Chapter 850

Wang Qian's actions were not without precedent.

Ever since the beginning of silk-currency trading for fine woolen cloth, numerous high-barrier private trading societies centered around Yanxing Trading House emerged—these were the embryonic forms of Wang Qian's Tongji Money House.

When the Great Ming Emperor first invested overseas, Wang Wang Chonggu led the Jin Party in providing the Emperor 17.12 million taels of silver as investment; to this day, Wang Wang Chonggu still receives dividends, with the principal set to be fully recovered in three more years, after which all profits will be pure gain.

Wang Wang Chonggu and the Jin merchants originally gave this money as a life-saving bribe, never expecting to see any return; His Majesty's reputation for trustworthiness is exceptional—even rebels acknowledge it, for His Majesty always keeps his word and never breaks it.

Most terrifying is that the dividends increase every year, as the scale of the Emperor's 110 plantations in the South Seas continues to expand; these plantations no longer require additional investment, as retained profits alone are sufficient to fund further growth.

And as long as the Emperor does not risk losing the state's credibility and stirring public suspicion, these original shareholders of the sea-opening venture will continue receiving dividends indefinitely.

Extend the timeline to thirty or fifty years—what an astonishing return? Far exceeding the combined efforts of generations of these Jin merchants.

In recent years, the Emperor has ceased leading investments and no longer accepts donations from the Jin Party, Zhang Party, or Zhe Party because the Emperor is now wealthy and no longer needs others to contribute silver for dividend payouts—the development of the Elder Jinchi Governor's Office and Datie Ling Guard followed this same logic.

Taking advantage while the Emperor was poor was already a stroke of luck; to still expect to profit after the Emperor's prime, when his treasury is full, is the act of a madman.

"Your Majesty, Wang Wang Yushi's idea can still be realized," Zhang Zhang Juzheng said firmly. "Why do powerful elites and local gentry seize land, even letting it lie fallow? It is precisely as Wang Wang Yushi said—they fear their descendants will be unfilial."

"Your Majesty, Xu Xu Jie seized 400,000 mu of land; half of Xu Huating County in Songjiang Prefecture now belongs to the Xu family."

Seizing land even at the cost of letting it lie fallow is about accumulating sufficient family wealth to support future generations' extravagance; land is a low-risk asset, especially in Great Ming, where intensive farming prevails and labor is never scarce—it won't make one fabulously rich, but it will ensure descendants never sink in social class.

Simple enough: if successive generations had always been virtuous rulers, Great Ming would have long since conquered Taixi.

Founding a business is hard; preserving it is harder. The usual reason preservation fails is that descendants lack the courage and wisdom of the founders. If mediocrity could sustain it, the danger lies in being both incompetent and reckless—unable to wait, they insist on proving themselves superior to their fathers and grandfathers by launching new ventures, only to lose everything.

Wang Qian continued: "There are many ways to cause social decline—opium, gambling, believing slander. Tang Tang Zhihan, chief merchant of the Yuan Yang Merchant Guild at Yuegang, believed his wife Liu Shi's words—faking a divorce to evade taxes—but ended up with everything ruined, nearly beaten to death."

"Some brokers and compradors specifically target those who have received great fortune and defraud them."

Zhu Zhu Yijun remembered Tang Tang Zhihan's case vividly: Tang's wife Liu Shi conspired with Xu Xu Zhenyi, transferring all family assets to Xu; after the fake divorce, Liu and Xu obtained a marriage certificate. Tang thought he was catching them in adultery, but nearly died from being beaten for breaking into the house—had he not been agile and fast, there would have been no aftermath. (Chapter 737.)

After this incident, the wealth of Great Ming's powerful elites and gentry came under the control of accountants, not housekeepers.

The main problem with opium is twofold: first, it is extremely expensive—a one-pound opium ball, sufficient for one person's annual use, costs three thousand taels; ordinary gentry families cannot afford it.

Powerful elites can afford it, but if the decision-maker becomes an addict, he will be incapable of making any sound judgment.

"Every five years, ten million taels, each family pledges their share—I believe we can still raise it," Wang Qian stated his plan with full confidence.

