Chapter 439: Killing Doesn't Necessarily Require a Knife

Wang Daokun personally went to the Huitong Guild Hall instead of sitting in the Ministry of Works and sending a notice for the Tongxiang Copper Factory general manager, Chen Chengyi, to report to the Ministry of Works. This was Wang Daokun's emphasis on Chen Chengyi, and it was also Wang Daokun's thinking on solving the Ming Dynasty's problems.

"Seen the Grand Minister of Works." Facing Wang Daokun's visit, Chen Chengyi was flattered.

The Ministry of Works, the last of the Six Ministries. The previous Minister of Works, Guo Chaobin, was like a transparent person in the Wenhua Hall, rarely having any opinions on the imperial court's decrees. Usually, after the court discussion made a decision, the Ministry of Works executed it. Only in very accidental situations would the Ministry of Works express its opinions.

Guo Chaobin was an honest man who worked steadily. Wang Daokun was extremely different from Guo Chaobin. Wang Daokun both fought and grabbed. On his first day in court, he gave His Majesty a promise that the *Youlong* would be launched in three years, and this promise was being realized step by step, and there was even an extra *Feiyun*.

The last of the Six Ministries was also the bottom layer of the Ming Dynasty's top-tier architecture. In terms of status, Wang Daokun was a real "Ming official," and unlike most previous Ministers of Works who used the Ministry of Works as a stepping stone, Wang Daokun had his own insights into the importance of the Ministry of Works.

"Rise." Wang Daokun politely signaled that Chen Chengyi didn't need to be overly formal, and then sat down with Chen Chengyi to have a good chat about the situation in Tongxiang Town.

If they talked about other things, Chen Chengyi would still be a bit cautious, but when it came to Tongxiang Town, it was Chen Chengyi's most specialized field. He talked eloquently, detailing the situation of the entire Tongxiang Town.

Chen Chengyi pondered for a moment and said: "Tongxiang Town now has 40,000 strong men, with a total population of 200,000. Originally, the Viceroy Yin Zhengmao asked me to collect copper sand and sell the copper sand back to the Ming Dynasty, because Luzon had no ability to refine it. But the Ming Dynasty's seaports are all worth an inch of gold. If it is far from the port, transportation is difficult."

"So in the second year, we boldly started refining copper sand ourselves to get red copper, and then transported it to the Ming Dynasty. In the sixth year of Wanli, our red copper production increased to 6.5 million catties. Three years have passed, and the red copper production has increased to 12 million catties."

"The grade of copper material in Tongxiang Town is not high. Every 10,000 catties of ore can produce 44 catties of copper. For the sake of copper material, the Viceroy conscripted laborers and built an express road 66 li long, from Tongxiang Town to Manila, so that the red copper, gold, and other things produced could flow to the Ming Dynasty as quickly as possible."

"After nine years of development, we have found a total of eleven copper mountains in the Luzon Islands. If we can connect these eleven copper mountains and the ports with official post roads, then the annual production of red copper in Luzon will grow to an incredible number."

Chen Chengyi took out a memorial and handed it to Wang Daokun. This time he returned to the capital to deliver a birthday gift to the Emperor on behalf of the Princess, and he was also returning to the capital to report on his duties. He was very well prepared. The Ming Emperor's 37.12 million silver investment in opening the seas, 10 million of which was given to Yin Zhengmao, was not wasted by the Ming Dynasty's Luzon Viceroyalty, but was mainly used in port development, official post road construction, mineral exploration, plantation expansion, etc.

Eleven mines were the copper mountains that could be found at present. If these eleven copper mountains could complete their preliminary investment in the next five to ten years and be put into production within ten years, the copper production of the entire Luzon would reach an incredible height, and the copper towns established around these eleven copper mountains would also become the backbone supporting the Viceroyalty.

Zhu Yijun never minded Yin Zhengmao's corruption. If these eleven copper mountains could really be completed, it wouldn't matter if Yin Zhengmao took a little.

