Chapter 303 Yan Maoqing! Smoke!
Fang Wanghai asked: "Ru Lin's mercantilism is good, but if all the countries in the world adopt this mercantilism, what will happen to the world?" Fang Wanghai and
Su Ze have been in contact for a long time, and they also Understand that there is more than just Ming Dynasty in the world.
He asked, leaving Su Ze completely stunned.
He looked at Fang Wanghai in surprise.
In fact, this question is not difficult to answer. Su Ze was surprised that Fang Wanghai could ask such a question.
You know, since time travel, Su Ze has a system, and actually has a sense of superiority in his heart.
Although he has never shown it, he has always defined himself as a "guide", an enlightener and leader of this world, and a "prophet" who can grasp the direction of history.
Even when facing the world's top talents, such as Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng, Su Ze always had a sense of psychological superiority.
But today, Su Ze discovered that his father-in-law was able to ask such a profound question. He was still looking down on everyone in the world.
That's right, after all, Fang Wanghai was also the top examiner in the imperial examination for decades, he also held the position of Minister of Household Affairs, and he was influenced by Su Ze for a long time.
This also surprised Su Ze. His own fire finally ignited the world.
Su Ze came back to his senses and said:
"If every country pursues mercantilism, they will eventually fight with battleships and artillery. The winner will blast open the door of the weak one and turn the weak one into a dumping ground for goods." Fang Wanghai was shocked
. , I didn’t expect Su Ze to say such a result.
Su Ze looked at Fang Wanghai. The zero-sum game of mercantilism theory was one of the fundamental causes of all human wars from the Age of Discovery to World War II.
There are many reasons for wars, but in the Age of Discovery and the beginning of the era of globalization, competition for colonies and markets were the main causes of wars.
Fang Wanghai was able to see world war from mercantilism, which is enough to explain his perspective!
Su Ze said patiently: "Father-in-law, the struggle for currency and market will be the main theme of the world in the future, and it is also an unchangeable historical trend!" Fang Wanghai was silent. Su Ze was right. After reading
"Mercantilist Theory" When reading this book, Fang Wanghai was impressed by Su Ze's theory.
Dumping goods, obtaining gold and silver currency, and at the same time restricting the sales of other countries' goods in the country, this is almost what the Ming Dynasty was doing, but no one has ever systematized this matter and put it forward as a theory.
Today, the Ming Dynasty is like a behemoth swallowing silver, swallowing up silver through overseas trade.
Fang Wanghai said: "So Rulin wants to restart the tribute trade in Fuzhou. Are you asking the court to open the sea?"
Su Ze nodded and shook his head and said:
"For mercantilism, just opening the sea is not enough."
"Not enough?"
Su Ze said: "Father-in-law, do you still remember to restrict the import of foreign goods and increase the export of domestic goods? But businessmen are very profitable, and going to sea is inherently risky. Who will come back with an empty ship?" Fang
Wanghai Start thinking.
"For example, the merchant ship heading to Nanyang must have been loaded with silk and tea when it left the Ming Dynasty. It will never come back empty-handed when it arrives in Nanyang. The ship will definitely be loaded with Nanyang's specialties, such as sugar or grain, for sale."
Fang Wanghai nodded. He knew this Nanyang trade very well, and Fujian did not produce grain. When he was in charge of the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs, in order to deal with the food famine in the south of the Yangtze River, he cooperated with the Municipal Shipping Department to transport grain to the Shanghai wharf. The grain was actually It is not produced in Fujian, but brought from Southeast Asia by merchants disguised as Ryukyu tribute missions.
Su Ze's rhetorical question is very interesting. Whether it is converting Ming goods into silver in Nanyang, or converting Nanyang grain into silver in Ming Dynasty, it is all business. Trade alone does not seem to be able to make silver flow into Ming Dynasty.
Fang Wanghai asked: "But silk is more valuable than food, so silver naturally flows into the Ming Dynasty?"
Su Ze nodded and said: "My father-in-law is right. Now let me talk about a concept. If a country's outflow of silver exceeds its inflow, of silver, that is an outflow, that is, a country where silver flows out of the country. If the inflow of silver from a country exceeds the outflow of silver, it is entering the country, and that is the country where silver is flowing into." "Da Ming and Nanyang, Ming Dynasty is entering the super country, and Nanyang
is Beyond."
These two concepts are not complicated, and Fang Wanghai nodded quickly to express his understanding.
Su Ze said: "If you want to enter the Supermarket, exporting higher-end products is naturally the best way." "
Higher-end products are naturally products like silk and tea that can be sold at higher prices." "
This It's because compared to agricultural products, silk and tea are artificially processed and more complex products. These higher-end products are the reason why Ming Dynasty can maintain its status in the Super League." Fang Wanghai nodded quickly, but Su Ze said again
:
" But who can guarantee that the products of their own country will always be the best? Take Folangji as an example. The blunderbuss and Folan cannon they produce are better than those of the Ming Dynasty. If they trade with Folangji, they can definitely guarantee that Entering the Super League?"
