Although it is said that Yu Qian has been transferred out of the capital, his title is Youdu Censor, and he is listed under the Metropolitan Procuratorate. Therefore, according to the convention, he is still regarded as a capital official. Therefore, Yu Fu is naturally still in the capital, and there is no
Follow Yu Qian and join in the fun.
However, since Yu Qian left the capital, Yu Shiyue's visits to Yu's mansion have been much less frequent. As soon as the sedan stopped, Yu Shiyue saw Yu Mian greeting him in front of the mansion.
"I met Shibo. My father ordered me to greet him here. He said that Shibo had arrived, so he led Shibo over to see him."
Yu Shiyue got off the sedan, and when he heard what Yu Mian said, he raised his eyebrows and said.
"How did your father know that I was coming over today?"
You know, after seeing the imperial edict, he decided to come on the spur of the moment and did not send a greeting card in advance. Yu Qian could even predict this. Could it be that he went out to Beijing and learned the art of divination?
"I don't know about this. Shibo may as well ask his father later."
Yu Mian said while leading Yu Shiyue forward.
Seeing this situation, Yu Shiyue secretly nodded. After what happened last time, this child has indeed become much more stable.
"Brother Shichao, long time no see!"
When they walked into the courtyard, they saw that Yu Qian had already greeted him outside the study door. Yu Shiyue smiled and returned the greeting. The two exchanged greetings and then sat down in the study.
The aroma of tea lingered on the table in front of him, and Yu Qian opened his mouth and said.
"Brother Shichao is here to send troops to suppress Japanese invaders?"
"Yes and no!"
Yu Shiyue took a sip of tea, his face became slightly solemn, and he said.
"The cabinet has just received the decree. His Majesty has issued an edict, ordering you to be the Admiral and Minister of Military Affairs of Fujian and other departments to participate in the suppression of Japanese pirates. I believe you already know this news, right?"
The imperial edict arrived at the cabinet in the afternoon, and it would have to wait until at least tomorrow if it was really to be sent to the court. However, Yu Shiyue's words were not a question, but a rhetorical question with determination.
Yu Qian did not deny it, nodded slightly and said.
"Yes, your Majesty had already mentioned this matter to me when I just returned to Beijing to reply to His Majesty's decree."
So, Yu Shiyue put down his cup and looked at Yu Qian, as if that was indeed the case.
After pausing for a moment, he sighed and said.
"In that case, how dare you show off like this today?"
What happened this morning has now spread, but the time is too short and it has not yet fermented.
However, it is conceivable that even if a major event like sending troops to suppress the Japanese has been decided, there will still be various opinions and opinions in the court.
In the morning at court, Yu Qian confronted Wang Hong with such sharp words, it was impossible not to arouse discussion among the officials in the court.
If that's the case, that's all. However, now that the emperor has issued an edict, ordering Admiral Yu Qian to supervise military affairs, the direction of public opinion may not be that simple.
Yu Shiyue could imagine that within a few days, Yu Qian's remarks about flattering the emperor would appear.
Therefore, this was what confused him. Since the Emperor had already decided that Yu Qian would take over this job, Yu Qian should keep a low profile.
After all, from the standpoint of the courtiers, Wang Hong's theory is tenable. Most of the time when the court wants to suppress Japanese pirates, it is in vain and only increases waste...
After hearing this question, Yu Qian fell silent, picked up the tea cup and took a sip without saying anything.
Seeing this situation, Yu Shiyue frowned and said.
"It seems that my guess is correct. There is another secret behind this matter. Why, isn't it convenient for me to tell you?"
Yu Shiyue understood Yu Qian. He could understand what he said just now, and Yu Qian would not understand it. In this case, Yu Qian still did this, which can only show that the emperor had other reasons to convince Yu Qian.
After hearing this, Yu Qian pondered for a moment and finally said.
"Brother Shi Chao, I wonder what you think of the imperial court's maritime ban policy?"
Sea ban?
Yu Shiyue was slightly surprised, but soon he thought of what Yu Qian and Wang Hong said during the confrontation in the morning.
He didn't think about it carefully at the time, but looking back at what Yu Qian said at that time, he did have a slightly different meaning.
"A sure way to go!"
After pondering for a moment, Yu Shiyue spoke.
"What Wang Hong said today is a little biased, but it is not unreasonable. The Japanese pirates are powerful at sea, but when they arrive on land, they are hard to beat with just two fists. If the sea ban is strictly enforced, at least the peace of the coast can be preserved. Although the Japanese pirates will sometimes
If an attack occurs, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages..."
In fact, this is also the view of most courtiers on the maritime ban.
After hearing this, Yu Qian thought for a while, and finally, he summarized the report he had made to the emperor that day, selecting the part about the sea ban, and briefly said it.
"... According to His Majesty's wishes, the purpose of sending troops to suppress the Japanese pirates this time is not to eradicate the Japanese pirates, but to ensure that Huangdian's ships can return smoothly. If the sea route can be opened by then, it will probably be a source of wealth no less than mutual trade.
"
Although it is said that it is generally best not to reveal the contents of a private performance, but since the emperor did not ask him to keep it secret, he explained that it is still possible to reveal some.
"You mean, His Majesty wants to open the sea?"
Yu Shiyue blinked, his face a little surprised.
Although he had already expected that there was something complicated behind this matter, he did not expect that there was such a big connection hidden behind it.
Opening up the sea is no joke. After all, the sea ban policy is a national policy set by Taizu. If it is to be shaken, it will definitely be more difficult than opening up mutual trade in the first place.
Moreover, this issue is not only an issue of ancestral system. You must know that in addition to Emperor Taizu, the previous emperors such as Taizong and Xuanzong have also stated the sea ban policy to varying degrees. If they really want to open the sea, it will be no less than
Against all previous emperors.
In addition, the foundation of the Ming Dynasty is agriculture, and the vast sea cannot be cultivated. The biggest role of opening up the sea is naturally maritime trade, which will involve the national policy of focusing on agriculture and suppressing commerce.
Among other things, if merchants want to go to sea, then the corvee they should bear, how to calculate taxes, and whether to relax restrictions on merchants are all things the court has to consider.
Moreover, since the sea is to be opened, in addition to the Ming caravans going to sea, there will definitely be caravans from other countries. How to communicate between the two? What if these caravans carry weapons? Do we need to add new yamen and officials?
I am specifically responsible for this series of problems that need to be solved. It cannot be done by just touching the upper lip to the lower lip.
Yu Qian hesitated for a moment and said.
"Your Majesty just has this idea, but what happens depends on the harvest of the Imperial Store..."
"However, no matter what, this is always a thing worth trying. Your Majesty is right. The people on the coast are too poor. The court's strict sea ban is ultimately a temporary solution rather than a permanent solution. The coast is barren and it is difficult to collect taxes. The people
Life is hard, but if this path can be opened, it will be of great benefit to the people."
"But……"
Hearing what Yu Qian said, Yu Shiyue was a little silent. After a moment, he spoke.
"Tingyi, do you know how difficult and difficult this matter is?"
After hearing this, Yu Qian fell silent again. Then, he spoke again, but his expression was very firm, and he said.
"Although things are difficult, if it is beneficial to the people of the country, how can we regret our own lives?"
…………
That day, Yu Shiyue and Yu Qian talked a lot. The two talked until late at night before returning home. However, when Yu Shiyue left Yu's home, his expressions couldn't help but become a little more complicated.
The situation in the court was complicated and natural disasters occurred frequently. Under this situation, the emperor was determined, but he did not know whether it was a blessing or a curse.
Half a month passed in a flash, and it was less than a month before the end of the year. Although the candidates for the expedition had not yet been decided, the admiral Yu Qian was definitely here, and the ministers were relieved and began to make preparations.
Matters concerning sending troops.
However, even so, the candidate for the seal is still one of the things that the imperial court is most concerned about. In these days alone, no less than dozens of recommendation letters have been submitted.
It has to be said that the strength of the British government is still sufficient. In just half a month, more than a dozen noble houses have written letters recommending Zhang Shi. However, what people did not expect is that this time, Dingguo
The government did not show any signs of weakness, and sent memorials from seven or eight families, all recommending Wuxing.
In the Palace of Qianqing, Zhu Qiyu couldn't help but hesitate when he looked at the memorial that had just been sent in front of him.
The sudden appearance of Wuxing this time was something he did not expect. Originally, Zhu Qiyu's chosen candidate was indeed Zhang Min.
There are two reasons for choosing him. One is that the British government is now gathering power. In this case, it still needs to be given some opportunities. If the pressure is too tight, the effect will sometimes not be achieved. Moreover, with Yu Qianzai,
If something goes wrong with Zhang Xi, he can take over smoothly.
In addition, the more important point is that the disaster next year will be serious, so unstable factors such as the British government must be dealt with.
At this time, Zhu Qiyu didn't want Nangong to take the opportunity to cause trouble for him.
However, Zhang Xi also had a shortcoming, that is, his fighting ability was really not enough. Although the general who hung the seal did not have to go to the battlefield in person, Zhu Qiyu was still a little worried after all.
Relatively speaking, Wu Xing was born in the military and has rich combat experience, so he will have greater confidence in fighting.
Moreover, another point is that Wuxing's qualifications and military achievements are actually almost the same. If he can win this battle, he may use it to obtain a title.
Wuxing itself belongs to the lineage of Duke Dingguo. Now that Duke Dingguo wants to promote Wuxing, it is actually releasing goodwill. Therefore, this is where Zhu Qiyu is in trouble.
Prior to this, the nobles in the court had always been headed by the British Duke and the Chengguo Duke, and most of the military government was also controlled by them.
If he wants to change this situation, Zhu Qiyu must build up his own strength. Fan Guang and Yang Hong are a good example. However, there are many nobles in the court, and the strength of the two of them is still too weak.
In this way, Duke Dingguo's Mansion is a good choice. As an old government, no matter how low-key it is, it always has a good foundation. Compared with these newly promoted nobles, the advantages of Duke Dingguo's Mansion are
The reason is that if Zhu Qiyu wanted to replace people from the other two major princes in the original military government, especially those from the British government, the Dingguo government had many ready-made people. These people may not be outstanding, but they are still barely available.
Moreover, the most important thing is that the Dingguo Duke's lineage was not reused in the Xuande and Zhengtong dynasties, so there was no need to worry about their stance when promoting them.
However, the shortcomings of this lineage are that they are too comfortable and do not have much enterprising spirit. Moreover, the talents of the people who can be derived can only be said to be sufficient.
Strictly speaking, the former Marquis of Fengcheng and the current Duke of Fengguo, Li Xian, can also be regarded as members of the Dingguo Palace. This is clearly reflected in him.
Zhu Qiyu once thought about letting Li Xianlai be the backbone of the nobles. Unfortunately, his talents and courage are indeed limited. Although he can be of some use, it is impossible to point him to carry out the affairs.
So now, Duke Feng has become a mascot attending various sacrificial ceremonies for the court.
However, the premise of all this is that Duke Dingguo holds the old concept of nobility!
You must know that there are many talents in the army, and there are also those who can fight. However, these people are not from noble backgrounds, so it is difficult to occupy high positions in the military government.
Although Zhu Qiyu wanted to promote these people, on the one hand, the imperial court had its own rules, and in many matters, it was customary to use honorable men. Breaking these rules rashly would cause backlash and dissatisfaction from the honorable men.
Secondly, and most importantly, as the emperor, Zhu Qiyu could not personally inspect these middle and low-level officers. Therefore, who should be used and who should not be used is the biggest problem.
However, the olive branch extended by Duke Dingguo this time is a new hope. Wu Xing is different from Zhang Shi. Although neither of them has a title, Zhang Shi is considered to be from a noble family after all, but Wu Xing is a real person.
A person who rose up from a low-ranking officer step by step.
According to the court's practice, the chief seal officer who leads the army on an expedition should basically be a noble with a title, and at the end of the day, he should be a general's son from a noble background. Officers without a title, even if they are outstanding, can only serve as deputy generals.
.
One of the important reasons for this convention is that military generals with noble backgrounds are easier to control. Even if they go on an expedition, their family members and connections are all in the capital, but if they are ordinary officers, this may not be the case.
However, in Zhu Qiyu's view, this practice cannot be said to be useless, but in general, it does more harm than good.
Doing so can certainly ensure the court's control over the army, but it also leads to the rigidity of the battle system. As the commander-in-chief of an army, it is difficult to guarantee combat effectiveness, so the final outcome is naturally unpredictable.
However, the imperial system was such that he could not break it rashly, and the Dingguogong government's willingness to recommend Wu Xing to go out to fight was undoubtedly an opportunity for change.
If Duke Dingguo promotes Wuxing, then naturally, the pressure among the nobles will be borne by them.
Once Wu Xing can really serve as the general, then on the one hand, he can follow this example in the future to promote more generals to be used in frontline battles, and on the other hand, Dingguo Gongfu can also take advantage of the situation to further balance the power among the nobles.
.
Therefore, Zhu Qiyu rarely felt hesitant about who to choose...