The Second Volume of The Gathering of All Nations Chapter 13: The Root of Disaster

  Zhu Qizhen chapter

  The cabinets put forward their opinions on major national events and voted to submit them to the emperor. The emperor revised, added his own opinions, or directly agreed, and let the eunuchs stamp them with red ink.

  This is a simple and effective workflow.

  The Great Ming Dynasty was quietly moving forward in such a process.

  But this tranquility will soon be broken.

  A Strange Eunuch

  The Chinese have a very strong concept of inheritance, so careers like eunuchs, although they have no worries about food and clothing, after all, have to suffer a knife cut, are less than others, and cannot give birth to children.

  If there is an eunuch in the family, it would be very embarrassing to mention it outside.

  Based on this, people at that time also formed a consensus: unless absolutely necessary, they would never become eunuchs!

  There's always an exception to every rule.

  In the late Yongle period, the imperial court issued a decree, roughly meaning that officials from various provincial and municipal education bureaus who had poor performance over a long period could be transferred to serve as officials in the capital.

  Is there such a good thing? Can't make a name for himself locally, yet he can be transferred to the capital city to work as an official!

  Such good news should attract countless people to sign up, but in fact, hardly anyone pays attention to this matter.

  Why? Are people willing to miss this opportunity to make a fortune?

  Of course not, the unmanned secret lies in that after being transferred to Beijing, the work done is relatively special - "entering the palace to train female officials".

  What a joke! I'd rather be a commoner than become an eunuch by castration just to enter the palace as an official!

  Yes, who would do such a stupid thing?

  Just as everyone was skeptical and took the edict as a joke, an official who was about to be punished for his mistake was hesitating in his own home.

  He already has a wife and children, life is not affluent but not poor either, can live a peaceful life, but in his heart, there are ambitions that others cannot understand.

  He had been yearning to make a name for himself since childhood, studying hard for many years. Although he became a Confucian scholar and was selected as an academic official, he never managed to pass the imperial examination. Now that he has started a family, but his career is still nowhere to be seen. Can it be that he will end his life like this, unable to make a name for himself even after becoming an academic official?

  I won't give up, I'll always wait for the opportunity.

  The opportunity has finally come, but unfortunately, although it is an opportunity, it is not a good one.

  If I were to take this opportunity, the inevitable path ahead would be a difficult one. I would face countless cold stares and discrimination. It would be even more challenging to rise through the ranks after entering the palace, and from then on, my wife and children would be forever separated from me.

  No matter what, if you want to stand out from the crowd, you have to pay the price!

  If others won't do it, I will!

  This man who dared to do what others did not dare or want to do was Wang Zhen.

  It was this man who broke the original intention of Ming Xianzong Zhu Zhanji and the good atmosphere he created, affecting the rise and fall of a dynasty.

  Wang Zhen, birthdate unknown, from Weizhou, Shanxi (now Hebei), studied as a child, served as a local teacher, later volunteered to enter the palace and educate the imperial consorts on culture.

  With the courage to do what others dare not, Wang Zhen entered the palace. What surprised him was that in the palace, he, a scholar who was originally unable to teach books well, actually gained everyone's respect. This is also very natural, because his job was indeed uncontested by anyone else.

  Because he stood out from a crowd of illiterates and elementary school graduates, he was called Mr. Wang by everyone, his reputation grew bigger and bigger, and he caught the attention of Emperor Xuanzong, Zhu Zhanji felt that he was a talent, so he sent him to serve as a reader for the Crown Prince.

  From then on, this eunuch named Wang Zhen had an unbreakable bond with Zhu Qizhen, who was still a prince at that time.

  It should be said that Wang Zhen was indeed a good teacher, he taught the crown prince to read books and managed him strictly, so that Zhu Qizhen did not dare to call his name, but called him "Mr."

  Let's not discuss whether Wang Zhen was right or wrong later, but he and Zhu Qizhen indeed had a very deep emotional connection. However, it was this overly deep emotion and trust that ultimately led to a great disaster.

  The turning point

  The reigns of Zhu Qizhen and his father Zhu Di were considered the golden age in Chinese history, and they are collectively known as Renxuan. This is not just because they were father and son, but also because they shared many similarities. Some of these include:

  They all share the surname Zhu.

