Chapter 861: The People are Not Taxed, Yet the State

The Great Ming Winning Studies were typical "Performance Winning Studies," which was also the reason why the second rule in "The Self-Cultivation of the Five-Step Snake" was changed to the first.

One must make achievements. As long as one makes recognized achievements, the superior will definitely see them.

The "Kao Cheng Fa" (Performance Evaluation Law) was actually to turn the Great Ming officialdom into a practice site for Performance Winning Studies, turning Great Ming officials into "performance people." If you couldn't get things done, you would be downgraded and kicked out. If you could get things done, even a clerk could become an official and rise to prominence.

Greedy, treacherous, sycophantic, loyal, upright—no matter what, as long as you were incompetent, there was no possibility of survival in the Emperor Wanli Reform.

This kind of selection, which was highly purposeful and selected from the "Kao Cheng Fa," consisted of capable officials. But this selection method could not filter out human scum. Some people were greedy, corrupt, indulgent, and sheltered, and used power for personal gain, but they were still active in the court. Wang Wang Chonggu was a typical example.

The construction of Great Ming Winning Studies had two foundations: one was the "Distinction between Hua and Yi" that already existed in the Great Ming, to ensure that the Great Ming people were always in a dominant position and the Great Ming was always in the position of the Celestial Empire;

The second was the Theory of Contradictions. The Great Ming's winning must not only be a true win—the nine victories of the Eastern Expedition—but also deeply analyze and solve contradictions.

The Great Ming Winning Studies and the Great Ming status quo—power, violence, interests, class, pragmatism, and contradictions—could not be separated.

Qi Qi Jiguang occupied the three countries of Tsushima, Chōshū, Iwami, and Izumo, plus the Nagasaki Governor's Office, forming a high wall that circled the Japanese pirates within the scope of the Japanese country, ensuring that the Japanese pirates could no longer harass the Great Ming territory, and at the same time, cutting off the roots of the Japanese pirates.

The Lou Tiger, Luo Luo Shangzhi, killed a leading general of Mōri Terumoto, Murakami Takeyoshi. His father, Murakami Yoshitada, created the Japanese country's privateering license. Coupled with the frequent civil wars within the Japanese country, the Japanese people were displaced. Once they saw that being sea pirates could make money, they immediately became a part of the Japanese pirates.

The Japanese country also suffered from the chaos of the Japanese pirates.

Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu had all issued pirate prohibition orders, but they didn't have much effect and had little success.

Because the inducements for the appearance of Japanese pirates still existed, a government decree could not solve the problem. It wasn't until the Japanese daimyo were tired of fighting and no longer had the strength to wage war, and Tokugawa Ieyasu began to close the country and directly banned all ports, leaving only Nagasaki as a window, that the Japanese pirates completely subsided.

The work Murakami Yoshitada did was the privateering license.

The things the Japanese pirates robbed could be fenced in his territory, as long as one-tenth of the "sail money" was paid. He allowed any sea pirates to fence goods in his territory, including the Red-Haired Barbarians. The Red-Haired Barbarians exchanged the merchant ships they robbed for silver in Iwami City, transformed into legitimate merchants, and purchased enough goods in the Great Ming's Haojing (Macau) to transport back to the West.

Moreover, Murakami Yoshitada and Murakami Takeyoshi led the Murakami Navy to smuggle, burn, kill, and loot everywhere. This father and son not only indulged sea pirates to fence goods in their territory but also looted personally.

And Murakami Takeyoshi's daimyo, Mōri Terumoto, turned a blind eye to this and even deliberately indulged it, because the Murakami Navy was an important force in his hands to resist Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Mōri Terumoto also obtained a large amount of wealth to support his crusade.

As for how many people died from the ravages of the Japanese pirates, Mōri Terumoto didn't care at all.

The Great Ming Army, through conquest, controlled Tsushima and the key ports of the Seto Inland Sea, eliminating one of the inducements for the appearance of Japanese pirates, eliminating the Japanese pirate group led by Murakami Takeyoshi, ending the "sail money," eliminating the Japanese country's privateering license, and completing the control of the Japanese pirates' ships.

