Chapter 320: Your Majesty, I Have Three Strategies: Upper, Middle, and Lower

The Great Ming's insatiable demand for ships took Zhu Zhu Yijun by surprise; according to his stereotypical view of colonial rule, the mother country's fleet would grow rapidly, then enter a stable plateau before another explosive phase triggered by technological breakthroughs—a gradual, cyclical process consistent with the fundamental principle that all things rise spirally.

Yet the Great Ming's voracious demand for ships completely shattered Zhu Zhu Yijun's stereotypes; from this glimpse, the Great Ming's appetite resembled an endless abyss—no matter how much goods poured in, it could never be satisfied, and this gap was growing ever wider.

Indeed, Zhu Zhu Yijun had opened the seas for six years, built one shipyard after another, constructed dockyard basin after basin, recruited apprentices annually, each time on a larger scale, and shipyard expansion had never ceased, accelerating rapidly; even so, orders piled up across several shipyards, forcing them to halt new contracts, as current capacity was already booked three years ahead.

Expand, expand, expand! —this became the epitome of the Great Ming's shipyards and the current state of all state-run factories.

Unordered expansion inevitably invites backlash, but the state factories' expansion is not unordered—it is simply far too slow to meet demand.

Bai Yin, brass, sulfur, wool, tung oil, fish oil, palm oil, sugarcane refined sugar—no matter how much of these goods entered the Great Ming, they vanished like pebbles dropped into the sea, stirring not a ripple.

Only after reviewing the state factories' ledgers did Zhu Zhu Yijun begin to understand this reality: the Great Ming was both the world's largest consumer and the world's largest producer, guaranteeing its gluttonous nature—insatiable, forever unfed.

No human gaze can pierce the fog of time to see five years ahead, for the moment you see the future, the future changes.

On the other hand, the Great Ming's expansion was constrained: state-run shipyards already had production schedules booked three years ahead; this vast market could not be met by state factories alone, yet private shipyards rose with excruciating slowness due to technological barriers, cost control, administrative management, and labor expenses.

The three-masted carrack was the Great Ming's dominant merchant vessel, though only for coastal trade, not ocean-going sailing ships; yet not a single private shipyard could complete construction under supervision—beyond complex reasons, the slow rise of private workshops stemmed from a lack of skilled artisans.

The Great Ming's powerful elites had lost all credibility; even with better pay, shipwrights scarcely believed a word from these wolves and tigers.

The realm was trapped in land consolidation; the gentry stripped the people bare.

The people had long seen the true faces of these wolves and tigers and trusted not a single word of theirs; shipwrights in state shipyards lived well, in great stability—even their children could attend school.

Would Liu Liu Qiniang, former courtesan of Yanxing Pavilion, choose to work in a state factory or a private workshop?

Liu Liu Qiniang would rather drown in the Yongding River and become a boneless ghost than go near them—for facing these beasts was worse than death.

"Such a fat piece of meat—can't these powerful elites show a little backbone?!" Zhu Zhu Yijun slammed his fist on the table; who else was to blame but these elites for their countless sins? Nearly everyone among the poor laborers had been abused by them.

Even among neighbors, borrowing a few bushels of green rice during disaster turned one into a displaced vagrant.

Zhang Hong handed the emperor a new pencil; he knew what angered him—the emperor yearned to revitalize the realm, yet while the court pushed forward, the ruling elites lagged behind; no wonder the emperor was furious.

Zhang Hong shook his head: "They don't want to miss out on this rich prize—they simply can't get it. This isn't about whether they want to prove themselves; to them, giving silver to the poor is not charity—it's sin. Many no doubt whisper behind closed doors: 'The emperor starves himself to feed soldiers and commoners.'"

"Good conduct and good action lead to good conscience; without good action, there is no conscience, and without conscience, there can be no good action."

"Your words hold truth," Feng Bao affirmed firmly. "A few days ago, the Minister of Justice brought a group of Shanxi merchants seeking to establish wool factories. Since His Majesty seeks to weaken the steppe, they thought 'many hands make light work.' But when they saw the treatment of artisans in state factories, what did the Shanxi merchants say?"

Zhu Zhu Yijun paused, then said decisively: "Minister Wang's management is exemplary; the Yongding and Yongsheng wool factories enjoy stellar reputations; everyone calls him a great benefactor. With high pay and high profits, his Wang family is nearly the wealthiest in the capital region—isn't that proof of his skillful management?"

Wang Wang Chonggu earned vast wealth, yet his reputation was sharply divided: some hailed him as a great benefactor, others saw him as a mortal enemy, eager to destroy him.

