Chapter 168: Seeing the wind and making the rudder old Yan Song
In fact, Zhu Yuanzhang had a very clear view of the current situation in the Jiajing Dynasty.
Whether the so-called Japanese pirates invaded the border area or converted rice into mulberry, if we trace the origin, it can all be traced back to the political struggle in the court.
To put it more bluntly, the Yan Party, which has been in power for 20 years, is competing with the gentry on the southeast coast for control of maritime trade.
In fact, ever since Emperor Yongle asked Zheng He to sail to the West to open up maritime trade with other countries around the world, maritime trade has never been interrupted. However, it was previously controlled by the imperial court. Later, after Zhu Qizhen ordered the abolition of the national policy of sailing to the West, the trade rights were
It fell into the hands of a group of officials along the southeast coast.
Afterwards, the court, the emperor, and the gentry along the southeast coast engaged in countless battles over the control of maritime trade. This battle lasted from the Hongzhi Dynasty, the Zhengde Dynasty, to the current Jiajing Dynasty.
Emperor Jiajing was a smart man. He learned a lesson from his elder brother Zhengde and knew that his life would be in danger if he fought with these people personally, so he chose a spokesperson to do this.
And this spokesperson is Yan Song.
Although Yan Song was also from the south, he was not part of the gentry along the southeast coast.
After he was selected as the chief minister of the cabinet by Emperor Jiajing, he really began to crack down on smuggling, actively appease coastal pirates, and actively started trade with Western countries in the name of the imperial court.
A lot of money was made from this.
As for the money, he and the Emperor of Commendations added it to the sum and divided it 50-50.
This made Yan Song a very useful tool for Emperor Jiajing. Although he killed innocent people indiscriminately and took bribes, which led to serious corruption in the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty, Yan Shifan was even more defiant, arrogant and regarded the laws of the Ming Dynasty as nothing.
But Jiajing tasted the sweetness and naturally turned a blind eye to these things.
However, the Emperor of Commendation and Yan Song were satisfied, but some people were not.
The gentry on the southeast coast were very dissatisfied, and if they were dissatisfied they would naturally start trouble.
Thirty-seven years after the award, the great pirate Wang Zhi, who had been recruited by the imperial court, was killed by these officials from the southeastern gentry line.
This is one of the causes of the Japanese pirate rebellion on the southeast coast.
Later, with the help of the gentry, these Japanese pirates blocked the imperial trade ships at sea and started Japanese rebellions in the tax-rich areas of the Ming Dynasty. Their purpose was to force the imperial court to relent and completely wrest the trading rights from Yansong and Jiajing.
However, Yan Song saw that the Japanese pirates could not be exterminated repeatedly and the maritime trade was not smooth, so he directly initiated the so-called conversion of rice into mulberry.
He wanted to be ruthless and directly control the means of production, that is, silk, so as to completely squeeze out the gentry group on the southeast coast and trade with the Westerners alone.
But how could those gentlemen watch him do this?
So the imperial strife broke out again, and the national policy of changing rice to mulberry would trigger a series of events that followed.
What's interesting is that in the original history, after Yan Song stepped down and Xu Jie came to power, the Japanese pirate rebellion disappeared instantly, and the Ming Dynasty, which was originally in danger, seemed to suddenly become more prosperous.
This has to be said to be a miracle.
Of course, this miracle is no longer possible in this plane.
Because Lao Zhu is here.
Regarding these nonsense things, after understanding and observing them over the past few months, Zhu Yuanzhang has completely smoothed things over.
Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Don't rob any of you. This maritime trade right belongs to us."
He didn't bother with these two factions at all and directly dispatched Chang Yuchun's navy.
This is also the reason why Zhang Juzheng was worried about the situation along the southeast coast and Zhu Yuanzhang said that he had plans.
In this era, with an invincible naval fleet, there is no need to do those fancy things.
Just use your strength to defeat all laws...
In September of the 43rd year of the Jiajing reign, the Japanese pirates and the Qi army fought for the last time. Each side used three poems and articles to level the world. In the end, the Qi army defeated the Japanese pirates who disrupted the Ming Dynasty's tax-rich areas.
At the same time, Chang Yuchun led the Royal Navy of the Ming Dynasty to make its first appearance in this world, sweeping away all the Japanese pirates entrenched in Zhejiang and Fujian, and killing them all in a bloody manner.
The Japanese pirates that had been rampant along the southeastern coast of the Ming Dynasty for decades were completely wiped out, and there was no longer any possibility of landing to cause trouble.
At the same time, the Ming Navy blocked the entire southeast coast.
No ships are allowed to enter the sea, whether official ships or merchant ships, and those who dare not comply will be directly sunk.
When these two memorials reached Beijing, they immediately shocked the entire capital.
"The Japanese pirates were really wiped out?"
"Where did His Majesty send this army at sea?" Xu Jie looked at the memorial in his hand with an ugly face in Prince Yu's Mansion. He didn't know whether to be happy or worried for a moment.
He should be happy that the Japanese pirates were suppressed, but His Majesty also blocked the coast, which made him worried.
Their silk this year has not been sold yet!
"Haha, no matter where it comes from, this is a happy thing!"
"Father is indeed wise!" King Yu's face suddenly turned red with excitement when he read that the Japanese pirates had been destroyed and the Ming Dynasty's navy had conquered the sea.
The Ming Dynasty is so powerful that he, the crown prince and future emperor of this country, is so honored!
"Your Highness, I suddenly feel unwell and want to go back and take a rest!" Xu Jie said.
"Um?"
"Master Xu, are you feeling unwell? I'll call the imperial doctor right away!" King Yu said with concern on his face.
"No!"
