Disaster relief, also known as "famine policy", is one of the main political activities of Chinese dynasties. Even during the Mongolian and Yuan Dynasties, the court had to make a show of providing disaster relief, otherwise it would be disregarding destiny.
Relief, loan relief, relief, porridge, exemption, dismissal from office, investment promotion, work relief, persuasion... Various disaster relief methods have been recorded in "Huang Zheng Principles". This book is a required textbook for officials in the Ming Dynasty.
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Among them, work-relief refers to providing work-relief, which has appeared as early as the Spring and Autumn Period.
As long as they have read "Huang Zheng Principles" seriously, officials will know how to provide disaster relief, and there is no need for Wang Yuan to remind them. All disaster relief methods in later generations were already available in ancient China. It only depends on the determination and ability of officials at all levels.
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Huizhou merchant Huang Chongde contacted maritime merchants from various places, purchased a large amount of grain from Nanyang, and donated it to the southern provinces free of charge.
Then he asked his son Huang Xu to go to Beijing to meet with Yang Tinghe, the chief minister, and get a calligraphy treasure with the content of "Yi Shang".
There was no way, Huang Chongde was frightened.
Two of the eight major clans in Huizhou were exterminated by Yang Tinghe because of the Lianghuai salt smuggling case. One of the clans was the head of the Huang family.
Huang Chongde also came from the head sect of the Huang family. He was separated only by his grandfather, and he was almost taken over by Yang Tinghe.
Huang Xu obtained the calligraphy treasure from Yang Tinghe and came to see him again: "Sir, my father asked the student to come and express his gratitude in person. Thank you very much for reminding him in advance."
Wang Yuan nodded and said, "Your father has done a good job, so he doesn't have to worry."
Huang Xu was Wang Yuan's early student, and his father, Huang Chongde, was Wang Yuan's important business partner.
After Huang Chongde's grandfather separated, his family fortune was not very rich and his business was not big. As the weaving industry in the south of the Yangtze River flourished, Huang Chongde raised funds and went to Shandong to buy cotton for shipment to the south, and gradually became prominent. During the Hongzhi Dynasty's salt law reform, Huang Chongde had a keen sense of smell.
, became the first batch of crab eaters, instantly became a big salt merchant, and was one of the most abominable hoarders.
After Wang Yuan opened the sea, Huang Chongde first worked as a mainland supplier and gradually transformed into a maritime business.
Before the new salt law was implemented, Wang Yuan sent someone to remind Huang Chongde to obey the imperial decree honestly, otherwise the cooperative relationship with the Huang family would be cancelled.
The Hui merchant Huang Ying who was executed this time was Huang Chongde's brother, and it was Huang Chongde who led Huang Ying into the salt business in the beginning. Now that Huang Ying's house is being searched and executed, Huang Chongde has escaped.
The Huizhou Huang family immediately followed Huang Chongde, and his lineage became the new head of the Huang family.
Wang Yuan asked: "Are you really not planning to take the imperial examination?"
Huang Xu replied: "My disciples don't like official careers. It's enough to have the reputation of being a civil servant."
Huang Xu passed the imperial examination six years ago. Based on his talent and academic writing, he has a high chance of becoming a Jinshi. But this kid went into business with his father and did mathematical research while doing business. He was considered a quite famous mathematician.
Wang Yuan smiled and said: "You are not the eldest son, so you won't get much of the family property. Have you ever thought about how to do business in the future?"
Huang Xu replied: "Father promised to give me 30,000 taels of silver as capital. No matter whether the business succeeds or fails, it will have nothing to do with the family in the future. If I lose all my capital, I will go home to assist my brother and become a shopkeeper honestly."
"What business do you plan to do?" Wang Yuan asked.
Huang Xu replied: "Cotton."
Wang Yuan was a little surprised: "Cotton?"
Huang Xu said in detail: "Now there are three types of cotton in the Ming Dynasty, namely Shandong cotton, Chu cotton and Nan cotton. The cotton cloth woven by Shandong cotton is the best, while Chu cotton and Nan cotton are inferior, and they are already in short supply. Since there is not enough cotton in the country, why not
Looking overseas?”
Wang Yuan smiled and said: "Are you planning to grow cotton overseas?"
Huang Xu said: "Cotton fields compete for grain fields, which harms the peace of the world. This year's severe drought in the south has caused severe food shortages due to large-scale cotton planting, and countless people have starved to death. The best solution is to grow cotton overseas.
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Wang Yuan asked: "Where is the most suitable place to grow cotton?"
Huang Xu said: "After the cotton textile industry flourished, many overseas merchants tried to grow cotton in various places in Nanyang. But they all failed. The cotton grown in Nanyang was not as good as Shandong cotton, not even Chu cotton and Nanyang cotton.
