Unraveling the Network of Interests Behind National Humiliation

[Modern Live Streaming Room]

When many netizens saw this irrefutable evidence, apart from those who knew history, everyone else was furious. In TV dramas and personal books, these seemingly glamorous individuals were touted as loyal and virtuous ministers, and it was all the emperor's fault and the fault of treacherous officials.

But the reality was quite the opposite.

"Disgusting, absolutely disgusting. No wonder the Ming Dynasty collapsed. I thought it was just the Eight Great Families of Shanxi, but I didn't expect there were other masters among them."

"Poor ancestors, they toiled in the fields but couldn't even survive, forced to their deaths, even resorting to cannibalism."

["Yeah, the TV series is even whitewashing him! Zhu Yuanzhang was too merciful. We should learn from the Buryat wild boar skins and see if they still dare to cause trouble!"]

"That's right, there's only one word to deal with these bureaucratic capitalists—kill!"

A parallel Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty

Having experienced the Hu Weiyong case, the Empty Seal case, and the Guo Heng case during the Hongwu massacre, the civil officials, seeing the curses from future generations on the sky, who actually said that Zhu Yuanzhang was benevolent, couldn't help but tremble with anger. Just as they were about to curse, they felt Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze and swallowed their anger back.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the sky and sneered:

"The descendants are right. It seems we were too lenient. We should learn from the Buryat wild boar skin. They were barbarians who plagued the Ming Dynasty for nearly 400 years. And these barbarians were not all raised by certain people from Jiangnan. We can directly learn a thing or two from their methods."

"Otherwise, how did our sister, our eagle, die? How did the future eagle die? How did we die? How did the emperor of my Zhu family die?!"

Many officials were so frightened that they knelt down and begged for mercy, claiming that it was the work of their descendants and had nothing to do with them; they were innocent. The civil officials had not forgotten that since the appearance of the Heavenly Canopy, many families of officials connected to the future Yongle, Xuande, Chenghua, and Zhengde emperors had been exterminated by Zhu Yuanzhang, young and old, without any exile, to avoid bringing disaster upon future generations.

The civil officials below were heartbroken. If Zhu Yuanzhang was so ruthless now, how would they survive in the future? Zhu Biao, after learning that the future descendants of the fourth prince were killed by the imperial physicians, also sought out the fifth prince, Prince Zhou, to learn medicine in his spare time. He had three imperial physicians by his side at all times to be on his orders.

The Lü family and their relatives are still in prison, questioning who orchestrated this whole affair. Zhu Yunwen has also been stripped of his lineage and his sons removed from the imperial family, while Zhu Yunwen has become the new crown prince. How are they supposed to survive?

[Modern Live Streaming Room]

Zhu Dijun glanced at the excited netizens and calmly continued:

"Family members, let's continue with the story of how these so-called 'grassroots salt merchants' rose to become smuggling tycoons. After all, to know what happened, we must delve into the background of each individual. If any of you were to travel back to the Ming Dynasty, you would know who the enemy was, who the allies were, who the enemy's accomplices were, and how they came to be. Let's continue looking at the information."

I. The Rise of Core Salt Merchants: From "Grassroots" to "Smuggling Overlords" - Their Initial Accumulation

1. Wang Zonghui of Shexian County: A salt industry tycoon who rose to prominence by exploiting loopholes in the "color-ratio calculation method".

• Early Career (Early Jiajing Period, 1522-1530): Wang Zonghui came from a poor family in Shexian County. In his early years, he ran a small salt shop in Yangzhou with his uncle, earning meager commissions by "transporting salt permits". After Emperor Xiaozong of Ming implemented the silver exchange system, salt permits changed from "exchange for goods" to "purchase with silver". Wang Zonghui astutely discovered the loophole: officials of the Lianghuai Salt Transport Office could privately issue more salt permits. He used his savings to bribe the judge of the Salt Transport Office, monopolizing the sales rights of salt permits in Shexian and Xiuning by "giving a discount of 5 taels per permit". In three years, he accumulated 20 taels of silver.

• Monopolistic Expansion (1531-1546):

Wang Zonghui befriended Zhao Wenhua (later Minister of Works), an advisor to Yan Song, and through Zhao Wenhua bribed Yan Song with 5 taels of "annual tribute silver" to obtain the title of "Chief Salt Merchant of Lianghuai," thus gaining priority in the issuance of salt permits. He adopted a strategy of "buying at low prices + jointly raising prices," squeezing out 12 competitors and ultimately controlling 47% of the salt permits in Lianghuai, with annual sales reaching 3 million taels. He purchased thousands of acres of farmland in Yangzhou and Suzhou and established 300 silk workshops and 2 porcelain kilns—these workshops specialized in producing "border trade special supplies" for smuggling (such as durable coarse silk and small, portable porcelain).

