Yongle Emperor's grandson: Zhu Yuanzhang with cheats, Zhu Di went crazy

Chapter 108 The first quarrel with Zhu Zhanji! (Subscribe)

"Which?"

The old man was a little curious. The rewards he gave were actually low enough.

This is a merit that will benefit future generations. If it weren't for the fact that there were too many titles of nobility and dukes, I'm afraid the officials would collectively jump out to oppose it.

He wanted to confer titles of nobility on those who were still alive, and of baron on all the dead.

After all, the efforts of these people solved the biggest trouble of the dynasties over thousands of years.

If this achievement was made by a single person, like the Kong family in the north, it would not be an exaggeration to make him a duke who can be passed down from generation to generation.

Zhu Zhanjun said solemnly: "Their contributions are theirs. I will record their names and what they did so that future generations will know that it was they who exchanged their lives for the food that will allow all their descendants to have enough food."

"Since ancient times, aristocratic families have always threatened the imperial power. How did aristocratic families come about? I believe you know this better than I do."

The old man frowned, thought for a moment and said, "You are worried that after the court gives this reward, their family members may take advantage of the tax exemption and labor service exemption to acquire a lot of land."

Zhu Zhanjun nodded: "It's not possible, but it will definitely happen."

"I believe that those brothers who died would not do this for the sake of Ming, but I cannot guarantee the future for their families."

"Human hearts are greedy. When faced with the temptation of profit, few people can maintain their original intentions."

"My grandson knows that doing this is unfair to their families, but in order to prevent them from becoming a local scourge and for the sake of their brothers' reputation after death, I must refuse this reward on their behalf."

The old man nodded, and after a moment's silence, he said, "In that case, only the hundred acres of land will be exempted from taxation, and only his direct descendants will be exempted from corvée labor."

Zhu Zhanjun then thanked the old man for the reward on behalf of his subordinates.

After picking some more vegetables and fruits, the three of them walked out of the greenhouse and went to Zhu Zhanjun's study.

"See Your Majesty."

As soon as the three entered the room, a man who was reading a book hurried forward to greet them.

The old man glanced at him, snorted coldly, and went straight to the main seat without even paying any attention to him.

"Mr. Xie, I have something to do today so I won't be teaching. You should go back and have a rest first."

The person performing the ceremony was Xie Jin, who taught Zhu Zhanjun literature.

The other party came back last month. Zhu Zhanjun made three rules with him. He was required to study for one hour every day, and as for the time, it was up to Zhu Zhanjun to decide.

Xie Jin naturally refused to do so. He was still hoping to teach Zhu Zhanjun well and then be reused by the old man again.

If he teaches for an hour every day, he will finally be able to catch the old man's eye again.

Zhu Zhanjun would not tolerate his bad habits, so he asked Xiaohu to take this guy to the field and weed him for three days, and he became obedient.

Xie Jin looked at the old man reluctantly, but the old man didn't even look at him. He sighed helplessly, got up and walked out.

The old man didn't ask a single question from beginning to end. After the door was closed, the old man who was standing by the wall looking at the huge map waved.

The two walked over, and the old man pointed in the direction of Annan and said, "The court received a war report a few days ago. Zhang Fu defeated the Chen army and the rebellious bandits will be wiped out in a few days."

"But many ministers in the court are worried about this."

"Since this place was conquered, rebellions have occurred one after another, tying up a large amount of the imperial court's military strength and energy."

"Many ministers have proposed abandoning this area to reduce financial expenditure and military input."

"The reason they gave was that the court's main enemy was in the north, and there might be a series of wars in the future."

"If the North and the South are at war at the same time, the government's policy of improving people's livelihood will be in vain."

After saying that, the old man turned around and looked at the two of them.

"I'd like to hear what you two think?"

Pointing at Zhu Zhanji, he said, "Big bastard, you speak first."

Zhu Zhanji seemed to have done his homework. He hesitated for a moment before speaking: "Grandpa, what the ministers said makes sense."

He stepped forward and pointed at the map, saying, "After this area was incorporated into the Ming Dynasty, rebellions broke out repeatedly within two years. The Ming Dynasty deployed hundreds of thousands of troops, and the energy and financial resources invested every year were countless, which seriously delayed the people's rest and recuperation."

The old man looked at him and asked, "So you agree to give up."

Zhu Zhanji shook his head. "It's not that we are giving up. I think we can temporarily withdraw and wait until the problems in the north are solved, high-yield grain is put into use, and the people have recovered their vitality before we can start the expedition." The old man hummed, without making any statement, and looked at Zhu Zhanjun: "Second son, tell me what you think."

