I'm really not doing business

Chapter 975 Learn to win and divide the spoils, learn to lose and cover the retreat.

Things will inevitably turn into their opposites when they reach their extremes, and prosperity will inevitably decline when it reaches its peak.

The Bliss Cult in Japan is currently at its peak, its evil influence is rampant, and its followers can do whatever they want. No one can restrain them, and their crimes will go unpunished.

This ferocious situation could not continue indefinitely. The extreme practice of infanticide by the Blissful Cult has aroused some opposition within the cult itself.

Extremist sects will gradually destroy themselves through continuous radicalization.

Zhang Juzheng judged that the Paradise Sect's followers would soon decline for a simple reason: Japan, with its rapidly decreasing young and middle-aged workforce, could no longer support the Paradise Sect's unrestrained and disorderly expansion.

The hedonistic doctrine of the Bliss Sect easily resonates with young adults, but Japan's population is declining rapidly due to the small triangular trade, with nearly 70,000 Japanese slaves traveling to Southeast Asia by ship every year, which is eroding the foundation for the rampant spread of the Bliss Sect.

Zhu Yijun went to the Quan Chu Guild Hall for a meal. In the Wenchang Pavilion, he chatted with Zhang Juzheng for a long time about the new policies, the expansion of the country, and the opening of the sea.

"Your Majesty, the most important thing right now is to perfect the Pan-Pacific Trade Alliance, and the primary task is to rapidly expand the scale of trade." Zhang Juzheng talked about the first major event after the establishment of the Pan-Pacific Trade Alliance: the scale of the large triangle trade between the Ming Dynasty, the Eastern Pacific Governor-General's Office, and Southeast Asia should be larger than that of the small triangle trade between the Ming Dynasty, Japan, and Southeast Asia.

In the eyes of the Ming Dynasty, the Eastern Pacific Governorate and Japan held almost identical positions in trade, in terms of silver, markets, and labor service, except that the Eastern Pacific Governorate was larger in scale and more profitable.

“That’s natural. Without scale, even the best regulations cannot be implemented,” Zhu Yijun said with a very solemn nod.

The preliminary draft agreement signed by Gao Qiyu and the Governor-General's Office of the Eastern Pacific was called the "Commercial Regulations of the Pan-Pacific Trade Alliance".

The charter details the respective rights and obligations, the areas where ships can dock, prohibited goods, tax rates, and other matters. It has been revised several times and a comprehensive consensus has been reached. The envoy has signed it.

The envoy has signed, signifying that the charter has begun to be implemented.

For example, the Charter stipulates that the Pacific Rim Chamber of Commerce will be established in Shuri Prefecture, Ryukyu, and all signatories may send two directors to serve in the Chamber.

The most important responsibility of this council is to handle trade disputes among members, discuss amendments to the Articles of Association, and so on, somewhat like Felipe's current Council of State.

In essence, it provided a place for arguments, preventing major conflicts and attacks between the parties over the looting of one or two ships. Trade disputes were adjudicated primarily according to the laws of the Ming Dynasty.

The charter also has clear rules for expanding membership. Gao Qiyu is very domineering. The Pan-Pacific Trade Alliance, which was established with the core logic of "tribute trade with the Ming Dynasty", cannot add members without the permission and approval of the Ming Dynasty.

Trade disputes were primarily handled according to the Ming Dynasty's legal code, which was also for this reason.

The regulations also stipulated the ports opened by each governor's office, the need to ensure the safety of the Ming Palace, and so on.

The charter is well-written, but it is all based on a huge scale of trade. Without the support of scale, the charter is unlikely to gain respect and support.

If there is a sufficient scale, even without regulations, the interests demanded by the Ming Dynasty will be realized one by one, which can be considered a form of economic colonization.

After careful consideration, Zhang Juzheng said, "Your Majesty, the primary task is to eliminate the pirates. After the Prince of Lu takes up his fief, a comprehensive crackdown on the pirates along the way should be carried out, and regular joint patrols should be conducted to maintain maritime security."

"The reason why the small triangular trade was so prosperous was that the Ming Dynasty's navy regularly conducted armed patrols to demonstrate its power overseas and curb the rampant piracy. Only with a stable maritime trade environment could business be done properly."

"The Kingdom of Gold must shoulder this responsibility."

The burden on Prince Lu's shoulders grew even heavier.