• Smuggling Transformation (1547-1550): As profits from the salt industry peaked, Wang Zonghui turned to smuggling in border towns. Through Zhao Wenhua, he met Qiu Luan (then the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Datong). Under the guise of "subsidizing military pay," he transferred 100,000 taels of silver to Qiu Luan, obtaining the "transfer rights of materials" in the Xuanda border town. He transported silk and porcelain produced in his workshop to the border town via canal boats, reselling them to Mongolia for profit. The profit per trip reached six times the cost, quickly making him the richest man in Jiangnan.

2. Wu Jizuo of Xiuning: A smuggling hub that made its fortune through "marriage alliances + military supply contracts"

• Family Foundation (Early Jiajing Period - Ten Years, 1522-1531): Wu Jizuo came from a family of salt merchants in Xiuning, but the family only had a small amount of property locally. His father, Wu Liang, married his eldest daughter to the prefect of Huizhou, obtaining a "special license for salt retail" through government connections. He then opened 15 salt shops in Xiuning and Wuyuan, accumulating an initial capital of 30 taels. After coming of age, Wu Jizuo took over the family business and realized that "simply selling salt is not enough to make a difference," so he began to develop military supplies for the border towns.

• Military Supplies Monopoly (1531-1546): Wu Jizuo, through his father's connections in officialdom, befriended Zhao Qing, the General of Xuanfu, and married his second daughter to Zhao Qing's brother. Through a combination of marriage and bribery (an annual payment of 8 taels of silver), he obtained the "military procurement rights" of Xuanfu. He established the "Hengshun Military Equipment Bureau" in Xuanfu, falsifying costs: each suit of armor actually cost 20 taels, but was reported as 50 taels; each military sword cost 5 taels, but was reported as 15 taels. Over ten years, he embezzled 200 million taels through military supplies. Simultaneously, he used the bureau's resources to privately forge ironware and gunpowder, laying the groundwork for future smuggling.

• Smuggling Expansion (1547-1550): Wu Jizuo discovered that the profits from "military equipment smuggling" far exceeded those from military supply embezzlement. He colluded with Xu Hai, a merchant from Ningbo, to resell ironware and gunpowder from Xuanfu to Mongolia through border towns, and then transport Mongolian furs to Japan via Xu Hai in exchange for silver. In 1559, he transported 800 catties of gunpowder and 2000 pieces of ironware to Altan Khan in one go, earning 400,000 taels of silver, becoming a core hub connecting border towns and maritime smuggling.

3. Wang Yu of Jingyang: A representative of Shaanxi merchants who made their fortune through "cross-regional logistics".

• Early Business Ventures (Early Jiajing Period - Ten Years, 1522-1531): Wang Yu came from an ordinary merchant family in Jingyang, Shaanxi. In his early years, he ran a grain warehouse, transporting grain from Shaanxi to Shanxi and Hebei for sale. After the implementation of the grain price adjustment mechanism, grain prices in border towns soared. Wang Yu seized the opportunity and specialized in transporting grain for the border towns of Xuanfu and Datong, profiting through a combination of "government subsidies for grain transport + private resale"—the government provided a subsidy of 3 taels of silver per shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain, but he only transported 6% of the grain, reselling the remaining 4% privately. In three years, he accumulated 15 taels of silver.

• Logistics Network (1531-1546): Wang Yu established 12 "grain depot branches" in Xi'an, Taiyuan, and Xuanfu, employing 300 bodyguards and building a logistics network connecting Shaanxi and Shanxi with the border towns. He not only transported grain but also transported silk and porcelain from merchants in Jiangnan (charging freight fees), gradually figuring out the "tricks" of smuggling in the border towns. During this period, he met Wang Zonghui and Wu Jizuo, reaching a "resource exchange": Wang Yu was responsible for logistics, while Wang and Wu were responsible for sourcing and sales, with profits shared among the three parties.

• Transformation of Smuggling (1547-1550): Wang Yu was no longer satisfied with "transportation profits" and began to directly participate in smuggling: transporting ironware and grain from Shaanxi to border towns, reselling them to Altan Khan in exchange for Mongolian furs and gold and silver; then transporting these goods through Tianjin Port to Yangzhou, reselling them to Wang Zonghui's trading company, and selling them to Jiangnan and overseas. In 1550, he profited 600,000 taels of silver through smuggling, and his logistics network covered six regions: Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang, becoming a "key link" in cross-regional smuggling.

II. Comprehensive Analysis of Smuggling Routes: "Checkpoint Avoidance Techniques" and Key Node Details of the Four Major Road Networks

1. Jiangnan → Border Town (Main Land Smuggling Route): Combined transport by canal boats and military vehicles to evade checkpoints and inspections.