Fang Wanghai was stunned. Although he also had the stereotype of "the world is number one tomorrow", he also understood that Su Ze was right. The guns produced by Folangji were indeed of much better quality than those of the Ming Dynasty. , even when he was in southern Zhili, front-line generals like Qi Jiguang hoped that the imperial court could purchase blunderbuss from outside.
Su Ze said: "Maintaining the competitiveness of goods is one way to implement mercantilism, but there is another way to stay in the super market."
Fang Wanghai said: "Banning the import of all foreign goods? Is this impossible? "
Su Ze shook his head and said: "After so many years of banning the sea, my father-in-law has also seen the result. My solution is to set up a customs." "Customs?"
Su
Ze nodded and said, "Just like the Customs Department, the role of the customs is the same. , is to use taxes to mediate import and export."
"Implementing heavy taxes on goods that Ming Dynasty can produce and can meet needs will make the profits of importing similar products from foreign countries smaller, which will force merchants to no longer import this type of goods. "
If we can reduce or even exempt taxes on goods that Ming Dynasty urgently needs, we can increase the import of this type of goods." "
The same is true for exports. If we impose heavy taxes on the export of goods that Ming Dynasty itself is short of, we can limit the import of this type of goods." Commodity exports."
"The export of surplus products of the Ming Dynasty is encouraged. This is the mediating role of customs." "
Customs can not only increase the empire's tax revenue, but also a very important tool for implementing mercantilism!"
After listening to this, Fang Wang Hai said: "Wonderful!"
He had presided over the Customs Department and was familiar with what Su Ze said. He quickly understood the benefits of mediating the import and export of goods through taxation.
Although businessmen pursue profits, there will still be a lot of smuggling, but tariffs are indeed the best way.
Fang Wanghai said disappointedly: "If I could be in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, I would definitely ask the court to open the sea and use Rulin's customs policy. It's a pity."
Su Ze was indifferent to Fang Wanghai's sadness and said, "Maybe tomorrow will be better?" Fang Wanghai nodded and said, "Yes, maybe the court will impose a sea ban." Su Ze just sneered secretly in his heart
. The impression about Longqing's opening of the sea is that the Ming Dynasty fully opened up its sea areas, but this is not the case at all.
Longqing opened the sea, which was only a small-scale opening after maritime trade could not be stopped. The opening port selected from Longqing opened the sea - Zhangzhou Yuegang.
Abandoning the excellent ports of Fuzhou, Quanzhou, and Guangzhou and only opening the not-so-excellent port of Zhangzhou Yuegang was just a compromise made by the Ming Dynasty because it was unable to defy the general trend of maritime trade.
"Longqing opened the sea" was actually just a smooth process that swept the nominal "sea ban" into the garbage dump of history. It was just a return to normal, but it was written up in the history books of later generations. It even made Emperor Longqing, who had been in power for only six years, He is believed to be a wise king who can change the destiny of Ming Dynasty.
But even if only a small port like Yuegang was opened, Ming Dynasty's strong handicraft industry still produced huge economic benefits.
In the late Ming Dynasty, the amount of silver flowing into China from Yuegang averaged about 285,000 taels per year in the 1670s, and about 889,000 taels per year in the 1680s. After 1600, the annual average amount of silver reached 1 million taels, thus becoming the currency of the Ming Dynasty. Silverization provides important conditions.
Nowadays, Daming's industry and commerce have developed greatly compared to the world line before Su Ze traveled through.
The cotton textile industry of the Ming Dynasty had already used machines such as water-powered mule machines. The cotton cloth of the Ming Dynasty had begun to be dumped in the northern region, and even began to be dumped in North Korea through tribute trade.
In Tengzhou Prefecture, a route for exporting cotton cloth is gradually taking shape. North Korea's originally weak handmade cotton industry suffered an almost devastating blow.
In Fuzhou in the south, cotton cloth also began to be dumped in Japan and Nanyang under the guise of Ryukyu tribute, almost destroying Japan's cotton handicraft economy.
The "conversion of rice into mulberry" caused by Su Ze's crossing has also enhanced the competitiveness of the Ming Dynasty silk industry to a certain extent. More advanced hydraulic reeling machines have appeared in the Jiangnan region, and production capacity is also being accumulated.
Even industries such as sugar production, salt production, printing and dyeing, etc., inspired by "Tiangong Kaiwu", have experienced explosive development in production capacity.
This is today's Ming Dynasty. Even though it was invaded by Japanese pirates, it still burst out with powerful power for change! The seeds planted by Su Ze tenaciously broke through the soil and grew vigorously.
