Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 442: The most important affairs of the state are sacrifice and war
As if overnight, luxury stores suddenly sprang up like mushrooms after rain on the streets of Daming.

These shops occupy a small area and are located in secluded and hidden places, but their interior decoration is quite elegant and simple.

To potential buyers, this is incredibly cool and perfectly matches their imagination of true "luxury goods".

True treasures should be like this, like an unparalleled master, understated yet luxurious and profound.

Unlike traditional jade shops of the past, which rented huge storefronts in bustling downtown areas, decorated in the most luxurious way, exuding the air of nouveau riche, and displayed a dazzling array of goods, selling them like cabbages.

Not only does it fail to highlight the characteristic of "rarity makes things valuable", it also lacks a sense of privacy and mystery.

Only an expert like Xue Wanche, who knows real estate better than anyone else, could see through the trickery involved.

This seemingly high-end decorating style actually has a very low cost, but that's not the point.

As we all know, land rent is the biggest cost affecting the opening of a store, both in ancient and modern times.

These so-called "luxury stores" are located in remote areas, so their rent costs are ridiculously low.

But there's nothing we can do; rich people just love this kind of thing.

Therefore, these "prefabricated" boutique stores were able to spread throughout the entire Ming Dynasty.

Correspondingly, all sorts of strange and unusual "luxury goods" began to be launched in large quantities.

Luxury items like jade pendants with cloud-shaped dragon designs and tiger-skin gold-threaded shoes are still within the comprehension of normal humans; they are merely "ordinary" objects.

Soon, items such as "Wang Xizhi's calligraphy copybook when he was a child", "the knife used by Emperor Jing of Han to execute Chao Cuo", "the half chicken leg that the First Emperor ate when he was a hostage in Zhao", "the horse bone that the King of Yan bought for a thousand gold pieces", and "the feathered arrow that Duke Zhuang of Zheng shot at the Zhou emperor" appeared.

Without a doubt, these dubious items, all imbued with the "V50" flavor, are certified and endorsed by the Ming Dynasty Chamber of Commerce; they are all licensed.

Then, the art style became increasingly abstract.

Things like "the tail of the nine-tailed fox, wife of Yu the Great", "the axe used by Pangu to create the world", "the stone used by Nuwa to mend the sky", and "fragments of the sun shot down by Houyi" are now being sold openly, even though they are no longer considered high-end products.

And this obviously fake thing actually received certification from the Chamber of Commerce.

Surprisingly, it attracted a large number of wealthy people who flocked to it, resulting in a shortage of supply.

Does it really matter to the buyer of this kind of product?

The most important thing is to let people know that he is rich and tasteful, and that he can spend a lot of money to buy a bunch of useless collectibles!
If any busybody dares to question it, they will be met with a cold snort from the owner and ridicule from those around them.

That's incredibly uncultured and lacks manners; there's proof of that!
You know more than the imperial court?

Thus, under this trend of "only smart people understand", luxury goods suddenly became popular.

This has even led to the emergence of some niche "light luxury" high-end customized private restaurants.

For example, there's the Nine-Turned Dragon Intestine, the Imperial Jade Liquor which costs 880 coins a cup, and the "Gathering of Heroes" which costs one guan a plate, and so on.

Extravagance became rampant on the streets of the Ming Dynasty.

However, this trend of indulging in "luxury" did not provoke resentment from the general public.

On the contrary, the simple and honest people even felt sympathy for these rich people who had paid the "intelligence tax".

The rich are pitiful; what can they possibly eat?

It's nothing more than "dragon meat flavored" pig intestines, "jade liquor" with wine lees diluted with water and "gathering of heroes" flavored radish gatherings, and the like.

The wealthy who were exploited also simply laughed off the doubts of others.

What do the common people know? The things I buy have proper certificates!

Thus, the two classes coexisted harmoniously through mutual sympathy.

But beneath the surface of a booming market...

Under the invisible hand of His Majesty Li Ming.

The surplus resources generated by income inequality are being channeled in an orderly manner to the disaster-stricken areas that need them most.

The wealthy are generously donating to their suffering compatriots in a roundabout and unconventional way.

As mentioned before, Li Ming and his fellow Chinese and old friends do not generate wealth.

They are merely transporters of wealth.

…………

Time flies, and the end of the year is already here.

The battle for supremacy at the beginning of the year, and the devastating flood in the middle of the year that nearly destroyed the entire world, are now just memories.

The devastating floods that swept across two rivers and engulfed the entire country in the summer, in particular, felt like a nightmare from last night.

It was terrible, but thankfully it's over now.

Under the wise leadership of His Majesty Li Ming and with the painstaking efforts of all the officials of the Ming Dynasty.

The resilient Chinese nation, united as one, once again survived a catastrophic disaster.

…………

"Your Majesty, an urgent report has arrived from Ezhou—"

"The last group of flood victims in the south have all moved into the new urban area."

The chief secretary, Sun Yan, knocked on the door and entered, presenting a memorial submitted by the governor of Ezhou.

"Oh? So all the disaster victims have been resettled?"
"The speed is very fast, about ten days ahead of schedule."

