will gradually face widespread opposition."

(End of this chapter)