Daming: Dad, you are really not good at governing the country

After more than a decade of management by the three Zhu family members, the Ming Dynasty still maintained an appearance of prosperity on the surface, but in fact it was surrounded by layers of internal and external troubles, just like a magnificent building with hidden cracks.

The Mongolian tribes in the north were like a group of hungry wolves, always coveting the territory of the Ming Dynasty and invading the border from the south from time to time.

Wherever it went, flames shot up into the sky.

People's houses were burned down and their property was looted.

Innocent people were slaughtered, and their cries and shouts intertwined into a desperate tragedy.

The Japanese pirates on the southeast coast were rampant like ghosts, and the Ming Dynasty's coastal defense was virtually nonexistent.

They plundered merchant ships at will, blocking trade routes.

Coastal residents are living in fear and anxiety all day long.

At the same time, some parts of the country seemed to be shrouded in misfortune, and disasters occurred frequently.

The fields were dry and barren, with no harvest, and the number of refugees gradually increased like a tide.

However, the court's finances had fallen into an embarrassing situation of being stretched to the limit in dealing with these many thorny issues.

The traditional taxation system is like an old man in his twilight years.

It is struggling to meet the growing spending demands.

On this day, the atmosphere in the palace was a little solemn.

Chang Qingyun was wearing a simple and elegant Ming Dynasty skirt with delicate cloud embroidery on the hem.

It appears and disappears in the sunlight, as if telling the former glory of the Ming Dynasty.

She had her hair in a high bun with a jade hairpin inserted diagonally into it.

It exudes a warm luster, which makes Chang Qingyun look more dignified and elegant.

At this moment, she was sipping tea. She looked calm, but she could not hide the worry in her eyes.

Chang Qingyun slowly put down the teacup, her tone revealing the wisdom and courage unique to a lady from a noble family.

“I believe that everyone has a clear understanding of the current situation.

The court's finances were extremely tight, like a leaky bucket with holes everywhere.

The northern border threat and the southeastern coastal defense, which one does not require a lot of money to fill?
Which of disaster relief and people's livelihood construction can be delayed for a moment?

I have been thinking about launching a kind of "national aid voucher" recently, which may be able to solve this urgent problem."

Zhu Gang was wearing a brocade robe, a jade belt around his waist, and had an upright posture.

He frowned slightly, his eyes were deep, and after a little thought, he said: "Sister-in-law, you are right. The court is in a difficult situation now, just as you said.

Although the idea of ​​"national aid bonds" is very good, the details are very complicated.

In the court, the six ministries each perform their duties.

Should this matter be handled by the Ministry of Revenue, or should another agency be set up?

It is not easy to gain the trust of the people and merchants.

Take the Ming Dynasty's treasure notes for example. At first, they were circulated smoothly, but later they depreciated severely due to poor management, and the people suffered greatly.

We must learn from the lessons and formulate comprehensive regulations before we can implement it.”

Chang Qingyun's eyes suddenly became sharp when he heard that, and he waved his hand forcefully in the air.

She said decisively: "Third brother, we can't just rely on the craftsmen from the Ministry of Industry for this matter.

Today, science and technology in Western countries are developing rapidly, and their equipment manufacturing techniques are quite advanced.

In recent years, Western missionaries have often come to our Ming Dynasty, bringing some new objects and technologies. I heard that among them are the principles of steam power.

Although we are still in the exploratory stage of steam engine manufacturing, if we can successfully manufacture it in the future, its help to workshop production, transportation and other aspects will be immeasurable.

There are many skilled craftsmen in the army, and the Xie family also has connections in the army.

Yu'er, you should write a letter tomorrow and ask Yongping Hou to help find talents in this area and assist the Ministry of Works in research.

As for the "national aid voucher", we can follow the example of our dynasty's salt voucher.

With the imperial court’s reputation as a guarantee, the repayment period and interest rate are clearly stated to reassure the people.”

Then Chang Qingyun frowned slightly and his tone became more sharp.

"Let's talk about the merchants joining the 'Council'. As the Ming Dynasty's commerce develops, the role of merchants in economic activities is becoming increasingly prominent.

But the conservative ministers in the court still stick to the old ways and look down on businessmen.

Times have changed, and we are doing more and more trade with the West.

With frequent business exchanges, merchants have a better understanding of overseas trade and market conditions.

If they could be allowed to participate in court discussions and provide advice on economic policies, it would definitely be beneficial to the development of the Ming Dynasty.

The promotion of the "National Aid Bonds" and the participation of businessmen in the "Council" are truly moves in line with the times.

Those conservative ministers, however, stuck to the old ways and only sought immediate stability, completely ignoring the fact that reform was the way to long-term peace and stability for the Ming Dynasty.

If they continue to stop us, they will be sinners of the Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Gang nodded and said, "Sister-in-law is right, the conservatives are indeed a big problem.

However, they have deep roots in the government and face a lot of resistance when trying to implement reforms.

Nowadays, there are constant party struggles in the court.

If we are not careful, we will be in an irretrievable situation."

Just then, Xie Yuer, wearing a light pink jacket and a moon-white skirt, walked in with light lotus steps.

She frowned slightly, her eyes full of worry.

“My husband, your previous argument with those officials was so thrilling.

There has been no progress in developing the precision tools needed to build steam engines.

I heard that making this tool requires both superb skills and special materials.

These materials are hard to find in the country, and craftsmen have also encountered bottlenecks in key technologies, making it difficult to make breakthroughs in the short term.

Today, the craftsmen of the Ministry of Industry are busy in the workshops every day.

But progress has been so slow, which is worrying.”

Zhu Gang gently patted Xie Yuer's hand and comforted her, "Yuer, this matter is indeed tricky.

But if the steam engine is successfully manufactured, it will be a huge boost to the trade after the lifting of the maritime ban in the Ming Dynasty, as well as domestic workshop production.

This is the same as the "National Aid Coupons" and merchants joining the "Council", all of which are for the purpose of making the Ming Dynasty strong.

We must find a solution and never let these policies that benefit the country and the people fail.”

Xie Yuer thought for a moment and slowly said, "My husband, regarding the implementation of the 'National Aid Voucher', perhaps we can first pilot it in a few commercially developed cities, and then fully roll it out after observing the results.

This would both reduce risks and give Conservative ministers fewer reasons to oppose once they see the results.

Just like when my father promoted the method of military farming, it was first tried in some areas, and only after the effect was obvious did it become popular throughout the country. "

Zhu Gang's eyes lit up when he heard this, "Yu'er, your idea is very good.

In this way, the people can see the benefits first and are more likely to accept it.

I still remember the policies that we worked out together in Shanxi to benefit the people.

It was only after the pilot was carried out and then promoted that good results were achieved.”

He gently held Xie Yuer's hand, his eyes full of memories.

Xie Yuer blushed slightly, "Yes, at that time we studied day and night and visited everywhere before we figured out a solution.

Looking back now, those days were hard but extremely precious.”

She looked at Zhu Gang tenderly, their eyes met, and there was a tacit understanding between their brows.

At this moment, the palace steward hurried in, bowed and said: "Your Highness, I just received the news.

The newly appointed Minister of Revenue, Fei Zhen, who once served as the treasure banknote supervisor, mentioned the issue of reducing military expenditures in the court today, saying that it was to ease the financial pressure.

Zhu Gang's face darkened and he snorted, "Ridiculous! The threat from the northern border has not been resolved yet. Cutting military spending at this time is tantamount to destroying the Great Wall.

These ministers only know how to talk big in the court, but they don’t care about the lives of the people on the border at all.”

(End of this chapter)