Pirates were the primary threat to maritime trade. Without secure seas, there could be no large-scale maritime trade. Since England issued privateering licenses, maritime trade throughout the West had experienced varying degrees of decline.

This was also very evident in the Ming Dynasty. When the Japanese pirates were rampant, the scale of maritime trade immediately declined. The slaves that the Southeastern merchants had raised turned against them, which was also the reason why the Longqing Emperor was able to open the ports.

The opening of the sea route during the Wanli Emperor's reign was initially met with widespread opposition, but after the pirates were eliminated by the navy and the sea routes became safe, the opening of the sea route gained wider support.

The more rampant the pirates were, the smaller the scale of maritime trade. The first responsibility of the Prince of Lu upon taking up his fief was to act as the Ming Dynasty's hand in the East, to eliminate these pirates and prevent them from attacking merchant ships.

"Sir, you are right. We must not trust the barbarians on such important matters. The Ming Dynasty has no reach in the East Pacific. These governor-general's offices either tacitly approve or condone the pirates plundering Ming Dynasty merchant ships."

"The Jinshan Navy must shoulder this responsibility. I will communicate with Prince Lu carefully." Zhu Yijun thought carefully and felt that Zhang Juzheng was right.

According to the charter, no member is allowed to provide any port services, replenish any supplies, repair sailboats, provide water and food, sell goods, etc. to the pirates.

However, according to information gathered by the court from the sailors, these governorates in the East Pacific had many unspoken small ports that provided various services to pirates.

The journey of Ming Dynasty merchant ships is fraught with danger, and eliminating potential threats is naturally the responsibility of the imperial court, a duty it cannot shirk.

"All Ming Dynasty ships departing from Naha Port in Shuri Prefecture can obtain various weapons at Naha Port to arm the ships and prevent looting." Zhang Juzheng mentioned the issue of armed merchant ships. Merchant ships heading to the Eastern Pacific Governor's Office must be armed.

Armed merchant ships were widely present in Western trade outside of Malacca. Ming Dynasty merchant ships could replenish their supplies of swords, spears, halberds, armor, bows and crossbows, muskets, cannons, and gunpowder in Malacca and Davao, Mindanao.

Outside of the established order, one can only trust oneself, which is one of the reasons why Ming Dynasty merchant ships were unwilling to leave Malacca.

The Ming Dynasty was never afraid of merchant ships controlling firepower, because no matter how strong the firepower of merchant ships was, it was not as strong as that of the navy.

The maritime trade policy that Zhang Juzheng discussed with the emperor generally followed the basic maritime trade strategy of "trading with swords" proposed by Wan Shihe. When the rules were not yet perfect, violence was the only means of protecting oneself on the vast ocean.

The emperor and Zhang Juzheng talked for a long time. These were all closely related to the Pan-Pacific Trade Alliance, but these adjustments to national policies were unrelated to other members. They were the Ming Dynasty's own adjustments to adapt to the new form of maritime trade.

"What are your thoughts on the construction of tugboats at the Longjiang and Qingjiang shipyards? There are only the four of us in the Wenchang Pavilion, so you can speak freely." Zhu Yijun brought up the issue of tugboats discussed in the court meeting, but Zhang Juzheng did not give a specific opinion.

"Your Majesty, please wait a moment." Zhang Juzheng stood up and began searching for books on the bookshelf.

Zhu Yijun looked at Zhang Juzheng's figure with some emotion. This imperial tutor who became the prime minister at the age of forty-eight had finally grown old. His temples were already gray, and even his beard had turned into a mixed color. Moreover, his figure was no longer as upright as it had been in his youth.

Zhang Juzheng took out a copy of "Supplement to the Records of Longjiang Shipyard", flipped through it for a moment, found the bookmark, and handed it to His Majesty the Emperor.

The Ming Dynasty conducted a comprehensive excavation of the Longjiang Shipyard outside Nanjing, and organized all possible historical materials. Ultimately, the Ministry of Rites revised the records into a gazetteer, supplementing the history of the shipyard's rise and fall. The process was truly remarkable.

Zhu Yijun saw the location of the bookmark, which contained many annotations by Zhang Juzheng himself.

"I understand. The decline of the Longjiang Shipyard is the responsibility of the court, and indeed, the primary responsibility." Zhu Yijun flipped through the historical records and acknowledged this basic fact.

