Regarding the sudden question from the Queen Mother, Zhang Shou was just slightly stunned, and then said calmly: "Old Xianyu came to Beijing from Cangzhou before and sent a lot of overseas crops that were grown in Cangzhou Zanghai Courtyard.
My little peanut went to Tianjin to prepare for going to sea. He discovered the cinchona tree overseas. If he wanted to plant it in Qiongzhou, he would need to sail a boat to see it in person."
The Queen Mother gently turned the Buddhist beads in her hand, then looked at Zhang Shou for a while, and then smiled slightly and said: "You said it is certainly one of the reasons, but he must also be worried about his nephew Xian Yunhe who was exiled to Qiongzhou to plant trees, right?
"
"It should be so." Zhang Shou did not mince words, "Qiongzhou has been a remote place since ancient times. The climate is hot and humid. There are often storms from the sea for several months every year, and it rains non-stop for several days. Therefore,
When people from the north first go to this far south, they will easily become acclimated to the climate, and it is inevitable that they will worry."
"For this reason, I also bought prescriptions and a batch of medicinal materials in the capital. Ah Liu even found two doctors who were slandered and suppressed by their colleagues and could not continue to practice medicine in the capital and took them away to him..."
Zhu Ying was very puzzled as to why the Queen Mother suddenly asked Zhang Shou this question. She wanted to interrupt several times, but when she saw Ah Liu behind Zhang Shou shaking his head at her, she held back again and again, and simply went to curiously observe the man who had been angry just now.
The emperor discovered that when the emperor was talking to Zhang Shou, although his face looked like he was not interested, his eyes clearly betrayed him.
She, who was most familiar with the emperor, could tell at a glance that the emperor was clearly listening attentively.
Zhang Shou talked about the current whereabouts of Old Xianyu, and then went back to explain the sailing experience that Old Xianyu claimed before. Although he had mentioned this before in his letter, it was natural to say it at this time.
It was more detailed, and he didn't bother to do any whitewashing - because he knew that what should be whitewashed was peaceful, and the old salted fish had already done the corresponding artistic processing when he told him.
After the Queen Mother listened carefully, she turned her head and asked Zhu Ying: "Yingying, weren't you in Cangzhou at that time? Is there anything else you want to add?"
"Me?" Zhu Ying blinked her eyes in confusion, and then said with a dry smile, "I went to Cangzhou to find Ah Shou, and I am not familiar with that old, wrinkled old salted fish. The second brother and he share life and death.
, we have been through the same boat, so you should know more than me."
The Queen Mother has always been fond of Zhu Tingfang and Zhu Ying, but she is naturally much less fond of Zhu Er, who is incompetent. But after all, he is the grandnephew of her mother's family, and she always sees them several times a year.
At this time, she remembered that Mrs. Tai once said that Zhu Er seemed to have changed his mind and had changed a lot. She immediately nodded happily and said: "In that case, when your second brother comes next time, I will ask him properly..."
However, before she finished speaking, the emperor suddenly asked: "Zhang Shou, you never asked that old salted fish how he came to the land of Haidong in the first place? You know, if it was
Maritime trade either goes to Japan and North Korea, or to the countries in Southeast Asia, or if it goes further, at most to the small countries in the West."
"If it was to make money, I would definitely not cross the vast sea, cross North Korea and Japan, and continue eastward."
Before Zhang Shou could answer, he said calmly: "You went to the Ordnance Bureau and saw the globes and maps made by Taizu Mengtian after Emperor Mengtian. You should know how big the vast ocean is. Moreover, such a map is
It has not spread to the people. It is not normal for people like Lao Xianyu to travel across the ocean to the land east of the sea. Don't tell me about shipwrecks..."
"It's still possible to be blown to some small island by the wind, but it's absolutely impossible to be blown to that far away continent. What's more, you also told me in your letter that old Xian
Yu found Mingren who used to live there, and even found a suspected stele of Taizu... I haven't asked you yet, have you solved the stele that you found in the cave?"
Seeing that the emperor was obviously suspicious, Zhang Shou remembered that Zhu Ying had mentioned to him before that Emperor Taizu said that he died after abdicating the throne, but in fact he disappeared into the vast sea, so he didn't have to think about it to know what the emperor was suspicious of.
Therefore, he thought for a while and said frankly: "The emperor asked about the stone tablet, and I could only say that it has not been solved yet. And the emperor is indeed right. If it is purely for maritime trade, then we should go to the East, South, and West.
It is a mature route. However, just like Taizu Meng Tiandi made the ball, there will inevitably be more adventurers in this world who want to see the world broadly."
