[Comprehensive History] Clothes are all over the world

If you want to ask how profitable foreign trade is, each dynasty will have a different answer, but among all dynasties there must be one dynasty that is completely different from the other dynasties.

That is Daming.

The answer Daming gave was only two words - blood loss.

Emperor Hongwu passed on his painful experience to his eldest grandson with a serious face. The central idea was probably: If I didn't want face, I really couldn't refuse, otherwise these people's tribute would have been cut off long ago.

In fact, foreign trade is Mubai’s blind spot, but no matter how ignorant Mubai is of economics, he knows how profitable foreign trade is. The Song Dynasty relied on the developed ocean-going commerce to support its huge military expenditure, and the time of the country’s destruction was delayed. Pushed nearly 200 years.

How did a good profitable business turn into a loss-making business in the hands of Daming 100 years later?Is it because the quality of their Daming products has declined due to the interference of the Yuan Dynasty?Or is there a competitor out there?

Mu Bai stroked his chin, expressing that he had to investigate first, after all, without investigation, he would have no right to speak.

Since he had this idea, Zhu Yuanzhang would not stop it, so the household department and Honglu Temple gave the green light to the little emperor and grandson and let him walk in the outer court.

After walking around, Mu Bai doubted life a little.

Daming, how could it be such a waste of resources? ! !

China's geographical location is extremely superior. In this era of highly developed Asian civilization, Daming has become the center of Asia by virtue of its long coastline, environment connecting land and sea, and abundant production... It can be said to be the center in every aspect.

Since the opening of the Maritime Silk Road in the Song Dynasty, the "Song Kingdom" has become the dream land of all overseas businessmen.

During the Song Dynasty, commerce and trade were highly developed. The officials of the Song Dynasty stipulated that each ship must pay one-tenth of the goods as a tax after docking. Coupled with the official monopoly system, it can be said that the Song Dynasty made a lot of money in maritime trade. Bowl full.

Because of its huge profits, the Song people were extremely friendly to maritime merchants. Not only would they send ships to cruise the sea to rescue merchant ships in distress from time to time, but they also introduced a series of systems to protect the interests of foreign merchants.

For example, if a merchant ship encounters a shipwreck and the owner dies unfortunately, the Song Dynasty officials will not only send people to protect the ship, resettle the personnel and the cargo on board, but also come forward to help complete the handover when the owner's family comes to claim it, which makes it very difficult for the merchant ship A sense of security.

Because of the enthusiastic attitude of the Song Dynasty officials, the considerate hospitality, and of course the most important thing is sufficient profits, the maritime trade continued to flourish throughout the dynasty, and the maritime trade system of the Song Dynasty even benefited the later Yuan Dynasty.

The Yuan Dynasty basically copied the maritime trade system of the Song Dynasty, and also gained a lot of benefits in maritime trade, especially in near-sea transportation.

Before the completion of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, the food in Yuandadu was transported by sea. Not only domestic merchants and official organizations participated in this part of the transportation, but also a large number of foreign merchants rushed to transport grain to Dadu in exchange for silk, porcelain and other commodities. .

But all this came to an abrupt end in the Ming Dynasty.

At the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, because the Yuan Dynasty was holding on to the lifeline of Dadu, the speed at which the Ming Empire took over maritime trade was much later than expected.

In addition, at that time, many merchants from the Celestial Dynasty who were closely connected with the Yuan court had been sending grain to the north in Fujian behind Hongwu Emperor's back, and the important trading ports of the Yuan Dynasty were previously in the hands of Zhu Yuanzhang's deadly rivals, although they had been captured by Hongwu. Emperor Wu dismounted, but Yu Wei was still there. In order to prevent local forces from connecting Yuan, Zhu Yuanzhang directly abolished those ports.

At the beginning of the establishment of the Ming Empire, there were many special circumstances. In the long history, there were few dynasties like the Ming Dynasty that almost relied on military generals to conquer the world, and it was rare to see that the talents had withered to ten officials when the country was founded. Eight illiterate ages.

In addition, Emperor Hongwu believed that he had won the orthodox position from the Yuan government in an open and aboveboard manner. Therefore, he paid special attention to those vassal states that had surrendered to the former Yuan, and gave a lot of preferential treatment in the early days. For example, the unique tributary system of the Ming Dynasty was one of them. one.

