Chapter 1004: The prevailing wind in the imperial court is becoming increasingly bellicose

The disintegration of consensus is a terrifying problem that the Great Ming only realized after witnessing the various chaotic phenomena currently being experienced by Japan. This is actually one of the important outcomes of the Wanli Great Speculation, which is the interpretation of the Mandate of Heaven.

After the Wanli Reform, the Great Ming's understanding of the Mandate of Heaven is the "Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown," meaning the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown recognized collectively by the past self, the present self, and the future self.

The sages of old knew of this present age, and can rest in peace beneath the springs; the people of today bear the waves of calamity, and are willing to follow in their footsteps on the journey.

Future generations mourn the blood and tears, and the history books sing praises of virtue; once the three flowers gather at the crown, the Mandate of Heaven is naturally resplendent.

And the disintegration of consensus disintegrates not only the current consensus but also the past consensus; the infinite negation of the past has a profound impact on the shaping of future consensus.

The disintegration of consensus is the disintegration of the Mandate of Heaven.

At present, Toyotomi Hideyoshi wants to launch another war against Korea. He needs to make all the Japanese daimyo submit, even if it is only nominal submission like that of Oda Nobunaga, but Toyotomi Hideyoshi is simply unable to do so.

The Great Ming's interference in Japan is comprehensive. The Great Ming has driven too many nails into Japan: Tsushima Island, the Iwami Silver Mine, the Osaka Bay Garrison Battalion, the Nagasaki Governor's Office, the circulation of Great Ming treasure notes in Japan, and now there is an additional Edo garrison.

The comprehensive restraint in military, political, economic, and cultural aspects has caused Japan's divisions to grow, and consensus is rapidly disintegrating.

You want to resist the Great Ming, I want to be a running dog of the Great Ming; you want to abolish treasure notes, I am determined to possess them; you want to control the silver mines, I insist on selling the silver mines to the Great Ming; you want to reduce the outflow of Japanese slaves, I want to increase the outflow of Japanese slaves; these differences are everywhere.

Zhu Yijun and Qi Jiguang discussed the situation in Japan and the issue of the Edo garrison in detail again.

Something happened here that neither the Emperor nor the Grand General had expected.

Xiong Tingbi is engaging in land equalization near the Iwami Silver Mine—not land return, but land equalization.

The Great Ming's standard for land return is that one household may not exceed one hundred qing, which is ten thousand mu; if they want more, they can only split the household.

However, the land equalization Xiong Tingbi is carrying out at the Iwami Silver Mine is that one household may not exceed one qing, which is one hundred mu, and it is flourishing, even spreading from the Great Ming's actual control area toward the Mori family.

The Great Ming's actual control area in Japan is like a holy mountain pressing down on Japan, adding fuel to the fire of the already frequent peasant uprisings in Japan. More and more commoners know about the land equalization order of the Iwami Silver Mine, and the dissatisfaction of these Japanese people toward the daimyo, the shogunate, and the Japanese imperial court is intensifying. The anger is spreading across all of Japan like a prairie fire.

It is useless for the Japanese shogunate and daimyo to suppress the civil unrest. Only by eliminating the Great Ming army at the holy mountain of the Iwami Silver Mine can this wave be suppressed. But these daimyo are full of contradictions among themselves, unable to be of one mind, and unable to form a joint force to eliminate the Great Ming garrison together.

Qi Jiguang believes this is a good thing. What Xiong Tingbi has done has accumulated sufficient experience for the Great Ming army to manage land return and land equalization.

Once the changes in heaven intensify, His Majesty can dispatch elite troops from the Capital Battalion to carry out comprehensive land return for the Great Ming.

Qi Jiguang also talked about some content regarding training troops and governing the army, which is also a compulsory course for the Emperor to inspect military horses every day.

The Grand General's lecture was also prepared. The content was a continuation of the previous discussion: without blood righteousness, there is no supreme grace; promote literature and suppress martial arts, and the situation will naturally take shape.

If there is blood righteousness, the soldiers will form a whole centered on the generals, advancing and retreating with evidence, supporting each other in attack and defense, and naturally, they will be invincible in a hundred battles.

But without blood righteousness, cliques based on hometown ties will naturally arise. This army is prone to losing control, and it is ruined by these four words: "cliques based on hometown ties."

An army is not an imperial court. Once an army starts forming cliques, the long-standing contradictions and the conflicts that erupt are not like those between civil officials, who are like holding embroidery needles, poking each other, erecting monuments, and writing books.