Zhu Zhu Yijun smiled: "Try it. Your father and Assistant Minister Wang Wang Jiaoping have tried three times to organize a guild—each attempt failed, but each improved upon the last. I think this Tongji Money House can work. If one attempt fails, try again; accumulate experience through repetition."

"Thus, Yang Bo's son Yang Yang Junmin has been appointed Vice Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture; the position of Prefect of Songjiang has been vacated. I appoint you to Songjiang as Prefect—Songjiang is chosen because it has the most silver."

On the surface, being sent to Songjiang as Prefect seemed like demotion—Wang Qian, a fourth-rank capital official, now becomes a fourth-rank prefect in the provinces—but Songjiang's unique geographic and economic position made it exceptionally vital after the sea-opening.

The Prefect of Songjiang could be directly promoted to Provincial Governor; Yang Yang Junmin's problem was that the Emperor disliked his father—he was fully qualified by seniority.

Wang Qian's face lit up; he immediately performed a grand kowtow and cried out: "Your servant humbly thanks Your Majesty's boundless grace! That Yao Xu Guangqi in Shanghai County has been outrageously arrogant—I will crush him upon arriving in Songjiang, just as before!"

"When he was a playboy, he couldn't beat me; now that he's a virtuous minister, he still can't beat me!"

Zhu Zhu Yijun raised his hand slightly, puzzled: "Rise. But Yao Xu Guangqi is your own son-in-law—how could there be such deep resentment?"

"Your Majesty, this is a gentleman's struggle," Wang Qian said firmly. "He is a gentleman. I am a gentleman!"

Wang Qian's feud with Yao Xu Guangqi was not about face—it was about seniority. In the future, when the Wang family's ancestral shrine honors this generation, if an outsider like Yao Xu Guangqi ranks above him, Wang Qian would rise from his coffin, even if turned to ash.

Wang Wang Chongyi's three sons were all useless; Wang Qian's elder brother died on the northern frontier; Wang Qian is the sole heir. He must protect the Wang family's ancestral shrine and prevent Yao Xu Guangqi from becoming the central figure of this generation.

Zhu Zhu Yijun's expression turned grave: "I understand. I warn you: be careful. I've assigned you Tiqi, but you must remain vigilant yourself. One 'Nine Prohibitions' has blocked too many people's profit paths—even some Jin merchants are plotting to kill you."

The Yanxing Trading House has operated for sixteen years—it does not depend on Wang Qian to function. Wang Qian's appointment to Songjiang means Zhu Zhu Yijun already has a replacement lined up.

"Your servant humbly accepts Your Majesty's instruction," Wang Qian bowed again and withdrew.

Zhu Zhu Yijun watched Wang Qian's retreating figure and asked Zhang Zhang Juzheng: "What do you think of Wang Qian?"

"Stronger than Wang Ci. To this day, Wang Ci remains exactly as he was—unchanged," Zhang Zhang Juzheng said firmly. "Wang Qian still has the people in his heart."

Zhang Zhang Juzheng's understanding of morality differed entirely from Hence Hai Rui's, especially regarding officials. To Zhang Zhang Juzheng, officials were naturally shameless—rolling in the world's greatest arena of fame and profit; how many could be clean?

Zhang Zhang Juzheng's view of morality, especially for officials, was simple: if an official has the people in his heart, that is sufficient morality.

But Hence Hai Rui disagreed. His standards were far too strict—uprightness and integrity have always been rare; to achieve his own integrity, Hence Hai Rui had to carry his coffin to plead.

Hence Hai Rui understood this well—he held himself to the strictest standards but was lenient toward others; in anti-corruption efforts, he often targeted only those who stole silver but accomplished nothing.

In the wave of Emperor Wanli Reforms, incompetence was unacceptable.

What distinguished Wang Qian's Tongji Money House from other private trading societies was its obligation to fulfill certain social functions.

Half of Tongji Money House's profits would be used for gold reserves, funding impoverished disciples, disaster relief, and transmitting artisan skills—this was Wang Qian's morality.

Wang Wang Chonggu respected artisans primarily to secure his own political achievements; he had little sympathy for the poor and laborers. Judging by deeds, not intentions, Wang Wang Chonggu's respect for artisans had already greatly elevated their status.

Zhu Zhu Yijun remarked thoughtfully: "He still has talent. By taking half the profits, Tongji Money House gains public trust. These powerful elites know well: in a money-making business, if the money house doesn't take half the profit, it's eyeing their principal."

