I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 40 The Energetic Hai Rui

What is coming will come.

Zhu Yijun asked calmly, "Mr. Gangfeng is from Qiongya Island, Hainan."

"Yes."

“That’s very clear about the island and life by the sea.”

Hai Rui didn't know what Zhu Yijun meant by the question, but he nodded anyway, "I know, it's very hard. There are many mountains and few fields on the island, and there are many storms and heavy rains in summer and autumn. If you're unlucky, you'll lose all your harvest for the year.

Going out to sea to fish is also very hard. But people can't just live on fish. If you exchange fish for food, there is nothing to do around here. Who will give you food?"

Hai Rui talked on and on.

Zhu Yijun nodded and agreed very much.

"Mr. Gangfeng is right. The people living on the islands and the seaside have a very hard life. The memorial submitted by Hu Butang, who was in charge of suppressing the Japanese pirates in the southeast, mentioned that 70% of the Japanese pirates eliminated by the officers and soldiers were pirates from Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong provinces, most of whom were local fishermen or mountain people.

Life was difficult and they had no means of livelihood, so they took risks and attached themselves to the Japanese pirates, causing great harm and wreaking havoc. "

Hai Rui had a clue of what Zhu Yijun meant. "Your Highness, do you want to gather these people who have a hard time making a living and use them as workers?"

"Yes. The people's demands are simple: to have enough food to eat, to have clothes to cover the body and to keep warm, and to have a family that is not starving. They can endure any hardship.

Men farm and women weave, who doesn't want to? But you have to give them enough land."

Hai Rui's face flushed, and he argued proudly with his neck straight, "So the court must suppress the strong and support the weak, crack down on the tyrants who annex land, and give the poor people a way to survive."

Zhu Yijun asked in return: "Is it useful? From Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to the present, the imperial court has suppressed the strong and supported the weak for thousands of years. Has it suppressed them? Has it supported them?"

Seeing that Hai Rui was still trying to argue, Zhu Yijun smiled and said, "Mr. Gangfeng, today we are not arguing. We are just discussing and exchanging ideas, and exploring measures that will benefit the country and the people."

Hai Rui was stunned for a moment when he looked at Zhu Yijun, who was as tall as a child of twelve or thirteen years old.

Yeah, why should I argue with a child until I’m red in the face?

Is this interesting?

Hai Rui smiled awkwardly, cupped his hands and said, "I'm sorry for your impoliteness."

Zhu Yijun was very happy, this was the advantage of age.

If I can't win the argument with you, I can cheat.

Zhu Yijun smiled and said: "Mr. Gangfeng, it's okay, it's okay. We are all groping in the dark with a sincere heart that is concerned about the country and the people, trying to find a way to benefit the country and the people.

'If Confucius had not been born, the world would have been dark forever!'

Although we cannot do as well as our predecessors, but if we give a little light to each other, millions of sincere hearts will eventually gather into a sun and illuminate the great Ming Dynasty."

These words brought tears to Hai Rui's eyes and he almost burst into tears.

It hit the mark!
Zhao Zhenji and Xu Wei looked at each other.

The prince's eloquence became more and more powerful, and even the most stubborn Hai Gangfeng was defeated.

Hai Rui stood up excitedly, cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness is wise and far-sighted. I will definitely remember this. Your light, my light, thousands and thousands of sincere hearts will eventually gather into a sun and illuminate the Ming Dynasty."

"Mr. Gangfeng, you are too polite. Please take a seat. Let's continue our discussion and explore ways to benefit the country and the people."

"Please continue, Your Highness."

"There is only a limited amount of land, and we have to rely on the weather for our livelihood. Being a farmer is the hardest job in the world. I know that!"

Hai Rui could no longer hold back his anger, and with tears streaming down his face, he bowed deeply to Zhu Yijun and said sadly, "Your Highness, the people of the Ming Dynasty are so lucky to have you say this!"

Zhu Yijun quickly helped him up, "Mr. Gangfeng, we are not gods after all, and we can't call the wind and rain like gods. Instead of praying to God for good weather, it's better to think of more ways to create more ways for the people to survive."

While wiping away his tears, Hai Rui murmured, "Can we create more ways to make a living?"

"Building factories can, firstly, enhance national strength, secondly, provide convenience for the people, and thirdly, create a way for the people to make a living. Working in factories, earning wages, can also support their families.

Suppressing the strong and supporting the weak is only a means, and encouraging the rich to build roads and bridges, donate clothes and porridge, and do more charity is also a means. We cannot prevent people from getting rich through legal means, but we can only prevent them from being unkind in their wealth.

