Peng Qing and Tang Xiaozhong came to the imperial study room following the imperial edict, both of them looked ugly.
Especially Tang Xiaozhong, who was beaten until his nose was bruised and his face was swollen, and his head was wrapped with a large piece of cloth. His appearance was... horrible.
Zhu Qizhen couldn't stand it anymore. This was a sixty-nine-year-old man, and he was too cruel!
"Both of you are my loyal ministers, how can you be so dignified as to fight in public?"
You guys are the first to strike first. No matter who is right or wrong, it is unreasonable to do something in public.
"I have been wronged!"
Tang Xiaozhong's face was filled with grievances, and he was the first to cry: "Your Majesty, it was Peng Qing and Bei Lin who came to the Museum of Literature and History to cause trouble. The old minister tried to stop him, but they repeatedly made rude remarks and even beat the old minister. They are really unjust..." Zhu Qizhen glared at Peng Qing and scolded: "Peng Qing's family, is this what you did?"
Peng Qing was originally angry, but when he saw the emperor getting angry, he immediately knelt down and said: "Yes, Wei Chen will die, and Wei Chen should not have a conflict with Tang Shidu, but..."
He hesitated to speak, looking very troubled.
Zhu Qizhen still had a sullen face and asked: "But what? What's going on?"
Peng Qing seemed to have made up his mind secretly, and did not care much at the moment, saying: "It has been more than 20 years since our last voyage to the West. Many of the people who were there have aged one after another, or have switched to other industries and no longer sailed.
There are even some people who are no longer alive, and most of them were newcomers during this voyage to the West. Therefore, the information about the voyages preserved by the Museum of Literature and History is very important. If there is even the slightest mistake, the consequences will be immeasurable."<
/p>
Zhu Qizhen said in confusion: "That being said, what does this have to do with you beating someone?"
Peng Qing continued: "Weichen went to the Museum of Literature and History to borrow materials, but found that many places on the chart were missing. Some places, for some unknown reason, were marked incorrectly."
"Wrong?" Zhu Qizhen asked puzzledly, "All the nautical charts are actual measurements, how can there be errors?"
"Weichen is sure that the labeling is wrong!"
Peng Qing was very excited and continued: "For example, south of Qiongzhou Island, there are several islands that clearly do not have clear water, but are marked as having it. Your Majesty, this is going to be a big deal! If the fleet sails to the Western Ocean according to this chart,
When the Dan water was insufficient, he landed on the island to replenish supplies, only to find that there was no Dan water at all. How many people in the entire fleet would have died? Wei Chen would never dare to joke about such a big thing, so he pointed out the problem in front of Tang Shidu.
However, Tang Shidu ignored him. Wei Chen was worried that he would miss the important event of the voyage to the West, so he had a dispute with Tang Shidu..."
Tang Xiaozhong couldn't hold back his old face and retorted: "Peng Jianzheng, you said the information is wrong, what evidence is there?"
Zhu Qizhen also looked at Peng Qing, yes, you have never sailed to the West, why do you think others are wrong?
Peng Qing said: "Weichen's ancestors had sailing experience. As early as the Song Dynasty, merchant ships went to Southeast Asia and even further places to conduct maritime trade, and recorded what they saw and heard along the way and preserved it to this day."
I have been studying the ancient books at home since I was a child, and I remember very clearly that those islands must not be docked. It is a matter of great importance, and I will never dare to speak nonsense!"
Zhu Qizhen frowned: "But, what about the evidence? How do you prove that the pictures in your home are correct and the pictures in the Museum of Literature and History are wrong?"
Tang Xiaozhong then said: "What the emperor said makes sense. The materials in the Museum of Literature and History are all recorded by Sanbao eunuchs on their voyages to the West. There is no way they can be wrong! The Song Dynasty data that Peng Jianzheng said is too old. Even if there is a mistake, it should be him.
There’s something wrong with the picture at home!”
Peng Qing stared at Tang Xiaozhong and said swornly: "There must be no problem with the navigation data of Sanbao Eunuch, but the ones preserved by the Museum of Culture and History are very problematic, because these data are not from the original version!"
"Not the original version? What do you mean?"
Zhu Qizhen looked at Peng Qing with some suspicion.
Aren’t all these things copied by hand? Are they also copied?
Even if it is a copy, it is no different from the original!
Peng Qing continued: "The original maps and information were indeed original, but these things were made of paper after all. Once they age, problems such as moisture, insects, and paper aging will inevitably occur. Therefore, in the fifth year of Xuande's reign,
, this information has been transcribed once. In other words, the clerk of the Ministry of War made a copy according to the original version, and then sealed it. Wei Chen suspected that there was something wrong with that transcribing process!"
Only then did Zhu Qizhen realize that the information in the Museum of Literature and History had been re-transcribed. In this case, there might really be a problem.