Tongxiang Town was also a practice of "official factory group construction." The mining area possessed a large number of rich strong men. They followed the rules of the mine, were grateful to the Viceroyalty, had a high degree of identification with the Ming Dynasty, and also controlled the mines of Luzon. In Yin Zhengmao's plan, these eleven copper towns were the foundation of the Ming Dynasty's rule over Luzon.

Conquering is only the beginning; being able to make it a real-soil county is the opening of territory.

Wang Daokun finished reading the memorial, his face solemn. He did not think that because a large amount of copper material from overseas flowed into the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty should abandon the mining of Dian copper. Although there was constant wind in the court about this, as the Minister of Works, Wang Daokun insisted on the mining and development of Dian copper. This was Yunnan's pillar industry. If Dian copper was cut off, Yunnan would probably be a barbaric land forever.

Wang Daokun continued very affirmatively: "Dian copper must still be handled. The Ming Dynasty's demand for copper has no upper limit." Wang Daokun had communicated deeply with the Minister of Revenue, Wang Guoguang, on this issue.

Chen Chengyi said in a low voice, "Actually, the place with the most copper is not Luzon. As far as I know, Santiago in the Captaincy General of Chile possesses an open-pit copper mountain with an extremely high grade, but the Captaincy General of Chile is more interested in silver mountains and has blockaded the copper mountain."

"Need Wanli Tongbao."

After Shen Shixing succeeded as Songjiang Provincial Governor, he still maintained correspondence with Wang Daokun. Shen Shixing said that money does not open up to the poor, and there is a reason for it.

Bai Yin is concentrated in the most prosperous places of the Ming Dynasty, causing expensive prices, and silver has also become a sharp weapon for the wealthy families to exploit the people below. Money always flows to places that are least lacking in money. This truth is universally applicable.

And silver, just like the land annexation of the past, is concentrated in the hands of a few people. The degree of silver circulation affects the Ming Dynasty's transformation from a small-scale peasant economy to a commodity economy. The large amount of silver flowing into the Ming Dynasty is idling in the hands of a few people. This idling forms the phenomenon of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, and this phenomenon is still expanding.

To break the silver bottleneck and reduce the exploitation of the people by currency, one should start with copper coins.

"If the Ming imperial court can cast 5 billion Wanli Tongbao coins every year, then the bottleneck problem will be alleviated. If it can cast 7 billion Wanli Tongbao coins every year, then the bottleneck problem will be completely solved. Copper coins are still the currency used by the majority of the Ming Dynasty's people, not silver." Wang Daokun had communicated deeply with the Minister of Revenue, Wang Guoguang, on this issue.

8 billion Wanli Tongbao coins—the Ming Dynasty needs 120 million catties of red copper every year.

The harm caused by the silver bottleneck is no less than the flood bottleneck in natural disasters. The meaningless idling of silver in the hands of a few people also makes the Ming Dynasty's opening of the seas lose its original important significance. If the inflow of silver does not accelerate the Ming Dynasty's commodity circulation, then the silver is equivalent to not flowing in.

The Ming Dynasty at this time actually also faced the difficulty of Philip II. The immense wealth explored in the New World and the thick profits of maritime trade did not get effective use, did not let Spain get rid of the shackles of religion, and did not let the scattered Spain twist into a rope. Philip II could use silk to relieve his predicament, but the Ming Dynasty had no external force to borrow.

The main purpose of Wang Daokun was to communicate about the matters of Luzon copper materials. He turned his body and asked: "Does the Chile Viceroyalty really have so much yellow copper? Why do the Western great sailing ships arriving in the Ming Dynasty never carry a large amount of copper material?"

Chen Chengyi said in a low voice: "The Western great sailing ships arriving in the Ming Dynasty are mainly silver and Brazilian red wood dye. These profits are higher. The scale of the Western fleets themselves is not very large. In the first year of Wanli, there was only one three-masted clipper ship. The five-masted ocean-crossing ships now are sold by the Ming Dynasty to Philip and Antonio."