Mu Bai went through the history books and couldn't find any dynasty that would give large rewards to the vassal states who came to pay tribute, and the richness of the rewards far exceeded the goods themselves.

And all of this was based on the fact that Daming had borne the food and travel expenses from the moment the other party stepped into the border, so it was short of reimbursement for the travel expenses back home.

Is this a tribute?This is obviously the country spending money to ask someone to come and go!

Facing the shocked eyes of Shang Xiaohuangsun, the officials of the household department lowered their heads and restrained their eyes and did not dare to say more, but whether it was from the materials they prepared or the previous narration, it actually showed their attitude.

These people don't necessarily want Daming to open up maritime trade, but they all hope that Daming can stop this kind of diplomatic activities of spending money to make money.

Although the little emperor's grandson is still young, although everyone knows that the little emperor's grandson can do very little in this matter, they still hope to plant a seed in the future second heir of Ming Dynasty. Small seeds of money.

This is not because of the arrogance of the officials of the Ming Dynasty, but for the huge Ming Dynasty, the goods brought by the diplomatic envoys who paid tribute were really not enough.

Especially in the two countries closest to Daming, Goryeo is a little bit better, ginseng and fur are still a bit useful, what kind of stuff is that sent by Japan in the sea, to put it bluntly, finding a piece of land in Daming and digging down can compare Those things are good.

To put it bluntly, these tributes were bought by the imperial court at a high price. Most of them were looked down upon by Emperor Hongwu, and Zhu Yuanzhang himself was a frugal emperor. Except for rewarding heroes and princes, he basically didn’t use those tributes. He can't use it without others, so he can only pile it up in the warehouse to mold.

What a waste!

What's wrong with using the money for these things?With the money wasted for so many years saved, the Fengyang Palace can be built.

It is true that many of the things brought by these people are exquisite enough, but Daming is not without substitutes. Except for some spices and dyes, most of them are just icing on the cake, just like in later generations you have a friend who puts an extremely cautious He gave you the fruit machine he bought from the lighthouse country when you already had a mobile phone. Maybe he also experienced some difficulties and obstacles on the way.

Emperor Hongwu was in this mood.

Yes, but not necessary.

However, people's sorrows and joys really do not communicate with each other.Mu Bai discovered a very interesting thing.

From the perspective of the Ministry of Household Affairs, foreign envoys have a completely different view of the troublesome issues—they seem to think that this is a unique procurement strategy of Ming Dynasty, and they do not think it is a political activity.

It may be because the monopoly system of the former Song Dynasty gave these "envoys" the illusion that they took the form of Ming Dynasty's "monopolization system" in the form of accepting all tributes and giving money.

Although it is a little strange that the Ming Dynasty government does not allow the people to sell anything, but because the Ming government is very generous in giving money, and accepting all of it also saves the extra expenses of staying in the mainland to develop trade, these "envoys" are accustomed to This is also quite satisfactory, and I am willing to come several times.

The first representative is Japan.

Japan is an island country, and it is also a disaster-prone country with many earthquakes and typhoons. In addition, it is now in a state of confrontation between the North and the South, so the tribute that can be produced is very limited.But every time they traveled across the sea, the rewards they brought back were very rich, so Japan would almost treat the Ming Dynasty tribute as a daily routine, and would come every three to five times.

Daming was not interested in the handicrafts, wood, and knives they brought out. At first, he endured it many times based on the status of the other party's vassal state, but after discovering that the tribute goods of the other party's ship only accounted for [-]%, and the rest were all smuggled goods, Emperor Hongwu Finally broke out.

Emperor Hongwu spoke directly, so that Japan does not need to come every year, but only once every three years.

But Japan's thick skin is not a cover, they can't use them to continue to make this copy of Daming just because they came, which made Emperor Hongwu very annoyed.

Mu Bai was also very annoyed when he heard that.

So many, so many opportunities to make money have been wasted.

From his grandfather's point of view, he was a kingdom above the heavens, and he couldn't lower his face to take advantage of the vassal state, so he gave the other party more rewards than tribute. This behavior was understandable, but it didn't mean they couldn't get it back from other places.