Another inducement for the appearance of Japanese pirates was the constant internal wars. The Japanese people who suffered from the ravages of war could only embark on the path of becoming Japanese pirates. This inducement was also solved.

Now the major daimyo of the Japanese country had suffered heavy losses on the Korean battlefield and no longer had the strength to launch a crusade. Now they could only lick their wounds quietly and wait for the next opportunity.

But there was no longer any opportunity, and the Great Ming would not give the Japanese country any more opportunities.

The Japanese country was forced to begin closing the country in another way, because the ports, sea ships, shipyards, and mines had all been controlled by the Great Ming. Completely controlling the mines could lock the progress of civilization.

The Japanese people now had no way to be Japanese pirates. Closing one door inevitably opened a window. With no way out and unable to be Japanese pirates, they could be Japanese slaves.

Not only military victory, but also political victory, economic victory, and fundamentally solving contradictions—complete victory was also another characteristic of Great Ming Winning Studies.

"Tsk tsk, this is too strange. The generals have actually submitted memorials one after another to ask for credit for Gao Zhu Qiyu—Qi Qi Jiguang, Li Li Rusong, Zu Su Chengxun, Ma Lin, Ma Gui, etc. Interesting." Zhu Zhu Yijun received the report from the Great Ming Army front line before setting off for Tianjin Prefecture. What was somewhat strange was: a pile of military generals asking for credit for a civil official was simply a strange thing.

Qi Qi Jiguang told the Emperor that the Great Ming Army had already set off and planned to arrive at Tianjin Tanggugang, Tianjin Prefecture, on the tenth day of the third month.

Feng Bao spread out the memorials and said, "Your Majesty, Gao Zhu Qiyu went to Kyoto to negotiate with the Japanese pirates and gambled his own life. He demanded more benefits than on the battlefield. If the generals don't ask for credit for him, then in the future, when civil officials go on missions, I'm afraid they will not only fail to protect the victories on the battlefield but will also have to spit them back out."

"It was like this before."

There was a contradiction between civil and military officials in the Great Ming court. In most cases, what the military generals won back would be returned intact because of the "style of precise calculation." When military generals won battles on the borders, most of the civil officials in the court would first question them, and if it were true, they would deny it.

This kind of messy scene was the influence brought by "promoting literature and suppressing martial arts." After the Great Ming revitalized martial arts, the poison had not yet been eliminated, and finally, it was fundamentally changed here with Gao Zhu Qiyu.

This style had existed for a long time.

Wang An

Shi revitalized martial arts, opening two thousand li of the Xihe border. Tan Sima Guang, on the grounds that "stealing someone else's property, and having been caught, how can one not return it?", returned the two thousand li of land that had been conquered, not taking a single cent.

In Tan Sima Guang's view, the Xihe border opening was Wang Wang Anshi stealing someone else's property. Since he had already been caught, how could there be any reason not to return it?

The generals who opened the Xihe border did not speak up for Minister Wang. Later, the Great Song's military preparedness was thoroughly relaxed, and the world fell into decline.

Similar things happened many times in the Great Ming. "Precise calculation and abandoning land"—one after another, they were all abandoned like this. In the eyes of the Great Ming civil officials, the Great Ming military men were too arrogant. If your achievements were abolished, how could you still be glorious?

Gao Zhu Qiyu's mission this time not only preserved the established results but also forced the Japanese country to hand over the mines. Of the nine articles of the Kyoto Treaty, the Great Ming Army conquered half, and Gao Zhu Qiyu negotiated half.

Of course, Gao Zhu Qiyu still pulled out a fig leaf: the Great Ming would use the Japanese country's circulating paper money to purchase the output of these mines. The Japanese country's circulating paper money could not be exchanged with the Great Ming's paper money, the production technology was extremely poor, the face value was large, and it was worthless outside the Japanese country.

Qi Qi Jiguang clearly explained the reason for asking for credit in the memorial: to make Gao Zhu Qiyu glorious, to hold Gao Zhu Qiyu high, was to let the scholars of the world see, to let those who came later follow the path, so that civil and military officials would not have to be at odds with each other, but could cooperate with each other.

