The emperor understood the psychology of merchants very well because he was a time traveler and knew that in the feudal era, imperial power was supreme and there was no security to speak of.
In other words, they are psychologically insecure and always worry that they will be punished because of their wealth and suffer disasters because of their money.
In view of this, the emperor was relatively tolerant towards merchants. At least, compared with officials, the emperor was already considered to be lenient.
When it comes to plucking sheep, it’s easier to plucking when there are more sheep. But if you only plucking one, what’s the point of plucking all the sheep? And the other sheep will run away.
As long as merchants abide by the law, they will make more money and commercial taxes will increase, which will benefit the country, the court, and even the people.
In particular, the royal family set an example in the initiative of "giving back to society", and merchants and all walks of life have increasingly recognized this.
The emperor hated the idea of being rich but unkind, and this idea was gradually forming in Ming society.
The traditional gentry class was being replaced by emerging merchants and landlords, and the symbol was the plaque bestowed by the royal family.
The preferential treatment for gentry was gradually being abolished, and was replaced by retired officers and soldiers. In addition, even retired officials did not have the privilege of tax exemption.
The imperial court has implemented a pension system, so officials can live without worries after retirement and no longer need to enjoy tax exemptions.
In short, the Ming Empire's politics, economy, military, and even every aspect of life were changing according to the emperor's vision. Some were sudden and dramatic, others were subtle and gradual.
Apart from the commendation of the descendants of the Meng family a year ago, the bestowal of the ten-year-old title on them, and the pre-issuance of 30 million war bonds, there seemed to be no major events.
Therefore, in the impression of the vast majority of people, the Spring Festival passed quite peacefully in this calm atmosphere.
A new year, new prospects, new aspirations. In everyone's heart, everyone is busy planning their lives.
The state machinery of the Ming Empire was still functioning normally, and the cabinet was staffed by relatively young people.
Sun Yuanhua, Bi Ziyan and Tao Langxian replaced Yuan Keli, Xu Guangqi and Sun Chengzong. The personnel changes did not cause chaos in political affairs. The order and rules of the court had been established, and it didn't really matter who replaced them.
The Minister of War Xiong Tingbi was awarded the title of Prince Taibao, which was a reward for the Ming army's victory in the war.
The Ministry of War also began institutional reforms. The frameworks of the three major institutions, namely the Ministry of the Army, the Ministry of the Navy, and the General Staff Headquarters, were set up, and the personnel gaps could only be filled slowly.
The army of the Ming Empire must not only move towards modernization in terms of equipment and tactics, but the entire military organization must also keep up.
Everyone else thought that the emperor had his own unique ideas, but only the emperor knew that he was just copying others.
Originally, Xiong Tingbi could have entered the cabinet as a deputy minister, but for the time being, no one had taken over his job.
Sun Chuanting was preparing to launch an operation in the northwest to recapture Qiantao; Shen Yourong was concentrating on the navy and was too old; Mao Wenlong, as for him, didn't seem quite qualified...
There are many generals who are good at fighting, but not many who have reached a high level. Moreover, they are still relatively young. They are good at fighting, but they lack the ability to plan and make plans.
Although Xiong Tingbi had a bad temper, he had improved a lot now, but the emperor didn't care. He didn't point his finger at him and scold him. What did it matter to him to scold others? He only cared about Xiong Tingbi's ability.
There are not many emperors in history who are as broad-minded, kind and generous as me!
Just as the emperor was indulging himself and praising himself in the Qianqing Palace, a fleet was sailing towards the Ming Empire on the South China Sea thousands of miles away.
Weddell stood on the deck, looking at the vast sea through a telescope, fantasizing about the first direct trade with the great Eastern power.
In the Far East, the Dutch and Portuguese made huge profits from trade, as did the Spanish. Ming Empire goods such as silk, porcelain, and tea were extremely popular in Europe, and the profits were staggering.
The British were jealous, and King Charles I of England appointed Captain Weddell as commander to lead a fleet of six armed merchant ships to set sail for China.
In fact, this was not the first contact between the British and the Ming Dynasty. Before that, a British merchant ship had arrived at a Chinese port.
However, the British merchant ship was very unlucky. Due to the Portuguese's desperate slander, it was extorted a lot of money by Ming Dynasty officials and not much cargo was brought back.
In order to continue to develop trade with China, some British businessmen united to form the Getin Society.
This consortium of merchants tried every possible means to persuade King Charles I of England to grant them the privilege of trading with China. Charles I generously agreed and invested 10,000 pounds in the Girton Union.
The fleet led by Weddell first arrived in India and was received by the Indians. After a short replenishment, they crossed the Strait of Malacca and entered the South China Sea.
Weddell was not very clear about the current situation of the Ming Empire. His impression was still stuck on a few years ago when the Portuguese occupied Macau and enjoyed the privilege of trading with the Ming Dynasty.
Similar to the Dutch, Weddell believed that he could trade with the Ming Dynasty through the Portuguese, or directly contact Ming officials.
"Sir..." the sailor who was on the mast shouted, "There's a ship ahead, it doesn't look like a merchant ship."
Weddell hurriedly moved the telescope, but could not see clearly.
As the distance got closer, the sailor reported the detailed situation again, "Ten ships, all warships. Oh my God, are they pirates?"
Weddell was startled and quickly ordered all ships to prepare for battle. The armed merchant ships also had an advantage in numbers over the warships, and Weddell also felt a lack of confidence.
"Is it the flag of the Ming Dynasty?!" The ship was getting closer and closer, and Weddell could see it more clearly. He turned to a sailor on an unlucky merchant ship that had been to the Ming Dynasty as if to confirm.
After carefully identifying it, the sailor nodded vigorously and said, "Yes, it's the flag of the Ming Dynasty."
Weddell roughly determined the location and thought it was near Cam Ranh Bay. He was somewhat surprised that the Ming warship could sail so far.
Boom! The Ming warships fired warning shots and deployed in battle formation.
Weddell weighed the pros and cons and ordered the ship to stop, but remained on alert.
A smaller warship sailed over nimbly. Even though it was a small warship, Weddell did not dare to act rashly when he saw the gun positions on the side.
"You have entered the waters of the Ming Empire. Please report your country, name and identity and accept inspection." A Ming soldier holding a metal horn shouted to Weddell and others.
Weddell was unlucky. This wasn't a Ming Dynasty customs inspection, and it couldn't reach such a faraway place. This was a routine patrol fleet, stationed in Saigon Port, Mekong Province.
Since they had come across them and the flags looked unfamiliar, the Ming fleet sailed over to investigate. They had another mission, which was to eliminate the pirates.
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