“The decline of Longjiang Shipyard was not a one-time event, but a continuous decline.” Zhang Juzheng said with a complicated expression: “During the Yongle period, maritime trade was booming. Longjiang Shipyard alone built 768 seagoing and riverboats a year. These were all large ships with a capacity of over 500 liang. At that time, the shipyard had more than 73,000 shipwrights.”

"By the Xuande era, the shipyard could only build 187 ships a year, and most of them were small boats. Shipwrights either fled or left. By the ninth year of Xuande, the shipyard only had 2,200 people, and they were all just sitting in their positions without doing any work. They were paid three cents for each job, and even when they got paid, they didn't do any work."

"In just nine years, the two largest shipyards, Longjiang and Qingjiang, have lost all their former capabilities."

Time comes and the world has the same force, and it is not free to transport heroes.

As the imperial court shifted its stance and the maritime ban policy tightened, shipyards experienced a rapid decrease in ship orders. Consequently, they were unable to cover their expenses and could no longer support the large number of shipwrights they employed.

Gradually, the shipyard was left with only a few incompetent people who didn't even show up for work. They hired a few idle folks to do tinkering and banging on things in the shipyard, just to get by.

By the Zhengtong era, the Longjiang Shipyard no longer had the capacity to build ships.

The imperial court bears primary responsibility for the shipyard's loss of shipbuilding capacity.

Longjiang Shipyard was originally an official shipyard. Most of the ships were built and repaired by the imperial court. When the official ships were no longer built and repaired, the shipwrights lost their livelihoods, and the shipyard's decline became inevitable.

The impact of the industry's decline is far more profound than Zhu Yijun imagined, representing the demise of the entire industrial chain.

The most typical result was that in the twelfth year of the Zhengtong reign, the Zhongshan Tongyuan Garden was burned to the ground, and no one cared about it.

Zhang Juzheng supported the shipyards in building tugboats. The Longjiang Shipyard had already submitted its third memorial to the throne. In the past, the profits from small boats were meager. The Longjiang and Qingjiang shipyards, which mainly produced river boats, could not build seagoing vessels of thirty zhang (approximately 13 meters) like the Songjiang, Fujian, and Guangzhou shipyards.

The shipyard craftsmen have nothing to do. If this continues, the shipyard will disappear, and the shipbuilding industry chain will slowly wither away. If things continue like this, it will just be a new version of the same old story, repeating the same old tale over and over again.

"Your Majesty, these 600,000 boat trackers, if they had any other choice, they would not have become boat trackers. The livelihood of boat trackers is just too hard. The increase in transport capacity brought by tugboats will inevitably lead to an increase in cargo handling at the docks, requiring a large number of manpower. Moreover, the need for craftsmen in various workshops will also increase."

“Doing anything is better than being a boatman,” Zhang Juzheng said, offering his opinion.

“Geng Dingxiang, a scholar from the Institute of Natural Sciences, has a deep understanding of the boatmen. This profession involves starting work at the age of thirteen and ending at the age of twenty-five.” Zhang Juzheng handed another miscellaneous newspaper he had found to His Majesty the Emperor.

Geng Dingxiang, formerly the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy in the Southern Court, later joined the Academy of Natural Sciences with his apprentice Jiao Hong to become a Doctor of Social Sciences, specializing in various social surveys. Unlike Lin Fucheng, Geng Dingxiang was more inclined to understand the lives of ordinary people in the Ming Dynasty and wrote countless miscellaneous newspapers.

The record of the people of Liaodong reclaiming wasteland was written by Geng Dingxiang and others.

In a miscellaneous newspaper, Geng Dingxiang described the life of a boat tracker from the perspective of an observer.

The ropes used by the boat trackers were not hemp ropes, but a type of rope called vine rope.

From the age of three or five, boat trackers would follow their fathers and elders into the mountains to cut bamboo. By the age of six, they would use bamboo knives to cut the bamboo into strips. After weaving the strips into ropes, they would boil them for two days and then expose them to the sun to dry, which would then become the ropes.

At the age of thirteen, he began to work as a boatman pulling a boat. Until he was sixteen, he had no money and his meals consisted of bran, hay mixed with chopped wheat straw, and a little bit of salted fish. That was his daily ration. Moreover, he had to work hard, or he would be beaten and scolded.

Sometimes, a kind landlord might give out some dark-colored steamed buns or a meal of noodles, but most of the time, it was just a bran cake and two bowls of water.

Boatmen aged thirteen to sixteen were considered a burden on the team, and they could only eat a proper meal when they turned sixteen.

