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However, Tokugawa Ienari's happiness did not last long. Watanabe Uemon, the leader of the shogunate's mission to the Ming envoys, delivered bad news to Tokugawa: "Your Excellency the Shogun, although most of the good people and commoners have been cleared from the area near Tottori Domain, the Ming merchants there have become a big problem. Many commoners are hiding near the Ming merchants' residences, and it's proving difficult to drive them away."
Tokugawa Ienari's face immediately darkened.
The commoners and low-born people of Wa itself were actually easy to deal with. They could be driven away normally, and if they didn't cooperate, they could be dealt with by force. A few low-ranking commoners and low-born people could not stir up much trouble.
But involving Ming merchants was different.
No matter how amiable and law-abiding the Ming merchants seemed on the surface, and no matter how polite and orderly they were, they were still Ming merchants, whom the shogunate could not afford to offend.
This was because Ming merchants were not subject to Wa laws. No matter how serious the offense they committed, they could only be handed over to the Ming Embassy in Wa or the Governor-General's Office of Kyushu for处理. The shogunate did not even have the right to arrest them, let alone try them.
Moreover, the Ming Emperor was famously protective. There had been more than one or two instances where the Ming Dynasty dispatched its navy because its people were bullied abroad. Even in Wa, there had been cases where ronin samurai provoked Ming merchants, leading to the Kyushu garrison apprehending the ronin samurai and displaying their heads as a warning!
Now that the commoners and low-born people of Wa were hiding around the Ming merchants, what could the shogunate do?
If they angered those Ming merchants and provoked them to draw their swords and confront the shogunate, it would ultimately be the shogunate that suffered!
Thinking about it more and more, Tokugawa Ienari frowned and asked, "Have you tried to negotiate with those Ming merchants? Aren't they afraid of contracting leprosy?"
Watanabe Uemon bowed his head and replied, "Your Excellency the Shogun, Matsushita Ichiban has once again visited those Ming merchants, but... but judging by their current reactions, they are not very concerned about leprosy."
"Why?" Tokugawa Ienari asked, completely bewildered. "Don't they know how contagious leprosy is, or do they have a way to deal with it?"
Watanabe Uemon shook his head foolishly and replied, "According to Matsushita Ichiban, those Ming merchants are not unconcerned about leprosy, but because they have not yet received an evacuation notice from the Ming Embassy in Wa, they are both concerned about leprosy and yet do not take it too seriously."
Tokugawa Ienari felt completely numb—concerned yet not taking it seriously, what kind of attitude was that?
Seeing that Tokugawa Ienari was completely in a daze, Watanabe Uemon tentatively asked, "Your Excellency the Shogun, do we still need to prepare some medicinal herbs for those Ming merchants?"
Tokugawa Ienari couldn't help but frown, his face filled with indecision.
To prepare or not to prepare, that was the question.
Preparing medicinal herbs for those Ming merchants would mean further straining the shogunate's already tight resources. Giving more medicinal herbs to a Ming merchant would mean that more of the shogunate's own citizens or commoners might die. However, not preparing medicinal herbs for those Ming merchants... what if some unfortunate person died because of it? What if Chen Yan, the Ming envoy to Wa, pursued the matter? Even if Chen Yan did not pursue it, would the Governor-General's Office of Kyushu pursue it? Would the Ming Emperor pursue it?
The more he thought about it, the more his head ached. Tokugawa Ienari simply waved his hand and said, "Prepare the medicinal herbs for them. It is better to have too much than too little. This is a critical moment for our Wa. We absolutely cannot offend the Ming people over some medicinal herbs."
As he spoke, Tokugawa Ienari suddenly sighed again, "Our Wa, in the end, still depends on the Ming. Wa, in the end, still has to do business with the Ming."
Watanabe Uemon also fell silent.
Watanabe Uemon suddenly remembered a delicacy he had once tasted.
Garrison Stew.
This was a dish that did not require any sophisticated cooking skills. The ingredients often depended on whatever kitchen scraps were available from the Ming garrison in Wa. The cooking method was to collect all sorts of scraps and throw them into a pot to stew.
This was a dish first created and quickly popularized by the people of Wa. Apart from the Ming Dynasty and France, this dish had spread throughout the world with the footsteps of Wa auxiliary troops.
