Chapter 85: Duke Liu made great contributions to the society!
Chu Yi still knew something about Liu Daxia. This important minister of the Hongzhi Dynasty was indeed a figure that should not be underestimated in the government and the public. He was more than seventy years old, which was rare in this era.
Living a long life is a kind of qualification. As Mr. Zheng said, if Liu Daxia contacted his disciples and former officials and made friends, he might really make waves in the court.
However, Chu Yi was more interested in the drawings and information of Zheng He's treasure ship that Liu Daxia had hidden back then. There were rumors in the palace that Liu Daxia teamed up with several ministers of the Ministry of War to burn the drawings and information of Zheng He's treasure ship.
However, as Chu Yi took charge of the East Factory and sent out secret agents to investigate, Chu Yi felt that Liu Daxia's so-called fire prevention plan and information on the treasure ship was just a cover to deceive the world. As for the blueprints and information on Zheng He's treasure ship, there was a lot of information.
It may have been secretly taken away by Liu Daxia and became the foundation for the rise of the Liu family.
The Liu family has prospered since Liu Daxia. In just a few decades, it has developed into a large maritime merchant family with shipyards, docks and more than a dozen sea-going ships.
How can a shipyard or even a dock be built by an ordinary family? Without sufficient family inheritance and foundation, there is no way to get involved in the shipbuilding industry.
The Liu family rose up so suddenly and became a large sea merchant. If it were not for the fact that they had swallowed up the information about Zheng He's treasure ship, I am afraid that even if the Liu Daxia family was given a hundred years, they might not be able to build a sailboat that could go to sea.
In the past, Liu Daxia tried his best to oppose the opening of the sea, and even spread the news that the charts of Zheng He's treasure ships were burned, which forced Emperor Chenghua to give up the idea of opening the sea.
As a result, a generation of wealthy maritime merchants, the Liu family, emerged on the sea, and huge ships sailed on the sea.
It seems that they got the good news from Liu An that Liu Daxia was contacting his old friends and preparing to attack Liu Jin. Dozens of literati were excited about it.
Shi Kui stood next to Chu Yi, looked at the excited scholars in the distance with disdain and whispered: "These people really have no sense of precaution at all, and they dare to announce such important news to the public!"
Chu Yi glanced at Shi Kui and said: "What if this is exactly what Mr. Dongshan wants? Don't forget that Zhu Zhixiu rebelled and pointed directly at Liu Jin. It can be said that Liu Jin has been forced to the edge of the cliff at this time.
With just one push, Liu Jin would have died without a burial place."
Shi Kui's eyes suddenly shrank and he said: "What the governor means is that Liu Daxia deliberately let his descendants leak the news that he contacted his old friends to deal with Liu Jin, and then triggered many forces in Jiangnan to exert their efforts and take down Liu Jin in one fell swoop."
Chu Yi smiled and said: "Otherwise, do you think Liu Daxia, an old fox like him, would not tell his family to keep secrets?"
While speaking, Chu Yi strode towards the group of literati in front. Shi Kui waved his hand, and hundreds of soldiers immediately followed him.
The movement was so loud that it naturally alarmed everyone in the bamboo forest. They all turned around and looked in the direction from which the movement came.
At first glance, they saw a group of soldiers exuding bloody aura, holding spears and charging towards them with a sinister aura.
With a pop, some scholars were so frightened that they stepped back and fell to the ground. Another scholar knocked over the coffee table, spilling tea and tea leaves all over the floor.
"Chu...Chu Yi!"
"Oh my God, Butcher Chu..."
"How come Chu Yi, the murderous maniac, is here!"
Some people recognized Chu Yi at a glance. It was precisely because they recognized Chu Yi's identity that they all showed shock and fear on their faces.
The most frightening person among them was Mr. Zheng, who was elegant and elegant. When Mr. Zheng saw Chu Yi, his legs felt weak and he could not stand up.
Just when these people were in chaos, hundreds of soldiers surrounded these people in a blink of an eye. Many of them were covered in blood and full of evil spirits. Several soldiers were so frightened that they fainted on the spot.
However, although most people seemed very panicked, there were a few who managed to remain calm, such as Liu An.