Since the Song Dynasty's "valuing literature and despising martial arts," the mode of interaction between civil and military officials was far inferior to the cooperation of the Han and Tang dynasties. Military generals fought battles at the front, having to be careful of betrayal from the rear.

Qi Qi Jiguang felt it was very ridiculous. Zhu Yi accepting money from military generals was a symbol of greed and something worth mocking. At that time, without Zhu Yi's guarantee, Qi Qi Jiguang couldn't even imagine what the two great battles of resisting the Japanese and repelling the barbarians would have turned into.

Feng Bao thought for a moment and explained, "Your Majesty, Qi Shuai not only wants military victory but also political victory. He wants to win not only on the battlefield but also in the court, to make civil and military officials one, united around Your Majesty, and driven by the King."

Zhu Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and said, "Then let Gao Zhu Qiyu be glorious! Add a special article for him in the 'Eastern Expedition Heroes Record'—'The Heavenly Official of the Audience'."

The Heavenly Official of the Audience was a star official who conveyed the King's orders and guided guests, located in the Taiwei Enclosure.

This was already a great honor. In history, the only civil official to enter the Martial Temple was Zhuge Kongming; there were no others. For Gao Zhu Qiyu, a civil successful candidate, to be able to open a single page in the Heroes Record was a great honor. This was the Emperor's affirmation.

Zhu Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and explained, "What has already been issued does not need to be recalled. Add a volume to record the names of the soldiers who died in the Battle of Kyoto together, and call it 'The Battle of Kyoto,' to commemorate the soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the Battle of Kyoto."

"Their sacrifices should be remembered."

Doing this was an extra honor. In the Twenty-Eight Mansions, Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits, and Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends in the "Eastern Expedition Heroes Record," there was not a single person who had only fought in the Battle of Kyoto. Gao Zhu Qiyu was the only one.

Yu is the only one.

Zhu Zhu Yijun did not understand the Battle of Kyoto very well. Why didn't they put the "Divine Fire Flying Crows" flat!

If the Divine Fire Flying Crows were put flat, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's samurai would definitely have suffered heavy casualties and been forced to retreat.

Later, after communicating with the front line, Zhu Zhu Yijun learned that the Great Ming soldiers stationed at the Ying'en Hall in Kyoto at that time had no intention of returning alive.

At that time, the Great Ming Army faced a choice of one of two: burn Kyoto or put the Divine Fire Flying Crows flat to repel the Japanese pirates. If they repelled the Japanese pirates, they couldn't burn the city. There were enough Divine Fire Flying Crows, but the cart crossbows and crossbow strings used to launch them were not enough.

At that time, the front-line commander Li Li Chengli judged that the Ming soldiers at the Ying'en Hall were bound to be defeated, because the Japanese pirates led by Toyotomi Hideyoshi had already surrounded the Great Ming soldiers, dense and countless. Li Li Chengli judged the situation and chose to burn Kyoto. This was choosing to perish together.

It was just that Li Li Chengli didn't expect that Toyotomi Hideyoshi would choose cowardice in this game of brave men.

Because of the fire in the rear, Toyotomi Hideyoshi had to choose to retreat.

The Great Ming Army's choice of "seeking life through death" was to declare their attitude, ultimately forcing the Japanese to surrender completely and thoroughly shattering the Japanese pirates' courage.

The Great Ming soldiers who penetrated deep into the heart of the Japanese country, Kyoto, knew their purpose very well. This was an isolated army with no logistics and no supplies. It was to declare the Great Ming's attitude: if you still refuse to surrender, we will fight until the Japanese pirates are willing to surrender and completely submit to the Great Ming's will.

"Your Majesty, the Minister of Rites says that the suburban sacrifice platform might have some problems." Feng Bao carefully spread a memorial in front of the Emperor.

Zhu Zhu Yijun was somewhat surprised and said, "The suburban sacrifice platform was built under the direction of Senior Grand Secretary Wang. How is it not finished yet? Senior Grand Secretary Wang has led the construction of the tripod for so many years, and every time it was completed ahead of schedule. Why is it delayed this time?"

