The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 290 Reorganization
"Give it to merchants? How can important matters of the court and the royal family be entrusted to merchants?"

Zhu Zhanji's eyes were filled with confusion and disbelief that these words would actually come from Li Xianmu's mouth.

Li Xianmu remained calm, saying, "Merchants have families but no country, they value profit over righteousness, and they are treacherous and mean, but those are the merchants of the common people."

"What I'm referring to are imperial merchants and official merchants who operate in the world under the guise of merchants, but whose real aim is not to make money. Rather, they serve the court and are subject to its administration."

Now Zhu Zhanji understood a little, "Then what's the difference between this and an official?"

"I will not discuss the differences for now. I would like to ask Your Majesty a question: What do you think of my method of separating the departments of weapon manufacturing, engineering construction, and shipbuilding, and then having them compete with each other?"

"This method is indeed good. Without competition, nothing can be accomplished and water cannot thrive. But if it's just for this matter, then we can simply establish another department."

Li Xianmu solemnly said, "As long as it remains among the various ministries, there will never be any fundamental change, because the essence of my method lies in the difference in the identities of both parties."

That's the difference Your Majesty asked!
Officials below the seventh rank were all graduates of the imperial examination system (举人, 监生, 秀才), while officials above the seventh rank were all graduates of the imperial examination system (进士).

Most of these officials were single-mindedly focused on promotion, and many of them even directly delegated departmental affairs to clerks. However, the weapons, engineering construction, and shipbuilding sectors that I was stripping away did not require officials well-versed in the classics, but rather skilled craftsmen and merchants adept at cost calculation.

Does building a bridge really require at least a thousand taels of silver?
The Ministry of Works was tasked with building it; that's how it was done.

As far as I know, the cost of building bridges in the private sector is usually only around 600 taels of silver, and the profit is 400 taels. If two bridge-building teams apply for projects from the Ministry of Works at the same time, the one with the lower cost will naturally be awarded the contract, thus saving the national treasury 400 taels of silver.

Would you expect officials from the Ministry of Works to do such a thing? Would they be willing to get involved in this kind of "profit"?

Zhu Zhanji wavered and frowned deeply. Li Xianmu then said softly, "Your Majesty, officials are constantly moving between various ministries and between the capital and other places. How can they possibly focus their energy on such specific matters?"
Businessmen, on the other hand, are willing to accept it; they will only be grateful!
Scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants are all Your Majesty's subjects. If scholars can be employed, then naturally merchants can as well.

"Teacher, I have indeed wavered, but I still feel that something is not right. If it were only for these reasons, it would not have come to this extent."

Li Xianmu secretly admired Zhu Zhanji, who was indeed clever and perceptive, and could even sense that something was amiss.

"Since ancient times, competing with the people for profit has been criticized. My actions are precisely to compete with the people for profit. Every year, a large amount of silver is transported back from Japan, while the Ming Dynasty is like a giant beast that devours silver. No matter how much silver there is, it disappears without a trace."

As Annam gradually stabilized and the maritime ban imposed during the Hongwu era was lifted, ships from Japan, Annam, and Jiangnan traveled back and forth very frequently. Among them, there were many wealthy people in Jiangnan, and all that silver sank into their cellars.

It's time for the imperial court to dig out all that silver. Since they can't openly rob it, this is the only way.

For example, in the future, private shipbuilding will be prohibited; a decree issued by the Ministry of Works of the Imperial Court is required. His Majesty can then bestow these decrees upon two or three major imperial shipbuilding merchants. From then on, these merchants going to sea will only be able to purchase ships from these merchants.

"hiss."

Zhu Zhanji gasped in shock. He was a famous emperor known for his cleverness, and his mind was incredibly sharp. The moment Li Xianmu mentioned it, countless ways to amass wealth immediately came to mind.

He said with some excitement, "Moreover, by establishing two or three imperial merchants at the same time, others will have more options, which can force them to improve the quality of their ships, and the quality of ships built by the Ming Dynasty will become higher and higher."

The same applies to other industries!

It can also generate profits for the imperial court. Emperor Taizu maintained an army of a million men without spending a single tael of silver. Now, by establishing imperial merchants, the court can obtain superior weapons and ships, and also profit. The Ministry of Works can also supervise this process—it's a win-win-win situation!
Teacher, you are truly a genius! No one has ever thought of such a clever idea.

I agree!

This would allow for the issuance of an imperial decree to establish trading companies.

Li Xianmu chuckled inwardly. Sure enough, no emperor would complain about having too much money. As long as you said it could make money, they would agree immediately.

What he just said is certainly one of the most important reasons, but it is not the whole reason.

There is another reason—

Since the Yongle era, the number of court officials has increased significantly compared to the Hongwu era. Li Xianmu's subsequent reforms will continue to increase the number of officials, which will inevitably lead to a large increase in salary expenditures, making it difficult for the court to maintain its operations. At this time, these officials who can make money on their own are directly removed from the government, leaving them to bear their own profits and losses.

Li Xianmu predicted that this policy should be able to dismiss thousands of officials, which would inevitably reduce the court's salary expenditures and give him a great deal of room for adjustment and reform.

"Teacher, this matter will inevitably cause turmoil in the government and the public. The two of us will have to face many trials and tribulations again."

After his initial excitement, Zhu Zhanji immediately realized the uproar this matter would cause in the court and among the people, as it had already accumulated almost every possible negative influence.

Many officials who were paid by the imperial court suddenly lost their administrative positions and became workers in state-owned enterprises.

This action was only slightly better than Emperor Chongzhen directly closing the post stations and causing state officials to lose their jobs.

Fortunately, we are at the peak of the Ming Dynasty, not in its final days; otherwise, such reforms would have been suicidal.

Li Xianmu didn't care at all. "Your Majesty need not worry. A scholar's rebellion will not succeed in three years. At most, these people will only oppose it. No matter how big the wave of opposition is, can it overthrow the Ming Dynasty?"
"What benefits the Ming Dynasty, even if it means millions of people going to do it!"

Zhu Zhanji also made up his mind and said firmly, "Then let's not hold a court meeting, but issue an imperial edict directly to settle this matter first, and then deal with the storms later."

……

The first year of the Xuande reign.

An imperial edict was issued from within the palace, abolishing some departments of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the Ministry of Works, the Maritime Transport Office, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Revenue, and establishing trading companies in their place.

Upon receiving the imperial edict, the ministers of each department immediately organized their officials to discuss the separation of functions, and then submitted the results to the cabinet for review and approval before issuing the edict.

One stone caused a thousand waves.

Officials from all the government offices were completely bewildered by the imperial edict, not understanding what it was about. The four social classes of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants had been established for two thousand years, but now the imperial government offices were to be converted into commercial establishments.

Wouldn't that be going against the natural order of things?
Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that this imperial edict had been passed by Grand Secretary Li Xianmu and was stamped with his seal. Who wouldn't know that this was Li Xianmu's idea?

(End of this chapter)