Chapter 297: Debate Before the Emperor

“‘Confucius said: If wealth can be obtained, even if it means working as a whip carrier, I would do it. If it cannot be obtained, I will follow my own interests.’ Ordinary people often interpret this as the sage despising wealth and rank, but that is not the case. Since Confucius said wealth can be obtained, it must be done through proper means. If the sage were truly compassionate and righteous, how could he stand by while the common people suffer? Wealth and fame obtained through improper means are not despised by the sage. But it is not that the sage despises wealth, rank, and fame, nor does he disdain talking about profit. Now, our Great Ming is wealthy, with people from all over the world coming to pay homage. Our treasure ships sail far across the seas, and local people worship at the sight of them. The court gains fame, and foreigners reap benefits. Yet many people think such actions exhaust the people and waste resources. Why is that?…”
Within ten days, he received several letters, each of which he read with great care, showing considerable interest. Since establishing institutions to train Hanlin scholars, he would attend every quarterly and annual examination in person and had identified a few talented individuals. However, most of them were merely compliant and virtuous. Even those who tried to flatter him by speaking boldly often lost their confidence when faced with him directly. Those censors who wrote letters to criticize current policies were skilled at it, but when it came to discussing practical matters, they often relied on old methods.
Abandoning the treasure ships, giving up Jiaozhi, reducing taxes and corvée labor, ceasing northern expeditions… Even those diligent officials from the Ministry of Revenue, who had even gone gray from hard work, thought the same way. They all said that moving the capital to Beijing required money, building canals required money, voyages to the West required money, and campaigns in Jiaozhi and against the Mongols also required money. Therefore, the best solution was to eliminate these expenses one by one to save the people’s strength. This made sense—during the early years of the Ming Dynasty, except for regions like Jiangsu and Zhejiang, taxes in other provinces were extremely low, so despite years of accumulation, the national treasury was still limited.
Zhu Di was not entirely a warlord. Before being made a prince, he had been carefully taught by many great scholars at the request of Emperor Hongwu. If it weren’t for overthrowing Emperor Jianwen through the Jingnan Campaign and his hatred for scholars who slandered him, he would not have focused so much on promoting military officials and suppressing civil officials. Although ancestral traditions were insurmountable barriers, how could he have seized power if he had no flexibility at all? Now, after reading today’s article and reviewing the previous letters carefully once more, he was finally convinced that Zhang Yue was not acting rashly.
“This interesting boy!”

The eunuchs and palace servants on either side heard Zhu Di’s words and saw the undisguised smile on his face, finding it utterly incredible. Zhu Di rarely smiled, except when the crown prince Zhu Zhanji or Princess Zhu Ning of Chenliu came to talk to him; hence the court’s perception of him as stern and grave. Yet over these three days, the emperor had read Zhang Yue’s letter over and over again, smiling more than ever before, and his recent remark was unprecedented!

The eunuchs serving in Renshou Palace were all highly astute. By the afternoon, the prominent eunuchs in the palace had already heard about it, and even Zheng He, an eunuch who was nominally resting at home, was aware of the matter. Having spent many years at sea eating fish, shrimp, and other meaty foods, he now followed a vegetarian diet upon returning to Beijing, leading a simple life that hardly reflected his high rank as a fourth-rank eunuch.

Eunuchs stationed in remote areas were granted the robes of first-rank dukes and marquises, and Zheng He, who had been dispatched on five expeditions, naturally had such robes as well. However, aside from meeting foreign kings, he rarely wore them. When he stepped out after lifting the curtain, he saw two young eunuchs drying that bright red silk robe with a large floral pattern and right-side opening, so he crossed his arms, narrowed his eyes, and examined it carefully.

The young eunuch who brought the news also followed out and stood beside Zheng He, whispering, “Eunuch lord, although the emperor has kept the letter in the document box, a few of those serving around him can read. They glimpsed mentions of the Western Seas and treasure ships. That Mr. Zhang is a relative of the Duke of Ying, yet he’s a civil official. It’s possible he, like other civil officials, might ask the emperor to abandon the treasure ships. You must be cautious.”

“Go back. I understand the situation,” Zheng He said without turning around. “You also mentioned that the emperor casually called him ‘an interesting kid’ that day. If he wanted to abandon the treasure ships, it would just be following the crowd’s opinion. Why would the emperor give such a comment? The emperor is shrewd. Don’t take risks in the future. Whether to abandon the treasure ships is a matter of the emperor’s wisdom. Besides, I don’t have time to deal with this now.”

Yet when a strange young eunuch came to summon him that afternoon, Zheng He, who had initially said he was busy, felt a surge in his heart. He still hurriedly changed into his official robes and mounted his horse to leave. Upon arriving at Renshou Palace, he realized he wasn’t the only one summoned. Outside the hall, besides Minister of Revenue Xia Yuanji, there was another young official he didn’t recognize.

