The population figures at the end of the Ming Dynasty are actually a mystery. Since there were a large number of people who escaped from their homes, the official population statistics of 60 to 70 million are definitely unreliable.
Since the official statistical data is unreliable, we can only use other data to extrapolate.
According to later statistics on cultivated land in the late Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty had a total of 1.1 billion acres of cultivated land.
This data is almost reliable, because the cultivated land area in modern China is less than 2 billion acres.
In the Ming Dynasty, when the grasslands, Western Regions, Liaodong and other places were not controlled, the figure of 1.1 billion acres should be quite different.
Calculating based on ancient productivity, four acres of land can barely feed one person.
After calculation, the population of Ming Dynasty must be more than 200 million!
If we take into account the budding capitalism in Jiangnan and other places, the population that can be supported by the vigorous development of industry and commerce may be even greater.
Even to exaggerate, 300 million is not impossible!
Even if it is a conservative estimate, there must be 200 million.
Otherwise, there would not have been refugees everywhere after a natural disaster occurred.
To put it bluntly, the reason why there are so many refugees is because the population that the land can support is saturated. After a natural disaster occurs, once food production is reduced, it will not be able to support so many people.
Those who can't survive can only find another way out!
For example, rebel!
Apart from population data, the most important thing is the data on cultivated land.
The area of cultivated land currently counted in the Ming Dynasty is similar to the data collected in later generations, but among the counted cultivated land areas, large tracts of land are in a state of abandonment.
For example, in the southwestern provinces and the Guanzhong area of Henan, which has been suffering from war, large tracts of fertile farmland are abandoned.
Now all Zhu Hongyu can do is to organize farming as much as possible, and the court spends manpower and material resources to restore production to these abandoned fields.
There are more than 70 million people, but there are 1.1 billion acres of cultivated land!
On average, one person can have fifteen or six acres of cultivated land, and basically no one will go hungry. Isn’t this a prosperous age?
So, Zhu Hongyu said that now is the era of restoration, is there any problem?
As long as you are thick-skinned, of course there is no problem!
Looking through the work reports of various departments, the expression on Zhu Hongyu's face was full of approval.
Apart from statistics on cultivated land and population, the most dazzling achievement of the imperial court this year is the annual revenue data of the Ministry of Finance.
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Compared with last year's annual income, the total annual income of Ming Dynasty this year has increased by about 20%!
This number is exaggerated enough!
Because, not only is Ming's annual income rising this year, but the annual income in previous years has also been growing at this rate.
Accumulated, this number is very impressive!
Compared with the annual income of the Ming Dynasty now compared with that of the Chongzhen period, you can’t even add a zero after the number.
After retaking the Northland, Zhu Hongyu ordered local governments to reduce or reduce taxes in order to recuperate and restore people's strength.
Therefore, although there has been an increase in agricultural taxes, it is not much.
That is to say, the tax exemption period for some southern provinces has expired and they can pay taxes normally, which is why Ming Dynasty's agricultural tax has increased somewhat.
The real bulk of Ming Dynasty’s tax revenue growth lies in industrial and commercial taxes!
With the promulgation of stimulating policies for industrial and commercial development by the imperial court this year, the industrial and commercial development of Ming Dynasty is still advancing rapidly.
Industrial and commercial taxes are rising!
The 20% increase can be considered an exaggeration anyway.
Suddenly, Zhu Hongyu's movements froze. He saw the specific amount of the salt tax.
The current salt tax in the Ming Dynasty has definitely increased compared with that in the late Ming Dynasty.
At the end of the Ming Dynasty, the annual income of the imperial court from the salt administration was only about 1.2 million taels.
After the restoration of Ming Dynasty, under Zhu Hongyu's rectification, Ming Dynasty's income from salt administration increased.
Now the annual income is about 6 million silver dollars!
Compared with the previous Ming Chongzhen period, the annual income of the Salt Administration increased five times, which is not a small amount.
But compared with the income of 20 to 30 million taels from the salt administration alone in the Manchu Qing Dynasty that year, it is definitely incomparable.
But Zhu Hongyu is quite satisfied with this!
Because the current salt price in the Ming Dynasty and the salt price in the Manchu Qing Dynasty are the same as the sky and the earth.
At present, the price of salt in Daming is about ten cents per catty!
It will fluctuate depending on the distance of the transportation route and the quality of the salt, but the average price is about ten cents.
Note that this is the selling price of the terminal, not the market price!
So, the price is really not high!
However, the price of salt in the Qing Dynasty was really sky-high!
Historical records from the Qing Dynasty record that the ex-factory price in coastal prefectures reached the highest level of more than ten cents per catty.
The ex-factory price is higher than Daming’s selling price!
When it comes to the sales terminal, it is normal to add a zero at the end of the specific selling price.