Li Ming raised his eyebrows in surprise, excitedly stood up from the table, and took the commemorative document from Changsun Yan's hand.

After the disaster situation in the affected areas eased, he returned to Tangzhou, where he was loyal, and took charge of the capital.

"The aftermath of the floods in the Central Plains has long been dealt with properly, and today—no, counting the time of sending the message, about five days ago—the final stage of the floods in the South has also ended."

"If you say so..."

Li Ming paced excitedly around the study.

"In other words, the floods are over. Congratulations, Your Majesty, this is a blessing for the nation."

Fang Xuanling spoke in a calm voice, stood up from his seat, and bowed to Li Mingyi.

"The way of Heaven is to take from those who have more than enough and give to those who have less than enough."

"Your Majesty has skillfully employed ingenious methods to rob the rich and help the poor, level the peaks and fill the valleys, bringing blessings to all people under heaven. You are truly worthy of being a descendant of the dragon and a chosen one of heaven."

Changsun Wuji also stood up abruptly, bowed, and said:
"The nation's ability to overcome this crisis is inseparable from the wise and mighty His Majesty."

"The existence of the divine emperor in the Great Ming Dynasty is like the existence of rivers for fish and the existence of the sun and moon for plants and trees; it is a blessing for all the people under heaven."

They weren't just flattering each other.

They can cleverly exploit the vanity of the "surplus" class, using "luxury goods" as an intermediary to distribute surplus value to the "deficient" class.

Without His Majesty Li Ming's magnificent imagination, no one could possibly come up with such a treacherous scheme.

"Yes, yes, I've really worked hard."

Li Ming accepted all the compliments from the two regents.

He crossed his arms and nodded in deep agreement. He then looked at the two old ministers who looked listless and as if they might fall asleep at any moment, and at his colleague Fang Yize, who was working hard in the corner with his scalp almost visible through his sparse hair.

After a few polite words:

"Yes, yes, you've all worked hard. We'll give you a raise and a bonus..."

Fang Yize raised his head.

"...after the financial situation improves further," Li Ming quickly changed his words.

Fang Yize lowered his head again.

Whew… Li Ming secretly wiped away the cold sweat.

Ever since returning to the Tangzhou office, this good friend has been giving me the silent treatment.

Why is that?

First, we can rule out the reason that "despite record-high fiscal revenue and simultaneous reduction in disaster relief expenditures, the national treasury is still in deficit for some reason."

"Cough cough."

Li Ming steered the conversation back on track and began to promote his "grand plan":

"Crisis is a crisis, but there is also opportunity within it."

"Although this flood destroyed vast towns and cities in the Central Plains, the Yangtze River Basin, and Hubei and Hunan, there are two sides to every story, and it was not entirely without its benefits."

"The original old city was designed based on the neighborhood system, and the urban planning had many unreasonable aspects, which no longer conforms to the current trend!"

"Taking Huazhou as an example, after the establishment of the second new Huazhou city, all industries prospered and a large number of people poured in, and the number of urban residents quickly exceeded that before the disaster."

"If we can promote this model nationwide..."

As the Emperor enthusiastically peddled his advanced ideas, Changsun Wuji looked worriedly at the increasingly pale-faced Minister of Justice, and then at Fang Xuanling.

His eyes seemed to be saying, "Please save your son."

The reason why the national treasury has no surplus grain has been found!

So it turns out there's a spendthrift man in charge. Ultimately, the luxury tax is just a miscellaneous tax.

It's not a magic trick that turns things into gold.

It is impossible to satisfy His Majesty's insatiable desires.

Fang Xuanling nodded slightly to his old colleague, and taking advantage of Li Ming's moment of respite, he seized the opportunity to say:

"Your Majesty is a wise and far-sighted ruler who has foreseen the future."

"As the saying goes, one who does not plan for a thousand years cannot plan for a moment. Your Majesty's grand plan for a thousand years naturally needs to be carefully considered."

He started with a sarcastic remark, which made Li Ming's mouth twitch violently.

“Xuanling, you might as well put it more clearly.”

"The funds are still insufficient, Your Majesty," Fang Xuanling replied truthfully.

"Although the floods have receded and residents have been able to return to their homes."

"However, the country is in dire need of reconstruction, and money is needed for the elimination of epidemics, land reclamation, and the rebuilding of homes."

"There is something even more important, and that is water conservancy."

"According to His Majesty's decree, after winter this year, while the water level drops, we must continue to repair the river channel so that it can flow back to its original course and liberate the Bian River and the Huai River."

"To undertake such a large-scale water conservancy project, Your Majesty, the cost involved..."

"Of course, everything is done according to His Majesty's wishes."

"As long as you give the order, we will abandon the major rivers that have changed course and ignore the raging disasters and plagues, and devote ourselves wholeheartedly to the construction of the new city."

Li Ming's head was buzzing from being read aloud:

"Stop talking, stop talking... I know I was wrong, okay..."

The Ming Dynasty's grand plan, intended for a thousand years, was officially declared dead less than a quarter of an hour after its inception.

