Chapter 95                                                  

Zhou Mengchen had known for a long time that Jiajing would definitely ask this question.

The biggest problem of the court was that it was short of money. Jiajing spent money even more. The palace expenses were only under military expenses, which was the second largest expenditure of the government and the opposition. The biggest problem of Jiajing was naturally short of money.

Money has always been the issue that Jiajing is most concerned about, not the people of the Ming Dynasty.

So this question is also a question that Zhou Mengchen must answer. After all, when Zhou Mengcheng said he wanted to open the sea, he issued a military order.

Zhou Mengchen said the situation of the customs in detail. Finally, he concluded: "Your Majesty, the customs may not be able to pay 10 million taels a year, but between the next two years, when the coastal seas are opened, it will definitely exceed 10 million taels."

Jiajing said, "Okay. I don't believe in the wrong person. Come on, carry it up."

After a while, several eunuchs carried several boxes up. Jiajing said to Zhou Mengchen, "Open and take a look."

Zhou Mengchen stepped forward to check one by one, and after opening it, all the memorials were memorials. Zhou Mengchen took out a few books and scanned a few words and understood. These were memorials attacking Zhou Mengchen. They said that Zhou Mengchen had everything, such as Japanese pirates, violated the ancestral system, rebelled against the scriptures, killed people to silence the public, and so on. Almost all the charges that can be found in the Ming Dynasty law are seen.

Zhou Mengchen knew that if what he did not satisfy Jiajing, or these things would be dealing with Zhou Mengchen's crimes, but he was still a little moved in his heart.

After all, for Zhou Mengchen, a space where he can let go is too important.

Zhou Mengchen immediately bowed and said, "I thank Your Majesty for your kindness. I have no way to repay you. I will devote all my life to death until I die."

Jiajing said, "Why do you and my king and minister say these polite words? However, I do not understand some things at all. Please tell me about Zhou Qing."

Zhou Mengchen said, "Your Majesty, I will definitely know everything."

Jiajing said: "The coastal garrison is not worth using, so I can understand that you have changed it to a camp. But is the expenses of the navy and overseas expenses too much? I have read the accounts and it takes at least one or two million taels to maintain these every year. If you put them on the nine sides, you can maintain a military town."

There seemed to be nothing else in Jiajing's eyes, only one money.

This may be the consequence of Jiajing's long political life. It is difficult to control a country, easy to say, and difficult to say. Of course, it is a lot of things, it is endless, and it is messy. It is just people and money.

People are personnel arrangements, and money is the source of wealth.

In terms of personnel, Jiajing has firmly controlled the candidates for senior officials. No, it should be said that it has been frozen. Maintain a situation that is beneficial to him. On the one hand, the money is short of money, and the court is also short of money. On the other hand, it is to control the flow of money.

At least it is an open flow.

Zhou Mengchen could only explain to Jiajing one by one, saying: "Sir, danger comes from the sea, and wealth also comes from the sea. The reason why customs can collect taxes is because sea trade makes money. The Ming Dynasty's goods have a hundred times the profit to the west, and ten times the profit to the Southeast Asia. Because of this, I can guarantee that the customs taxes can exceed ten million. If the court cannot control the sea, this tax cannot be collected at all. First, the pirates are crippled and the trade routes are cut off. Second, the maritime merchants are also cunning. If the court cannot control the sea, why not smuggle as before? Why pay taxes? There are many private ports on the southeast coast. From land patrols, there are thousands of mountains and rivers. Many places are difficult to find. But from the sea, it is like a bonfire at night, which can be seen at a glance. Therefore, controlling the sea can control wealth."

"As for the governor of Beiyang and the governor of Nanyang, I have also submitted a memorial before. I wonder if Your Majesty has seen it?"

Jiajing said, "You should talk about it carefully."

Zhou Mengchen heard this and felt a little shocked. From this point of view, he could see that he was already in a passive state in the capital.

There is nothing else. Just now, Jiajing said in one breath how much it would cost to maintain the maritime advantage of the Ming Dynasty. Now I have never read it. Zhou Mengchen submitted a memorial about meeting the governor of the two foreign countries.

Although Zhou Mengchen had the power to behead first and then report, he decided not to establish an administrative agency overseas. He naturally reported it.