"So that's how it is." Wang Daokun understood. Compared with high-value-added commodities like gold, silver, red wood dye, and spices, the profit of red copper became a bit awkward. Even saltpeter would not become one of the "Western tribute trade" commodities, because there were commodities with higher profits.

With the constant prosperity of maritime trade, these commodities with certain profits would constantly pour into the Ming Dynasty.

"Respectfully send off the Grand Minister of Works." Chen Chengyi bowed again and bid farewell to the Minister of Works. Until now, Chen Chengyi didn't know what Wang Daokun's purpose in coming this time was.

Wang Daokun was writing a memorial, the main content of which was the circulation of silver, so he had to inquire personally so that he would have a bottom in his heart. His political proposition required a large amount of red copper to be realized.

Wang Daokun already had an extremely clear train of thought. He found Wang Guoguang, and after deep communication with Wang Guoguang, he went with Wang Guoguang to visit Zhang Juzheng at the Quanchu Guild Hall.

Zhang Juzheng was recuperating from illness. This was a one-month vacation approved by the Emperor. At this time, the Quanchu Guild Hall was still heavily guarded. Although the Embroidered Uniform Guard had withdrawn, the two hundred Iron Forest troops arranged by His Majesty were still protecting the safety of the Quanchu Guild Hall.

Wang Daokun and Wang Guoguang visited together. Zhang Juzheng naturally had to receive them. When he heard it was a state affair, Zhang Juzheng was slightly dumbfounded.

"The problem you want to discuss, I really cannot give a clear answer. It is better for the Grand Minister of Works to write it into a memorial and present it before the throne." Zhang Juzheng didn't want to not handle it, but he was resting now and it was inconvenient to handle it.

By the time this matter was discussed, Zhang Juzheng's vacation would just happen to be over.

Chen Chengyi stayed in the capital for nearly half a month before he got the gold utensils and ritual utensils. Forging took time. During this time, the biggest wind and public opinion in the capital was not Qi Jiguang's continuous advancement in Hetao and the transmission of orders to the grassland tribes, but Wang Chonggu being impeached.

In order to protect himself, Wang Chonggu submitted the *Memorial on Equalizing Fields and Labor*, merging the various labor services into the land to collect taxes, and completely merging the four-difference silver into the land service. This caused extremely widespread opposition. The logic of Wang Chonggu's political proposition was very rigorous, and there was even the practical experience of the Minister of War Tang Long during the Jiajing period. Wang Chonggu's political proposition was very difficult to oppose, but Wang Chonggu as a person was very easy to attack.

Wang Chonggu became the object of verbal abuse and pen attacks by the capital's "pen-correctors." Street corners were full of discussions about him. Soon, the Ming Dynasty's capital's imperial censors reacted and began successive impeachments of Wang Chonggu. They didn't even need to weave charges; they just needed to simply list the things Wang Chonggu had done.

By this time, the Ming Dynasty's imperial censors, these Confucian scholars, seemed to have forgotten what Confucius said: "Do not speak of things that are done, do not remonstrate about things that are accomplished, do not blame things that are past." They calculated twenty years, and even brought up the Hedong Salt Case of the past to talk about it.

Zhang Siwei being exterminated by the clan meant turning the page. The past is the past, and the present is the present.

This world is dynamic, not unchanging. Enemies and friends are always dynamically transforming. The stance of enemies and friends will change with the distribution of interests and the changes in the general trend, especially after Qi Jiguang successfully achieved the great victory in the Battle of Bansheng and successfully advanced toward Hetao, the Shanxi faction had already proven that they had completed the turn.

There are no eternal enemies, and there are no eternal friends. After Gao Gong lost to Zhang Juzheng, the Shanxi faction began to change. Under the constant changes of three generations of faction leaders—Yang Bo, Ge Shouli, and Wang Chonggu—the Shanxi faction had already removed the label of being an enemy of imperial power.

