Chapter 627: Colonizing Outside the Territory [Epilogue 3]

Inside the Forbidden City.

From the Huiji Gate, the sonorous and powerful voice of the young prime minister of the empire began to echo.

"Wherever the Ming dragon flag points, wherever the star ship reaches, it is the king's land!"

"Everywhere the sun and the moon shine, there is great brightness!"

"As long as the sun rises and sets, the Ming Dynasty will last forever!"

This was the first time that a person of high enough status in the Ming Dynasty publicly called for the establishment of an empire on which the sun never sets.

Compared with the belief of the people in the Central Plains in the past, that all under heaven belongs to the king and all within the four seas are the king's subjects.

To be more specific.

In the past, the Han people believed that the world belonged to the king and everyone in the four seas was the king's subject, but this was limited.

It is the place where the Han Dynasty's morality is practiced and its foundation.

It is broad, vague, and of a conscious nature.

And now, Yan Shaoting has further broadened and defined the scope of his meaning on this basis.

Not only the places ruled by the Han Dynasty, but also the places where the sun and the moon in the sky can shine are all the Ming Dynasty.

All because of the empire.

Then.

On this theoretical basis, the eastern country of Wa is also a Ming country under the Han Dynasty. The islands in the South Seas are all vassal states of the Han Dynasty. The country of Zoer in the far west should be governed by the king.

The slogan is loud and inspiring.

however.

It's just a moment of excitement.

A man with a sarcastic look on his face walked out from the crowd of ministers and nobles who were crowded in front of Huiji Gate.

The man was nearly fifty years old, wearing the robes of an earl bestowed by the imperial court. He had a graceful face and exuded a blessed aura.

He was the biological father of the late Emperor’s Empress Xiaoyi Li, Li Ming, who was promoted to the title of Earl of Deping in February of the first year of the Longqing reign.

However, this relative of the noble De Pingbo Li Ming walked out, but he did not walk far. He leaned against the meritorious officials around him who were serving in the Beijing camp or whose children were serving in the Beijing camp, perhaps wanting to borrow courage.

Li Ming looked at Yan Shaoting.

There were shouts of "de de de dao", all in the Gyeonggi accent.

"Let's see what's going on."

"It turns out that Master Yan wanted to make a fuss about us."

"Isn't it a bit too loud to say that the whole world as illuminated by the sun and the moon belongs to Han?"

"If the Prime Minister really has this ambition, he might as well pay our salaries first."

"The court has been clamoring for reforms over the years, reforming here and there."

"How?"

"When it comes to our turn as nobles and ministers, we are not allowed to work in the court, and we can't even get our rice and wheat salaries?"

Followed by.

Then another person came out.

He was also a relative of the nobility, and that was the Earl of Gu'an Chen Jingxing.

This person is different from Deping Earl Li Ming.

Empress Li, Xiaoyi of Emperor Muzong, died on April 13, the 37th year of the Jiajing reign. Her son Zhu Yihuan also died young in the 38th year of the Jiajing reign. Her other daughter, Princess Penglai, also died young in the 36th year of the Jiajing reign.

This lineage has lost the support of the palace and relies entirely on the respect of the late emperor.

But it was different on the side of Gu'an Earl Chen Jingxing.

There are two empress dowagers in the palace now.

One is naturally the mother of the young emperor Zhu Yijun, the Empress Dowager, who was originally the Imperial Noble Consort Li of the Longqing Dynasty. The other is the Empress of the Longqing Dynasty, and now his mother, Empress Xiao'an Chen.

If you really compare them.

Naturally, the current Empress Dowager Chen has a higher status than Empress Dowager Li.

Chen Jingxing stood up, and even Yan Shaoting's eyes twitched.

It was expected that these nobles would cause trouble, but it would not look good if they were too closely related to the palace.

However, after Chen Jingxing stood up, he bowed respectfully, forcing Yan Shaoting, Zhang Juzheng and others to return the greeting.

The reply was to Empress Dowager Chen and the tribute was to the royal family.

Chen Jingxing spoke calmly again: "The court is reforming, rectifying the capital camp, preparing troops in the capital, and pointing the sword at the outside world. This is of course a great thing. If our dynasty can really do as the central government said, and one day all the lands illuminated by the sun and the moon belong to the Han Dynasty, then Your Majesty can be called a saint and the elders can be crowned as kings and promoted to nobles, and they can be honored in the imperial temple after their death!"

This statement is a bit too high.

There are many civil officials in the Ming Dynasty who can be promoted to titles, but there is not a single one who can be made a king. Even if there are, they are the people who fought with Emperor Taizu Gao to establish the country and fought with Emperor Chengzu to quell the rebellion in the early days of the country.

As for being allowed to be worshipped in the Taimiao, until today it is limited to meritorious officials during the reigns of Taizu and Chengzu.

However, after Chen Jingxing started talking, he immediately changed the subject and said, "The prosperity of the country is what we all hope for. However, we are, after all, nobles with meritorious service. It is not reasonable, and we should not interfere in the national policy of the central government. But whether you want to reorganize the Beijing camp, dismiss meritorious officials and generals, or even recover the empty salaries that some people have embezzled in the past, this is within the national law. You are the ministers of the cabinet, and we cannot say anything. But..."

