First Minister of Ming Dynasty

First Minister Section 528

Zhu Yuanzhang was the first to speak, "In these days, let's think about it carefully...Mr. Zhang mentioned that due to the competition from women's workshops, he mentioned the purchase price of raw silk, which forced many workshops in Suzhou to research new machines that can weave 64 threads. Weaving machine. At that time, Mr. Zhang was very optimistic, thinking that this kind of machine would definitely change the Ming Dynasty, so we want to know, what happened to this machine?”

Everyone was silent, Zhu Biao said: "Liu Xueshi, please tell me first!"

Liu Bowen immediately bowed, "Returning to Your Majesty, this kind of machine has naturally been researched, but it's not used much in Suzhou, but it's used in Beiping instead. It's like flowers blooming inside the walls and fragrant outside the walls!"

When Liu Bowen mentioned this, his expression was somewhat unnatural.

A machine with high hopes did not shine in Suzhou, and the places with the best conditions did not develop, which somewhat subverted cognition.

How should I put it, the fullest and best seed falls on the most fertile land, and also gets the best sunshine and rain, fully nourishing it.

As a result, after the seed broke through the soil, it stopped growing on it.

This disappointed people who were full of expectations.

From one thread to 64 silk threads, what a progress!

Intuitively speaking, it is also a good thing.

But in the link of actual implementation, it died in the middle.

What is going on?

The person who spoke next became Xu Ben, who had really studied it.

"Your Majesty, the research on new looms fell to Fudan School. There are indeed a few masters there, together with skilled craftsmen from Su Song and other places, they made a batch of looms and put them into Suzhou initially. The results are very good. In just half a year, the silk production in Suzhou has tripled!"

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned and said, "This is a good thing! Then what's next?"

"Then the workshop shut down because of insufficient supply of raw silk. And because of too much production, there was a backlog of silk. Instead of making money, it suffered heavy losses."

"What?" Zhu Yuanzhang was puzzled, "Why can't raw silk be supplied? Are there not so many mulberry trees?"

At this time Zhang Yu bowed and said: "Your Majesty, although the imperial court restricted the planting of mulberry trees, food must be ensured. But as the saying goes, there are people in the business of beheading, and no one in the business of losing money. In fact, these years, people are still changing rice fields into Sang Tian, ​​increase the production of raw silk. To be honest, in ten years, the production of raw silk in Jiangnan has at least tripled!"

Lao Zhu was even more puzzled, "There is no shortage of raw silk, why is there still no supply?"

"Because silk workshops have sprung up in other places." This time, the person who spoke was Jiang Nan. She was in charge of the commercial department, and she was in charge of this aspect. She had no shortage of data.

"Your Majesty, there are no less than 100 silk workshops registered in Huaidong Province and Zhejiang Province, big and small cities, including villages and towns, and there are more unregistered silk workshops. Conservatively, there are more than [-] million weavers. ,even more!"

Jiang Nan said: "In the beginning, the workshops in Suzhou could negotiate a good price with the local mulberry farmers and purchase raw silk smoothly... But gradually, there are silk workshops in the local area, and they are more willing to sell to their own families. Or some workshops are mulberry silk. Farmers, they grow mulberry and raise silkworms by themselves, reel and weave silk, and earn all the money, so how can they sell it to workshops in Suzhou!"

Liu Bowen nodded and echoed: "What Jiang Shangshu said is very true. Originally, it was only a city of Suzhou. The weavers paid their wages, and it was still profitable to use machines. Now there are workshops everywhere. There are too many weavers. If you use machines, it will be a waste of money. It's not worth it anymore."

Lao Zhu frowned, how could this happen?

"Mr. Li, you, can't you think of a way?"

Li Shanchang smiled helplessly, "Your Majesty, this has just gone through the flames of war, and there is a lot of waste waiting to be built. The local people are eager to set up workshops, sell silk, and improve people's livelihood. The people are like this, and the officials are like this. It seems that the veterans can only strictly check taxes. , don't allow them to mess around, but they can't be banned after all!"

