1573: The peak before the disillusionment of the Silver Age

In 1573 AD, the Manila galleon had been traveling in Asia and America for eight years.

Britain, under the rule of Queen Elizabeth I, also began to encourage trade and navigation, and was quite interested in the Ming Dynasty. At that time, how businessmen could do business with China became the top priority. British navigational engineer William Bull had already begun studying five possible routes from Britain to China that year.

With the onset of globalization and the rise of the "Maritime Silk Road", the world has begun to study routes to China, but the biggest thing that happened in China this year was: a The Chinese prime minister compiled a comic book for the emperor to teach him mental skills, which was recorded in history.

? The emperor's division was honored as the first assistant

The year before 1573, Zhang Juzheng was summoned to the court.

Xiao Wanli said: "Sir worked hard to bear the heat for his father's mausoleum."

He also said: "Sir must do everything. I will help you wholeheartedly."

Zhang Juzheng asked Shenzong to abide by the old system of his ancestors, teach relatives and virtuous people, and love the people and use them prudently.

Xiao Wanli replied: "Sir, that's right."

The memorial records that Xiao Wanli, who was more than 10 years old, got along with his teacher. details. At that time, Wanli relied heavily on Zhang Juzheng and almost obeyed his words. It turned out that Zhang Juzheng had a way with the emperor.

What should children do if they don’t read dense ancient books? No problem, here comes your own comic book. In order to arouse Wanli's interest in learning, Zhang Juzheng personally organized and compiled a book called "Illustrated Notes on the Emperor", which used comic strips to see through the relationships between characters and tell the story of the rise and fall of the dynasty. Little Wanli liked it very much.

This emperor's textbook accidentally spread outside the palace and became a best-seller in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Elite education is indeed as popular as ever.

Little Wanli likes calligraphy. How can you be a good emperor and indulge in personal preferences? The little emperor’s interest classes were also suspended. Zhang Juzheng believed that it was okay for the emperor to have some hobbies, but he should not waste too much energy. He also gave Xiao Wanli an example. This was the case with Huizong of the Song Dynasty. His calligraphy was unparalleled in the world, but he lost his country because of his playthings.

Zhang Juzheng, does he look like the teacher we loved and hated in those years...

Zhang Juzheng's "Emperor's Illustrations" "The year of "1573 AD, also known as the first year of Wanli, Emperor Wanli ascended the throne, and the era of Zhang Juzheng had just begun.

Zhang Juzheng strives for progress while maintaining stability in national affairs. After seeing the great turmoil at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, I understood the principle of balancing mercy with generosity very early on. Faced with corruption in the officialdom, Zhang Juzheng carried out reforms vigorously and resolutely. In June 1573, he formally proposed the examination method.

After the implementation of the examination law, the imperial court laid off more than 400 officials and more than 900 local officials were laid off. The entire imperial court took on a new look.

There is a popular saying among the people, there are nine-headed birds in the sky and Hubei guys on the ground. Why are Hubei people called nine-headed birds? It is also related to Zhang Juzheng's "passing examination method". The "nine-headed birds" refer to the nine supervisory censors who patrol all over the country to detect political corruption. The "Hubei guy" is Zhang Juzheng.

No one can stop the pace of the "nine-headed bird". They spy on every move of officials from various places and greatly suppress officials who serve the public for private purposes.

There was a nationwide campaign to crack down on corrupt officials, and the effect was very good. In the early Wanli period, there was unprecedented clarity in the administration of officials.

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Resolute reform to save the Ming Dynasty

Night rain, Dawn.

Zhang Juzheng climbed up to Hengshan Mountain, where the vast sea of ​​clouds and the sky were as clear as polish.

In an instant, the red sun rose and the golden light shone.

"The secluded grass and precious flowers, the narrow paths and graceful paths, the mottled brocade stones, and the brilliantly illuminated paintings." It's so beautiful. No wonder eight days is not enough.

Zhang Juzheng? The Chief Operating Officer of the Ming Dynasty, it is rare that he also has time to travel and vacation.

Don’t panic, this is 1556 AD.

What is a vacation? The imperial official who had been on leave for three years worked as a mason, built several houses, and named them "Xue Nong Yuan". After building a garden, planting trees, and growing vegetables, Zhang Juzheng became mingled with the old farmers. Slowly, a picture that reflected social conditions, public opinion, and people's sufferings was also painted in his mind.

In the Jingzhou area, the people have less land and more taxes. Seeing that life is becoming more and more difficult day by day, they even want to become wives and become bandits, which is shocking. He deeply realized that if there was no reform in the dangerous nest, the Ming Dynasty would soon decline.

People have many ways to live in this life, and there are many simple and easy paths in this world, but the most difficult one is the path that goes against one's own heart. If the people of a country do not live well, the country will collapse. Since you can't let it go, why not be upright for once and return to politics.

After concentrating on research and accumulating strength, in 1581 AD, Zhang Juzheng implemented the "One Whip Method" policy to benefit the people throughout the country. All taxes and corvees were converted into silver coins, and taxes and corvees were monetized in kind. The new idea of ​​valuing business and benefiting agriculture, and reciprocity between agriculture and business, was vigorously applied in the reform. In 2002, in order to reduce the burden on farmers, our country also followed Zhang Juzheng and implemented the "one whip method". Four years later, the "Agricultural Tax Ordinance" was officially abolished, and from now on no longer had to pay public taxes.