This Earl of Gu'an frowned and narrowed his eyes slightly.

His eyes swept across the faces of Yan Shaoting, Zhang Juzheng, Zhao Zhenji and Gao Yi one by one.

"But if the central government, under the pretext of governing the country, stirs up the nobles and their families because of something that is under the sun and moon when the king is still young, and the people are in a panic, the public opinion is boiling, I am afraid that this will also chill the hearts of these nobles whose ancestors shed blood and sacrificed their lives for the Ming Dynasty. I am afraid that outsiders will also think that the emperor is unkind, pure-hearted, and has no intention of loving his relatives."

Say it.

The nobleman, Earl Gu'an, did not forget to raise his arms and cross his hands to bow: "You are all well-read in the classics, so your words are naturally more pleasant than those of us who are illiterate, and are countless times better. But it is easy to say something, but it is probably difficult to live up to the expectations of the sun and the moon. Innovation is good, but we should also be down-to-earth, just like..."

Chen Jingxing looked at Yan Shaoting with a smile on his face.

"Whether it is the Xinxue of the past or the new learning that is now popular among the people, they all seem to be saying that we should integrate knowledge and action, put the people first, do things down to earth, and test everything with practice."

Let me stop here.

The Earl of Gu'an stopped abruptly and retreated back into the crowd.

However, this caused Li Ming, the first person to jump out, to widen his eyes and open his mouth slightly.

What did this Mr. Chen say?

It seems that what you said is a little extraordinary!
There was a brief silence in front of Huiji Gate.

Indeed, what Depingbo Li Ming said is a bunch of bullshit.

But Gu'an Earl Chen Jingxing was talking about a cluster of flowers.

To sum it up, it can be summed up in one sentence.

No matter how beautifully you, Yan Shaoting, and the Central Cabinet speak, "Everywhere the sun and the moon shine is Han territory" is nothing but an empty slogan.

The tone is too high.

When you fall, it naturally hurts more.

After a moment.

Those nobles and officials who were regarded as uneducated by Chen Jingxing finally reacted and began to shout one after another, all of them echoing the words of the former.

For a while.

Instead, the momentum in front of Huiji Gate changed, and the meritorious officials and nobles overwhelmed the central cabinet headed by Yan Shaoting.

The officials who had rushed in from outside the palace to watch the excitement were also watching the situation in amazement, waiting to see how the cabinet would handle the situation.

Ding dong dong.

There was a crisp sound.

Everyone saw Yan Shaoting finally throw the knife in his hand to the ground. But people thought that this was the time for Yan Shaoting, the young prime minister of the empire, to finally bow his head and surrender.

But then I saw a strange smile on Yan Shaoting's face.

"Gu'an Bo is truly righteous. What he said today can be regarded as words that support the country and the government."

Yan Shaoting also lifted the other person up, just like Gu'an Earl Chen Jingxing did when he first spoke.

Just immediately.

His face turned cold, and he glanced at the group of nobles and officials in front of him who were dependent on the Ming Dynasty, and then lowered his eyes to look at the books that had been scattered on the ground long ago.

"This has been my policy since I came to the court."

"When King Sejong was alive, I also shouted many inspiring slogans."

"Today, I mentioned that all the lands illuminated by the sun and the moon are Han territory, but the tone is very high, as if it is in the clouds, which is a bit unrealistic."

"but……"

One but two words.

There was murderous intent in Yan Shaoting's eyes, and his words were icy cold.

"But if we really want to be realistic, the pile of books on the ground do record a lot of real and authentic stupid behavior that you have done over the years."

Say it.

Yan Shaoting looked straight at Gu'an Earl Chen Jingxing: "Since we are not going to talk about high-profile things anymore, why not discuss these things that are intolerable under the national law. It just so happens that today is in front of Huiji Gate, in the Forbidden City of the Heavenly Family. The Emperor and the two Empress Dowagers are also in front of us. I might as well invite the Emperor and the two Empress Dowagers here, and in front of all the meritorious officials, relatives, and officials of the previous dynasty, I can read through it carefully, one by one, what is written on it?"

This is the end.

Yan Shaoting raised his foot and kicked the account book closest to him, and it landed directly among the nobles in front of him.

It turned out to be the illegal accounts involving meritorious officials and nobles.

Then Depingbo Li Ming saw the account book that was kicked at his feet and was about to bend down to pick it up.

Just at this moment, Yan Shaoting shouted coldly.

"Depingbo!"

"Some things don't have their weight measured on a scale..."

"I can't even weigh a thousand pounds!"

"You...really want to see it?!"

When these words came out, Li Ming, who had already bent over, was shocked and hesitated in his movements. He bent over and stuck out his butt, looking up at Yan Shaoting with a cold expression.

The latter spoke again in front of everyone.

"Most things in the world are intertwined, but this is where nostalgia goes wrong. When you pull out a carrot, you often get mud."

