It's not that Wang Yangming doesn't support the expedition against the Portuguese, but because he is in his position, he must consider all aspects and listen to opinions from many sides. Now Luo Xiang, Jiang Bin and others, as parties who have personally fought against the Portuguese, can
It is said that their opinions are of great reference significance.
After hearing Wang Yangming's words, Luo Xiang and Jiang Bin were stunned for a moment and then reacted, seeing Luo Xiang subconsciously looking towards the emperor sitting there.
At this moment, the emperor also nodded slightly towards Luo Xiang and said: "Since Wang Aiqing asked, Luo Daban, you can express your opinions. After all, you have personally fought against those barbarians and you have an understanding of those barbarians."
.”
Taking a deep breath, Luo Xiang showed a somewhat solemn look on his face. First, he bowed slightly to Wang Yangming and said: "In our opinion, the Portuguese are not weak in Nanyang. To a certain extent, they are stronger."
It is the fact that the other party controls the Strait of Malacca, an important maritime traffic artery. Not to mention that the other party dares to attack our Ming Dynasty Royal Caravan and ignore our Ming Dynasty's majesty, but that the other party controls the Strait of Malacca, an important maritime transportation artery, I, the Ming Dynasty, always
If you still want to continue to implement the policy of opening up the sea, then you will inevitably break out into conflict with the other party!"
Li Huan on the side couldn't help but admire Luo Xiang a little while listening to Luo Xiang's words. Li Huan knew the importance of the Strait of Malacca, especially in the era of moving towards the ocean. The Strait of Malacca is definitely an important maritime traffic artery.
But Li Huan didn't expect that Luo Xiang had such awareness.
You must know that there are not many people who can see the importance of the Strait of Malacca, looking at this era, but definitely not too many. What surprised him even more was that Luo Xiang would say such a thing.
Listening to Luo Xiang's words, everyone present looked thoughtful. At this moment, Wang Yangming bowed to the emperor and said: "Your Majesty, I kindly ask your Majesty to take out the map of the world."
Zhu Houzhao naturally knew what Wang Yangming meant, and nodded slightly. Qiu Ju, who was waiting at the side, immediately went to take out the large map of the world and hung it up.
An extremely detailed and spacious map of the world appeared in front of everyone. It was the first time for Luo Xiang, Jiang Bin and others to see this map of the world, so when they saw this map of the world, their faces changed.
Everyone showed a bit of surprise.
At this moment, Wang Yangming and others turned their attention to the land of Southeast Asia, and soon found the Strait of Malacca there.
The people present are all elite figures of the era. After all, they can enter the cabinet and become cabinet ministers. Not to mention other things, at least they still have the ability and vision.
So when they saw the location of Malacca, they immediately saw the importance of the Strait of Malacca without Luo Xiang elaborating.
It can be said that the location of the Strait of Malacca can definitely be regarded as a choke point on the sea, and it is definitely not an exaggeration to say that it is an important transportation thoroughfare. It can even be said that as long as this location is occupied, the east and west can be blocked to a certain extent.
trade.
In the past, if such an important transportation place was located, even if Wang Yangming and others could see its importance, they would not take it seriously. After all, no matter how important this place is, it is just a wilderness overseas.
It is thousands of miles away from the Central Plains. Such a place will definitely not be taken seriously. However, now that the Ming Dynasty has opened its sea, although it is only less than a year, several major shipping companies in the Ming Dynasty have been here in less than a year.
Among them, the commercial taxes contributed to the imperial court amounted to two to three million taels.
If this were placed in the past, it would be almost equivalent to the amount of commercial tax that Ming Dynasty would not be able to receive for more than ten years. Moreover, this was only less than a year, and the scale of Daming Sea Trade was not large enough. After all,
Maritime trade has just been opened up and there are not that many merchants who are actually engaged in maritime trade.
According to their judgment, as long as it continues, in a few years, as the Ming Dynasty's maritime trade gradually develops and stabilizes, by that time, just a few major shipping companies will be able to provide the court with at least three to five million yuan every year.
Two silver coins of business tax.
This is only the commercial tax that the court can collect, and does not include the great benefits that will be brought to the people of the Ming Dynasty after the development of commerce.
After all, if commerce and trade develop, it will definitely bring many opportunities to the people of Ming Dynasty, and to a certain extent, it can also promote the development of Ming Dynasty.
It is conceivable that under such circumstances, as long as the ministers above the court are not fools, they will never be able to get the emperor's support to issue a decree to ban the sea again.
It can even be said that as long as there are a few more years, vested interests such as the Xungui Group, which developed with maritime trade as its core, will never let people go to the sea ban again.
