Chapter 442: Heaven Gives but One Does Not Take, Instead One Suffers the Blame

Wang Daokun, Wang Guoguang, Zhang Xueyan, Wan Shihe, and even Zhang Juzheng—they are essentially farmers. The silver waste problem they discuss and the proposition of using asset appreciation to reduce silver waste are also path-dependent, a path dependency of converting currency into assets.

The landlords of the Ming Dynasty are obsessed with annexation and buying land; even Xu Jie cannot be exempt from vulgarity. And the method Wang Daokun gave is also just "buying land." Just as landlords always like to purchase land, the rapid inflow of the Ming Dynasty's silver, fixing liquid assets, is the "buying land" of currency converting into assets.

For example, silver stagnation and idling—actually, the two Song Dynasties had a solution, which is the "Green Sprout Law." If the Ming version of the Green Sprout Law is implemented, it can quickly pierce the silver stagnation, dredge silver from cities to the countryside, and it can also solve the idling problem. Under high interest rates, the Ming Dynasty's silver will quickly precipitate downward under the Green Sprout Law.

The only problem is that the Green Sprout Law harms the most impoverished people of the Ming Dynasty.

The impoverished people use their own hands to laboriously create value, exchanging it for the inflow of overseas silver, while the class that controls and can mobilize more social resources uses its control over silver, assisted by high interest rates, to harvest the impoverished people and form a closed loop. The impoverished people are exploited of their surplus value in production, and then are fiercely harvested by the financial scissors.

Shen Shixing and Wang Daokun disdain the free propositions of the Songjiang School for this reason. From the height where Wang Daokun and Shen Shixing stand, they deeply know the basic logic of social operation: money is never open to the poor; money is one of the tools of exploitation. But the Songjiang School's proposition is that only money will be open to the poor.

This is a lie, and they know they are lying themselves, but after telling the lie too many times, they have even deceived themselves.

Zhang Juzheng and these few people—their methods are a bit clumsy, a bit old-fashioned, and even a bit like farmers. Clearly, there are simpler methods, and financial methods are right before their eyes, yet they choose to take a detour, using old-farmer thinking to solve the silver problem encountered after opening the seas.

"Assistant Grand Secretary Wang is busy with state affairs and busy with family affairs; the children at home are also not worry-free." Wan Shihe suppressed his laughter.

Wang Qian caused some jokes. This wealthy young master, at the critical moment when Wang Chonggu was being criticized, caused a joke of jealousy at Taibai Tower for the sake of a prostitute, which became a joke on the streets of the capital for a time, and also made Wang Chonggu quite passive. Failing to teach his son became another label on Wang Chonggu.

Failing to teach one's son is also a loss of private virtue. For example, Yang Shiqi's son abused the countryside, eventually leading to Yang Shiqi being forced to retire.

Wang Chonggu is old now and can't catch up with Wang Qian.

Wang Guoguang and Wang Daokun left together. When they left, they were still constantly discussing words similar to audit, commodity, exchange, and production. Wan Shihe stayed behind alone. He had a doubt that needed Zhang Juzheng to resolve, and this doubt was the relationship between Qi Jiguang and Zhang Juzheng.

Qi Jiguang is about to be enfeoffed as a Duke. His Majesty is quite at ease, but there is a question that is not easy for an Emperor to ask, which requires Wan Shihe, this Minister of Rites, to run around in the middle.

"Zhang in civil affairs and Qi in military affairs—reviving the declining, saving the situation from collapse, and supporting the building when it is about to fall—is truly the blessing of the state." Wan Shihe's words are flattery, praising the achievements of the two. His words cannot be considered boasting; they are also the truth.

The two Ministers have already left, and Wan Shihe stayed behind alone to speak like this. Zhang Juzheng naturally knew that there were words within words. "Zhang in civil affairs and Qi in military affairs" is indeed the blessing of the state, but it could also be the disaster of the state. Once civil and military join forces, where does that leave His Majesty? The social resources the two can mobilize now are enough to complete a change of dynasty.

Once two officials and the Emperor clash, for the Ming Dynasty, it is a great disaster of national destruction. No matter who wins, the loser is the Ming Dynasty.

Authority shaking the master, disaster sprouting from the carriage.