Once an army starts forming cliques, the light consequence is harboring bandits to increase one's own importance, and the heavy consequence is the separatist rule of feudal lords.

During the separatist rule of feudal lords at the end of the Tang Dynasty, how many military governors had their heads cut off by their own soldiers?

If there is a need for frequent military engagements, after the soldiers enter the camp, they should be thoroughly shuffled and mixed. After fighting two battles, the soldiers' blood righteousness will be closer than fellow villagers. But without blood righteousness, the army is linked together by fellow villagers.

"General Qi, is that the Huaixi military meritocracy?" Zhu Yijun frowned. Isn't the Huaixi military meritocracy also a typical example of cliques based on hometown ties?

"Cough, cough..." Qi Jiguang was drinking water and almost choked. After pondering carefully, he shook his head and said, "The situation of the Huaixi military meritocracy is more complicated."

The situation of the Huaixi military meritocracy is similar to the lack of blood righteousness and the rise of cliques based on hometown ties that Qi Jiguang mentioned, but it is not exactly the same; it is mainly political, not purely military.

Conquering the world is not easy. Zhu Yuanzhang and the Huaixi military meritocracy had blood righteousness. The biggest problem was that Zhu Yuanzhang won. He sat on the dragon throne and became the Emperor. Even if he favored these old brothers, when making decisions, he had to consider the world.

Qi Jiguang did not talk much about it. His Majesty has extremely high talent in politics. Without Qi Jiguang saying it, His Majesty also understands it completely.

For example, the mistake made by the family of the Emperor's father-in-law, Wuqing Bo Marquis Li Wei, regarding treasure notes, His Majesty punished severely without leniency. His Majesty's choice is exactly the same as that of the founding Emperor Taizu.

After the Great Ming Emperor finished his conversation with Qi Jiguang, he took the small train back to the Imperial Study in the Tonghe Palace. Today, because the drill was delayed for a long time, Zhu Yijun returned to the Imperial Study and immediately began to process these memorials without stopping.

By the time the Emperor finished processing today's memorials, it was already late. Zhu Yijun leaned back in his chair and looked at a memorial newly issued by the Hanlin Academy.

Regarding the research on oracle bone script, there are more and more achievements, and heavyweight achievements will be presented for preview.

In the first year of Wanli, in Qishan County, Fengxiang Prefecture, Shaanxi, the whole county had only four townships and twenty-nine li. After the land survey in the fifth year of Wanli and the census of the population in the ninth year of Wanli, according to

the land and population, the whole county was re-divided into nine townships and seventy-two li. After the hidden population was largely surveyed, the administrative division would change.

There is a Fengchu Village in Qishan County. When the villagers were digging cellars, they dug up dragon bones. Dragon bones are not oracle bones; dragon bones are fossils of various ancient creatures. The Great Ming often digs up fossils of various plants when mining coal. The Great Ming believes these fossils are all dragon sloughs, not real deaths.

In Zhu Yijun's private treasury, there is a huge dragon slough, obtained when Pan Jixun was governing the Yellow River, during the dredging of the Huai and Ji river channels. It is several tens of feet long, with scales, claws, fins, and horns all complete, and its bones are as hard and white as jade.

When villagers dig up dragon bones, they generally sell them to passing merchants to exchange for some silver. In order for the merchants to collect goods, the villagers also thoughtfully knocked the dragon bones into small pieces to facilitate loading and unloading. The merchants who collected the dragon bones soon discovered something wrong, because there were dozens of pieces with characters on them!

Bones with characters are a big deal. The merchants reported it to Fengxiang Prefecture, and Fengxiang Prefecture reported it to the imperial court.

Soon, the Hanlin Academy scholars requested an imperial decree. A compiler specializing in epigraphy, along with six editors and dozens of Embroidered Uniform Guards, hurried to Fengchu Village and dug up many sets of oracle bones.

After several years of sorting and analysis, comparing them with the oracle bone script discovered in the Yin Ruins, the Hanlin scholars finally had preliminary results and presented the Emperor with a conclusion that could be called crazy, which is: Shang and Zhou share the same origin.

This conclusion is very subversive.