  Secondly, they were all good emperors and wise rulers.

  In the end, their lives were not long.

  Zhu Gaozhi lived for 48 years, but due to his old man being too capable, he was a crown prince for a full 20 years and only served as emperor for one year.

  Zhu Qizhen lived ten years less than his father but due to his father's early death, he ascended the throne at 27 and was emperor for ten years.

  These eleven years were the golden age of the Ming Dynasty, and the historical records are full of praise for this period of rule. The Great Ming Empire was unprecedentedly prosperous and powerful, and everything seemed to be developing in a better direction.

  But the habit of watching TV dramas for a long time tells us that at this time, there will usually be a twist, and the TV scriptwriter will deliberately create some conflicts or make something happen, such as the male lead killing someone, or the female lead getting a terminal illness. If everything is always smooth sailing and everyone is safe, then the ratings of this TV drama won't be high, and it can't sell ads.

  The god of history (if there is one) seems to be a good playwright as well, and he probably thought this kind of history was not interesting either, so he put an end to this farce.

  This sentence finally ended the golden decade of the Ming Dynasty.

  In 1435, Zhu Zhanji, a great monarch of his generation, died at the age of 38 after failing to recover from an illness.

  The reign of Renxuan came to an end.

  Before Zhu Zhanji's death, he chose five guardians for his nine-year-old son. Although his son was still young, Zhu Zhanji was not worried because he believed that these five people would never disappoint him.

  The five people are: Yang Shi Qi, Yang Rong, Yang Yu, Zhang Fu and Hu Mo.

  It's indeed a luxurious lineup, with Wen having three Yangs, Wu having Zhang Fu, and also one who specializes in secret work, Zhu Zhanji should be very reassured.

  But he could not have foreseen that these five men of great reputation and pillars of the imperial court would ultimately disappoint him.

  A storm is brewing.

  Zhu Qizhen

  When it comes to Zhu Qizhen, some people may grit their teeth and hate him deeply, but in fact, if you carefully analyze the historical materials, you will find that he is not a bad person. His ability to handle government affairs is not bad either, and he is also very diligent. Although there are two major stains (losing one battle, killing the wrong person), it cannot completely erase his abilities and contributions.

  Among all the emperors of the Ming Dynasty, in terms of the legendary color of life and the ups and downs of fate, it is estimated that except for Zhu Yuanzhang, no one can match this emperor.

  In the era of Ming Yingzong, apart from his own legendary experience as an emperor - captive - prisoner - emperor, the appearance of a man who can be called the second strongest in the Ming Dynasty also makes the affairs of this dynasty more exciting and thrilling.

  Let's start from here.

  From Hidden to Exposed

  Wang Zhen was not a simple man, he left his wife and children, willing to undergo castration to become an eunuch, enduring the discrimination of others, it was not just for the sake of making a living, in his heart, there were great ambitions.

  And he wisely realized that in order to achieve his ambitions, he must firmly grasp the rare treasure in his hands - Zhu Qizhen.

  Zhu Qizhen was raised by himself, and can also be considered his own student. Although he is still only the crown prince, although he is only nine years old, he will eventually grow up, he will eventually become the emperor.

  Under this belief, Wang Zhen patiently waited for the opportunity to take control of everything and dominate the world.

  An opportunity seems to have arrived, Zhu Zhanji has passed away, this wise emperor left the world, leaving behind only the young Zhu Qizhen, and Zhu Qizhen is obedient to himself, the days of holding great power are not far off!

  Is that really true?

  It's unlikely, because on Wang Zhen's road to seizing power, there were two obstacles blocking his way.

  In fact, for Wang Zhen, overcoming these two obstacles can be said to be an impossible task, and he also didn't have a good way, because the two obstacles that blocked his progress represented a force that he absolutely couldn't match.

  Disability

  When Emperor Yingzong ascended to the throne, Yang Shiqi was already 71 years old. However, this veteran official who had served four dynasties still appeared invincible. From the cruel and cunning Zhu Di to the sinister and shameless Zhu Gaoxu, from the kind and tolerant Zhu Gaizhi to the wise and capable Zhu Zhanji, he had seen all sorts of people and handled all sorts of affairs. Having weathered many storms, he remained unflappable and deeply wise.