Zhang Juzheng naturally understood the meaning of these words. He pondered for a moment and said with a smile: "The Minister of Rites is truly overthinking. Ever since Qi Shuai returned the waist plaque of the Quanchu Guild Hall, there has been nothing worth worrying about. Indeed, to outsiders, Qi Shuai and I have complemented each other for more than twenty years. Can that friendship be severed by just a waist plaque?"

"This is not only the Minister of Rites' worry, but also a worry that many people in the court dare not speak of."

"Actually, it is just that our paths are different, so we do not conspire together."

"Qi Shuai and the Senior Grand Secretary have different paths and do not conspire together?!" Wan Shihe looked at Zhang Juzheng in a daze. This was the first time he had heard that Zhang Juzheng and Qi Jiguang were at odds, and it was a disagreement on the path.

"Yes." Zhang Juzheng said slightly dejectedly: "Actually, I lied."

"Oh? I would like to hear the details." The Minister of Rites, Wan Shihe, is a person who likes excitement!

To outsiders, Zhang and Qi are one, but it seems they are not as solid as imagined. This unbreakable political alliance seems to have had differences, and they look very serious.

Zhang Juzheng leaned back in his chair, his expression somewhat desolate, losing his former vigor. He looked at the beams and pillars of the Wenchang Pavilion with somewhat scattered eyes and shook his head: "Human power eventually has its limits."

"I lied to His Majesty, lied to the court, lied to the civil and military officials, lied to the world, saying that the Longqing Peace was only to stop the fighting for a short time, to recuperate, to nurture strength and sleep on brushwood and taste gall, to plan for the future to avenge the blood feud. In fact, I know very well that the peace was the end; the peace was thoroughly turning over that page and becoming the past."

Wan Shihe shook his head and said: "No, no, no, the Senior Grand Secretary is wrong. Altan Khan was captured, so this is not deception."

One cannot ignore the facts when speaking. The city of Ban Sheng was broken, and Altan was captured.

"This is sophistry. Even if the world doesn't think I lied, I know myself that I lied." Zhang Juzheng smiled and continued: "In the second year of Longqing, Qi Jiguang came from the south to the north. At that time, I met him once. At that time, I instructed Qi Shuai: 'Today's affairs should be based on defense. If the thieves cannot enter, that is the top merit.' I instructed Qi Shuai that his task was to repel the enemy and not let the Northern Barbarians enter the pass to plunder; that was the top merit."

"That was also the first time Qi Shuai refuted my opinion. He said: 'We must engage with short blades on the open field; only then will the barbarians be unable to support it and then be heart-broken and terrified! Rectifying the military and strengthening the soldiers to march north to the grasslands is the long-term strategy.'"

"Later, in the *Memorial on Training Soldiers*, he said even more bluntly that we must train a strong army to pacify the desert forever to maintain the stability of the border."

We must engage with short blades on the open field! Only then will the barbarians be unable to support it and then be heart-broken and terrified!

This is Qi Jiguang's ambition.

Zhang Juzheng clarified the old events. Zhang Juzheng and Qi Jiguang had fundamental differences in the decision-making regarding the Northern Barbarians. One advocated defense, and the other advocated replacing defense with offense. In the end, Qi Jiguang compromised. This kind of disagreement on the path was a huge injury to both sides who were comrades and fellow travelers.

"So that's how it is." Wan Shihe understood completely.

Zhang Juzheng's face finally became painful. He rubbed his eyebrows and said: "I could actually defend myself with two sentences. For example, I could say that rites, music, and expeditions come from the Son of Heaven. As a Chief Grand Secretary, setting such a policy is the crime of overstepping. The late Emperor was hidden, and His Majesty was young. As a minister assisting the country, I was just exhausted."

"This is also sophistry. Actually, I was just afraid. I was just afraid and didn't dare to take military risks. What if I lost? After all, I hadn't won before. Timidity is timidity; there's no need to sophistically argue about other things."

In the second year of Wanli, Li Chengliang captured Gule Village, which proved that the Ming army still had the possibility of fighting outside the pass and winning. Before that, there was no practical proof that the Ming Dynasty could defeat the Northern Barbarians outside the pass. The Ming Dynasty had been losing, losing, and losing.