"Sending him to Songjiang as Prefect is perfect," Zhang Zhang Juzheng approved Wang Qian's appointment, signaling the Emperor had opened Wang Qian's path to promotion.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng still did not know that Wang Qian had initiated the Lijufa —if he had, he would have held Wang Qian in even higher regard.

"Your Majesty, Shen Shen Shixing did something improper before returning to the capital—he came back from Songjiang looking deeply troubled," Zhang Zhang Juzheng warned the Emperor in advance about Shen Shen Shixing's odd behavior.

In Zhang Zhang Juzheng's view, Shen Shen Shixing's remarks had sounded almost insane.

Zhu Zhu Yijun raised an eyebrow, intrigued: "Oh? Then discuss it with Shen Shen Shixing first—I'm not in a hurry. I'm very curious what he plans to do."

Since Zhang Zhang Juzheng didn't speak, it meant he and his disciple had not yet reached agreement—and Zhang Zhang Juzheng's tone suggested he had been convinced. Clearly, Shen Shen Shixing had done something even Zhang Zhang Juzheng couldn't cover up.

Soon, Shen Shen Shixing submitted a memorial that ignited heated debate in the capital: he requested a complete ban on prostitution in Songjiang, as its scale had already profoundly disrupted local society; if left unchecked, the court would pay even greater costs to maintain stability and order.

Once the shuyu became a nest of illicit trade, it would present Songjiang's administration with a massive, unprecedented challenge.

The illicit economy surrounding prostitution had grown too vast—the enormous cost of maintaining public order had left Songjiang's officials exhausted.

If the court did not ban prostitution, it would reclassify prostitutes as low-status, meaning the state had no obligation to spend any time or resources on them—this would signify the total failure of the New Policy abolishing low-status servitude since Emperor Wanli 9.

Tenant farmers, hired laborers, prostitutes, and those who sold their bodies for survival were never beneficiaries of "selling themselves"—they were the lowest rung of the entire supply chain, stripped bare by gentry, brothel owners, and human traffickers who trampled on human dignity and life for profit.

The illicit economy surrounding prostitution had spread into people's blood.

In October of Emperor Wanli 16, Songjiang uncovered a major smuggling case, arresting over twenty drug traffickers—all of whom operated through the shuyu.

Using prostitutes to sell opium had long been a major channel—but in this case, Prefect Xu Yang Junmin and his officers discovered a cellar, more accurately a hellhole.

Shuyu prostitutes were a young woman's trade; older or sick women were sent into these dark cellars, where drug traffickers, madams, and enforcers drained their last value: their blood. They were hooked to needles, their blood drawn daily.

The purpose of this blood was even more horrifying: injected into opium users as an "extra enhancement."

This substance, called "blood medicine," was a superstitious practice, sold under the pretense of virgin blood; addicts firmly believed injecting such blood could counteract opium's damage to the body.

These addicts had no idea the blood came from aged, sick women.

The blood medicine was processed: after extraction, it was left to settle, then centrifuged; hand-cranked separators extracted the uppermost clear layer.

In just seven shuyu seized, two cellars were found; Xu Yang Junmin rescued twenty-seven women, but thirteen corpses had already rotted in the cellars—the traffickers, madams, and enforcers didn't even bother disposing of the bodies.

Soon, a massive cleanup swept across Songjiang's four counties, inspecting every building; ultimately, 327 victims were rescued.

Shen Shen Shixing's memorial caused such an uproar because he acted too hastily, going too far—he demolished every human trafficking agency in Songjiang, arresting all brokers, madams, enforcers, and shuyu owners, cramming them into prisons. Songjiang's jails were full, so Shen Shen Shixing locked all suspects into the very cellars.

Prostitution had effectively been eradicated in Songjiang—somewhat like acting first and reporting later.

Second, Shen Shen Shixing issued a highly controversial order: any drug trafficker who resisted would be killed without mercy. Equipped with compound crossbows, Songjiang officers shot dead thirteen traffickers who dared resist.

It wasn't Shen Shen Shixing's fault—he never expected so many hellholes, so many victims, such horrific crimes. The situation escalated so fast he had no time to weigh consequences—he acted decisively.