Under this circumstance, the importance of a maritime traffic artery like the Strait of Malacca can be imagined. If such an important place fell into the hands of the Portuguese, it would mean that the maritime trade of the Ming Dynasty would be greatly reduced.
The Portuguese had their necks stuck. If the other party did not use this strait to choke the Ming Dynasty merchants, they would probably be able to collect dozens or millions of taels every year just by relying on this checkpoint to collect all kinds of money.
gold and silver.
This is equivalent to cutting off flesh from Ming Dynasty. It would be strange if you can bear it.
Wang Yangming, who clearly saw the location of the Strait of Malacca and judged its importance, took a deep breath, a flash of light flashed in his eyes, and looked at Li Huan, who was smiling and saying nothing, and said: "Qin Guogong, if I, the Ming Dynasty, send troops, we may win.
Cross the Portuguese and occupy the Strait of Malacca?"
Li Huan was not surprised when he heard this and said calmly: "If the Portuguese come out in force, Li can't guarantee it. If it's just the Portuguese who are entrenched in Malacca, my Ming Dynasty only needs to send a naval fleet."
Annihilate them."
Li Huan's words were categorical and full of determination, which made people convinced.
Wang Yangming stroked his beard and nodded slightly, then bowed to the emperor and said: "I pray that your majesty will send a naval fleet to Southeast Asia to annihilate the Portuguese, seize the Strait of Malacca, and reset the Old Port Propaganda Department."
It must be said that Wang Yangming was quite courageous. Since it was determined that the Strait of Malacca was related to the interests of the Ming Dynasty, Wang Yangming did not hesitate to support the Ming Dynasty in sending troops to seize the Strait of Malacca, even if it meant an expedition thousands of miles away.
Zhu Houzhao smiled slightly, nodded slightly at Wang Yangming, and then said to Li Huan, "I wonder what Li Qing thinks?"
Li Huan chuckled and said: "Your Majesty, let's look at the land of Nanyang. There are many islands. The big ones are more than the land of several provinces in the Ming Dynasty, and the small ones are just a small place. However, this place is rich in products, especially spices. In addition, there is Malacca
The strategic location of the sea, such as the Strait, has attracted Western barbarians to spy on it. If our Ming Dynasty recaptures it this time, I think it would be inappropriate to reset the Xuanwei Division in the old port."
Everyone couldn't help but be stunned when they heard this, and looked at Li Huan in confusion.
Under the gaze of everyone, Li Huan said with a cold look in his eyes: "Since our Ming Dynasty has sent troops to conquer thousands of miles, we should not just set up a mere Xuanwei Department. In my opinion, we should set up a Nanyang Expedition."
Province."
"What, establish Nanyang Province?"
Liu Yu subconsciously exclaimed, with a look of astonishment on his face. Apparently he did not expect that Li Huan would suggest that the imperial court establish the Nanyang Province.
The Xuanwei Department is different from the provincial government. In the final analysis, the Xuanwei Department is just a chieftain organization in Jisu. Just like the Xuanwei Department in Old Port, although it is nominally owned by the imperial court, in the final analysis, the Xuanwei Department in Old Port is like a
A local small kingdom is like one, and the imperial court has only nominal jurisdiction over it.
However, if it is divided into provinces, it means that it is directly under the imperial court and directly governed by the imperial court, just like the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty.
Just like the Ming Dynasty didn't care much about the destruction of Jiugang Xuanweisi, and even abandoned places like Jiaozhidusi and Nuergandusi, but it would not sit back and watch any of the two capitals and thirteen provinces become independent.
If Nanyang is established as the Dusi or the Xuanwei Division, this represents the importance and degree of control the imperial court attaches to Nanyang. If there are changes in the future, a mere Xuanwei Division can be abandoned casually without feeling anything, but if
If it was a province directly under the imperial court, few people would dare to abandon it directly.
Yang Tinghe frowned and said: "Mr. Qin, after all, the land of Nanyang is thousands of miles away. The imperial court already attaches great importance to it by setting it as a capital. Isn't it a bit too much to make it a province?"
Li Huan shook his head slightly when he heard this and said, "Does Mr. Yang Ge think that the land of Nanyang is not important to our Ming Dynasty?"
Even Yang Tinghe could not unconscionably say that the land of Nanyang was not important to the Ming Dynasty. After all, under the background of the opening of the sea in the Ming Dynasty, the importance of the land of Nanyang naturally increased all of a sudden. But in Yang Tinghe's view,
Li Huan's proposal to elevate it to a provincial level comparable to the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty was a bit excessive.
Wang Yangming and Liu Yu also looked solemn. After all, establishing a province was definitely not a trivial matter for the imperial court, and all aspects involved could not be settled in just one sentence.