It was very strange.

The Emperor had already indicated since December of last year that he wanted to "lower the rank to welcome the army." This was a small job—a small square, an octagonal pavilion, a stone tablet, and a three-level moon terrace. As a result, it had been built for three months and was still not finished.

Feng Bao said in a low voice, "The ceremony of 'lowering the rank' has not been performed for a long time. The Ministry of Rites checked the old records and checked a bit too much, and some situations arose, which delayed the construction period."

The suburban sacrifice platform was built quickly. The Great Ming had very rich industrial craftsmen, and the history of building the tripod was long. Building a suburban sacrifice platform was very simple. It was the ritual law of "lowering the rank" that had a problem.

The last time the Emperor went outside the city to welcome a Great General back to the court, one had to trace it back to the Han Dynasty. This was not a common practice. That time was Emperor Wu of Han going to welcome Wei Qing's triumphant return. The battlefield where Wei Qing fought the Xiongnu was too far away, and the transmission of war reports was not timely, leading to some disagreements in the court.

"In the future, for such things, if you can't find the old records, just do it according to our own ideas." Zhu Zhu Yijun also knew that the Ministry of Rites was having a hard time. For so many years, there was basically no reference.

If there is no standard, then establish the Great Ming standard,

and make it a part of the ritual law.

Zhu Zhu Yijun finished reading the memorial and realized where the Ministry of Rites was having a hard time.

Because the Ministry of Rites discovered a huge loophole. The trouble caused by Wan Wan Shihe because he didn't read books and wasn't professional had finally revealed its full picture after seventeen years.

This loophole was that from the time the Emperor visited the critically ill Duke of Cheng, Zhu Zhu Xizhong, the Emperor had already been "lowering the rank." The Emperor's visit to the critically ill minister, the Emperor going to the All-Quan Quan Chu Hui Guan for a meal—all belonged to "lowering the rank."

Wan Wan Shihe was a sycophant who didn't read history books. In the situation where the Emperor openly violated the ritual law, Wan Wan Shihe didn't know he was violating the ritual law.

It sounds somewhat outrageous for a Minister of Rites not to understand the "Book of Rites," but it was very normal. Not letting professionals manage what they are good at is a common practice in officialdom.

Usually, those who understand agriculture cannot manage agriculture, and those who don't understand law manage legal affairs.

Because the first principle of the bureaucratic system is to maintain its own power, and the importance of maintaining its own power is far higher than professional affairs management.

Once professionals control real power departments, they might form technical authority, weakening the political manipulation space of the bureaucratic system.

For example, after Wan Wan Shihe accepted the holy teachings and began to read more books, he soon became proficient in ritual law and comprehensively promoted the reform of the Ministry of Rites, rather than obeying the stability demands of the civil official system.

In the end, the Ministry of Rites, this noble and noble government office, became "sycophantic and flattering."

Ministers who are laymen rely more on subordinates who are already deeply rooted, relying on the suggestions of subordinates. Actual decision-making power is controlled by the bureaucrats. But if the Emperor is professional enough, he will promote comprehensive reform to control power.

And the second principle of the bureaucratic system is that stability is greater than everything.

For the bureaucratic system, the biggest symptom of this group is that the more delayed, the more efficient; the more expensive, the cheaper; the more secret, the more public.

Professionals controlling real power departments would tend to solve problems rather than pursue correctness in the process.

In this way, it violates "the more delayed, the more efficient." The "delay tactic" is a big killer in officialdom. As long as I don't dispose of it, I won't make mistakes. For bureaucrats, this is efficiency for themselves—efficiency and stability without making mistakes.

As long as it is delayed and not handled, it is stability for themselves and efficiency for themselves. As for the problem? That is a public problem; what does it have to do with me personally?

The direct superior is very professional, knows a lot about various things, and always finds the problem at a glance, urging things to be done. The more things are done, the more mistakes are made. It is better to delay—delay once, ten times, until everyone is exhausted and no longer pays attention.