Feng Bao exhaled wearily: "No—they saw only where costs could be cut: large bowls of iced tea, wind fans, start-up bonuses, New Year bonuses, state-run schools, state-run book societies—all could be eliminated, saving considerable sums. What was that term again? Reduce what, increase what?"

"Reduce costs, increase efficiency," Zhang Hong added.

Feng Bao sneered: "Yes—reduce costs, increase efficiency. It enraged Minister Wang. He tried to help them grow rich, yet they criticized his management, spouting nonsense. Minister Wang kicked them all out—told them not to even think of this business; if they took it, they'd lose money."

"He truly kicked them out. Now Minister Wang is the leader of the Shanxi Party, backed by his own armed force; one kick apiece—hah! Those Shanxi merchants were utterly humiliated."

Are the Shanxi merchants alone? They are merely a reflection of the Great Ming's powerful elites—they truly believe giving silver to the poor is sin, yet never consider how increased productivity and stability yield far greater returns.

Geng Geng Xiangding and Jiao Hong, these two scholars of things, analyzed the factors influencing production efficiency through weighted assessment when defining production.

Their analysis was based on the dialectical principle of phased balance.

During the quantitative change leading to qualitative transformation in production technology, productivity and stability exert the greatest influence on efficiency;

When production technology achieves qualitative transformation, the weight of production tools briefly rises to equal that of productivity and stability.

Technological development follows a cyclical rise: during quantitative change, productivity and stability determine the speed of accumulation; technological innovation requires productivity, and its agents are skilled artisans, who require stability; without veteran craftsmen under the Western mercury amalgamation method, experience cannot accumulate, severely hindering innovation.

Technological innovation centers on human agency; the fundamental definition of productive force is humanity's capacity to alter nature.

This aligns with Zhang Zhang Juzheng's political stance since Emperor Wanli: the people as the foundation of the state, a solid foundation ensures national peace, and kindness toward commoners.

Geng Geng Xiangding and Jiao Hong clearly analyzed the current state of state and private workshops, elevating societal awareness—but these powerful elites chose to believe only themselves, refusing to elevate their thinking, hence achieving nothing.

"Truly, when given opportunity, they prove useless," Zhu Zhu Yijun leaned back, his stereotype of the ruling class's incompetence deepening further.

"Has Li Li Yougong returned?" Zhu Zhu Yijun picked up a memorial, asking about Li Li Yougong's whereabouts; Li Li Yougong had returned to the capital with the King of Ryukyu.

Even if court ministers opposed, Zhu Zhu Yijun would permanently embed the Ryukyu royal lineage within the Great Ming and annex the Ryukyu Islands.

Came? Thought you could leave? Don't even dream it.

"He has reached Tongzhou; he returns to the capital tomorrow," Feng Bao replied promptly.

Li Li Yougong arrived at Songjiang New Port via hydrofoil sailboat, then resupplied at the Shandong Mizhou Maritime Office, disembarking at Tianjin's Tianjin Tanggu; hydrofoil sailboats were extremely fast, but the Ryukyu king had to travel by large vessel to Songjiang Prefecture, then proceed overland to the capital—another ten nights' journey.

Shang Jiu, Ryukyu's greatest meat-eater, lived in luxury and could never endure a hydrofoil sailboat; among all meat-eaters, only His Majesty had turned his own body—devoid of martial talent—into the top youth-level martial artist in the realm.

That suffering was not for those born to privilege.

The Prince of Lu, under imperial pressure and enticement, still slacked off, his martial progress painfully slow.

In Tongzhou's guesthouse, Li Li Yougong watched the lights along the Tonghui River; even at night, laborers' chants echoed along the banks as haulers leaned forward, straining to drag flat-bottomed grain barges, ferrying countless goods into the capital; by dawn, when the Zhaoyang Gate creaked open, these goods would flood into the capital.

The prosperity of the Great Ming stood in stark contrast to the decay of Shuri and Naha ports; along this journey, Li Li Yougong had pondered deeply.

As a Senior Secretary of the Directorate of Palace Affairs, second-in-command, one of the Three Ancestors of the imperial palace, Li Li Yougong was a political figure, chief trainer of the sparring team; his loyalty to the emperor could only be described as fanatical—though Luo Luo Sigong remained the first loyalist; when the emperor ordered full force, Luo Luo Sigong dared to strike to kill.

Li Li Yougong's thought process closely mirrored the emperor's.

He pondered the forces behind this prosperity, how to make it even greater.

Li Li Yougong paid homage to the emperor in the Zhao Wenhua Hall; he ascended the moon terrace step by step, paused, glanced back at the black-tiled Zhang Wenyuan Pavilion, then entered the hall.