As a result, many people at that time chose to "eat plain food" and "did not know the taste of salt for several months" because the price of salt was too high.
What you need to know is that during the Qing Dynasty, the salt-drying method had long been mature, and the cost price of salt was not high at all.
Even if transportation costs are included, it shouldn't have soared to this level!
To put it bluntly, the reason why the price of salt in the Qing Dynasty was so exaggerated was simply that the Manchus were squeezing the people through the salt policy.
That’s why the Qing Dynasty’s salt administration revenue was so exaggerated!
Zhu Hongyu was already very satisfied that the Ming Dynasty could still earn six million silver dollars in annual income despite lowering the price of salt.
Although if Zhu Hongyu had been more shameless, he would have been able to earn 20 to 30 million a year through the salt policy, just like the Manchus.
However, Zhu Hongyu would rather send troops to rob other places than to cause trouble with salt, which is related to people's livelihood.
People can't live without eating salt!
As long as a government has some sense of responsibility, it should not rip off the salt policy.
Excluding taxes, it is the Ming Dynasty's military expansion in the past year.
Last year, the size of the Ming Dynasty's army successfully exceeded the half million mark, and the number of troops stationed in key places was finally able to be relaxed.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! The imperial court can also have some mobile troops that can be used for emergency dispatch!
The training of the army and the change of uniforms are progressing in an orderly manner, and everything is developing in a good direction.
"Huh!"
Zhu Hongyu looked at the report of the Ming Dynasty Royal Arsenal and suddenly let out a sigh.
He saw something that really interested him!
The Royal Arsenal of the Ming Dynasty produced a prototype of a breech-loading needle gun.
The key information lies in breech-loading, needle firing, single-shot feeding, paper-cased fixed-loading ammunition...
After the trigger is pulled, the long rod-shaped firing pin on the gun pierces the paper cartridge case, strikes the primer, ignites the propellant, and ejects the projectile.
The technical difficulties of this gun probably lie in the primer, firing pin, and processing accuracy.
According to the test data given by the Ming Dynasty Royal Arsenal, the firing rate of this prototype gun is about 10 rounds per minute.
The muzzle velocity of the bullet is about 270 meters/second, and the effective range can reach about 300 meters.
And more importantly, the jamming rate of this gun is not high, only about 3%!
The only problem is that the air leakage of the breech-loading gun is a bit serious. Improper operation can easily cause burns to the user's hands and face or even disfigurement.
To be honest, Zhu Hongyu is very satisfied with the performance of this gun!
Judging from the paper data alone, although the performance of this gun is not as good as the German breech-loading rifle, the first breech-loading rifle in human history, it is not much different.
To put it simply, this gun has practical value.
If it can be mass-produced, it can be equipped with the army.
Zhu Hongyu pondered for a while, and then spoke.
"Send the order and make arrangements. I am going to inspect the Ming Dynasty Royal Arsenal!"
Zhu Hongyu gave the order, and the little eunuch serving him clasped his hands in agreement, and then went to arrange the itinerary.
Zhu Hongyu said he wanted to inspect, but he didn't just say he would go and set off immediately.
The things that need to be arranged before and after are very cumbersome.
You have to give others time to prepare for the reception, right?
…
Japanese country, Edo!
The elderly Zhu Zhiyu stood outside the humble home where he had lived for several years, with his hands behind his back.
He turned around and looked at the humble house with a rather reluctant look!
He has lived and taught here for several years, and he has become emotionally attached to it.
However, deep in his eyes, there is a deeper love for his hometown.
"Sir, everything has been sorted out!"
"Your collection of books, manuscripts and other students have also been sorted and archived, and there are no errors or omissions!"
A student dressed in Confucian shirt said to Zhu Zhiyu.
Hearing this, Zhu Zhiyu nodded slightly and said.
"Now that everything is packed, let's get ready to set off!"
After saying that, with the help of his disciples, he boarded a carriage nearby.
After Zhu Zhiyu sat down, the coachman flicked his whip, making a snapping sound, and the carriage began to move forward slowly.
Walking on the streets of Edo!
When pedestrians around saw Zhu Zhiyu's carriage, they all stopped and bowed to the carriage.
Worship the teacher!
Zhu Zhiyu opened the car curtain and nodded to everyone who saluted him on the road.
At this moment, Zhu Zhiyu's motorcade was blocked by someone.
Tokugawa Ietsuna, the contemporary general of the Japanese Tokugawa shogunate who conquered the barbarians, rode all the way to the carriage, then got off his horse and saluted Zhu Zhiyu as his disciple.
Zhu Zhiyu did not ask for help. He got off the carriage, helped Tokugawa Ietsuna up, and spoke.
"General, there is no need to be polite!"
Tokugawa Ietsuna, however, insisted on finishing the ceremony and spoke.
"Sir, he preaches and teaches, and gives lectures to the whole country. He is a wise teacher!"