"As Prefect of Songjiang, he did nothing wrong. He seems overly eager for results—next time, be more cautious. At least submit a memorial first."

"Are drug traffickers human? Clearly not. So Shen Shen Shixing's order was entirely justified. Guoxing Yin Zhengmao once said: drug enforcement is a war to the death. I've never forgotten his warning—against enemies, use every means to kill them."

"Submit to the Ministry of Personnel: restore him to his former post as Left Vice Minister of Revenue. When I tour the south, let him lead the Zhang Wenyuan Pavilion." Zhu Zhu Yijun approved Shen Shen Shixing's memorial, reinstating his rank—five-rank assistant minister as cabinet grand secretary was simply ridiculous.

Zhu Zhu Yijun chose to criticize Shen Shen Shixing for acting too hastily, then restored his rank.

All those killed were drug traffickers—all were addicts who sold to support their habit.

Some ministers might deem this "act-first-report-later" behavior impulsive, even defiant of imperial authority—after all, such a massive case was handled without consultation, and thirteen traffickers were killed.

But Zhu Zhu Yijun saw something encouraging in this case: Shen Shen Shixing had developed real political courage—he was no longer the old water-balancer.

Zhu Zhu Yijun most feared Shen Shen Shixing returning to the capital and reverting to his old ways—mediating disputes was the Ministry of Rites' job, not the Chief Grand Secretary's.

The Chief Grand Secretary must have political courage: some ambiguous, even unpopular actions that benefit the state must be undertaken fearlessly, regardless of criticism or impeachment.

"Master always says: problems of development must be solved within development itself. If unresolved, they become debts—no matter how long, these debts must be repaid," Zhu Zhu Yijun smiled. "Take two bottles of fish oil from Ryukyu and send them to Shen Shen Shixing. Also, assign him the vacant residence in Xiaoshiyong Lane."

Xiaoshiyong Lane lay beside the West Lake, right at the imperial palace's edge—precious land, worth its weight in gold. Such a high honor clearly showed the Emperor's strong approval of Shen Shen Shixing's achievements in Songjiang.

"Your servant obeys," Feng Bao bowed and accepted the order.

The fish oil recently sent from Ryukyu was a precious commodity—extracted from fish off Ryukyu's eastern coast, it was a tribute to the capital, not a medicine, but long-term observation by the Dissection Institute proved it maintained cardiovascular and cerebral health, reducing stroke risk.

In truth, Shen Shen Shixing's actions were neither trivial nor monumental. On one hand, they bordered on overstepping; on the other, they weren't truly so, for Shen Shen Shixing acted not to cover up but to resolve matters clearly—to give the court, the empire, and the people of Songjiang a proper accounting.

As Emperor, Zhu Zhu Yijun most despised ministers who tried to cover up problems, making them worse until they became uncontrollable.

The Great Ming's full ban on prostitution had begun—it could never be fully eradicated, just as with corruption: its scale must be limited, preventing it from becoming a nest of illicit trade that burdens the state with unnecessary costs.

This was the difference between Great Ming and barbarians: Great Ming's court and bureaucracy had both the authority and duty to hold someone accountable for failures—not to design intricate systems that ensured "no one was responsible."

In Great Ming, clear responsibility could be found: the Emperor himself. Fail, and you lose the empire. This was precisely what Li Li Yashi and Luo Li, the Westerners, marveled at: the people of the Central Kingdom were not docile; the logic of "if you won't let me live, neither will you" ran deep.

Li Zhi's new "scholar-farmer-artisan-merchant" classification still cut across social strata, not vertically. Great Ming's culture and institutions did not support vertical stratification—they could not fully manufacture mutual destruction among the lower classes.

Shen Shen Shixing also reported another matter: after repeated confirmation, a message was verified—the Spanish Armada had been nearly annihilated in the English Channel; Philip had been defeated.

Oceanic monsoons carried distant news; the Armada's defeat spread across all Western colonies at hurricane speed.

In Emperor Wanli 16, Philip, driven to desperation, launched an offensive against England; the Armada sailed toward England with its invincible reputation.

Li Zhi's new classification of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants cut across rather than down the social strata of the Great Ming; neither Great Ming culture nor its institutions supported vertical slicing, making it impossible to fully generate mutual harm among the lower classes.

