Those Things in the Ming Dynasty Part 2 All Nations Come to the Dynasty _ Chapter 13 The Root
Zhu Zhanji's policies had been implemented while he was still alive. The ceremonial supervisor at that time could already approving red papers for the emperor. However, under Zhu Zhanji's strict supervision, the eunuchs who worked on the affairs did not dare to do anything inappropriate. Because
Although Zhu Zhanji was unwilling to write so many words, he often checked and watched the red-marking work of the Supervisor of Ceremonies.
The cabinet put forward opinions on how to deal with major national affairs and drafted them and sent them to the emperor. The emperor revised them and added his own opinions, or directly agreed and asked the eunuchs to approve them on his behalf.
This is a simple yet effective workflow.
The Ming Dynasty developed peacefully in such a process.
Soon, however, this tranquility will be broken.
a peculiar eunuch
Chinese people have a very strong concept of passing on the family line. For a job like eunuch, although you don't have to worry about food and clothing, you still have to be stabbed, have less things than others, and you can't have children. So if a eunuch is born in the family, it will be a big deal.
Very embarrassing.
Based on this, people at that time also formed a consensus: never become a eunuch unless it is absolutely necessary!
As the old saying goes, there are always exceptions to everything.
In the last years of Yongle, the imperial court issued a decree, which roughly means this: All officials in the education bureaus of various provinces and cities who have poor long-term performance can be transferred to the capital to serve as officials.
Is there such a good thing? You can't get ahead in the local area, but you can still be transferred to the capital to work as an official!
It is said that such good news should attract countless people to sign up, but in fact, few people pay attention to it at all.
Why? Are people willing to miss this opportunity to become successful?
Of course not. The secret that no one cares about is that the job he did after being transferred to the capital was quite special - "purify yourself and enter the palace to train female officials."
What a joke! Even if I don’t become an academic official, I can still be a common man. Why should I be stabbed and become a eunuch in the palace?
Yes, who would do such a stupid thing?
Just when everyone was disapproving of this and taking the decree as a joke, an academic officer who was about to be punished for making a mistake was hesitating in his home.
He already has a wife and children, and although his life is not rich, he is not poor either. He can live in peace and contentment, but in his heart, he has ambitions that others cannot understand.
He has been eager to get ahead since he was a child, and he studied hard for many years. Although he became a Confucian scholar and was selected as an academic official, he has never been able to get a spot on the gold medal list. Now he has a family, but there is no sign of establishing a career. Now he can no longer work as an academic official. Is this the case?
End your life?
No, I will always wait for the opportunity.
Now the opportunity has finally come, but unfortunately, although it is an opportunity, it is not a good one.
If you embrace this opportunity, you will definitely face a difficult road. You will encounter countless people's looks and discrimination. It will be even more difficult to stand out after entering the palace. From now on, you will be separated from your wife and children forever.
No matter how much, if you want to get ahead, you have to pay a price!
If others don't do it, I will do it!
This person who did things that others neither dared to do nor wanted to do was Wang Zhen.
It was this person who broke the original intention of Ming Xuanzong Zhu Zhanji and the good atmosphere he created, and affected the rise and fall of a dynasty.
Wang Zhen, whose date of birth is unknown, was born in Yuzhou, Shanxi (today's Hebei). He studied at a young age and served as a local instructor. Later, he voluntarily entered the palace to educate the palace people about culture.
With the courage to do what others would not do, Wang Zhen entered the palace. To his great surprise, in the palace, he, an academic officer who was not good at teaching, actually gained everyone's respect. This is actually quite natural.
Because there is really no one who can compete with him for this job.
Because he stood out among a group of illiterate and elementary-school educated people, he was called Mr. Wang. His reputation grew and he attracted the attention of Xuanzong. Zhu Zhanji felt that he was a talent and sent him to serve.
The prince reads.
From then on, the eunuch named Wang Zhen formed an indissoluble bond with Zhu Qizhen, who was still the prince at the time.
It should be said that Wang Zhen was indeed a good teacher. He taught the prince to read and strictly managed him, so much so that Zhu Qizhen did not dare to call him by his name, but actually called him "sir".