Professionals have a basic understanding of cost control, so there is no room for "the more expensive, the cheaper." Doing anything cannot be "the more expensive, the cheaper."

The more secret, the more public—this is actually easier to understand. As long as it is not public, or even not recorded, it will be stable, as stable as Mount Tai. The Great Ming's Dong Zhongshu Sheren (Secretariat Drafters) always go to the toilet. If they really can't avoid it, they pick and choose, reversing the order, making things favorable for their own stability.

Every Dong Zhongshu Sheren who recorded the "Emperor Wanli Daily Notes" followed this golden rule and never changed it.

The third principle of the bureaucratic system: non-responsibility process.

Through cumbersome and exquisite system design, things that are illegal, non-compliant, and inconsistent with public order and good customs become legal and compliant through the process, finally achieving the effect that "no one needs to be responsible for the disaster." You, the Emperor, want to pursue responsibility? Everyone is innocent. Who are you going to pursue responsibility for?

When professionals control departments, this exquisite system design will fail, because professionals can see at a glance where the problem is and know who is making trouble. Even if they don't say it this time, they won't use it next time. In this way, power will be lost under performance, and they will be replaced.

Therefore, the bureaucratic system is very resistant to the appearance of professionals. Laymen leading experts gradually became the norm.

Wan Wan Shihe initially didn't understand ritual law. He didn't know that the Emperor visiting the critically ill Duke of Cheng in person was "lowering the rank," nor did he know that eating at the All-Quan Quan Chu Hui Guan was a very high courtesy, nor did he know that the Emperor walking as "Young Master Huang" of the Great General's Office violated ritual law. He thought His Majesty was childish, informal, and condescending, and would naturally not do so when he grew up.

But later, Wan Wan Shihe read more books and knew he was violating the ritual law, but he didn't correct it, because correcting it meant he was derelict in his duty. And no one said anything. Wan Wan Shihe naturally wouldn't jump out and tell everyone, "I, this Minister of Rites, am unqualified, and don't even understand the most basic ritual law." His subordinates were all waiting to see his joke, so he just dragged it on and on, until Wan Wan Shihe was gone.

The new Minister of Rites, Shen Li, checked the old records while building the suburban sacrifice platform and discovered that Wan Wan Shihe had left such a huge pit.

"To correct or not to correct—that is a question." Zhu Zhu Yijun finished reading Shen Li's memorial and laughed until he fell backward.

If Shen Li didn't correct it, it would be a violation of professional ethics, professional quality, and unyielding character.

Correcting it meant going against the superior. In the end, Shen Li still chose to go against the superior, submitting a memorial saying that the Emperor's behavior did not conform to the ritual law.

"Let it be muddled." Zhu Zhu Yijun gave the instructions. This situation was not the fault of the Ministry of Rites, nor did the Minister of Rites need to bear responsibility.

The Daoist master practiced immortality, the former Emperor hid himself, and Zhu Zhu Yijun was a young ruler with a suspicious nation. For so many years, the Emperor had not been very active, so these details had long been forgotten by the officials of the Ministry of Rites. This was also the reason why Wan Wan Shihe had been able to fool them for so many years.

He knew what others didn't, so he could fool them.

This was a huge pit. No matter if Shen Li corrected it or not, if it wasn't handled well, it would be a "Emperor Wanli Great Ritual Dispute," stirring up the entire Great Ming court and making it restless.

And the Emperor's "lowering the rank to welcome the army" triggered research into the ritual of "lowering the rank." Between correcting and not correcting, Zhu Zhu Yijun chose "still."

Zhu Zhu Yijun didn't care about Wan Wan Shihe's level of fooling, because all his actions were spontaneous. He knew clearly what he was doing and why he was doing it. He was so active for only one thing: to stand as an Emperor.

His activities were all for the extension of imperial power. Compared to the ritual law that had long since expired, the extension of imperial power was more important.

Zhu Zhu Yijun had never forgotten the difficulty of gaining control of military power. He trained himself into a sharp soldier, practicing with his body for seventeen years, day after day, rain or shine, before he had the ability to overturn the table. No matter what, he would not give up.

