Chapter 889: All Nations Come to Pay Tribute

As mentioned earlier, some imperial systems are extremely efficient in certain aspects. Within a week of Yannick's order, the military completed all preparations for the military parade.

Countries all over the world came to participate in this military parade (except for the Soviet Union and the United States). In order to show their attention, most countries' top leaders, such as kings or prime ministers, personally participated in the parade and even brought various rare treasures. Bao as a gift, I plan to take this opportunity to come to Germany and say goodbye to the dock, hug Germany's thigh tightly, so as not to be taken care of by the Germans in the future.

Yannick really felt that "all nations come to court", and felt a little sad in his heart. "All nations come to court" began in the Sui Dynasty of China ("Book of Sui" says: "Every first month of the year, all nations come to court and stay until the 15th day, outside Duanmen and inside Jianguomen, stretching for eight miles, it is listed as a theater ."), which literally means that various countries come to perform pilgrimage and pay tribute to express their recognition and submission to this "heavenly kingdom". To put it simply, tributary means that these small countries pay protection fees to the "Celestial Kingdom", and the "Chinese Kingdom" protects them from being bullied by other countries.

Feeling that one is the center of the world and dreaming of all nations coming to court has become a common problem among Chinese emperors throughout the ages. This problem was particularly severe in the Ming Dynasty.

According to historical records such as "Ming Huidian", "Waiyi Tribute Test", "Ming History", and "Ming Shilu", during the Wanli Period, the number of tributary countries in the Ming Dynasty was about 100, and the number of all tributary countries in the entire Ming Dynasty was roughly 148.

Since there was no clear concept of Western countries at that time, countries that had trade relations with the Ming Dynasty were also included in the category of tributary countries. This is of course inaccurate. However, excluding Western countries that had no vassal relations with China, the total number of countries and regions that paid tribute to the Ming Dynasty remained at around 100.

Even according to the more conservative records in the "Waiyi Tribute Test" compiled during the Jiajing period, there are more than 90 countries.

During the Yongle period when Zhu Di ruled the Ming Dynasty, there was an unprecedented tribute ceremony in China. "The Ming Dynasty unified all directions. The emperor's civil and military saints entertained billions of emperors and teachers with benevolence and righteousness. Therefore, all Chinese barbarians did not respect their relatives. From the sky to the end of the earth, Since the birth of the people, the tribute has never been as prosperous as it is today."

Neighboring countries scrambled to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty. By the middle of the Ming Dynasty, this phenomenon continued unabated, especially the Japanese state that had regained its "tribute license". Tribute competition became more and more intense, and "tribute competition" incidents occurred frequently. Among them, the most famous one is the "Ningbo Tribute Competition" provoked by Japanese merchant ships. In the second year of Jiajing, the tribute envoys of the Ouchi clan and the Hosokawa clan of our country fought in Ningbo Port in order to compete for the privileges of tributary trade with the Ming Dynasty. Liu Jin, the commander of the Ming Dynasty's coastal garrison, commanded by Beiwadu, was ordered to recover, but actually fought. Death, the situation is in chaos.

Why are so many countries willing to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty? Are you willing to kill each other for tribute? Do you think you have too much money? Wouldn't that be the same as the idiot fans who earn two to three thousand a month and worry about the stars who can earn hundreds of millions per movie and whether they can eat or dress well? No top official in any country would be so stupid, right?

But if a fan gives a star a ten-dollar gift, and the star gives hundreds or thousands of dollars in return...then I'll fight my ass off to be his fan, and I'll get in trouble with anyone who doesn't let me be his fan! !

What a great deal!

This is why so many countries rushed to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty, because the tribute trade of the Ming Dynasty had a great nature of reward.

Although it stands to reason that it is the obligation of a vassal state to offer tribute to the Celestial Empire and to express surrender, one should not ask for anything in return. However, as the "superior state", the Ming Dynasty has always been very "fastidious" and has always adopted a "loyalty" approach to tributary states. Bo Lai".

When tributary countries came to pay tribute, the price or reward from the Ming Dynasty often exceeded the value of the "tribute" several times or even dozens of times (to what extent? Take ambergris as an example. According to relevant historical records, this item "The goods are sold in the market of Sumatra...one pound is worth...9,000 Chinese copper coins." That is to say, one pound of ambergris can be sold for nine thousand coins, and the purchase price of ambergris as tribute from foreign countries was in the Ming Dynasty. Usually the price is forty-eight guan per catty - more than five times higher than the market price (see "Ming Huidian")), to show that Ming Dynasty only appreciates their submission and does not want to take advantage of them. This is like the things Jia Mu gave to Grandma Liu in Dream of Red Mansions. They should be worth more than what Grandma Liu brought.

It can be seen from this that paying tribute to the Celestial Empire is really a profitable business, and whoever fails to pay tribute will be the one doing the wrong thing! !

It is not difficult to understand why the Japanese countries competed to pay tribute. Historical records record that whenever a tribute ship loaded with goods rewarded by the Ming Dynasty returned home, the Japanese people would gather neatly on the shore of Hyogo Port and look westward. The private historical record of the Japanese state, "Mahayonin Diary Catalog", describes this grand occasion like this: "The ship returned to the court, and Xuande money arrived." The joy of returning home with a full load and making huge profits was beyond words.

It is no exaggeration to say that it is not the world that pays tribute to the Ming Dynasty, but the Ming Dynasty that pays tribute to the world.

Although he was extremely face-saving, the Ming Emperor was not really stupid. Over time, the raging enthusiasm of the tributary countries made them unable to sit still, and they had to take corresponding measures.

As early as the time of Zhu Yuanzhang, he issued an edict that countries should not pay tribute too frequently: "Since tributes are frequent, the labor and expenses are too high, and I don't want to do it. I ordered you to follow the classics and don't bother too often. I will change the text so that all countries will know it." He issued regulations to the tributary countries according to their distance and distance, some countries once every ten years, some once every three years, and some once every two years.

Then limit the size of tribute missions and stipulate the number of tribute ships for each country to prevent them from carrying too much tribute.

Finally, the tribute envoys were issued licenses to identify the authenticity. Zhu Yuanzhang stipulated the "Kanhe" system. "Each country has 200 Kanhe and four number books." Only those who pay tribute can go ashore with a license and prove their identity.

However, the effect of these restrictive measures is not obvious. Most countries do not abide by the tribute period. For example, Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty stipulated that Korea should pay tribute every three years, but Korea still came once a year. The scale of tribute has never been strictly enforced by various countries. Generally speaking, the goods brought by various countries always exceed the regulations.

Zhu Yuanzhang was harsh and strong by nature. He would never allow his subjects to challenge his orders at home. But Zhu Yuanzhang could not lose face for these shameless tribute envoys. Why? Because there is an old saying in China, "Don't hit a smiling person with your hand, and don't scold a gift-giving person with your mouth."

The formal financial absorption capacity of the Ming Dynasty was not strong, and the fiscal revenue was not high, but a large amount of it was lost through the tribute system. By the late Ming Dynasty, the Ming imperial palace was filled with spices and local products from overseas, but the treasury had no cash, so they had to distribute pepper and spices to officials to offset their salaries.

Sighing and lamenting, Yannick naturally would not repeat the same mistake. He accepted all the precious gifts from various countries, and as a return gift, he received an exquisite handicraft worth only a few euros.

But who would complain or express dissatisfaction about this? They were even worried that the Germans would look down on the gifts they brought.