Regardless of the rights and wrongs of Wang Zhen later, he and Zhu Qizhen did have an extremely deep relationship. However, it was this too deep relationship and trust that eventually led to a catastrophe.
The beginning of a turning point
The reign of Zhu Zhanji and his father Zhu Gaochi was a prosperous period in Chinese history, and the two of them were collectively called Renxuan not only because they were father and son. In fact, they had many similarities.
The enumerated parts are as follows:
First of all, they all have the surname Zhu.
Secondly, they are all good emperors and wise kings.
In the end, neither of them lived long.
Zhu Gaochi lived to be forty-eight years old, but because his father was so capable, he served as prince for twenty years and only became emperor for one year.
Zhu Zhanji lived ten years less than his father, but because his father died early, he ascended the throne at the age of twenty-seven and served as emperor for ten years.
These eleven years were the golden age of the Ming Dynasty. There are numerous praises in historical materials for the rule of this period. The Ming Empire was unprecedentedly prosperous and powerful, and everything seemed to be developing in a better direction.
But the habit of watching TV series for a long time tells us that usually at this time, there will be a turning point. TV writers will deliberately create some conflicts and cause trouble, such as the male protagonist killing someone, the female protagonist getting terminal illness, etc. If it had always been
If the flowers are full and the moon is full and everyone is safe, then the TV series will not have high ratings and it will not be able to sell advertisements.
The God of History (if he really exists) seems to be a good screenwriter. He may also feel that such history is uninteresting, so he brings an end to this comedy.
This period finally ended the golden decade of the Ming Dynasty.
In the tenth year of Xuande (1435), Zhu Zhanji, the British leader of the first generation, died after ineffective rescue efforts at the age of thirty-eight.
The reign of Renxuan ended here.
Before Zhu Zhanji died, he chose five ministers for his nine-year-old son. Although his son was still young, Zhu Zhanji was not worried because he believed that these five people would never let him.
Disappoint yourself.
These five people are: Yang Shiqi, Yang Rong, Yang Pu, Zhang Fu, and Hu Hui.
It is indeed a luxurious lineup, with three Yangs in literature, Zhang Fu in military affairs, and a person who specializes in secret work. Zhu Zhanji should feel at ease when he leaves.
But what he didn't expect was that these five influential figures and court elites would eventually disappoint him.
A violent storm is coming.
Zhu Qizhen, Emperor Yingzong of Ming Dynasty
Speaking of Zhu Qizhen, some people may gnash their teeth and hate him. But in fact, if you carefully analyze the historical data, you will find that he is not a bad person, and his ability to handle government affairs is not bad.
He is also very diligent. Although he has two major flaws (fighting the wrong battle and killing the wrong person), they cannot completely erase his abilities and contributions.
Among all the emperors of the Ming Dynasty, in terms of the legendary life and the ups and downs of fate, it is estimated that no one except Zhu Yuanzhang can rival this emperor.
In this era of Ming Yingzong, in addition to his legendary experience as emperor-captive-prisoner-emperor, the appearance of a man who could be called the second strongest man in the Ming Dynasty also made the affairs of this dynasty even more exciting.
Let’s get started!
From hidden to exposed
Wang Zhen was an extraordinary man. He left his wife and children, was willing to be castrated and became a eunuch, and endured discrimination from others, not just to earn a living. He had great ambitions in his heart.
And he wisely realized that in order to realize his ambition, he must firmly grasp the rare treasure in his hands - Zhu Qizhen.
Zhu Qizhen was brought up by himself, and he can be regarded as his student. Although he is still just a prince, and although he is only nine years old, he will eventually grow up, and he will eventually become the emperor.
With the support of this belief, Wang Zhen patiently waited for the opportunity, waiting for the opportunity to dominate the world.
The opportunity seemed to have come. Zhu Zhanji passed away. This shrewd emperor passed away, leaving only the young Zhu Qizhen. Zhu Qizhen obeyed his words and the day when he was in power was not far away!
Is this really the case?
I'm afraid not, because there are two obstacles blocking Wang Zhen's path to seizing power.
