Daming: Brother, there is no future for monks, let's rebel

Zhu Biao smiled when he heard this: "That makes sense. The original intention of the Chamber of Commerce is to make profits for the people and merchants, so it naturally cannot be completely controlled by the government. Uncle, what do you think?"

Zhu Han stroked his beard lightly, his eyes indifferent but sharp: "Since it is set up for merchants, of course we have to listen to their voices. However, this Chamber of Commerce is not only a place for merchants to represent, but also a bridge for communication between the court and the people. Local sages and business representatives from all over the country need to participate together to form a check and balance."

Several merchants looked at each other with admiration in their eyes. A younger merchant couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty is right, but if this Chamber of Commerce involves the affairs of the imperial court, will small merchants like us still have a place?"

Zhu Biao smiled and replied, "Don't worry. The emperor's uncle and I have already drafted a charter. The Chamber of Commerce will be divided into different levels. No matter whether you are a big merchant or an ordinary peddler, as long as you have practical demands, you can raise them. In addition, the Chamber of Commerce will report public opinion to the court every month to ensure that every penny is used properly."

The older merchant stood up excitedly, tears in his eyes: "If Your Highness can really do it, I, on behalf of all the merchants in the capital, will kowtow to Your Highness and the prince to express my gratitude!"

Zhu Biao hurried forward to support him, and said firmly: "Don't worry, if this policy cannot benefit the people and merchants, I will never implement it."

The Chamber of Commerce in the capital was officially established. In the early morning, a red silk plaque shone brightly in the courtyard of the Chamber of Commerce, with the words "Gyeonggi Chamber of Commerce" inscribed on it. The courtyard was crowded with merchants from all over the capital, and even the busy peddlers could not hide their excitement.

Zhu Biao and Zhu Han personally came to preside over the unveiling ceremony. Zhu Biao stood on the high platform, his eyes sparkling and his voice loud and clear: "Everyone, the Gyeonggi Chamber of Commerce is officially established today! From now on, all matters related to commercial taxes and freight transportation can be summarized and reported by the Chamber of Commerce. This palace and the emperor's uncle will personally review every suggestion to ensure that the voice of the people is not buried!"

The audience burst into warm applause. Zhu Han walked forward slowly, his eyes calm and his tone gentle: "The Chamber of Commerce is not only a place for merchants to discuss matters, but also a link between the court and the people. I hope you will unite and work together for the prosperity of the capital."

A young merchant stood up excitedly and shouted, "The prince is benevolent, and the prince is wise! With the Chamber of Commerce, our lives will definitely get better and better!"

Another merchant then said, "Your Highness, if this policy can be implemented throughout the country, the people will surely be grateful and work together to serve the court!"

Zhu Biao smiled after hearing this and raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet: "I will remember your support. But this is just the beginning. If there are any shortcomings in the future, please speak up. The court is willing to benefit the people, and also hopes that the people can contribute to the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty."

The crowd cheered. After the unveiling ceremony, Zhu Biao and Zhu Han inspected the chamber's internal affairs. They were relieved to see every detailed arrangement and regulation.

As evening approached, Zhu Han and Zhu Biao stood on a high platform, overlooking the bustling Chamber of Commerce compound. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the two of them, making them look particularly solemn.

Zhu Han said earnestly: "Biao'er, although we have achieved initial results today, we still need to put in more effort to truly benefit the world."

Zhu Biao looked determined and nodded gently: "Don't worry, uncle, I will do my best and live up to the expectations of the people."

At dusk, the courtyard of the Gyeonggi Chamber of Commerce gradually became quiet, and Zhu Biao and Zhu Han were on their way back to the yamen.

On both sides of the street, vendors were packing up their stalls. The dim light of lanterns swayed in the cold wind, adding a bit of warmth to the winter.

Zhu Biao walked slowly, his eyes occasionally lingering on the shops along the street.

He said softly, "Uncle, the Chamber of Commerce has been established, but I always feel that it is difficult to completely dispel the doubts of the people with just a charter. They may still be waiting and watching, fearing that this is just a flash in the pan."

Zhu Han smiled, but his tone was a little thoughtful: "Biao'er, you are right. The trust of the people cannot be gained by words, but needs to be proven by facts. The Chamber of Commerce has just started. No matter how perfect the charter is, if there is no tangible effect, it is just talk on paper."

Zhu Biao stopped thoughtfully, turned around and looked in the direction of the Chamber of Commerce with a calm gaze.

He suddenly said, "Uncle, how about this? We select a few members of the Chamber of Commerce as pilots, and have them report directly on issues related to commercial taxes and personally participate in solving them. This kind of action with real results may convince the people more quickly."

