Zhu Yuanzhang took a deep breath and sighed: "In the past, I always felt that the population was growing and the land was not enough. It would be fine if I had to expand outside and occupy more territory. But now I have really started to take action, but I am hesitant and feel that immigration is also a problem.
It’s not an easy thing. Sir, don’t you think we are a little ridiculous?”
Zhang Ximeng instead smiled and said: "After so many years, do you think, my lord, that anything in the world is easy to do? There are pros and cons, pros and cons, and they are so entangled with each other that it is difficult to explain clearly. This is the difficulty of governing a country, and it is also
The fun of ruling the world all depends on what the lord thinks."
Lao Zhu laughed loudly, "No matter how you think about it, it is necessary to go out, and when you go out, not only the people go out, but the heart also needs to go out, and the soul of China also needs to go out!"
Zhang Ximeng was suddenly shaken, and he realized that Lao Zhu had indeed grasped the essence.
That's the thing about overseas immigration, it's impossible to do everything.
If you send troops and horses, conquer the land, move people there, arrange officials, manage the place, and send troops to protect it, the court will decide everything.
If you do this, within ten years, you will be able to bring down the Ming Dynasty's finances and successfully turn foreign expansion into a loss-making business.
When operating overseas, we definitely cannot operate in the same way as in China.
When dealing with the outside world, we must adapt to local conditions. If we can do business, we can do business, if we can farm, we can farm, if we can mine, we can mine, if we can herd, we must herd... Anyway, whatever is suitable, do it.
The first thing is to have income and establish a foothold first. Don't cause trouble to Ming Dynasty.
After all, you are already children going to sea, so you can't rely on Ming Dynasty for everything, and the court can't take care of you like a wet nurse all day long.
But then again, if they are kicked out and nothing is done... what will happen to these immigrants?
They have lost their support and are very weak. Even though they are hard-working, smart, and able to make money, and are much better than the natives, these people cannot hold power for a while, so they can only rely on the local natives.
If you do well, you will become a rich man; if you do not do well, you will become a leek.
But no matter good or bad, the moment they went to sea, they cut off the connection with the Central Plains... Apart from the fact that these immigrants look similar to the people of the Central Plains, in other aspects, they will only drift away. After a few generations, they will not know what they will become.
What's it like?
Therefore, foreign immigrants must maintain a certain degree of control so that they can always feel the presence of the Ming Dynasty and realize the power of the Ming Dynasty.
Only in this way can we maintain our respect and loyalty towards Ming Dynasty.
Therefore, a powerful navy is needed to patrol the sea areas from time to time... This is not only the coastal waters of the Ming Dynasty, but also other sea areas, and all key waterways require the existence of the Ming Dynasty.
For no other reason than that, the flag of the Ming Dynasty was flying there.
The fleet is there, the force is there, and the national prestige is there.
Without enough force as support, who will listen to you?
Therefore, expanding overseas is absolutely inseparable from a powerful navy.
After getting rid of the Liao and Yu families, Zhu Yuanzhang personally took charge and supervised the shipbuilding in Chang Yuchun. The Liujiagang Shipyard was open all year round.
After several years of preparation, Ming Dynasty already has thousands of sailing ships of various types.
A powerful navy was formed.
It was with this fleet that Chang Yuchun was able to massacre all sides and force the Japanese state to send King Huai Liang to the Ming Dynasty.
Next, to the north and south, wherever the merchant fleet touches, there will be naval ships.
Three months, five months, a year and a half, you must go around.
This is also the reason why Zheng He’s fleet continued to sail to the Western Ocean.
This huge fleet is the majesty of the Ming Dynasty. Only with the fleet that continues to go south can all nations come to visit the country, and only then can maritime trade prosper.
Relying on the continuous income, the Yongle Dynasty achieved various feats in history!
When Zheng He's fleet stopped and the force was gone, the Ming Dynasty quickly withdrew from the maritime trade routes and handed over the dominance of trade to the Western Yi.
Therefore, controlling the maritime trade routes is the first step in overseas development. Only with force as the foundation can everything follow.
The second layer based on force is naturally trade and profit!
Because only profit can firmly bind everyone and nourish the force, making the fleet larger and the force more powerful.
Wu Heli is the second general of Hengha.
Above the second general, there is another brain, and that is civilization!
That is what Lao Zhu said, we must extend the soul of China.
Schools, temples, ancestral halls, the whole set of things must be given away.
"Sir, we are going to send the villagers off in person. Nothing else. We will give them a handful of soil from our hometown, a stick of incense from the ancestral hall, and let our ancestors bless them and go to sea smoothly!"
Zhang Ximeng repeatedly praised, "My Lord is thoughtful and this method is really good."
Lao Zhu smiled and said: "In that case, sir, would you like to follow us to Liujiagang and see them off?"
Zhang Ximeng pondered for a moment, and then said: "Lord, I would like to go, but something suddenly occurred to me. I plan to write an article."
Lao Zhu smiled and said, "Sir, you haven't written anything for a long time. It must be a wonderful article!"
Zhang Ximeng said: "It's just some thoughts on foreign development and a slight comparison."