During the Wanli period, everyone thought that the establishment of Zhou was very short. King Tai of Zhou, Gong Danfu, fled to Qishan and established the Zhou state. King Tai of Zhou, Wang Ji of Zhou, King Wen of Zhou, and King Wu of Zhou—the Zhou Dynasty only took four generations to overthrow the Shang Dynasty, which had been passed down for who knows how many years.

But now, through these oracle bones unearthed in two places, it is determined that the King of Zhou and the King of Shang worshipped the same ancestor.

In the sacrifices of Shang and Zhou, one's own gods only eat one's own offerings, and one only worships one's own ancestors. If an outsider worships, the god will not eat.

The Fengchu oracle bones in Qishan and the Zhouyuan oracle bones are all divinations that occurred before King Tai of Zhou, and they are consistent with the ancestors worshipped by the King of Shang. The writing and characters of the divinations are highly similar.

The Zhou state, this vassal state, appeared much earlier than recorded.

It was not the result of four generations of effort, but the result of who knows how many generations of effort.

Shang and Zhou are actually one family. The Zhou state also used human sacrifice, but it was not until the time of the Duke of Zhou, Dan, that this human sacrifice was completely abolished.

Since Shang and Zhou share the same origin and ancestors, a very serious problem arose: what is the "Rites of Zhou"?

For Confucian scholars, this is almost a fundamental question as to whether God exists. Sharing the same origin completely negates the divinity of the Rites of Zhou.

In traditional Confucianism, the Rites of Zhou are considered to be the laws of the three generations above. These three generations above are not Xia, Shang, and Zhou, but Yao, Shun, and Yu.

The narrative is that during the time of Yao, Shun, and Yu, everything

was very beautiful. Later, the Shang Dynasty replaced the Xia and started human sacrifice, causing the world to lose all morality.

The Zhou Dynasty picked up the rites and laws of Yao, Shun, and Yu again and promoted them to the world again, so that morality could return. The Rites of Zhou can be said to be the symbol of the transmission of the Mandate of Heaven from Yao, Shun, and Yu.

Confucian orthodoxy says: Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, Wen, Wu, Duke of Zhou, Confucius, Mencius. Before the Duke of Zhou were ancient sages, and Confucius and Mencius were sages.

The Hanlin Academy scholars, after five years of discussion, finally regretfully announced: The Rites of Zhou are the rites and laws of the Duke of Zhou, Dan, not Yao, Shun, and Yu.

The Duke of Zhou was the younger brother of King Wu of Zhou, Ji Fa. After Ji Fa died, he passed the throne to King Cheng of Zhou. However, King Cheng of Zhou was still young when he ascended the throne, and a rebellion occurred. The Duke of Zhou, Dan, led the army on an eastern expedition, clarified virtue and was cautious in punishment, governed the country with rites, and achieved the Reign of Cheng and Kang.

Before the Duke of Zhou acted as regent, the rites and laws of Zhou and the rites and laws of the Shang Dynasty were almost indistinguishable. It was only after the Duke of Zhou acted as regent that he began to reform the system.

After the Duke of Zhou, Zhou spent hundreds of years constantly repairing and patching the "Rites of Zhou" before forming the Rites of Zhou revered by Confucianism.

"The Duke of Zhou is a bit too amazing." Zhu Yijun finished reading the Hanlin Academy's article and reached a natural conclusion.

In the past, people thought the Rites of Zhou were powerful because the Zhou Dynasty was powerful;

But now the Hanlin Academy has found these oracle bones, proving that it was because the Duke of Zhou was a powerful person that the Zhou Dynasty became powerful.

The Duke of Zhou's personal struggle is the true change of the dynasty, the true renewal of the mandate.

"If Shang and Zhou really share the same origin, then the record of the Duke of Zhou in the 'Book of Documents' is indeed a bit conservative," Feng Bao said in complete agreement.

"Shang and Zhou share the same origin, the Rites of Zhou trace their origin." Zhu Yijun looked at the memorial in front of him and shook his head, saying, "Once this article comes out, these few Hanlin scholars will probably be immediately labeled as heretics. The old pedants will probably go to the Huangji Gate to remonstrate, imitating Bi Gan's death remonstrance, and want to behead these few people to prevent such subversive and rebellious words from bewitching people's hearts."

"Even Gao Qiyu, who presides over the Hanlin Academy, probably won't be spared."

The nature of this memorial is very serious. Once it is completely confirmed that Shang and Zhou share the same origin and that the Rites of Zhou are only the result of the Duke of Zhou's personal struggle, it is subversive to all Confucian classics. It is heretical speech. In order to maintain Confucian orthodoxy, the lowly Confucians might even set up stakes for burning.