Zhu Han walked slowly to his side, patted his shoulder, and said with a smile: "Biao'er, you are always in a hurry to achieve success. However, your method is feasible. If the public opinion can be directly conveyed to the court through the Chamber of Commerce, and then handled by you personally, it will indeed be twice the result with half the effort. But there is one thing you must remember, everything must be transparent, and don't let outsiders think that the Chamber of Commerce has become a tool of wealthy businessmen."

Zhu Biao nodded in agreement: "Uncle Huang is right. Transparency and fairness are the foundation of the Chamber of Commerce. Tomorrow I will gather the key members of the Chamber of Commerce and discuss this matter with them in detail."

The next morning, the atmosphere in the meeting hall of the Gyeonggi Chamber of Commerce was particularly lively.

The key members of the Chamber of Commerce gathered together and made suggestions on the cooperation between the Commercial Taxation Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce. Zhu Biao sat in the hall with a solemn look, while Zhu Han sat quietly to the side, occasionally signaling with his eyes.

A salt merchant from Tongzhou spoke first: "Your Highness, Your Majesty, I dare to suggest that since this Chamber of Commerce is for the benefit of merchants, the cost of goods circulation should be made public and transparent. Every tax should be clearly listed, and no private checkpoints should be set up. Only in this way can merchants dare to do business freely."

Zhu Biao nodded, motioning for him to continue.

Seeing this, the salt merchant relaxed a little and continued, "In the past, when we shipped goods from Tongzhou to the capital, we only had to pay a commercial tax on the surface, but in fact, we had to pay additional fees for each checkpoint we passed. There was no evidence for these fees, and although the merchants were indignant, they had nowhere to complain."

After hearing this, Zhu Biao's eyes darkened slightly, and he slowly said, "You made a good suggestion. Since the court has promoted the Commercial Taxation Bureau, it is to put an end to this kind of chaos. Now that the pilot project in the capital has been launched, I will ask the Commercial Taxation Bureau to set up a unified tax account book, and all taxes and fees must be recorded in detail and publicized in the Chamber of Commerce Hall. If anyone sets up a checkpoint privately again, it will be an enemy of the court." As soon as these words came out, there was an uproar in the hall. Many merchants looked at each other, as if they did not expect Zhu Biao to be so decisive.

A young porcelain merchant quickly stood up and said, "If Your Highness can really do this, we merchants will definitely support you! However, Your Highness, although this account book can eliminate hidden charges, can we ask the Commercial Taxation Bureau to send people to inspect it regularly? Only in this way can we ensure fairness."

Zhu Han finally spoke at this time. Although his tone was not heavy, it was very important: "The Commercial Taxation Bureau does need inspections, but more importantly, the Chamber of Commerce must have the ability to supervise. If your Chamber of Commerce cannot exercise self-discipline, no matter how many inspections there are, it will only be a temporary solution. This king proposes to set up a supervision team within the Chamber of Commerce, and let the merchants elect their own representatives to jointly check the account books with the tax officials sent by the court."

An old silk merchant from the Chamber of Commerce nodded as if he had suddenly realized something when he heard this: "Your Majesty is right! The Chamber of Commerce is originally an organization of the people. If we can't control ourselves, how can we expect the trust of the court? I am willing to be the first to sign up to join the supervision team and do my part for the people!"

Zhu Biao was pleased when he saw this, and said loudly: "Very good! I am very pleased that you have such awareness. Don't worry, I and the emperor's uncle will ensure that this matter is fair and transparent, and will never let the Chamber of Commerce become a tool for a few people."

One morning, Zhu Biao was reviewing the report submitted by the Chamber of Commerce at his desk when a guard came to report: "Your Highness, a group of merchants from the suburbs of Beijing have come to the city to ask for an audience. They said they want to present a special gift."

Zhu Biao was slightly surprised and personally went to the main hall to greet them. He saw several merchants slowly approaching with a silk banner with eight golden characters on it: "Prince is Benevolent, Prince is Wise". An elderly merchant in the lead knelt down excitedly and said in a trembling voice: "Your Highness, Prince, we send this banner today to express our gratitude for the justice and compassion of the court. During this period, the Chamber of Commerce was established, and the commercial taxes were fair and fair, which was a blessing for the people. It is really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

Zhu Biao quickly helped him up and said in a gentle tone: "My fellow elders, I accept your kindness. But this is only what the court should do. My real wish is to let you live a good life."

Zhu Han stood aside, his eyes deep, and said slowly: "Although the banners are beautiful, if we want to truly let the people remember the court's goodwill, we need more long-term measures. Biao'er, next we have to promote the successful experience of the pilot project in Gyeonggi to other places, so that more people can benefit."

