The Ming Dynasty: Reshaping the Land

Chapter 41 Sea Trade

Li Jinglong's smile vanished abruptly.

Don't expose someone's shortcomings. It's just that you opened a club and made some money. Is it really that big of a deal? Besides, the ban on the sea was something you did wrong. Are you saying I can't even talk about it?

Although Li Jinglong understood perfectly well, he dared not say it aloud, and feigned ignorance, asking, "This...this...I don't quite understand!"

"Hmph!" Old Zhu slowly descended the imperial steps, glancing sideways at Li Jinglong. "From what you're saying, you have different ideas about the Sea Forbidden Zone?"

"Your subject dares not!" Li Jinglong replied, bowing his head.

"You bastard!" Old Zhu suddenly cursed in a low voice, "Stop hiding from us like this, or I'll beat you up!"

"This..." Li Jinglong glanced at Zhu Yuanzhang and muttered to himself: Just say it, why are you getting so worked up, boss?

"In my opinion, the policy of banning maritime trade is not beneficial to the country in the long run!" Li Jinglong replied.

"Oh?" Old Zhu squinted, looking at Li Jinglong expressionlessly. "Continue!"

"Uncle, the reason for the initial ban on the sea was indeed because our Ming Dynasty was newly established and there were constant wars. To prevent maritime threats, we had to divert our attention, so we implemented this policy."

Now, apart from the north and Liaodong, our Great Ming Dynasty is basically free from major wars. Moreover, our Great Ming Navy is well-equipped. By using the navy to wipe out the Japanese pirates, we can achieve a permanent solution!

"Hmph!" Old Zhu sneered, "All talk and no action!"

Li Jinglong was unfazed and threw out another trump card: "If we use the navy to wipe out the Japanese pirates, then our Great Ming will no longer need to impose a maritime ban. In this way, the tax revenue from maritime trade will greatly enrich our Great Ming's treasury!"

"Hmm? Who said that to you?" Upon hearing Li Jinglong's words, Old Zhu's eyes narrowed immediately, his gaze fixed on Li Jinglong, trying to discern Li Jinglong's true thoughts.

You, Li Jinglong, are inexperienced in politics, yet you dare to discuss such a national matter as the maritime ban? Old Zhu doesn't believe it.

Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang's reaction, Li Jinglong quickly explained, "Your Majesty, this is my own idea."

Old Zhu remained skeptical, while Li Jinglong was unconvinced.

In the early years of the Hongwu reign, officials in charge of maritime trade were rife with corruption, smuggling was rampant, and maritime threats were rampant.

Enraged, Zhu ordered that not a single plank of wood could be taken to sea.

While this approach helped Zhu Yuanzhang avoid being bogged down by maritime threats when waging war on land, it also resulted in a significant reduction in tax revenue.

How did the Ming Dynasty fall? It was because all tax revenue was concentrated on land, and once a natural disaster struck, the country's ability to withstand risks plummeted.

Especially after the Longqing Emperor opened the gates, the enormous profits of the Ming Dynasty's maritime trade were seized by the Southeastern civil official group, ultimately watching helplessly as the Ming Dynasty was destroyed on the eve of its demise.

Later, the Manchu Qing dynasty completely crushed the aristocratic groups in the southeast, and the entire Chinese nation missed out on the Age of Exploration.

The Southern Song Dynasty was most aware of the benefits of maritime trade! Otherwise, how could it have resisted the Mongols for forty-six years with only half of its territory?

Then there's Zhu Di. Moving the capital, compiling the Yongle Encyclopedia, and launching five campaigns against the Mongols—any one of these things cost money like water. No matter how much wealth Zhu Yuanzhang left behind, it couldn't withstand Zhu Di's extravagance!

It was all earned by Zheng He's voyages to the Western Ocean. Promoting national prestige once or twice is enough. Why was Zhu Di so addicted to it? It was because there was profit to be made. Zheng He earned him nearly 3200 million taels of silver.

What does 3200 million taels of silver mean? That's the total tax revenue of the Ming Dynasty for three whole years!

