Chapter 960 A huge painting
What is a powerful person?
Those who are closest to the center of power are the powerful.
There are many outdated dignitaries in Nanjing. They are far away from the capital, the emperor, and power. The only thing that can comfort them is their own property.
After our ancestors made great contributions and were granted titles, the first thing they did was to annex land, take in people, and make plans for their children and grandchildren.
Relying on those fields and people, these families have been rich for generations.
Money can communicate with the gods. The relationship between money and power is inherently interconnected. Money can communicate with power, and similarly, power can communicate with money. The two can be converted into cash.
We have no influence in the capital, but it is different in the south.
These powerful people continued to operate in the south, and after many years, every family had built up a huge network of relationships.
The rich and powerful in the capital are close to the emperor, which is very impressive, but we in the south are not far behind either.
The South is prosperous and people there don't have to worry about being drawn into various political whirlpools, so they live a carefree life.
Moreover, he could extend his influence to the capital through his connections with officials.
Later, the prime ministers had one or even several forces behind them. As representatives of these forces, they also represented the interests of these forces and spoke for them.
"What are the interests of these forces? For the Ming Dynasty? No. For their own interests. The prime minister is only concerned with personal gain, and he will inevitably go astray when implementing policies. For example... business taxes."
Jiang Qingzhi stood on the city wall of Nanjing, feeling the spring breeze and feeling relaxed and happy.
"My Lord, commercial taxes are another big vortex." Xu Wei said: "Land and population are their foundation, and commercial taxes are another foundation."
"The Mohist sage once passed through a country overseas. This country mainly relied on agricultural taxes. Farmers worked hard all year round and could hardly make ends meet. The nobles monopolized business, did not pay taxes, and made a lot of money.
The court relied on land taxes to survive, and each year was difficult. A few decades later, there was a severe drought, and foreign enemies invaded, and the army was extremely expensive. So taxes were increased..."
Xu Wei touched his nose and thought, isn’t this the Ming Dynasty?
"The farmers were starving and cold, and the petty officials were as ferocious as wolves and tigers... With nowhere else to go, the hungry people rose up in rebellion. As a result, they were trapped both internally and externally." Jiang Qingzhi thought of Emperor Chongzhen, "The emperor had no choice but to ask his ministers and dignitaries for money. Old Xu, do you think those dignitaries will give it to you?"
Xu Wei thought about it and said, "The lips and teeth are interdependent, so he should give it to me, right?"
Otherwise, if the foreign army comes and we all become slaves, would that be comfortable?
"Not many people gave. Even the father-in-law of the emperor only gave a hundred or so taels of silver."
"This……"
"Then the army composed of farmers broke through the capital, and these people rushed out to welcome them." Jiang Qingzhi said sarcastically: "In the eyes of these people, even if there is a change of dynasty, the new dynasty will still use them. But what they never expected was that as soon as the leader of this army entered the city, he captured all these people, beat them up, and demanded money. If they didn't give it, he would beat them to death..."
"Retribution." Xu Wei was shocked when he heard this. He felt that his boss was alluding to the future of the Ming Dynasty.
"Old Xu, why has the Central Plains been in a cycle of order and chaos for thousands of years? It's all because of this pattern." Jiang Qingzhi said: "We can't put all the burdens on the farmers. Without merchants, there will be no wealth; without workers, there will be no strength!"
"Master, do you mean that the new policy will follow this path from now on?"
"One is industry, the other is commerce. Industry should be aimed at continuously promoting productivity. Commerce should be used to connect the entire Ming Dynasty and the output of various places. This is one way, and the other is to go outward and let the merchants of Ming Dynasty go out to sea to earn money from foreign races."
Jiang Qingzhi took out the medicinal cigarette, "The most brilliant business tactics can destroy a country!"
"Can it destroy a country?"
"Don't underestimate business." Jiang Qingzhi lit up the medicinal cigarette and took a puff. The minty and cool feeling swirled around in his lungs before he exhaled.
"Why do I attach so much importance to the South? It is because the South has abundant output and active people. Once the situation is opened up, the entire Ming chess game will come alive. Then open the sea... Use a huge amount of Ming goods to impact the markets of foreign races. In return, there will be countless money and grain.
Huge profits will stimulate businessmen to expand production. Lao Xu, businessmen are the most greedy and active group. Under the temptation of huge profits, they will frantically look for ways to reduce costs and speed up output. How to reduce costs and speed up output? "
Xu Wei's body suddenly shook, "Mechanical Art!"
Jiang Qingzhi shook off the cigarette ash and squinted his eyes at the distance. "My Mohist mechanical skills are unparalleled. Now in the Mohist base outside the capital, the craftsmen are researching some things. Old Xu, once those things are successful, this world... will undergo a drastic change. It is a drastic change that can change the entire world and the situation of the Ming Dynasty. I call it an industrial revolution."
"No wonder Master Bo once said that we should not attack or kill Confucianists, as that would be self-harm. If Mohists can create machines that attract merchants, no, not just merchants, but also scholars and officials will go crazy for them. In this way, without us having to do anything, they will voluntarily spurn Confucianism and support Mohism. Tsk!"
Xu Wei took a deep breath and said, "My Lord, you want to defeat the enemy without fighting!"
Jiang Qingzhi nodded, "I have said that Confucianism and the Ming Dynasty have a symbiotic relationship. If we just use force, even if we can bring down Confucianism, the Ming Dynasty will probably be dying."
The decline of Confucianism in later generations was accompanied by powerful ships and cannons, the sound of foreign military boots stepping into the capital of the Central Plains, humiliating treaties, and the Central Plains becoming a semi-colony...