The Emperor gave specific instructions, and the Ministry of Rites had work to do. The Emperor's meaning was very clear: follow the trail, don't discuss or pay too much attention, and don't cause more controversy.

On the ninth day of the third month of the seventeenth year of Emperor Wanli, the Great Ming Emperor's carriage, following the east wind, finally headed toward Tianjin Prefecture. This was the fourth time in seventeen years that the Emperor had gone to Tianjin Prefecture. The first time was to welcome Yu Yu Dayou back to the capital, the second time was for the fleet review, the third time was for the southern tour, and this time was to welcome the triumphant return of the Great Ming Army.

Tianjin Prefecture had become more and more important. This was the Great Ming capital's gateway to the sea. And Tianjin Prefecture's development was also changing with each passing day. When Zhu Zhu Yijun went for the first time, Tianjin Prefecture was still Tianjin Guard, the guard city was not even ten li around, and the population was ninety-three thousand, not even one hundred thousand. But now, as the throat of north-south transportation, the population had exceeded one million, and houses stretched on endlessly.

Because of the freezing of the Bohai Bay, Tianjin Tanggugang could not be considered a good port, but after thawing, it was still full of sails, and commodities from the northern Great Ming were gathered at the port and wharf.

Tianjin Prefecture had no city walls. All city defenses were developed around transportation: roads, bridges, sluice gates, etc.

Qi Qi Jiguang said in his "War Theory":

The destructive power of firearms against city walls is extremely powerful. We must build a new urban defense system, that is, rely on the urban area and combine it with the vast surrounding residential areas to form a three-dimensional, multi-zone, and multi-system circular defense system to enhance the resilience and stability of the defense. This is inevitable in the era of artillery.

The city defense construction of the Great Ming's Tianjin Prefecture, Jiaozhou Bay, Qingdao City, Songjiang Prefecture, Ningbo, Guangzhou, and even the overseas Governor's Offices—Incheon, Seoul, Nagasaki, Ryukyu, Danshui Town, Xinglongzhuang, Miyang, Luzon, Davao, Coconut Sea City, Old Port, Malacca City, Great and Small Elder Jinchi, Great Iron Ridge, etc. —all followed Qi Qi Jiguang's "War Theory."

Theoretically, under the same firepower, the ports built in this way are never-falling. The cans built of reinforced concrete require huge casualties to advance through every room.

Of course, Qi Qi Jiguang also clearly stated that there was another way to fall: the people pointing the way for the enemy.

This kind of city defense system is extremely dependent on military-civilian coordination. Once the people no longer support it, this city defense system, which looks like it is leaking everywhere, will not get enough logistical support, and the soldiers will not be able to fight for a long time. But by the time it reaches the point where the people no longer support it, these are all minor problems.

A court that the people do not support is like mud and sand, and it is even difficult to recruit soldiers.

For example, when the Former Shu Kingdom of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms surrendered to the Northern Song, Lady Huarui had a poem: "Fourteen thousand people laid down their armor together; not one of them was a man."

This boomerang of the Song destroying the Later Shu hit the eyebrows of Emperor Emperor Huizong and Emperor Emperor Qinzong of the Song 167 years later. When the Jin cavalry went south, there was no one in Bianliang willing to sell their lives for the Great Ming's ruling class. In the end, the Jingkang Incident occurred, and the two emperors were captured and taken north.

In most cases, solid fortresses are often broken from within.

Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at the various changes in Tianjin Prefecture and said to Zhu Yi, who was sitting in the same carriage, "Master, after returning to the capital, promote Tianjin Prefecture to a prefecture, with a status equal to Songjiang Prefecture."

"The subject obeys the decree." Zhu Yi looked out the window and was also very moved. He had seriously underestimated the Great Ming's speed of development. The development of the Emperor Wanli Reform was even crazier than he had imagined. The ability and speed of the people to create wealth exceeded expectations.

The Ministry of Revenue also had this dilemma. Every year, the actual revenue far exceeded expectations. Various growth rates made Wang Wang Guoguang and Zhang Zhang Xueyan exclaim that it was impossible.