For its own benefit, the Qing Dynasty also implemented a maritime ban, but it still retained the Thirteen Factories of Guangzhou as a special foreign trade institution. Every year, the taxes paid alone amounted to millions of taels of silver, not to mention the profits transferred from it.

Didn't Old Zhu know these things? Li Jinglong was a little skeptical, but Old Zhu was a stubborn man. If you said his decisions were wrong, wouldn't you be getting yourself into trouble?

"You?" Old Zhu scoffed. "We know exactly what you're up to!"

Li Jinglong, completely oblivious to his embarrassment, retorted, "Your Majesty, the Southern Song Dynasty understands the benefits of maritime trade best! Otherwise, how could the Southern Song, confined to a corner of the country, have an annual revenue far exceeding that of our Great Ming?"

"Do you know that when we decided to ban the sea, it wasn't just because of the Japanese pirates!" Old Zhu remained expressionless, but his tone had softened considerably.

"Your Majesty, the officials of the Maritime Trade Office are rife with corruption and collusion between officials and merchants, resulting in the loss of national tax revenue. In my opinion, the reason is still the lack of a strong navy!" Li Jinglong then steered the conversation to the navy.

In Li Jinglong's view, the smuggling problem is actually easy to solve. First, open up the sea and allow merchants to trade through normal channels. If there is still smuggling, it is also easy to deal with: confiscate their property and exterminate their families!

No one will take the risk to gain benefits when the costs are disproportionate to the gains. This rule applies at all times!

Just like in later years, the public security situation in the 1980s and the new century was completely different. It was simply that the cost of breaking the law was too high, and the losses outweighed the gains.

Never underestimate the evil in human nature. Therefore, the purpose of law is to increase the cost of illegal behavior. When the cost is high enough, no one will be willing to break the law because the gains are not proportional to the risks!

"Whether it's Japanese pirates or smuggling by coastal residents, it's because there's no deterrent force at sea that causes these phenomena. Once there's a force that no one dares to challenge, I believe the sea will be as calm as a lake!" Li Jinglong said confidently.

"Hmph!" Old Zhu glared at Li Jinglong. "Do you think a navy can be built in a day?"

"Then I believe that the maritime ban can be gradually lifted, but it should not be completely lifted either!" Li Jinglong said respectfully.

"Oh?" Old Zhu looked at Li Jinglong. "Then tell me!"

Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang's reaction, Li Jinglong said solemnly, "Your Majesty, I believe that some ports should be opened, and trade should be controlled in the name of the state! All transactions must be conducted in designated ports and trading houses; any transactions outside of these designated ports and trading houses shall be treated as smuggling!"

"Go on!"

Clearly, Li Jinglong's claim of conducting trade in the name of the state piqued Zhu Yuanzhang's interest.

"Your Majesty, if the court were to establish a trading company, which would be under the court's control both domestically and internationally, and all profits and taxes generated from the trading company's transactions were to belong to the court, wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?"

What Li Jinglong referenced was the foreign trade methods adopted by his motherland after the founding of the People's Republic of China in the face of blockade by Western countries.

The difference is that one is passive, and the other is active.

"Control foreign trade?" Zhu Yuanzhang had clearly taken Li Jinglong's words to heart, muttering to himself, "Then how can we guarantee that after control is implemented, there won't be collusion between officials and merchants, or smuggling by private merchants?"

In Li Jinglong's view, the Ming Dynasty's imperial family underestimated the shamelessness of merchants and some gentry! And they were far too lenient!

In the late Ming Dynasty, the government had lost control of taxes in the southeast. Whenever taxes were collected, civil officials in the court would use classical Chinese phrases, and tax resistance among the people became increasingly serious.

But when the Manchus came and spoke directly to the aristocratic merchants of the southeast with knives, they all turned into little lambs.

Li Jinglong thought for a moment and added, "Because the Southeastern maritime merchants of the previous dynasty were so powerful, I believe that in the early stages, once smuggling is caught, their entire families should be confiscated and exterminated. Only severe punishments can deter them!"