Chapter 443: Privateering License

Wang Chonggu had always been a very normal conservative from beginning to end, but at this moment, Wang Chonggu could no longer endure it. Whether it was the coal mountain, or the gold, silver, and copper mountains, the profit was so great that it far exceeded imagination. Only by opening up the post road could the government-run group manufacturing law truly succeed.

"The Shanxi people have already taken away the wool business." The reason Zhu Yijun didn't want to show Wang Chonggu the report was also here. The interest was too great, and there was no guarantee that Wang Chonggu wouldn't lead the Shanxi Party to tear his face with the Emperor for the sake of interest.

Zhu Yijun wasn't afraid of the Shanxi people tearing their faces with the court, but he didn't want to see a scene where everyone was indecent. He chose to be straightforward. For this kind of old fox, before Zhu Yijun even opened his mouth, Wang Chonggu already knew what the Emperor was worried about.

The Shanxi Party occupies the geographical and human advantages in this regard. The inherent territory of the Shanxi Party is the northwest region such as Shaanxi, Gansu, and Ningxia. Wang Chonggu guaranteed with a pat on his chest that the Shanxi people would definitely get a share. Whether the court allows it or not, it is a foregone conclusion.

Fortunately, Altan Tian Kehan was captured. This is the thing Wang Chonggu is most fortunate about. Otherwise, His Majesty wouldn't be hesitating, but taking action. His Majesty has never lacked decisiveness, and as Zhang Juzheng's student, he has never lacked ruthlessness.

For example, maritime trade. Zhu Wan, the Zhejiang Governor, led the Taoist priest's imperial decree to "act according to circumstances" to clear out the Japanese pirates. After being forced to commit suicide, the Japanese pirate trouble became as turbulent as boiling water. The contradiction between the court and local coastal areas reached the point of clashing with soldiers. Now that the seas are fully opened, the coastal wealthy families are also beneficiaries.

This occupies geographical and human advantages; the Shanxi people will definitely get a share, big or small.

"Coal mountain, gold mountain, silver mountain, copper mountain—placed there, they are worthless." Wang Chonggu couldn't guarantee to His Majesty what kind of goods the Shanxi Party were. He knew very well that giving His Majesty any guarantee was like an old general on a stage planting a flag for himself.

Zhu Yijun pondered for a while and said: "The court has no money. Whether it is building roads or mining coal and refining gold, silver, and copper, there is no money. But the Ming Dynasty needs these. Everyone being a shipowner is actually quite good. What does the Assistant Grand Secretary think?"

Yao Guangqi, the Seaweed King, wants seaweed to enter Huguang, Sichuan, and Jiangxi, but he also has to look at the faces of the wealthy families in Xitucheng. Otherwise, Yao Guangqi wouldn't have needed to attend that banquet. In the current Ming Dynasty, local gentry and powerful families still control the vast majority of local social resources.

Zhu Yijun is clear about this, and Wang Chonggu is also clear. This kind of local gathering for warmth is expressed politically as "hometown parties." Forming parties based on hometowns—Shanxi Party, Chu Party, Zhejiang Party, Qi Party, etc. —are all typical examples of regional gathering and forming parties.

The "Everyone Being a Shipowner" plan was executed very well. It can be seen from the deserted ship ticket trading in the trading house that the volume of ship tickets is already large enough. However, these shipowners who bought ship tickets have always refused to trade the ship tickets in their hands, and more of them are holding them long-term.

Zhu Yijun even published specific financial reports on dividends, and it was one issue every year. The dividends were never used for other purposes. Keeping faith and promises is the second biggest label on Zhu Yijun besides stinginess.

The Ming Emperor's reputation is extremely strong.

Why was the distant beacon tower marquis willing to hand over the Lying Horse Gold weighing more than a jin directly to Qi Shuai? It was because he knew that if this gold was handed over, His Majesty would definitely not treat him badly, and he might even get more. This is the embodiment of reputation. If the country loses its great trust, people will be suspicious. Now the reputation of the Emperor and the court is recovering rapidly.

For the sake of people's cohesion and the reputation of the Emperor and the court, Zhu Yijun and Zhang Juzheng had a disagreement, insisting on enfeoffing Qi Jiguang as a Duke.