Peng Qing continued: "When Wei Chen discovered that there was a problem with the sea chart, he thought that this low-level error may not be a problem with the records of the Sanbao eunuch when he went to sea, but it is most likely that the scribe responsible for copying was perfunctory.
, these people have never gone to sea and do not know how to sail. If they are not careful during the writing process, it is understandable that these errors will occur."
Tang Xiaozhong snorted and said: "Everything you say is just one side of your story. What evidence do you have to prove that those marks are wrong?"
Peng Qing glanced at him disdainfully and retorted: "How can you prove that those pictures are correct?"
Tang Xiaozhong naturally had no evidence, but he was unwilling to admit it, so he said: "Why don't I take a gamble with Inspector Peng. If there is an error in the map of the Museum of Literature and History, I will submit my resignation and return home. But if there is no mistake, there is no need."
Peng Jianzheng is resigning, how about just apologizing to me in front of all the officials?"
Peng Qing said angrily: "The imperial court's resumption of its voyages to the West is a matter of life and death for tens of thousands of people and the fate of the Ming Dynasty. Can you afford to bet on it?"
"You..."
Tang Xiaozhong was choked so much that he was speechless for a moment.
Peng Qing, however, refused to give up and continued: "Tens of thousands of people boarded the ship, which not only cost the imperial court countless money and food, but also entrusted all their lives and property to the imperial court. Any mistake or omission on the chart means that this will happen."
Tens of thousands of people will be buried under the sea, Tang Shidu, what are you betting on?"
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Only then did Zhu Qizhen understand the whole story.
It sounds weird, but it’s actually understandable.
Imagine that you are the leader of a certain department. At this time, the person from the next department comes to borrow materials. You lend it to him cooperatively. However, in front of your subordinates, he says that there is a problem with your materials. Don't worry about it for now.
Is there really a problem with this information? Can you accept it calmly?
Peng Qing ran to point out the mistake. In their opinion, he was just here to cause trouble!
What's more, even if something does go wrong, there will still be mutual disputes.
After all, the Imperial Academy's Literature and History Museum is only responsible for sorting out information, which belongs to the Ministry of War. If something goes wrong, the Literature and History Museum will not be responsible for it, so Tang Xiaozhong dislikes Peng Qing for being too meddlesome.
The Museum of Culture and History is not responsible, that is the responsibility of the Ministry of War.
Although the files and charts were copied by scribes, those responsible for verification were officials from the upper and lower levels of the Ministry of War.
However, most of the officials who served in the 5th year of Xuande are still here, and most of them have risen to the top of the court.
Therefore, no matter what, it is impossible for the Ministry of War to admit this mistake.
Peng Qing has always been a low-key person, never having disputes with others, but when so many lives are involved, he does not dare to neglect it.
The problem now is that no one is willing to take responsibility for their mistakes, so Peng Qing is very angry!
In his view, the voyage to the Western Ocean is a national event, and everyone involved must perform their duties to ensure the safety of those who go to sea to the greatest extent.
However, those high-ranking men only care about their own face...
Of course Zhu Qizhen understood his difficulties, so he said: "Regardless of whether it is right or wrong, you can't hit people!"
Peng Qing was stunned for a moment, then a look of shame appeared on his face, and he said in an almost inaudible voice: "Wei Chen... I know I was wrong..."
"Tang Xiaozhong!"
Zhu Qizhen suddenly changed the subject and looked at Tang Xiaozhong.
Tang Xiaozhong hurriedly replied: "The old minister is here!"
Zhu Qizhen said in a deep voice: "Since the Peng Qing family has pointed out the mistake to you, you should seriously think about whether it is really wrong. Even if it is right, you must come up with a reasonable explanation. But, how did you do it?" "It's the veteran... the veteran... who didn't handle it properly..."
If this situation had happened in the past, maybe we could have persisted for a while, reflecting Qingliu's pride.
But now, seeing the emperor getting angry, Tang Xiaozhong immediately gave in without any hesitation.
After all...the emperor really knows how to kill people...
"After the veteran returns, he will immediately review all the information with the Ministry of War to ensure that the voyage to the West goes smoothly!"
"Go!"
Zhu Qizhen didn't want to talk nonsense with him. This matter was too important and time was tight. It must be verified immediately.
Tang Xiaozhong stood up and resigned, leaving only Peng Qing and Bei Lin in the imperial study.
Zhu Qizhen suddenly asked: "I ask you, what was the situation at that time?"
"That's what Wei Chen said just now, Wei Chen discovered..."
"I'm not asking you this!"
Zhu Qizhen waved his hand and said, "I want to ask you, how did you fight?"
Peng Qing was stunned for a moment, and then said honestly: "Tang Shidu pushed Wei Chen first. Wei Chen was angry and knocked him to the ground with a punch. Later...others came forward and pulled Wei Chen away.
...Weichen knows he was wrong..."