The Regional Commanders of Datong, Xuanfu, Jizhou, and Liaodong died one after another. If the Regional Commanders were like this, the soldiers were just grass.

This is Zhang Juzheng's timidity. As the Chief Grand Secretary of the Empire, every one of his decisions determined the safety of the Ming Dynasty. He was afraid.

"I am truly not as brave as His Majesty." Zhang Juzheng's expression gradually relaxed. He smiled and said to Wan Shihe.

In the first year of Wanli, His Majesty suddenly enfeoffed Qi Shuai with a title, and taking advantage of Zhu Xizhong's death, he brought a blood-stained memorial to the Quanchu Guild Hall, convinced Zhang Juzheng to revitalize the military camp, and then handed over the Heavenly Sword and the Beijing Camp completely to Qi Jiguang. This was a huge gamble, and it was also His Majesty's bravery.

Qi Jiguang immediately abandoned being a running dog of the Quanchu Guild Hall and turned to the Emperor. It was his sincere heart for pacifying the border of the country that was beating. As a fierce general in the military field, his judgment on the situation between the Ming Dynasty and the Northern Barbarians was extremely accurate. Without a great victory worthy of being recorded in history, just repelling the enemy outside the pass was nothing but lingering on in a steadily worsening condition.

On the grasslands, the Ming Dynasty was gradually losing its prestige. The heart of disobedience was already brewing outside the pass. If one punch didn't open the way, a hundred punches would naturally come!

When the Emperor showed his perseverance in practicing martial arts, when Zhu Yijun ambushed the court officials to enfeoff titles, when the Emperor inquired about military affairs, and when the Emperor promised to ride with gold weapons and iron horses, Qi Jiguang immediately seized this opportunity.

At first, he was regarded as a useless thing by others. There was also this kind of awkwardness. On one hand, the responsibility given to him by the court was only to guard the border, but he knew that only guarding and not attacking was useless work. So his training of the northern border troops was equivalent to the training intensity of guest troops, and they didn't go out of the pass to fight, so what was the use of such hard training?

The Northern Barbarians' horses drank in the suburbs! The stench of slaughter was heard in the city gates!

Then they threatened with soldiers and demanded, and I responded because of exhaustion. To make peace and accept the alliance under the city walls—isn't that a humiliation?

Humiliation indeed!

Qi Jiguang knew the basic logic of military affairs: to beat the opponent until they are convinced, to beat the enemy until they flee at the sight of the wind, and not to dare to invade—that is the fundamental way. But the Ming court at that time couldn't do it. Qi Jiguang had talent, but the Ming Dynasty's military, politics, capital, and public opinion couldn't do it.

"Perhaps, at that time, in Qi Shuai's heart, I was just a coward and a fame-seeker." Zhang Juzheng said with considerable relief.

"The Senior Grand Secretary is belittling himself. Qi Shuai is a reasonable person. He knows the Senior Grand Secretary has his difficulties and will not blame the Senior Grand Secretary." Wan Shihe comforted Zhang Juzheng. He also confirmed the doubt deep in his heart, which was that Zhang Juzheng and Qi Jiguang had really parted ways, and their contradictions and differences were even earlier than everyone expected.

Wan Shihe got the answer and left with satisfaction. There was no more worry about enfeoffing Qi Shuai as a Duke.

But Zhang Juzheng sat in the Wenyuan Pavilion for a long time. Uncovering his own scars—how could it not require courage? The words he and Qi Jiguang said in private, he didn't say, and Qi Jiguang wouldn't go around saying them either. But after Zhang Juzheng knew Wan Shihe's doubts, he still uncovered the scars.

His Majesty is braver than him, Zhang Juzheng.

He actually knew very well that Qi Jiguang didn't look down on him from the bottom of his heart and see him as a coward; it was Zhang Juzheng himself who looked down on himself. He actually knew Qi Jiguang was right, he just couldn't do it.

Now everything is just right, just right.

Zhang Juzheng hummed a little tune and practiced a set of Baduanjin, sweating all over. During this month of rest, he learned this Baduanjin, which counts as exercising his body in his spare time. The smoothness of state affairs made him fall asleep as soon as he touched the pillow, unlike the past when he was full of worries.

