Nangong, Chonghua Hall.
"What?"
After hearing Zhu Yi finish describing the situation that had just happened in the court meeting, Zhu Qizhen's face suddenly became extremely ugly. He held the soft couch next to him with his right hand, obviously very excited.
You know, before he asked Zhu Yi to contact various nobles and contribute to the opening of the sea, the purpose was to get a big share of the pie after promoting this matter, and more importantly, to take this opportunity to participate in
He came to the sea and mixed his caravan with the caravans of various noble families to confuse the emperor and get rid of the emperor's surveillance.
But in the end, everything was laid out well, but in the end, the emperor cut off his beard!
The emperor took the money raised by the nobles, but he did not take it all. Instead, he divided half of it and handed it over to the emperor's store for operation. In this way, it was considered that the emperor had cut off the hands of the nobles who wanted to get into the sea trade, and by the way
, and also dismantled the alliance of nobles.
For most of today's nobles, in fact, they are involved in maritime trade just for profit, and Zhu Yi used this reason to convince them.
Therefore, compared to organizing a caravan to go to sea by yourself, being responsible for the profits and losses, and handing the money to the imperial shop to take care of it, you don't have to touch anything, just sit and divide the money every year, which is obviously a better choice, and they will naturally not object.
On the contrary, he will be grateful to the emperor and will not be dissatisfied at all.
But the problem is that without the cover of this group of people, if Zhu Qizhen lets the Chengguo Palace and the British Palace go to sea alone, he will be discovered immediately and evade surveillance without even thinking about it.
To say the least, even if he was not afraid of surveillance, it would be very difficult for him to intervene in maritime trade with the power of the two princes alone.
Don’t forget, this opening up of sea trade is not a comprehensive opening. In name, the imperial court’s sea ban policy is still implemented.
However, a group of official trade represented by Huangdian is allowed to open to a limited extent. Even if it will eventually fall to the private sector, these private merchants must also wear the skin of Huangdian.
This means that all merchants participating in maritime trade must pass through the Huangdian gate. If they do not get the authorization of the Huangdian and go to sea privately, it is still considered smuggling.
I have to say that the emperor's move was really ruthless!
The more Zhu Qizhen thought about it, the angrier he became. Looking in the direction of Qianqing Palace, he almost cursed.
Seeing that the Emperor's mood was so unstable, Zhu Yi secretly laughed in his heart, but hurriedly advised him on his face.
"Your Majesty, there is no need to be angry. Maritime trade cannot be accomplished in a day, so there may not be any improvement!"
Hearing this, Zhu Qizhen barely suppressed his anger, his eyes fell on Zhu Yi, and asked.
"What's the turning point?"
So, Zhu Yi pondered for a moment and said.
"Your Majesty, in a few months, Eunuch Song will return to Beijing. There may be an opportunity from him."
"Song Wenyi?"
Zhu Qizhen frowned, remembering such a person.
Previously, Cheng Jing was transferred out of the capital, and Song Wenyi was transferred back. Everyone felt that he was going to replace Cheng Jing in the Supervisor of Ceremonies. At that time, he also tried to win over Song Wenyi, but unfortunately, what he gave
Song Wenyi accepted it, but there was nothing more to follow.
Later, Song Wenyi was sent to be in charge of Huangzhuang, and Zhu Qizhen paid little attention to him. Now that Zhu Yi mentioned this person, could it be...
"Yes, it is this person!"
Zhu Yi nodded and said.
"Your Majesty, although the positions of the Huangzhuang and Huangdian are different, after all, they all belong to the royal industry. Now the Huangzhuang has been spread all over the country. Song Wenyi's errands have almost been completed. He should stay in the capital most of the time.
Inside.”
"Furthermore, as far as I know, Song Wenyi is greedy for money. He now owns a lot of properties. Now that he is going to open the sea, he must not be able to help but get involved. If he is willing to help, maybe he can
It’s not possible to bypass the imperial shop…”
These words made Zhu Qizhen's eyes light up.
Indeed, Song Wenyi's character is that he likes gold and silver treasures. He has been busy with the Imperial Mansion in various places in the past two years, and he must have accumulated a lot of contacts.
No matter how you say it, the sea trade is still running under the guise of the imperial shop, which means that the eunuchs must play a certain role in it.
That being the case, then, as the chief eunuch in charge of the Imperial Mansion, it shouldn't be particularly difficult for Song Wenyi to get a few quotas for trade.
but……
After thinking about this, Zhu Qizhen suddenly became worried and said.