In fact, for Wang Zhen, it can be said that it is an impossible task to overcome these two obstacles, and he does not have any good methods, because these two obstacles that block his progress represent a force that he
An absolutely unmatched force.
obstacle
When Yingzong came to the throne, Yang Shiqi was already seventy-one years old, but this veteran of four dynasties still seemed invincible. From the cruel and cunning Zhu Di, the insidious and shameless Zhu Gaoxu to the kind and tolerant Zhu Gaochi, and the shrewd and capable Zhu Zhanji,
He has seen all kinds of people and dealt with all kinds of things. He has been tested by strong winds and waves, making him calm and mature.
If Wang Zhen wants to monopolize power, he must first pass him. But this seems impossible. If the little Wang Zhen wants to show off his tricks in front of Yang Shiqi, he will have to go home and practice for decades.
In addition, Yang Rong and Yang Pu are not ordinary people. With these three old Jianghus guarding there, Wang Zhen can only obediently be his slave and eunuch.
The power of this civil servant group was the first obstacle on Wang Zhen's way to power. But surprisingly, it was later proven that what could really curb Wang Zhen was the second obstacle, and the person who formed this obstacle was a
woman.
Can a woman have more power than the civil service group?
Yes, in my opinion, it's more than that. This great woman can not only influence the government, but also dethrone the emperor!
This person is Zhu Qizhen’s grandmother, Empress Dowager Zhang.
Eleven years ago, she was Empress Zhang, ten years ago, she was Empress Dowager Zhang, and now, she is Empress Dowager Zhang.
In these eleven years, she lost her husband and son. What is ironic is that every time she loses a relative, her level increases.
This is probably the most painful promotion in the world.
The dead are dead, but the living must still work hard. Empress Dowager Zhang wiped away her tears and began to assist her grandson. In fact, if it were not for her decision, Zhu Qizhen would not be able to become emperor.
After Zhu Zhanji's death, because the prince was very young and there were rumors that the prince was not born to his mother, the imperial concubine, but to a palace maid, the prince's status was very unstable. Rumors spread that a prince from outside the country would become the emperor.
.At this critical moment, Empress Dowager Zhang firmly supported Prince Zhu Qizhen and proclaimed him emperor.
Such a person, let alone ability, can scare people to death even if he is ranked in terms of qualifications. He has truly "commanded the world, no one dares to disobey".
And this grandmother-level figure is not just talk without practice. Wang Zhen was once abused by her, and this incident became an eternal pain in Wang Zhen's heart.
In February of the first year of Zhengtong (1436), Empress Dowager Zhang summoned five ministers to the court for a meeting. After the five people arrived, Empress Dowager Zhang brought the emperor over and asked him to see these five people clearly.
, and then said earnestly: "These five people were left to your Majesty by the late emperor. If your Majesty has anything you want to do, you must discuss it with these five people."
Then, she said another very important sentence:
"If something doesn't get the approval of these five people, you can't do it!"
The young Zhu Qizhen looked at his grandmother with fear and nodded in understanding.
The five ministers on the side were very moved, but what they didn't expect was that the Empress Dowager had not only called them here to express her trust in them, but she also had an important job to do.
After a while, Empress Dowager Zhang ordered Wang Zhen to enter the palace. Wang Zhen immediately went to the palace to meet him after his death. He never imagined that the biggest nightmare in his life was about to begin.
After Wang Zhen entered the palace, he saw that five ministers and the emperor were present. They were probably holding a high-level meeting and summoned him. Could it be that he was entrusted with an important task?
Something unexpected happened.
Before that, Empress Dowager Zhang had finished speaking. The reason why she did not leave the meeting was to wait for Wang Zhen.
After Wang Zhen knelt down and saluted, the Empress Dowager, who had been so pleasant just now, suddenly changed from a loving mother to a vicious one (the color suddenly changed)! She suddenly shouted at Wang Zhen:
"Your daily life of serving the emperor is just that of a eunuch, but you have committed many illegal acts. Today, I will kill you!"
While the Queen Mother was shouting, the guard in the palace pulled out a shining knife and put it on Wang Zhen's neck.
After scolding, he immediately took action without even saying hello. Judging from the proficiency and timing of his movements, I believe this series of actions must have been rehearsed in advance.