Old Zhu became more and more angry, because this matter was not like Tang Shengzong and Lu Zhongheng's annexation of land, nor was it like Liao Yongzhong and the others smuggled for profit... This kind of thing is clear about right and wrong, right and wrong, as long as the killer can be ruthless.

But this time, Lao Zhu was very confused.

From the standpoint of Suzhou, it is not wrong to develop silk workshops, improve textile technology, and seek higher efficiency, right?

But for other cities and villages, they also need to recover and find a way out for the common people.

Relying on mountains to eat mountains, relying on water to eat water.Silk is produced locally, and there are craftsmen who are good at weaving silk. We weave silk, sell it outside, and make money to supplement the family. What is wrong?

No matter what, the imperial court shouldn't care about this kind of thing!

Lao Zhu thought about it for a long time, and even felt that doing this in various places is a bit worth encouraging. People's livelihood and economy cannot be ignored!

"By the way, the silk weaving needs to go through the Shibo Department. Can the silk from those small workshops work? They can't sell it, and they can't make money, so naturally they don't do it!"

It's okay, Zhu Yuanzhang has studied with Zhang Ximeng for a few years, and economically, it's not that his eyes are smeared.

But soon someone refuted it. Li Zhen smiled wryly and said, "Did Your Majesty forget about the smuggling by the navy? They have amassed tens of millions of wealth, many of which are obtained from silk!"

"Okay!" Zhu Yuanzhang slapped the table angrily, and stood up suddenly, furious!

"Liao Yongzhong, Yu Tonghai! Big beetles!" Zhu Yuanzhang yelled, "We let them command the navy, but we never thought that they would spoil the country's affairs for their own self-interest! We should have exterminated the nine clans as soon as possible, leaving no one behind! "

Lao Zhu was furious, scaring others so that they dared not speak, but Empress Ma coughed lightly and said, "Your Majesty, this matter is not that simple, even if you don't smuggle it outside, as long as it is profitable, you can also smuggle it to other provinces. The Shibo Department can only manage the foreign silk trade, not the internal one."

Zhu Yuanzhang was speechless for a while, and then said: "Can we just let them do this? There is really no hope for the silk workshops in Suzhou? Let's simply issue an order to strictly investigate the silk workshops in various places, and stipulate that only raw silk can be shipped to Suzhou. How about this?"

After a short silence, Song Lian said, "Qi Zou Your Majesty, I don't think His Majesty may be able to make such an order. The Suzhou silk workshop is indeed important, and the new machine is also a treasure, but after all, there are millions of weavers all over the country, and countless families are involved. , they have nothing to live on, how can His Majesty kill them and cut off their way of life?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was speechless again.

After thinking silently, Zhu Yuanzhang realized that Zhang Ximeng had actually said all these things.

This is the dilemma of a huge country that wants to develop industry and commerce.

If we want to pursue efficiency, we must reduce the number of craftsmen... This is easy to say, but it actually concerns every household and local officials.

There are layers upon layers, and it is impossible to do it at all.

It's not that I don't want to develop, it's that I can't develop at all.

Lao Zhu became more and more irritable, and couldn't help but said: "So, it was useless to encourage the development of Suzhou's silk industry?"

Li Shanchang hastily coughed, "It's not useless to be a superior. If it weren't for the rectification at the beginning, there wouldn't be a few million extra tariffs every year!"

Old Zhu was taken aback... Zhu Biao also added weakly: "There is still a machine!"

machine!

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly realized something, and quickly asked: "What's the matter with this machine? Why did it go to Peiping?"

Zhu Biao said: "This machine was originally used for weaving silk, but later it was used less and less. There are only a few in Suzhou. It was the fourth brother who wanted to develop wool spinning, so he bought it and hired it from Fudan School. It took a few people more than half a year to recreate the loom that can weave wool thread, and then they came back to life."