"The emperor insists on opening the sea, which means that this matter must be beneficial. If this is the case, then Song Wenyi may want to participate in it himself. Will he be willing to give up these quotas?"
Regarding this point, Zhu Yi was also a little hesitant and did not dare to confirm it, but said.
"Your Majesty, I just think you can give it a try. After all, the majority of the income from sea trade must belong to the imperial store. Song Wenyi may not be able to get much benefit if he gets involved. He uses the quota of several merchants in exchange for the two princes and your majesty.
Your kindness can be regarded as leaving yourself a way out, Song Wenyi is a smart man, he should know how to do it."
"Okay, in that case, I'll leave this matter to you. Make sure you do it well!"
Hearing what Zhu Yi said, Zhu Qizhen felt relieved, nodded, and said with some emotion.
"Zhu Yi, it is really a blessing for me to have such a loyal minister like you. If the prince can successfully ascend the throne in the future, I and the prince will definitely rely more and more on the Chengguo Palace!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty. However, this is all within the scope of my duties. How dare you claim credit?"
Zhu Yi knelt down on the ground with a sincere attitude.
At the same time, he lowered his head to prevent the Emperor from seeing the faint sneer at the corner of his mouth...
Spring passed quietly, and the weather gradually became hotter. The drizzle of rain turned into a continuous heavy rain at some point, falling on the steps under the eaves, making a thin and dense sound.
In the Qianqing Palace, the emperor was sitting on the throne. Below him were Zhang Min and Yu Shiyue from the cabinet, plus the two ministers from the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Husbandry. In addition to these old acquaintances, there were two young faces. It was Yu Zijun and Wang Yue who were about to take office in Fujian.
Shen Shangshu stood in the palace, looking at Wang Yue who was following Yu Shiyue with a determined look on his face. He was really speechless.
You must know that this Wang Yue originally followed Yu Qian and had already arrived in Fujian. Logically speaking, as soon as the official transfer order was issued, he would just take up his post directly.
As a result, I don’t know what was wrong with Yu Qian’s brain. He insisted on asking Wang Yue to make a special trip back to Beijing to make a speech in front of the emperor. This kind of pure nonsense, the emperor actually got it right. It’s really... Humph!
Feeling the vicious gaze from Shen Yi next to him, Yu Shiyue just pretended that nothing happened.
It was his idea to let Wang Yue return to Beijing.
Nearly three months have passed since the court meeting to discuss the opening of the sea. Although the opening of the sea has passed the court meeting, the matter is too involved. How should the various yamen coordinate with each other, officials, and garrison troops? How to make adjustments needs to be discussed in detail one by one. What the Ministry of Accounts initially gave was a general direction.
However, now that they have been put on the agenda, these issues must naturally be resolved one by one. During these days, the court was still arguing over various issues. It was only now that they reluctantly came up with a solution that all parties were basically satisfied with. The charter comes out.
At the same time, the Beijing inspection of the Ministry of Personnel is also progressing smoothly. Up to now, eleven officials of different grades have been transferred to Fujian after the evaluation, and more will be sent in the future.
Originally, Yu Zijun and Wang Yue's transfer orders had been issued long ago. However, when discussing when to let Yu Zijun set off, the emperor gave Wang Wen instructions to let Yu Zijun stay for a while until the regulations for opening the sea were released. Set off to take office again.
At that time, when the emperor was talking to Wang Wen about this matter, Yu Shiyue was beside him. With his experience, he naturally understood immediately what the emperor's intention was.
It is no exaggeration to say that Yu Zijun and Wang Yue were the pioneers of this expedition. Although they were relatively young in qualifications, they were quite capable. Moreover, each of them was supported by an important minister in the court. They were young and energetic. He has a backing and is not afraid of being constrained by various forces. He is a good candidate to charge into the battle. Even if sometimes something goes too far, there is still room for change.
Understanding this, it is easy to see why the emperor was not in a hurry to let Yu Zijun take office.
The proposal to open the sea was finally approved by the emperor after a lot of effort by the emperor. Therefore, it was necessary to intervene in every aspect.
Fujian and the capital are thousands of miles apart. Since Yu Zijun was the one who handled the matter in the past, the emperor would naturally have to give him some advice on what to do, what effect to achieve, and what taboos there were.
Many of these were unclear before the specific regulations of the Ministry of Household Affairs came out, so the emperor asked Yu Zijun to stay in the capital.
