Chapter 119: Isn't This Also a Kind of

Near the New Year, Zhu Yijun received the obituary of Yang Bo.

Yang Bo ultimately failed to survive the winter of the second year of Wanli. In the tenth month, Yang Bo was already somewhat confused, but he had been holding on until the victory report from Liaodong was delivered to the capital. Before Yang Bo died, he had a moment of clarity. Hearing that the Liaodong army had gone out of the pass and won a great victory, he laughed and died.

In the end, Yang Bo did not completely turn into a villain, and he also saw the Great Ming go out of the pass and win again.

Whether Yang Bo was a gentleman or a villain is an academic question of the "Contradiction Theory," not the court's evaluation of Yang Bo. The Emperor issued an edict for an official burial, posthumously awarded him the title of Grand Preceptor, and gave him the posthumous name "Xiangyi." Only then did the Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng write his epitaph, which was the court's affirmation of Yang Bo.

Another spring has arrived. Zhu Yijun met several local officials who returned to the capital to report on their duties at the Huangji Gate, and then met dozens of commoners, completing the ancestral rites.

In the third year of Wanli, Zhu Yijun did not send Great Ming nobles to sacrifice at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, but went to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to sacrifice himself.

Since the Jiajing Emperor raised Ming Taizong Zhu Di to Ming Chengzu and put his own father into the Imperial Ancestral Temple, the Great Ming Emperor had never personally gone to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to sacrifice.

There is a folk story that after the Jiajing Emperor won a great victory in the Great Rites, when he went to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to sacrifice, the ancestors manifested, blowing over the incense and the offering table, flying sand and rocks. On the seventh day of the first month, thunder rolled, scaring the Jiajing Emperor. Since then, the Jiajing Emperor sent Dingxiang Wang Zhu Xizhong to sacrifice on his behalf.

This kind of statement cannot stand, because the Jiajing Emperor only began to send Zhu Xizhong to sacrifice on his behalf after moving to the West Garden in the twenty-first year of Jiajing, not after winning the Great Rites.

After the Jiajing old Daoist was assassinated in the Renyin Palace Incident, his character of striving for progress and inheriting the past and opening the future, as well as the fresh atmosphere of the Great Ming in the Jiajing New Deal, dissipated.

What exactly happened that year is no longer verifiable. It is only known that since then, the Jiajing New Deal, like the moon in the water and the flower in the mirror, has become a stubborn stone in the long river of history, left to be washed away by time.

On the seventh day of the first month of the third year of Wanli, Zhu Yijun came to the Great Ming's Imperial Ancestral Temple. Under the witness of the Great Ming civil and military officials, he wore the twelve-chapter sacrificial robe and the twelve-tassel crown, walking into the Imperial Ancestral Temple step by step.

The reason Zhu Yijun wanted to sacrifice at the Imperial Ancestral Temple himself was mainly because Dingxiang Wang Zhu Xizhong had passed away. Other sacrifices could be performed by officials on his behalf, but Zhu Xizhong, who held the festival crown for the Emperor, had passed away, so he could only come himself.

"Last year I didn't perform the ancestral sacrifice, because in the first year of Wanli, besides suppressing the Duzhang barbarians, there was no achievement. Coming to the Imperial Ancestral Temple, there was nothing to explain to the ancestors."

"This year there are a few things that can be reported to the ancestors. The Great Ming's vitality has recovered a bit. This is the most worthy thing to say in front of the ancestors."

"The Great Ming fought two victories."

"One is that Yin Zhengmao, with Zhang Yuanxun, Deng Zilong, Liang Shouyu, and others, expelled the red-haired barbarians from Luzon and forcibly occupied the main island of Luzon. Although the red-haired barbarians still have residual military troops on the hundred-thousand islands, the red-haired barbarians' projection ability in the deep ocean is insufficient. If Yin Zhengmao manages it well, it will not fall into the hands of the red-haired barbarians again."

"The Master is always worried that Yin Zhengmao will have the fear of a vassal town. I think if Yin Zhengmao wants to be king in Luzon, let him be. It's better than falling into the hands of the red-haired barbarians. If the red-haired barbarians occupy Luzon, they will certainly use Luzon as a base to harass our Great Ming's sea borders."

"If Yin Zhengmao and the red-haired barbarians collude to harass the sea borders, the Great Ming will not be afraid of them. General Yu is revitalizing the navy in Songjiang Prefecture."

