On the way back to Deshi Academy, Li Deshi's mind kept circling with keywords such as "humanistic spirit", "renaissance", "personal liberation and freedom" and so on. Although they were all just a little understanding, he understood one of the main themes emphasized by Zhu Yiliu.

That is to respect people and women.

This is consistent with the original idea in his mind.

So, although he had only a little understanding, he felt that he could explain it to all the teachers and students of the school.

Besides, he could put Zhu Yili out, because he was the emperor, whoever he sent abroad would dare to resist the order?

Just like, if Zhu Yili sent him as his father-in-law, he could only obey unconditionally.

Therefore, he thought it was absolutely fine to convey such a mental instruction.

...

After a brief exchange with Li Deshi, Zhu Yiliu held a grand court meeting.

All officials in Beijing who are above the fourth rank must participate.

Zhu Yiliu first put forward the theme of the court discussion: to send other countries to another country. The method he adopted was similar to Zheng He's voyage to the West, but the purpose was to communicate and learn.

Then let the ministers in the court express their opinions, brainstorm and speak freely.

Any resolution is in favor and objection.

Ministers who agree to send a mission to other countries believe that this is a good opportunity to show off their power and be conducive to establishing a comprehensive political order of China and the barbarians, further expanding the tribute system, and developing overseas trade, promoting domestic production, etc., which are of great benefit anyway.

Ministers who opposed the envoyment of other countries believed that this behavior was tantamount to burning money and was purely a waste and triggering a financial crisis.

Indeed, Zheng He's voyage to the West has always been saying that "it focuses on tribute trade, political leadership, and ignores economic benefits and is generous in dealing with others."

This also made the later long voyages difficult for other countries to continue. According to historical data, Zheng He's voyage to the West and Zhu Di, the Ming Dynasty's Chengzu Zhu Di, caused panic in the empire. The silver alone cost 6 million taels per year (of course, this data needs to be further examined), and did not include the rewards to 20,000 officers and soldiers. Because the fleet carried copper coins abroad to purchase, the copper coins were outflowed, resulting in a "money shortage" in the domestic market, seriously consuming the national treasury reserves and causing a large-scale depreciation of coins.

However, Zheng He's voyage to the West changed the sea ban policy since Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, opened up overseas trade, strengthened exchanges between China and foreign civilizations, and left behind geographical works and navigation charts introducing the situation of coastal countries and regions.

Zheng He's voyage to the West include tribute trade, official trade and private trade. He imported new craft products, raw materials and technologies to China, thus affecting the domestic handicrafts production in China. For example, overseas hardwood with strong and fine nature entered China due to Zheng He's voyage to the West, which allowed Chinese craftsmen to gradually accumulate rich experience in hardwood operation. In terms of ceramic production, Ming Dynasty craftsmen used Sumaliqing (also known as "Subo Mud Green") imported by Zheng He's voyage to the West as a color agent, forming Yong, Xuan blue and white with rich colors and scattered styles; it also absorbed factors from *** culture and Persian culture, resulting in new instrument types (such as flat pots, flower watering, etc.) and new patterns. The development of cloisonné was also related to Zheng He's voyage to the West, etc.

Anyway, it is also true that there are many benefits.

Moreover, later history has repeatedly proved that only by learning and communicating with each other can countries make long-term progress and avoid falling behind and being beaten.

This is Zhu Yiliu's motivation for deciding to go to another country.

Simply put, it is to promote diplomacy.

In fact, diplomacy in the early Ming Dynasty intended to follow the scale of the Yuan Dynasty, but the concept of diplomatic relations was different.

Ming Taizu actively and proactively developed diplomatic relations with vassal states, adopted a "not invading" attitude towards neighboring countries, and listed fifteen "non-suffering countries" in the "Instructions of Emperor Ming Zu", trying to build an ideal world order dominated by China, with a hierarchical order.

The peaceful diplomatic model formed by the Ming court based on this has influenced the Ming Dynasty for nearly three hundred years.

However, "not expropriation" is just the optimal diplomatic goal set by the Ming court internally, and does not mean that it is completely rejecting force.

The purpose of the Ming court was to use force as a backing, strive to achieve the might of all nations in a way that is not used to move troops, and build an international order pattern centered on the Ming Empire.

The selection of specific communication modes is related to the position of the interaction object in the diplomatic hierarchy of the Ming Dynasty.

After Zhu Di, the Emperor Cheng of Ming Dynasty, ascended the throne, he was determined to communicate with countries outside the territory. Before Zheng He, he sent Yin Qing to the first year of Yongle (1403) to Guli (also known as Guli Buddha) and Manraga (the country was not established at that time), and in the second year of Yongle (1404), he went to Java and Sumatra. In the early days of Zheng He's voyage to the West, Chengzu of Ming Dynasty launched a southern expedition to Annan (ancient name in Vietnam) and included it in the territory of the Ming Dynasty.

After the "county and county Annan", the Ming Dynasty could control the city from land near to land and control Malacca from far away, providing strong support for Zheng He's subsequent voyage to the West, and allowing the Western Tribute System to be successfully established and consolidated.

However, it is an indisputable fact that the scale of diplomacy has gradually declined with the decline of the Ming Dynasty. Moreover, diplomatic concepts are very different from those of Western countries, and even go against each other, and they have developed in two directions.

Later, the development of history was based on the study. The diplomacy of the West that tends to invade, expand, and accumulate, or "barbaric" style, seemed to be better than the so-called "not expropriation" of the Ming Dynasty. After all, the later backwardness and being beaten was a fact, and after being backward and being beaten, reflecting and learning after being beaten is equivalent to taking a big turn.

Zhu Yiliu knew the direction of history well, and of course he would not continue to ban the maritime ban or even close the country. He knew nothing about the outside world and thought that he would actively promote diplomacy.

Even though there were ministers who opposed the court, they were just taking the form to let them speak freely.

Zhu Yiliu would not listen to those ministers.

In his opinion, traveling to other countries to exchange and study is the general trend of history, and it must be expanded and accumulated at the right time. He will never go against the trend of history.

Of course, above the court discussion, Zhu Yiliu did not mention expansion and accumulation, but only said that he would send other countries.

And on this basis, Zhu Yiliu decided to gradually lift the maritime ban and promote maritime trade.

There are still support and opposition to this policy proposition, but Zhu Yiliu's decision will not change.

The ministers in the court had already seen Zhu Yiliu's strength when he was promoting the Beijing inspection.

Therefore, although there are many ministers who oppose, the opposition momentum is relatively insufficient.

Another important reason is that because Zhu Yiliu's foresight is too "monster", the ministers in the court, including the people of the Ming Dynasty, all recognized Zhu Yiliu's strength from the bottom of their hearts, or admired from the bottom of their hearts.

After all, no minister in the court knows much about Zhu Yiliu. He can't even talk nonsense about the situation abroad, let alone telling the situation abroad.

Zhu Yiliu is different. Everything is open and it is reasonable and well-founded. From time to time, one or two unheard words pop out of his mouth.

How could those ministers who oppose have much confidence? Even though there are voices of opposition, they can be spoken out and discussed with everyone, let alone Zhu Yiliu originally planned to block the voices of opposition, even if he doesn't do this, how many people really have the strength to argue with him to achieve a result?

In this way, the resolution on the mission to other countries, including the policy of gradually lifting the maritime ban, was successfully passed at the court.

...
Chapter completed!