This is also the reason why Yu Shiyue immediately wrote a letter to Wang Yue to quickly return to Beijing after hearing about it. Although these things can be conveyed through officials or secret edicts, they are still inferior to the emperor's personal instructions.
It's accurate and detailed.
Above the court, sometimes opportunities need to be fought for. Just like now, the emperor will not take the initiative to recall Wang Yue to the capital. After all, it will be the same when the time comes to send a letter to him. However, since Yu Shiyue
If it is mentioned, then the emperor naturally has no reason not to allow it.
As for the dissatisfaction of a certain household minister, Yu Shiyue said...this old guy is too petty!
After all parties stood still, Zhu Qiyu's eyes naturally fell on the two young men, Yu Zijun and Wang Yue. After a brief pause, Zhu Qiyu spoke.
"Today I have summoned all the ministers for two things. One is that Yu Zijun and Wang Yue are going to Fujian to take office soon. Before leaving, there are some things that need to be explained. The other is about maritime trade.
There are a few details that need to be discussed again.”
"Yu Zijun, Wang Yue?"
As the emperor called out, the two men stood up from behind Yu Shiyue and Shen Yi respectively, came to the palace, and cupped their hands.
"I'm here."
It should be said that although the two of them had been in the official position for four or five years, it was their first time to have such a close encounter with each other. Naturally, they were very nervous and their tone of voice was a little unstable.
Seeing this situation, Zhu Qiyu smiled and said.
"We monarchs and ministers discuss matters in private, so there is no need to be formal. When you two go to Fujian this time, you shoulder the imperial court's expectation of opening up sea trade. So before leaving, I have a few words to ask you and follow your thoughts.
That’s the answer.”
"I obey the decree..."
The two of them answered in unison, but it was obvious that the tension not only did not disappear at all, but became even tighter.
Therefore, Zhu Qiyu stopped talking and asked directly.
"The first question is, why do you think I must carry out sea trade?"
Ah this...
Although they had received emergency training from various backend companies before coming here, such a sharp question still made them sweat a little on their foreheads.
However, since they were appreciated by various ministers, they were certainly not mediocre people. They soon calmed down, and Wang Yue took the lead.
"Your Majesty, I believe that your Majesty's move is for the sake of the livelihood and stability of the people along the coast!"
After saying these words, several ministers present looked at Wang Yue with a little more approval. It was not because of how well he said these words, but because under such high pressure, the further he spoke,
In fact, the more it means, there will be no mistakes. Wang Yue spoke before Yu Zijun, which actually gave Yu Zijun more time to think and organize his words. Whether he did it intentionally or not, at least this courage is worthy of recognition.
Feeling the eyes from all directions, Wang Yue was still a little nervous, but he continued.
"I was ordered by Your Majesty to follow Yu Shaobao to the coast to suppress the Japanese pirates. In the process, I saw that the people were suffering from the plunder of the Japanese pirates. There were very few arable fields along the coast. The people relied on the sea to eat, and most of them lived on the sea.
We make a living by fishing, but Japanese pirates are raging everywhere, the government is incompetent, and the gentry colludes with the Japanese pirates to wreak havoc in one area, and the people are miserable."
"Fortunately, His Majesty cared about the people and ordered the army to sweep away the Japanese pirates, level the place, clean up the Fujian officialdom, cleanse the evil atmosphere, and bring the people back to peace and happiness. However, although the Japanese pirates have been cleared and the gentry have gone, the coastal area is still barren. If this is the case,
If the situation cannot be solved, the people will remain poor, which is not what Your Majesty wants. Therefore, only by opening up sea trade and allowing the people to benefit from business can the people truly live and work in peace and contentment."
After saying this, the ministers below looked at Wang Yue with even more satisfaction. It could be seen that he also had his own thoughts and thoughts while following Yu Qian in suppressing the Japanese pirates.
The court is very important.
When you enter an officialdom, you must have your own opinions and cannot follow the crowd in everything. Otherwise, you will only be a subordinate for the rest of your life. Only by establishing your own political ideas, being able to stick to them, and having the courage to stick to them can you have a chance.
Really have a place in the court.
This point is not yet obvious to Wang Yue now, but it can already be seen. It has to be said that the future is promising!
Looking up at the emperor again, he saw the emperor nodded slightly, but did not say anything more. Instead, he moved his eyes to Yu Zijun, so everyone also looked at Yu Zijun beside him...
This chapter has been completed!