"Of course, it may not be such a pure adventure, but for fame and profit. As for Lao Xianyu, I think he was probably so poor that he hung his head on his trousers when he was young and just wanted to get rich. So, Lao Xianyu
He went as far as the mainland of Haidong. How much does a ship cost, and how much does it cost to hire a crew? With the wealth he shows now, someone must have paid for it."
The emperor's eyes suddenly became sharp: "Who funded it? And who knew that there would be remains of my Ming clan in Haidong Continent? Shouldn't this matter be investigated clearly?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed that both the Queen Mother and Zhu Ying were looking at him with rather subtle eyes, while Zhang Shou's expression was as usual.
He knew that he was confused because of his concern. It was really ridiculous for the emperor to claim that he wanted to investigate such a "trivial" matter. However, when Zhang Shou said the next words, his only remaining calmness was
Without a trace.
"A few days ago, Ah Liu met Song Huishou of the Guangdong Guild Hall and brought Song Juren back from him. At the same time, he also forwarded a request from Song Huishou to me. Song Huishou saw the business opportunity of the Royal Chef Selection Competition and said
Ingredients from overseas are not only available in Cangzhou, they are also available in Guangdong, and many of them are fruits, but because they are sent all the way to the capital, they can only be sent dried like raisins."
"There are fruits such as mangoes and pineapples, but as far as I know, some of them are not native to Nanyang, which is close to Guangdong."
The emperor did not investigate Zhang Shou's so-called "as far as I know", where did he know this from? He had now concluded that Zhang Shou had another teacher, but Zhang Shou's background was pure and innocent, and he had never left the capital before arriving.
That small village, then as long as Zhang Shou doesn't hide what he has learned and works wholeheartedly, it doesn't matter.
As for who Zhang Shou's teacher was, he felt that Zhang Shou probably didn't even know it himself.
And if there were people all over the world sailing out to sea all the time, looking for those traces that the imperial court had given up searching for so many years, he couldn't bear it. Not only couldn't he bear it, he also felt like a thorn in his back.
"In the whole world, everything is the land of the king, and on the shore of the land, there are none of the king's ministers!"
After these sixteen words came out, the emperor said viciously: "When you asked Yingying to propose the escort ship to me, I thought about it, but the more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable I felt.
Merchant ships wandered all over the world, but the official ships of the imperial court were so stuck because they were worried about expenses and manpower. No wonder those small countries in the West and Southeast Asia dared to make moves!"
"Remember that when Emperor Taizu had not yet unified the world, he had the courage to send envoys on ships to travel far. Now that the Ming Dynasty has unified the mountains and rivers, the country is rich and the people are strong, but it is like counting money every day? What's more, the man who counted the money a hundred years ago
When the envoys returned from their long journeys, they not only made up for their expenses, but also made a lot of money, unlike the official ships during the reign of Emperor Taizong, which only lost money!"
After hearing the emperor's words, Zhang Shou couldn't help but secretly complain in his heart. That's because the mighty official ships that covered the sky during the Taizong period were most likely to find the whereabouts of Emperor Taizu - just like looking for the whereabouts of Emperor Taizu.
It was the same as Emperor Jianwen and Emperor Yongle. But after Taizong, the emperors had no time to fight among themselves. Secondly, it had been too long since Taizu disappeared and they gradually stopped.
Of course, the increasingly conservative forces in North Korea and China—coupled with the families and groups that are likely to make huge profits from sea trade—will naturally try their best to prevent the official forces of the court from joining in this huge profit feast.
The emperor didn't notice the change in Zhang Shou's face. When he said this, he smiled and said: "If those merchant ships were unprofitable, they wouldn't go out again and again. Couldn't the official ships make a profit while sailing out to sea?"
ticket?"
The Queen Mother had long known that the Emperor would say this, but now in front of Zhang Shou and Zhu Ying, she was helpless and could not blame her. What made her even more dumbfounded was that Zhu Ying actually cheered loudly: "What the Emperor said is,
As long as the official ship can balance the balance of payments or even make a surplus after the official ship goes out, let's see what else those ministers can say!"
"Even if they can't say that it is a waste of money and people, they will still accuse the imperial government of sending official ships to sea, which is competing with the people for profit."
Zhang Shou said something leisurely, and when Zhu Ying suddenly became speechless and the emperor's face suddenly turned cold, he simply opened the skylight and spoke frankly.
"Your Majesty, official ships have not gone to sea for many years. For some officials, this is the ancestral system, and this cannot be persuaded by the words "Taizu Emperor".
"Just like when I refuted Chief Hong Shan in the Imperial College before, according to Emperor Taizu's instructions, the third class of guards were not humble servants, but Chief Hong was still dissatisfied. Because from the Han and Tang Dynasties to the Song and Yuan Dynasties, the decrees of the founding emperors were changed by subsequent generations.
How much?"