Old Zhu was very surprised, there is such a layer?

"Let me ask you, will Zhu Di's side repeat the same mistakes, just like Suzhou?" Old Zhu looked at everyone.

It was difficult for others to answer, but Empress Ma said softly, "It seems not for the time being. After all, there is a shortage of craftsmen in Beiping, and hiring labor is not cheap."

Then Zhu Biao also said: "Not only is it difficult to hire workers, but the fourth brother has a lot of money, which can be used to buy machines!"

Old Zhu was taken aback!

Zhu Di amasses money everywhere, he wants all kinds of money, and the third brother is not soft on schemes, but both Zhang Ximeng and Zhu Biao tolerate him very much. Is this the reason?

Old Zhu thought for a moment, then asked again: "Suzhou's looms were used very well at first, but then the supply of raw silk will not be available. What about Beiping? Is there a way?"

Zhu Biao nodded and said, "Yes!"

"What way?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked.

"It is collected from Liaodong, and obtained from the Mongols... Besides, you can buy it from the third brother!" Zhu Biao couldn't help sighing softly when he said this.

It's really not that he favors Zhu Di, nor that he insists on allowing Zhu Laosi to bully others, but that if he wants to feed the machine, he must concentrate capital and raw materials, and pour them all into Peiping!

Suzhou has already failed. If Beiping can't do it again, this road of developing industry and commerce will not go on...

Chapter 733 Prince Handling Country

"Now we want to ask you a question, why do we need to develop industry and commerce, and what benefits will this road bring to Daming?" Zhu Yuanzhang interposed his hands and asked with a frown.

Everyone was slightly startled, what do you mean?We have been discussing for so long, Your Majesty doesn't even know this most basic question?

No way!

Just when the big guy was in shock, Zhu Biao suddenly said: "If you go back to the emperor, you don't take the road of industry and commerce. It's still men farming and women weaving. Hand workshops are just weaving raw silk into silk, which can increase some income and subsidize it." It’s just for home use. But if machines can be used, one loom can be used at the top of 64 looms, and the increase can be increased by dozens of times. From one workshop, taxes can be collected by dozens of times. With sufficient taxes, the court can do things that were impossible in the past. , Achieve achievements that the previous dynasties could not achieve!"

After Zhu Biao finished speaking, Old Zhu nodded slightly. He turned his head and looked at Li Shanchang again, "Mr. Li, do you think what the prince said makes sense?"

Li Shanchang quickly replied: "Superior, now there are workshops everywhere, every household, and the tax department is really not easy to collect taxes. It's like a mess of hair. You can't catch it. If the imperial court can't control it, the local yamen will intervene and fill their pockets. Exploiting the common people will cause endless troubles just like previous big cases of ink corruption!"

This is the environment today, and Zhu Biao promised in advance, and Lao Li was telling the truth.The Taxation Department has been set up before, why hasn't it played a role yet?Navy smuggling, still so rampant?

Here lies the problem. After setting up a department, there must be corresponding financial resources and human support. Will the tax department still be short of money if it collects money?

Yes, after all, taxation also has costs.

Over the years, what the tax department can manage are a few waterways, a few key tax cards, including Yingtian, several big cities in Suzhou, and other places.

Let the tax department go to track down the tax, and the following scenario will probably appear... If you want to collect taxes, you can, but please increase the staff and assign enough officials before you can collect taxes.

It is possible to increase personnel and attach officials to them, which will cost money. When the court lacks money, taxes must be collected. If you don’t collect taxes, where will the court get the money?

If you don't give people, how can we collect money?

You don’t charge money, so what do we support people with?

……

At this point, things have basically become unsolvable again.

In fact, looking at the taxes of the Ming Dynasty, there will be a feeling of helplessness.

In terms of land tax, even if there is no annexation of the land, the big guys pay the tax according to the rules, and there is an upper limit, which cannot be broken at all.