Zhu Yijun finally received the joint memorial from the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Senior Grand Secretary of the Cabinet. The content of the memorial was *Memorial on Bai Yin Waste*, systematically discussing the waste of Ming silver and the methods of solution. Zhu Yijun agreed with these solutions very much. Although troublesome, state affairs have never been simple.

Commodities have two values: one is use value, and the other is exchange value. These are the two elements of commodities. And labor contains two elements: concrete labor and abstract labor. The duality of labor determines the duality of commodities. There is a close internal connection, but this is not a one-to-one correspondence; it is a relationship of close connection and mutual independence.

For example, the various technical books sold by the Imperial Estates have extremely low use value. Materially, it is just a book and some ink, and one copy sells for between 2,000 and 5,000 liang. But the content of this technical book contains extremely rich abstract exchange value, which is worth this price.

*Illustrated Production* has defined production in detail, and also defined labor and commodities.

The Ming Dynasty's silver is composed of the hard work of the Ming Dynasty's diligent commoners.

At first glance, a commodity is a simple and ordinary thing, but after a slightly deeper analysis, one will find that it is a strange thing full of subtlety and grotesqueness, because labor itself can also be seen as a commodity to be sold.

Before naval officer Shi Peng became a naval officer, he was called Shi Liu. He only got six wen of flying money for carrying a load from the warehouse. In order to carry more, he would run back to the place where the goods were divided. This is selling labor.

And the commodity nature of labor can only be expressed indirectly through commodity exchange, that is, only when selling labor power and obtaining labor remuneration does labor show its commodity nature.

At this time, an inevitable social problem appeared before the gentlemen of the Ming Dynasty: commodities are the masters of all things.

Producers, the impoverished commoners, can only transform their own private labor into social labor through the exchange between commodities and commodities.

Commodities will only be recognized by society when circulation and exchange occur, highlighting their use value and exchange value.

This is a major event that endangers the rites and teachings. For the gentlemen of the court, this is incredible!

In the past, virtue determined everything, that is, the abstract spiritual world was the master of all things. But now, after the successive appearance of *Theory of Contradictions*, *Illustrated Production*, *On Public and Private*, and *On Class*, these theories seem to have pushed the world in another direction, that is, matter determines everything, that is, the concrete material world, commodities are the masters.

And these two completely opposite theories have become self-consistent under the *Theory of Contradictions*, like the yin and yang fish in the Taiji where you have me and I have you, complementing each other. Under the *Theory of Contradictions*, the abstract metaphysics and the concrete physics are both very important, without distinction of primary and secondary.

Unity of knowledge and action reaches conscience, contradictions succeed in explaining all principles.

In order to understand the essence of commodities, the Ming Dynasty has had sufficient discussion. At this time, it naturally entered into the discussion of currency.

The essence of currency, the function of currency, the attributes of currency, and the efficient conversion of liquid assets into fixed assets.

The financial affairs of the world are like the changes of the four seasons, the operation of heaven and earth, circulating repeatedly, beginning and ending again. Heaven, Earth, and Man—these are the three talents. Supply, Fixed, and Liquid—these are the three wealths.

Supply assets are for the clothing, food, housing, and transportation of life. Fixed assets are means of production. Liquid assets are the circulation and exchange of commodities.

At this time, the gentlemen of the court were surprised to find the terrifying nature of silver, which is almost omnipotent.

Just by possessing silver, this general equivalent, one can exchange for any clothing, food, housing, and transportation needed, and can also obtain sufficient means of production. And silver itself is also a commodity, which can be circulated and exchanged.

And what is most terrifying is that silver itself seems to be a fixed asset, because it can directly obtain profits from lending! It can completely bypass production!

The thinking and discussion about silver made the Ming gentlemen even feel a kind of confusion. The theory that production and productivity determine everything, and matter determines everything, which had just been constructed, collapsed in front of silver.

Bai Yin, or currency, is too terrifying, simply omnipotent.

This is where Wang Daokun is confused. It looks very complicated, but in reality, it is not simple.

Zhu Yijun is very clear about his doubts and confusion, but Wang Daokun doesn't understand his own problem at all.

Without knowing what he is doubting, he got the answer he was looking for from the complete freedom theory of the Songjiang School. Thinking this problem through, silver is not a fixed asset, not a supply asset, and not even a liquid asset; it is a general equivalent, it is a commodity.