  Wang Zhen wants to monopolize power, but first he must get past Yang Shiqi. However, it seems impossible for Wang Zhen's little tricks to deceive Yang Shiqi, and he would have to go home and practice for several decades before he could even think about trying to fool him.

  Apart from this, Yang Rong and Yang Yu were not ordinary people. These three old rivers guarded there, and Wang Zhen could only be his slave and eunuch.

  This group of civil officials was the first obstacle on Wang Zhen's road to power, but unexpectedly, it turned out that the one who could really restrain Wang Zhen was the second obstacle, and this obstacle was composed of a woman.

  Can a woman have more powerful power than a group of literati?

  Yes, in my opinion, it's more than that. This great woman can not only control the government but also depose and enthrone emperors!

  This person is none other than Zhu Qizhen's grandmother - Empress Dowager Zhang.

  Eleven years ago, she was Empress Zhang, ten years ago, she was Grand Empress Dowager Zhang, now, she is Grand Empress Dowager Zhang.

  In these eleven years, she lost her husband and son. Ironically, every time she loses a loved one, her rank is promoted once.

  This is probably the most painful upgrade in the world.

  The deceased is gone, and the living must do their best. Empress Dowager Zhang wiped away her tears and began to assist her grandson. In fact, if it weren't for her decision, Zhu Qizhen would not have become emperor.

  After Zhu Zhanji's death, the crown prince was very young and there were rumors that he was not born to his mother, Empress Sun, but was instead borne by a palace maid. As a result, the crown prince's position was extremely unstable, with rumors flying about that an outer feudatory king would come to take the throne. At this critical moment, Empress Zhang firmly supported Crown Prince Zhu Qizhen and enthroned him as emperor.

  Such a person, let alone discussing ability, can intimidate people just by his seniority, truly achieving "commanding the world, who dares not to obey".

  And this grandmother-level figure is not just talking about it, Wang Zhen was once bullied by her, and this thing also became a permanent pain in Wang Zhen's heart.

  In the first year of Zhengtong (1436), in February, Empress Dowager Zhang summoned the five grand officials to court for a meeting. After they arrived, she led the Emperor over and had him take a good look at them. Then, with great emphasis, she said: "These five men were left by the previous emperor for Your Majesty. If Your Majesty has any plans or ideas, you must discuss them with these five men."

  She then said something with great weight:

  "If these five people don't agree, you can't do it!"

  The young Zhu Qizhen looked at his grandmother in fear and nodded vaguely.

  The five ministers beside her were deeply moved, but what they didn't expect was that the Empress Dowager had called them over not just to show her trust in them, but also because she had an important task for them to undertake.

  After a while, Empress Zhang ordered Wang Zhen to enter the palace. After receiving the order, Wang Zhen immediately entered the palace to meet her, and he also absolutely did not expect that the biggest nightmare of his life was about to begin.

  Wang Zhen entered the palace and saw that the five ministers and the emperor were all present, guessing that they were holding a high-level meeting. He was summoned to come forward, could it be that he was going to be entrusted with an important task?

  Something unexpected happened.

  Before this, Empress Zhang had finished speaking, and she didn't dismiss the meeting just because she was waiting for Wang Zhen.

  After Wang Zhen made a bow, the empress dowager's expression suddenly changed from gentle to fierce! She abruptly shouted at Wang Zhen:

  "You attend to the emperor's daily life, but you're just a eunuch, yet you've committed many unlawful acts. Today, I'm going to kill you!"

  At the same time as Empress Dowager's loud shout, the guards on the platform drew out their shining knives and placed them at Wang Zhen's neck.

  After scolding, he immediately took action, without even saying hello. From the familiarity of his actions and the timing, it is believed that this series of movements was pre-arranged.

  The originally harmonious and peaceful great hall suddenly became filled with murderous intent, Wang Zhen's soul was instantly frightened out of his body. He never could have imagined that the purpose of letting him enter the palace today was not to entrust him with an important task, but rather to prepare him for a tour of the underworld.