"When the emperor issued the edict before, there was actually a lot of opposition to the matter of the escort ship. However, because it did not involve major military affairs, it was just a few more minor officials, and other things overshadowed the limelight, so it was
Finally, the storm calmed down. Why not, Your Majesty, first see what kind of news these escort ships can bring back, and then send big ships out to sea to promote our country's prestige?"
When the Queen Mother saw that Zhang Shou did not instruct the emperor to immediately send an official ship to the ocean to investigate, the huge stone hanging in her heart finally fell. She had always thought that Zhang Shou was troublesome, but now that she thought about it, with the emperor's character, it would have been better without Zhang Shou
Li Shou, if not Li Shou, maybe there would still be Wang Shou. In short, even though the emperor has been on the throne for twenty-seven years, the spirit of soaring in his bones is still there.
So, she could only settle for the next best thing and persuaded with sincerity: "Emperor, Zhang Shou is right. It has been so many years since Emperor Taizu. Many people have become accustomed to the current system. Once it needs to be changed,
It affects all interests and people. If you insist on investigating and sending official ships to sea, you might as well cast stones and ask for directions."
Of course the emperor understood what it meant to cast stones to ask for directions. It was nothing more than asking an unimportant petty official to write a letter mentioning the matter, and then see who supports and who opposes it, and then decide the next step based on the specific situation.
However, he has been the emperor for so many years and has moved away from Jiangge Lao before. Now even the chief and assistant ministers of the cabinet are temporarily vacant. He completely ignores the unaccustomedness and opposition of his subordinates and insists on implementing reforms in many places. What's the point?
Are you willing to compromise?
Therefore, he narrowed his eyes slightly, but said firmly: "If the old salted fish you mentioned, Zhang Shou, has not left for Qiongzhou Mansion, then let him come to the capital and I will ask him face to face."
"I have always wanted to know who those people are who want to know more about the whereabouts of Emperor Taizu and those people than the royal family!"
"Moreover, the Bureau of Arms' information on foreign countries was at least ten or twenty years ago, or even longer. Emperor Taizu once said that his descendants must look at the world with a broad view. Now the Ming Dynasty has pacified the North
The people have long-term peace and stability, and taking a new look at the world at this time is living up to Taizu's ancestral precepts."
When the emperor said this, he suddenly changed his words and said: "In the years after Taizong, official ships no longer went to sea. In the early years, there was even maritime trade that harmed the people. There were loud voices calling for a ban on the sea. When my father was still alive, he
I once told me that some people are worried that there will be people overseas who will use the guise of Miao descendants of Taizu to defraud, or even return to the Ming Dynasty to cause trouble, but this is simply a joke."
"Emperor Taejo reigned for ten years, Emperor Taizong reigned for twelve years, Emperor Gaozong reigned for twenty years, Emperor Sejong reigned for fourteen years, Emperor Yingzong reigned for fourteen years, Emperor Ruizong reigned for six years, these
Among them, when the government was peaceful, no one claimed to be a descendant of Taizu Miao. When the world was in chaos, no one claimed to be descendant of Taizu Miao."
"In this case, to this day, I just want to know what kind of new continent Emperor Taizu discovered! Since he did not hesitate to expand the territory with the honor of the founding emperor, the emperors of later generations ignored and ignored it.
Is this the way to be a descendant?"
He had just had a dispute with the Queen Mother. At this time, the emperor poured out all the words that he had not had time to say before. Then he stood up and said word by word: "I did not teach the two sons of Da Lang and Erlang.
Well, as a father, I am actually just as guilty of neglecting my responsibilities as the deposed queen, that is, the concubine! For the sake of long-term peace and stability in the world, I plan to issue an edict someday..."
Seeing the Queen Mother suddenly leaving her seat, as if she had anticipated what she wanted to say, and with a face full of shock and anger, he said in a deep voice: "I will issue an edict on a certain day, deposing the eldest prince as a commoner, and banning him to Zongzheng Temple for life. No mercy will be given to him."
.As for the second prince, he planted trees in Qiongzhou Prefecture and will come back as soon as he can get the magic medicine that can cure falciparum malaria. Their marriage was put on hold in advance to avoid harming others!"
"Emperor!" The Queen Mother felt as if her temples were about to explode. It was enough for the Emperor to have made up his mind on this matter, and to be stubborn when arguing with her. Why did he insist on Zhang Shouhe?
Did Zhu Ying mention this when she was there?
She glanced at Zhu Ying and Zhang Shou, and saw that Zhu Ying was just stunned, while Zhang Shou frowned slightly, and neither of them had any rude expressions. She secretly said that she was lucky, but immediately after, the emperor said something to her.
If you are completely out of your mind.
"The East Palace has been vacant for so many years, and I don't know how many people have advised me. This time, I will establish a prince!"