Chapter 107

"Your Majesty!"

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

"Three ministers, please rise."

"Chengen, bring seats."

Zhu Youjian waved his hand.

Three young eunuchs brought three round stools.

After Sun Chuanting and the others sat down, they did not delay a moment.

"Your Majesty, the troops in Liaodong are now strong and well-equipped; I have drafted a plan to reclaim Dalinghe before spring, then seize Liaoyang and invade Liaodong by land and water before mid-next year."

"This is the detailed deployment agreed upon by the Ministry of War; please Your Majesty review it."

Saying this, Sun Chuanting raised the memorial in his hand.

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

Just as Sun Chuanting was about to speak again,

Zhu Youjian, seated before them, directly threw the memorial into the charcoal brazier nearby.

With a flash of flame,

the deployment that the Ministry of War had debated for countless nights and days turned to ash in an instant.

Only Sun Chuanting stood frozen, staring helplessly at Zhu Youjian and asking,

"Your Majesty, this, this…"

Zhu Yuanzhang slowly raised his head and looked at the three ministers with a blank expression, saying,

"Minister Sun, I am well aware that the affairs of Great Ming are dire, the people's livelihoods are impoverished, and now is not yet the best time to recover Liaodong."

At these words,

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

Last year, rats ran through the imperial treasury—yes, the state's affairs were dire.

This year, granaries across the land are full to bursting.

Li Zicheng's troops are nearly all gone.

How can it still be said that state affairs are dire?

Zhu Youjian slowly raised his head and looked at the three men with deep meaning, saying,

"My ministers, although Great Ming's fortunes have slightly improved, you must still remain vigilant and avoid arrogance."

"Our grain reserves are still critically short."

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

"If this war leaves our people without enough to eat, will we not fall once more into Hong Taiji's trap?"

Among the three, only Du Yinxi slowly raised his head, staring at Zhu Youjian in shock and asking,

"Your Majesty's meaning is…?"

Zhu Youjian slumped back in his reclining chair, gazing up at the high ceiling and murmuring,

"If the Central Plains lack grain, the court must spare no effort to find it!"

"I intend to open the seas!"

The moment he spoke, the three men instantly changed color.

Du Yinxi even stood up right where he sat.

Several years ago, Du Yinxi had submitted a memorial urging the court to open the seas and seek grain overseas.

The memorial had not even been released from the Grand Secretariat—let alone sparked debate in court.

The matter of the lost memorial was eventually dropped without resolution.

Clearly, the sea ban touched the interests of countless officials in court!

Zhu Youjian raising this issue now spoke volumes.

Du Yinxi, deeply stirred, looked at Zhu Youjian and declared loudly,

"Your Majesty, I humbly request to be the first to submit a memorial tomorrow urging the opening of the seas!"

Zhu Youjian rose abruptly, eyes gleaming, and cried out, "Good!"

"Moreover, the land survey system instituted since the Wanli era has begun to decay…"

Du Yinxi said excitedly,

"Your Majesty, now is the perfect moment to re-survey the empire's landholdings!"

Zhu Youjian's gaze grew even more solemn.

He fixed his eyes on Hong Chengchou and gave a slight nod.

"Good—I did not choose wrongly."

"Tomorrow, during morning court, Minister Du shall present your memorial before all officials."

"I receive your command!"

Zhu Youjian gave a slight nod, then rose and walked toward another hall.

As Zhu Youjian rose and departed, Du Yinxi's face still glowed with excitement.

But Du Yinxi did not notice that,

beside him, Hong Chengchou had turned ashen-faced, his official robes soaked in sweat despite the bitter cold.

Only when Wang Chengen stepped forward to assist him did Hong Chengchou finally snap back to awareness.

As they left the palace,

Sun Chuanting quietly walked up beside Hong Chengchou and whispered softly,

"Hengjiu, the court has changed, and the one in the palace has changed too. If you continue to stay on that boat, you will truly drown with them."

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

A thousand words and ten thousand sentiments ultimately became just 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 march over in such a mighty force and flatten Liaodong.

The few families in the southeast might still have room to maneuver.

Now that Zheng Sen has already led the Fujian Navy north, the entire Min Sea is left with only Zheng Zhilong as a lone commander.

Judging by Zhu Youjian's meaning.

It seems they will not even wait for the war in Liaodong to begin before striking at this navy first.

As long as one knows these things, even a fool knows that the few broken ships in the southeast are about to sink.

But can Hong Hong Chengchou truly choose?

He is originally from Quanzhou!

What kind of place is Quanzhou?

A place where maritime merchants gather, adjacent to Yue Port.

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

Seeing the hesitant and indecisive Hong Hong Chengchou, Sun Chuanting also appeared as if he wanted to speak but held back.

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

……

……

At the time of the Cirichao Society the next day.

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

Before the ministers could even react.

Du Du Yinxi, who had just been appointed Minister of Revenue, immediately held his court tablet, strode out confidently from among the hundred officials, and spoke loudly with righteous words:

"I humbly report to Your Majesty; I, Du Du Yinxi, have a memorial to present!"

Zhu Youjian's body trembled.

Immediately, he spoke with a face full of gratification, saying, "Present it!"

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

Du Du Yinxi raised his voice and said:

"This year, the Ministry of Revenue has received over one hundred and fifty disaster reports from various Junxian across the realm; in the Central Plains, nearly two hundred prefectures have had zero harvest..."

Having spoken thus, Du Du Yinxi shifted his tone and, unable to help himself, raised his voice to speak loudly: