Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

Jiang Xinghuo returned to his lazy salty state, lay down, patted the watermelon, and said with some wan interest.

"The powerful Han Dynasty prospered, and they wanted to control the Western Regions even at the expense of military force. Could it be for the sake of the Silk Road from the east to the west."

"Whoever masters the Silk Road will be able to conduct overland trade with the distant West. The country will have a new source of revenue and will have countless wealth. With wealth, the king will not be trapped. It’s so pitiful that the land tax was withheld from the people who faced the loess and turned their backs to the sky.”

"Of course, both the strong Han Dynasty and the prosperous Tang Dynasty failed in the end. This also involves the core of "On National Destiny", which will be discussed later."

Giving lectures to others does not belong to [actively seeking death]. When he is about to die, Jiang Xinghuo can speak whatever he wants and give guidance to the country however he wants.

"On National Destiny"?

Zhu Di frowned secretly and wrote down this term in his heart.

"In short, the areas that the Overland Silk Road passes through are too desolate and too remote."

"How far?" Zhu Gaoxu asked curiously.

Jiang Xinghuo thought for a while and explained: "It may be difficult for you to understand in terms of distance, but you can understand it in terms of time. For example, in the Yuan Dynasty, there was a Westerner named Marco Polo who walked on land for four years before reaching the Yuan Dynasty. Dadu was received by Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty and stayed in China for more than ten years."

Zhu Di, who was next door, heard this and ordered: "Ji Gang, go and check whether Marco Polo exists. If he exists, is his experience true?"

Zhu Gaoxu here pondered: "Mr. Jiang, now that the Northern Yuan Dynasty has not been destroyed, and the Timur Khanate that usurped the Western Chagatai Khanate to the west is dominating the Western Regions, the Silk Road may not be possible."

"You can take the sea route." Jiang Xinghuo was sure. "With the development of navigation technology, starting from the Song Dynasty, it was possible to reach the end of the Silk Road by sea instead of land."

"During the Song and Yuan dynasties, Mingzhou, Quanzhou, Guangzhou and other shipbuilding industry centers manufactured large-scale seagoing ships. Technologies such as watertight compartments, multi-layer side panels, and keel structures were all mature. It is not even an exaggeration to say that if the imperial court was willing, batch There is no problem in building an ocean-going vessel that can accommodate hundreds of people.”

Of course, Zheng He's plan to launch a 10,000-ton aircraft carrier was just a joke. In fact, just like the red cannon's solid bullets that corroded dozens of miles, the Ming Dynasty's notes were mostly exaggerated.

But in any case, even if we only refer to the shipbuilding technology from the late Song Dynasty to the late Yuan Dynasty from a stagnant perspective, there is no dispute that the Ming Dynasty had the technical reserves to mass-produce ocean-going sailing ships of 500 to 1,000 tons.

"In fact, the future Emperor Yongle (the reign name is not a temple name or a posthumous title, but can be called directly) must have realized that in order to complete the unparalleled achievements of 'ruling the Tang and Song Dynasties, and reaching far into the Han and Tang Dynasties', the only way to expand the source of wealth is to expand the source of wealth. Emperor Yongle has too many things to do and requires too much wealth, so he will definitely send a huge fleet to the Western Ocean."

"Of course, Emperor Yongle's voyages to the West were just to provide him with the necessary wealth for his achievements. He could not be willing to share it with other classes. If such an astonishing wealth was monopolized by the emperor, this model is destined not to last long, and it must be the end of the people and the government. .”

Governed the Tang and Song Dynasties, and reached the Han and Tang Dynasties far away!

When these eight words from Jiang Xinghuo rang in Zhu Di's ears, Zhu Di seemed to feel that his long-lost blood was boiling again.

After winning the battle of Jingnan and ascending to the throne, Zhu Di lost his goal at a certain moment in his life.

This kind of loss of goals is not because Zhu Di doesn't know what he should do.

On the contrary, as an emperor, there are many things he wants to do, things he should do, and things he has to do.

The planned relocation of the capital, the elimination of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, the current political situation, the killing of all the remaining Jianwen Party members, the future governance of the country, the Yongle Ceremony, etc.

