When people think of mink coats, they think of them wearing them by rich people. In fact, ancient China had a fascination with mink.
(1) Late Ming mink skins are popular
In the Ming Dynasty, "mink skin warm ears" was very popular, mainly to highlight the noble status, followed by the face of the rich. To what extent is it popular? Wanli is to be banned. "Wanli Ye Zhi" once issued such an exclamation: every October, the dignitaries in Beijing like to use mink skins to warm their ears, and the cost of paying homage to the mink skins to warm the ears every year is tens of thousands of taels, and the consumption of mink skins reaches 10,000 pieces.
Mink lives in tree holes, in order not to harm the fur. The Hunting Jurchens placed a large net up to eight meters long at one mouth of the tree hole, and at the other end, black smoke was transported to smoke the mink out of the net. In this way, the complete mink skin is there.
In China's immediate neighbor, Lee's North Korea, there is a fetish for mink skins. By the 1670s, if a woman didn't have mink ornaments, you wouldn't even dare to come out. Ladies meet, you don't wear a mink coat, you don't deserve to be called a lady.
The North Korean regime allowed the payment of mink tax credits, so In order to pay taxes, North Korean farmers often exchanged a cultivating cow for a piece of sable skin of the Jurchens in order to pay taxes.
The protagonist comes out, and it is the Jurchens who control the mink business. Because, there was a family conflict between the Ming Dynasty and the Jurchens, and as a result, Wanli could not find so many mink skins, and if you wanted to get so many minks, the cost would be several times more than usual. Wanli is not a fool, this kind of business is too uncalculated, simply, I do not reward. I don't want mink skins anymore, see if you're in a hurry. As a result, the Jurchens were really anxious, and the result of the hurry was: the Jurchens rebelled and did not recognize you as the suzerain.
(2) Mink in the Ming Dynasty
In fact, in the 14th century, the Jurchens submitted to Daming under the orders of Zhu Di, the ancestor of Ming Cheng. But because since the middle of the 15th century, the Jianzhou Jurchen, who was the intermediary between the Ming Dynasty and the Jurchens, suddenly received an order: from now on, the Ming Dynasty will have pure black mink and good horses, and we don't need the rest.
At this moment, the Jianzhou woman was really anxious. Their eyes began to look north—they were from the same sect, but they were not very closely related to the poor brothers Haixi Jurchen and Savage Jurchen. To this end, the ambition to unify the jurchens began to sprout.
Jianzhou Jurchen immediately rushed north to the more primitive Jurchen, shouting: Big brother, although we have not come and gone for a long time, brother, I have not come to see you for a long time, today I am coming! Hey? Your mink, haha, get me a few.
At first, the Jurchens exchanged mink skins, and over time, as the two sides cooperated for a long time, the cooperative relationship with Daming gradually became known. There are also more contradictions between Jurchens.
By the second half of the 16th century, the Jianzhou Jurchens and the Ming Dynasty had more and more mink trading points. With the expansion of the mink business, the connection between the three ministries of Jianzhou has become closer and closer, and it is not only feelings but also hatred that are close. Because, in business, fathers and brothers can fight, not to mention relatives.
To this end, the contradictions between the three ministries are becoming more and more extensive, and in order to expand business, the determination of the Jurchens in Jianzhou to unify the Jurchens is getting bigger and bigger.
Finally, Nurhaci appeared, and Daming eventually perished. The rise of the Qing Dynasty, which sold mink skins. However, at this time, another great power that flourished because of mink also came to China, and the Qing Dynasty would have a fierce battle with it!