"The second is that Li Chengliang fought outside the pass in the north and pacified Gule Village. Some imperial censors said that for a town, it still needs the right time, place, and people, and it is not worth congratulating, let alone rewarding. But this battle outside the pass is the first time since the Martial Temple. It has its significance. The border military affairs are rotten and shocking. The practices of Wang Nian, Yang Zhao, Zhao Wanze, and others are abandoned by both humans and gods."

"In the court, Hou Yuzhao submitted a memorial saying that the Grand Secretary and court officials were isolating the inside from the outside. The Grand Secretary asked for the regular court of the Huangji Hall, and it was opened. The effect was not bad. These imperial censors chattered endlessly, but couldn't talk me down. I reprimanded them, and the clear atmosphere in the court gradually opened up. It is very difficult for imperial censors to form a joint force. The Master has no intention of usurping, and is willing to let me see all the ministers. Judging from the current situation, what he did, I think he can be called a good prime minister."

"Under the stick of the Examination Law, promotions and dismissals are all based on examination. The malpractice of collusion among officials is gradually turning into assessment by affairs. The malpractice of collusion is gone, and the malpractice of bribery is cleared. The Great Ming's governance finally has some signs of improvement. Of course, some imperial censors said this was seizing the power of the Six Ministries and centralizing it in the Cabinet. The Master became a substantial prime minister. Even the Master's student Fu Yingzhen said so, but there is no better way for now, right?"

"Last year, the Southern Yamen began to return land. 60,000 'qing' have now been returned by more than 20,000 'qing', and it is still accelerating. Only after the political system is solemn can the land return be slowly spread. Last year, the national treasury had 5.32 million shi of grain and 580,000 silver left. When the Great Minister of Revenue settled the accounts at the end of the year, the court officials were really shocked. The court officials have always expressed that wealth should not be revealed, so it is temporarily not announced, to prevent thieves from thinking about it. It counts as having some savings."

"The Yingtian Viceroy Song Yangshan, Zhejiang Viceroy Xie Pengju, Jiangxi Viceroy Pan Jixun, Fujian Viceroy Pang Shangpeng, and Liangguang Viceroy Ling Yunyi, together with the Ministry of Revenue, submitted a memorial saying: The land measurement regulations, clarifying the land of the nobles and powerful in the two capitals, Shandong, Shaanxi, Yingtian, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, and Liangguang, clearing the excess, omissions, and tricks. It can obtain 800,000 'qing' of official and civilian land."

"The viceroys and the Ministry of Revenue calculated together, and initially estimated that 800,000 'qing' of land could be cleared, and ordered to return the land. If the powerful held the land and could let the people farm well, that would be fine. But more than half of the land was abandoned, weeds were overgrown, and the people didn't dare to farm. Once the people went, demons and monsters would swarm in, and the people couldn't bear the burden, preferring to be slaves rather than farm."

"800,000 'qing', 80 million mu of land. According to the calculation of fifty mu of land supporting one household in the Hongwu reign, this is one hundred..."

"This year, all the 'Four Books Direct Explanation' annotated by the Master will be engraved and published to the world, set as the official version, and ordered to be reprinted according to the style. In this way, all scholars in the world can be considered my fellow students. The imperial censors opposed this, but the power of interpretation of knowledge must be mastered by the court."

"That's about it, nothing more."

Zhu Yijun finished reading his sacrificial text. Of course, his sacrificial text was written in classical Chinese, but when he read it, he didn't read it in classical Chinese. The Hongwu Emperor liked to use vernacular to issue imperial edicts. In the Great Ming Imperial Ancestral Temple, the Great Ancestor Gao Emperor was the leader, so naturally, he followed the leader's meaning.

He threw the sacrificial text in his hand into the fire basin and burned it for the ancestors. This was his work report for this year.

After the sacrifice at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, Zhu Yijun came to the Wenhua Hall and started the daily court discussion. On the seventh day of the first month, he had to start work again. The Great Ming government offices started work on the fifth day.

The Minister of Rites, Wan Shihe, flicked his sleeves and bowed his head: "Confucius says: 'Regarding the Di sacrifice, from the pouring of the libation onwards, I do not wish to watch it.' It is not strange since ancient times that rites, music, and conquest come from the princes. Your Majesty personally feasts at the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Your servant congratulates Your Majesty, and congratulates the Great Ming. Your servant... bows and weeps."

