In the Qianqing Palace and Emperor Hongzhi's study, Emperor Hongzhi was holding the news sent back from Ceylon Island.
As the emperor, he was naturally the first to know what was happening on the island of Ceylon.
"It's worth thirty million taels of silver~"
Emperor Hongzhi's eyes turned slightly red. Who would have thought that a small island of Ceylon would contain such huge wealth, and the captured property alone would be worth so much.
How much is the entire island of Ceylon worth?
Then Emperor Hongzhi couldn't help but stand up again, his whole body lost in thought.
What should we do with the island of Ceylon?
Is the Island of Ceylon considered the private property of the United Western Trading Company? Or is it considered the territory of the Ming Dynasty?
If it is regarded as the private property of the Western United Trading Company, wouldn't Ceylon Island slowly become its own country again in the future?
However, if it is regarded as the territory of the Ming Dynasty, it was not conquered by the Ming court, but by the Western United Trading Company with their own money and efforts. This seems unreasonable.
Ming Dynasty's land increased by having people at home, which seemed to be a good thing. But if you do this, no one will go overseas to seize colonies in the future.
Headache!
This is something that has never happened before, and no matter how it is handled, it will have a profound impact on Ming Dynasty.
"Your Majesty, Liu Jin's memorial from Nanyang has arrived~"
At this time, Xiao Jing hurried over with a memorial.
"Oh, bring it!"
When Emperor Hongzhi heard this, he immediately said.
Liu Jin was very lazy. He rarely wrote memorials to Emperor Hongzhi. If there was no big event, he was almost too lazy to write. Even during the southern expedition to Nanyang, Liu Jin would write one memorial a month, which required It’s not that I have a hidden line from the factory guard, and I report to him the situation in Nanyang every day.
He was so anxious that he didn't even know the situation in Nanyang.
Other ministers wanted to write ten or eight memorials to Emperor Hongzhi every day to enhance their sense of existence. They also wanted to ask Emperor Hongzhi for instructions on big and small matters, and they wished they could exhaust themselves to death.
Liu Jin is too lazy to write. He only writes when there are important events.
The memorials he wrote were also different from those of other ministers. He did not show off his literary talents and talents. He only reported and asked for instructions. The content was concise and concise, and he just finished explaining the matter. He seemed unwilling to write a word more.
But it just so happened that Emperor Hongzhi paid great attention to every memorial written by Liu Jin, because it all talked about national affairs. Liu Jin would not write memorials if nothing happened. It was not a waste of his time, nor was it a waste of time. own time.
I picked up Liu Jin's memorial and read it carefully. This time, the memorial written by Liu Jin is very long. It contains a lot of content, and it involves the long-term peace and order of various senior officials in Nanyang. It also involves the slave issue. It involves the private armed forces overseas. The issue of colonization involves the rise of colonization, the opportunities and challenges faced by the Ming Dynasty, and many other issues.
It is so eloquent that Liu Jin wrote thousands of words? It is really rare. He explained various things clearly in detail, which also improved the impact of various things on the Ming Dynasty. He saw the future development and changes, and it is also corresponding. Suggestions for solutions were put forward.
"It's also rare? He can actually write memorials of any length."
Emperor Hongzhi couldn't help laughing after reading it.
In the future, Liu Jin's memorials will only be a few hundred words at most. Liu Jin, who cherished words like gold, unexpectedly wrote several thousand words this time. It is really rare.
"The problem in Nanyang provinces is population. Is it a good idea to strongly encourage immigration and at the same time educate and Chineseize the indigenous people?"
"On the slave issue, his suggestion is also correct? The Ming Dynasty is a vast land of China, so naturally it cannot allow those lowly slaves of foreign races to enter? And the slave issue is indeed a big problem? If it is just a castration? Wouldn't it be too cruel?
?”
After Emperor Hongzhi read it, he also pondered it carefully and thought about it carefully.
"It is feasible to encourage foreigners to take concubines~"
"It is also possible to restrict foreigners from purchasing land, rooms, and building temples in the Ming Dynasty. Historical lessons must be learned."
"Encourage private armed forces to develop colonies overseas. The overseas colonies nominally belong to the Ming Dynasty and must pay taxes to the Ming Dynasty, but whoever conquers them belongs to whom. In this way can we speed up the Ming Dynasty's overseas expansion?"
Seeing this, Emperor Hongzhi fell into deep thought again.
He had already figured out what Liu Jin meant. The overseas colonies established by private individuals were still nominally the territory of the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty could tax these places, but the rights to profit and management belonged to the individual or business firm that established the colony.
all.
The first sign that Emperor Hongzhi saw was that in the future, these overseas colonies would slowly become independent countries. As time went by, the world would probably be full of countries, large and small.
But thinking about it more carefully, it seems that the Ming court did not suffer a loss, and could still collect taxes, and the wealth plundered from the colonies eventually returned to the Ming Dynasty.