The greatest prerequisite for struggle is to figure out who is the enemy and who is the friend.

Zhu Yijun sternly reprimanded the imperial censors, but he could no longer stop the successive impeachments of the imperial censors. And Wang Chonggu's reaction also exceeded everyone's expectations. Zhang Juzheng was on vacation, and Wang Chonggu, as the actual Grand Secretary, had plenty of means to deal with the imperial censors. In the past, Wang Chonggu had set traps for the imperial censors, inducing them to kneel at the palace gate and intensifying the contradictions.

Wang Chonggu didn't even need other tricks; he just needed to use the methods he had used before, push the matter to the Emperor, and with Wang Chonggu's imperial favor, Zhu Yijun wouldn't mind supporting him.

But Wang Chonggu chose to resign, unable to bear the verbal abuse and pen attacks of the imperial censors, and chose to leave. Wang Chonggu chose to surrender.

"The *Memorial on the Distress of Annexation and Relief*, *On the Slightly Restored Supervision Officials of the Song Dynasty*, *Memorial on Official Factory Group Construction*, and *Memorial on Equalizing Fields and Labor* are all national policies placed in the display cabinet of the side hall. With the Junior Grand Secretary leaving, what should be done about the official factory group construction, supervision officials, and equalizing fields and labor?" Zhu Yijun summoned the Ming Dynasty's Junior Grand Secretary Wang Chonggu at the Wenhua Hall Imperial Study.

Wang Chonggu sighed and said: "Your Majesty, your subject is old. After the Grand Secretary returns to court, your subject should enjoy his old age. The Han Dynasty's mountains and rivers have loyal and good people in every generation. Our Ming Dynasty is not without outstanding people who can handle these things. Why should Your Majesty worry? Your subject is old; your subject is ten years older than the Grand Secretary."

Zhu Yijun shook his head and said: "What about the Shanxi faction? Whether it is Wang Jiaping or Fan Yingqi, with their qualifications and reputation, it is too early for them to serve as faction leaders now. At this time, if the Shanxi faction loses its leader, it will fall apart in a few days."

After Tan Lun became seriously ill, there were enough people with prestige within the Zhejiang faction to inherit the faction leader status, such as Wang Daokun, Shen Yiguan, and Liu Yingjie.

Zhang Juzheng was on vacation, and behind him were Liang Menglong, Shen Shixing, Ling Yunyi, Shi Maohua, and so on.

But Wang Chonggu was leaving now, and the Shanxi faction really had no one to use. Fan Yingqi and Wang Jiaping were still grinding their resumes in the local areas.

"Isn't this just right?" Wang Chonggu shook his head and said: "Altan Khan has been captured. It doesn't matter if there is no Shanxi faction. When we came together in the beginning, it was to resist the northern barbarians. Now that the barbarians are gone, there is no need to form a faction."

The beginning of the Shanxi faction story was to deal with Altan Khan's invasion. Later, as it went on, it turned into a rebellious faction that usurped the master, held the barbarians to respect themselves, and was a collection of special economic interests. After Zhang Siwei was exterminated by the clan, it suppressed the ambitions of those careerists. Now that Altan Khan had been captured and brought to the capital, the Shanxi faction should also disperse.

Without a faction leader, the Shanxi faction would disperse if it dispersed. The "Pure Stream" organized by Xu Jie in the beginning was also forming a faction. After Xu Jie fell, the Xu faction also dispersed. People will die, and forming a faction will also disperse.

"The Junior Grand Secretary really has a good calculation." Zhu Yijun suddenly realized. With Wang Chonggu resigning like this, the historical judgment, from Gao Gong to Ge Shouli, the reputation of the Shanxi faction would immediately rise by many levels.

Wang Chonggu bowed and said: "Your Majesty praises me too much."

"I don't allow the Junior Grand Secretary to resign. Tomorrow the Master will return to court. If the Junior Grand Secretary insists on going, wait for me to ask the Master before talking." Zhu Yijun used Zhang Juzheng to suppress Wang Chonggu.