"We are students after being taught by your teacher, and we should salute you!"
That year, Zhu Zhiyu arrived in Nagasaki for the first time and was preparing to buy land and start farming.
Tokugawa Mitsukuni, the deputy general of Japan and the uncle of the great general Tokugawa Ietsuna, heard that the great Confucian scholar from the Celestial Dynasty had arrived in Japan and wanted to establish the religion of Hōxu.
So he sent the Confucian minister Xiao Zhaisheng Shun to Nagasaki to appoint Zhu Shunshui as the national teacher, and invited Zhu Zhiyu to give lectures in Edo.
When Zhu Zhiyu first arrived in Edo, he received great courtesy and praise.
A large number of people from the Japanese government and the public flocked to the humble residence where Zhu Zhiyu lived to learn from Zhu Shunshui.
Even the contemporary general Tokugawa Ietsuna began to study Confucianism with Zhu Zhiyu!
This was the influence of ancient China on the surrounding countries. Especially after the Japanese were defeated in the Wanli Anti-Japanese War, they became more and more respected for the culture of the Ming Dynasty.
The arrival of a great scholar in the Japanese country can cause a great sensation in the Japanese country.
Therefore, Tokugawa Ietsuna now adheres to the discipleship rite towards Zhu Zhiyu.
Tokugawa Tsuna's general Zhu Zhiyu looked like he was about to go on a far journey, so he couldn't help but speak.
"Sir, are you going back to China?"
It was after he received the news that Zhu Zhiyu was returning to the Ming Dynasty that he personally came to stop him.
When Zhu Shunshui heard this, he just nodded and said.
"When the motherland fell and the world fell into chaos, I was timid and did not have the courage to go through thick and thin. However, I was not willing to cut off my hair and become a slave, and became the person who subjugated the country under the rule of Jiannu."
"That's why I stayed away from overseas for a moment of peace of mind!"
"Now that the Ming Dynasty has been restored and China has returned to China in an upright and dignified manner, it's time for me to set off and go home!"
Zhu Zhiyu made outstanding contributions to the spread of Confucianism eastward to Japan, but he was always unwilling to admit that he went eastward to spread Confucianism, and his external rhetoric was always for refuge.
The literary character in him is very upright!
Hearing this, Tokugawa Ietsuna knew that Zhu Zhiyu was resolute, but he still wanted to try to retain him.
"Sir, are you uncomfortable living anywhere in Japan?"
"As long as your husband wants something, we in Japan will do our best to satisfy it. Doesn't your husband have to leave?"
Hearing this, Zhu Zhiyu had a smile on his face, shook his head slightly and said.
“It’s not because I feel uncomfortable living in Japan!”
"But I am getting old, and half of it has been buried in the loess!"
"Humans, they must return to their roots after falling leaves!"
"I don't want to close my eyes and end up living in a foreign land!"
As he spoke, Zhu Zhiyu's eyes were full of love for his motherland.
Chinese people have a strong attachment to their country. It is the obsession of almost all Chinese people to return fallen leaves to their roots.
Seeing this, Tokugawa Ietsuna knew that he could no longer stop him.
Even if he forced Zhu Zhiyu to stay, he would definitely not be able to get any more knowledge from him, so it would be better not to keep him.
So, Tokugawa Ietsuna spoke.
"Since you insist on leaving, it's not easy for students to stop you."
"But today, let the students give it to the teacher!"
While talking, Tokugawa Ietsuna helped Zhu Zhiyu into the carriage, and then he followed him on horseback.
Heading all the way to the port outside Edo Castle.
Along the way, Tokugawa Ietsuna kept asking Zhu Zhiyu for advice, and Zhu Zhiyu did not hide his secrets and answered Tokugawa Ietsuna's questions as much as possible.
The group of people arrived at the dock outside Edo Castle. There was a merchant ship moored on the dock.
The merchant ship flew the flag of the Tagawa family.
The owner of this merchant ship was none other than Tagawa Nanaemon, the younger brother of Zheng Chenggong.
With the restoration of the Ming Dynasty, the Zheng family's prestige in this three-thirds of East Asia was even greater than when Zheng Zhilong was at his most prestigious.
Although Zheng Zhilong was the maritime overlord in East Asia at that time, he was just a Fujian general.
But now Zheng Chenggong is the Ming Dynasty's national surname, plus a different surname of Wang.
How much respect?
With the Ming Dynasty as its backer and riding on the Ming Dynasty's development of industry and commerce, the trade volume between the Zheng family and Japan is now rising at a very fast rate.
Tagawa Nanzaemon, as the representative of the Zheng family in Japan, this time is planning to go to Nanjing around the Chinese New Year to pay a visit to his brother.
When Zhu Zhiyu heard that Zheng's ship was going to the Ming Dynasty, he took the initiative to ask for a ride on the favorable wind ship.