The people of the Ming Dynasty are very tolerant. Even if they have suffered many hardships in the past, if the court says what it does and keeps its reputation strong, they will also recognize the court's decrees.

A decree that is not accepted by most people is a piece of waste paper.

Zhu Yijun's meaning is that if the Shanxi people want to eat, they can refer to the method of the trading house and share part of the interest. But wanting to take it all is impossible. When necessary, when rebellion needs to be suppressed, the Beijing Camp can also turn its blades inward.

Wang Chonggu pondered for a while and said: "Your Majesty, any promise is pale. I cannot even guarantee myself, but I can say loudly that I will definitely use the most powerful means to ensure that the majority of the Shanxi people are loyal to the monarch, revitalize the great ambition, and embody the spirit of the country's revitalization."

Mining is a very complicated project, and the Shanxi people are not professional. It is more appropriate to leave professional matters to professional people. There are many people who want to wait for dividends and don't want to create trouble, and this is the first thought of most people. Laziness is human nature. If you can lie flat and get money, why bother?

However, many times, from experience, the Ming Emperor and the court's words are like farts, without any reputation. For example, Ming paper money went from being worth one liang of silver to being worse than toilet paper by the twenty-sixth year of Hongwu.

Wang Chonggu's meaning is very clear: His Majesty still keeps his faith and promises, and he is responsible for cleaning up the rebels among the Shanxi people. There is no need to trouble His Majesty to take action. His Majesty is the Son of Heaven after all, and has many worries when taking action. But Wang Chonggu is a treacherous official, so he doesn't have those worries. He said so, and he did so.

Wang Yu, the Shaanxi Administration Commissioner, the assistant officials Xue Lun, and Qiao Bixing, the Shanxi Surveillance Commissioner, were all cleaned up by Wang Chonggu himself.

"In that case." Zhu Yijun smiled, signaled Wang Chonggu to sit down, and talked about the coal mountain matter.

Shengzhou (today's Ordos) was established in the early Sui Dynasty. In the late Sui Dynasty, it fell to the Turks. Li Jing led the generals out of the pass in the third year of Zhenguan, destroyed the Turks, captured Jieli Tian Kehan, and then raided the Yin Mountains, recovering the Ordos Loop. In the fourth year of Zhenguan, Shengzhou, Xiazhou, Yanzhou, Fengzhou, Lingzhou, etc., were established here again.

The Ming Dynasty's conquest this time doesn't even need to rename the places; it only needs to enable the place names of the Tang Dynasty.

And the open-pit coal mountain reported by Ma Gui is on the northeast edge of this Shengzhou coal mountain. It is a coal mountain in the complete physical sense. The whole mountain is coal. Lin Buzheng, the scholar of things who discovered this coal mountain, was also greatly surprised.

The Xishan coal field in the Ming capital is generally more than thirty zhang underground. For the sake of coal, it is like doing a dojo in a snail shell, as difficult as it can be. Just for the sake of coal, they go to great lengths to mine it, even disturbing the ancestors, as the Ming Imperial Tombs are in the Xishan. Now, an almost inexhaustible coal mountain has fallen from the sky.

"I don't quite understand. Altan Tian Kehan didn't discover this bright open-pit coal mountain?" Zhu Yijun chatted with Wang Chonggu about the mining of the coal mountain. The Xishan Coal Bureau needs to send a general manager and a deputy manager to Shengzhou to mine the coal mountain. Wang Chonggu is also familiar with these things. With the cooperation of the Ministry of Works, the mining matter can be considered a good start.

Wang Chonggu is the Assistant Grand Secretary of the Cabinet in charge of government-run group manufacturing. Wang Chonggu is about to retire, which will cause some small trouble.

"Even if Altan Tian Kehan discovered it, what could he do? Your Majesty, an open-pit coal mountain is also in the mountains. Even if he discovered it, he could gather a bunch of slaves to dig it out, but he couldn't transport it out." Wang Chonggu shook his head and said: "He couldn't even build a Ban Sheng city well. Do you expect him to be able to mine?"

It can't be done. Under the political structure of the Northern Barbarians, it is fundamentally impossible to do it.

