jdhmnovel Chapter 1095 What happened to the promise of reciprocity?
Chapter 1095 What happened to the promise of reciprocity?
Just as light has wave-particle duality, so too does Old Deng have two sides: joy and anger.
The black sesame dumpling foolishly tried to connect the inspection with the day Emperor Zhu ascended the throne, thinking that it would be "more meaningful." Old Deng's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
When Empress Ma said, "You can choose a time in the next few days to practice the artillery salvo again, and our whole family will go and watch," Emperor Zhu, who was originally gritting his teeth and thinking about how to deal with those two scoundrels to explain himself, smiled at Empress Ma with an even more fawning smile than a golden retriever.
The key point is that Old Deng really doesn't consider himself an outsider. He just casually suggests that a certain girl and Jin'er should partner up to open a pastry shop, completely disregarding who owns the intellectual property rights to the birthday cake.
As Yang Shaofeng followed Lao Deng and Zhu Biao toward Fengtian Hall, he mentally complained and calculated how much money his family would lose because of this pastry shop. "It is my skill to be able to use your reputation, Lao Deng, but for you to come and take a stake is just your greed!"
Even during the court audience, Emperor Zhu's good mood remained undisguised.
Especially after Mosha, as the chief envoy of the Timurid Khanate, presented the memorial from the Timurid Khanate to the Ming Dynasty to submit to its submission and pay tribute, the Emperor Zhu's lips curled up even more wide than Kalashnikov's.
Then, Old Deng officially began his performance.
"The Timurid Khanate has come from afar to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty, and we are very happy about it."
"The Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial shall prepare to bestow upon the Timurid Khanate a gold seal, ten bolts of silk, and one hundred ingots of paper money."
"Embassies and merchants of the Khanate are permitted to purchase goods at the Dengzhou border market, with the market quota calculated based on the annual quota."
"When the Khanate's envoys returned, the Ministry of Personnel arranged for them to accompany him and formally confer upon Timur the title of Timur Khan."
"..."
Mosha and Manlahafis were a little confused.
Even after Emperor Zhu ordered a banquet and the various vassal artists began their performances, Mosiha and Manlahafis were still in a daze.
What happened to the promise that as long as you contribute anything, you'll receive a huge reward in return?
Now we have presented two camels and fifteen horses, and the Ming emperor has reciprocated with ten bolts of silk and one hundred ingots of paper money?
This is fucking wrong.
Another question: how much gold and silver is one hundred ingots of paper money worth, and how many swords, armor, or arrowheads can be bought at the Dengzhou border market?
We've heard people say that things at the Dengzhou border market are ridiculously expensive; even a simple tea set can sell for tens of thousands of strings of cash.
Also, where exactly is the Dengzhou border market? Can anyone take us there?
……
Before Mosiha and Manlahafis could go to the border market, they received a price list for tribute trade from the Court of State Ceremonies.
Iron ore costs 3.75 wen per jin.
Pepper costs 37.5 wen per jin.
Ebony, sandalwood, ivory, etc., cost six and two and a half wen per jin.
This is the purchase price of goods brought by vassal envoys of the Ming Dynasty. The prices range from small to large, fully demonstrating the professionalism and dedication of the Ming Dynasty in valuing the goods brought by vassal envoys.
The gifts and prices quoted by the Ming Dynasty in return for the envoys' purchases at the border markets were as follows:
Large porcelain items such as blue and white porcelain plates and blue and white porcelain vases cost 6,250 coins each.
Small porcelain items such as blue and white porcelain bowls and cups cost 3,750 coins each.
Musk is priced at 18,750 wen per catty.
The price of the iron pot is 1,875 coins each.
The price of silk is 1,250 cash per bolt.
The main point is to exchange small gifts for large ones – even if you bring 10,000 catties of pepper, it's only worth 375 strings of cash, which is less than the few blue and white porcelain plates that our Great Ming Dynasty gave you in return!
(The above data is quoted from the Great Ming Code)
The valuation slip also thoughtfully noted that each ingot of paper money was worth fifty strings of cash.
In other words, the one hundred ingots of paper money bestowed by Emperor Zhu were roughly equivalent to five thousand strings of cash.
Mo Siha said with a dark and sour face, "The one hundred ingots of paper money bestowed by Emperor Zhu can buy about twelve hundred blue and white porcelain plates at the border market."
Manlahafis said with a face full of grief and indignation: "A pound of oil from the Timurid Khanate cannot buy a single blue-and-white porcelain plate from the Ming Dynasty. The warriors of the Timurid Khanate risked their lives to capture a laborer, but they could not exchange him for a single blue-and-white porcelain plate from the Ming Dynasty."
"Give me little, give me generously."
"What a fine example of giving generously in return for a small gift!"
"They are trying to deprive all the countries and people of the world while enriching their own Ming Dynasty's treasury!"
"What's most infuriating is that we still have to accept their valuation. We have to organize people to dig up the stones and then send them to the port."
At this point, the grief and indignation on Manlahafis's face turned into dejection: "We can't let the Ming people support those Ottoman savages, can we?"
Just as Mosiha and Manlahafeisi were racking their brains over the valuation list from the Honglu Temple, Yang Shaofeng and Zhu Biao were strolling around the capital. Ding Yufei, the newly appointed prefect of Yingtian, walked in front of them, acting as their tour guide.
"The entire Nanjing population currently exceeds 630,000, comprising 120,000 households, divided into more than 2,400 communities."
"There are currently 124 social schools, far fewer than 2,400."
"Children from many villages had to travel to the community school in the next village to study."
"Because many children from villages and communities gather in one community school, the number of teachers is far from sufficient."
"There are two county schools, both of which are facing a situation where there are too many students and not enough teachers."
Ding Yufei glanced at Zhu Biao and Yang Shaofeng, then tentatively said, "My idea is to expand the number of community schools to 1,200 within the next five years."
"For now, let the senior students be the teachers of the junior students."
"That is, taking advantage of the time when the senior students don't have classes, they go to teach the junior students first."
"At the same time, we will borrow some students from the county school to teach the senior students in the community school."
"..."
Zhu Biao nodded, and after considering it for a moment, said, "We can try it first, and have the instructor keep a close eye on things."
The shortage of teachers has now become the biggest factor restricting the development of community schools and county schools in the Ming Dynasty.
Even though his brother-in-law worked tirelessly to establish community schools, county schools, prefectural schools, and universities in Ningyang County and Dengzhou Prefecture, he still couldn't solve the problem.
After all, scholars are not like leeks; they can't be grown up in a day or two.
Not to mention that a whole host of government offices are waiting to be staffed.
There are also smaller government offices at the township and town levels that are about to be established.
The more than 1,000 prefectures and counties of the Ming Dynasty meant that there were roughly tens of thousands of small government offices at the township and town level.
The shortage of clerks alone is around 100,000.
Thinking of this, Zhu Biao couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. He turned to Yang Shaofeng and said, "Brother-in-law, do you have any other good ideas?"
Yang Shaofeng stared blankly at Zhu Biao and asked, "Me? A good idea?"
Zhu Biao nodded awkwardly.
Yang Shaofeng considered for a moment and said, "It's not that there isn't, it's just..."