Seeing the guilt on Peng Qing's face, Zhu Qizhen let out a long sigh of relief and said: "Just hit me, why are you aggrieved? Such irresponsible people, no matter whether they are right or wrong, should be beaten! I am now
Just asking you, are you sure there is something wrong with the nautical charts collected by the Museum of Culture and History?"
"If Wei Chen dares to use his head as a guarantee, there is definitely something wrong!"
Peng Qing looked resolute and said emphatically: "The ancestors of the Weichen dynasties have confirmed each other's ancient books from the Song, Yuan and early Ming Dynasties. Almost all ancient books can corroborate each other, and they even communicated with the big food merchants in Fujian.
"Weichen's family has many ancient books that the world doesn't take seriously. I can't say that they are completely correct, but every conclusion has real evidence!"
Seeing Peng Qing say this, Zhu Qizhen felt relieved.
In his mind, although he knew what the world map looked like, it was only a rough outline.
If it comes to specific shipping routes, ocean currents, tides, ocean seasons, climate, and even information about many islands, it is no exaggeration to say that we know nothing.
I vaguely remember that the news once reported that a shipwreck from the Southern Song Dynasty was salvaged near the South China Sea, and more than 10,000 sets of porcelain were unearthed from it. It can be seen that doing business at sea was already a common practice at that time, and the scale was astonishing.<
/p>
There are more than 10,000 sets of porcelain on one ship alone, not counting other cargo.
There is only one explanation for why people dared to go to sea with so much cargo. That is, at that time, people were extremely familiar with the skills of sailing on the sea and formed specialized shipping routes.
Otherwise, if a large amount of goods is purchased and loaded onto a ship, once it encounters wind and waves or loses its route, the losses will be immeasurable.
Zhu Qizhen supported Peng Qing in his heart. Let's decide who is right or wrong. At least in terms of attitude towards doing things, Peng Qing and his family's research on HNA is more trustworthy than the old scholars of the Hanlin Academy. Mutual corroboration of a large amount of data is the most scientific method.
Even if there is an error in the end, it was done according to the correct method. If the result is wrong, there must be a problem in one of the links, just search again.
However, what else can those old gentlemen in the Hanlin Academy do besides talk about benevolence, justice, etiquette, wisdom and trust?
Although today's beating is not glorious, it can still teach those old men who are not diligent in their limbs and do not distinguish between grains and grains.
But having said that, the problem of nautical charts always needs to be solved.
Otherwise, the Museum of Culture and History and the Ministry of War both said there was no problem, and Peng Qing insisted there was a problem. What should we do?
Zhu Qizhen struggled for a long time and then said: "Peng Qing's family, after you go back, plan a new route based on the information you have."
"I obey the order!"
At this time, Beilin said thoughtfully: "Your Majesty, I am worried that the Imperial Academy's Museum of Literature and History and the Ministry of War do not recognize my mentor's route. Even if the Emperor forcibly issues an order, they will find ways to obstruct it."
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"You're right!" Zhu Qizhen smiled and added, "However, I didn't say that I would definitely use the Peng Qing family's route."
Peng Qing raised his head, his face full of question marks.
I drew it and you don’t need it, so why should I draw an egg?
Zhu Qizhen continued: "I have to make two preparations. Otherwise, when the truth comes out and the information is really wrong, it will still be too late to plan a new route."
Peng Qiang nodded quickly and said: "Wei Chen understands!"
"I have decreed that all the personnel who participated in the voyages to the West in the past will be reactivated. At present, these people have set off for the Quanzhou Shipping Department. However, some people are old and frail and can no longer go to sea, especially some eunuchs who live in Chaoyang
At Huangzhuang outside the door, you can ask them to help you make an idea when planning a new route."
"I obey the decree and thank you for your advice!"
The two resigned one after another, and Zhu Qizhen fell into deep thought again.
Wynn brought up a cup of hot tea and said softly: "The emperor has been busy for a long time, and he hasn't even had a drink of water yet."
Zhu Qizhen held the teacup and said thoughtfully: "Wynn, what do you think of this situation, how should we deal with it?"
Wynn's expression tightened and he quickly said: "I dare not speak nonsense!"
"You don't have to be so nervous!"
Zhu Qi smiled calmly and said: "I know you are a person who understands the rules. There are no outsiders here, just treat it as a casual chat."
Only then did Wynn feel relieved, and then he said cautiously: "Does the Emperor still remember...Wu Canghai?"
Wu Canghai!
Zhu Qizhen stood up suddenly, how could he forget this person!
He has rich experience at sea, and because he is a smuggler, many ports cannot dock. Compared with the imperial fleet, smuggling ships rely more on unknown islands overseas.
"Isn't there a flying pigeon in Dongchang delivering a message, summoning Wu Canghai to Beijing to return to his post as quickly as possible!"
"My slave obeys the order!"
Wynn didn't dare to neglect and hurried down to make arrangements.