Riverboats traveling downstream do not need to be tracked by boatmen; only those traveling upstream do. Depending on the size of the boat, the number of trackers can range from three or four to dozens, and for official boats, even thousands are required.

The boat trackers had to haul the boats for sixty or seventy miles a day. Along the way, there were only beaches, rocks, and cliffs. Many of the boat trackers went barefoot because their shoes would wear out easily.

You can recognize the boat trackers at a glance. Because of their long hours of labor, the tow ropes cut into their flesh. Every time the bamboo ropes are tightened, the barbs on them pierce into their flesh, leaving a bloody mess. The boat trackers have tried to pad their bodies with something, but nothing can stop these barbs except for the calluses that have accumulated over the years.

Where boat trackers are needed, there are always treacherous rapids. If boats want to pass through these complex and dangerous rapids, they can only rely on the strength of the boat trackers.

In the struggle between humans and nature, humans don't always win; many times, they lose.

Sometimes the current is so strong that it can snap the tow rope. If people or horses fall over, that's one thing, but if they fall off a cliff or into the river, they will be left with no trace.

The boatmen would offer sacrifices to these 'water ghosts' during the Dragon Boat Festival, hoping that these water ghosts would not haunt them, these unfortunate people.

According to the boatmen, those who fall into the river and die will become vengeful ghosts after death due to their resentment. The rapids and dangerous shoals are the means by which these water ghosts take lives, and the sacrifices are to appease their resentment.

If there were a way, no one would want to be a boat tracker, not even if they had a small plot of land.

For hundreds and thousands of years, countless people have made a living like this throughout the great rivers and lakes of the Ming Dynasty. The Grand Canal alone had more than 600,000 boat trackers. Although they were called human beings, they were no different from mules and horses, or even worse. They were just trying to survive by getting a bite to eat.

Zhang Juzheng didn't know how the emperor viewed it, but in Zhang Juzheng's opinion, the tugboat pulled by the iron horse was extremely important and timely.

Looking at the imposing Emperor before him, who resembled a small mountain, Zhang Juzheng didn't know if the Emperor's proposal of five large tiled houses would come true. He also knew that he wouldn't live to see the day the five large tiled houses were completed, but he sincerely hoped that it could be realized.

On that day, people who have struggled in suffering for thousands of years will finally live like human beings.

"Sir?" Zhu Yijun noticed Zhang Juzheng's absent-mindedness and asked with some surprise. Zhang Juzheng was a very focused person and rarely lost his focus when presenting memorials. His gentlemanly cultivation allowed him to maintain his dignity at any time and in any situation.

Zhang Juzheng rarely lost his composure, and Zhu Yijun had no idea what Zhang Juzheng was thinking.

"Your Majesty, I am here." Zhang Juzheng quickly came to his senses and said somewhat confusedly, "Will Your Majesty's promise of five tiled houses come true?"

"Yes, no matter how long it takes, as the Master said, 'As long as there is breath, this will never cease.' I am the Master's prized student!" Zhu Yijun closed the miscellaneous report and said with great certainty, "I may not be able to do it, but as long as I leave behind this grand ambition, I will eventually achieve it."

There were four people in the small study of Wenchang Pavilion: the Emperor, Feng Bao, Zhu Changzhi, and Zhang Juzheng.

Zhu Changzhi remained silent, listening quietly to his father's conversation with the Grand Secretary. Zhu Changzhi felt himself growing up, and the older he got, the more he understood what it meant to shoulder the weight of the nation and the responsibility of its people. Zhu Changzhi gradually came to understand what responsibility meant.

As long as there is breath, this will will not waver; it is a responsibility as heavy as Mount Tai.

The people of the capital gradually noticed something: the troublesome Prince Zhu Yiliu, who was like the opposite of His Majesty, had recently stopped doing those outrageous things, and even the rumors about beauties from all over the world had disappeared.

For the past few months, Zhu Yiliu had been spending his time at the Beidaying military camp, studying military strategy under Qi Jiguang. After becoming regent in the thirteenth year of the Wanli reign, Zhu Yiliu entered the Jiangwu Academy. In the seventeenth year of the Wanli reign, he graduated from the Jiangwu Academy with top honors.

The purpose of this intensive study period from the eighteenth to the nineteenth year of the Wanli reign was not to make Zhu Yiliu a famous general, but to ensure that he would not be deceived by battle reports.