Burning at the stake is also a form of human sacrifice.

But the oracle bones actually unearthed prove that Shang and Zhou worshipped the same ancestor, and they started worshipping from the Wu Ding period.

"Your Majesty, for Confucianism, this is a good thing. Of course, for the current Confucian scholars, it is a bad thing." Feng Bao explained the meaning of his words in detail. This is also the fundamental reason why the Hanlin Academy wanted to write this memorial.

Confucianism needs reform. No matter how powerful the wisdom of the sages is, it can only guide for five hundred years. After five hundred years, this wisdom becomes an obstacle to development.

If Confucianism has experienced

the pain of this reform, to discard the old and establish the new, then Confucianism will still be the prominent learning of the Great Ming in the future, an unshakable learning of self-cultivation. But if Confucianism does not grasp the great wave of reform, Confucianism may be eliminated.

Although Zhou is an old state, its mandate is renewed.

Confucianism has been able to remain the prominent learning from the pre-Qin period to the Great Ming, and even a sacred and unique learning, because of its powerful vitality that changes with the times.

Confucianism has lost its sanctity. If Confucianism continues to hold onto the old papers like this, I am afraid that even the status of prominent learning will be lost.

The students of the contradiction theory, public-private theory, and freedom theory are already like a single spark, and there are even loyal supporters of class theory, while Confucianism is still doing things holding onto old papers. It will definitely be eliminated.

"Since they have prepared themselves for martyrdom, then let it be published in the Court Gazette." Zhu Yijun still permitted this memorial to be published in the Court Gazette.

When poor, change; when changed, then through. Although Confucianism has not yet reached the end of the road, it is not far away.

Ever since the things done by the Kong family in Yanzhou were processed and spread many times in the streets, the sanctity of Confucianism has vanished. At this moment, Confucianism still has the status of prominent learning only because of inertia. These few true great Confucians have seen the crisis.

"Yi Xu Xi, I actually saw something like backbone in these few Hanlin scholars." Zhu Yijun had to admit that these few Hanlin scholars were really very brave, daring to negate even the sanctity of Confucian classics.

"Your Majesty, the scholar-officials of the Great Ming still have a certain backbone, such as Hai Rui, such as Xu Chengchu, such as Yuan Keli." Feng Bao believed that the scholars of the Great Ming were not all rotten to the core. There were good and bad, but there were too many bad ones, which made things messy.

Backbone is not lacking.

"Your Majesty, some time ago, several censors went to Songjiang Prefecture. In order to let the students learn the word 'perseverance,' they sent the students to the ranks. It is not strange that these Hanlin scholars acted like this." Feng Bao reminded His Majesty that the Hanlin Academy scholars having backbone is traceable.

Those censors who went to Songjiang Prefecture insisted on letting the Great Ming students suffer the hardships of the military camp because they saw the crisis.

"What you say is reasonable." Zhu Yijun nodded. The students who grew up in the Wanli Reform finally stepped into the officialdom, bringing more changes to the officialdom.

In another ten or twenty years, even if Zhu Yijun wants to turn back and reverse the car, there will be no way back. From top to bottom, from inside to outside, they are all reformists, all people who grew up in the great wave of reform. Their view of reform is that it should be like this.

Zhu Yijun must be a good emperor, ensure his survival and health, and thoroughly outlive the old guys, and the reformists will win.

"At this time, where has Liang Menglong reached?" Zhu Yijun asked about the progress of the Pacification of Bozhou. Liang Menglong arrived in Chengdu, and the imperial decree of the Great Ming court could almost reach Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Qian. Plus the preparation time, I am afraid

this battle will not be fought until the end of the year.

"Calculating the time, Minister Liang should be arriving at Xi'an Prefecture soon." Feng Bao was not speaking nonsense; Liang Menglong was traveling the post road to Xi'an Prefecture, and from there he would set off for Chengdu. Calculating the days, he should be arriving in Xi'an just about now.

Zhu Yijun attaches great importance to the Pacification of Bozhou. He is also afraid that the Pacification of Bozhou will become the Battle of the Big and Small Jinchuan, fighting a hereditary Tusi and causing great damage to his vitality. That would not be the Emperor's original intention.

The longer the battle to pacify Bozhou lasts, the less respectful these southwestern Tusi will be.