Mining is a systematic project. Altan Tian Kehan built a Ban Sheng city, and it took more than twenty years of repairs. Under the fire cannons, it didn't even last three days. The organization is not enough, and building a city is difficult. The Ming Dynasty and the Northern Barbarians have fought for at least two hundred years, and the country's embargo on the Northern Barbarians for more than two hundred years has completely degenerated the grasslands into the slave era. Mining, this kind of multi-party coordination, Altan Tian Kehan fundamentally cannot coordinate.

"Reasonable." Zhu Yijun recognized Wang Chonggu's point of view. Letting Altan Tian Kehan mine is indeed making things difficult for him.

"Your Majesty, how should Altan Tian Kehan and other captives be dealt with?" Wang Chonggu asked the question he wanted to ask. He is the Minister of Justice. Altan Tian Kehan has been locked in the Heavenly Prison. Whether to kill or scrape, His Majesty must say a word. Locking him up like this is not a matter.

Zhu Yijun said with a serious expression: "All of them, from centurions, chiliarchs, ten-thousand-household heads, Altan Tian Kehan, to Altan Tian Kehan's heirs and concubines, are all to be beheaded. The new hatred and old grudges between the Ming Dynasty and the Northern Barbarians will be settled here."

"Including the two sons born to San Niangzi?" Wang Chonggu asked in a low voice.

"Including them. Before the Loyal and Obedient Lady left, she told me that they were not her children. At that time, Altan Tian Kehan was plotting against the Oirats and needed a child. At that time, Altan Tian Kehan could no longer give birth." Zhu Yijun nodded. Before the Loyal and Obedient Lady returned, she specifically told His Majesty that the two sons under her name were only sons in name, and those two sons didn't live in Hohhot, but in Ban Sheng.

In a few years, San Niangzi can adopt two more under her name. It's not a big deal. On the grasslands, people don't attach much importance to blood ties.

"I obey the decree." Wang Chonggu bowed again and said: "I take my leave."

Wang Chonggu stood before the imperial study in the Tonghe Palace and sighed. When it was time to act, His Majesty never hesitated. In truth, the censors were all waiting—waiting for His Majesty's disposal of Altan Tian Kehan. If Altan Tian Kehan were to simply die of old age in the celestial prison like this, the censors would impeach Qi Jiguang for the incident at Bansheng where five thousand desperate souls were slaughtered.

If Altan Tian Kehan is beheaded and shown to the public, everyone will pretend nothing happened.

As for how the Emperor chooses, the court officials actually can't figure it out. After Tang Taizong captured Jieli Tian Kehan, he also raised Jieli Tian Kehan, and he would dance from time to time to entertain everyone. Altan Tian Kehan, no matter what, was the Shunyi King enfeoffed by the late Emperor, with a gold seal and five-chapter robes and crowns.

Obviously, beheading everyone above the hundred-household level, not even letting go of the concubines, and even beheading the two sons under San Niangzi's name together, was a ruthlessness that even Wang Chonggu didn't expect. Wang Chonggu's judgment was right; His Majesty is truly ruthless.

Wang Chonggu took two steps forward and suddenly stood still. He suddenly understood why His Majesty wanted to do this. It was the same reason Qi Jiguang killed people: for the sake of reconciliation.

If the grassland people really want to hate specific people, then let them hate the Emperor himself and Qi Shuai.

Barbarians are wolf-faced and beast-hearted, fearing power but not cherishing virtue. Without thunderous means, they cannot be deterred. In the Yongle years, the barbarian king Mahamu was enfeoffed, but later Mahamu's grandson, Esen, captured the Ming Emperor Ming Yingzong.

The Ming Dynasty has fought the Northern Barbarians for so many years. The main trend now is reconciliation. Some historical issues need someone to bear the infamy. Now and in the future, the title of executioner will definitely fall on His Majesty's head, and it will never be removed.

Wang Chonggu thoroughly understood His Majesty's determination to revitalize the Ming Dynasty. Reputation after death? Totally ignored, only caring about affairs before death.