Liu An is the next generation head of the Liu family who was deliberately cultivated by the Liu family. He even followed Liu Daxia and had contact with many powerful people. Therefore, when Liu An saw Chu Yi, he was only slightly startled and then calmed down.
Looking across the panicked companions, Liu An looked at Chu Yi.
Chu Yi's expression was calm, but there was a bit of teasing in his eyes. Liu An took a deep breath, stepped forward and saluted Chu Yi: "Huguang Huarong Liu family Liu An has met Governor Chu."
Chu Yi looked at Liu And and said: "The Huarong Liu family, I have heard about it, and the old man Liu Daxia must be your grandfather!"
Liu An couldn't help but said angrily: "The dignified Governor of Chu, the Governor of Dongchang, actually insulted our ancestors with words. Is this the demeanor of Governor Chu?"
Chu Yi couldn't help but sneered and said: "What a gentleman of Hongzhi. I would like to ask, where are the blueprints and data of Zheng He's treasure ship that was developed with the whole country's efforts back then?"
Liu An's eyes narrowed and he puffed up his chest and said: "In order to prevent the Tian family from wasting people's resources and opening up the sea, our ancestors burned it with a few ministers. Many people know this."
A scholar next to him was distantly related to Liu An. He naturally stood beside Liu An and said, "Yes, Dongshan Gong prevented Emperor Xianzong from making a huge mistake and wasting money and food. It can be said that he has done a great service to the country.
In today's world, the one who has the greatest benefit for the future is none other than Dongshangong!"
Chu Yi looked at this excited scholar with some surprise. It could be seen from his expression that he really felt that Liu Daxia burned the blueprints and documents of Zheng He's treasure ship for the sake of the Ming Dynasty and the people.
Not only that, many of the literati on the side looked in agreement. Apparently they all believed that the Ming Dynasty could never open the sea.
Inexplicably, Chu Yi felt that these people were a little pitiful, saying that opening the sea would only harm the people's strength and only waste the country's money and food, without any benefit to the country or the people.
These people don't think about it. The Southern Song Dynasty relied on maritime trade taxes to maintain peace. The Song Dynasty paid tens of millions of dollars in taxes a year, and even raised millions of soldiers and forbidden troops for the country.
, and even raised a large number of officials.
Even the Southern Song Dynasty, which had such a serious problem of redundant officials and troops, did not collapse due to financial collapse. However, in the Ming Dynasty, the dignified emperor of the Central Empire could not even raise hundreds of thousands of taels of silver when he needed to reward the army.
Is it true that these people cannot see the huge profits from maritime trade? If that is the case, why did the Liu family build large ships one after another to go overseas for trade? There were countless private ships along the southeastern coast of the Ming Dynasty like carps crossing the river.
At least half of the prosperity of Jiangnan comes from these maritime merchants who trade with overseas. A lot of gold and silver fall into the hands of these wealthy merchants. Once the sea is opened, whose interests will be lost?
However, for the Ming Dynasty's huge empire, the commercial tax revenue was only a few hundred thousand taels, which is simply unbelievable.
It was the same land. When the Ming Dynasty fell, the taxes the country could collect every year, excluding grain, were only a few million taels of silver. However, by the time the Qing Dynasty, the tax revenue reached tens of millions of taels of silver.
It seems that they saw Chu Yi looking at them a little strangely, but it was related to one of Liu Daxia's great feats, resolutely opposing the opening of the sea and confronting the emperor. These literati actually suppressed their inner fear of Chu Yi and held their heads high.
.
Suddenly Chu Yi laughed, and after a hearty laugh, Chu Yi stared at Liu And with a cold look and said: "I wonder if Mr. Liu can explain to Chu what the shipbuilding technology of your Liu family's rise is?"
Where did it come from?”
Liu An said matter-of-factly: "Of course it was developed by my Liu family who invested a lot of manpower and material resources for decades!"
Chu Yi glanced at the people around him and said slowly: "Do you also think that the Liu family alone can develop a huge ship that can sail on the sea in just a few decades?"
[The second update is here, tickets and rewards are on the way.]