The Great Ming's transformation began with Zhang Zhang Juzheng's reforms, but it must not end with Zhang Zhang Juzheng's disgraceful fall—otherwise, the millions under Great Ming rule would descend into hell.

"Your servant pays homage to His Majesty; may His Majesty's health be well," Li Li Yougong performed the full kowtow.

"I am well. You have worked hard. Rise," Zhu Zhu Yijun smiled at Li Li Yougong; this man from the Imperial Study was one of his sparring partners—each time they ate goose, he ate the most, devouring every scrap while others still had bones left.

Li Li Yougong recounted his observations in full detail; upon hearing Yin Yin Zhengmao's extreme deference, Zhang Zhang Juzheng visibly relaxed; Li Li Yougong's mission to Luzon was to pressure repayment by force, and also to assess Luzon's current state.

Especially whether the Luzon Governor's Office was as submissive as reported in memorials.

Most believed Yin Yin Zhengmao was a loyalist of the Zhang faction, for his suppression of pirates in Guangdong and Guangxi had been pivotal in Zhang Zhang Juzheng's overthrow of Gao Gong.

If Yin Yin Zhengmao truly raised rebellion in Luzon, Zhang Zhang Juzheng would immediately be thrown into grave difficulty; this disadvantage would persist until the rebellion was crushed, and Luzon, isolated overseas with countless islands, made suppression nearly impossible.

Most critically, the Great Ming's sea-opening enterprise would suffer its greatest blow since its inception; future sea-opening efforts would face massive resistance due to Yin Yin Zhengmao's lack of loyalty.

Fortunately, Yin Yin Zhengmao had not committed acts that would ruin his reputation, embarrass the court, or disgrace the emperor; Yin Yin Zhengmao bore the imperial surname granted by the emperor; rebellion would be a slap across the emperor's face.

The horrific scenes of Ryukyu unfolded before court ministers as Li Li Yougong spoke calmly.

"They learned no three parts humanity, only seven parts beastliness—deeply rooted!" Wan Shihé slammed his sleeve, roaring: "Truly wolf-faced, beast-hearted!"

Wan Shihé understood propriety well; Japan was within the sphere of Central Plains culture, yet the Japanese committed such atrocities in Ryukyu—over seventy thousand civilians slaughtered with such cruelty—that heaven raged and humanity rejected them.

"Worse than the Japanese pirates in the southeast," Tan Lun said gravely, reminding the ministers: "The pirates have always been this way—never changed."

The Japanese pirate threat in the southeast gradually subsided after Emperor Jiajing 40, seventeen years ago; even some unworthy beasts, like Chen Yang Youren, whom the emperor slew, wrote the despicable "Record of the Eastern Expedition" to defend pirates and slander the merit of troops who quelled them.

No court official dared accuse the emperor of cruelty for slaying Chen Yang Youren; even the more radical, like Tan Lun and Shen Shen Yiguan, suggested sending Chen Yang Youren's wife and children to Japan—since they admired it, let them experience its "charm" firsthand.

"Opening the seas is imperative; without a powerful navy, how can we secure the Great Ming's maritime borders?" Zhu Zhu Yijun clenched his fist, speaking slowly and forcefully: "This cramped little nation must be destroyed someday."

Li Li Yougong glanced around, his expression complex: "Your Majesty, while in Yuegang, Fujian, I heard of an incident reported by Fujian Provincial Governor Pang Pang Shangpeng."

Li Li Yougong produced a memorial, handed it to Feng Bao, who passed it to the emperor.

When Zhang Zhang Juzheng was purged in Emperor Wanli 12, one charge against him was eliminating rivals; the list was long, including Pang Pang Shangpeng, who was dismissed as a commoner in Emperor Longqing 4 due to his association with Gao Gong during the Hedong Salt Case; Zhang Zhang Siwei was dismissed alongside him.

Yet from Emperor Wanli 4, Pang Pang Shangpeng served as Fujian Provincial Governor, then rose to Left Censor-in-Chief, only to be dismissed again after the Emperor Wanli 5 mourning controversy.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng knew Pang Pang Shangpeng was talented and reinstated him during his regency.

Pang Pang Shangpeng was Gao Gong's disciple, a core member of the Shanxi Party; Zhu Zhu Yijun expected him to hesitate or resist upon Zhang Zhang Juzheng's return, given his loyalties—but when Zhu Zhu Yijun opened the memorial, it was entirely otherwise.

Pang Pang Shangpeng was investigating a case: Fujian mine owners enslaved commoners, kidnapping people and throwing them into mines; once inside, no one escaped, for exiting meant climbing a mountain of blades and crossing a sea of fire.