Xia Yuanji, in his fifties, enjoyed a high reputation both among the court officials and the common people—approachable, simple in lifestyle, empathetic to the people, and skilled in financial management… In short, countless praises surrounded him. Yet even this minister who had held the position of Minister of Revenue for seventeen years had his flaws, namely stubbornness. Of course, he wasn’t the type to argue vehemently with the emperor over trivial matters or adopt a non-cooperative stance. But those he considered “treacherous courtiers” who deceived the emperor were not treated kindly.

Zheng He was one of the courtiers in Xia Yuanji’s eyes who fell into this category. So when he saw the old minister looking at him coldly, he felt somewhat uncomfortable, but still stepped forward to greet him politely before turning his attention to Zhang Yue.

“Your humble servant, Zhang Yue, greets Eunuch Zheng.”

“Oh, it’s Lord Zhang.”

This confirmed his suspicions, making Zheng He even more uneasy. He had made five voyages to the Western Seas—initially out of imperial orders, but by now he could no longer live without the sea. Those years at sea had become the most important part of his life. Only on the sea, as the emperor’s special envoy meeting with foreign rulers, could he forget that he was just a eunuch. He was also aware that building and maintaining the treasure ships was extremely costly, and with each voyage, he prepared himself for it to be his last.

“Minister Xia, Eunuch Zheng, Lord Zhang—the emperor summons you.”

At the shout of the young eunuch, the three of them snapped out of their thoughts, hurriedly adjusted their robes, and entered one after another according to their rank, with Zhang Yue naturally at the back. After bowing in sequence upon entering the hall, he had just straightened up when he heard Zhu Di’s voice from above.

“Weizhe, I ask you—how much does it cost to send the treasure ships on a voyage to the Western Seas?”

Having managed the Ministry of Revenue for many years, Xia Yuanji had always tightly controlled the imperial finances. He was extremely meticulous in his work, always carrying a small notebook that detailed the population, treasury, and tax situations across the country, which he updated and reviewed constantly. So when the emperor asked this directly, he wasn’t at all flustered. Without even needing to consult his notebook, he stepped forward and bowed.

“Your Majesty, for a large treasure ship—including its deck, masts, and other fittings—the material cost alone amounts to 160,000 taels. Adding the labor cost of 80,000 taels, the total comes to 240,000 taels in cash. With a total of 63 such large treasure ships sent on expeditions to the West, the total cost in cash amounts to over 15 million taels. Including other ships of various sizes, the total cost is no less than 40 to 50 million taels. Although it’s not necessary to replace ships every time they set sail, repairs and maintenance still cost at least 4 to 5 million taels each time. The rice, food, and clothing needed for the soldiers aboard amount to 800,000 taels per year, with an additional 100,000 taels spent on each expedition. In total, the expenses for each expedition are enormous.”

Although 80 taels of cash equaled just one tael of silver these days, and Xia Yuanji’s words were nothing new, hearing such figures naturally made Zhu Di frown. He glanced at Zheng He but did not ask this trusted eunuch who was carrying out his orders. Instead, he turned to Zhang Yue.

“Zhang Yue, since Xia Yuanji and Zheng He are here now, why don’t you present your proposals to them?”

Zhang Yue knew that Xia Yuanji had been suddenly summoned by the emperor and had no prior preparation. He was impressed by how well Xia remembered everything—of course, this also showed how deeply the senior official cared about sending treasure ships to the West. While Xia was speaking earlier, Zhang Yue had already organized his thoughts, so he wasn’t nervous now.

“Your Majesty, although sending treasure ships to the West is extremely costly, such expeditions not only enhance the nation’s prestige but also enable the Great Ming to control the countries in the West and make them pay tribute. Each time these ships return, they bring large quantities of agarwood, pepper, and other goods. These items are very cheap in those regions but are treasures in our homeland. However, there is so much of these spices that even if stored in the national treasury for decades or centuries, they might not be used up. Besides using them to pay the salaries of court officials, why not allow private merchants to buy them as well?

Each time the treasure ships set sail, silk, tea, cotton cloth, and ironware are given as gifts, while the foreign nations offer precious items such as pepper, spices, and exotic medicines from their islands, along with envoys to pay tribute, in exchange for Chinese porcelain and silk. The court treats them generously by purchasing their goods at high prices, showing consideration for their efforts. However, the court doesn’t need as many of their goods, but the common people do. Occasionally, poor people who manage to buy Western goods become wealthy. Why not allow them to buy more beyond the regular tribute system? Moreover, since the court’s annual taxes mainly come from farmers, why not lift some maritime restrictions to collect trade taxes and enrich the national treasury?”