Wang Chonggu was most afraid of Zhang Juzheng, mainly because he couldn't fight him.

"Ah?" Wang Chonggu was sluggish, shaking his head repeatedly and saying: "Your Majesty, your subject is truly old. This Shanxi faction leader, your subject has thought about it, and it should be handed over to the Grand Minister of Revenue Wang Guoguang."

"Isn't Wang Guoguang a traitor to your Shanxi faction? This was personally determined by Yang Taizai and the Junior Grand Secretary." Zhu Yijun was stunned. He actually thought Wang Chonggu was retreating to advance. This was a very mature way of playing. The imperial censors impeached, the ministers resigned, the Emperor warmly retained, and then blocked the mouths of the imperial censors.

Zhu Yijun thought Wang Chonggu didn't really want to leave, but when he prepared to give up the faction leader and hand the faction leader to a traitor, Zhu Yijun knew that Wang Chonggu really intended to resign.

He was actually playing for real!

"This enemy and I are also changing. Isn't this the core program of the theory of contradictions?" Wang Chonggu shook his head and said: "What traitor or not, they are all doing things for the imperial court. The more you can't do, the more grievances you suffer. They are all His Majesty's subjects."

"Really want to go?" Zhu Yijun stopped playing word games and asked directly.

Wang Chonggu said with some relief: "Your subject is indeed unable to hold on. Your subject has been calculating the interests of one family all his life. The few memorials Your Majesty mentioned, your subject also did it for the interests of his private family. Submitting the *Memorial on Equalizing Fields and Labor* before could be considered the only public affair done for the imperial court. At that time, your subject was already pondering about resigning."

"I heard that a month ago, the Junior Grand Secretary was still holding a seven-star ring-head knife, chasing Wang Qian for two streets before stopping." Zhu Yijun was still trying to retain him. Wang Chonggu's stay or departure was a matter of great importance. The Grand Secretariat was still easy to talk about, but the official factory group construction, the Ministry of Justice, and the Shanxi faction were all problems.

"Your Majesty, your subject is leaving. Only, your subject is worried about Wang Qian." Wang Chonggu had only this one son. Seeing His Majesty agree to resign, he asked for the last bit of imperial favor for Wang Qian.

"I will take good care of him." Zhu Yijun revealed a reassuring smile. Wang Qian was in his thirties and had long since reached the age of thirty. Although he was a bit arrogant on weekdays, he didn't do those intolerable evil things. Perhaps in the eyes of parents, children are always children.

"Your subject, bids farewell." Wang Chonggu stood up, bowed to pay respects, and then left the Imperial Study of the Wenhua Hall.

This retreat, the next time he received news, would be Wang Chonggu's obituary, just like Ge Shouli.

Zhu Yijun looked at Wang Chonggu's slightly hunched back, his heart feeling a mix of five flavors. Actually, until today, Zhu Yijun still had some fear of Wang Chonggu.

"Feng, my attendant, let Xu Jue tell You Qi about Wang Chonggu's resignation, and see what the Master thinks." Zhu Yijun took out his sharp weapon against Wang Chonggu: Zhang Juzheng.

Wang Chonggu walked out of the Imperial Study of the Wenhua Hall, walked out of the Wenhua Hall, and after walking out of the sight of the eunuchs and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, his figure immediately straightened up.

Actually, his body, under the recuperation of the Great Physician, could still hold on for a few more years, but this was the only chance for the Shanxi faction and Wang Chonggu to land safely. He chose to retreat bravely.

High positions cannot be stolen for long, and great power cannot be occupied for long. Those with great power will be destroyed, and those with great merit will be ruined.

The official factory group construction had Wang Daokun, the Minister of Works; the supervision officials and equalizing fields and labor had Zhang Juzheng, the empire's Grand Tutor and Grand Secretary. Equalizing fields and labor had just begun, and in the census of the population, the Shanxi faction had Wang Guoguang as the faction leader. He, Wang Chonggu, did not leave a mess for the imperial court that could not be cleaned up.