In April of the eighth year of Wanli, when the Ming exploration fleet set off, Zhu Yijun promised the soldiers of the exploration fleet that those who returned successfully would get 1,000 silver each, and those who couldn't return successfully would get 500 silver for each family. Xu Jiugao, Liu Ji, and others didn't mention this when they returned to the court, because they all knew His Majesty's stinginess. (Chapter 368)

Zhu Yijun didn't forget, it was just that he was checking the accounts before, needing to verify the number of people, needing to check the letter tokens, customs documents, etc. It wasn't until the court finished checking that the court's work had its own rigidity and inefficiency. Every expenditure of money required a long time. This money was finally issued in full two and a half months after the exploration fleet returned.

On the fourth day of the seventh month of the ninth year of Wanli, Zhu Yijun summoned the Antonio envoy Marcus in the Wenhua Hall.

"Subject, Marcus, Commander of Cascais, pays respects to Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty, long live, long live." Marcus performed the great ceremony of five bows and three kowtows.

In the imperial decree enfeoffing Antonio, there was also the enfeoffment of Marcus as Commander of Cascais. Cascais is located forty li west of Lisbon and is the most important defense fortress and military port in Lisbon. Zhu Yijun enfeoffed him as Commander, which is matched with the enfeoffment of the King.

"No need for ceremony." Zhu Yijun looked at Marcus and asked with a smile: "I heard that this time the Portuguese King asked you to bring 500,000 silver to pay off my debt. Actually, there is no need to be so anxious."

"Your Majesty's generosity and benevolence shine ten thousand li away in Lisbon." Marcus was polite. His Majesty's interest is actually not high in folk lending, and it doesn't even count as usury, but Portugal really can't afford to owe it. Dragging it on for ten or eight years, I'm afraid the whole of Portugal will have to be compensated to His Majesty.

"How many ships do you plan to buy this time?" Zhu Yijun asked straightforwardly.

Marcus hurried to say: "Two are enough. Philip II has no time to conflict with Your Majesty's Portugal at this time. The gold and silver in the Prince's hands are truly stretched. This time, being able to buy two five-masted ocean-going ships and returning 500,000 in debt to Your Majesty, I need to leave some principal to do business, only then can I pay off all the debts."

In Marcus's words, Portugal is His Majesty's Portugal. It is asking the Emperor for pity. There is really nothing left. One must leave some principal to do business.

Zhu Yijun heard this and said quite seriously: "Marcus, there is an old saying in the Ming Dynasty: 'Prepare before it rains.' If you wait until it rains to prepare, I'm afraid it will be too late. I have to remind you that Philip II indeed has no time to pay attention to Antonio now, because the independence of the Netherlands has made him exhausted."

"But similarly, once he solves the problem, if you want to build a larger fleet to deal with him, I'm afraid it will be too late. This back and forth will take a year, and you still have to recruit naval soldiers to fight. Time will only drag on longer."

Doing business is about selling anxiety. Philip II fundamentally cannot solve the independence of the Netherlands, so the possibility of conflict between Philip II and Antonio began to decrease, especially after Antonio leased a port.

But if he didn't say so, how would Antonio buy ships? How would he willingly send the silver he worked so hard to get into the hands of the Ming Dynasty?

Marcus bowed again and said: "Your Majesty's wisdom is like the stars in the sky, and Your Majesty's revelation guides us forward. But, there is really no money left. Prince Antonio did not get the support of the various viceroyalties. The current maritime trade even needs to rely on Spanish ports. Please, merciful Your Majesty, give the Prince some time."

There is really not a cent of silver left!

The old King, the Pure Henrique, did not leave any inheritance to Antonio. The whole of Portugal is also waiting to be rebuilt. Antonio brought 1.5 million silver to the Ming Dynasty. Repaying the debt and buying two ships used up 900,000 silver. Within the remaining 600,000, he needs to buy enough goods and earn profits to pay off the debt.

Antonio and the Duchess Catarina's grandfather were the same person. Xu Fan was shocked by this and carefully covered it up, but 500,000 of Antonio's 1.5 million silver was given by the Duchess.