"As an official or a person, even if you think about yourself 70%, you should also think about the court 20%, and think about others with the remaining 10%.

A smile appeared on Yan Shaoting's face as he looked at the meritorious officials and nobles who had shared the same destiny with the country.

"Everyone, have you really thought it through? Don't think about anything else, just pull out these muddy radishes?"

The words fell.

The scene in front of Huiji Gate became quiet again.

A nobleman who fell behind Deping Earl Li Ming immediately reached out and pulled him up, with a rather grim look on his face.

Look at these meritorious officials and nobles, who are so respectful at first and then so deferential.

Yan Shaoting smiled coldly.

“Those who cannot plan for eternity cannot plan for the present, and those who cannot plan for the whole cannot plan for a small part.”

"This official and the Central Government are now reorganizing the Beijing camp to prepare troops and horses. We are heading north to sweep the grasslands and to go out to sea to suppress the various gangs."

"Planning for the present is for the future, this is the truth. I will allow you to plan for your own benefit, and I understand your gains and losses."

After finishing speaking.

He sighed again.

Then he took a step back, raised his head slightly, and tried his best to look at everyone in front of the gate, regardless of whether they were civil or military officials.

"The cabinet has ordered the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Revenue to rebuild the Treasure Shipyard and build warships of 1,000, 2,000 or even 5,000 tons!"

"There is no need to discuss the real and fake Japanese threats along the coast of the five southeastern provinces. This official and the cabinet are willing to recruit people from Fujian and Zhejiang who are familiar with the sea routes as the leaders, and are more willing to allow officials and civilians to carry the sea trade flag, hang it on the bow of the ship, and be protected by the navy. You... my great Ming Dynasty's meritorious officials and nobles who share the same fate with the country! This official can also tolerate a few pounds of sand. The central government has asked the emperor to issue the Ming Dynasty's trade flag, and only the meritorious officials and nobles can use it to go out to sea for trade. All goods shipped to the South Sea and arriving in the West will be exempted from tariffs for five years. If you want to gain benefits, you must give up some benefits first. There is no reason to have your cake and eat it too."

He could kill all the gentry in Jiangnan.

But you cannot kill all the Ming Dynasty’s meritorious officials and nobles in the Forbidden City.

Things that promise benefits must be done.

really.

As Yan Shaoting said this and revealed the matter of the Ming Dynasty's trade flag, many of the nobles and officials present at the scene relaxed their expressions.

Then Yan Shaoting said, "The central government has recently been preparing to conduct an inventory of local populations in order to obtain a detailed number, rather than the number of households and people that has remained unchanged for more than 200 years in the Ming Dynasty. This official and the central cabinet feel that there is probably something fishy going on here, and the population must have increased dramatically."

"Since the imperial court is reforming, some things will naturally need to be changed, such as the household registration system."

"We must allow the people of the world to bring their families to the South Seas and even further, just like our ancestors did during the time of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, to colonize the land. I also know that the families of our nobles, civil and military officials are all large families, with many branches and many people."

"If you are interested, you can go to sea. The court prohibits annexation within the country, but it does not prohibit overseas land expansion. The court will dispatch soldiers to build settlements and cities in Old Port, Java, Malacca, Calicut, Hormuz, etc., to serve as ports for our official ships, warships, and civilian ships to pass through. Anyone who expands land in the place where our royal flag is raised can be protected by soldiers and will not be taxed for ten years. After the expiration of the period, the profit will be 50% of the new tax in the country forever."

In the plan.

Yan Shaoting had no intention of bringing back overseas land tax revenue, as long as he could ensure the supply of food and military supplies for the navy.

It was also impossible for the imperial court to serve as the main force in transporting overseas resources back to the country.

This main force still has to rely on people going out to sea.

No matter who is doing this, in the final analysis it is the Ming Dynasty that is collecting overseas resources.

What the court should do is not the business of business, but to understand the people's sentiments, make decisions, formulate major policies, and balance yin and yang.

And as soon as he said these words.

But it instantly ignited the crowd in front of Huiji Gate.

This was the first time that the imperial court publicly stated that it would support the court's meritorious officials, relatives of the nobles, and civil and military officials in going to sea.

of course.

Even if the imperial court did not support them, they were unscrupulous in the country in the past, ignoring the law and doing things that were not allowed by the national law, such as annexing land and merchants' goods.

But it's different now.

This is a matter of central support.

According to Yan Shaoting, the Ming army will have to go out and be stationed in the coastal areas of Southeast Asia.

In this way, the ships they take out to sea will have long-term protection.

And if the Ming army could be stationed in Nanyang at that time, and cities and ports could be built.

What about the more distant Black Ocean countries and Western countries?

Overseas land tax will not be levied within ten years, and after ten years it will only be levied at half the domestic land tax rate.

It is obvious that this is only for supplying food and fodder to overseas troops.

Yan Shaoting also spoke these words in plain language.

Nature is easy to understand.

Deping Earl Zhang Ming, who almost picked up the account book but was fortunately pulled up by someone, had a look of uncertainty in his eyes.

"really?"

…………

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(End of this chapter)