It seems that Jiajing didn't read it before. He just did two things. Anyone who reported Zhou Mengchen was accurate. Anyone who attacked Zhou Mengchen would be sealed for the time being was just given to Zhou Mengchen.

Zhou Mengchen did not disappoint Jiajing's trust. He received one good news after another, and saved the situation in Jiangnan. He also made other achievements. Only then did Jiajing maintain these two points at the end.

Now it seems that someone has secretly slandered him.

Zhou Mengchen is very familiar with this technique, but it is just a matter of spoiling gold and dripping water through stones. A minister who is a favored person in the emperor should not say it as soon as he comes up. On the one hand, it may not be effective, and on the other hand, it is easy to be noticed by the emperor.

What should I do?

Of course, we start with small things, inadvertently create an atmosphere of something wrong, and add this feeling to the emperor bit by bit. Over time, it will naturally work.

Zhou Mengchen just realized that he was at such a time when he accumulated little things.

Now it seems that if Zhou Mengchen doesn't take action, others will do it. Zhou Mengchen doesn't think about whether this person is Yan Song or Xu Jie, or the two of them are working together. He once again deeply understands one thing that he must return to Beijing.

If you don’t return to Beijing, there will be huge safety hazards.

Zhou Mengchen's face remained unchanged, and the turbulence in his heart was not reflected in his face at all. He told Jiajing in detail the reason for the governor of the two foreign countries. He said, "Now the domestic situation in Japan is turbulent. The Japanese king Ashikaga has lost power and is unable to restrain Daming below, so that countless defeated soldiers and generals cannot stay in Japan and plunder the southeast. This matter is not fundamentally resolved. I am afraid that once I leave the southeast, there will be Japanese pirates in the southeast."

"In addition, Japan has a lot of gold and silver. I have calculated that the Beiyang governor is operating in Japan and can be self-sufficient and even pay some taxes to the court."

Jiajing couldn't believe that with tens of thousands of troops stationed outside, Japan's small country could still pay taxes to the court?

Zhou Mengchen could only say something about Japan's gold, silver ore, saltpeter, population and purchasing power.

Jiajing suddenly had an idea in his mind and said, "Can Japan be destroyed?"

This sentence will not make Zhou Mengchen messy.

Can Japan be destroyed? In Zhou Mengchen's opinion, giving him enough resources, destroying Japan is not a big deal. However, in his opinion, the biggest problem of the Ming Dynasty has always been inside and not outside. If the internal problems are not solved and Japan is included in the territory of the Ming Dynasty, it will not bring any benefits to the Ming Dynasty, and it will even accelerate the demise of the Ming Dynasty.

War is a major event for the country. How can we send troops just because of making money?

Zhou Mengchen said: "Your Majesty, Japan is a country that Taizu did not seek. Taizu decided to organize this training, which also has a deep meaning. The Japanese population is 30 million, and the population is growing, no less than that of Annan. The Ashikaga family is sad and it is not difficult to destroy it. The difficulty is that it will last forever and last for a long time. In the future, it will inevitably repeat the mistakes of the current Annan battle. If your Majesty really wants to destroy Japan, you will ask for a million troops, and it will take ten years to make it. I will definitely be listed in the county and Japan."

After hearing this, Jiajing shook his head and said, "It's just a joke, it's just a joke."

When Jiajing heard that the army was one million, it took ten years to reach a time. He knew that this was too troublesome. Not to mention anything else, just maintaining a million troops would bring heavy financial burdens to the Ming Dynasty, the Ming court could not bear. The reason why he had this idea was that Zhou Mengchen sent few troops and fought few wars, but he had gained many benefits.

However, Jiajing only saw Zhou Mengchen fighting less, but did not see how much diplomatic work Zhou Mengchen had done behind the military war. Otherwise, if the Japanese on Kyushu Island could have a population of 100,000. It would not be easy to solve.

Zhou Mengchen felt aroused in his heart and said, "In fact, Your Majesty's intention to expand territory is right. Overseas business does make money. This is also the reason why I set up the Nanyang Governor's Office. It is precisely because the Nanyang treasure land is not given by God, but it is harmed."
Chapter completed!