The "One Whip Method" was first piloted in Fujian in 1575. As a result, Fujian's economic situation improved and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment. Later, it continued to be implemented in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, southern regions, Shandong and other places. "Pilot" is also one of the important methods of reform that is often used today.

"Records of the Ming Dynasty" records that due to Zhang Juzheng's reforms, the state treasury could have enough food for several years, and the Wanli period became the richest decades of the Ming Dynasty.

At that time, the market of the Ming Dynasty was stimulated by the "One Whip Method" and a large amount of silver was circulated. This reform mainly made the circulation of silver as follows: "one point, one side, one key": the southeast coast and the Yangtze River Delta where raw silk, satin, and porcelain are produced, and silver accumulates when doing business with foreigners; then the silver is collected and redistributed by the court and circulated throughout the country; Part of the silver was used as military supplies for the northern defense line at critical moments.

In this way, silver in the Ming Dynasty achieved a rise from bottom to top, and was officially recognized, and all of this was inseparable from market promotion.

Five years before 1573, the Ming Dynasty officially opened the sea ban, and the unconventional inflow of silver caused the value of the original banknotes to plummet. The paper money of the Ming Dynasty also withdrew from the market. Zhang Juzheng also used silver to save the Ming Dynasty's economy for this reason.

After the implementation of the "One Whip Law", the country's demand for silver increased, which in turn promoted the circulation and trade of silver at home and abroad. As a result, Queen Elizabeth was one step closer to her desire to do business with the Ming Emperor.

When China's silver standard system met the Age of Navigation, new vitality emerged in the world.

Complex, but an inevitable result. It can be said that the silver monetization promoted by Zhang Juzheng directly affected the establishment of the world market and the beginning of globalization.

Silver poisoning is a blessing and a curse

Chinese scholar Yan Zhongping pointed out in the article "Silk Flows to the Philippines and Silver Flows to China" that silk traders from Manila to the Americas The profit can be up to ten times.

For foreigners, the Manila galleon is a Chinese sailing ship. The sailing ship is loaded with raw silk, satin, and porcelain. The opening of the "sea ban" has brought them considerable profits.

Whether it is the land of America or the waves of the Atlantic Ocean, geographical discoveries have brought incredible impact to the world. Western civilization, which originated in Greece, and Chinese civilization, which was nurtured in the Yangtze and Yellow River basins, have been connected for intermittent exchanges, exchange of products, and spread of culture. People's space for activities and horizons have been broadened.

Businessmen from the Americas, Spain and Portugal, which were major producers of silver, went to traffic goods. Not only that, Japan, a major silver contributor, also joined the shipping trade.

If you gain too much profit and are exhausted, you will often fall into trouble.

Between 1620 and 1660, a trade crisis broke out in the European market.

In 1634, Spain issued an emergency tax order restricting trade.

In 1640, Japan cut off all trade with Macau.

For the Ming Dynasty, relying on the excellent manufacturing in China, this "business" made a lot of money around the world. In terms of impact, the effect was good at first. Guild halls proliferated, the handicraft industry developed rapidly, agriculture became more commercialized and specialized, people's employment opportunities and monetary income gradually increased, and the development of the multi-level commodity economic market reached an unprecedented peak.

In the trade of "Pacific Silk", an economic community centered on Ming Dynasty China has been formed. After the European trade recession, silver inflows decreased significantly.

The Ming Dynasty itself was not a major producer of silver, so silver declined sharply. The Ming Dynasty, whose financial lifeline depended on silver, suffered a heavy blow.

Wei Feide wrote in "Hongye-The Founding History of the Qing Dynasty": The worsening inflation in the late Ming Dynasty may be one of the serious consequences of the long-term shortage of silver imports. During the sharp decline in silver imports from 1635 to 1640, silk production areas such as Huzhou in northern Zhejiang declined rapidly due to the shrinking international silk trade. At the same time, rare natural disasters swept across China. After this catastrophe, the total population of the late Ming Dynasty dropped significantly.

The serious decline in China’s population coincided with the global economic recession. This alone is enough to convince historians that China was also involved in the 17th century. a widespread crisis plaguing the Mediterranean world.

In other words, Baiyin "strangled" the Ming Dynasty.

Even people with names like Zhang Juzheng did not open their eyes to see the world. They worked hard to consolidate imperial power in ignorance and were unable to make far-sighted plans for the future of the country. This is the limitation of history. .

The world is still the same? Moving forward

In 1573, the Ming Dynasty entered the second half of its history, and agricultural civilization began to reach its peak.

In 1573, the "Sea Coachman" revolution arose, ushering in the "Golden Year" of the Netherlands.

In 1573, a Danish astronomer named Tycho Brahe saw a supernova.

In 1573, a paper mill was established in Sweden.

In the same year, Chinese scientist Zu Chongzhi held a 10-century record in pi calculation, which was broken by German mathematician Otto.

At the same time, the Italian mathematician and astronomer Danti claimed in his book "Euclidean Method of Far and Near" that using concave lenses can create inverted images. The reverse image is a positive image, which leads to a greater improvement in photography methods.

The scientific and technological progress in the West has begun to show that Europe has the momentum to surpass China in an all-round way and is moving towards a new technological era. As the accumulation of scientific and technological progress in the West reached the critical point of the scientific revolution, the industrial revolution broke out and the world market was initially formed.