If the first two reasons are just superficial reasons why Ming Dynasty did not open mutual markets.
Then the additional problems brought about by mutual trading are the last straw that breaks this policy.
Although the grassland tribes are good at fighting, they are not without brains. Their plans for the Central Plains Dynasty do not only involve war.
Once the mutual trade opened, the number of craftsmen caught at the border doubled day by day.
Not only do they inquire about the military personnel and grain and grass storage conditions at the border, they even recruit local people and inquire about information for them, which is so pervasive.
Then there is the situation of smuggling. When the imperial court opened trade to each other, there were fixed trading locations. For mutual trade, the proportion of commercial taxes collected by the imperial court was much higher than usual.
Therefore, in the early days of mutual trading, many merchants still chose not to go through the markets opened by the government, but instead traded with the tribes themselves.
What's even more frightening is that these merchants not only trade supplies specified by the imperial court, but also trade prohibited military supplies. Some are even bold enough to use border military intelligence as trading items.
They were mixed in with the merchants who were doing normal business, and the government offices at the border couldn't tell them apart.
Various disadvantages emerged one after another, which directly led to the imperial court only opening up the mutual trade for a short period of time.
Subsequently, trade between the people and the Mongolian tribes was completely banned, and a small amount of trade communication was maintained in the form of tribute.
So in fact, from the perspective of Ming Dynasty, mutual trading is not worth the gain.
But Zhu Qiyu knew in his heart that the confrontation between the Ming Dynasty and the Mongolian tribes could not rely on war for a long time.
In addition to war, trade is also an important means to weaken the Mongolian tribes.
After pondering for a moment, Zhu Qiyu said.
"The disaster of the former Song Dynasty was certainly due to excessive mutual trade, but times have changed, and the enemies we faced in the Ming Dynasty were different from those in the former Song Dynasty."
Chen Yi thought for a moment and understood what the emperor meant, nodded and said.
"Yes, during the former Song Dynasty, Liao, Jin, and Xixia existed side by side. Each had its own plans against the former Song Dynasty, and they were constantly at war with each other."
"But after Genghis Khan, there are now only Mongolian tribes outside the Pass. Whether they are Tatars, Oaras or other tribes, they are not organized and are not a complete country."
This is one of the prerequisites for opening up mutual markets.
Whether it is Liao, Jin, or Xixia, they are essentially a well-organized country. Such an organized country can gain considerable benefits from mutual trade.
Through the operation of the state machinery, materials obtained from mutual trade can easily be transformed into comprehensive national power, thus threatening the safety of the central dynasty.
But things are different now. Genghis Khan, a generation of genius, destroyed Xixia, attacked the Jin Dynasty, and conquered the Western Liao Dynasty, building a huge Mongol Empire, and at the same time destroying the existence of these countries.
The tribal traditions of Mongolia, the geographical restrictions of the grasslands, and the vast territory of the Mongol Empire resulted in a loose organizational structure.
To this day, the organizational structure of Mongolian tribes is still a loose structure of Khan Court-large tribes-small and medium-sized tribes.
Today's Mongolia is generally divided into Tatars and Oaras, but under these two large tribes, it is also divided into many medium-sized tribes.
In terms of centripetal force and concentration, this structure is actually inferior to the complete state machinery of Liao, Jin, and Xixia.
Therefore, the former Song Dynasty actually had no choice. If they wanted to open a mutual market, they had to open it to the entire Liao Kingdom, or to the entire Jin Kingdom.
But for today's Ming Dynasty, there are many choices.
Mongolia is no longer a well-organized country. If the Khan's court does not have enough control over each tribe, the Ming Dynasty can choose a limited number of one or a few medium-sized tribes to trade.
After these medium-sized tribes develop, the first thing they think about is to attack the throne of the Khan Court, rather than invade the south.
Regardless of whether they succeed or fail, the internal friction for Mongolia will be huge. The war between large tribes will consume Mongolia's vitality.
Zhu Qiyu said: "During the former Song Dynasty, Liao, Jin and Xixia stood side by side and wanted to annex each other. But now, there are many Mongolian tribes, and our Ming Dynasty can completely separate them through mutual trade."
"Therefore, as long as the imperial court can control the objects and quantities of transactions, it can completely make the grassland unable to take care of itself and unable to invade the south."
The relationship between the Ming Dynasty and Mongolia completed the transformation from war to trade. In fact, it only started when Anda paid tribute. What followed was a change in the Ming Dynasty's policy towards border tribes.
By supporting weak tribes and confronting powerful tribes, tribes outside the pass can be plunged into long-term civil strife.
The longer the chaos lasts, the deeper and heavier the accumulated hatred between the various tribes becomes, and the less likely it is to reconcile, so that the Ming Dynasty can reap the benefits.
Of course, this method is not without its shortcomings.
That is, if another Genghis Khan-like figure appears and can completely unite the power of various Mongolian tribes, then the resulting war between the two countries will be extremely terrifying.
But this is difficult, not to mention whether a figure like Genghis Khan can reappear. It is said that times make heroes.
The mutual market in the Ming Dynasty could actually, to a certain extent, serve as an intermediary between the forces on the grasslands.
As long as it is used properly, this bud can be nipped in the cradle.
In fact, from Zhu Qiyu's perspective, the implementation of this policy is relatively more effective than a purely confrontational war.
The Ming Dynasty cannot remain strong forever, but it can keep foreign races relatively weak in this way.
In terms of results, this approach is effective.
At least after Anda paid tribute, the Ming Dynasty did not have large-scale wars with foreigners that could threaten the country's security for a long time.
The Ming Dynasty eventually fell, not because foreign nations became stronger through mutual trade, but because of internal strife.
So the mutual market must be opened!
Shen Yi frowned, obviously thinking about the pros and cons of this method.
He did not have Zhu Qiyu's vision. All he knew was the history of the opening of mutual trade in the former Song Dynasty, which led to the prosperity of Liao, Jin, and Xixia, and ultimately played with fire.
Even though the emperor has explained the difference now, this matter is still not something that can be decided so easily.
To be fair, if Zhu Qiyu hadn't known about the subsequent development, he might not have dared to take this risk.
This is also the reason why reformers in past dynasties are admired by others.
They are true pioneers who can stick to their beliefs and explore a path without hesitation even when they know nothing about the future.
This fearless adventurous spirit and strong self-confidence in facing the unknown are not something everyone can possess.
Seeing that Shen Yi was still having trouble making a decision, Zhu Qiyu decided to give him a tough blow.
Shen Yi was struggling, and suddenly felt that the emperor's mood was a little low.
When he raised his head, he saw the emperor's expression was complicated, he sighed quietly, his eyes were mixed with a bit of helplessness and unwillingness, and he said softly.
"I wonder if Shen Qing has ever thought about why Tuo Tuo Bu Hua suddenly withdrew his troops when the war between Ming Dynasty and Yexian was at its peak?"
Chen Yi's eyes widened, an incredible guess welled up in his heart, and he breathed quickly and said.
"Is it possible that Wang Jianzhai..."
Zhu Qiyu nodded and said.
"Yes, at that time, Wang Wen was ordered to go to Liaodong as an envoy and had a secret edict from me."
"It is stated above that as long as Tuotuo Buhua is willing to withdraw his troops and stop attacking the Ming Dynasty, then after the war, the Ming Dynasty court will open trade to him and help him defeat Ye Xian and regain control of the Khan Court."