As for the taste of this dish... Watanabe Uemon, having personally tasted Garrison Stew, could not lie and say it was delicious. After all, no matter how much it was washed or stewed, the smell of swill could not be removed.
Watanabe Uemon knew very well that it was not that the people of Wa naturally liked the taste of swill, but that the people of Wa had no right to refuse the taste of swill. Ming citizens could be picky, and many young children in the Ming even spat out a bit of fatty meat. But what could the people of Wa be picky about?
In Wa, commoners were not even considered truly human. Even some low-ranking samurai families had to rely on Garrison Stew to improve their lives. Only the Daimyo or the Hua族lords of Daimyo rank or above could refuse Garrison Stew.
Given the abject state of Wa, it was only reasonable to neglect Wa's own commoners and low-born people and spend some effort preparing medicinal herbs for the esteemed Ming merchants, wasn't it?
Watanabe Uemon lowered his head and replied, "Hai! I will have people prepare enough medicinal herbs for the Ming merchants!"
...
As a Ming merchant, Qi Feng had been deeply involved in Wa's medicinal herb market for nearly ten years.
Over these ten years, Qi Feng's mindset had gradually shifted from making money to enjoying life. Doing business in the Ming Dynasty required all sorts of caution, as one might inadvertently violate Ming law at any moment, and the tax rate in the Ming was also very high. But it was different in Wa. Firstly, the Wa government did not dare to interfere much with merchants from the Ming Dynasty. Secondly, the young women of Wa were particularly fond of merchants from the Ming Dynasty.
And who could bear to refuse those charming and exceptionally affordable Wa women?
In any case, Qi Feng could not bear to refuse.
In the more than ten years he had been in Wa, Qi Feng had taken ten concubines, averaging one per year. The price of each concubine was only a few dozen yuan.
Of course, the price of a few dozen yuan referred to the price of girls from "commoner" families in Wa. It would be more expensive for girls from samurai or ronin families, costing several hundred or even a thousand yuan. If it were girls from Daimyo families, the price could reach tens of thousands.
Enjoying such a wonderful life, those short and ugly people of Wa actually came to persuade Qi Feng to leave, claiming that Wa was going to have some kind of leprosy outbreak?
Qi Feng slowly juggled two walnuts and instructed his steward yin-yangly, "The next time some short and ugly people come to persuade us to leave, beat them out with sticks directly. They've all gotten so arrogant, and a bunch of short and ugly people dare to meddle in the affairs of the master?"
This was not because Qi Feng was particularly arrogant, but because the short and ugly people of Wa were truly indescribable. The arrogant and overbearing samurai and ronin on the streets of Wa might dare to bully the short and ugly people of Wa, or even use "commoners" for sword testing, performing "kidō kiri" tests, but when facing Ming merchants like Qi Feng, those samurai and ronin could not be so overbearing. In fact, even the Wa government would show a bit of deference when facing Ming merchants like Qi Feng.
Qi's steward immediately replied with a smile and then asked, "Master, if this leprosy really spreads, we probably won't be able to avoid it, will we?"
Qi Feng coldly snorted, "Avoid what? Our family does business in medicinal herbs. Now that leprosy is rampant in Wa, it's a great opportunity for us to make a fortune. And you're thinking about avoiding it now?"
After thinking for a moment, Qi Feng simply ordered, "Have someone sort out all the alcohol in the warehouse. Keep what's needed for the household, and seal the rest. Don't sell it for now. Also, send someone to invite Mr. Chen, Mr. Hu, and a few others over. Tell them that Master has a big business to discuss with them."
Mr. Chen and Mr. Hu, whom Qi Feng mentioned, were all Ming merchants who had been working in Wa for many years, just like Qi Feng. Their business scopes were different. For example, Mr. Chen was in the business of funerary services, while Mr. Hu was in the grain business. There was no competition between them, and they had a good relationship.
In an era when patients with rolling infections were rampant in later generations, the dog sons raised by the foolish hawk always used "This country is like this, whose fault is it?" to argue.
The problem was that Emperor Zhu himself was caught in the question of "whose fault is it."
What kind of path should the Ming Dynasty take?
Should it adopt the so-called European tripartite system of separation of powers and freedom?