Sometimes, overly violent measures will not achieve the desired effect, and economic measures that focus on guidance and let things flow naturally may be more effective. "

Hai Rui asked suspiciously, "Economic means that are a natural outcome?" "Mr. Gangfeng, suppose Chenzhou suffers from famine for many years, and there is a shortage of food. The price of food has skyrocketed several times, and the people are suffering. How would you deal with it?"

Hai Rui answered without hesitation: "Open the warehouses and release the grain."

Zhu Yijun interrupted him, "There is no grain in Taicang."

Hai Rui choked, hesitated for a moment and then continued, "Issue a notice, grain merchants are not allowed to raise prices, and those who violate the order will be executed!"

Zhu Yijun smiled faintly: "In the second year of the Huangyou reign of the Song Dynasty (1050), a great famine broke out in Wuzhou and Liangzhe Road, and Hangzhou was particularly hard hit. Fan Wenzheng, the governor of Hangzhou at the time, encouraged the people to store food while guiding the Buddhist temples to recruit workers for construction.

At that time, the price of grain in Hangzhou soared to 120 coins per dou. Fan Wencheng issued a notice to increase the purchase price of grain to 180 coins per dou, and ordered his subordinates to post notices everywhere to spread the news of the increase in Hangzhou rice prices.

When merchants from all over the country heard that the price of rice in Hangzhou had skyrocketed, they rushed to Hangzhou to transport grain in order to make huge profits. After the grain from all over the country was gathered in Hangzhou, Fan Wencheng ordered the price to be reduced to the original price.

The grain merchants had gone through so much trouble to transport the grain, and it was impossible for them to spend manpower and financial resources to transport it back, so they had to bear the pain and sell it at the market price. The price of rice in Hangzhou plummeted, and unexpectedly returned to the price of normal years. "

Hai Rui was stunned.

Fan Wencheng was a role model for civil servants and scholars of all generations to learn from, but he was actually a sixth-rate person?

After Hai Rui pondered deeply, he was inspired by the rise and fall of rice prices and asked again: "Your Highness, there are hundreds of thousands of young and strong people working in factories. They need to buy food. Wouldn't that drive up the price of rice? You are still competing with the people for profits."

"No problem. The young and strong people go to the factories to produce silk, cotton cloth, and iron farm tools, which can be shipped to the South China Sea countries, such as Champa. The land there is fertile, with three harvests a year and countless rice. One shipload of silk and cotton cloth can at least be exchanged for five or six ships of grain."

Hai Rui's mind is in a mess, how could he do this?

But it sounds like it could be done this way.

"Your Highness, Yongping Prefecture is developing industry. How should we do it?"

Zhu Yijun waved his hand and said, "Mr. Gangfeng, it's too early to talk about this. We are just exploring."

Hai Rui remained silent.

Zhao Zhenji and Xu Wei knew what was going on.

With such an effective template as the Southeastern Food and Pay Coordination Office, is there any need to say how Yongping Prefecture should develop industry?
Of course, it’s the same routine.

It’s just hard to say it now.

After chatting for another half an hour, Hai Rui left in a daze.

Looking at his back, Zhu Yijun wondered if today's conversation had convinced him.
How can it be!

If he could be easily persuaded, he would not be Hai Rui.

However, today's conversation can be regarded as a tentative confrontation with conservative Confucian forces.

Hai Rui was not prepared today, and his head was suddenly filled with a lot of new ideas, so he couldn't react for a while.

But he was not a fool. He would figure it out quickly after returning, and then find refutation arguments from the Confucian classics he was familiar with.

But these don’t matter to me.

His own royal grandfather, Emperor Jiajing, was not the kind of person who could reason with civil servants and scholars.

As his good grandson, can I talk to them honestly and reasonably?

Hai Rui walked out of Xi'an Gate with his heart full of passion and sense of responsibility!

The prince is wise, and he will surely become a sage emperor in the future. The Ming Dynasty is lucky!

As a loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty, I must help him stay away from evil.

Zhu Yijun's guess was correct. Not long after he came out, Hai Rui came to his senses and understood the prince's words. He wanted to use the model of the Coordination Office to develop industry in Yongping Prefecture.

No!

Hai Rui said to himself secretly!
The Crown Prince must not be allowed to stay in an institution like the Coordination Office, which abuses power to amass wealth, causes chaos in the country and harms the people. It must be eradicated.

We must pull the Crown Prince back from the evil path he might be on, and make him a wise ruler who will restore the Ming Dynasty!

Hai Rui secretly clenched his fists and made up his mind.

(End of this chapter)