Chapter 341 Middlemen
"This is the first time I've heard of this method, so it's not a bad idea."
Zhu Di thought Mason's method was okay, but he was even more curious about the chamber of commerce he mentioned. What is this?
Mason explained to Zhu Di the role of the "Chamber of Commerce" to continuously expand trade and earn money for the country.
In addition, Mason explained various situations of the Roman Empire to Zhu Di. From noon to evening, Zhu Di didn't hear enough, so the two agreed to come back tomorrow. Mason left the palace and started tutoring.
Zhu Di already has a strong curiosity about the world explained by Mason. From the Roman Empire to Ceylon, Temasek and here, there are infinite opportunities for exploration in this vast ocean.
In order to see if Mason's suggestion was feasible, he began to look for information on tomorrow's trade from the Shipping Department. Starting from the second year of Yongle, Japanese ships came and went three times a year. According to the data of Ningbo Shipping Department, the value of Japanese goods was small, but in order to show the spirit of the Celestial Kingdom, they were usually overestimated, and the large amounts of property that were rewarded were If you resell the imported goods to Japan, the profit may be dozens of times higher.
This made Zhu Di's heart bleed. This is all my money. Just like that, it seems that he was still too kind to Japan.
"emperor"
When a person spoke up, Zhu Di asked him to discuss today's affairs.
"Zheng He, you were on a diplomatic mission to Japan last year. What was the situation with the King of Japan at that time?"
Zheng He thought about it carefully and said: "There is nothing unusual about the King of Japan, but everyone around him is disgusted with the Ming Dynasty. If the current King of Japan disappears, then the trade between the two countries will be cancelled."
This made Zhu Di feel that the Kanhe trade was short-lived. If it was outsourced to other institutions, in addition to not having to worry about the Japanese, there would still be money to be made. There was no harm at all, this made him decide in his heart.
"I summoned this special envoy today. What he said about the world really makes me curious. For the future of the Ming Dynasty, I will go to the West even if no one supports me."
Regarding Zhu Di's ambition, Zheng He quickly said that the emperor was wise. The previous experience of going to the East has improved Zheng He's diplomatic level. He is always ready to accept the appointment of Emperor Yongle to go to the West, even if his family is confiscated and his family is exterminated. What's more important is that he is the only one left among the nine tribes. No worries at all.
The next day, Zhu Di was a little absent-minded in the court, and all he could think about was continuing to communicate with Mason. After yesterday's events, the ministers' voices calling for a sea ban have subsided a lot, but there are still some literati who insist on asking the emperor to abide by the ancestral precepts, including Xie Jin, one of the compilers of the Yongle Dadian.
The literati headed by Xie Jin believed that the emperor's violation of the ancestral precepts was treason and unfilial behavior. He kept asking Zhu Di to withdraw his orders, otherwise he would die.
"You want to persuade me to use my notoriety to achieve your fame. I tell you, it's impossible. Don't you have the strength? Then go to the Imperial College to grow vegetables."
Xie Jin couldn't do it anymore. Going to the Imperial Academy to grow vegetables was an insult to politeness, but the emperor announced his resignation, so he had no choice but to go and grow vegetables. Otherwise, it would be terrible to be charged with disobedience.
Mason came again, and this time Zhu Di met him in the study. In order to get the emperor to agree to the matter, Mason specially presented a map of the world, which he specially directed people to spend half a night making. There is not only Rome on it, but also the Arabian Peninsula, India, and Southeast Asia. Such a large overseas map attracted Zhu Di, and it can be compared with the Ming Dynasty Hunyi Map.
"This is a map drawn by our country's exploration, specially dedicated to the Emperor of China."
Zhu Di looked at the map and lamented in his heart that those ministers were short-sighted. The expansion of the ocean was also very important, but why no one noticed it.
The invasion of nomads on land was one reason, but the expansion on the sea could not be stopped. This special envoy from the west was of great use to the Ming Dynasty.
"Well, special envoy, please tell me about your emperor. What kind of person is he?"
"His Majesty the Emperor defeated the enemy many times and was later crowned."
In Mason's telling, Mircea's height suddenly increased. The more Zhu Di listened, the more he felt like Li Yuan, Emperor Gaozu of the Tang Dynasty. He had a certain social status, repeatedly defeated nomads, and finally captured the capital and became emperor. All of these are so similar.
"His Majesty the Emperor has funded a lot of my career, but it is Caesar who supports me the most."
"Caesar?"
"Oh, according to the Celestial Empire, he should be the crown prince."
Upon hearing about the Roman crown prince, Zhu Di asked Mason to elaborate. Therefore, since he was a teenager, he defeated the nomadic tribes with his father, then went all the way to the west to achieve complete victory, and finally destroyed a country and defeated many enemy armies. This directly resonated with Zhu Di. Although he was still more like Tang Taizong, there was someone like him. The difference is: this Caesar is the eldest son, not the second son.
China has had the eldest son inheritance system since ancient times, but it is often used when the eldest son is abolished and the younger son is established, such as Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty. Not to mention the Tang Dynasty, which only had an emperor who succeeded as the eldest son 150 years after the founding of the country. Even Zhu Di himself was the fourth son. For this heir who was both civil and military, he reminded him of his eldest brother Zhu Biao. If the eldest brother was still alive, he would not launch the Jingnan Campaign.
This time they chatted until late again. Zhu Di not only knew about Rome, but also India, Ceylon, Egypt and other places. He still refused Mason's request to open the port for trade. The reason is the same as last time, which is harassment by Japanese people. This makes Mason feel pessimistic.
But Zhu Di will soon take action, not only for himself, but also to give the other party some comfort.
The next day, Zhu Di directly issued an order and ordered Zheng He as the envoy to lead a navy of 100,000 to Japan to announce the cessation of direct trade between the two countries. This made the minister happy, thinking that the emperor had finally figured it out, but the next sentence came immediately: all trade between the two countries is represented by the so-called Chamber of Commerce under Mason and his subordinates, and the Chamber of Commerce has to pay one-tenth of the trade volume as tax every year. .
This surprised Mason. After all, he had brought such huge business opportunities to the East India Company, and he would also go to Japan to meet the Japanese king. He also made a rough calculation of the profits from tomorrow's trade.
The Ming Dynasty imported sulfur, copper and other minerals, fans, swords, lacquerware and screens from Japan.
The products Japan imported from Ming Dynasty include: Ming money (Yongle Tongbao), books, silk, Tang umbrellas, porcelain, sugar, Chinese medicine, copperware, pottery, silk, silk cotton, cloth, cotton silk, brocade, red thread, mercury , needles, iron chains, iron pots, ancient coins, ancient paintings, ancient names, ancient books, medicinal materials, felt blankets, horseback felts, powder, snack baskets, lacquerware, vinegar and other fabrics, etc. After this trip, he will get nearly several times the profit, provided that he can hold on steadily.