Chapter 0001 Can the Ming Dynasty Still Be Saved

The perseverance of these forty years has been achieved without the wise leadership of Zhu Cilang. Now that we have an outstanding and visionary revolutionary successor like Zhu Cilang, how can the Ming Dynasty not endure for a few more years? No, it is not merely about enduring a few more years, but rather about revitalizing the Ming Dynasty and creating brilliance once again, which is imperative

Zhu Yaofei, or perhaps he should be referred to as Zhu Cilang, has just devoured a very delicious imperial meal. A simple combination of three dishes and one soup, accompanied by a bowl of crystal white rice, without any heavy or spicy seasonings, and the dishes are not particularly novel, yet they have achieved the most perfect flavor. Even the extravagant delicacies offered by high-end clubs in later generations cannot compare to this seemingly simple three dishes and one soup

Zhu Cilang glanced at him and said, "Enough of this and that, just speak! Say whatever you have to say, no need to be afraid"

The eunuch Huang, who was standing by, was taken aback. The Lord had always called him Huang Banban, so why did he address him by his name today? Moreover, after waking up, the Lord seemed a bit off; his tone, demeanor, and expressions were all quite different from before. It was as if he had become a different person! Furthermore, he kept saying strange things, almost as if he had gone mad!

According to Zhu Cilang's experience, the true foundation of a company lies in one aspect: whether the product can capture the market

"Attend to the writing!" instructed Zhu Cilang.

This, this..." Huang Dabaot was hesitant in his speech

Although this large house will belong to Li Zicheng in a few days, the assets of the Ming Dynasty are still abundant. The fall of Beijing and the suicide of Chongzhen are merely the historical accounts of the demise of the Ming Dynasty; they do not signify the complete closure of this old establishment that has lasted for over 270 years

What does "analysis and research" mean? Huang Dabaos is completely puzzled

Such a market share was historically maintained until the end of the Qing Dynasty, at which point it transformed into a long-term trade deficit and outflow of silver

This is a product that has completely no market, is severely insolvent financially, and has all movable and immovable properties seized by the bank, leading to serious operational difficulties for the company. Subsequently, it changed hands among three actual controllers: Beiyang, the Nationalist Government, and the Red Era. After struggling for over one hundred years, it finally managed to restore the great China to its former glory. The extent of the decay of the assets left by the Qing Dynasty is evident.

If it is truly rotten to the core, how could simply changing the management team lead to an immediate revival

In the future, who would consider a company that has lost its market for a product to be of high quality, while believing that a company with an extremely high market share, capable of maintaining its position in the international market for up to 200 years, is fundamentally flawed

Similarly, it is not to say that a company with an exceptionally excellent management team will necessarily thrive. A company that cannot be saved even by an outstanding management team is truly rotten to the core

He is a seasoned financial professional who obtained the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification in later years, and it is unknown how many company research reports he has produced. His ability to identify opportunities and risks amidst chaos is his skill for making a living. Throughout his life, his analytical research skills have become one of the key assets he can rely on.

Through a straightforward analysis, Zhu Cilang discovered that the fundamentals of the Ming Dynasty were not as dire as previously thought, and could hardly be considered fundamentally rotten

Afterwards, there was the Southern Ming, which, although it did not fare well, persisted for more than a decade. If we include the Zheng family forces on Taiwan, then there were nearly forty more years to thrive

Is there any need to ask? ... The problem undoubtedly lies with your esteemed father, the Emperor ... This is the plain truth, which the eunuch Huang would not dare to speak.

"I will not write articles or paint," said Zhu Cilang, "I want to analyze and study."

In later history, after the Qing Dynasty took control of the Central Plains, it was able to establish the prosperous Kangxi era in a very short period of time, which also indicates that the roots of the late Ming Dynasty had not fundamentally decayed.

Having a golden finger makes all the difference

If there are such individuals, one should never engage in any work related to business operations... Being content with a modest life can also lead to a happy existence

After a moment of surprise, Grand Eunuch Huang quickly regained his composure, bowed slightly, and asked, "Your Majesty, what are your orders?"

Starting from the fifteenth year of the Chongzhen era, Zhu Cilang frequently accompanied Emperor Chongzhen to court. When Emperor Chongzhen reviewed memorials, he often summoned Zhu Cilang to observe and frequently provided guidance. Zhu Cilang had an excellent memory; he could recall the general meaning of the memorials he had read, thus remembering some of the memorials from the Ministry of Revenue.

Zhu Cilang put down his bowl, slammed the table, and said, "We must rescue him! We must spare no effort and use any means necessary to save... Huang Dabo!"

It seems that the benefits of being a crown prince are quite good, with ample food and spacious living accommodations, a large house within the first ring of Beijing, a place that future generations will find impossible to purchase, no matter how much money they have!

A company that has not lost its roots, has not lost its market, and is not burdened by a mountain of debt, but has encountered difficulties due to an incompetent management team, can quickly turn losses into profits and achieve new glory after replacing the management team

Then, the servant spoke. Huang Dabaod said, "The world is in such turmoil, and it is all caused by the lack of money."

Zhu Cilang recalled carefully for a moment: It seems that...! ... it wasn't particularly lacking in funds either! Last year's regular taxes, along with the three additional levies, amounted to over 10 million taels of silver.

Many people in later generations, when mentioning the late Ming Dynasty, tend to blindly conclude that it was "rotten to the core," which is actually an outsider's perspective. Let alone discussing a country, what constitutes the foundation of a company? Is it the capability of the chairman? The integrity of the general manager? Does that mean if a company encounters a foolish chairman and a corrupt general manager, it is doomed to be rotten to the core?

"Is Your Excellency going to write an article or paint a picture?" Huang Daba asked.

This is not the case at all. It is true that the management of a company can lead to its downfall, but it cannot be said that a company will immediately deteriorate to its core simply because it encounters poor management.

In his previous life, he was involved in finance. This field not only requires studying the market but also necessitates an understanding of policies and the fundamentals of companies, which inevitably involves extensive research across various regions. Based on his years of experience, the actual situations of many large companies may not be fully grasped by the lofty chairpersons and general managers; rather, it is often the middle and grassroots staff who have a clearer understanding. However, they are generally reluctant to express this knowledge.

Can you tell me, what exactly is the root cause of the current state of our Ming Dynasty?

The silk and porcelain produced by the Ming Dynasty were marketed worldwide. Beginning in the mid-16th century, with the development of large silver mines in the Americas, vast amounts of silver started to flow into the Ming Dynasty in exchange for bulk trade goods primarily consisting of silk and porcelain. In just a short century, over ten thousand tons of silver flowed in, amounting to approximately four hundred to five hundred million taels, which translates to a trade surplus of several million taels each year

No money? Zhu Cilang nodded gently. Whenever money was mentioned, a multitude of figures would emerge in his memory. These included the annual revenue of the Taicang treasury in the sixteenth year of Chongzhen, the additional levies, and various miscellaneous expenditure data.

If the Ming Dynasty is viewed as a company, then its products would undoubtedly capture a significant share of the market

In the end, it was the anxious Qing Dynasty that truly fell apart. Not only did its own products lose their international market, but even domestically, it was a world dominated by foreign goods. Moreover, it was burdened with a massive foreign debt, needing to repay at least 2 billion taels of silver, which was nearly more than the total amount of silver in the Qing Dynasty at that time. The various sovereign rights of the nation were also treated like collateral, mortgaged to the great powers. Even within the Second Ring Road of Beijing, there was an area called Dongjiao Minxiang that was occupied by foreign troops, becoming an extraterritorial zone on Qing territory.

Zhu Cilang was too lazy to explain to him. He took a brush, spread out a piece of Xuan paper, and began to write and draw on it. First, he hand-drew a table for situational analysis. Then, based on his memory, he listed the "strengths," "weaknesses," "opportunities," and "threats" of the Ming Dynasty that he could think of, and proceeded to conduct various combination analyses.