Fang Yize's expression returned slightly.

Changsun Wuji, meanwhile, was rubbing his chin, seemingly deep in thought and struggling with his thoughts.

After a long pause, as if he had made up his mind, he said:
"By the way, Your Majesty, there is another matter that may also require a considerable amount of funds. I wonder if Your Majesty remembers it."

Fang Yi instinctively looked up abruptly.

Then, perhaps remembering something, he lowered his head again and hummed softly:

"This fund has been kept as a special fund all along."

The fact that the accountant at the top of the house displayed extraordinary generosity suggests that the "deal" mentioned by Changsun Wuji was also extraordinary.

Fang Xuanling looked at Li Ming and said calmly:

"The shipyards in Tangzhou, Yangzhou, and Hangzhou have been back in operation for two months."

"The new ship will be launched soon."

Three bureaucrats, who had been tormented by a lack of funds for more than half a year, suddenly became very enthusiastic about this particularly expensive matter.

The implication is quite clear.

Li Ming withdrew his carefree expression and became serious.

"To conquer the Japanese pirates, we had to cross the vast East China Sea, which was an unprecedented expense."

"are you ready?"

He looked at Fang Yize.

Fang Yi said in a muffled voice:

"What else can we do but be careful with our Huabei (Alipay's credit service)?"

“It’s not just the Japanese in the Northeast. The Ming Dynasty is so vast that there are many things to do besides conquering the Japanese.” Li Ming’s tone rose.

"The Japanese destroyed our dragon veins and we must punish them. But shouldn't we also punish the Zhenla barbarians in the southwest who have bullied our people?"

Press the gourd to float the scoop.

Although the Ming Dynasty was vast, it was still recovering from a serious illness as it had to contend with three fronts simultaneously.

To say there's no pressure would be a lie.

Fang Yi gritted his teeth.

"And domestically, moving the river back to its original location is another massive undertaking, akin to waging war."

"This is equivalent to fighting three wars at the same time."

"Can the national treasury's finances handle this?"

Fang Yi gritted his teeth, returned to his desk, picked up a pile of documents, and walked out.

"Hey, hey, I'm just asking you a question, don't run away with the bucket!" Li Ming quickly stopped him.

Fang Yi remained expressionless.
"This was never my office."

"I need to go back to my office and discuss with my colleagues how to scrape together another sum of money."

Having said that, he ignored His Majesty's surprised look and left the heart of the Ming Dynasty with the bucket.

"He... he's quite motivated."

Li Ming murmured as he watched Fang Yize's retreating figure.

Looking back at the two veteran ministers, although they didn't say it, their burning eyes spoke volumes.

They were serious about the campaign against the Japanese pirates.

The Yellow River was breached, causing the river to change course, resulting in widespread suffering and death, with almost every household in the Central Plains wearing mourning clothes.

This is an irreconcilable feud.

If this grudge is not avenged, how can the Ming Dynasty still have the face to call itself the legitimate successor of China?
Moreover, the wolfish ambitions exposed by Japan are enough to prove that leaving them alone will only lead to greater trouble sooner or later.

Even if we set aside all emotional factors and calculate solely from the perspective of benefits and costs.

To the Chinese imperial court, Japan was nothing but a poison pill.

There may be no direct benefits from conquering the Japanese pirates.

But it's good to be able to stop the losses in time.

Li Ming was very pleased that his subjects were of one mind with him.

"The naval force is key to the eastward expedition across the sea."

"By the beginning of next month, all the new ships with keels will be launched."

"We will send troops."

"What do you two think?"

Changsun Wuji nodded:

"At that time, the autumn harvest will have just ended, the treasury will be full, and manpower will be plentiful, ready for war."

"I hereby instruct the governors of each prefecture to do their utmost to ensure the autumn harvest, and at the same time, the Ministry of Revenue must strengthen its tax collection efforts."

"Promoting agriculture and sericulture, collecting taxes, and managing the national treasury—all these tasks are placed on the Ministry of Revenue alone, making it unbalanced."

"If Your Majesty permits, I can allocate manpower from other departments to assist you."

If this were in Chang'an, Changsun Wuji's words could be interpreted as his attempt to weaken the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Fang family's power behind it.

But this is in Tangzhou, so the above concerns are completely unnecessary.

Deputy Prime Minister Changsun's suggestions were indeed made for the sake of the country and its people.

Li Ming accepts any constructive advice without hesitation.

"I'll leave the personnel transfer to you."

"Yes, sir!" Changsun Wuji immediately buried his head and began selecting talents to assist Ji Xiang.

Action-orientedness is the primary quality of ruthless individuals in the Ming Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, I have something to say, please listen carefully," Fang Xuanling began.

Li Ming raised an eyebrow and grinned:
"What, Prime Minister Fang? Do you have any other opinions about this arrangement?"

Fang Xuanling shook his head:
"I am at ease with Lord Changsun's handling of affairs."

"What this old minister would like to remind Your Majesty is..."

"The most important matters of state are sacrifice and war."

"Now that the war is over, it is time to offer sacrifices to our fallen people."

(End of this chapter)