"I know Antonio's predicament. How about this: merchant ships that do not obey Antonio's orders will not be allowed to buy spices in Manila, Old Port, etc. In this way, Antonio can get the support of some viceroyalties." Zhu Yijun said with a smile: "Now, the spices that Portuguese merchants urgently need are all under the control of the Ming Dynasty. This punishment is something that many viceroyalties cannot bear."

Luzon, Cebu, Mindanao, Yuanxu Archipelago, and other regions are called "Spice Islands" by the West. The West can have no Jerusalem, but it absolutely cannot have no spices.

Legazpi has a travelogue specifically discussing pepper, titled *Wealth, Adventure, Colonization, and Pepper*, which is a systematic discussion of the importance of pepper to the West.

Legazpi said in his travelogue: 【It is hard to imagine a spice rack without black pepper. It is the chameleon of the culinary world, silently blending into countless food combinations, producing different hot and spicy tastes depending on the origin. Recipes absolutely cannot lack this spice, pepper. We walk into a food store and can usually find many kinds of ground pepper powder seasoning jars, or bottles of colorful pepper seeds that we can buy home and grind ourselves.】

【Pepper is a world spice.】

For the Ming Dynasty, pepper is a kind of seasoning, but the West indeed needs pepper, which has a great relationship with their dietary habits.

Legazpi once recommended Western cuisine to the Emperor, but the next day he was thrown into the Northern Town Guard by the Embroidered Uniform Guards on the charge of "harming." He was locked up for three days before being privately pardoned and released by the Emperor. After that time, Legazpi never dared to recommend Western cuisine again.

Western cuisine is still in the era of "eating raw meat and drinking blood." If the Emperor eats beef that is not fried, it is against the rites. The *Book of Rites* says: "Before there was fire, they ate the food of grass and trees, the meat of birds and beasts, drank their blood, and ate their fur." This is regarded as barbaric behavior. Even the sea fish sent by the lost exploration fleet, Zhu Yijun only tasted it.

The great physician said that there are living worms in beef that is not fried, so it is absolutely impossible to eat raw food, all for the sake of His Majesty's health.

The importance of pepper has a great relationship with dietary habits. Although Legazpi is still stubborn, saying that freshly ground pepper has a rich aroma, and inhaling it may be as intoxicating as smelling a cup of very strong red wine, so Westerners are extremely fond of pepper.

And Wan Shihe believes that the West mainly uses pepper to cover up the smell of mutton and the smell of blood.

Now the Ming Dynasty's management of the Southern Ocean has brought spices completely under the control of the Ming Dynasty. Even the Western galleons can only obtain enough spices from Manila.

Therefore, Zhu Yijun's threat is solid. Viceroys and merchants who do not support Antonio can only buy from Philip II.

Marcus hesitated for a while before bowing and saying: "Thank you for Your Majesty's holy grace, but don't do this. In this way, the viceroys cannot sincerely support Antonio."

"Is that so?" Zhu Yijun immediately asked back: "Does Antonio really not need it? It's just a matter of a government decree. It's really not troublesome. Since I enfeoffed Antonio, how can I ignore it?"

"And it doesn't cost money, does it?"

Free things are often the most expensive.

The reason Zhu Yijun wants to issue the spice ban is that the spices in the plantations are not worried about sales, because the Ming Dynasty is the largest market in the world today. Even if the Ming Dynasty can't eat it all, there is a galleon arriving once a year that can take the spices back to the West.

Zhu Yijun's move is indeed supporting Antonio to be King, but isn't it also cutting off Antonio's last retreat? After this ban is issued, the viceroys of the Viceroy's Mansion will never be able to sincerely support Antonio. Antonio can only be a traitor to the West.

Maintaining the relationship with the Ming Dynasty has become the most important thing for Antonio.

Marcus is obviously very clear about this point. Having dealt with His Majesty for so many years, anything that can be obtained for free requires a high price, such as the high interest on borrowing money to buy ships before.

Marcus struggled, and finally, he bowed and said: "Thank you for Your Majesty's generosity."

Only after sitting firmly on the throne can one talk about other things. Antonio and Marcus, who were pirates, couldn't see far, and could only focus on the present. Antonio urgently needed the support of various viceroyalties. The issuance and effectiveness of the Eastern Emperor's ban could indeed allow the viceroyalties to defect to Antonio.