The originally harmonious palace suddenly became murderous, and Wang Zhen suddenly lost his mind. He never imagined that the purpose of letting him enter the palace today was not to entrust him with an important task, but to prepare him for a visit to the gate of hell.
The queen mother with a murderous look on her face stood in the hall, with the shining sword drawn out. Faced with everything that happened suddenly, Wang Zhen was trembling with fear and kept trembling. The sudden appearance of this scene was not only unexpected by Wang Zhen
Unexpectedly, the five ministers present were also confused.
Only then did they understand that the usually gentle Queen Mother actually had such a fierce side, and the purpose of letting them be there was not only to explain things, but also to give them the role of audience.
Zhu Qizhen was so shocked that he knelt down and begged his grandmother for mercy, and the ministers also begged for mercy. In fact, Empress Dowager Zhang did not really want to kill Wang Zhen, because Wang Zhen was an honest man at the time and had not committed any crime.
It was a mistake, so she went along with the situation and forgave Wang Zhen, but at the same time warned him fiercely:
"Today, for the sake of someone interceding for you, I will spare you, and you will not be allowed to interfere in state affairs in the future!"
Wang Zhen retreated in embarrassment. The terrifying look in the Empress Dowager's eyes left a deep impression on him and caused a psychological shadow on him. From then on, whenever he saw the Empress Dowager, he was like a mouse.
Just like a cat, he immediately retreated and ran away.
This is also true. Empress Dowager Zhang did not relax her beatings on Wang Zhen. Every now and then she would find a time to call Wang Zhen over and scold him. This approach made Wang Zhen miserable and he was scolded for a full seven years.
.
With these two obstacles, Wang Zhen's road to seizing power was long and arduous, so he changed his strategy in time and paid great respect to Sanyang. Every time he went to the cabinet to deliver an order, he put on a shy expression, like a newcomer who had just arrived.
The son-in-law stood outside the door timidly like his father-in-law, not daring to come in.
When Sanyang found him standing outside and asked him to come in and ask him to sit down, he would act flattered, as if being able to talk to Sanyang was a blessing from his previous life. His actions made Sanyang also do something
Wrong judgment, thinking that this is a good person.
However, under his humble appearance, he continued to form gangs and expand his power. He used the power of the Supervisor of Ceremonies to install his nephew Wang Shan as a member of the Imperial Guard, and gathered many party members to control the courtiers.
Mr. Wang Shan heard that his uncle was prosperous and came to join him from afar. He was very proud to get such a high-ranking official position. However, if he had known what would be waiting for him in seven years, I am afraid he would not have come to this job even if I killed him.
Official.
Sanyang can handle it, but the old woman can't. Every few days, Wang Zhen will always be pulled over and scolded. This is also a helpless thing. Wang Zhen has no choice. This old man is not afraid of anything.
It's something he can't deal with.
We can only wait for her to die naturally.
The day has finally arrived.
In October of the seventh year of Zhengtong (1442), Empress Dowager Zhang, who had experienced four dynasties, passed away. The biggest obstacle to Wang Zhen's way to seize power disappeared.
At this time, Yang Rong among the three Yangs had passed away, and the remaining Yang Shiqi and Yang Pu were also old and sick, with no way to survive.
Wang Zhen's opportunity has come.
From then on, he monopolized power and gathered a wide range of allies. Not only did he control the Imperial Guards, but he also recruited many subordinates, many of whom were well-educated and disciples of saints. The most shameless one was Wang You, the minister of the Ministry of Works.
This Mr. Wang You once visited Wang Zhen's home. In the Ming Dynasty, ministers all had beards, but Wang Zhen did not have a beard (he could not reach it physically, but his heart yearned for it). But when he saw Wang You, he discovered that this minister
He didn't have a beard either, so he asked him why.
Mr. Wang You answered him like this: (The following content may cause vomiting, please be mentally prepared first) "I don't have a beard, how dare I grow one as my son?"
In my opinion, Mr. Wang You has truly reached the state of being shameless and boundless, so shameless that even smoke rises from the graves of his ancestors.
It was with the help of these shameless people that Wang Zhen became more and more powerful in the court. He eliminated dissidents, used the murder of Yang Shiqi's son to attack him for his incompetence in educating his son, and finally defeated this veteran of four dynasties.
