Ming Dynasty: He was ordered to give lectures in prison, but Lao Zhu eavesdropped and made people nu

Chapter 701 Lin Che Talks about Border Trade

Lin Che leaned forward slightly on the sandalwood chair, and the sunlight through the carved window lattice cast mottled light and shadow on his blue-gray robe. The scholar, who was only 25 years old, had a calm face, and his slender fingers gently stroked the sheepskin map spread out on the table, and his fingertips slowly moved along the winding national border line of the northern frontier of the Ming Dynasty.

"Your Highness, please read this." Lin Che's voice was like the sound of a spring hitting a stone, and it was particularly clear in the quiet study. "From Liaodong to Gansu, there are dozens of tribes living along this border that stretches for thousands of miles. They have both trade and occasional friction with the Central Plains."

Zhu Di was wearing an indigo brocade robe and sitting upright at the bottom. Although the young Prince of Yan had already shown his extraordinary bearing, he was now as focused as a student eager to learn. He stared at the map with a burning gaze, frowning slightly: "Sir, are you saying that the relationship between these border residents and us can be improved through trade?"

Lin Che raised his lips slightly, took out a bamboo scroll from his sleeve and unfolded it gently: "That's right. I have checked the historical records of past dynasties and found that during the Han and Tang dynasties, the prosperity of border trade was often accompanied by the strength of the country." He pointed to a line of red ink annotations on the scroll, "Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty established four counties in Hexi and opened up the Silk Road. Not only did he obtain good horses from the Western Regions to enrich his military, but he also exchanged silk and porcelain for gold and jewelry, filling the treasury."

A breeze blew past the window, bringing the sweet scent of osmanthus flowers from the courtyard. Zhu Di stroked the jade pendant on his waist thoughtfully: "But my father always said that military preparations should be given priority in important border areas. If we open the door to trade, I'm afraid..."

"Your Highness is right." Lin Che took over the conversation slowly and took out a beautifully bound book from under the table. "This is a record of Song Dynasty border trade compiled by me. In the early Song Dynasty, a trading market was established with the Liao Kingdom, and tea alone made a profit of one million strings of cash each year. But later," he turned to a page with a red note, "because of lax defense, the Liao people used the name of trade to spy on military intelligence, which eventually led to the humiliation of the Chanyuan Alliance."

Zhu Di raised his head suddenly, a sharp light flashed in his eyes: "Sir, are you reminding me that trade is like a double-edged sword?"

Lin Che nodded with a smile, stood up and walked towards the huge map of the territory hanging on the west wall. The sunlight just moved to where he was standing, gilding him: "Your Highness, please understand. Trade itself is harmless, the key is how to control it." He held up a thin bamboo pole and pointed to the northern part of the map, "For example, in Liaodong, the Jurchen tribes are rich in ginseng and sable fur, and we need war horses. If we can set up an official trade market and strictly investigate smuggling, it will not only meet the needs of both sides, but also give us an opportunity to understand the movements of the tribes."

There was a drum outside the study, it was already three quarters past the hour. Zhu Di stood up and walked to the window, looking at the crabapple blossoms in the courtyard in silence for a long time. Suddenly he turned around, his eyes flashing with excitement: "Sir, what you said has opened my eyes! But how can we ensure that the profits from border trade are not pocketed by local officials?"

Lin Che was well prepared. He took a booklet with a blue cloth cover from the bookshelf and said, "This is the Ten Strategies for Border Trade that I drafted." He opened the title page and pointed to the neat small characters on it. "The first thing is to set up a Maritime Customs Office directly under the imperial court, select honest and capable officials, and send the accounts to the capital for verification every quarter. Secondly..."

Just as he was talking about the key point, he heard hurried footsteps outside the door. A guard respectfully reported outside the door: "Your Highness, the Beiping Provincial Administration Office has sent an urgent document."

Zhu Di frowned and looked at Lin Che. The young scholar calmly closed the book and bowed slightly: "State affairs are urgent. I will continue tomorrow."

"No need." Zhu Di waved his hand to signal the guards to withdraw, "Sir, please continue. I want to see if you have any other good ideas."

Lin Che's eyes flashed with approval, and he continued, "Third, we can combine border trade with the tribute system. Tribes willing to pay tribute will be given preferential tax rates; those with ill intentions will have their trade categories restricted." He paused for a moment and lowered his voice, "In this way, we can divide the tribes without fighting."

Zhu Di slammed the table so hard that the teacups clinked. "Great! This is the best strategy to defeat the enemy without fighting!" He paced back and forth in the study excitedly. "Sir, do you know that last month Liaodong reported that the Jianzhou Jurchens plundered our border residents again. If we follow this strategy..." "It can resolve the conflict." Lin Che continued, taking out a secret letter from his sleeve. "This is the internal information of Jianzhou that I got through the caravan. Its leader Ahachu is worried about the tribe's food and grass for the winter. If the grain market is opened at this time, they can be allowed to exchange furs for food."

Zhu Di took the secret letter and quickly glanced at it, his eyes gleaming: "Sir, do you have such an intelligence network?"

Lin Che smiled calmly, "Businessmen and travelers are well-informed. Border trade is not only about trading goods, but also about extending our reach." He pointed to several marks on the map, "There are many conflicts between these tribes. We can use trade to win over the weak and check the strong."

The sun was setting in the west, and the study was gradually getting dark. The attendant lighted the lamp light, and the dim candlelight shone on the faces of the two. Zhu Di suddenly bowed and said, "What you taught me today is like seeing the sun through the clouds. I hope you can give me detailed advice on the border trade strategy."

Lin Che quickly stood up and returned the greeting: "Your Highness, I am sorry for the humiliation." He helped Zhu Di up, his eyes gleaming with wisdom, "Border trade is like chess, you need to be careful when making moves. I suggest setting up three trial markets in Liaodong first, and then extend it to other border towns after the results are significant."

Zhu Di nodded heavily, and suddenly remembered something: "Oh, sir, you just mentioned the lessons of the Song Dynasty. How can our dynasty avoid repeating the same mistakes?"

"The key lies in balance." Lin Che walked back to the desk and tapped his fingers on the table. "First, we must not rely too much on border trade income. Second, we must maintain military deterrence. Third, we must strictly control the outflow of strategic materials." He pulled out a thin book from the pile of books. "This is a list of prohibited items compiled by me, such as ironware, military books, grain seeds, etc., which must be strictly controlled."

As the night deepened, the sound of frogs and insects could be heard outside the study. Zhu Di, however, was not tired at all, but full of energy: "Listening to your words is better than reading for ten years. I will write a letter to my father to explain the benefits of border trade."

"Your Highness, wait a minute." Lin Che advised softly, "This matter involves serious matters, so it is better to make adequate preparations first. I suggest that Your Highness take the opportunity of inspecting the border defense and make a field investigation before reporting to the emperor."

Zhu Di pondered for a moment, clapped his hands and smiled, "Sir, you have thought it through. Next month, I am going to inspect the defense of Jizhou. Why don't we..." He suddenly lowered his voice and whispered to Lin Che. The candlelight cast the figures of the two on the wall, like a silhouette painting of a conspiracy.

It was late at night when Lin Che finally left.

Zhu Di personally escorted the scholar to the gate of the courtyard. Looking at the young scholar's back disappearing at the end of the corridor, he murmured to himself, "It is a gift from heaven to have such a good teacher." He turned and looked back at the study, where the spread-out maps, notes and memorials were quietly telling of a grand plan that would change the border pattern of the Ming Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)