Wang Chonggu recommended the Court of Judicial Review Minister Lu Guangzu as the Minister of Justice.

He had long since thought about it. After resigning, he would write books and establish theories, organize the memorials of these years into volumes, and by the way, have a good debate with those "pen-correctors"! Altan Khan had been captured; in the past, he was all enduring humiliation for the sake of the mission!

Wang Chonggu hummed a little tune, preparing to leave the big whirlpool of the court completely after the court discussion at the Wenhua Hall tomorrow.

The next morning, the sun was bright. Wang Chonggu changed into his official uniform, came to the side hall of the Wenhua Hall, and after the Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander Zhao Mengyou cracked the whip three times, he walked into the Wenhua Hall with other court officials and began the daily court discussion.

"Your Majesty, your subject believes that what the Supervising Secretary Liu Xuan, Peng Yingshi, Censor Yin Jin, Gao Weisong, and others said are all old matters. The Junior Grand Secretary resigned due to blame. Your subject believes it is inappropriate. I ask Your Majesty to think three times." After Zhang Juzheng returned to court, the first thing he did was Wang Chonggu's resignation. He disagreed.

"His Majesty already agreed!" Wang Chonggu was already calculating his "Beautiful Retirement Life," but Zhang Juzheng caused waves!

Wang Chonggu didn't expect Zhang Juzheng to block it.

According to the Ming Dynasty's process, the minister submitted a memorial, the Emperor warmly retained, the minister insisted on leaving, the Emperor approved, and the Ministry of Personnel started the process. Zhang Juzheng was the Grand Secretary and Minister of Personnel. Since Yang Bo resigned in the first year of Wanli, he had been holding both positions. Zhang Juzheng naturally had the qualification and power to block it.

Wang Chonggu didn't expect that because Zhang Juzheng was his political enemy—the kind of life-and-death political enemy that would take him along even if he died.

He was ready to slip away, and the Emperor approved, but Zhang Juzheng suddenly jumped out to oppose.

"Is the Junior Grand Secretary trying to run away after setting a fire? The *Memorial on Equalizing Fields and Labor* is making a lot of noise. A memorial entered the court, and there is constant criticism from the world. Wang Junior Grand Secretary is slipping away like this, throwing everything to the court officials—isn't that too irresponsible?" Zhang Juzheng said immediately.

Wang Chonggu understood Zhang Juzheng's intention. This was to make him suffer the abuse together. He said loudly: "I am old. I am sixty-seven! Seventy is rare since ancient times. I am almost at the age of seventy."

"Your Majesty, your subject asked the Great Physician of the Dissection Institute yesterday. The Junior Grand Secretary's body is very sturdy." Zhang Juzheng said to the Emperor: "A seven-star ring-head knife waved up is still full of vigor, the precious sword is not old, and it is not inferior to the Battle of Hushu Pass in those years."

In the Battle of Hushu Pass, Wang Chonggu was the Military Defense Deputy Envoy in Suzhou, followed the Yingtian Provincial Governor Cao Bangfu in Suzhou Hushu Pass, repelled the Japanese pirates, and went out to sea with Yu Dayou to pursue the Japanese pirates, achieving many beheadings. Xia Port and Jingjiang were all battlefields where Wang Chonggu played against the Japanese pirates.

Zhang Juzheng mentioning this was to give Wang Chonggu credit, and to give the imperial censors who attacked Wang Chonggu for not being loyal to the monarch and having the great crime of usurpation a slap in the face. But when Wang Chonggu was young, he was also a person who charged forward with military troops with a *jinshi* status, not fearing life or death. People are very complex. Human hearts are easy to change. Using binary oppositions like good people and bad people to comment on a person is incomplete.

"This mess of the Shanxi faction, let the Junior Grand Secretary take care of it. I have many things to do." Wang Guoguang also stood out, which could be considered retention but also refusal.