Mu Bai went back and thought about it, thinking that his grandfather was confused by the concept of vassal state.

The earliest vassal state originated in the Western Han Dynasty. At that time, because the Western Han Dynasty itself was still a feudal state, the vassal state could also stand on its own as a state. However, like ordinary counties, the vassal state must also send officials from the central government to settle in and pay taxes.

In return, the central government will provide them with protection, and will also bring them improved seeds, high-quality planting methods, and business contacts. Simply put, it is the relationship between superiors and subordinates who pay protection fees.

At that time, the vassal state was the land that the central government could actually control and write into the national territory. Although the control was not strong, it was understandable considering the national environment at that time.

The emperor of the Western Han Dynasty was not stupid. The purpose of spending money to support these vassal states was actually to use them as natural umbrellas in the hinterland of the Central Plains. Most of the vassal states were distributed outside the central area. at the barrier.

This is also the origin of the word "Fan" in its name, which means barrier and fence.

But time has passed, and the concept of a vassal state has gradually changed from purely using relationships to a face project that as long as you give me face and are willing to surrender to me verbally, I will give you money and protect you.The central government does not have any management and taxation for the vassal state, but instead wants to give money, food and benefits, and the other party will turn back from time to time at critical times.

This is not a fence, but an ancestor, right?

Also, what's the matter with these civil servants thinking that foreigners have no knowledge and no good things?

The reason why the Central Plains became what it is today is precisely because of the continuous import of those places that the old people regarded as "barbarians" and "foreign nations".

If they did not absorb and actively introduce products from various places, the Central Plains Dynasty is still living a simple life of hemp, millet, millet, wheat, and beans, without even rice.

As a person who has personally experienced the Spring and Autumn Period, Mu Bai can say very responsibly: Many living conditions of Emperor Zhou at that time were not even as good as those of ordinary wealthy households in an ordinary county today. There are fresh seasonal vegetables in most seasons, and you can even pat your chest and say that you "don't eat from time to time". How can there be such conditions in the Spring and Autumn Period!

The grandpa at home and these civil servants have such a sense of superiority that my family has the best things and there are no good things from other places. It is really strange, and the most important thing is-how can you use the eyes of the royal family and court officials to see whether imported things are useful? ?

Some things are indeed cheap, but it does not mean that there is no market. For example, cotton is not a necessity for officials and the royal family. They can find a hundred textiles that can replace cotton cloth, but for the common people, it is cheap, light and made from plants. Doesn't it matter that cheap cotton cloth you get on the internet doesn't matter?

If it is not important, cotton cloth will not be so expensive in Yunnan.

It is up to the people to decide whether foreign products are meaningful and effective. It is really a mistake for the government to interfere with the market.

But although Mu Bai has a stomach full of slots to vomit, it's really not easy to say.

If he just ran over and patted Grandpa on the thigh and said, Grandpa, you are too arrogant. In fact, we don’t have many things at all, and we have to buy more from other places. I guess no matter how good-tempered his grandpa is, he still wants to wear a pair of shoes for Mu Bai. , Arrange a few cars for homework.

It is necessary to tactfully instill this idea in Grandpa, but how to be tactful...

Mu Bai, who has always been straightforward, is really not very good at planning in this area, and the matter of persuading his grandfather to dig mountains is not going well, and for a while, Mu Bai is so annoyed that he almost wants to lift a stone lion.

Of course this is not possible!Be restrained, Mu Xiaobai.

Mu Bai strolled around in the palace with his hands behind his back, followed by a group of young eunuchs, the whole formation looked very spectacular.

These little eunuchs were specially assigned to him by Empress Ma when he came back from Fengyang this time. The servants and maids who were assigned to him before seemed to have other jobs after he went to Fengyang, and they were replaced. A large number, Mu Bai knew it well and didn't ask.

These servants are all in the probationary period, and who can stay in the end depends on their performance during this period.

Being able to stay with the emperor's eldest grandson as a servant is simply a road to success for them, so after seeing Mu Bai's distressed appearance, these little servants boldly chattered to him with various ideas.

