Ming Dynasty: Domination of the World from the Imperial Examination

Chapter 275 Don’t be afraid of the clouds blocking your view, because you are on the highest level!

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole audience was in an uproar.

Everyone was shocked by Xia Zhibai's words.

They also didn't expect that Xia Zhibai would tell them so much, and that it involved such deep involvement. The court not only wanted to supervise the salt industry, but also gradually control the coal industry, and even expand diplomacy and reopen the sea in the future. Any of these things would be enough to shock the world if they were spread out.

Now it's all been said out loud.

As people with vested interests, they couldn't tell how they felt when they heard these words.

For the first time, they truly realized what the court was going to do.

The so-called conference between officials and businessmen is actually just a cover, used only to convey the will of the court and give the outside world the illusion of discussion. In fact, it is a one-man show, and the decision has been made long ago. What they say is not important at all, and the court will not pay any attention at all.

The only purpose of their presence is to clear their names.

Only the salt merchants present will be qualified to make and sell salt in the future, and the rest will be banned.

In order to ban other salt merchants, the imperial court put a lot of thought into it. Not only did it have to investigate the situation of the salt factories that had stopped operating, it also had to track the whereabouts of those "steam engines" and even control the supply of coal. Although coal is not only used in salt making, even if coal is not used, firewood can be used, but coal is indeed more convenient than firewood, and the amount of firewood needed in a year is too large if only firewood is used.

It's easy to be discovered.

If someone reports it to the higher authorities, it will drag on and implicate many people.

Is this what these people want?
Moreover, at this point, even the slowest people have understood that the imperial court is trying to seize control of the South, and the salt policy is just an excuse to intervene. The imperial court will no longer allow the South to govern the local areas, and anything the South wants to do must be under the control of the imperial court.

This is a power struggle between the imperial court and the local governments!

Zhang Tong's face turned pale.

He also realized it and knew that the situation was serious.

It only involves the salt administration, so at most they will have to cut some flesh. But if the imperial court reaches out and gradually strengthens its control over the south, I am afraid that many of their financial resources will be cut off. Moreover, if they want to do something behind the imperial court's back in the future, it will become extremely difficult and they will be even more restricted.

Zhang Tong had a gloomy face, his eyes fixed on Xia Zhibai, and he said in a hoarse voice: "Master Xia, is this your idea or the court's?"

"I represent the court!" Xia Zhibai said.

Zhang Tong's body swayed slightly, and he was somewhat unsteady on his feet, his face pale.

Xia Zhibai stood tall and said calmly, "Since you have no intention of sitting down and talking, let's stop here. I have already explained the ideas and opinions I want to express. I will postpone the meeting for two days to allow you to adjust. The meeting will be held again in two days."

"I hope you guys can relax a little bit then."

"After all, the reform of the salt administration involves more than just a little bit of money. It also concerns the vital interests of all of you."

"The Ming Dynasty allowed merchants to make money, but they had to pay taxes on the money they earned."

"It must also comply with Ming laws."

“The money must be clean!”

"Otherwise, the Ming Dynasty will ban these illegal activities one by one, and will severely punish the violators."

"Everyone, go down and think about it carefully."

"I'm sure you can sort out the pros and cons."

Done.

Xia Zhibai waved his sleeves, as if not wanting to be stained by too much dust, and walked out of the lobby.

When Xia Zhibai walked away, Zhang Tong could no longer stand. His legs softened and he collapsed to the ground. His face was ashen and he kept muttering, "Something happened. Something terrible happened. Xia Zhibai is here to kill people. He wants to kill people!"

"."

Fang Rengang, Wang Chongde and other salt merchants rolled their eyes. They glanced at Zhang Tong, Zhang Jing and other officials imperceptibly, but there was a meaningful look in their eyes. If what Xia Zhibai said was really feasible, then they, the salt merchants, would have a huge advantage.

He could even take charge of the salt supply in several prefectures.

This is a big deal.

And if they are really integrated into one large factory, their respective transportation channels can also be integrated, and the transportation costs can be further reduced. Moreover, they are now dealing in not only salt, but also other goods. By discussing with each other, they may be able to save a lot of money.

However, they couldn't help but frown when they thought that the production and sale of salt would be strictly supervised by the court.

As a businessman, the most feared thing is being watched by the imperial court.

This is because it would be easy for the imperial court to seize on the problem, and then all kinds of blackmail warnings would come. If that really came to the point, they could only hope that the Salt Association could work, otherwise they would just be jumping from one fire pit to another.

However, if there are benefits in other aspects, it is not unacceptable.

Thinking this in their hearts, Fang Rengang and other merchants did not show any expression. What's more, some of them had a worried look on their faces, as if they were very disgusted and disgusted with Xia Zhibai's suggestion. However, Fang Rengang and others knew that this was deliberately performed for Zhang Tong and other officials to see.

After all, the court's supervision has become strict, and these people are the most affected.