The mountain of blades was real—blades arranged as a mountain; the sea of fire was real—a red-hot iron plate; only those who crossed it could leave the mine.

This case dated back to Emperor Jiajing 21, when Japanese pirates ravaged the southeast; these powerful men kidnapped people; by Emperor Jiajing 40, as piracy waned, they opened gambling dens, and gamblers were seized and thrown into mines—others assumed they'd been beaten to death by debt collectors.

These men employed countless thugs and bandits to kidnap laborers and mine silver.

The case erupted when Pang Pang Shangpeng's land surveyors were abducted; one vanished during land surveying, then another disappeared in the fields; Pang Pang Shangpeng grew suspicious—surveyors never went alone; they usually brought three or five Southern Yamen runners; such incidents should not occur.

In Emperor Wanli 6, February, a group of mine slaves rose up, escaping the mines; among them was the missing surveyor, who led the slaves out, exposing this festering wound.

Horrifying.

"Master, please read this," Zhu Zhu Yijun handed the memorial to Feng Bao; Zhang Zhang Juzheng took it, read it, and flew into a rage!

When court ministers finished reading, none were not stunned; the last time they were so shocked was when the Kong family of Yanzhou committed atrocities in Shandong—the court knew the Kong family treated people like beasts, and Shandong's banditry was well known.

This time, the mine slaves left the ministers speechless.

Such lawlessness, such brazenness—they dared abduct Qingzhang surveyors!

Most seafarers came from Fujian; if they could live decently, who would choose to leave?

"An outrage to heaven! Send troops, Your Majesty!" Tan Lun passed the memorial to Ceng Ceng Shengwu, his fury boiling over.

During the suppression of pirates, Tan Lun had witnessed too many human tragedies; his character hardened into today's form—favoring force, leaning toward extremism, for he had seen the world's suffering.

The Kong family of Yanzhou burying dogs with funeral rites, and these Fujian elites throwing people into mines—equally repulsive!

This truly defied heaven; the land survey and return of fields was the emperor's own decree, a sign of his support for Zhang Zhang Juzheng's reforms; abducting Qingzhang surveyors was outright rebellion against imperial command!

"Troops have already been dispatched," Zhu Zhu Yijun answered Tan Lun; Pang Pang Shangpeng must punish ruthlessly to enforce land survey and return, or surveyors would keep being abducted, and no one would carry out his orders.

Provincial governors across the Great Ming had all grown brutal; even the gentle Pan Pan Jixun had begun executing people.

Pang Pang Shangpeng had made clear in his memorial: whoever was found guilty, their estate would be seized; this case must be pursued to the end, no leniency—this was fundamental to his authority as governor; if he didn't see it through, these wealthy elites would think him afraid.

Li Li Yougong bowed again: "Your Majesty, from the northern bureaus to the southern bureaus, from southern bureaus to Luzon, then to Ryukyu, I've pondered a few words: arguing is useless; people think and speak only from their own knowledge, stance, and interests—no need to argue."

"Your Majesty has repeatedly decreed why land survey and return are necessary; even this eunuch understands your determination."

"To punish without teaching is tyranny; to teach without reforming the obstinate is to deserve death."

As an envoy dispatched from court, Li Li Yougong naturally offered insights based on his personal experience; final decisions rested with the emperor.

"Issue an edict to Pang Pang Shangpeng: purge these vermin," Zhu Zhu Yijun told Feng Bao; he had made his decision—even without Tan Lun or Li Li Yougong's urging, he would have chosen this.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng, who should have counseled mercy, neglected his duty, said nothing, letting the emperor wield violence.

Cultivating violence, controlling violence, using it wisely, preventing it from spiraling out of control—these are the emperor's essential lessons, the abilities he must master; clearly, the emperor knows when to punish, when to reward, and when to relent.

The emperor's marten is well cared for; his featherless arrows fly true.

Wang Wang Chonggu finished reading the memorial and shook his head repeatedly; he disapproved of how these powerful elites made money. His most immoral act had been siphoning off the construction funds for the Xuan-Da Great Wall, yet his fortune came from the twelve thousand hectares of grassland on the steppe.

"Your Majesty, these extravagant households seize people to serve as mine slaves—not for the silver, but for amusement." Wang Wang Chonggu, speaking from the standpoint of these powerful elites, analyzed their motives: not for profit, but for murder. As a representative figure of Great Ming's extravagant households, Wang Wang Chonggu understood better than anyone why they acted this way.

Wang Wang Chonggu's son, Wang Qian, had pleasures unlike others; his joy lay in bribing and uncovering secrets unknown to the world, satisfying his voyeurism while building merit and striving ceaselessly for the survival of his nine clans.