Zhang Ximeng said it politely, but given his status, any article will bring huge repercussions. Of course, Zhang Ximeng will not ruin his own brand.
He really wanted to write this article carefully and make the matter of foreign development clear and clear.
In fact, what is the core of external development?
Is it enough to just send the person out?
Or is it just to open a business in Fu and make money by doing business?
Zhang Ximeng feels that this is not the true intention of opening up to the outside world.
First of all, when developing externally, since we are going global, we must take the initiative in our own hands. We have the power to make rules. If anyone dares to disobey, we will raise troops to attack them and punish them severely!
According to this criterion, throughout China's history, there has been very little real foreign development.
Putting aside the feudal princes of the Pre-Qin Dynasty, strictly speaking, there are only two times.
The first was Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty's voyage to the Western Regions, and the next was Zheng He's voyage to the Western Ocean.
Liu Che, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, to a certain extent, represented the pinnacle of the civil and martial arts of emperors of all dynasties.
In order to deal with the Xiongnu, he sent Zhang Qian as an envoy to the Western Regions. After twelve years, Zhang Qian returned. The Dayue clan was no longer the same as before. It stands to reason that the original goal of finding allies had been missed.
However, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty did not give up the idea, but continued to send military envoys to explore the Western Regions, and established a Western Region Protectorate to station troops!
This is very important.
It was precisely because of the garrison that the countries in the Western Regions had to obey the orders of the Han Dynasty.
The eastern section of the Silk Road was firmly in the hands of the Han Dynasty.
And the Han people were not satisfied with this, so they sent envoys to continue westward, even looking for the so-called Da Qin.
This spirit of putting trade routes under one's own control, striving to forge ahead, and constantly pioneering is the most precious wealth and the most precious spirit that the Han Dynasty left to future generations.
Similarly, in history, the Yongle Dynasty made seven voyages to the West, dispatching huge fleets and controlling not only the offshore waters of the Ming Dynasty, but also the Indian Ocean.
The Maritime Silk Road was all under the control of the Ming Dynasty.
If anyone disobeys discipline, he will immediately send troops to attack them. The three treasure eunuchs are also ruthless people who have destroyed countless countries, but in the eyes of the Ming Dynasty, these countries are no more than villages.
Without the protection of force, we cannot have the power to formulate rules.
This kind of outward development is not considered pioneering at all, it can only passively open the door to the country.
After Zhang Ximeng spared no effort in writing and praising the great Han, he couldn't help but cast his contemptuous eyes on Zhao Song.
God forgive me, Zhang Ximeng really didn’t want to blackmail the Song Dynasty.
It's just that he looked at history and wanted to find a negative teaching material, and it must be the Song Dynasty that everyone is familiar with.
There is no way, the Zhao family's crotch pulling will not save them at all!
As we all know, Zhao Song's foreign trade was also very developed.
It was even so developed that the Japanese country sent women to come to the Song Dynasty for a time.
Many people feel very proud when they mention this. That is called pride.
But if you want to really achieve a great feat and be admired by future generations, shouldn't you take the initiative to send troops to the Japanese country and sow the seeds for future generations? As expected of a man from Zhao Song, he just likes to be passive.
This was only a glorious deed in the Northern Song Dynasty. It became even more embarrassing in the Southern Song Dynasty.
In fact, the Southern Song Dynasty held half of the country for more than a hundred years, with very abundant fiscal revenue and a huge contribution from overseas trade.
Quanzhou and other places were famous ports at that time.
If Zhao Song is promising, then develop the navy, control the shipping routes, and firmly seize the dividends of trade... If this is possible, Zhao Song may be able to overthrow the Jin Kingdom and take revenge.
But the next problem was funny. Zhao Song did not control the sea routes at all, but instead gave up control of his native Quanzhou to Hu Shang.
When the Mongols came in, the royal family of Zhao and Song Dynasties fled to Quanzhou and were almost destroyed by the regiment. They were the laughingstock of the ages and extremely embarrassing!
What’s the point of opening up the country to trade?
It cannot take the initiative to control trade power, cannot control trade routes, and does not have strong force to protect it.
It's really better to close the door and live a stable life!
Zhang Ximeng concluded differently and finally made a neat summary.
To expand externally, we must learn from the Han Dynasty.
Take the initiative to open the country, take the initiative to control trade, and formulate rules that are beneficial to yourself!
We must not open the door passively, we must not hand over trade power to others, and we must not be controlled by others.
Zhang Ximeng made it very clear that in the past, everyone was worried about various problems that would arise from foreign trade and immigration... In the final analysis, these worries are just one problem, that is, not being able to take the initiative in trade.
It's that simple!
For example, many people think that emigrating overseas will result in a loss of labor and will affect food taxes... But the problem is that when they go overseas, they can get a hundred times more land and produce more food.
As long as it is shipped back smoothly, it will be enough to make up for the loss.
The reason why we are worried is because we do not have the initiative in trade and cannot transport food back. If people leave, it is a simple loss.
Zhang Ximeng even joked mercilessly in the end... The reason why Ming Dynasty had doubts about food security was entirely due to its distrust of the Ming Dynasty navy!