  The empress dowager, with a face full of murderous intent, stood on the platform, her shining sword drawn out, facing the sudden turn of events. Wang Zhen was so frightened that his whole body trembled and he couldn't stop quivering. The sudden appearance of this scene not only exceeded Wang Zhen's expectations but also left the five ministers present in a daze.

  They only then realized that this normally gentle and calm empress actually had such a fierce side, and the purpose of their summons was not just to explain things, but also to assign them the role of spectators.

  Zhu Qizhen was greatly shocked and knelt down to beg his grandmother for mercy, while the ministers also pleaded on his behalf.

  In fact, Empress Zhang did not really want to kill Wang Zhen because at that time Wang Zhen was actually a honest man and had not committed any crimes. So she let him off and warned him severely:

  "Today, considering someone has pleaded for you, I will spare your life. From now on, you are not allowed to interfere with state affairs!"

  Wang Zhen slunk away in a sorry state, the empress dowager's terrifying gaze left a deep impression on him, casting a psychological shadow over him. From then on, whenever he saw the empress dowager, he would retreat hastily, fleeing in panic like a mouse seeing a cat.

  The fact is that Empress Zhang did not relax her blows to Wang Zhen, and from time to time she would find an opportunity to scold him. This method made Wang Zhen suffer greatly, and he was scolded for seven years.

  There were two obstacles, so Wang Zhen's road to power was long and arduous. Therefore, he changed his strategy in time, showing more respect to the three Yangs. Every time he went to the inner court to deliver an edict, he put on a shy expression, like a new son-in-law seeing his father-in-law, standing timidly outside the door, not daring to enter.

  When San Yang found out he was standing outside, letting him in and inviting him to sit down, he would always act as if he was honored, as if being able to talk to San Yang was a blessing from his past life. His actions made San Yang misjudge him too, thinking that he was not a bad person after all.

  However, under his humble appearance, he constantly formed cliques and expanded his power. He used the power of the Imperial Censorate to install his nephew Wang Shan as a co-administrator of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and widely recruited followers to control the courtiers.

  Mr. Wang Shan heard that his uncle had made a fortune and came to join him, obtaining this high-ranking position, feeling very proud of himself, but if he knew what was waiting for him seven years later, he probably wouldn't have come to take this office even if you killed him.

  Three Yangs could cope with the past, but that old lady was beyond coping. Every few days, Wang Zhen would be dragged over to scold him, which was also an unavoidable thing. Wang Zhen had no way out, this heaven-defying and earth-defying old predecessor was someone he couldn't deal with.

  Can only wait for her old man to die naturally.

  The day has finally arrived.

  In October of the seventh year of Zhengtong (1442), Empress Zhang, who had survived four dynasties, left the world, and the biggest obstacle to Wang Zhen's usurpation of power was thus eliminated.

  At this time, Yang Rong of the three Yangs had already passed away, and the remaining Yang Shiqi and Yang Yuhuan were also old and sick, with no way to recover.

  Wang Zhen's chance has come.

  He then monopolized power, widely recruiting followers, not only controlling the Embroidered Uniform Guard but also taking in many subordinates, among whom were scholars and Confucian disciples. The most shameless of them was the Minister of Works Wang Yu.

  Mr. Wang Yu once visited Mr. Wang Zhen's home. In the Ming Dynasty, officials all had beards, but Mr. Wang Zhen did not have a beard (his body could not reach, his heart longed for it). However, when he saw Mr. Wang Yu, he found that this official also did not have a beard and asked him the reason.

  Mr. Wang You replied: (The following content may cause vomiting, please prepare your mind first)

  "The old man has no beard, how can I, his son, dare to have one?"

  In my opinion, Mr. Wang You has truly reached a state of shamelessness without bounds, to the point where even his ancestors' tombs are emitting a green smoke.

  It was with the help of these unscrupulous people that Wang Zhen's power in the imperial court grew greater and greater. He eliminated his opponents, using the incident of Yang Shiqi's son killing someone to attack him for being a bad teacher, and finally brought down this veteran minister who had served four dynasties. Afterwards, he successively framed and exiled several high-ranking officials who refused to submit to him, including Liu Zhong, the Minister of Revenue, and Li Shimian, the Imperial Tutor, driving them out of the capital.

