Chapter 100

"We pay our respects to Your Majesty!"

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian set down the memorial in his hand, rose with a smile, and said,

"My three beloved ministers, please rise."

"Wang Wang Chengen, grant them seats."

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian waved his hand.

Three young eunuchs promptly brought over three round stools.

After Sun Sun Chuanting and the others took their seats, they did not delay for a moment.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, now that our troops in Liaodong are strong and our horses plentiful, I have drafted a plan to recover Dalinghe before the start of spring, and then, by the middle of next year, to launch a coordinated land and water assault to retake Liaoyang and invade Liaodong."

"This is the specific deployment deliberated by the Ministry of War; we beg Your Majesty to review it."

Having spoken, Sun Sun Chuanting raised the memorial in his hand.

Wang Wang Wang Chengen stepped forward, took the memorial, and presented it into Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian's hands.

Just as Sun Sun Chuanting was about to speak again,

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian, seated before the three men, directly tossed the memorial into the charcoal brazier not far away.

Accompanied by a flash of firelight,

the deployment, which the entire Ministry of War had deliberated over for countless days and nights, turned to ash in an instant.

Only Sun Sun Chuanting remained stunned in place, looking at Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian in bewilderment as he asked,

"Your Majesty, this, this..."

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian slowly raised his head and, looking at Sun Sun Chuanting and the other two with an expressionless face, said,

"Grand Secretary Sun, We are deeply aware that the affairs of Our Great Ming are arduous and the livelihood of the people across the realm is withered; the present moment is not yet the best time to restore Liaodong."

At these words,

Sun Sun Chuanting, Hong Hong Chengchou, and Du Du Yinxin all instantly froze in place.

Last year, rats were running through the national treasury, so the arduous state of affairs was indeed true.

This year, the granaries in every region are filled to the brim with grain.

The soldiers under Li Huang Zicheng have nearly all fled.

How can the state of affairs still be called arduous?

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian slowly raised his head, looking at the three men before him with profound meaning as he said,

"Beloved ministers, although the momentum of Our Great Ming has slightly turned, you must all remain vigilant against pride and impetuosity."

"The Great Ming is still critically short of provisions."

"If all the grain is sent to Liaodong, what will the people of Our Great Ming eat?"

"If, because of this campaign, the people of Our Great Ming go hungry, would that not be falling precisely into Huang Taiji's trap?"

Among the three, only Du Du Yinxin slowly raised his head, looking at Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian with some shock as he asked,

"Does Your Majesty mean...?"

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian, sprawled in his reclining chair and gazing up at the high beams above, clicked his tongue and said,

"With no grain in the Central Plains, the court naturally must seek grain at any cost!"

"We intend to open the seas!"

The moment these words fell, the faces of the three men present changed instantly.

Du Du Yinxin even stood up directly from his spot.

Several years ago, Du Du Yinxin had already submitted a memorial to the court proposing to open the seas and venture overseas to find grain.

Once that memorial entered the court, far from sparking heated debate in the assembly,

it never even emerged from the Grand Secretariat; the matter of the lost memorial was ultimately dropped without resolution.

This shows just how many people's interests in the court were entangled with the ban on maritime trade!

And what Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian meant by raising this issue now was self-evident.

Du Du Yinxin, looking at Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian with excitement, declared loudly,

"Reporting to Your Majesty, tomorrow I am willing to take the lead in advising on the matter of opening the seas!"

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian rose himself, his eyes shining with brilliance as he shouted a loud "Good!"

"In addition to this, the method of surveying farmland established during the Wanli era has shown signs of neglect..."

Du Du Yinxin said excitedly,

"Your Majesty, the present moment is a splendid opportunity to once again survey the farmland of the entire realm!"

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian's gaze grew increasingly grave.

Staring intently at Hong Hong Chengchou, he nodded slightly and said,

"Good, We have not chosen the wrong people!"

"At tomorrow's morning court, Minister Du shall present your memorial before the hundred officials."

"I receive the decree!"

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian nodded slightly, then finally rose and walked toward another hall.

As Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian rose and departed, excitement still overflowed on Du Du Yinxin's face.

What Du Du Yinxin failed to notice, however, was that

Hong Hong Chengchou, seated beside him, was already terrified, his face pale as gold paper; despite the deep cold of the ninth month, cold sweat had already soaked his official robes.

It was not until Wang Wang Wang Chengen stepped forward to support him that Hong Hong Chengchou finally came to his senses.

As they were leaving the palace,

Sun Sun Chuanting quietly walked over to Hong Hong Chengchou's side and whispered softly,

"Hengjiu, the court has changed, and the one in the palace has changed as well. If you continue staying on that ship, you will truly drown along with them."

Hearing Sun Sun Chuanting's words, Hong Hong Chengchou finally came to his senses and offered Sun Sun Chuanting a bitter smile.

A thousand words ultimately condensed into nothing more than a sigh from Hong Hong Chengchou.

How could Hong Hong Chengchou fail to see the hidden killing intent within this?!

If the court's troops were to march forth in such great numbers and flatten Liaodong.

Perhaps those few families in the southeast would still have some room to maneuver.

But now Zheng Sen has already led the Fujian Navy north; in the entire Min Sea, only Zheng Zheng Zheng Zheng Zhilong remains as a commander without soldiers.

Judging by Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian's intention.

It is likely that before the battle in Liaodong even begins, he will first make his move against this navy.

As long as one knows this, even a fool would realize that those few broken ships in the southeast are destined to sink.

But could he, Hong Hong Chengchou, truly choose?

He was originally from Quanzhou!

What kind of place is Quanzhou?

It is a gathering place for maritime merchants, adjacent to Yue Port.

Regardless of whether they are legal or illegal maritime merchants of the Great Ming, their main base is Quanzhou!

Seeing Hong Hong Chengchou hesitating and undecided, Sun Sun Chuanting likewise appeared as though he wished to speak but held back.

After letting out a long sigh, Sun Sun Chuanting immediately boarded his carriage.

……

……

The next day, during the morning court assembly.

After the ministers completed their rites, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian sat upright upon the dragon throne.

Before the ministers could even react.

Du Du Yinxin, who had just assumed office as Minister of Revenue, immediately stepped out from the ranks of officials with his court tablet in hand, strode forward with great purpose, and declared righteously in a loud voice:

"I submit a memorial to Your Majesty; I, Du Du Yinxin, have a matter to report!"

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian's body trembled slightly.

He immediately said with a face full of gratification, "Present it!"

Under the gaze of the hundred officials who had just entered the court.

Du Du Yinxin proclaimed loudly:

"This year, the Ministry of Revenue has received reports of disasters from over one hundred and fifty commanderies and counties across the realm; in the Central Plains alone, nearly two hundred prefectures have suffered total crop failure..."

Speaking to this point, Du Du Yinxin suddenly shifted his tone and involuntarily raised his voice to proclaim loudly: