My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 30: U-Tsang's Tribute
U-Tsang is the Tibetan area in later generations and was also one of the vassal states of the Ming Dynasty.

After Zhao Zhenji completed the task, he did not stay in the Zhanshi Mansion for too long, but returned directly to the cabinet.

The Zhanshi Mansion had just been established, and those who received the assignments all wanted to show off in front of Zhao Zhenji, the Zhanshi. They all rushed to the Ministry of Rites and started working as if they had been injected with chicken blood.

Shen Shixing and Shen Yiquan held Su Ze back. Shen Shixing, who knew the situation best, said:

"Brother Zilin, the U-Tsang tribute is very difficult to handle."

Needless to say, I'm being bullied again.

What is this? A congenitally small-shoe holy body?
How come you, Zhao Zhenji, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, are trying to make things difficult for me?

Su Ze sighed helplessly. The mark of being a member of Gao Gong's faction was too obvious on him. Zhao Zhenji entered the cabinet on the recommendation of Xu Jie, so it was normal for him to suppress him.

In many cases, the head of a department does not need to specifically target his subordinates. He only needs to assign some difficult tasks to them and call it "training young people" to easily ruin their future.

In his previous life, Su Ze had seen many young people who were full of vigor and ambition fall into this trap.

The key point is that you are still unable to express your pain. Everyone has received the task, so why can't you do it?

You say work is difficult? Is there any job in the world that isn't difficult? Do you have to be picky about work?

Su Ze asked Shen Shixing, "Brother Rumo, please give me some advice."

Shen Shixing said succinctly:

"Ever since the reign of the previous emperor, U-Tsang has been constantly demanding tribute. Every time they pay tribute, they often send envoys numbering a thousand to demand tribute gifts. The previous emperor issued a strict imperial decree prohibiting U-Tsang from paying more tribute, but he still couldn't stop the tribute envoys."

"This time when the Crown Prince was enthroned, U-Tsang came again to compete for tribute."

Dispute over tribute, Su Ze finally understood why Shen Shixing said that the issue of U-Tsang was difficult to deal with.

When talking about the tribute system, later generations think of all nations coming to pay tribute and the Ming Dynasty as the father.

He is a real father, but if his son asks him for money, he has to give him living expenses.

Contrary to what modern people think, the vassal states of the Ming Dynasty were very happy to pay tribute.

First of all, after each tribute, the Ming Dynasty would give generous rewards.

This is equivalent to a son wishing his father a happy new year and the father having to give him lucky money. The vassal states only need to pay tribute with some local specialties, and the rewards given by the Ming Dynasty far exceed the value of the tribute.

These tribute envoys used the money they received to purchase Chinese goods, and then sold them in their own countries for a huge profit.

Moreover, as soon as the tribute envoys set foot on Chinese soil, their expenses were reimbursed by public funds.

Therefore, these vassal states competed to pay tribute, and the Ming Dynasty could only limit the number of times they paid tribute.

The most greedy among them was North Korea. North Korea paid tribute to the Ming Dynasty very frequently. Although the Ming Dynasty clearly stipulated that North Korea should pay tribute every three years, North Korea was still not satisfied with three or even four tributes a year, and sometimes it reached six tributes.

In addition, there is Japan. One of the causes of the Japanese rebellion in the southeast during the Jiajing period was the "dispute over tribute."

The Japanese daimyo Hosokawa and Ouchi clans each sent trade missions to China to trade with the Ming Dynasty. After arriving in Ningbo, Zhejiang, the two missions clashed over the authenticity of the Kanko, and a violent killing broke out in Ningbo, Zhejiang.

This dispute over tribute led Emperor Jiajing to cut off Japan's eligibility to pay tribute. In order to trade with the Central Plains, Japan bred a large number of Japanese pirates, which led to the Southeast Japanese Rebellion.

When Su Ze heard about the dispute over tribute, he knew that things were going to be difficult.

Zhao Zhenji really left the difficult task to himself.

Su Ze asked again in confusion:

"The timeline for this enthronement ceremony is so tight, how did the envoys from U-Tsang arrive so quickly?"

Shen Shixing said:
"Isn't this a perfect coincidence? The Gelugpa Dharma King of U-Tsang has passed away, and the internal strife over the new Dharma King is raging. Ganden Monastery and Drepung Monastery have each found a reincarnated soul boy and sent envoys to the capital to request Your Majesty's judgment. When these envoys heard that a grand enthronement ceremony was going to be held, they immediately changed their titles to tribute envoys." "The Ministry of Rites is also arguing endlessly over which sect is the reincarnated Dharma King."

ha?
When Su Ze heard this, he also felt a headache.

U-Tsang governs its people through religion, and the Dharma King holds the supreme status.

The Ming Dynasty still had strong control over U-Tsang. This time, there was a dispute over the selection of the new Dharma King of U-Tsang, so it was understandable to request arbitration from the higher power.

But this happened at the ceremony of enthroning the Eastern Palace, and people were vying to pay tribute, which turned it into a political issue.

Accepting tribute from any faction is tantamount to recognizing the legitimacy of that faction.

However, the internal situation of U-Tsang was complicated, and there were many religious and political factors involved in the reincarnation of the Dharma King. It was difficult for the Ming Dynasty to make a decision in a short period of time.

Zhao Zhenji, this old bastard, put on such small shoes for himself right away.

Shen Yi Guan also told Su Ze what he had heard:
"Ganden and Drepung are the three major monasteries that form the foundation of the Gelugpa sect. According to Gelugpa tradition, the Dharma King should rotate between the three major monasteries. The previous Dharma King came from Ganden, and the current Dharma King should come from Drepung. However, the previous Dharma King left behind a message about reincarnation, and both Ganden and Drepung claim to have found the reincarnated child. The two factions are arguing endlessly, and it's said that they're on the verge of a war."

"According to tradition, Drepung Monastery should find the reincarnated soul boy, but Ganden Monastery claims to have the instructions of the previous Dharma King. No matter which soul boy is confirmed, they will not accept it."

After listening to what Shen Shixing and Shen Yikuan said, Su Ze understood how difficult the matter was.

U-Tsang caught the Ming Dynasty off guard and wanted to use the Ming Dynasty's ceremony of enthroning the crown prince to resolve its own internal disputes.

The affairs of vassal states belong to diplomatic affairs, and there is no trivial matter in diplomacy. If improper handling causes unrest within U-Tsang, the officials in charge will be in trouble.

Under normal circumstances, this matter would fall under the responsibility of the Ministry of Rites.

Obviously, the Ministry of Rites and the Department of Guests were unwilling to take the blame, so they took the opportunity to push it away, and Su Ze became the one to take the blame.

Workplace warfare is a war between passing the blame and taking the blame. When the total number of blames remains the same, the main task of each department is to pass on the blame and block the blame taken by others.

It is obvious that Su Ze, who is controlled by Zhao Zhenji, has no ability to pass the blame.

Su Ze sneered in his heart. If it were someone else, if they were put on such a big pot just after entering the workplace, they would probably have no way to turn things around.

But Su Ze had thought of a countermeasure in an instant, and he was also a systematic person.

Zhao Zhenji's non-stick pan, Su Ze took note of him.

Seeing his friends' worried expressions, Su Ze said calmly:

"Don't worry, everyone. Su has already made a plan. Everyone should focus on their own duties and not delay the ceremony or annoy the superiors."

Seeing Su Ze's confident look, Shen Shixing, Shen Yikuan and Luo Wanhua were still worried.

But the affairs of U-Tsang are complicated, and they only have a partial understanding of them.

Shen Shixing said:
"Brother Zilin, I know someone in the Guest and Guest Department. I can ask him to tell me about the affairs of U-Tsang."

Shen Yiquan also said:

"Brother Zilin, my uncle knows the abbot of the Dalongshan Huguo Temple. I can introduce him to you."

Even Luo Wanhua said:

"Brother Zilin, I have read in the Hanlin Academy the memorials regarding the tribute paid by U-Tsang during the reign of Emperor Taizong. I can help you find them for reference."

Su Ze said gratefully:
"I appreciate your kindness, brothers. I have a plan, so you don't need to worry."

(End of this chapter)