Among them, only a dark-skinned servant remained silent.

Mu Bai frowned at the noise from the servants, turned his head and saw the friendly complexion at a glance, so he specifically nodded: "What do you think?"

The little Heipi opened his mouth, hesitated for a while, and said in his own official voice with a strong southern accent: "I used to like to look at the water when I was upset..."

Mu Bai tilted his head and thought for a while, the benevolent enjoys the mountains, and the wise enjoys the water. As a fighting school with a little insufficient IQ, he can indeed go to see the water for inspiration.

In the imperial palace of Yingtianfu, there are not many places where you can see the water, so he definitely can't go to the former court, so he can only go to the imperial garden where the little Douding gathers.

Mu Bai looked at the sky, the little Doudings should be studying at this time, so they shouldn't be able to hit it, right?

It wasn't that he didn't want to meet the cubs, but for some reason, the team calling him "Big Brother" in the palace grew stronger.Although Mu Bai tried his best to insist on calling each other his own way, his father looked at him very strangely.Mu Bai understood the strong meaning of threat in it, and decided to avoid it as much as possible, and bravely face to face if a hero does not show his strength.

What?Secretly meeting behind his father's back?Don't be kidding, there are no secrets in this palace.

But this time Mubai miscalculated, he hadn't walked to the imperial garden, he heard the chattering quarrel inside through the courtyard wall, the quarrel was quite intense.

Mubai's eyes lit up immediately, and he quickened his pace and rushed into the imperial garden.

To persuade a fight, he is the best at persuading fights!

"Your Ah Hua is not a good goose! It snatched Xiao Yudian's fish!" A little Douding hugged the fluffy little goose and said injustice.

"Obviously it was your little raindrop that didn't eat it, and Ah Hua helped it solve the problem." Another little Douding was not to be outdone, "Your little raindrop is a waste of food, it is not a good goose, my father said that wasting food is not good Goose."

This one obviously has stronger language organization skills.

"That's not true! Little Yudian just wants to save the delicious ones first. Like me, it likes to eat unpalatable things first, so it grazes first!" The first little Douding put on the facts and made sense.

"Hehe, that's why I ate your meatballs last time." The attack of this little bean immediately angered the other.

Seeing that the two little babies were about to develop from a verbal confrontation to a hand-to-hand fight, Mu Bai strode forward and separated them one by one.

It has to be said that the scene was very spectacular. The children were all about the same age, but the little emperor's grandson lifted the other two little princes off the ground one by one in one hand and put them away one by one on the left and one on the right.

Under the great miracle, all the children present were petrified.

But there was a child who didn't. He twisted left and arched right while everyone was stunned, and stood out from the crowd, hanging on Mubai's waist—his thighs couldn't hold him anymore!

"Brother~~" Mu Xiaowen yelled sweetly, rubbing his elder brother's chest in attachment, "Wen'er misses you so much."

"Wu Wen..." His elder brother's voice was not too moved, but rather speechless.

Mubai tore his younger brother off, put one hand under the creaking nest, and pointed to a large group of small animals on the ground with the other: "I miss you very much, but can you explain to me? Before I left, the goose only hatched Five or six eggs?"

"Why are there..." Mu Bai counted, "More than 20 little geese?"

When he was picking a goose in the kitchen, he chose a petite goose.The number of hatching eggs for a goose depends on its size. In the first two years, when the goose is small, the number of hatching eggs will not be too many, otherwise the belly hair will not be able to cover it, and it will easily cause dead eggs.

But no matter how huge the goose is, it is impossible to hatch twenty goslings at a time. Counting the ones in the hands of the two little princes and the unhatched ones, there must be at least 24 five eggs involved in the hatching this time. .

How can domestic geese have the ability to hatch eggs, and they are not swans with a larger chassis.

and……

Goose is a pure vegetarian animal and doesn't eat fish at all. What's the matter with those fluffy eyes that keep looking at the little hairy fish on the ground?Genetic mutations can't be like this either.

"Mu Wen..." The young boy's tone was a bit heavy, "I haven't come back for a month, and you stole someone else's child?"

What's wrong with stealing, and stealing a duck's cub?Do you want any more fish from your grandpa's royal garden?

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