The victory in pacifying the Liao and destroying the slaves not only eliminated a major threat, but also allowed the emperor to free up his hands and concentrate on reforming domestic affairs.
From the perspective of a time traveler, the Ming Dynasty was plagued by problems and reforms were needed everywhere in order to restore the country's glory and allow it to stand proudly at the top of the world.
Yes, although the current domestic affairs have improved significantly, they can support the expenses of suppressing the slaves in Liaodong and suppressing the rebellion in the southwest. Moreover, it has not increased the burden on the people, but has continuously reduced it.
But everyone, including the emperor, knew where the huge military expenditures came from. To put it bluntly, the emperor was robbing the rich. Although he tried his best to justify his actions, such financial resources could not be maintained in the long run.
For a great empire to function properly and to fight for survival space, finance is the most important factor. Without money, nothing can be done.
Well, infrastructure construction requires money, which is the primary condition for the long-term development of the country and the people's livelihood;
The expansion of the navy requires money. The ships and artillery alone are a long-term and huge investment. It should be possible to expand and generate income at the same time, which is a virtuous cycle.
After the Liao was pacified, resettlement and reconstruction of the Liao people would require an investment of funds and materials. Furthermore, taxes had to be exempted for at least one year so that the Liao people could farm and feed themselves.
The great disaster is approaching. To get through it relatively smoothly, it will take several years or even decades, with hundreds of thousands or even millions of victims, and the money to be spent will be several times more than that of pacifying Liaoning.
The emperor took out his schedule and re-arranged it one by one, sorting out the priorities and the major and minor ones. Although some tasks could be postponed, they had to be started and no further delay was allowed.
For example, Zuo Guangdou was transferred to the post of Governor of Rivers and was conducting an inspection in Henan. He submitted a memorial mentioning several important water conservancy facilities.
The emperor knew that providing work-for-relief during a disaster was the most economical method, but since this was an urgent project, he couldn't wait until then. So, he still had the Ministry of Revenue transfer the funds.
"Your Majesty." Wang Tigan entered the palace with a pile of memorials and reported, "Zheng Zhilong and Wu Zheng have been summoned to the palace and are waiting outside."
The emperor nodded, put away the documents on the table, and said, "Announce."
Zheng Zhilong and Wu Zheng served as supervisory officials in the General Chamber of Maritime Merchants and the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce respectively. They did a good job over the years and had no record of corruption or abuse of power.
Now that they have been summoned to the capital, they both know that the emperor has other appointments for them, and promotion is basically certain.
After entering the hall, the two men knelt down and kowtowed, shouting "Long live the emperor!"
"No need to be so polite, just stand up." The emperor's voice was gentle and his face was peaceful.
After expressing their gratitude, the two men stood up, bowed, and waited quietly for the emperor to give them instructions.
The emperor paused for a moment, then spoke slowly, "You two are diligent and conscientious in your oversight of the Chamber of Commerce, and I am deeply pleased."
"Although the work of the Maritime Customs Office has improved, it is still very rough and sloppy. It needs more detailed rules and regulations, and it needs diligent and dedicated officials like Erqing to manage it..."
Although the emperor has been promoting benefits and eliminating disadvantages according to the plan in recent years and has seen some results, the time is still short and it is not yet perfect.
Simply put, the emperor wanted to deepen reforms in some areas, but was just getting started in some areas.
For example, the Maritime Customs Office was still far from the real customs in the emperor's mind. Another example is the transfer of clerks to officials, which also had more room for improvement than the civil service examinations and promotions of later generations.
The Maritime Customs Offices with the highest income in the Ming Dynasty are now in Shanghai and Guangzhou, and Zheng Zhilong and Wu Zheng will be sent to these two places.
The Ministry of Personnel also reported the appointment list to the Maritime Customs Offices in other places. Some were retained in their original positions, while others were appointed to new positions.
"Regulation, taxation, and anti-smuggling are the three most important tasks. The booming maritime trade is foreseeable, and tariffs will become a key pillar of national finances..."
The emperor did not expect the Ming Dynasty's maritime tax revenue to reach the astonishing amount of the Song Dynasty, but the current income situation was obviously not satisfactory to him.
The organization and functions will be refined. The Maritime Customs Office will temporarily be under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Revenue, but it will be separated out sooner or later.
The first department to be separated from the six ministries was the State Administration of Taxation, which was responsible for taxation and had the same rank as the six ministries.
It can be seen that the emperor was most concerned about the economy, that is, the purse of the Ming Dynasty. As long as there was money, he would go all out, whether it was domestic construction, military expansion, or measures to help the people.
Zheng Zhilong and Wu Zheng listened attentively. They both knew that the emperor loved money, but they did not understand the emperor's grand ambitions.
After a long conversation, the emperor finally ordered an embroidered cushion to be brought in, giving the two of them a great honor. Given their official positions, how could they have ever thought of getting a seat in front of the emperor?
"Thank you for your grace." After the two of them bowed, they sat down respectfully and carefully.
The emperor ordered a palace attendant to hand the relevant documents to the two men, saying, "This is my draft, after consultation with my ministers. Take it back and discuss it with your colleagues at the General Administration of Customs. Once it is revised and perfected, submit it to me for review before it is finalized."
In reality, such work did not require the emperor's direct instruction. However, the emperor already knew what imperial grace meant, and personally summoning his subjects would make them utterly loyal and devoted.
"Your Majesty," Zheng Zhilong said with a bow. "I believe that Dongfan and Mekong should also establish customs offices. Judging from their geographical locations, these two areas have great potential for development."
The emperor smiled and nodded in appreciation, saying, "It's all in the documents. Although it's isolated overseas, it's still part of Ming territory. The court won't neglect it."
Wu Zheng is a steady person. He would not speak easily without seeing the document and understanding the details. He believes that "a thousand words are not as good as silence."
Zheng Zhilong had not read enough and was also keen on fame and fortune, so he seemed a little anxious.
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