He successively framed Liu Zhong, the Minister of Household Affairs, offered wine to Li Shimian and other ministers who disobeyed him, and drove them out of the capital.
At this time, Wang Zhen had the emperor's trust internally and the help of thugs externally. He was in sole control of power and had many officials. He was extremely prosperous and became the most powerful eunuch since the founding of the Ming Dynasty.
Wang Zhen, who had great power, was not satisfied. He decided to do something that his predecessors did not dare to do or even dare to think of.
Fifty years ago, in order to prevent the Wang Zhen phenomenon from occurring today, Mr. Zhu Yuanzhang specially erected a three-foot-high iron monument at the entrance of the palace, with eight large characters "Ministers are not allowed to interfere in political affairs."
But as the saying goes, it doesn’t matter who wrote it or where it was erected. What matters is whether there is someone to take care of it and whether there is someone to implement it. When Wang Zhen came to power, this inscription was regarded as just like it was posted on the wall.
No one paid any attention to the certificates given by the management.
Everyone ignored it, but Wang Zhen was different. He always felt that this thing was too glaring, so he ordered people to remove the monument.
If Lao Zhu was still here, he would definitely arrest this boy Wang Zhen, chop him with three thousand knives and then let him die. But times have changed, and it is really no longer possible.
Everyone went to court the next day and saw that the handwriting of the founding emperor suddenly disappeared, but they all maintained a collective silence. They all knew who did it.
The government is like this, so what's the point of talking too much!
But even when Wang Zhen was so arrogant, there was one person who didn't buy his fault, and this person was really no ordinary person. Although he suffered some losses, Wang Zhen still couldn't do anything to him.
What happened was this. In the sixth year of Zhengtong (1441), the Empress Dowager was already critically ill and could no longer reprimand Wang Zhen. Sanyang was also powerless. Wang Zhen had actually taken control of the government, and all governors and officials from other places had to return to Beijing as usual.
It doesn't matter how much gold and silver you have to honor Wang Zhen, but you have to show some respect for the dead eunuch.
It was also at this time that this man came back from being the governor of Shanxi Province, not to mention gold and silver, and he didn't even bring back a bottle of mature vinegar. Wang Zhen was so angry that smoke was coming from his orifices, he got furious, and he immediately locked up the man.
Wang Zhen is an extreme person. He will show no mercy to people who obviously don't give face. He was ready to fabricate charges and kill this person. But to his surprise, this person seems to be very powerful.
background.
Not only local bureaucrats and ordinary people spoke for him, but also important officials in the court, Yang Shiqi and others, also interceded for him. Some vassal kings also came forward, asking Wang Zhen not to do things absolutely, otherwise he would look good (the vassal kings were
Not easy to deal with).
Wang Zhen, who always punished people to the end, finally realized that although this person did not have a high position of power, he was very powerful and could not be "humanely destroyed", so he went out of his way and let this person go (it would be impossible not to let him go).
This person is indeed powerful. He was punished miserably, but he never said a soft word. He kept scolding Wang Zhen and refused to give him any face. He insisted on fighting him to the end. What can you do to me?
momentum.
This tough guy with background is Yu Qian.
It's a pity that there were too few such people at that time.
ambition
Although it is majestic to control the government and lead the ministers, this is not Wang Zhen's ultimate goal. In fact, Wang Zhen is not just a person who is greedy for money and power, he also has his own pursuit ambitions.
Wang Zhen also has his own idol. His dream is to one day be like his idol, sweeping thousands of armies and becoming unstoppable. His idol is Zhu Qizhen's great-grandfather Zhu Di.
Although he was just a scholar before (now a eunuch), he yearned for the majesty of leading an army on an expedition, and the great achievements of his ancestor Zheng He also constantly encouraged him.
Can't the eunuch kill his sword immediately? Let me show you immediately!
Now the problem is serious.
If a person is hungry he will look for something to eat because it is his basic need.
What if he is already full? Then he will wander around, find something to do, and have nothing to do anyway.
If a well-fed person cannot find anything good to do, he may do bad things to realize his self-worth.