  At this time, Wang Zhen had the emperor's trust internally and the help of his henchmen externally. He monopolized power, tyrannized officials, and was extremely powerful. He became the most powerful eunuch since the founding of the Ming dynasty.

  With great power in his hands, Wang Zhen was not satisfied. He decided to do something that his predecessors did not dare to do or even think about.

  Fifty years ago, Mr. Zhu Yuanzhang set up a three-foot-high iron tablet at the palace gate, casting eight large characters "Officials inside are not allowed to interfere with government affairs" in order to prevent the emergence of the Wang Zhen phenomenon today.

  But as the saying goes, "when a person leaves, the monument becomes cold", who wrote it and where it was erected are not important, what matters is whether there is anyone to take care of it, whether there is anyone to enforce it. When Wang Zhen came to power, this inscription became like an award posted on the wall that no one paid attention to, and no one bothered with it anymore.

  Everyone ignored it, but Wang Zhen was different. He always felt that this thing was too eye-catching, so he ordered people to move away the stele.

  If Old Zhu were still around, he would definitely have Wang Zhen this little brat caught and sliced into three thousand pieces before letting him die, but times are different now, it's really not possible anymore.

  Everyone saw the emperor's handwriting suddenly disappeared the next morning, but they all maintained collective silence. They all knew who did it, and in the end, it became "beat me to death and I won't say, beat me to death and I don't care".

  What's the use of talking too much when the court is like this?

  But just as Wang Zhen's momentum was overwhelming, there was one person who didn't buy his account, and this person wasn't an ordinary person either. Although he suffered a bit, Wang Zhen ultimately couldn't do anything to him.

  The situation was that in the sixth year of Zhengtong (1441), when Empress Dowager Zhang had fallen ill and could no longer reprimand Wang Zhen, the three Yangs were also powerless to do anything. Wang Zhen had actually taken control of the imperial court's power. All officials from outside the capital who came to the capital would have to offer some gold, silver, and treasures to Wang Zhen as a matter of course. The amount was not important, but they had to show their respect for this powerful eunuch.

  It was at this time that the man returned from Shanxi, not to mention gold and silver, but he didn't even bring back a bottle of vinegar. Wang Zhen was so angry that his seven orifices were smoking, and he immediately had the man locked up.

  Wang Zhen was a radical person who would not show mercy to someone who did not give him face. He had already prepared to fabricate charges and get rid of this person, but unexpectedly, this person seemed to have a strong background.

  Not only local officials and common people spoke for him, but also high-ranking officials in the imperial court such as Yang Shi-qi pleaded on his behalf. Even some princes intervened, warning Wang Zhen not to push things too far, or else they would make him pay (the princes were not easy to deal with).

  Wang Zhen finally realized that this person, although not in a high position of power, was not simple and could not be "destroyed by human means". So he went against his usual behavior and released the man (he couldn't not release him).

  This man is indeed formidable, he was treated very badly, but never said a soft word, and scolded Wang Zhen all the time, not giving him any face at all, insisting on confronting him to the end. You have the air of "you can't do anything to me".

  This stubborn fellow with a background is Yu Qian.

  Unfortunately, there were too few people like that at the time.

  Ambition

  Controlling the imperial court and leading the ministers may seem prestigious, but this was not Wang Zhen's ultimate goal. In fact, Wang Zhen was not just a greedy person who craved wealth and power; he also had his own ambitions and ideals.

  Wang Zhen also had his own idol, and his dream was to one day be like this idol of his, sweeping across the battlefield, invincible. This idol of his was Zhu Qizhen's great-grandfather, Zhu Di.

  Although he was only a scholar (now a eunuch), he yearned for the prestige of leading troops on an expedition, and his predecessor Zheng He's great achievements also encouraged him.

  Eunuchs can't wield swords and ride horses? Watch this!

  This is getting serious.

  A person who is hungry will go find something to eat because this is his basic need.

  What if he's already full? Then he'll just wander around and find something to do, anyway, being idle is also a form of idleness.

  If a person who is full and can't find anything good to do, he may go to do bad things to achieve self-worth.

