Zhu Yi's voice was sonorous and powerful, causing all the civil and military ministers present to look at each other in confusion. Why did the topic suddenly turn to war?
Seeing Zhu Yi's vow below, the Emperor didn't have any special reaction. He just waved his hand and said.
"I know what Duke Cheng is thinking. Today we are just discussing the maritime trade of the Ministry of Revenue. Please don't go too far!"
The emperor's reaction also made many ministers present react instantly, and the hall, which was originally filled with low voices of discussion, suddenly became quiet.
Qian Shu stood aside, with thin drops of cold sweat suddenly breaking out on his forehead. No matter how slow he was, by this time he should have realized where he had gone wrong.
For the nobles, they are not afraid of war, but they are afraid of not fighting. In the eyes of the nobles, the concerns of the civil servants are simply unfounded.
Of course, calling it a war may be an exaggeration. It is just a small-scale dispute at best. Moreover, everything is unknown now. Although Qian Shu said so, those small overseas countries may not really have opened up sea trade.
Dare to offend Ming Dynasty.
So theoretically speaking, Zhu Yiyi's determination at this moment is actually of little use, but this is not the key to the problem.
What's important is that the person who requested the tassel is Zhu Yi!
As a top nobleman in the court, one of the most important reasons why the Chengguo Palace cannot return to its heyday is that Zhu Yi himself has no military exploits.
Although this is the current situation of most second-generation nobles, Zhu Yi is different from ordinary second-generation nobles.
He is the backbone of the Emperor's camp, and at the same time, he is an in-law of the British Duke, and he also has the title of Duke. The combination of these factors allows him to use huge political resources.
It can be said that if Zhu Yi was a little older, he would never be like now, with only one escort general and young army commander. No matter what, he would have to choose one from the Beijing Camp, the Fifth Army Governor's Palace, or the Nanjing Garrison Minister.
.
For Zhu Yi today, he has enough resources and connections, and the only thing that can restrain him is his qualifications.
And the qualifications of Xungui can best be reflected by his military exploits!
Therefore, once Zhu Yi has military merit, he will become the unquestionable leader of the nobles. At that time, even if the emperor wants to deliberately sideline and suppress him, it will be very difficult.
To put it bluntly, what Qian Shu just said actually gave Zhu Yi an opportunity, an opportunity to win military glory in the future.
Under such a scene, Zhu Yi's assurance was to implement the policy that the emperor had tacitly approved of behind his back. It would be too unkind to say that the emperor was still indifferent.
However, if he agrees, then if there is a dispute that is serious enough to require a large army to go to war, then Zhu Yi can use this as an excuse to ask for command. At that time, if he goes back on his word, the emperor's face may not be lost.
So in fact, Qian Shu's words actually put the emperor into an embarrassing situation in disguise. Although the emperor finally covered it up lightly, the impact was still there. For a moment, Qian Shu's brows tightened
Wrinkling and looking at the young Zhu Yi in front of him, he felt for the first time that he had underestimated the newly promoted Duke Cheng Guo!
After reacting, Qian Shu took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and said to Zhu Yi who stood up.
"Cheng Guo Gong is very dedicated to the country, and everyone in the government and the public knows it. However, now we are discussing maritime trade. If we talk about leading troops to fight, Cheng Guo Gong may have a family background, but this civil affairs matter is not a matter of one or two sentences.
What can be said clearly is that now that the national treasury is empty and there have been natural disasters in successive years, Duke Cheng Guo not only instigates His Majesty to approve the maritime trade of the Ministry of Revenue, but also raises troops to go to war?"
"I wonder if Duke Cheng Guo has considered whether the imperial court can support it?"
"What's more, large-scale construction projects will definitely increase the burden on the people. People's lives are already not good due to the disasters in various places in recent years. What should we do if we impose more corvee labor and cause civil unrest?"
Having learned his lesson, Qian Shu learned to be smart this time. He no longer blamed Zhu Yi for staying in the capital all year round and not understanding the coastal situation. Instead, he accused Zhu Yi of being a noble man and talking nonsense about civil affairs.
In addition, Qian Shu also realized that Zhu Yi was a difficult person to deal with, so he quickly returned to the current situation of the treasury. This was his most powerful weapon.
To put it bluntly, whether it is maritime trade or other policies, they are all the work of the imperial court. The only difference is whether they can achieve the expected results.
The question is whether this can be done!
All the courtiers knew that the reason why the Ministry of Revenue put forward this suggestion was, to a certain extent, to relieve the pressure on the treasury and increase the court's income. After all, these consecutive years of natural disasters must have made it difficult for the Ministry of Revenue to endure.
But the problem is that sea trade is an almost unfamiliar field to Ming Dynasty. Everything expected now is just an expectation. No one can guarantee what the actual situation will be.
However, once this major policy is passed, then the initial manpower and material resources must be invested. Among other things, building ports, docks, expanding the posthouses for receiving envoys, and the city shipping department all require money. In addition, money is needed.
In addition, the mobilization of officers and soldiers, and the adjustment of local government offices are not a matter of a mere touch of the upper and lower lips.
If the expected results are not achieved in the end, then all these manpower and material resources will be in vain...
So in essence, this confrontation is a confrontation between conservatives and radicals.
Faced with Qian Shu's questioning, Zhu Yi shook her head inwardly. This time, digging a hole was not enough. She was addicted to digging...
He could tell at a glance that what Qian Shu said at the end was nothing more than motivating him to continue to "ask for help". However, a civil uprising was different from an ordinary war, not to mention that Qian Shu added a prerequisite to this civil uprising.
Zhu Yi said with a sneer.
"I really don't know if the Ministry of Revenue can support it, but why do you, Lord Qian, listen to your words and just hope that something will happen to Ming Dynasty?"
"First you said that there will be war if sea trade opens, but now you come out and say that if sea trade opens, people will definitely be dissatisfied and it will trigger civil unrest?"
"Now the Ming Dynasty is peaceful all over the world, the borders are peaceful, and His Majesty's holy virtues have blessed all the people. Although there are natural disasters in various places, they can still survive without any turmoil. How can the Ming Dynasty change when it comes to Master Qian's mouth?
Has it become a precarious and precarious state of national subjugation?"
With a "hiss" sound, all the ministers in the palace suddenly took a breath of cold air.
This Duke Cheng Guo... really dares to say anything...
However, it was also Qian Shu's fault. He was too hasty and dug holes in everything he said. As a result, the opponent turned his army around, which put him in an embarrassing situation.
Sure enough, as soon as these words came out, Qian Shu quickly knelt down and said.
"Your Majesty clearly knows that I have no such intention!"
"Since that's not what you mean, then Master Qian, please explain what you mean?"
As soon as Qian Shu finished speaking, Zhu Yi's lazy voice came out from the side, showing no mercy at all.
Seeing this situation, many civil servants looked at each other in confusion. Although they also felt that what Qian Shu did was not appropriate, but being forced by Zhu Yi, if they did nothing, then the civil servants' face would be lost.
It will be greatly damaged.
So, soon, Cabinet Minister Xiao Yan stood up and said.
"Mr. Cheng has misunderstood. Lord Qian definitely didn't mean this. It's just a matter of maritime trade. It's of great importance. Preparation will lead to failure. Failure to do so will lead to failure. This matter is related to the imperial government. Naturally, we must be cautious and take all situations into consideration.
, Duke Cheng Guo’s words are serious!”
Since Xiao Yan entered the cabinet, he has kept a low profile in the court, but his popularity is quite good. When he stood up now, he immediately won the recognition of many civil servants.
Seeing this situation, Zhu Yi didn't hold on. After all, the cabinet ministers had come forward, so he still had to give him some face. He was not afraid of offending Xiao Han, but in this situation, if Xiao Han came forward, there would be no change.
If you use it, it will really slap civil servants in the face.
However, before he could speak, another voice suddenly sounded in the hall.
"Don't you feel guilty for what Mr. Xiao Ge said?"
Zhu Yi was stunned. He never expected that such a sudden appearance would occur. Like all the ministers, he turned around and saw that the speaker was actually Ningyang Marquis and Chen who had been silent in the court for a long time.
Mao!
To be honest, the old marquis's current position in the court is a bit embarrassing. Originally, with his military exploits, he could be ranked in the first echelon in terms of prestige and status among the nobles. Even in front of the emperor, there were few
Divide into thin noodles.
However, he happened to be involved in the previous case of King Zhennan. Although several years have passed since this incident, the impact is still there. At least for now, his reputation in the court is still not very good, and
, the case of King Zhennan, although he wanted to welcome back the Supreme Emperor, but secretly, he was working with the Emperor.
Under this situation, it is naturally even more difficult for Chen Mao to be reused. Therefore, the old marquis is just a sinecure in the Beijing camp. He himself is also sensible and knows that he
It was because of the opportunity for the prince to leave the cabinet that he reluctantly regained the position of marquis, so he has always kept a low profile.
But I didn't expect that it would appear now...
As everyone's eyes gathered, Chen Mao also stepped forward steadily and came to Xiao Han. Looking at the "kind-faced and kind-eyed" old marquis in front of him, Xiao Han couldn't help but frowned and said.
"Master Chen, what do you mean by this?"
"It means that you civil servants are too bullying!"
Looking at Xiao Han who was barely maintaining a smile, Chen Mao didn't give any face and said directly.
"Now Mr. Xiao Ge stood up and started to say that Qian Shu was thinking about the country and that Cheng Guogong was exaggerating. So what was Mr. Xiao Ge doing when Qian Shu deliberately provoked a civil-military dispute?"
Ah this...
Xiao Han's face was a little stiff. He didn't expect that there would be someone in this court who would be so frank and disrespectful.
Of course, this is because Mr. Xiao Ge has not been in Beijing for a long time. If he had come to Beijing a few years earlier and seen the demeanor of one day's official chatting with ministers, he might not be so surprised.
Before Xiao Yan could react, Chen Mao turned around, bowed and said.
"Your Majesty, although today is a matter of discussion, civil and military officials can express their opinions. However, ever since Duke Cheng made his remarks, Mr. Qian has been aggressive, intending to provoke a civil-military dispute. After being discovered, he also wanted to become a
The Duke is said to be someone who likes to start wars and does not care about the overall interests of the court."
"I know that my knowledge is shallow and I have spent half my life on the battlefield. I don't want to say much about such political matters. However, Qian Shu used the opportunity of discussing political affairs to criticize the court's honorable ministers and disturb the court's discussions. How can such a traitor be tolerated lightly?
I ask your Majesty to punish this thief and set the record straight!"
What is this situation?
At this time, not only the civil servants were surprised, but even Zhu Yi himself was confused.
He didn't discuss it with Chen Mao in advance and asked him to stand up for him. Why did this old marquis suddenly have such a strong sense of justice today?
But no matter what, as Chen Mao came forward, the conflict in this matter was directly escalated.
Originally, Xiao Han came forward to change things, Zhu Yi graciously gave in, and the matter was over. But now, Chen Mao vowed to ask the emperor to punish Qian Shu, so the pressure will naturally be put on the emperor.
As expected, when the emperor looked at this situation, he frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then said.
"What Qian Shu just said is indeed inappropriate!"
"However, it is not unforgivable to occasionally make inappropriate remarks when discussing politics in the court. So Qian Shu was fined with a salary of three months as a warning to others. What do Chen Hou and Duke Cheng Guo think?"
It can be seen that the emperor did not want to make the matter too big, so he did not admit Chen Mao's accusation of criticizing the court officials, but only vaguely said that Qian Shu's words were inappropriate.
After the words fell, before Chen Mao could react, Zhu Yi took the lead and stepped forward and said.
"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"
For Zhu Yi, although Chen Mao's move was to help him, what was more important at the moment was the matter of opening the sea. He did not want to be entangled with a small person like Qian Shu.
What's more, although he had communicated with Chen Mao about opening the sea before when he was in contact with other nobles, the attitude of the old marquis at that time was tepid, but now he suddenly stood up.
After coming out, Zhu Yi naturally had doubts in his heart, so naturally he wanted to calm them down as soon as possible.
Zhu Yi, the rightful owner, didn't care anymore, so Chen Mao naturally couldn't keep pestering him any more. He also raised his hand and said "Your Majesty's Holy Wisdom" before retreating.
However, when he made such a fuss, the atmosphere in the palace became a little tense, and the civil servants looked at Zhu Yi a little more cautiously.
After all, Zhu Yi is still too young. Although he has the title of Duke, he will still be subconsciously looked down upon in this court.
Now that Chen Mao is making such a fuss, many ministers have realized that Zhu Yi is not just Zhu Yi, there may be many nobles standing behind him.
Because of this, some of them have indeed begun to reconsider their position on the matter of opening up the sea...