Xia Yuanji’s expression darkened instantly. “The imperial court rewards foreign nations with gifts, and those nations in turn offer rare treasures—this is the proper relationship between the sovereign and its vassals. If we use cheap goods from the Central Plains to exchange for their rare treasures, won’t these unscrupulous merchants ruin the reputation of our Great Ming?” Hearing this, Zhang Yue smiled and said, “Minister Xia is mistaken. You must understand that what is considered cheap in our country may be a treasure in other lands, and what we regard as treasures might also be worthless to them. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, sea voyages for trade with other countries have been common. At its peak during the Song dynasty, the annual revenue from the three major maritime trade offices in Quanzhou, Guangzhou, and Zhejiang amounted to no less than two million guan, equivalent to nearly two million taels of silver. Our dynasty cares deeply for the hardships of farmers and imposes light taxes, which often leads to a shortage in the national treasury during wars or construction projects. Why not raise more revenue through trade taxes?” Xia Yuanji frowned, about to mention the ancestral decree prohibiting sea trade issued by the founding emperor, but recalling Zheng He’s repeated voyages to the West, he realized the court had already broken this rule, so he fell silent, though he still disapproved. Taking advantage of Xia Yuanji’s contemplation, Zhang Yue pressed on, “At the beginning of the Yongle era, river transport was favored over sea transport—firstly because of the dangers at sea and secondly due to the chaos caused by Japanese pirates along the coasts. Even if the Ming army was strong, it could do nothing once those pirates set sail and fled. We could only watch helplessly as they wreaked havoc locally. But if Great Ming’s magnificent ships sailed out to sea and repelled pirates and rebels, wouldn’t the Japanese pirates be terrified at the mere sight of them? Indeed, building such ships costs a fortune, so it’s impossible to produce many of them. But if the treasury is abundant and the coasts are guarded by these powerful ships, who would dare to invade or harass us? In the past, the Southern Song dynasty, though a small state confined to a corner of the land, managed to resist the Jin dynasty for over a hundred years—wasn’t that also thanks to its strong naval forces? Just as today, with these magnificent ships maintaining peace at sea, foreign nations would never dare to rebel.” Since ascending the throne, Zhu Di had not made major changes to existing policies, nor did he attach excessive importance to ancestral traditions—but appearances still needed to be maintained. Now, with the decree to move the capital about to be officially issued, and enormous costs involved in everything from city walls to palaces, coupled with the endless expenses for military campaigns in Jiaozhi, he didn’t want to be known for imposing heavy taxes on farmers. Moreover, he still harbored an urge to continue his northern campaigns. Seeing that Xia Yuanji seemed persuaded as well, he fell into deep thought. Meanwhile, Zheng He, who had remained silent until then, first showed surprise before his eyes lit up. Indeed, Great Ming’s magnificent ships had never encountered any rivals at sea!

Although highly favored by Zhu Di, Zheng He had never casually offered advice on state affairs. But now, driven by emotion, he stepped forward at once and said, “Your Majesty, when the treasure ships set sail to the Western Seas, they have repeatedly quelled rebellions in foreign lands, and the pirates lurking there were completely eradicated. People everywhere submit to them. Our Ming army was not originally good at naval battles, but after five voyages, the soldiers aboard have become highly skilled in naval combat and fear no storms. It is not me boasting—these twenty thousand men are unmatched at sea!”
The words “unmatched at sea” filled Zhang Yue with deep reflection—even during Europe’s Age of Exploration, fleets mostly consisted of a few small sailboats, which could hardly compare to the hundreds of massive treasure ships sent by the Ming Dynasty. With five voyages under their belts, these soldiers possessed unparalleled experience in warfare and navigation; they were nothing short of an invincible fleet of the Ming Dynasty!
After another round of debate, Zhu Di finally waved his hand and said, “Hmm, regarding today’s matter, the three of you should not spread it abroad for now. I will consider it carefully before making a decision.”
Such an important matter naturally couldn’t be decided overnight, so Zhang Yue wasn’t discouraged. Yet as soon as he left the Renshou Palace, Zheng He, preoccupied with his own thoughts, went down the stairs on his own. He intended to let Xia Yuanji go first, but found that the old minister was staring at him intently, causing his heart to skip a beat.
Could it be that Old Xia Yuanji also saw him as a troublemaker spreading false rumors?
Xia Yuanji stared at Zhang Yue for a long time before shaking his head. “There’s a saying: ‘Increase revenue and cut expenses.’ I’ve always been focusing on cutting expenses. It’s not easy for someone so young as you to think of increasing revenue. But this matter isn’t as simple as you think. There are likely even more opponents than those who opposed the capital relocation back then.”