  Wang Zhen probably belongs to the latter two situations.

  He has already grasped great power and wealth, with both authority and money in hand. This dead eunuch also has a new pursuit in life - to achieve meritorious service and leave a famous name in history.

  It's good to have such ambition, but the key issue lies in the quality of this eunuch himself.

  Just like a corrupt official, they usually only engage in bribery and corruption on a daily basis. Such evil deeds are naturally infuriating, but this is not the pinnacle of their wickedness.

  The so-called highest state of evil is that even though one clearly lacks the ability, they still try to put on a show and pretend to be doing good deeds.

  This is the most wicked of all villains.

  Wang Zhen is just such a scoundrel, he is obviously an incompetent teacher, obviously a treacherous eunuch, obviously a petty man who covets power and position, but we won't hold these against him.

  But he is now actually trying to push himself as a military genius and war hero, it's really too shameless.

  It was precisely the circumstances of the time that gave him such an opportunity to be shameless.

  Enemy appeared

  We mentioned earlier that Mahamud, who was defeated by Zhu Di, had a good son. This is indeed true. In the 16th year of Yongle (1418), Mahamud's son, Tuohuan, inherited his father's title and began his military campaign to dominate Mongolia.

  It turned out that this brother was indeed capable, and in just six years, Tie Huan defeated the other tribes of Wala and unified Wala, becoming the only leader of Wala.

  Afterwards, he enthroned a member of the Golden Family, Dua Temur, as Khan and began attacking Arutai.

  Because Aruytai was defeated too badly by Zhu Di in the past, he was not strong enough to fight against the Wala people. In 1434, Aruytai was defeated by Toqto'a and eventually died in the desert. This man who had been a prominent figure for decades with Zhu Di ended his life like this.

  Toghan was a very ambitious man, his dreams were not limited to being a Taishi, his true ideal was to restore the world of the Great Yuan, re-occupy the Central Plains, but heaven did not give him this opportunity.

  In the fourth year of Zhengtong (1439), the ambitious Toghon died, but the Ming dynasty did not gain peace from this, for he was replaced by an even more formidable opponent - Esen.

  Esen was the son of Taohan, and he was even more powerful and intelligent than his father. In just a few years, he attacked Hami to the west, controlled the Western Regions passageway, and threatened the Ming Dynasty's northwest border. He attacked the Urianghai to the east, and in the tenth year of Zhengtong, the Wala thoroughly defeated the three Urianghai guards and controlled the still very weak Jurchen tribe, even threatening Korea.

  At this time, Mongolia had already completed its unification, and Esen Taiji was also dreaming of restoring the great Yuan dynasty every day, just like his father. Therefore, after everything was ready, he pointed his spearhead at the Ming Dynasty.

  Although the Ming dynasty's attack on Japan had its own political purposes, in my opinion, the biggest reason for this conflict was still money.

  The Mongols are good at fighting, but they are also very poor. They do not farm or spin yarns. To obtain the necessities of life, there are only two ways: one is to exchange and the other is to plunder.

  In Zhu Di's time, the Mongols adopted more of the second method, which was faster and more convenient, but after Zhu Di's several military lectures and education in fist, foot, knife and sword, the Mongols gradually realized that continuing to plunder would be unprofitable.

  Moreover, when they rob, they often can't get what they want. For example, if your family lacks clothes and wants to steal a few pieces of cloth, but after going out several times, you won't encounter anyone (it's impossible for others to prepare for you to rob). Although the Mongols are good at fighting, they're not invincible. They only have one head, and robbery is a bloody business that can end in death at any time. Losing your life for just a few pieces of cloth isn't worth it.

  Then, after this, Mongolia began to take the first road - the road of peaceful development.

  They began doing business with the Ming government, but what kind of business could the Mongols possibly have?

  Don't forget that although they didn't engage in agriculture and handicrafts, they also had animal husbandry. Every Mongolian tribe raised horses and sheep, and the path to wealth began from here.

  Under the initiative of the tribal leader, the Mongolian tribe began to engage in large-scale animal husbandry and trade, with business booming. The main form of trade was tribute, with the Mongolians entering the capital on a regular basis each year for transactions, often bringing thousands of heads of livestock, several thousand pieces of fur, and doing business on a grand scale. Accompanying them were also envoys, who in our impression should be only one or two people, but the number of envoys sent by the Mongolian tribe was in the thousands - one to two thousand people.