Lending interest is fundamentally a kind of exploitation based on class, that is, money never opens its door to the poor, and doesn't even open a window.

The wealthy families, famous clans, scribes, and brokers who promote complete freedom in the Songjiang School are completely prostrate in front of money. Money is like a god in the real world, omnipotent. The emergence of the Songjiang School and the countless followers it has harvested now is also a reflection on the essence of silver. However, in the process of this speculation, they gradually became slaves to money, completely prostrate in front of the power of money.

It must be said that the creature of the Ming gentlemen, in a sense, is a transcendent creature. Even when they don't know what they are doubting, even under the constant clamor of these money slaves, they can still find the answer to the problem. This kind of "no confusion" is the transcendence of the gentlemen.

But this transcendent ability is invisible. The conditions required to express it are extremely harsh. If any condition cannot be met, it will be hidden. It requires a prosperous government and a harmonious people, it requires the trend of the times, it requires expression, and there are too many conditions required, just like the commodity nature of labor, which only expresses itself when exchanged.

"Old-farmer thinking." Zhu Yijun said to Feng Bao with a smile: "However, I highly approve of this old-farmer thinking of the ministers. The Songjiang School had better not chant scriptures in front of me."

"Is His Majesty going to refute them with reason and evidence?" Feng Bao asked with some confusion.

Zhu Yijun waved his hand and said with a smile: "No, I will fully approve of this doctrine. Since it is said to be complete freedom, then I will rely on my strong soldiers and horses to directly snatch everything they have and take it as my own. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

"What a wonderful world."

"Ah?" Feng Bao's expression was somewhat stunned and somewhat dazed. He immediately understood His Majesty's meaning completely. When imperial power, with the help of the complete freedom faction, completely breaks free from the shackles and fetters on its body, and when there are no taboos, I am afraid these famous clans who promote the complete freedom faction will be the first victims!

Big fish eat small fish, small fish eat shrimp. Is it possible to expect big fish not to eat fish?

Feng Bao said sincerely: "His Majesty understands freedom."

Under feudal imperial rule, especially in front of an Emperor who controls military force, what is the difference between talking about complete freedom and looking for death?

Zhu Yijun took out another memorial, looked at it for a long time, looked at the signature uncertainly, and said dazed: "Are our Ming officials all so fond of flipping pancakes?"

"This... the situation has changed." Feng Bao could only explain it this way.

It was a memorial from Zhang Dingsi, a censor of the Censorate. In this memorial, Zhang Dingsi and others loudly called for the construction of the post road from the capital to Datong, and from Datong to the Ordos Loop. It must be built, built immediately, it cannot be done without, and it cannot wait for a moment! Even if the war hasn't ended, it must be built!

Before this, the censors were the main force opposing the construction of the post road. They were deeply wary of the "Suiyuan King's Transformation" and even disagreed with the conquest. This aspect was influenced by the calculation of wind power.

Zhu Yijun called this behavior of opposing before and supporting now, repeating, "flipping pancakes." Just like a pancake in an oven needs to be flipped, slapping one's own mouth is completely different from a boomerang. A boomerang is someone else using your own words to refute you, while flipping a pancake is opposing your own past remarks.

The reason why the censors flipped pancakes and this change occurred was because a large number of coal mines were discovered in Datong, Shanxi, and Dongsheng County north of Yulin. And it was that kind of open-pit coal mine that is extremely easy to mine. On the northeast edge of the Dongsheng County basin, the coal field structure outline is an eastern uplift and a western depression, with a trend similar to north-south, tilting to the west—a coal mountain, a real coal mountain.

In Ma Gui's memorial, this coal mountain was called inexhaustible. And from the accompanying documents, under the triangulation method, the outline of this coal mountain was sketched out.

Therefore, the censors immediately changed their attitude, from opposing the construction of the post road to the Ordos Loop to fully supporting it.

Firewood, rice, oil, and salt—firewood comes first. This firewood has always been profitable. Where is this a coal mountain? It is clearly a gold mountain!