At this moment, Zhu Houzhao's eyes were shining brightly. Nanyang Province, if such a province can really be established, then from then on the Ming Dynasty will have a layout of two capitals and fourteen provinces. And looking at the land of Nanyang,
Its area is almost comparable to that of most of the Ming Dynasty. If it were included in the territory of the Ming Dynasty through his hands, you don't have to think about it. He will definitely leave a mark in history and even be evaluated by future generations.
, that was also a generation of heroes who opened up new territories.
Thinking of this, Zhu Houzhao immediately made a decision and said: "Okay, what Qin Guogong said is true. Since our Ming Dynasty wants to control the land of Nanyang, it must completely control it. It is absolutely impossible to let Jiaozhidusi and Nuergandusi control it.
If things happen again, Nanyang Province will be established, which will be the same as the two capitals and thirteen provinces, all under the direct jurisdiction of the central government."
"Your Majesty, Holy Ming!"
Li Huan, the British Duke Zhang Lun, Zhu Fu and others all bowed to Zhu Houzhao.
At this time, Wang Yangming, Liu Yu, Yang Ting and several others also looked at each other and bowed to Zhu Houzhao like Li Huan and others.
In fact, the establishment of the Nanyang Province was definitely a good thing for the Ming Dynasty. It had its benefits for both the common people and the officials.
Compared with the Ming Dynasty, the land of Nanyang can be said to be vast and sparsely populated. However, after hundreds of years of development in the Ming Dynasty, land annexation has become large-scale. Although the Ming Dynasty now implements the policy of sharing the land between the gentry and the gentry, the people
More and more people are becoming tenant farmers and have no land.
Under such circumstances, if the imperial court transferred these people to the land of Nanyang to enrich Nanyang, it might not be a heaven-sent opportunity for those people who were struggling to survive.
It is also a good thing for hundreds of officials. After all, if a huge province wants to form effective governance, it will inevitably need a large number of officials to form an official government organization.
The entire Nanyang is four to five million square kilometers in size, which is completely comparable to the territory of the Ming Dynasty. Such a vast province will have to establish how many states and counties and how many officials will be stationed.
As far as the Ming Dynasty officialdom is concerned, I don’t know how many people will soar to the sky. After all, if they want to effectively rule the Nanyang province, the Ming court will probably send thousands of officials. Perhaps Nanyang will be more important to most people
In my eyes, it was a wild land, but it was real that I couldn't stand the official position.
It is conceivable that once the Ming Dynasty established the Nanyang Province, many officials would fight tooth and nail for the opportunity to serve in Nanyang for those official positions.
Tianjin Wei
Due to the gradual prosperity of the maritime trade industry, Tianjin Wei has suddenly become much more prosperous. You can see ships moored at the port, and the ships are coming and going, showing a busy scene.
At a slightly remote port in Tianjin Wei, one can see at a glance that there are a large number of ships moored in the port. Anyone who is not a fool can tell at a glance that these ships are newly built by the imperial court.
At first glance, dozens of treasure ships, which are as high as several floors, look like hills lying across the port. There are ships of all sizes scattered around, and there are no less than hundreds of ships in the densely packed area.
This is exactly the Ming Navy fleet that Li Huan spent a year or two building.
It has to be said that the Ming Dynasty is definitely the best among all nations in terms of manpower and material resources in this era. It only took a year or two for the Ming Dynasty to build such a powerful naval fleet from nothing.
Of course, the investment costs during this period were also quite staggering. Li Huan had scattered half of the 20 million taels of gold and silver he had originally left in his hands, and only then did he acquire the fleet in front of him.
.
Of course, this is only a part of the naval fleet built by Li Huan. After all, among the entire naval fleet built by Li Huan, there are hundreds of treasure ships alone. In this Tianjin Guard, it is the entire navy.
Almost half of the ships and men.
The rest of the navy is now scattered in several important ports on the southeast coast to protect the security of the southeast coast of the Ming Dynasty. After all, a large number of maritime merchants in the Ming Dynasty went to sea, which naturally attracted pirates and even Japanese pirates to plunder. Ordinary maritime merchants encountered these
Pirates and even Japanese pirates do not have much resistance at all. If these pirates, which have seriously affected the safety of the southeast coast, are not eliminated, it will definitely have a great impact on the Ming Dynasty maritime trade.
On this day, the tens of thousands of naval generals in the Tianjin Wei Port had made preparations early. Above the port, a group of energetic and solemn generals were looking at the Emperor slowly coming from a distance.
Luan Jia.
[I’m asking for a monthly ticket at the end of the month]