• Starting point: Yangzhou (Wang Zonghui Salt Transport Office Canal Wharf), Suzhou (Wu Jizuo Silk Workshop), Xi'an (Wang Yu Grain Depot)

• Transportation vehicles: ① Grain barges (disguised as "salt transport ships" or "military pay ships"); ② Military vehicles ("military supply transport vehicles" in Xuanfu and Datong towns)

• Route nodes and obstacle avoidance techniques:

1. Yangzhou → Tongzhou (Grand Canal): The cargo ships flew the flag of "Lianghuai Salt Transport Office" and displayed "pass tokens" issued by Yan Song at the bow. Officials at checkpoints along the way (such as Huaian Pass and Linqing Pass) only conducted symbolic inspections because they had accepted bribes from Wang Zonghui. The bottom of the cargo ships was loaded with salt, while the upper layer was filled with silk and porcelain disguised as "salt merchants' personal items," which were actually smuggled goods.

1. Tongzhou → Xuanfu (Jingxuan Avenue): The supplies from the grain transport boats were transferred to military wagons, which were escorted by Qiu Luan's "Border Army Transport Team". The military wagons were marked with the "Datong Town Military Supplies" flag. The post stations along the way were required to provide supplies and were not allowed to inspect them. Wang Yu's grain wagons were mixed in with the military wagons, transporting Shaanxi grain and ironware together. The officials at the checkpoints did not dare to stop them because they were afraid of the power of the border army.

1. Xuanfu → Mongolian Border (Xuanda Trade Route): Led by Wu Jizuo's son-in-law (Zhao Qing's younger brother), the team transported goods to the "Mutual Market" on the border (actually a smuggling transit point) under the guise of "exchanging military equipment for grain". Mongolian caravans would exchange goods here and pay in silver or furs on the spot.

Key protectors: Li Song, supervisor of Huai'an Customs (who received 2 taels of silver in bribes from Wang Zonghui annually); Wang Xian, head of Linqing Customs (a confidant of Yan Song); and Zhang Bin, postmaster of Xuanfu Post Station (a fellow townsman of Wu Jizuo).

2. Border Town → Jiangnan (Looted Supplies Return Channel): Combined sea and inland waterway transport for rapid monetization.

• Starting point: Tianjin Port (the gathering place for supplies after Anda's raids), Xuanfu border (the handover point for Mongolian furs)

• Transportation methods: ① Smuggling ships (Wang Yu's "grain ships" in disguise); ② Inland river fast boats ("cargo ships" in Suzhou and Hangzhou)

• Route nodes and obstacle avoidance techniques:

1. Tianjin Port → Yangzhou (Bohai Sea → Yellow Sea → Yangtze River Estuary): Wang Yu's smuggling ships flew the flag of "Grain Transport Ships" and were equipped with firearms provided by Wu Jizuo (to guard against government anti-smuggling teams). Coastal garrison officials (such as Tianjinwei and Weihaiwei) accepted bribes and tacitly allowed them to pass. The ships were loaded with gold, silver, silk, and Mongolian furs looted by Anda, which were covered with "grain".

1. Yangzhou → Suzhou → Hangzhou (Grand Canal): Goods were transferred to fast inland waterways and taken over by Wang Zonghui's trading company. The fast ships carried "Lianghuai Salt Merchant" tokens and were directly allowed to pass by officials at checkpoints along the way (such as Zhenjiang and Changzhou). Gold, silver and silk were quickly converted into cash in the "black market" in Suzhou and Hangzhou, while furs were transported to Japan by Xu Hai's fleet.

Key protectors: Liu Zhong, commander of Tianjin Garrison (who received 3 taels of silver annually from Wang Yu); Li Quan, head of Zhenjiang Customs (a fellow townsman of Wang Zonghui); and Zhou Tai, guerrilla general of the Yangtze River Navy (whose promotion was funded by Wu Jizuo).

· [Modern Live Streaming Room]

Many netizens were already in an uproar after seeing this, because Vietnam, which is right next to them, is exactly the same, just with a different name and a different location. The essence of the matter remains the same!

· ["I understand now. The reason we prohibit the military from engaging in commerce is because of the bloody lesson learned from the Ming Dynasty's sinking of China."]

• [Look at Vietnam: its military combat effectiveness has plummeted, its national defense foundation has been hollowed out, corruption has permeated the country, resulting in "collapse-style corruption," which seriously disrupts the national economic order, squeezes the space for people's livelihood, threatens political stability, and has formed a "state within a state."]

• [By examining the weapons used by the Vietnamese in 2004, 2007, and 2017, as well as in recent wars, it's not hard to see what the border armies were like at the end of the Ming Dynasty.]