The Ming Dynasty actually lacks understanding of the Ordos Loop. The actual rule over the Ordos Loop area can be traced back to the Sui and Tang Dynasties: Shuofang Commandery, Wuyuan Commandery, Yulin Commandery.

"They want to build it? I have no money, and the state treasury has no money." Zhu Yijun reviewed the memorial, ordered the Cabinet to study it, and shook his head: "They are truly a group of people who see money and open their eyes. Such repetition is simply devoid of any virtue. According to this Zhang Dingsi's statement, mobilize commoners to build the post road now, mobilize immediately, build immediately."

"Mobilize now, to do what? Post road preparation requires looking at hydrology, surveying geography, and finding a suitable road to build. Just the preparation by the Ministry of Works takes several months. The Chonggu Post Road, after Wang Chonggu proposed it, took half a year to start construction. And that was building from the Ming capital to Shanhai Pass."

Zhu Yijun deeply knows the difficulty of the project, especially this kind of major project. Zhu Di built the official road and post road to the Nurgan Regional Military Commission, which took fourteen years, starting from the third year of Yongle and ending in the seventeenth year.

The Ming scholars, who are lazy in body, always propose completely unrealistic goals regardless of reality.

The coal mountain is naturally tempting. The scholars of the Ming Imperial Academy of Things followed the army to survey the hydrology and geography of the Ordos Loop area. Only after the army's conquest was basically stabilized could this post road be built. Of course, Ma Gui had already settled a batch of captives to carry out preliminary mining and mine construction at the Dongsheng open-pit coal mine.

"Your Majesty, Assistant Grand Secretary Wang is here." A small eunuch hurried in to report.

"Proclaim him."

"See Your Majesty. Great good news, Your Majesty! Great good news! Coal, inexhaustible coal!" Wang Chonggu's eyes were shining. As the general manager of the Xishan Coal Bureau, Wang Chonggu knew too well that coal mountain equals gold mountain. He knew too well what this meant for the Ming Dynasty.

"No need for ceremony. I already know. No rush, no rush, sit down and calm down." Zhu Yijun signaled Wang Chonggu not to be impatient.

Zhu Yijun hesitated, shook his sleeves, and took out a report from his sleeve. This was a report from the distant beacon tower marquis. Wang Chonggu, as Assistant Grand Secretary and Minister of Justice, had no right to inquire about the intelligence of the distant beacon tower marquis.

"Qi Shuai led his troops to Fengzhou, three hundred li north of the Yin Mountains, and discovered a gold, silver, and copper mountain." Zhu Yijun handed the report in his hand to Wang Chonggu, and at the same time signaled Zhang Hong to take something.

Wang Chonggu opened the memorial in his hand tremblingly, looked at it for a long time, and couldn't help but say: "My... God, is there really a gold mountain?"

The Ming hinterland lacks copper, is poor in silver, and has little gold. Wang Chonggu was shocked to the extreme by this report. According to the content of the report, this is truly a gold mountain!

"This is the 'Lying Ma Jin' brought back by the distant beacon tower marquis, about one jin and three liang. It is a natural gold nugget discovered in a mountain stream when the distant beacon tower marquis was scouting the Oirat's westward movement and avoiding Oirat scouts. The texture is impure." Zhu Yijun pulled away the red silk on the table, revealing the Lying Ma Jin inside. This natural gold nugget looked like a lying horse, hence the name.

This distant beacon tower marquis handed the gold nugget to Qi Jiguang, and Qi Jiguang sent an urgent report back to the capital. That place was also named "Lying Wo Wo Ma Gang" by Qi Jiguang.

The accompanying scholars of things went to find the dragon and divide the gold—that is, to find the source, called "finding the dragon," which is to find the big dragon of the ore vein. They discovered that this place, Lying Wo Wo Ma Gang, not only has gold, but also silver and copper, and there is also a high-grade open-pit coal mine twenty li away.

Wang Chonggu stood up abruptly, clenched his fists, and said loudly: "Your Majesty, Heaven gives but one does not take, instead one suffers the blame! Your Majesty, issue an order to build the road!"

It is no wonder Wang Chonggu reacted so fiercely. When Zhu Yijun received the report, he was no better than Wang Chonggu.

(Location of Lying Wo Wo Ma Gang 【now Oyu Tolgoi gold-copper mine】)

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 443 =====