"Hmm." Zhu Yijun nodded. After washing, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to rest. I examine myself three times a day. Zhu Yijun thought about everything today again before lying on the bed and falling into a deep sleep.

The Great Ming Emperor waited and waited, waited for more than ten days, and never waited for anyone to come to the Huangji Gate to remonstrate. The lowly Confucians once again disappointed His Majesty the Emperor.

The great Confucians have the ability, determination, and courage to bet their own lives and property to lead the reform of Confucianism.

And the lowly Confucians don't even have the courage to go to the Huangji Gate to remonstrate, which makes the Great Ming Emperor extremely disappointed. This is another show missed.

Not to mention remonstrating, there wasn't even a single memorial impeaching these few Hanlin scholars, because these few Hanlin scholars were old pedants themselves, and they were great Confucians themselves.

"Zhang Yingdeng, a supervising secretary of the Ministry of War, submitted a memorial saying that Annam is not respectful and obedient, and is making trouble in many ways. He implores the heavenly army to go south to punish the disobedient." Zhang Juzheng's expression was very complicated. He held a memorial and read it to the many court officials.

"The Mo family of Annam has received imperial grace for generations, but they do not think of being respectful and obedient. Instead, they disobey the Great Ming's political orders. Now they are sending envoys again to recklessly discuss state affairs. This is truly a heinous crime. To mourn the people and punish the guilty, it should be done today!" Wang Guoji, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, said sternly.

Once these words were spoken, the court officials discussed it heatedly. The cause of the matter was very simple.

Great Ming merchants bought too much grain in Annam. There are so many people in Annam, what should they do if there is not enough grain to eat?

It's easy to handle. Turning the extra people into barbarian slaves solves the problem.

Great Ming merchant ships carried a large amount of goods from Guangzhou Prefecture, unloaded them at Da Nang in Annam, loaded them with barbarian slaves grown in the ship's hold, transported them to plantations in the Nanyang, and then transported the raw materials produced by the plantations back to the Great Ming, arrived in Da Nang with more goods, exchanged them for enough grain, and returned to the Great Ming.

This trade cycle can run two to three times a year. A three-masted clipper ship makes a net profit of fifty or sixty thousand taels of silver at a time. This business is naturally extremely prosperous.

In May of this year, the Mo family of Annam sent envoys to the capital again. In June, the Annam envoys presented a memorial, hoping to obtain His Majesty's leniency and cancel the legitimacy of the grain import and barbarian slave trade.

This supervising secretary of the Ministry of War directly impeached Annam, demanding that the imperial court's heavenly army punish them severely.

Zhu Yijun frowned as he watched the court officials' discussion. There were many who agreed with Zhang Yingdeng's heavenly army going south to punish,

and only a few stubborn conservatives, such as Zhang Juzheng, Zhang Xueyan, and Qi Jiguang, did not agree with sending troops now.

The prevailing wind in the imperial court is becoming increasingly... bellicose.

This is inevitable, because the Great Ming's military appearance shines with heavenly might, and the possibility of the Great Ming launching a war and winning is very high. Winning a military victory can plunder wealth, and then winning a political victory can expand territory.

Even if they don't win, the Great Ming won't lose. This is the fundamental reason why the Great Ming court is so warlike.

The Portuguese King Antonio changed his usual decadence and led the Left and Right Protection Army to conquer in person, defeating the Spanish invaders. But Portugal's national strength was weak, and Antonio could only go to Spain with great fanfare to pray for peace. He didn't win, but he didn't lose, so he became increasingly bellicose.

"Before, there was a public opinion in the court to promote literature and suppress martial arts. Having just escaped the predicament of forgetting war and being in danger, it immediately turned into another look, walking into the dead end of being bellicose. What are you all talking about?" Zhang Juzheng's face was livid, and he raised his volume slightly, suppressing all the discussion.

Once Zhang Juzheng lost his temper, the court officials looked at each other, no longer speaking, but in each other's eyes, there was quite a bit of dissatisfaction.

This Wenhua Hall is where the divine artifacts are located. It is not your Zhang Juzheng's one-man show. Isn't court discussion just arguing? If you can't argue, you use power to suppress people. Then what is the point of court discussion? You, Zhang Juzheng, might as well decide everything by yourself.

"Yuanfu, history never judges aggressors, let alone victors." Gao Qiyu's voice sounded exceptionally abrupt. As the Minister of Rites, Gao Qiyu saying such a sentence can be said to be a stone that stirs up a thousand waves.