Moreover, the Ming court did not occupy it themselves, but occupied it privately, which seemed to have no harm to the Ming Dynasty.
"Immediately summon the three ministers of the cabinet and the six ministers to discuss the matter."
After thinking about it, Emperor Hongzhi might not be able to make a decision for a while, so he gave the order.
Liu Jian, Li Dongyang, Xie Qian, Zhong Zhong, Liu Daxia, Wang Hao, Fu Han and others were also quickly summoned to the palace. They all walked with a breeze, refreshed and smiling.
They have some shares in the Western United Trading Company. The Western United Trading Company has achieved great success in Ceylon and gained huge wealth. Naturally, they, the shareholders, have also benefited.
Especially Xie Qian, he has always been a representative of a big family and businessman in the south. This time, the Western United Trading Company was proposed by southerners Hu Xian, Zhu Benduan and Feng Xiang.
Many southern trading houses were involved, and his interest in the Xie Qian Xie family was naturally indispensable, and he even held a lot of shares in it.
The Western United Trading Company made huge profits, which made the big businessmen, big families, and big gentry in the south very excited. When the news came back, everyone jumped for joy.
Finally, these southern merchants, big families, and big gentry tasted an extremely delicious meal, a meal from the Age of Discovery and the Colonial Era.
The little money that Forbidden Sea made from doing business in the past is nothing compared to this. It can't even be counted. It directly conquered a country and plundered the entire country's wealth. This is such a huge feat.
They succeeded and gained great wealth.
The headquarters of the Western United Commercial Bank in Tianjin was suddenly crowded with people, firecrackers were blasting, gongs and drums were beating, and a big celebration broke out.
However, as for the big guys behind the scenes, what I am most concerned about now is the attitude of the court.
How should we deal with the island of Ceylon?
Are they from the Ming Dynasty?
Or do you think they belong to Western United Trading Company?
This is very important. Countless people are waiting for this result. Similarly, from the court of the Ming Dynasty to various places, countless people are constantly running around to lobby the ministers who can play a decision-making role in the court for their own interests.
"Everyone knows that the United Western Trading Company captured the island of Ceylon, right?"
Emperor Hongzhi looked at the ministers in front of him. Without Zhang Mao and Liu Jin, he always felt that something was missing.
"Your Majesty, I have heard about it~"
"Congratulations to Your Majesty, Your Majesty, our Ming Dynasty has added another land. From now on, the territory of our Ming Dynasty has reached the West."
Liu Jian and everyone looked at it, smiled and congratulated Emperor Hongzhi.
"Yes, Your Majesty, this is something worthy of congratulations."
Li Dongyang also said with a smile on his face.
"Hmm~"
Emperor Hongzhi smiled and nodded, then thought for a while and said, "What do you think should be done with Ceylon Island?"
When everyone heard this, they immediately fell silent and fell into deep thought. After a long time, Liu Jian spoke.
"Your Majesty, the Island of Ceylon is an overseas place, far away from the mainland of our country, the Ming Dynasty. It is now conquered by the Western United Trading Company. This is the result of your majesty's holy wisdom and the prosperity of our country, the Ming Dynasty, and its people."
"How to deal with the island of Ceylon has far-reaching consequences."
"This Island of Ceylon was captured by the Western United Trading Company. Logically speaking, it should be privately owned. But without the support of me, Ming Dynasty, and His Majesty's mind as broad as the stars, there would naturally be no Western United Trading Company.
whats the matter."
"So in the final analysis, all this is the result of His Majesty's wisdom, kindness and enlightenment."
"Furthermore, the Western United Trading Company is also a trading house that belongs to our Ming Dynasty. Naturally, Ceylon Island also belongs to our Ming Dynasty. It has an important geographical location. Our Ming Dynasty can use Ceylon Island as a springboard to plan the entire Western Ocean."
Liu Jian said a lot, but the core point was to flatter Emperor Hongzhi, which made Emperor Hongzhi nod with great enjoyment. His teacher flattered him, which was a very enjoyable thing.
The key is that Liu Jian also expressed the feelings of Emperor Hongzhi.
Others looked at each other and said one after another: "What Mr. Liu said is true. All this is the result of His Majesty's sage, tolerance, generosity, civility, Taoism and military strategy."
"This is a memorial written by Liu Jin from Nanyang. Everyone should read it."
"Liu Jin means that this Ceylon Island belongs to the Ming Dynasty. Any colonies developed by commercial banks or private individuals in the future will belong to the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty has the power to collect taxes and recruit troops. It also has the responsibility and obligation to protect the colonies and develop colonies.
Individuals or companies have the right to profit and manage the colony."
Hongzhi nodded with satisfaction, and then took out Liu Jin's memorial.
He still agrees with Liu Jin's approach. This land is the land of the Ming Dynasty, but the rights and interests of individuals and businesses that develop colonies must be protected, so that more people can be motivated to develop more colonies.