.However, the quality of the cotton produced in Tianzhu is no less than that of Shandong cotton. In recent years, another maritime business has emerged, which transports cotton from Tianzhu to Daming, and then transports cotton cloth from Daming to Tianzhu."
Wang Yuan asked: "It seems that the Ming Navy has been plotting against Tianzhu for a long time."
"Exactly," Huang Xu said, "The student plans to use all the 30,000 taels of silver given by his father to gather the victims to go to sea. The first batch will only recruit young men, buy soldiers and armor, and follow the Ming Navy to attack Tianzhu!"
The history of cotton cultivation in India is much earlier than that of China, and there are three main cotton-producing areas: south, north, and central.
The navy of the Ming Dynasty focused on the cotton-producing areas in the south, which was the territory of the Vijayanagar Kingdom.
Today, there are three main big countries in the Indian subcontinent.
First, the Mughal Empire was founded by Babur, who was cousin to the King of Turpan and Yerqiang Khan. Babur and Yerqiang Khan once fought together and were beaten by the Uzbek Khanate. After the war failed,
, one went south to create the Mughal Empire, and the other went east to create the Yeerqiang Khanate.
Second, the Sultanate of Bangladesh is the country with the highest population density, the largest food production, and the most developed economy and culture in the entire Indian subcontinent. Just this year, the capital of Bangladesh was captured by the Mughal Empire, but it quickly organized a powerful counterattack.
The war entered a stalemate stage.
Third, the Vijayanagar state is not as economical as Bengal and its military is inferior to the Mughals, but it still enjoys the hegemony of South India.
India’s cotton has long been coveted by the Ming Dynasty’s maritime merchants, and the Ming Dynasty’s textile businessmen also encouraged the navy to attack India. There was no way, the domestic cotton production was not enough, and Nanyang was not suitable for cotton cultivation, so everyone naturally turned their attention to
India.
This year, there is a severe drought in eight southern provinces. Chu cotton and southern cotton production have been reduced on a large scale, and the supply of cotton is even more insufficient, which directly contributed to the early implementation of military operations.
The North and South Cotton Textile Merchant Guilds and major large merchant guilds raised funds to invest in shares and formed a partnership with the Ming Dynasty Navy to form an organization similar to the East India Company. They called it the "Tianzhu Cotton Association". Huang Xu planned to take the money given by his father.
Thirty thousand taels of silver joined the gang.
The money was first used to recruit the young and strong among the victims to build an army of 8,000 men and follow the Ming Navy to attack the Kingdom of Vijayanagar.
There is no way, the Vijayanagar state is powerful, not Ceylon, and can be compared to a small country like Champa.
The officers and soldiers of the Ming Dynasty Navy may be able to win the war all the way, but it will be difficult to complete the substantive occupation and it will be difficult to carry out subsequent colonial rule.
Portugal had been operating in India for thirty years, and when it faced the Vijayanagar state, it only occupied two ports as colonial points.
For the sake of cotton, textile merchants, maritime merchants, and the Ming Navy, the three parties hit it off. They have been coveting it for several years. The severe drought in the eight southern provinces finally prompted everyone to take a substantial step.
In the 24th year of Zhengde's reign, the "Tianzhu Cotton Association" was formally established, with dozens of shareholders and a capital of nearly 10 million taels of silver!
The original plan was to recruit 8,000 soldiers, but there was too much money, so we simply recruited 12,000 soldiers. They were all young men recruited from the victims. The local governments were very cooperative, because they could reduce the number of refugees and relieve their disaster relief pressure.
Steel plants in Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Fujian suddenly received a large number of orders and frantically manufactured weapons and equipment.
In the winter of that year, the Tianzhu Expeditionary Force was formed in Johor City. There were 5,000 musketeers alone and they were equipped with steel bayonets.
The training lasted for four months. In the spring of the 25th year of Zhengde's reign, the Ming Dynasty Navy landed in Mamallapuram, India. As early as the Tang and Song Dynasties, this was an important port on the Maritime Silk Road. However, with the development of navigation technology
, sea ships can directly cross the Bay of Bengal, and this port city is not that important.
Moreover, the Vijayanagar state has enjoyed peace for a long time, and its political power has long been corrupted. Its national power is plummeting from its peak, and the walls of Mamallapuram Port have not been repaired for hundreds of years.
"Boom boom boom!"
Hundreds of naval artillery aimed at the city wall and bombarded it indiscriminately, causing many gaps to collapse in an instant.
The defenders in the city were unprepared. They had not fought in two hundred years and did not know what to do in the face of the surprise attack. In panic, the high-caste nobles simply abandoned the city and fled, and the defenders also gave up resistance. This ancient
The seaport city was occupied by the "Tianzhu Cotton Association".