"I'm a little tired, just go back and have a rest!" Xu Jie said goodbye to King Yu, turned around and left quickly.
"What's wrong with Mr. Xu Ge?" King Yu curiously asked Gao Gong next to him.
"Your Highness, Mr. Xu Ge is from Songjiang Prefecture, Nanzhili, and his family owns 100,000 acres of mulberry fields." Gao Gong reminded him in a serious tone.
"Um?"
"Does this have anything to do with Mr. Xu Ge's physical discomfort?" King Yu looked confused.
Gao Gong was speechless.
"Your Highness, in fact, there are different types of so-called clear streams."
"One type is the real Qingliu. Even if the family has no money and lives a poor life, they can still adhere to the ethics of being a scholar. The other is the fake Qingliu. They are indeed not corrupt or bribery, because their family wealth is huge, and they have thousands of acres of fertile land. They are completely
I don’t look down on the little money I can get from corruption and bribery.”
Gao Gong opened his mouth leisurely.
"I don't agree with what Master Gao said. What does the family's wealth or lack of money have to do with one's own integrity?"
"These are completely different things!" King Yu's face was full of disapproval.
"Master Gao, I'm asking you about Master Xu. Why do you keep talking about other things?" King Yu said somewhat unhappily.
"My lord, don't you understand?"
Gao Gong was so angry that he wanted to lift the table.
His Highness's understanding is really poor. He just barely said the words "Xu Jie is a traitor and is as loyal as a traitor". But King Yu didn't even have any political tacit understanding.
What else could he say?
There’s nothing I can say!
Xu Jie firstly did not violate the laws of the Ming Dynasty, and secondly, he did not offend him. It was just that his children and grandchildren resold some silk. If he really said these four words, he would be completely offended.
"What do I understand?"
"You can't speak clearly, can I understand?" King Yu was also worried.
"Okay, your highness, this is not the point. I think at this time, you should go up to the table to congratulate the emperor." Gao Gong wisely did not continue to dwell on this matter.
If he continued to struggle, he felt like he was going to have a cerebral hemorrhage.
"Master Gao reminded me!"
"Then please ask Master Gao to write for me!" King Yu pondered for a moment and then said with a smile.
Gao Gong: "...!"
Just when Gao Gong was about to go crazy in Prince Yu's Mansion, two cars arrived at Chongwenmen in Beijing at the same time.
One is Mr. Yan Song, who went south to Zhejiang, and the other is Zhang Juzheng, who returned from the nine-border tour in the north as Minister of War.
"Taiyue, how about we chat with me in my car?" If it were normal, the two of them, as the core leaders of Qingliu and Yan Party, would have pretended not to see each other and walked separately.
But today, Yan Song uncharacteristically stopped Zhang Juzheng.
Zhang Juzheng was also uncharacteristically uncharacteristic. He did not refuse sternly, but instead got into Yan Song's car after hesitating for a moment.
"Taiyue, what is the current situation of the nine-border border defense?" Yan Song got straight to the point and asked as if he was concerned about the country and the people.
"very bad!"
"Military households are fleeing seriously. The combat effectiveness of various border defense posts is low, and there is not much left to defend the border!"
"well……!"
"The national situation is difficult!"
Yan Song sighed, but soon showed a smile and said: "Fortunately, the southeast has been completely stabilized. As you have heard, His Majesty's fleet has blocked the coast, and the Japanese pirates are no longer a concern.
!”
"How much stolen money did Mr. Ge bring back this time?" Zhang Juzheng did not answer Yan Song's words, but suddenly asked about Zhejiang.
"Eight million taels!"
"It's all thanks to Hai Rui, the sharp sword of the Ming Dynasty. I never thought that official corruption in Zhejiang has reached such a serious level. This is the fault of my chief minister. When I return to Beijing this time, I am asking for my resignation from Your Majesty." Yan Song said.
When he heard that officials from Zhejiang Province had confiscated 8 million taels, Zhang Juzheng's face, which had been jumping up and down, finally softened a little.
From these words, he could tell that Yan Song had completely decided to break with his previous party members and join His Majesty's side, becoming an independent minister.
This is a good thing for the current Ming Dynasty.
"Lao Yan is serious. This time, Lao Ge must have done a great job. I dare to say that your Majesty will definitely make big moves next, and you will definitely be the chief minister of the cabinet." Zhang Juzheng said.
"Have you heard about Taiyue too?"
The expression on Yan Song's face became serious: "I also brought Hu Zongxian's memorial when I came this time. This time Qi Jiguang and the Japanese pirates fought in a decisive battle, and the Japanese pirates actually used three poems of "Ping Tianxia". This is simply shocking. I am here this time.
I am requesting the imperial court and His Majesty to conduct a thorough investigation into this matter."
"Although the Japanese pirates have been wiped out, none of those hiding behind the Japanese pirates can escape this time." When Yan Song said this, a sharp light suddenly flashed in his eyes.
He understands his position very well. A lonely minister is a sword. Since he has decided to be a lonely minister, he will be the sharpest sword in His Majesty's hand.
"Lao Yange is righteous!"
"This is something that benefits the country and the people. Ju Zheng dare not say that he will go all out to help, but he will never hinder Mr. Yan Ge!" Zhang Juzheng clasped his fists solemnly.
He really admired Yan Song at this moment.
Yan Song actually had the courage to break with the party members he had managed for twenty years. This was definitely not a decision that ordinary people could make.
This was something Zhang Juzheng had never thought of before.
"As expected of Mr. Yan Ge, who dominated the Jiajing Dynasty for twenty years and never failed." Zhang Juzheng couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
"So good!"
"That's so good!"
"Then let's go to the palace to meet the Holy Spirit together!" Yan Song nodded with satisfaction when he heard the promise he wanted.