Wang Zhen probably falls into the latter two situations.
He is already in great power, has a great fortune, and has both power and money. This dead eunuch also has a new pursuit in life - to make achievements and leave his name in history.
It should be said that it is good to have such ambitions, but the key question lies in the quality of the aspiring eunuch himself.
Just like a corrupt official, they usually just take bribes. Such evil behavior is certainly outrageous, but it is not the highest level of their evil deeds.
The so-called highest level of evil is to try to do some so-called good deeds despite having no such talent.
This is the best of villains.
Wang Zhen is such an excellent person. He is obviously an ineffective teacher, an opportunistic eunuch, and a villain who covets power. We don't care about these. But now he actually wants to turn himself into a military genius.
It's really shameless to be a war hero.
It happened that the current situation gave him such a shameless opportunity.
Enemies appear
We have said before that Mahamu, who was beaten to pieces by Zhu Di, had a good son. This is indeed true. In the 16th year of Yongle (1418), Mahamu's son Tuhuan inherited his father's title and has been doing so ever since.
The military campaign to dominate Mongolia began.
Facts have proved that this dear man is indeed capable. Only six years later, Tuohuan defeated the other tribes of Oara, unified Oara, and became the unique leader of Oara.
After that, he supported members of the Golden Family, Tuo Tuo Bu Hua Han, and began to attack Arutai.
Because he was beaten too badly by Zhu Di, Arutai lacked energy and was defeated in the battle with Wala. In the ninth year of Xuande (1434), Arutai was defeated by Tuohuan and eventually died in the desert. This man
The man of the hour who had been dealing with Yongle's number one general Zhu Di for decades ended his life.
Tuo Huan is a very ambitious person. His dream is by no means limited to being a grand master. His real ideal is to restore the world of Yuan Dynasty and reoccupy the Central Plains, but God did not give him this opportunity.
In the fourth year of Zhengtong (1439), Tuohuan died without fulfilling his ambition, but the Ming Dynasty did not gain peace because of this, because he was replaced by a more terrifying opponent - Yexian.
Ye first was Tuohuan's son, who was stronger and smarter than his father. Within a few years, he attacked Hami to the west, controlled the Western Region Passage, and threatened the northwest border of the Ming Dynasty. He attacked Wuliangha to the east.
, In the tenth year of orthodoxy, Wala completely defeated the three guards of Uliangha, and controlled the Jurchen tribe, which was still very weak at the time, and even threatened North Korea.
At this time, Mongolia had been unified, and like his father, Ye Xian also dreamed of restoring the Yuan Dynasty. Therefore, after everything was ready, he pointed the finger at the Ming Dynasty.
Although they had their own political goals in attacking the Ming Dynasty first, in my opinion, the biggest reason for this conflict was money.
The Mongols are good at fighting, but they are also very poor. They do not farm or spin. If they want to obtain the necessities of life, they can only use two ways, one is exchange, the other is robbery.
In Zhu Di's era, the Mongols mostly used the second method, which was fast and convenient. However, after Zhu Di's several military teaching classes and the education method of fists, feet and swords, Mongolia gradually realized that they would lose money if they continued to rob.
And when robbing, they often can't get what they want. For example, if your home is short of clothes and you want to grab some pieces of cloth, you can't find them after going out several times (it's impossible for someone to be ready for you to rob them).
Although the Mongols are good at fighting, they are not invincible. They only have one head, and robbery is a knife-edge business that can end at any time. It is not cost-effective to lose your life for a few pieces of cloth.
So, after that, Mongolia began to take the first path - the path of peaceful development.
They started doing business with the Ming government, but what business was there for Mongolia?
Don’t forget that although they do not engage in agriculture or handicrafts, they also have animal husbandry. Every household in the Mongolian tribes raises horses and sheep. The way to get rich begins here.
At the initiative of the tribal leader, the Mongolian tribes began to herd a large number of animals, and their business grew bigger and bigger. The main form of trade was tribute. Mongolia regularly entered Beijing for trade every year, often bringing more than a thousand livestock and thousands of furs with them.