Marcus could not, and dared not, refuse. He was not afraid of the Great Ming Emperor; defying the Great Ming Emperor was indeed extremely dangerous, and it was highly likely he would be sent to that hell on earth, the Dissection Institute. But there was another reason, the most important one, why Marcus could not refuse His Majesty's proposal: Antonio had changed.

Antonio used to be a captain, now he is a King.

This captain, sitting on the throne of a King, did not work hard to govern, but handed over the administration completely to the Minister of State Xu Fan, and began his extravagant life. As for the ambition to revitalize the country before becoming King, it had already faded in the extravagant life.

Philip's secretary, Solon, looked down on Antonio for a reason. Solon sneered that Antonio was not worthy of being a King, only a captain. His monarch, Philip, was extremely diligent, writing more than 400 letters to viceroys in various places a year, year after year.

Antonio likes to be a King. At least it's enough to look like flowers and brocade. This is why Marcus could only agree.

Once the old heart changes, it is said that the old heart is easy to change.

"That's good. The Minister of Rites, draft the decree." Zhu Yijun nodded. This time, he strengthened the political and economic restraint on Portugal.

Wan Shihe understood the purpose of His Majesty's move. He wouldn't care about any "friend's surprise." He immediately bowed and said: "Subject obeys the decree."

Zhu Yijun met Legazpi. Legazpi was still the same. This Western envoy had already been abandoned by Philip II, but on the surface, he was still an envoy. This time, Legazpi presented His Majesty with a newly written travelogue. The content inside was mainly his view of the Ming Dynasty's conquest from the perspective of a Westerner.

From Legazpi's perspective, the treatment by the Ming Emperor and Qi Jiguang was too soft and benevolent.

And another envoy was Matteo Ricci. Matteo Ricci was still very young, and his eyes were full of curiosity. He couldn't even say the greeting words well, and because he was somewhat timid, he even stuttered. On the way to the capital, Matteo Ricci had already witnessed the power of the Ming Emperor, how terrifying it was.

Zhu Yijun arranged Matteo Ricci to Zhang Guoxiang. The study of the Daoist Canon was finished, and there was still Buddhism. It was enough for him to sink into it for a lifetime.

Matteo Ricci presented Philip II's state letter. Zhu Yijun could understand it. It was written in Latin. The main content was still greetings, keeping the friendship between the two countries, and other such polite words. The only thing worth noting was that Philip II hoped that the Ming Dynasty would not open a route to England. Philip's words carried great resentment, resentment towards England. Obviously, he already knew that England had completed the circumnavigation.

In order to persuade the Ming Emperor, Philip II obviously put in a lot of effort. In Philip II's description, if it weren't for England lurking behind the scenes and clamoring, the situation in the Netherlands wouldn't have deteriorated to this point today. To put it this way, the Ming Dynasty might not be able to understand it directly. Philip described England as the "Japanese pirates of the West."

This immediately became easy to understand.

This "shit-stirring stick" of England can stir up trouble in Spain's territory today, and tomorrow it can stir up trouble in the Ming Dynasty's maritime territory.

For such a country, I hope the Ming Emperor will be cautious and cautious, and think three times before acting.

"Philip II mentioned in the state letter that England issued privateering licenses to merchant ships. Is this true?" Zhu Yijun looked at Marcus.

Marcus sighed helplessly and said: "Your Majesty, such a thing is indeed happening. This is a nightmare for all maritime trade, but it is indeed happening."

This statement was recognized by Marcus. In order to support the independence of the Netherlands and to deal with the maritime trade competition with Spain, England has begun to openly issue "privateering licenses," authorizing armed merchant ships belonging to individuals to attack or plunder ships of other countries.

Under such a policy, it will only give birth to countless pirates. Whether it is Portugal, Spain, or the Ming Dynasty, they cannot tolerate pirates, because the breeding of pirates will seriously affect the smoothness of the shipping routes.

Making mistakes legal is a kind of robber logic, but England openly promotes such a government decree. Marcus is hostile to Philip, but he also despises this behavior, and even off the coast of Portugal, there are privateering ships appearing.

Marcus, who has been at sea for a long time, hates pirates to the bone.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 444 =====