The court officials began to exchange glances. This traitor of the Zhang sect, after becoming the Minister of Rites, began to make things difficult for Zhang Juzheng!

Hearing this, Zhang Juzheng looked at Gao Qiyu, his face becoming increasingly ugly. He clearly opposed being bellicose, because long history had long told everyone the end of being bellicose.

But what Gao Qiyu said was right. History does not judge victors, nor does it judge aggressors.

In ancient and modern times, in known history, a large number of countries that implemented aggression have not received any punishment at all!

On the contrary, these aggressors have never spat out the huge benefits they have eaten, and they even refuse to apologize.

The Great Ming's vast territory was never obtained by justice and morality; it was obtained by force, tidying up the old mountains and rivers.

During the Yongle period, two expeditions to Annam, setting aside justice and morality, these concepts of good and evil that change with time, the things the Great Ming obtained from Annam have never been spat out.

Spanish colonialists broke into the ancient Inca kingdom, killed their king, burned down their residences, bloodily slaughtered all the population, used smallpox as a weapon to attack cities and seize land, and exhausted every bit of the barbarian's bone and blood, and every bit of wealth on the land in a way of scraping the ground three feet.

Spain was not judged either. It was Felipe who was going crazy, insisting on a long-distance expedition to England.

"Yuanfu, being bellicose is indeed wrong. Then let's be hypocritical. Grandfather invades, father is kind, son apologizes. Wouldn't it be fine to cycle like this? Or simply the son doesn't apologize, doesn't admit he was wrong, then it's not wrong." Gao Qiyu's voice was not loud, his tone was very steady, but his words were very cruel.

The strong are strong, the weak perish. In the world of great contention, high morality is for the Great Ming people, not for the barbarians.

"Junior Zongbo, pay attention to your words." Zhu Yijun picked up the copper hammer in his hand and knocked on the small brass bell, reminding Gao Qiyu to speak carefully, not to be so direct, especially to the teacher, and to maintain sufficient respect.

This copper hammer and copper bell are placed in front of the imperial desk. They are treasures left by the Jiajing Emperor. If the argument is too fierce, the Daoist master will knock them. Of course, sometimes, when he is in a hurry, he will knock them non-stop.

Zhu Yijun rarely knocked this thing before. Today he knocked it once, and felt the sound was quite crisp.

"The minister is terrified." Gao Qiyu said hurriedly. He knew he had gone too far, but he had made the point clear.

The Great Ming is an empire with huge military expenditures. Since its founding, it has been in a state of war almost every year, with a huge and powerful bureaucratic system that manages everything, low taxes, low fiscal revenue, limited fiscal revenue mostly invested in war, and an empire that realizes trade protection through maritime bans.

An empire should do imperial things. If you keep calculating the lost land, if you keep calculating, you might as well calculate away the Shun Tian Prefecture!

When the Great Ming's finance is no longer a constraint on the military, being bellicose becomes inevitable.

"Exempt from courtesy." Zhu Yijun just reminded Gao Qiyu to pay attention to his words, not opposing Gao Qiyu's argument.

The Great Ming army spends 14.7 million silver in military expenses every year to maintain the huge Capital Battalion and navy. The Capital Battalion and navy must do something to prove the necessity and value of their existence.

Gao Qiyu looked at Zhang Juzheng, not dodging or avoiding, and said with a serious face, "Yuanfu, what the Great Ming wants cannot be obtained without fighting. Even if the Great Ming possesses commodity advantages and produces all-encompassing commodities, these years, what we have earned from maritime trade is just blood and sweat money."

"It was only after King Lu was enfeoffed in the Golden Mountain Kingdom, kicking and beating the three governor's offices, using both coercion and inducement, that there was a fundamental change. Our goods could further appreciate."

"This premium includes war costs. To put it bluntly, it is collecting protection..."

"Ding ding ding!"

Zhu Yijun knocked the copper bell three times in a row, interrupting Gao Qiyu's words, but without any intention of further instruction. This Gao Qiyu, who used to speak in a literary way, beating around the bush, is now becoming more and more outspoken after becoming the Minister of Rites!

What is collecting protection money? It is clearly jointly bearing the necessary expenditures for maintaining trade security!

Changing the wording makes it easier for people to accept. Protection money, the Great Ming court is not a dark and evil force. The words are too ugly.