Zhu Biao nodded firmly: "Don't worry, uncle, I will do my best."

The two looked at the merchants' faces filled with gratitude and were filled with emotion.

A few days later, Zhu Biao convened local celebrities and business representatives from all over the capital and held an unconventional public opinion forum in the Chamber of Commerce.

In the lobby, local celebrities and business representatives from all over the capital sat down in an orderly manner. They had different expressions, some had frowns on their faces, some were full of expectations, and some were talking in low voices.

Zhu Biao sat in the main seat, and next to him was Zhu Han. His expression was still as calm and majestic as usual.

Zhu Biao raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, and slowly said: "Dear fellow villagers, I have called you here today to listen to your voices. The commercial tax reform has achieved initial results in the pilot projects in the capital, but there is still a long way to go. This palace and my uncle are well aware that there are still many problems to be solved. Therefore, you can speak freely at today's discussion."

After these words were spoken, the hall was silent at first. Many people bowed their heads and seemed to be considering how to start. A white-haired old man stood up tremblingly, cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, I am a farmer in the countryside of the capital. In recent years, grain prices have fluctuated, and people's lives have become increasingly difficult. I heard that Your Highness is promoting commercial tax reforms. I would like to ask, can this policy really benefit us farmers?"

After hearing this, Zhu Biao stood up with a serious look and said in a gentle tone, "Old man, you made a good point. The commercial tax reform is indeed mainly for merchants, but in the final analysis, the people are the foundation of the court's policies. After the commercial taxes are cleared, the circulation of goods will be more convenient, and the stability of grain prices will naturally be just around the corner. If the people in the capital have any difficulties affected by the commercial taxes, this palace will do its best to solve them."

After hearing this, the old man nodded gratefully and sat down again. At this time, a young merchant in a blue cloth robe stood up and said, "Your Highness, I am from Shuntian Prefecture. Over the years, although we have produced grain, the price of grain has not been raised due to the long distance and the many checkpoints. Can the commercial tax reform benefit other prefectures? How long will it take for it to be implemented in our area?"

Zhu Biao was about to speak, but Zhu Han smiled and said first: "I have also heard about the situation in Shuntian Prefecture. The numerous checkpoints in the outer prefectures are indeed one of the troubles for the people and merchants. But reform cannot be achieved overnight. The capital is used as a pilot to explore the best method. When the pilot in the capital matures, we will gradually promote it to ensure that every prefecture and state can benefit."

The young businessman hurriedly asked, "Your Majesty, how long will the promotion take? If it takes three to five years, I am afraid I can't wait."

Zhu Biao's eyes were firm as he took over the topic, "It won't take three to five years. I plan to spend half a year to sort out the experience of the pilot project in Gyeonggi, and then promote it to Shuntian and surrounding prefectures and states. If the reform can be successfully implemented, I promise you that by this time next year, the grain supply in Shuntian Prefecture will be unimpeded."

Hearing this, many people in the hall nodded, and the discussion gradually became heated.

An older cloth merchant in the crowd stood up and said with a bow, "Your Highness, Prince, I have something I don't understand. Although the Chamber of Commerce was established for merchants, now villagers are also joining the Chamber. Will this cause confusion in the responsibilities of the Chamber of Commerce?"

Zhu Biao pondered for a moment and smiled slightly: "The question you raised is very important. The Chamber of Commerce does serve merchants, but the interests of the people and merchants have never been separated. The people need materials, and the merchants need markets. The two are originally a symbiotic relationship. The Chamber of Commerce accepts villagers, not to confuse responsibilities, but to better understand the needs of the people, so that the reform can be closer to public opinion."

The cloth merchant nodded, seemed to understand, and sat down again.

At this time, a young scholar suddenly stood up and said loudly: "Your Highness, although I am a scholar, I admire the court's determination to reform. If the reform policy requires manpower, I am willing to give up fame and fortune and help the court promote the new policy!"

His voice was sonorous and powerful, attracting the attention of everyone in the hall. Zhu Biao looked at him, a trace of satisfaction flashed in his eyes, and slowly said: "I have noted your ambition. But do you know that this road is not easy? To promote reform, you need to travel thousands of miles, listen to the voices of the people, and may even face obstacles and misunderstandings."

The scholar knelt down without hesitation and said, "Your Highness, if it can benefit the people, I will never retreat even if there are thousands of difficulties and dangers!"

Zhu Biao stepped down from the main seat and helped him up personally, saying solemnly: "Good! With young people like you, the future of the court will be more hopeful. I welcome you to join the Chamber of Commerce and help promote the new policy." (End of this chapter)