Chapter Eighty-Seven: The Quartet Envoys

Zhao Chengli was on a mission to come to Ningbo by merchant ship from North Korea.

Before he got off the ship, the Great Xia Imperial Court knew.

In the Ming Dynasty, Ningbo was a very important port, even in the Xia Dynasty, Ningbo was also a very important port, especially the tributary envoys of the Eastern countries, if they came from the sea, they all came from Ningbo.

Cho Seung-ri was essentially posing as a North Korean envoy. However, as soon as he arrived in Ningbo, he named the Korean envoys, and also saw the envoys of other countries, and after careful inquiry, he learned that there were three countries that had envoys from Ningbo, in addition to Korea, Japan, and Ryukyu.

Although Japan was in the Tokugawa Shogunate era and the national lockdown order had been issued, the Tokugawa shogunate's lockdown order was mainly aimed at Westerners, and even the Zheng family monopolized Japan's voyage, which may not be without this reason.

Therefore, Japan is by no means completely ignorant of foreign affairs, and there are even official trade ships, that is, Zhuyin ships, under the protection of the Zheng family, roaming in the South Seas, and even trading with Vietnam, Siam and other countries, and these Zhuyin ships have a task in addition to the trade mission, which is to collect information from all sides.

For the Xia Dynasty, Japan has been observing for a long time. In fact, although there is no official exchange between the two sides, there is no shortage of exchanges in other aspects.

It's just that the situation between Xia and Qing was not too clear before. But after the Battle of Anqing, everyone could see that the situation between Xia and Xu had stabilized.

Therefore, the Tokugawa family also sent a son of their own family to Nanjing.

However, this time Japan came, there were no additional requirements, more to see. Immediately, Zhao Chengli inquired that this was very low-key for the children of the Tokugawa family, so low-key that there was almost no sense of existence.

Also, Zhejiang's folk customs are not friendly to Japan at all.

For example, for many people, the war is not too far away.

And the Ryukyu Shang family is not the first time to come, the Ryukyu country is too small, so he attaches great importance to the slightest change on the mainland, before Luo Yulong's Northern Expedition, he came once, changed the king seal, and replaced the king seal given by the Ming Dynasty with the one given by Daxia.

This was the second, if not for the defeat of the Northern Expedition. I'm afraid the Ryukyuan people want to pay tribute once a year.

However, when Zhao Chengli came to Nanjing, he found that Nanjing not only had envoys from the Three Kingdoms, but also the Nanjing Siyi Pavilion, which had not been opened for many years, was almost full.

In addition to Korea, Japan, and the Ryukyus, there are also the Dutch, Annamite, Siamese, and other small countries in Southeast Asia.

As soon as the Dutch finalized the contract in Macao, they immediately began large-scale trade with China. Of course, there will be some time before the massive trade tide that comes because of the peace in Europe, but it does not prevent the Dutch from doing so

Nanjing layout in advance.

There are also three families of Annam, Zheng, Ruan, and Mo. The relationship between these three families is not very good, so they are divided into three groups and stand in a big place.

As for Siam, Champ, and other places, a few people also came here and there. The temptation is very strong. This was also the effect of the Dutch's war with the Xia Dynasty.

In particular, Lin Cha established a military port in the south of Annam, and stationed two or three ships to garrison it, although the number was small and the strength was very small, but for the small countries in the south, he quickly realized the existence of the Celestial Empire.

Let them recall the power of the Ming Dynasty. Naturally, someone should be sent to find out the wind.

Although Zhao Chengli has a special mission, he is not too conspicuous among the envoys from all walks of life, he wants to see Zhang Xuan alone, but the officials of the Great Xia Rite Department have been prevaricating. There was nothing he could do for a while.

It's just that he doesn't know that this is not because the people in the Ministry of Rites are delaying again, but because there is another dispute within the cabinet, that is, the foreign policy of Great Xia has not yet been decided.

As far as these envoys are concerned, whether they are received by vassals or by foreign countries. This is widely divided within the Cabinet.

On the top of the Forbidden City Hall in Nanjing, the cabinet and the members of the Privy Council were seated.