But the more he worked and the busier he became, the more Zhu Di felt a little confused.

Since ancient times, heroes and heroes have all wanted to make great achievements, become marquises and become prime ministers!

And he, Zhu Di, is already an emperor on earth, and he is the only vassal king who has successfully rebelled in a unified dynasty. What other goals does he have?

Zhu Di once thought that if he had a figure for reference, it would be Tang Taizong Li Shimin.

He is also the non-eldest son of the founding emperor, and he is also the best in military ability in the world. He is also stigmatized because of his improper access to the throne.

The difference between Zhu Di and Tang Taizong Li Shimin is that Li Shimin has proven his ability to govern, while Zhu Di has not yet.

But today, in prison, Jiang Xinghuo's eight words woke him up.

——Zhilong the Tang and Song Dynasties, and reach the Han and Tang Dynasties far away!

What Zhu Di wants to do is not to equal Li Shimin, but to surpass the Tang and Song dynasties in martial arts, and his territory far exceeds the Han and Tang dynasties!

This is his goal!

"This is what a man should do!"

Zhu Di slapped the table and exclaimed: "Ji Gang, pour the wine, these eight words will make it clear!"

Due to the design of the secret room with ears on the partition walls, sound can only be transmitted in one direction, so Jiang Xinghuo and Zhu Gaoxu cannot hear the movement in the secret room.

After drinking a few glasses of strong wine, Zhu Di's thoughts were completely immersed in what he just said.

He seemed to vaguely grasp something.

If we want to accomplish the feat of "ruling the Tang and Song Dynasties, and reaching far into the Han and Tang Dynasties", we will definitely not be able to rely on natural recovery and recuperation like during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, or by squeezing the people and resorting to militarism as during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.

There is no point in squeezing the war-torn people. How much money can be deducted from the land? The people have long since become poor.

Zhu Di certainly knew the significance of the Silk Road, but since the Tang Dynasty, the overland Silk Road had gradually fallen into disrepair, and maritime trade had indeed become the only way to obtain additional huge amounts of wealth.

Therefore, if you want to accomplish unparalleled achievements, you must go to sea!

Heroes think alike!

Today, the Northern Yuan Dynasty and other khanates that splintered from the Mongol Empire still occupy the Silk Road. In order to realize his ambitions, Zhu Di is planning to send people to follow the example of the Song Dynasty and the Yuan Dynasty and take the sea route westward to conduct huge official trade.

Jiang Xinghuo, think about it!

But what Jiang Xinghuo said is that he is doomed to be short-lived if he swallows the wealth alone?

Zhu Di grinned displeasedly. Under the influence of alcohol, his hidden emotions began to show up unconsciously.

Outside the wall, Zhu Gaoxu couldn't help but ask.

"Mr. Jiang, didn't you talk about 'how to support the clan'? Why did it shift to 'Marine Trade in the Ming Dynasty'?"

Jiang Xinghuo explained calmly.

"Because these two issues are closely related, the core problem of supporting the clan is that 'while the salary remains unchanged, the continued growth of the clan population has caused huge pressure on the national finances.'"

"This core problem cannot be perfectly solved by just relying on salary reduction, grade reduction, system adjustment, etc. in the first solution. The best solution is to increase national fiscal revenue and calculate incremental rather than stock. calculate."

Zhu Gaoxu didn't understand such advanced terms as incremental calculation and stock calculation, but he felt that he was shocked. He didn't know why, but he just felt very powerful.

"If you want to increase national fiscal revenue, you must engage in maritime trade. Do you understand?"

"But the Ming Dynasty had a vast territory, and the farming culture had penetrated into the bones of the people. Even if the coastal areas tasted the benefits of overseas trade during the Song and Yuan dynasties, China, as an ancient civilization with a long history, has never lost the habit of farming. "

"So, in essence, the Ming Dynasty actually still maintained the conservative nature of farming civilization."

"The biggest enemy of maritime trade is the gentry class rooted in agricultural civilization."

"On the other hand, to support the clan, we need to expand fiscal revenue for ocean trade. Why doesn't ocean trade not require the power of the clan?"

Zhu Di, who was listening to the class next door, froze in mid-air as he raised his glass of wine.