They came to the land to do business, and they were accompanied by envoys. In our impression, there should be only one or two envoys, but the number of envoys sent by the Mongolian tribes was increased by a thousand words - one or two thousand people.
From ancient times to the present, it is estimated that no country has sent out thousands of diplomatic envoys at once, and these so-called envoys are actually Mongolian merchants and hawkers, who drive their own cattle, sheep and horses to do foreign trade.
It would be good to continue doing business like this. After all, everyone gets what they need, and the Ming Dynasty was always in a dominant position in trade, with a trade surplus every year.
Because the production of handicrafts has reached a large scale, historical data analysis shows that the Ming Dynasty government at that time was indeed suspected of raising prices. The prices of various porcelain and textiles were indeed a bit high, but the Mongolians could only accept them in full.
The reason is also very simple, there is only one store in the world, there is no other branch. If you want to buy, you can buy, if you want to sell, you can sell, if you don’t want to, just break up!
People in the Ming Dynasty did not need to eat beef and mutton, but the Mongolians could not live without textiles and daily utensils, so they could not disperse.
However, this seemingly lucrative business for the Ming Dynasty hid a crisis.
In the Yexian period, tribute trade increased sharply due to the large demand. Originally, only one business was done a year, but it gradually developed to several tributes a year. Thousands of people came to do business each time, and the number of livestock, furs and horses was also greatly increased.
Increase. You must know that these livestock and furs are not given away for free. The Ming Dynasty government needs to use a large amount of things to exchange them. Because the number of furs is too large, and handicrafts do not fall from the sky, the Ming Dynasty government also found them in a short time.
Not that much available in stock.
The Ming government gradually realized that it seemed to have fallen into a trade trap. The Mongolian tribes who seemed not to understand trade were actually very smart. They had deep considerations in choosing these cattle and sheep as trade goods, because grazing cattle and sheep was very important to them.
There is almost no cost to these nomads.
The labor cost required for grazing is actually negligible, because their daily life is grazing, and there is no other work to do except this. Naturally, there is no need to calculate lost work expenses. Cattle and sheep eat grass, which is natural
Resources, when woolen sweaters were not yet popular, grassland desertification seemed to be an unattainable dream.
After the cattle and sheep were raised, they were sent directly to the Ming Dynasty for exchange. One cow could be exchanged for many agricultural products and handicrafts of the Ming Dynasty. The export products of the Ming Dynasty did not fall from the sky. Sooner or later, the supply would exceed demand. If this continues, what will happen to the country?
Come on.
But Ye Xian also used his prestige and force to unify Mongolia as a backing, and played a few dirty tricks.
He used inferior horses as good ones and demanded a higher price. In addition, he also reorganized his team of envoys and inserted a large number of robbers and thieves into them, disturbing the residents along the way. Later, the thousands of people he sent
They are almost not here to do business, but rather robbers who are robbing people along the road.
This dumping behavior by the Mongolian tribes made the ministers of the Ming Empire very dissatisfied, and some ministers intended to introduce some trade protection measures to limit the impact of Mongolian meat products on the domestic market.
Among these ministers, one person was the most active in promoting this policy. I believe that to the surprise of many people, this person turned out to be Wang Zhen.
Wang Zhen is always a person who only cares about himself and does not care about the country. How could he be so active?
It turns out that before this, I would bribe Wang Zhen every time I came to do business. However, as time went by, I forgot about this.
Then Lord Wang suddenly became angry and ordered to verify the number of envoys, and then suddenly reduced four-fifths of the amount due.
Even if he was dishonest in doing business and was a profiteer, he was still trustworthy after all, and the cattle and sheep were still given to you. However, Wang Zhen suddenly became a foreign trade inspector and confiscated almost everything, not even giving an invoice.
I was completely irritated first.
Originally, he was just threatening with force, and on top of that, he was doing some profiteers' business, just to get some benefits. However, this time, Wang Zhen's inspection team caught the key and fined him severely, but he also lost all his money.
.
He was already eager to try and make a name for himself, but he finally couldn't sit still. This incident gave him an excuse. He polished his sword, prepared his horse, and prepared to attack.
Thirty-five years ago, my grandfather Mahamu was defeated by this huge empire in front of him. Now the opportunity for revenge has come!