  From ancient times to the present, it is estimated that no country has ever sent out thousands of diplomatic envoys at once. These so-called envoys were actually small merchants and traders from Mongolia who brought their own cattle, sheep and horses to engage in foreign trade.

  It's okay to do business like this, after all, each takes what they need, and the Ming dynasty is always in a favorable position in trade, with a trade surplus every year.

  Because the production of handicrafts has formed a scale, from historical data analysis, the Ming government at that time indeed had suspicions of raising prices, and the prices of various ceramics and textiles were indeed somewhat high, but the Mongols could only fully accept them.

  The principle is simple: there's only one store in the world, no branches elsewhere. If you want to buy, then buy; if you want to sell, then sell; if not, then disband!

  People in Ming Dynasty can live without beef and mutton, but Mongolians cannot live without textiles and daily necessities, so they cannot disperse.

  However, hidden in this seemingly lucrative business for the Ming Dynasty was a crisis.

  At that time, due to the large demand, tribute trade increased dramatically. Originally, business was only done once a year, but it gradually developed into several tributes per year, with thousands of people coming to do business each time. The number of animal hides and horses also increased greatly. It is worth noting that these animal hides were not given away for free; the Ming government needed to exchange them for large quantities of goods. Due to the excessive number of hides, and since handicrafts did not fall from the sky, the Ming government could not find so many ready-made supplies at once.

  The Ming government gradually realized that it had apparently fallen into a trade trap, and the Mongolian tribes who seemed to be ignorant of trade were actually very shrewd. They chose these cattle and sheep as trading goods with deep consideration, because grazing them was almost cost-free for these nomadic peoples.

  The labor cost required for herding can actually be ignored, because their daily life is herding, and there is no other work to do besides this, so it's not necessary to count the labor cost. The cattle and sheep eat grass, which are natural resources, and in the years when wool sweaters were not popular, desertification of the grasslands seemed like an unattainable dream.

  After the cattle and sheep grow up, they are directly sent to Ming Dynasty for exchange. One cow can be exchanged for many agricultural products and handicrafts of Ming Dynasty. The export products of Ming Dynasty did not fall from the sky either, and it will be in short supply sooner or later. How can the country survive if this continues?

  While also relying on his own prestige and military power in unifying Mongolia as a shield, he played a few tricks.

  He used inferior horses to pretend to be good horses and asked for a higher price. In addition, he reorganized his own messenger team and stuffed it with a large number of thieves and robbers, disturbing the residents along the way. Later on, the several thousand people he sent were almost not doing business, but were bandits who robbed along the road.

  The dumping behavior of the Mongolian tribes made the ministers of the Ming Empire very dissatisfied, and some ministers deliberately took trade protection measures to restrict the impact of Mongolian meat products on the domestic market.

  Among these ministers, one person was most active in promoting this policy, and surprisingly, it was Wang Zhen.

  Wang Zhen was originally a selfish person who didn't care about the country, how could he be so enthusiastic?

  Originally, before this, every time he came to do business, he would bribe Wang Zhenhang, but as time went on, Aishan forgot about it.

  King Wang suddenly became enraged and ordered an investigation into the number of envoys, then suddenly deducted four-fifths of the amount to be paid.

  Even if he was dishonest in business and a swindler, he still kept his word, and the cattle were delivered to you. But Wang Zhen suddenly became an inspector for foreign trade, and almost all of it was confiscated, not even giving an invoice.

  Ye Xian was thoroughly enraged as well.

  Originally, it was just a threat of force, and on this basis, some treacherous business was done, simply to make a profit. However, this time they were caught by Wang Zhen's inspection team and heavily fined, losing their initial investment.

  He was originally eager to make a name for himself and finally couldn't sit still, this matter gave him an excuse, he sharpened his sword, prepared his horse, and got ready to launch an attack.

  Thirty-five years ago, Grandfather Maham was defeated by this vast empire in front of him. Now the opportunity for revenge has arrived!