"General Qi is mighty!" Zhu Yiliu had just finished listening to Qi Jiguang's explanation of the details of the Battle of Tsushima. Unlike the relaxed and simplistic description in the battle report, the Japanese pirates actually had at least six opportunities to turn the tide in the Battle of Tsushima.

However, the Japanese pirates failed to seize these six opportunities.

"Actually, the Battle of Tsushima was a bit too risky. We could have waited another year until the hydrographic and geographical details were more detailed, but the opportunity was fleeting." Looking at the map, Qi Jiguang said sincerely, "It's just that the Japanese pirates were too weak, which is why we failed to seize the opportunity."

"Could it be that Commander Qi is too strong?" Zhu Yiliu didn't think it was the Japanese pirates' fault. The Japanese pirates were able to flatten Korea in a month, so their fighting strength was quite formidable.

The six opportunities to turn the tide that Qi Jiguang mentioned were opportunities that Zhuge Liang discovered after reviewing the situation. But on the battlefield, who could quickly judge that these were opportunities, or even that these opportunities were not deliberately set up by Qi Jiguang?

Whether it was an opportunity or not, the power to define it lay in Qi Jiguang's hands; this was a matter of grasping the battlefield.

"Perhaps." Qi Jiguang thought for a moment. If he were the commander-in-chief of the Japanese army, he would not be able to win against the current Ming army. The disparity in weaponry and military systems made it very difficult to win.

"The Japanese pirates could not win the war of aggression against Korea. As long as the Ming Dynasty intervened, the Japanese pirates would undoubtedly lose, because the Japanese pirates never understood one thing from beginning to end, and that is why they were fighting." Qi Jiguang summarized another reason why Japan was bound to fail. He talked to Zhu Yiliu for a quarter of an hour about why they were fighting before stopping.

Why we fight is extremely important; it is the cornerstone of Qi Jiguang's theory of war.

The fundamental reason why the Japanese pirates could only win when they were ahead was that they did not know why they were fighting. Once they encountered defeat, all sorts of problems would be exposed. The predicament of defeat is the best test of an army's combat effectiveness.

Qi Jiguang said solemnly, "Throughout history, both in China and abroad, all armies, including the Beijing Garrison, have had to face one question: Who will cover the rear?"

"On the battlefield, if a situation arises where it is necessary to cover the rear, the act of covering the rear itself means a near-death experience."

"Why should they survive while I have to go and die?"

"When an army does not know why it is fighting, it often collapses suddenly and without warning, and everyone flees for their lives."

Of the nine victories in the Eastern Expedition, the most intense battle was undoubtedly the Battle of Incheon and Seoul. The Ming Dynasty launched several attacks, but all failed. During this process, the problem of the rear guard emerged.

However, the effective organization of generals such as Qi Jiguang, Li Rusong, Ma Lin, and Zu Chengxun ensured that someone covered the rear during each retreat, keeping the battle situation firmly in the hands of the Ming Dynasty.

Evacuation is the most difficult military operation to organize, bar none.

Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war; only those who truly understand this can be called commanders.

"I understand now." Zhu Yiliu sat up straight and said solemnly, "Fighting for the Ming Dynasty, fighting for His Majesty, is the only solution to this problem!"

Zhu Yiliu finally completed all the special training courses. This was the last lesson, to cover the rear.

Qi Jiguang's point was not complicated: to persuade soldiers to "go to their deaths," they needed to be given sufficient reasons to believe that their sacrifice was worthwhile and would not be misplaced. These reasons absolutely could not be deception.

The Ming Dynasty is an abstract reason, while Your Majesty is a concrete reason.

The first lesson in Qi Jiguang's special training was learning how to win, which meant how to distribute the spoils. After a victory, the lesson was about controlling the army to advance in an orderly manner, rationally distributing the spoils, and using those spoils to maintain the army's discipline.

The final lesson is about learning how to fight a losing battle, which means how to effectively cover the rear when the situation is unfavorable, thus minimizing losses.

"I have nothing to teach Your Highness," Qi Jiguang said with a smile, seeing that Zhu Yiliu understood what he was saying.

"Thank you, Commander Qi." Zhu Yiliu stood up and bowed solemnly, thanking Qi Jiguang with the respect due to a disciple. A veteran general who had fought countless battles was teaching him his battlefield experience, which was extremely valuable. Moreover, this experience was not only useful on the battlefield, but could also be used in dogfights among his own men.

"General Qi, is my brother's health alright?" Zhu Yiliu asked with some concern, "My brother's martial prowess is far beyond that of ordinary people."