"Thin and thick exchanges are the malpractices of the first dynasty." Yao Qisheng is saying: "Now that the imperial court is short of money and food, and is making tomorrow's budget, I will roughly calculate, there will still be a lot of holes next year, if there are extraordinary items today, the money is against the case and the thieves are dirty, the national debt, and the income from the sale of salt farms." These three items are worth this year's regular tax. Even so, the expenses of the imperial court are still insufficient, if it is just a few drama-like envoys, it will cost a lot of money, and the Ministry of Rites will find a way, anyway, my household department will not approve it. ”

Zhang Xuan directly dared to be in the affairs of the household department, and the two concepts of budget and final accounts were solemnly put forward by Zhang Xuan, in fact, there may not have been such a financial plan in ancient times, but it was not so emphasized.

Zhang Xuan determined that from October last year to October this year, it would be a fiscal year. Between October and the end of the year, the household department will be busy with one thing, that is, the final accounts. And this final account is given an ancient name, called Shangji. These materials should be discussed by the imperial court after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, after the opening of the imperial court.

If the household department can't finish it, then I have to work overtime for the entire annual leave. It's only ten days anyway.

After the approval of the cabinet in the first month, the household department will compile the accounting records of the year and file them. Then the preparation of next year's budget began based on the data of the previous year, before the autumn harvest and after the adoption of the Cabinet of Ministers. It was implemented in October of that year.

It's just that Zhang Xuan thinks very beautifully. But it is quite difficult to complete such a system, and Yao Qisheng estimates that within three to five years, the budget will not be very accurate.

It is estimated that it has only been measured in the whole country

After that, the budget can be more accurate.

The first fiscal year of Zhaowu began in October, and now it is the end of the year, and the budget book prepared in a hurry is simply full of errors and omissions, and Yao Qisheng has to deal with it every day. The fire is quite big.

Wen Anzhi coughed lightly twice and said, "Even so, the sincerity of the countries to come to the court cannot chill their hearts. ”

Yao Qisheng said: "This is a matter of the Ministry of Rites, and it has nothing to do with the Ministry of Households. ”

Zhang Xuan also understood the thoughts of the two.

Wen Anzhi's attitude is there, that is, he wants to inherit Zhu Yuanzhang, be thick and thin, and cherish the policy of distant people. And Yao Qisheng himself has little aversion to this policy, the only thing he cares about is money.

As long as it doesn't cost money, go with you.

But if you want to spend money, you can't.

"Your Majesty." Wen Anzhi said: "The minister knows that the household department is a little difficult, but it is not good to let people from afar thin China. ”

As soon as Wen Anzhi said this, Yao Qisheng stopped talking. Just wait for Zhang Xuan to decide.

Zhang Xuan said: "When I was in Guangzhou, I heard a joke, I heard that there is a group of people in Guangzhou, who prepare some foreigners all the year round, train etiquette, wait for the opportunity, and wait for the great day of the previous dynasty, in the name of envoys, to meet the court, and then receive a large sum of money from the former dynasty. ”

"There are even some businessmen who call themselves envoys to a country that doesn't exist at all. Those few pieces of goods can be exchanged for ten times the Chinese finance, but I don't know what these things are? ”

Zhang Xuan's words debunked the veil of a dynasty from all over the world, from the Tang Dynasty to the present, Guangzhou fake envoys, almost all of them have been made into an industrial chain, and at least half of the recorded envoys are made from the city of Guangzhou, which is simply a profitable business.

"Yes." Wen Anzhi said.

Doctors are not fools, and many envoys cannot be faked perfectly, but many times the emperor needs such envoys, and it seems that holding a banquet is uncomfortable without a few foreign envoys who are similar to advocating excellence.

Maybe the emperor himself didn't know, but the people below were not all fools.

The so-called concealment is not concealed.

Zhang Xuan said: "If you do this, won't you let people despise China?" ”

"This ------" For a while, the people below didn't know what to say.

"I have also heard that countries such as Korea, Annam, Japan and other countries are vassals to the Celestial Empire, but behind closed doors, they call themselves emperors, and all kinds of royal use are overdue. But is there any? Zhang Xuan said.

"But there is." No one else can speak, but as a book of the Ministry of Rites. Wen Anzhi had to speak. He also knew that it was an open secret. It's just that no one pierced it. Zhang Xuan's words have all come to this, and Wen Anzhi dare not admit it.