"The people are not taxed, yet the state's use is abundant." This political fantasy of not increasing taxes on the people while the state treasury remains full had existed since the Han Dynasty, but it had never been realized. Even Sang Sang Hongyang, who said this, and Wang Wang Anshi later, did not achieve it. Zhu Yi actually didn't achieve it either.

The land survey cleared out the hidden fields of the local gentry and scholar-officials, and the court increased its land tax revenue. The local gentry and scholar-officials did indeed start paying taxes, but they would definitely pass these tax increases on to the poor people of the Great Ming with interest. For every tael of silver the court collected, the people might have to bear a burden of thousands of taels.

The court had been firmly reducing the revenue and proportion of land tax. It had been steadily declining every year. As long as the "Return Land Decree" and the "Camp-Farm System" were implemented, the Great Ming had a great reduction in land tax.

"The people are not taxed, yet the state's use is abundant." The Emperor Wanli Reform actually achieved it. The price was the Japanese slaves, barbarian slaves, and black barbarians that were rarely mentioned by anyone in the Great Ming.

Over these years, the Great Ming had transported nearly one million Japanese slaves, Japanese women, and Nanyang sisters to the South Seas, as well as barbarian slaves conquered locally, and black barbarians sold to the South Seas by Persian, Arab, and Red-Haired Barbarian merchants.

Even so, the Great Ming Emperor's retaliation against the Japanese country had not stopped. According to the Emperor's thinking, the Great Ming people affected by the Japanese pirates for thirty years numbered at least thirty million. The Japanese country had to pay back a blood debt of thirty million to be considered a reciprocal retaliation.

The Japanese country now had less than seven million people. Not only could they not pay it back, but they also owed the Emperor twenty-three million people.

As for the various problems caused by the internal contradictions of the Great Ming, the Emperor also dumped them all on the Japanese country. The local gentry, scholar-officials, powerful and wealthy families, official-selected officials, and hereditary officials all maintained absolute silence about this.

If they didn't let the Emperor dump the blame on the Japanese, the Emperor would definitely dump this blood debt on them. Then it would be better to let the Japanese suffer, and the Emperor would bear the infamy.

"Your Majesty, the Great Ming is changing with each passing day. Can the 'Five Great Houses of the Emperor Wanli Reform' proposed by Your Majesty really be realized?" Zhu Yi asked somewhat distractedly.

The Emperor proposed the five great houses of the Emperor Wanli Reform. If they weren't built, the reform would never stop. This was a solemn promise, but this promise was somewhat like an idealist's dream.

But Zhu Yi actually felt a sense that it might really be realized. This seemingly impractical fantasy was step by step becoming reality.

Zhu Zhu Yijun said with a smile, "That is natural. It can definitely be done. As long as I have a breath left, I will not slacken in this ambition." ===== CHAPTER 862 =====

The Japanese nation now has less than seven million people, and not only can they not pay it back, but they also owe the Emperor an additional twenty-three million people.

As for the various problems caused by internal contradictions in the Great Ming, the Emperor also dumped them all on the Japanese nation. Regarding this, the local gentry, the powerful and wealthy, and the officials all maintained absolute silence.

If they didn't let the Emperor dump the blame on the Japanese, the Emperor would surely dump this blood debt on them. It would be better to let the Japanese suffer, and let the Emperor bear the bad reputation.

"Your Majesty, the Great Ming is changing with each passing day. Can the 'Five Great Projects of the Emperor Wanli Reform' proposed by Your Majesty really be realized?" Zhang Zhang Juzheng asked, looking somewhat distracted.

The Emperor proposed five big tile-roofed houses for the Emperor Wanli Reform; if they aren't built, the reform will not stop. This is a solemn promise, but this promise is somewhat like a dream of an ideal state.

But Zhang Zhang Juzheng actually felt an illusion that it was truly possible to realize it. This fantasy, which seemed impractical, was turning into reality step by step.

Zhu Zhu Yijun smiled and said: "That is natural; it certainly can be done. As long as there is breath, this ambition will not slacken."