England's victory was not due to the "wolf-pack" tactics of small ships—but the storm.

Philip deployed twelve five-masted ocean-going ships, eighteen three-masted galleons, forty-four armed merchantmen, twenty-three round ships, twenty-two tenders, thirteen light sailboats, four medium ships, and four longboats—totaling over thirty thousand men. Only the twelve five-masted ships escaped intact and returned to Lisbon; the rest were destroyed by the storm.

"I warned Philip many times—I even sent Li Li Yashi back to urge caution, especially regarding hydrography. Yet the Armada was still swallowed by the storm," Zhu Zhu Yijun sighed. "Our campaign against Japan was no military gamble, for our understanding of Japanese hydrography surpassed Japan's own."

And then it was torn apart by the Atlantic storm.

The English victory came not from the wolf-pack tactics of small ships, but from the storm.

Philip deployed a total of twelve five-masted ocean-going ships, eighteen three-masted galleons, forty-four armed merchantmen, twenty-three round ships, twenty-two tenders, thirteen light frigates, four middle-sized ships, and four longships, with over thirty thousand troops; apart from the twelve five-masted ocean-going ships that successfully broke off and returned to Lisbon, the rest of the fleet was destroyed by the storm.

"I warned Philip many times, and even sent Li Li Yashi back to urge caution—especially regarding hydrography—but the Invincible Armada was still swallowed by the storm." Zhu Zhu Yijun sighed; the Great Ming's campaign against Japan was no military gamble, for the Great Ming's knowledge of Japan's hydrography and geography surpassed Japan's own.

The Great Ming's map of Japan was several times more detailed than Japan's own maps, and its annotations of monsoons were far more thorough, with every reef around Tsushima Island marked on the Tsushima map.

The navy annually sailed around Japan to collect hydrographic and geographic data; some Great Ming merchants in Japan spent vast sums to purchase these maps, which ultimately led to two great victories at Tsushima and Nagato.

Philip's expedition was poorly prepared, giving the English an opening.

"Once the Invincible Armada is no longer invincible, every nation in the West will challenge Spain's maritime dominance. What Philip can least accept is that his carefully planned unity among the Western powers will collapse, and no cohesive commercial alliance can be formed," Feng Bao whispered: "Your Majesty, this is good news for the Great Ming."

If the Invincible Armada is defeated, no one will fear Spain anymore—even if Spain still holds naval superiority, the collapse of this myth means the Western powers will no longer unite under Philip's leadership, and thus they will never again pose a real threat to the Great Ming's free trade.

For a long time, the Great Ming can continue to maintain its commodity advantage; a united West is not something the Great Ming wishes to see.

Philip's resolute decision to launch the expedition against England also stemmed from a desire to display military power and force the Western powers to unite.

Zhu Zhu Yijun shook his head and said: "The success of the Emperor Wanli Reforms has never been built upon others' failures, but upon the hard labor of the countless people. This must always be clearly remembered."

"Although the Great Ming now receives new inflows of silver and gold, do not forget what Minister Wang once said: every li of silver is the blood and sweat of the common people."

Feng Bao's words carried a whiff of victory-chasing: Philip lost, the commercial alliance fell apart—that meant the Great Ming won. But Zhu Zhu Yijun had no interest in such a win.

Even if the West formed a loose commercial alliance, Zhu Zhu Yijun would not fear it; he might even be more excited. Without competition, arrogance breeds; with competition, there is motivation to outdo the other side.

Philip's defeat in this war—

—does it mean England gained the upper hand in the Anglo-Spanish War? In fact, no, because after sixty years of war, Spain ultimately won, and its naval superiority still stands. This defeat might only serve to awaken Philip a little.

On the sixth day of the first month of the seventeenth year of Emperor Wanli, the Great Ming Emperor convened the first court session after the New Year, confirming the list of cabinet ministers to remain in the capital: Shen Shen Shixing, Wang Wang Jiaoping, Shen Shen Yiguan, and Wang Wang Yie.

"Shen Shen Shixing handled the Songjiang case excellently. The Censorate knows this; no further discussion is needed," Zhu Zhu Yijun instructed Lu Lu Guangzu. The case was already settled; Shen Shen Shixing did well, and the censors and remonstrating officials must not submit further memorials—if they persist, send them to Liaodong to dig ditches.