There are many different opinions on the issue of Jiaozhi in later generations.

Most people thought that it was a great pity and a foolish idea for Zhu Zhanji to give up Jiaozhi.

If Zhu Zhanji had not given up, that area would have become the inherent territory of Yanhuang.

But some people also felt that given the situation of the Ming Dynasty at the time, giving up was inevitable.

The capital moved north, and all the focus was on the north. The problems in the north had not been solved. If a large number of troops were deployed thousands of miles to the south, the Ming Dynasty, which was already plagued by disasters, would definitely be further aggravated.

For Zhu Zhanjun, between the two choices, he actually prefers to continue the occupation.

Of course, the purpose is not to completely take over Monkey's territory, but to increase the benefits to the South.

"My grandson thinks that not only should we not give up on this place, but we should also increase investment to stabilize it completely."

The old man's eyes moved and he asked, "Why?"

Zhu Zhanjun walked forward, pointed at the map with a stick and explained: "This place has plenty of rain and no cold winter. As far as I know, the food here can be harvested three times a year. It is a natural food base."

Then he moved the stick downward a little and continued, "This place is Champa, where Zheng He's fleet stopped to rest. It is a very good port city."

"With the publicity of our Ming fleet in various countries, there will definitely be countless other people coming to our Ming to trade and buy goods in the future."

Zhu Zhanjun looked at the old man and said, "I'm sure you know very well how much you can earn by going out to sea."

The old man smiled, of course he knew what was going on.

Zhu Zhanji frowned and interrupted, "Even so, have you ever thought about how much the court has to invest every year?"

Zhu Zhanjun glanced at him and retorted: "That's because you only want money from the land, and you haven't changed your mind and chosen other methods to make up for the losses."

"Ming silk and tea are very valuable in other countries."

"The amount of silk and tea produced by the Ming Dynasty every year is countless. We cannot consume it all by ourselves. If we can transport it to other countries, the benefits we will bring will be immeasurable."

"In this way, merchants will benefit and will naturally be more willing to go there. Local farmers who grow tea and pick mulberry will also be able to increase their income through the sale of silk and tea."

"What a wild idea." Before Zhu Zhanjun could finish his thoughts, Zhu Zhanji scolded him.

Zhu Zhanjun looked at him, and Zhu Zhanji said, "Businessmen forget their principles when they see profit. Do you think they will give back to ordinary people after they make money, instead of buying their things at a cheaper price and then selling them at a high price?"

"Also, my Ming Dynasty only collects transit tax and residence tax. Transit tax can be collected once, but they sell their goods abroad, so where can you collect their tax?"

"Don't tell me to change the tax system. This was set by Emperor Taizu Gao. Do you think it's possible to change it? Will they let you change it?"

Zhu Zhanjun nodded: "You are indeed right, but Emperor Taizu Gao also enacted a law prohibiting smuggling."

"So if they want to go out to sea, they must have official approval, and the sea is not peaceful along the way. Without the protection of the Ming navy, do you think they can get through safely?"

"What are you..."

"OK OK!"

Seeing that the two of them had strayed from the topic and were about to start arguing, the old man quickly interrupted them.

"Both of you have good ideas, so, finally give me your affirmative thoughts. What do you think of Jiaozhi?"

Zhu Zhanji clasped his fists and said, "My grandson thinks we should give up for the time being. After our dynasty has resolved the troubles in the north and the people have rested and recuperated, we can then proceed with his plan."

Zhu Zhanjun glanced at Zhu Zhanji and said to the old man: "Using the benefits of the south to strengthen the people of the country, on the one hand, it can benefit the people and speed up their recovery. On the other hand, it can also strengthen the influence on other countries and ensure that after the capital moves north, it will not lose control of the south."

"As long as the South is put into operation, according to my grandson's estimation, the annual revenue will definitely exceed the overall tax revenue of the Ming Dynasty."

The old man's eyes were touched instantly, and he looked at Zhu Zhanjun: "If I give you the southern land to manage and give you the corresponding rights, how long will it take to achieve the point you said?"

Zhu Zhanjun lowered his head and thought for a while. He did not answer immediately, but said to the old man: "I want Zheng He's fleet and the command of all the shipbuilding workshops in the Ming Dynasty."

The old man asked again: "If I give you these, how long will it take you to reach the point you mentioned?"

Zhu Zhanjun said firmly: "Ten years! Give me ten years, and I will make the Ming Dynasty prosperous for a hundred years."

ps: Damn, 108 is in jail. I’ll go ask what’s going on and see if he can be released.

(End of this chapter)