As businessmen, they were well-informed and had heard early on that the imperial court was going to abolish the stove household system.

Under the stove household system, the ones who benefited the most were not them, but the "local salt officials" who took advantage of the stove household system to enrich themselves. They were very prosperous in the previous trend of setting up "salt factories". They secretly made a lot of profits. Even the petty officials who used to be gloomy were smiling in those months. This shows how much the salt officials benefited.

It's just that Xia Zhibai spoke so confidently. In their opinion, he was just jealous of the development of the South and wanted to get a piece of the pie. What institutionalization and formalization are all nonsense. There is no official in this world who does not take bribes.

At least they haven't seen it.

Out of the lobby.

Hua Lun and his men came up and asked, "What's the situation?"

Xia Zhibai shook his head and said, "I'm afraid these people have colluded long ago. They can't say anything and won't reveal any information. But I have told them everything I want to say and do. Now they are the ones who are panicking."

"But I observed how these people reacted at the time."

“Mostly they don’t have vision.”

"Only focusing on your own immediate interests."

"The same is true for the salt officials. The South has been a separatist power for too long. For so long, these people only see the South, not the rest of the world, let alone the five lakes and four seas. They cannot see the world outside the South. To be more precise, they regard the places outside the South as places for them to make profits. They never thought that under the governance of the unified dynasty, the world is like a chessboard, and the four seas are in the court's sight."

"Their little tricks are doomed to fail."

Hua Lun smiled bitterly.

He did not agree with what Xia Zhibai said.

Today, in the world, only Xia Zhibai has such foresight. No other official, not even the current emperor, has it.

Isn't it because of your majesty's persuasion that the Ming Dynasty banned the sea? He thought that the gains would outweigh the losses, so it would be better to just lock up the coast, so that the court could increase revenue and reduce expenditure. If Xia Zhibai hadn't intervened, the South would have fooled him again and again. Would the court really have seen through the truth?

I'm afraid it will be difficult.

And the court won’t try.

Because the Ming Dynasty’s treasury did not have that much silver to try.

The greatest inspiration Xia Zhibai gave them was to look at the world from the perspective of a great power, rather than always maintaining the vision of a separatist force. The South has always been dealing with the court as a separatist force, and has also tried to look at the court from its own perspective.

They were like this before.

It was only after Xia Zhibai reminded him several times that he suddenly realized how ignorant and ridiculous that was.

Looking at the South's actions from the perspective of a great power, they only feel a sense of pettiness and selfishness, all for their own selfish ends. Now they gradually understand why His Majesty would resort to slaughtering people again and again.

Because from His Majesty's perspective, the officials below seem to be treating Him like a fool.

Only they themselves know that it is not that the officials below are treating His Majesty as a fool, but that they can only see so much from the perspective of looking at the world.

Lian Zining sighed and said, "In the past, I heard people say that to govern a county, one must devote all one's energy and energy. I didn't agree with that. Governing a county is not an easy task. Now that I have really sat in such a high position, I realized how insightful this statement is."

Hua Lun said, "When I was young, I read Wang Anshi's poem 'I am not afraid of the clouds blocking my view, because I am at the highest level'. I didn't understand its meaning when I first read it. Now, the longer I stay in the court, the more I feel that it is difficult to achieve this level. It is not easy to stand at a high angle to see the world's affairs."

"If it weren't for Brother Xia's constant reminders, I'm afraid we would still be on the lower level."

Only when you really step into the officialdom, you will know how difficult it is to broaden your horizons. You will also know that when your horizons are broadened, many things that were previously unclear and incomprehensible will become so simple and naive. Xia Zhibai is at another level.

A height far higher than that of ordinary people.

They are far behind.

It is extremely difficult to even approach their level.

But it is precisely because Xia Zhibai stands too high and sees too far that people always doubt him, or even sneer at him. However, facts prove time and time again that Xia Zhibai is right. From the very beginning, Xia Zhibai was not at the same level as them.

They pose no threat to Xia Zhibai at all.

It was never even a threat.

If it were before, they would have objected, but now, they have already accepted it in their hearts.

This is an established fact.

Xie Min looked at Xia Zhibai and asked, "What are you going to do next?"

"What's next?" Xia Zhibai smiled and said, "Of course, we will continue to muddy the waters. Only by making these people more and more panicked and more and more frightened will they reveal more problems and make more concessions."

"Did you get in touch with the person you asked me to contact?"

"That little beggar?" Jie Min said subconsciously.

Xia Zhibai corrected: "That's my follower."

Xie Min touched his nose awkwardly and said in a buzzing voice: "We have contacted you."

"We can keep in touch openly in the future. Wait one more day and Lu Cang can come back. The show is almost over. It's time for this noisy farce to come to an end. The Southern Salt Administration is just the beginning." Xia Zhibai looked up at the sky with a faint smile on his lips.

(End of this chapter)