"Your Majesty is wise," Lu Lu Guangzu replied clearly.

"The Ministry of Rites has already arranged spring plowing; land tilling has already begun," Shen Li stepped forward to report to the Emperor. Yesterday the Emperor issued the edict; today the process was completed and tilling had already started.

Zhu Zhu Yijun asked in confusion: "The snow hasn't even melted—how can you plow?"

"They need practice—they don't know how to farm. We must have experienced farmers teach them. Half a month of training, and when spring warms and flowers bloom, they'll be fine. Good land must not be wasted under their hands." Shen Li dared not deceive the Emperor on farming matters, for the Emperor himself farmed—and he was a Doctor of Agricultural Science, skilled in seed breeding and livestock cultivation.

The pre-spring training Shen Li planned was not punitive labor; he truly intended for these clerks to learn how to farm, for the land must not be squandered.

"Good. The Ministry of Rites has done well," Zhu Zhu Yijun affirmed again, praising their thorough and meticulous implementation of the imperial decree.

"Last year, three hundred clerks from the Six Ministries were selected to enter the Imperial Academy of Science and Technology. This year, three hundred and sixty clerks from all offices in the capital have been selected, based on the performance evaluations conducted after the year-end roll was finalized," Minister of Personnel Liang Liang Menglong submitted a list. These three hundred and sixty were beneficiaries of the Clerk Selection Law and formed the Great Ming's base of trained junior officials.

Zhepixuezijieshicongkaochengfazhongtuoyingerchudeshiwuguan ， Zilijufazihubutuixingyilai ， Liyuanyigebiyigejiji ， Renrendoushijuanwangzhongdejuanwang ， Yinweizhexieliyuanfeichangqingchu ， Lijufa ， Shitamenzheyisheng ， Gaibianmingyundeweiyiqiji 。

Clerks who actively engage are far superior to those coerced by the Performance Evaluation Law.

Given time, these officials, all Chushen from the clerical ranks, will become model administrators.

"Has the Clerk Selection Law encountered resistance?" Zhu Zhu Yijun asked Liang Liang Menglong. The Performance Evaluation Law and the Clerk Selection Law were the most important new policies of the Ministry of Personnel, with Liang Liang Menglong overseeing the latter.

Liang Liang Menglong hesitated, then did not answer.

Zhu Zhu Yijun sat upright, his expression grave: "If you face difficulties, speak up. If I cannot help, come to me—I am here at every court session."

"If I cannot help, I will turn to the Capital Garrison."

If they refuse his face, Zhu Zhu Yijun will overturn the table! If they won't live in peace, then none of them will!

"The Clerk Selection Law has encountered some resistance, but I wish to handle it myself."

Liang Liang Menglong bowed and said: "Some officials refuse to release their clerks; when the Ministry of Personnel requests them, the offices delay and evade, unwilling to let the clerks go—the clerks dare not protest. Some have even seized the clerks' horse permits and fire permits, preventing them from proving their identity and thus blocking their enrollment. Others deliberately impose restrictions under the Performance Evaluation Law, assigning their cronies to easy tasks while excluding dissenters."

"There are many other such tactics, but I can still manage."

A power struggle between officials and clerks over the Clerk Selection Law had begun—this was a struggle of authority, devoid of any warmth.

Liang Liang Menglong was not skilled in such court intrigues. Having commanded troops for years, he was somewhat like Tan Lun—he looked down on such scheming. Zhang Zhang Juzheng had planned to have Liang Liang Menglong take over the Ministry of War after Ceng Ceng Shengwu retired.

Liang Liang Menglong carefully recalled—he could not think of any specific matter requiring the Emperor's intervention. If absolutely necessary, he could consult Zhang Zhang Juzheng at the Quan Chu Hall; Zhang Zhang Juzheng was unmatched in court maneuvering, as Wang Wang Chonggu himself had attested.

"At first, it was indeed unfamiliar, but I gradually realized that those officials who obstruct the Clerk Selection Law are merely cowards—nothing to fear," Liang Liang Menglong replied calmly and fully to the Emperor's question.

They dare not even defy an imperial edict or openly resist—yet they think they can oppose state policy?