"What you said is very right." Zhang Juzheng sighed and said, "Actually, what you said, Master Wan Zongbo also told me before, and not just once. I know, I agree. Junior Zongbo, if you only look at the contradictions between countries, being bellicose is not a completely wrong route."

"But war has never been just an external contradiction. The harm of being bellicose is more about aggravating internal contradictions."

Being warlike will perish has never been an empty word. This has been repeatedly proven by history.

Since the second year of Longqing, there have been few wars in the Great Ming territory. Peace has lasted for a long time. Twenty years have passed, and people have begun to forget, and they don't know what war looks like.

War slowly turned into a glorious, honorable, and even romantic legend, into heroic deeds in storytelling, into almost omnipotent great achievements in vernacular novels, into the descent of military stars from the sky. People yearn to become that great person who is the descent of the military star.

War has never been a generous and heroic adventure, nor a wonderful and exciting experience. At least, the Great Ming should not step onto this dead end of being bellicose amidst cheers.

The harm of war to society is devastating. As one of the helmsmen of the empire, Zhang Juzheng knows this well. He has seen with his own eyes how painful the people were when the northern barbarians ravaged and the Japanese pirates were rampant, and the Great Ming's retaliation was also extremely bloody.

The result of war is a lose-lose.

Zhang Juzheng never advocated total war, but local rapid war. Since the Wanli Reform, all wars have been local rapid wars. Even the Pacification of Japan in Korea, which lasted the longest, lasted for three years and then stopped.

If it continues like this, when it really reaches the day of being bellicose, the Great Ming, which is attacking everywhere, will destroy itself in being bellicose.

"Wait until the Pacification of Bozhou is over, then talk about Annam." Qi Jiguang took a deep breath and said, "The Southwest is already fighting on two fronts. Fighting the Ava Kingdom, and still fighting the Bozhou Tusi, and then fighting Annam? From a military perspective, this is a military adventure. I do not agree with using force against Annam now."

As the Grand General, Qi Jiguang made the final decision and vetoed the proposal to use force at this moment.

"I think what the two teachers said is right. Annam's matter will be discussed later." Zhu Yijun saw that the civil and military officials had clearly expressed their positions and made the final ruling. This matter was temporarily shelved.

"The ministers obey the decree." Zhang Juzheng and Qi Jiguang led the group of officials to bow again, obeying the imperial will.

After Zhang Juzheng sat down, his expression carried an inseparable worry. With the civil and military officials in the court, they could still suppress this tendency of being bellicose. When the civil and military officials are gone, who will suppress this tendency?

Even Shen Shixing's look at Zhang Juzheng became a bit strange. Perhaps even this disciple who is thoughtful in everything feels that the conservative Yuanfu is a bit of a hindrance.

Can the Emperor sitting on the dragon throne suppress this tendency?

Zhang Juzheng felt he could, but he was not so sure. His Majesty is a warlike person and has never cared about his reputation, or even the ancestral laws.

Japan and Korea are the fifteen non-conquest countries. Korea is the territory of the Great Ming, and Japan has the Great Ming garrison.

Zhang Juzheng sighed and could only continue the court discussion. Death is fair to everyone. If you are dead, you are dead, and you can't manage things after death at all.

"This year, only three Spanish galleons arrived in the New Port, and they all came from Portugal. Spain completely stopped the galleon trade. Even these three ships paid a large bribe to pass through the Strait of Magellan smoothly." Grand Minister Zhang Xueyan took out a memorial, his face heavy.

Last year, Spain also sent envoys, but the amount of silver carried was greatly reduced. This year, Spain directly stopped the galleon trade.

Shen Li came out of the ranks and said, "Your Majesty, the minister asked the Portuguese envoy in detail before understanding the reason. In order to conquer England, King Felipe of Spain transferred all the ships and sent them to the battlefield. Although some results were achieved, they finally withdrew from England completely."

Shen Li is also a conservative. He doesn't think now is a good time to take action, so he explained why the galleon trade stopped.

Spain is bellicose and trapped in the quagmire of long-distance expeditions, unable to extricate itself.

War, people can only decide when it starts, but no one knows when it will end and in what form.

Maybe the court's decision is indeed a bit conservative, or even a bit rigid and stubborn, but not letting the Great Ming easily fall into the quagmire of war might also be a kind of high morality. ===== CHAPTER 1005 =====