In fact, this idea could only be imagined. If this system were implemented in the Central Plains, it would be a death wish.
Analyzing the specific reasons for this in depth would be too complex, but ultimately, it all came down to the word "interest."
You choose.
This is actually why people in Europe and those barbarians in the foolish hawk are generally so bold.
This is because Europe has never had a truly unified dynasty, and the barbarians are accustomed to the mindset of small states and small populations, and also accustomed to the system of small courts.
Russia is similar—Bolshevism, is it good? Yes! But the key is that human beings have desires!
This way of doing things is naturally fine in normal times, as it seems to be the case even for the common people in the Central Plains.
However, once disasters become frequent, like during the Little Ice Age, or when the people truly cannot survive, the difference between large and small courts becomes apparent.
The foolish hawk is not much better than Europe, otherwise, how could student Biden have ascended the throne, and how could the great joke of internal fighting in the foolish hawk, starting with Ukraine, have occurred?
However, Bolshevism, which is also a system of a great court, might not work if directly transplanted.
There is a huge hidden danger in directly copying the entire set of Bolshevism, which is that the Ming Dynasty does not currently have the environmental conditions for that set of theories.
How long has the Qing Dynasty been gone?
Of course, it cannot be said that this theory is wrong, because all countries in the world propagate it.
Is it not better to achieve the merit of supporting the dragon and destroying the bandits than to serve those lowly peasants wholeheartedly?
At that time, the Central Plains had not yet experienced the pain of impending complete national subjugation and extermination.
Especially when the emperor gradually delegated power, the Grand Secretariat could even replace the emperor's role.
This was because Emperor Zhu directly clarified the "jianghu" status of the Grand Secretariat.
However, despite their authority, the Grand Secretaries who led the Six Ministries did not have high ranks. The so-called leadership of the Six Ministries was also not legitimate or proper, and they were also subject to the restraint of the Directorate of Ceremonial.
There is not much to say about the Censorate. Their main duty is to criticize people. The emperor and all civil and military officials are objects of their supervision.
And the final interpretation of the Ming Law rested with the Ministry of Justice.
In short, there were all sorts of miscellaneous departments, their duties were clearly defined, and they had to support each other while also restraining each other.
Want to regain power by changing the prime minister?
However, Emperor Zhu was well aware that such perfection was basically nonsense.
Even the system of the Rabbit is not without flaws!
Whether it was cutting down the two Ma Su with tears in his eyes back then, or later becoming rich first but unwilling to help the poor, or even wanting to extend their reach into the court, these were all objective facts!
Thinking of this, Emperor Zhu couldn't help but smile self-deprecatingly.
No matter how hard he tried, he was not a god. How could he possibly solve those long-standing problems?
"And those officials who are jumping out to court death, do I need to say more about how to deal with them?"
Of course, Emperor Zhu did not need to say more, because Emperor Zhu had already used the word "朕" (I, the Emperor).
After Zeng Cheng, Liu Heming, and a group of other big shots all bowed in response, Emperor Zhu turned his gaze to Zeng Cheng, "Minister Zeng, you have been serving as Prime Minister for almost thirty years now, haven't you?"
Of course, the Ming Dynasty always treated meritorious officials well. Although he was no longer the Senior Grand Secretary, he still received all the treatment of a Senior Grand Secretary, and even a noble title.
Now that Emperor Zhu suddenly mentioned that he had been the Senior Grand Secretary for almost thirty years, did he want him to step down?
Qi Feng coldly snorted, "Avoid what? Our family does business in medicinal herbs. Now that leprosy is rampant in Wa, it's a great opportunity for us to make a fortune. And you're thinking about avoiding it now?"
After thinking for a moment, Qi Feng simply ordered, "Have someone sort out all the alcohol in the warehouse. Keep what's needed for the household, and seal the rest. Don't sell it for now. Also, send someone to invite Mr. Chen, Mr. Hu, and a few others over. Tell them that Master has a big business to discuss with them."
Mr. Chen and Mr. Hu, whom Qi Feng mentioned, were all Ming merchants who had been working in Wa for many years, just like Qi Feng. Their business scopes were different. For example, Mr. Chen was in the business of funerary services, while Mr. Hu was in the grain business. There was no competition between them, and they had a good relationship.
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