The book "Mercantilist Theory" is actually Su Ze providing a theoretical basis for maritime trade!
Ming Dynasty needs more silver!
This was a problem that the top brass of the Ming Dynasty saw. The Ming Dynasty needed silver, and "Mercantilist Theory" was the way to provide silver.
The merchant class will definitely embrace this book. This book also allows merchants to see their own value in the empire. Merchants are no longer one of the "five beetles" mentioned by Han Feizi, but someone who can bring silver to the Ming Dynasty. Benefit the country and the people.
Su Ze knew the value of this "Mercantilist Theory", and what was even more surprising today was that he saw the changes that the fire he sown had brought to the elite of the Ming Dynasty.
The strength is still being accumulated, but the light has been seen.
On March 5, the inspection censor Yan Maoqing arrived in Fuzhou.
Eight years have passed from the 33rd year of Jiajing at the beginning of Su Ze's time travel to the 41st year of Jiajing today.
In the thirty-third year of Jiajing's reign, Yan Maoqing was assigned to the Qing army in Fujian. At that time, Su Ze was still alone, and the Changning Guards were poor and white.
In the forty-one year of Jiajing, Yan Maoqing was much older than eight years ago. Su Ze stood in the welcoming team and watched Yan Maoqing greet many officials in Fuzhou Prefecture.
However, at this time, Su Ze had long lost his fear of these court officials. He stood in the line of gentry and watched the front row of officials greet Yan Maoqing, the imperial envoy.
As the subject of investigation, Eunuch Tao enthusiastically held hands with Yan Maoqing. The politeness and hypocrisy in officialdom made Su Ze even more bored.
And everyone was trying to read every bit of useful information from the faces of Yan Maoqing and Tao Eunuch.
It's just that the two old foxes have been foxes for thousands of years, so there is no difference at all.
Yan Maoqing, who once extorted military households in Fujian and made a lot of money, moved into the Fujian patrol yamen that looked dilapidated, but as soon as he entered, he knew there was something special. The corridors inside the yamen were tied with silk, and Yan Maoqing had a smile on his face. meaning.
The inspection censor in the Ming Dynasty was a temporary position, but in every provincial capital, there were inspection yamen, which were the yamen and residences of these imperial envoys.
Although this yamen is usually empty, the Fuzhou Governor's yamen will regularly renovate the interior, making it even more luxurious than it was eight years ago.
Yan Maoqing's face was full of smiles. Although Fujian was experiencing war disasters, Fuzhou Prefecture was still prosperous, which made Yan Maoqing feel relieved.
It’s not in vain that I worked so hard to get to Fuzhou from the capital. If I don’t get back my money on this trip, I’ll be sorry for all the hard work!
Of course, Su Ze was not qualified to accompany him into the mansion. After welcoming him at the city gate, he returned to his home in Fuzhou mansion.
After a while, a young eunuch under Eunuch Tao suddenly came to visit.
After listening to what the little eunuch said, Su Ze frowned and said,
"Yan Maoqing talked about me? Do you want me to help him train the troupe?"
The little eunuch lowered his head. He was afraid of offending Su Ze, so he quickly said: "Eunuch Tao has already taken his place. Yuan Gong refused, but Yan Yushi asked the younger one to deliver the post, hoping that Xie Yuangong would help. Yan Yushi said that this theater troupe is dedicated to Mr. Yan Ge, and he will be grateful in the future." Su Ze had an angry look on his face
. , the little eunuch felt Su Ze's murderous intention and almost knelt down.
Just Yan Maoqing, this is too much!
Not to mention that Su Ze was a dignified leader of Jieyuan Province and was still practicing anti-Japanese regiments in Fuzhou. Yan Maoqing actually asked Su Ze to train actors. This was already an insult.
Su Ze said coldly:
"Please inform Yushi Yan that the Haihai Troupe is busy with training and Su cannot spare time to train the troupe for him. Please ask him to hire someone else."
After saying this, Su Ze said to the little eunuch:
"Tell Eunuch Tao that I went to Chuanshi Island to train troops. The Japanese pirates are coming. If there is nothing important, don't send people to find me."
After saying this, ten elite soldiers in military uniforms came out of Su Ze's house. They carried muskets on their backs and saluted Su Zeqi.
After Su Ze led the guards to leave, Su Ze said:
"You are so good, Yan Maoqing! Smoke!"
The little eunuch stood up straight with a sad face. This Xianggong Su is really powerful!
The young eunuch had followed Eunuch Tao and met all the nobles in the palace, but it seemed that only that prince had such momentum.
Quickly putting this idea back, the little eunuch hurried back to Shibosi Yamen to answer his orders.
(End of chapter)