"Amusement? The Grand Censor speaks truly." Zhu Zhu Yijun flipped through Wan Peng's memorial again, confirming Wang Wang Chonggu's assessment: the silver mines of Great Ming were of poor quality. The reason such brutal mines existed was not for the silver, but to watch commoners struggle in their final moments.

When material wealth is abundant, the threshold for amusement rises ever higher; ordinary stimuli no longer bring pleasure. Inflicting life and death upon others becomes a matter of course.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng could not help recalling a question the Emperor had once asked: punch once, three cash; punch twice, five cash; kill someone, two taels of silver. These meat-eaters, raised since childhood under such conditions, saw people not as people, but as objects—fully objectified in the process.

This is perhaps the root cause of the collapse of ritual and music: if people are no longer people, then the rites and laws they must follow cease to exist.

The Emperor held prejudices against civil officials and did not favor the extravagant households either.

Yet he never failed to regard civil officials as human beings; even lowly Confucians like Zhou Zhou Liangyin and Zou Zou Yuanbiao received opportunities from him. Zhou Zhou Liangyin even became a second Hou Hou Yuzhao, reclamation work carried out with remarkable diligence.

Nor did he treat the extravagant households differently. Wan Wan Wenqing, a scion of Jiangxi's powerful clan, became a horse's bone out of fondness for brothels—yet the Emperor merely remarked, with mild surprise and understandable resignation, "Everyone has their own inclinations." He also showed considerable favor to the brothers Sun Sun Kehong and Sun Sun Keyi.

The Emperor held both ritual law and a standard within his heart.

Zhu Zhu Yijun said to Wan Shihé: "Minister Wan, King Shang Jiu of Ryukyu is arriving. Minister Wan, I do not wish him to return, nor do I wish his royal lineage to return. Is this easy to accomplish?"

Zhu Zhu Yijun spoke bluntly: he coveted Ryukyu's strategic position as the maritime gateway of the southeast—the key to Great Ming's opening of the seas. Only by seizing it could Great Ming solidify its foundation; otherwise, it would forever remain under threat from Japanese pirates.

Zhu Zhu Yijun said to Wan Shihé: "This is a once-in-a-millennium opportunity. King Shang Jiu fears war and chooses to flee. I must seize this chance. I do not know when the next such opportunity will come—or if it will ever come again."

Wan Shihé replied with certainty: "Easy."

"The worst strategy is to drown King Shang Jiu in the sea. Chen Lin is already in Ryukyu; under hereditary succession, we can cut the line entirely, blame it on the pirates—after all, pirates commit every evil deed; it would be perfectly plausible."

Tan Lun shot Wan Shihé a startled glance; the extermination-of-lineage tactic—this man was truly vicious!

This was no new tactic. Historically, Liu Yu—the mighty general who rode with spears and horses, swallowing ten thousand li like a tiger—exterminated the Tan Sima clan. Zhao Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Zhao Guangyi did the same: several descendants of Chai Rong died under mysterious circumstances; the last surviving one changed his surname. The founding emperors of Great Ming did likewise: the Little Ming King was drowned in the river; the Annamese ruler Chen Chen Tianping died under equally suspicious circumstances. Of course, Great Ming claimed that the usurper Hu Hu Jili had ambushed and killed the last Chen family member.

"The middle strategy is to compel Shang Jiu to reside permanently in the Sanyi Pavilion. For any reason—friendship with neighboring states, the harshness of overseas lands, his unsuitability for rule and need to study under Great Ming, or his admiration for our civilization and refusal to return." Wan Shihé proposed another middle strategy: it was far milder, merely a unilateral act of stubbornness—once he came, he must not leave; any simple excuse would suffice.

Give Shang Jiu face—he had best accept it, or none of us would retain any dignity.

"And the best strategy?" Zhu Zhu Yijun asked curiously.

Wan Shihé bowed and said: "Only four words: willing consent."

Everyone knew the story of the Little Ming King; Chen Chen Tianping's case was equally murky. A rebellion broke out in Annam (modern Vietnam). King Chen Chen Tianping fled to Great Ming seeking aid. Great Ming dispatched troops to escort him back, but the usurper Hu Hu Jili ambushed the escort force, killing Chen Chen Tianping. Hu Hu Jili insisted he had not attacked the escort. Zhu Di launched a campaign against Annam and ultimately won; thus, the truth could only be that Hu Hu Jili had ambushed and killed Chen Chen Tianping. Hu Hu Jili could not refute it, could he? Please vote for monthly tickets! Awooo!!!

(End of Chapter)