In terms of commercial taxation, no matter how you think about it, there is always the problem of tax collection costs.

Small workshops everywhere, small peasant economy.

There are hundreds of thousands of taxable objects, or even more... Each family only has three melons and two dates of tax. No matter how it is collected and what method is used, the amount that can enter the national treasury is very limited.

You might even lose money if you fail.

The remaining salt tax, tariffs, and minerals can only be said to be small supplements, but they cannot change the overall situation.

If land annexation, official corruption, population expansion, etc. are included, it is almost an unsolvable dead end.

It's no wonder that the debut is the peak, and the rest of the time is to maintain it. It is absolutely impossible to become bigger and stronger and achieve greater glory.

Without exaggeration, Zhu Yuanzhang can still hold back now. Once Lao Zhu is gone, salt tax, land tax, and customs duties will all drop sharply. At the same time, officials' salaries and other items will suddenly increase.

The financial crisis came in a blink of an eye, why not learn from Zhu Yunqi and start cutting down the feudal clan?

Or is Feng Tianjing difficult?

Anyway, it's quite helpless.

Governing a country is really not an easy task.

So from very early on, Zhang Ximeng has been advocating the development of industry and commerce, and blazed a new path... As a result, this path has been staggered, and Suzhou, which has the best conditions, has not blazed a trail.

Beiping is the only hope. If Beiping is not successful, then the big guy really can only wash up and sleep.

Zhu Yuanzhang asked a few more questions, and everyone present tried their best to answer them. At the end of the talk, Lao Zhu was in a good mood.

"Packing two catties of new tea for every Qing's family is our gift to the big guys. In the future, we will have to do more of this kind of meeting, not only for business matters, but also for other important matters. You are open and honest, and we humbly accept advice." !"

Good guy, it's really not easy to get a reward from Lao Zhu.

These two catties of tribute tea should be sent to the ancestral ancestral hall for offering... No, Xu Da forbids officials to build ancestral halls, so they have to hide them at home.

The big guys dispersed one after another with all kinds of thoughts.

Zhu Yuanzhang said in a low voice: "Sister, Biao'er, the three of us have a meal together, and we will talk about some things carefully."

Empress Ma was slightly taken aback, and quickly nodded, "That's kind, let me cook! You two have a chat."

After Empress Ma left, only Lao Zhu and Zhu Biao were left.

The two men met each other for a long while, but it was Lao Zhu who laughed first and said: "You have made a good arrangement this time. Those of you have told the truth, which opened our eyes. In the past, we were the ones who were superficial!"

Zhu Biao also smiled wryly: "Father, in fact, Mr. Zhang is the one who really sees through this step. He has realized it a long time ago, so he made the layout in Beiping, hoping to break through from Beiping."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said: "Mr. Zhang's ability is naturally needless to say. I just want to ask you, your fourth brother Zhu Di, can he handle such a big thing?"

This is an old question, and Zhu Yuanzhang brought it up again.

Zhu Biao pondered for a long time, but instead asked: "Father, who do you think can run the business well?"

Old Zhu was stunned for a moment, and smiled wryly: "It's really hard for us to say at the moment, but your fourth brother is too evasive. Although he has some tricks, he is not so likable after all, and brothers are not so honest. He is courageous and thoughtful. Too much...we are really worried!"

Zhu Biao lowered his head, pondered silently, and raised his head after a while, "Father, how about the fourth brother, I can't tell you. But I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to take charge of the industry and commerce in Beiping!"

Zhu Biao spoke seriously, not self-effacing words.

A university in Peking requires an annual investment of 500 million yuan.

It is impossible to have thousands of looms without millions of investment.

Then you have to buy raw materials, sell them outside, hire craftsmen, and train workers...

Calculated in a mess, it is several million guan!

This is a necessary expenditure to maintain Beiping's industry and commerce.