When he parted ways with the Shanxi faction, it was because he looked down on the Shanxi faction's style of only calculating private interests. To this day, the overall atmosphere of the Shanxi faction was still about the same as before. He suddenly parachuted to be the faction leader. Just fighting internally with the Shanxi people was enough for him to drink a pot, so where would he have time to do what he wanted to do?

The *Wanli Accounting Record* hadn't been finished yet, and the land survey and population census all needed the Ministry of Revenue to do it.

"Ah, is the Junior Grand Secretary trying to leave me a mess? Just don't resign for the time being." Zhu Yijun looked at Wang Chonggu and said.

Want to run? No way! As long as you can't be killed, work to death!

The Ming Emperor's use of people was always "sustainable fishing."

"Your subject obeys the decree." Wang Chonggu suddenly discovered that he might have been acted upon by His Majesty.

If His Majesty had really agreed yesterday, this wouldn't have happened today. The beautiful retirement life was getting further and further away from him.

"Songjiang Provincial Governor Shen Shixing memorialized that the Tax Inspection Court carried out penetrating law enforcement, and the Dongting Merchant Faction and Ningbo Merchant Faction incited navigators and evaded maritime taxes. Although the arrears have been recovered, they still request the imperial court to punish them severely." Zhang Juzheng brought up the second matter.

The big bosses who incited the navigators were found by Shen Shixing. Shen Shixing was carrying out penetrating law enforcement. The imperial court was staring at the navigators, which was putting the imperial court and the navigators in opposition. If they wanted to find them, they had to find the people behind the scenes who were stirring up trouble.

Now they were found, and they were asking for the imperial court's method of disposal.

"The Dongting Merchant Faction and Ningbo Merchant Faction, from now on, the tax extraction will increase from 6% to 30%, for a period of five years." Zhu Yijun said calmly.

Punitive tariffs increased to 30%. In the fierce competition in the Southern Yamen, these two merchant factions fell into a disadvantage due to excessively high costs, and finally collapsed.

Killing doesn't necessarily require a knife.

Zhu Yijun didn't even need to do it himself.

And the navigators would understand in the future that the promises of these "great benevolent people" were not worth mentioning at all, because when they faced the iron fist of the imperial court, they couldn't even protect themselves.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 440 =====

The Emperor of Great Ming's method of employing people has always been to drain the pond to catch the fish in a sustainable manner.

"Your subject acknowledges the decree." Wang Chonggu suddenly realized that he might have been played by His Majesty.

If His Majesty had truly agreed yesterday, this situation today would not have occurred; his beautiful retirement life was drifting further and further away from him.

"Shen Shixing, the Provincial Governor of Songjiang, has memorialized that the Tax Audit Bureau is conducting penetrating enforcement. The Dongting and Ningbo merchant groups have been inciting naval forces and evading maritime taxes. Although the arrears have been recovered, he still requests that the imperial court punish them severely without leniency," Zhang Juzheng said, bringing up the second matter.

The major proprietors who incited the naval forces have been found by Shen Shixing. Shen Shixing is conducting penetrating enforcement, and the imperial court is keeping an eye on the naval forces; that is setting the imperial court against the naval forces. If one wants to find the culprits, one must find those behind the scenes who incited the trouble.

Now that they have been found, he is asking for the imperial court's method of disposal.

"For the Dongting and Ningbo merchant groups, from now on, the tax share will be increased from 6 percent to 30 percent, for a period of five years," Zhu Yijun said calmly.

The punitive tariff was raised to 30%. In the fierce competition of the Southern Yamen, these two merchant groups fell into a disadvantageous position due to excessively high costs and finally collapsed with a crash.

One does not necessarily need to wield a blade to kill.

Zhu Yijun does not even need to personally take action to kill.

And the naval forces will understand in the future that the promises of this group of 'great philanthropists' are not worth mentioning at all, because when they face the iron fist of the imperial court, they cannot even protect themselves.

(End of chapter)