"Look." Jiang Qingzhi pointed at the people outside the city. "The cold wind and the sun are arguing about how to reduce the amount of clothes pedestrians wear. The cold wind blows hard, trying to blow off the clothes of pedestrians, but the stronger the wind, the tighter the pedestrians wrap their clothes. The sun just silently radiates its sunshine, and the pedestrians feel hot, so they take off their outer robes on their own..."
"Those people thought that the Lord came south this time for revenge. If they knew the Lord's purpose, I don't know whether they would be disappointed or furious."
"I've said before that the New Deal is a big ship. Once it starts, it won't stop. I won't wait for anyone who hasn't boarded the ship!"
Jiang Qingzhi said: "This includes the people on our side."
Xu Wei knew that this was Jiang Qingzhi's hint, and as his aide, he should convey this message to the supporters of the new policy.
——Follow closely, don’t fall behind!
"Master, people from the Eastern Depot are here." Mo Zhan stood behind Jiang Qingzhi, his hand on the hilt of his knife, staring at the eunuch who was coming up.
"Greetings, Lord Chang Wei." The eunuch said with a smile, "Wang Hui has confessed." "Speak." Jiang Qingzhi did not turn around.
The eunuch said, "Songjiang Prefecture has contacted him and asked him to encourage Nanjing to distance itself from Chang Wei Bo and keep an eye on the movements of Chang Wei Bo and his accompanying troops, and pass on the news."
"Who contacted him at Songjiang Prefecture?" Jiang Qingzhi asked.
"Xu family, Xu Fan."
"The eldest son of Lord Xu's family?"
"That's right. Also, there is something I don't know whether I should say or not." The eunuch smiled with some reserve.
Jiang Qingzhi said calmly: "Then don't say anything."
Uh!
The eunuch who was keeping the secret was startled, and Xu Wei said, "Master is very busy."
The eunuch wanted to do Jiang Qingzhi a favor, but Jiang Qingzhi refused to buy it. He thought of what Rui Jingxian in the capital had said: This matter is of great importance, and the Jinyiwei are also trying desperately to gain credit from it. You must gain the trust of Lord Chang Wei before the Jinyiwei.
The eunuch originally thought that Jiang Qingzhi would be anxious and uneasy in the whirlpool of the south, and Jiang Qingzhi was quite cold to the Jinyiwei people when he came to Nanjing, which made the eunuch very happy and felt that there was an opportunity to take advantage of.
But I didn't expect to hit a snag.
The eunuch quickly said, "The Xu family is the local leader in Songjiang, and one call can get hundreds of people to respond. In addition, Lord Xu is the leader of the literati, and Xu Fan regards himself as his representative in the south."
——The Xu family is not easy to deal with!
That was a bigger vortex. Once it got out of hand, the southern scholars would find fault with it...
"My East Factory sensed something was wrong. Those people were secretly colluding and wanted to use this incident to counter the new policy."
That’s all I have to say. What you, Captain Wilbur, choose has nothing to do with my East Factory.
Favor, given.
Jiang Qingzhi nodded, and Xu Wei smiled and said, "When we go back to Admiral Rui, the master will naturally mention this matter."
I appreciate the favor, and I will mention it to Rui Jingxian later.
This was the purpose of the eunuch's words. Hearing this, he could not help but feel overjoyed, "Thank you, my Lord."
The world is bustling with people, everyone is coming and going for benefit.
Look, even the name has changed.
After the eunuch left, Xu Wei said, "My Lord, the situation in Nanjing has been decided, right..."
"Pack your things and prepare to go to Songjiang Prefecture!"
Jiang Qingzhi turned around and said, "Tell Yan Xu to catch up as soon as possible."
He looked in the direction of Songjiang Prefecture and said with a smile, "Xu Fan...some people say that this man is the number one young master in the south. So, I will go to meet this number one young master this time."
"Uncle, Chen Yuan is here."
Chen Yuan was an imperial censor stationed in Nanjing. After the Songjiang Prefecture incident, Chen Yuan had been traveling back and forth between Nanjing and Songjiang Prefecture.
Chen Yuan, who had just returned from Songjiang Prefecture, was exhausted. He went up to the top of the city wall and saluted, "Greetings, Lord Chang Wei."
"How is Songjiang Prefecture?" Jiang Qingzhi asked indifferently.
"The Songjiang Prefecture... is quite hostile."
"This is what Benber expected."
Jiang Qingzhi said: "I will be going to Songjiang Prefecture soon. Please keep an eye on Nanjing. If anything happens... please report it immediately!"
"Yes." Chen Yuan lowered his head, with a hint of disdain and pride in his eyes.
After Wang Hui was arrested, Jiang Qingzhi handed him over to the East Factory's people in Nanjing, making everyone in the Nanjing officialdom feel insecure, fearing that Jiang Qingzhi would use this opportunity to stir up a major case.
Since Xu Chengzong bowed to Jiang Qingzhi, he has become much more active. Whenever he has nothing to do, he urges the Ministry of Justice to send good people to Songjiang Prefecture, and urges the Ministry of Personnel to send personnel to keep an eye on the officials in Songjiang Prefecture for supervision.
That day he summoned the ministers of the five ministries to discuss matters, and asked each of them to send someone to follow him to Songjiang Prefecture.
"The Duke is also planning to go to Songjiang Prefecture?" Lin Zhian asked.
"Since Chang Wei Bo is going, as the landlord, I naturally have to follow him." Since Xu Chengzong has decided to surrender, he must surrender completely.
"The Duke."
An attendant came in, "Long Wilbur is gone."
"What?" Xu Chengzong was stunned. "He... just left like that?"
At least you said hello!
The self-indulgent Xu Chengzong slowly looked outside.
"What will be waiting for Long Wilbur in Songjiang Prefecture?"
(End of this chapter)