Zhu Yiliu had no idea what had happened to his elder brother, but he was worried that his brother's health had deteriorated due to overexertion.

"It's alright, His Majesty's condition is perfectly normal." Qi Jiguang said with a smile, "Heaven rewards diligence, and little by little, one can achieve great things."

Qi Jiguang had a detailed discussion with the chief physicians Chen Shigong, Pang Xian, Zhang Jingyue, and others. They concluded that His Majesty's health was not due to overexertion, but rather to accumulated damage over time, without any hidden injuries.

"That's good, that's good." Zhu Yiliu's expression relaxed. He had made up his mind: it's good to have a powerful backer; if he couldn't win, he would go home and call for backup! Brother, someone is bullying your own brother!

This was Zhu Yiliu's ultimate move in becoming a vassal king of Jinshan Kingdom.

Zhu Yijun returned to the Imperial Study in Tonghe Palace. Chen Shigong and others were waiting in the West Flower Hall. As soon as His Majesty arrived, the three chief physicians examined him by observation, listening, questioning, and palpation. After confirming His Majesty's condition, the chief physicians left.

Every seven days, the chief physician would hold a consultation. This was a rule set by Empress Dowager Li in the first year of the Wanli reign. Empress Dowager Li did not want anything to happen to His Majesty the Emperor while he was practicing martial arts.

"Start grinding." Zhu Yijun sat down in the grand chair, stretched, and began to process the memorials submitted that day.

Zhu Yijun granted an audience with the six envoys from the Eastern Pacific Governor's Office, but the Ministry of Rites was reluctant to allow them to see the emperor, citing the need to prevent a repeat of the incident involving Rui de's inconvenience to the emperor.

The more the Ministry of Rites tried to stop him, the more Zhu Yijun wanted to see what was going on.

Zhao Mengyou personally went to the Siyiguan (Foreigners' Hall) and, accompanied by an interpreter personally trained by the Beizhenfusi (Northern Garrison Command), inquired about the situation.

"So, these envoys are preparing to petition the Emperor and the Ministry of Rites?" Zhu Yijun asked with some surprise. He had thought that these envoys hoped to meet the Emperor and hear his personal promise. After all, officials are officials, and the Emperor is the Emperor; only the Emperor's promise counts.

"The Junior Minister is being a bit too domineering." Zhao Mengyou had tried his best to choose his words carefully, but after hearing the envoy's complaints, he also felt that Gao Qiyu was really domineering. Even if the emperor hadn't spoken, Gao Qiyu was forcing the envoy to agree to those outrageous demands.

Gao Qiyu felt that without hostages, what kind of tributary state was it? Hostages were a must! Moreover, he demanded that not only the governor-general, but also various officials in the governor-general's office, be hostages.

Gao Qiyu used the eight words "coercion and enticement" and "instigating from within and without" to their fullest extent.

Zhu Yijun paused for a moment and then said, "Report to the Ministry of Rites, and summon these envoys tomorrow."

The next day, the emperor received these envoys in the Cultural Hall. The court officials heard the envoys' complaints, saying that Gao Qiyu's negotiations showed absolutely no magnanimity of a great power!
When they start cursing, they don't use a single vulgar word, yet they can verbally break people down. They call people barbarians one after another, and every word is like a needle piercing the hearts of these envoys.

Zhu Yijun finally managed to appease them before arranging for them to go to Songjiang Prefecture and return to the Governor-General's Office to report back.

"I didn't know that the Junior Minister of Rites could be so scathing in his insults," Zhu Yijun said sincerely after the messenger left.

Gao Qiyu quickly bowed his head and said, "I did not curse anyone. What I said is the truth. Since their actions have aroused the wrath of heaven and the hatred of the people, and are too numerous to count, they should not be afraid of what I say."

"That's good." Zhu Yijun certainly wouldn't blame Gao Qiyu. He had worked hard for the Ming Dynasty, and like Gao Qiyu, what he said was true. Just pick a few of the rotten things that happened during the colonial process, and that would be enough.

Gao Qiyu's insults were not without purpose. He demanded that all the governor-general's offices allow Ming Dynasty merchants to establish plantations there. Amidst his banter and scathing remarks, Gao Qiyu achieved his goal.

"Your Majesty, the regulations for the shareholding reform of the Xishan Coal Bureau." Gao Qiyu presented a memorial to the emperor.

(End of this chapter)