Wan Shihe was extremely excited. He had always thought that it would be the Duke of England Zhang Rong who would sacrifice on behalf of the Emperor, but now he finally welcomed the Emperor's personal feast, which was a big event for the Ministry of Rites.

Zhu Yijun had already finished reading the Analects, so naturally, he knew what Wan Shihe was saying. Di is a name for a sacrifice, which is the Son of Heaven sacrificing to his first ancestor, and also pushing the emperor from whom the first ancestor originated, sacrificing at the Imperial Ancestral Temple. The Son of Heaven's personal feast is Di.

When Confucius said these words, the Duke of Lu usurped the great sacrifice of the Son of Heaven. Lu was originally a vassal, and usurping the Son of Heaven's great sacrifice was already a breach of etiquette. When the sacrifice was held, it was not sincere and respectful, which was a breach of etiquette within a breach of etiquette.

Before, the Duke of Cheng sacrificed on his behalf, and it was very sincere and respectful, so the Ministry of Rites didn't want to say anything. Now the Son of Heaven personally feasts, which can be considered a fulfillment of the Ministry of Rites' long-cherished wish.

Since the twenty-first year of Jiajing, the Ministry of Rites submitted a memorial every year and chattered about it. The Imperial Ancestral Temple has five sacrifices a year, not to mention other times. The Emperor should always go and see it in person during the New Year.

As a result, the Ministry of Rites chattered until the Jiajing Emperor was annoyed. At the beginning of the forty-fifth year of Jiajing, the old Daoist personally issued an edict to abolish the four sacrifices besides the New Year.

For so many years, the Minister of Rites reached Wan Shihe, and finally invited the Emperor to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to sacrifice, finally fulfilling the long-cherished wish.

In the first, second, and fifth years of Longqing, Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng repeatedly submitted memorials asking the Longqing Emperor to preside over the Imperial Ancestral Temple sacrifice, but it could not be done.

This is not to say that the Jiajing Emperor and the Longqing Emperor had no respect for the ancestors, but because there was a Fengxian Hall in the palace, which was considered the ancestral hall of the Zhu family.

Established in the third year of Hongwu, the Chengzu Wen Emperor Zhu Di continued the old system after moving the capital. The Great Ancestor thought that the four-season sacrifices of the Imperial Ancestral Temple were not enough to display the mourning of filial piety to relatives, so he built the Fengxian Hall inside the palace gate, with the Imperial Ancestral Temple symbolizing the outer court and the Fengxian Hall symbolizing the inner court.

The Jiajing Emperor and the Longqing Emperor often sacrificed to the ancestors in the Fengxian Hall in the palace. The Fengxian Hall sacrifice was to the ancestors of the Zhu family, not the emperors of the Great Ming dynasty. Therefore, the Ministry of Rites repeatedly requested, but it could not be done in the end.

The Jiajing Emperor and the Longqing Emperor had the same meaning: the Great Ming court officials were not treated as subjects, and they were too lazy to take this group of stinky fish and rotten shrimp to see the ancestors.

This year, the little Emperor was willing to personally feast at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, which could be considered an affirmation of the court officials in the third year of Wanli. They were not stinky fish and rotten shrimp.

The Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng, the Second Secretary Lu Diaoyang, the Great Tan Sima Tan Lun, the Great Minister of Revenue Wang Guoguang, the Great General Qi Jiguang, and the Chief Censor Hai Rui were all the backbone of the country, and they won a great victory this year.

Chief Censor Ge Shouli, Ministry of Justice Wang Zhi, Ministry of Rites Wan Shihe, Ministry of Personnel Zhang Han, and Ministry of Works Zhu Heng were also considered competent. Just like Wan Shihe, the last one, he still had a sense of shame. If he did wrong, he still wanted to change. Wasn't he ten thousand times stronger than that stubborn Lu Shusheng before?

Zhu Yijun waved his hand and said: "Court discussion."

Zhang Juzheng held a memorial and said with a surprised expression: "Minister Wan, what is this 'Long Hair Ceremony'? I have read quite a few books, how come I have never heard that our Great Ming still has this ritual? What is the Long Hair Ceremony?"

Zhang Juzheng expressed that he had never heard of it.

"Your Majesty is twelve, so you should grow long hair, so there must be this ritual." Wan Shihe explained what the Long Hair Ceremony was.

"Have you all heard of it?" Zhang Juzheng frowned, sensing that things were not simple, and asked all the court officials.

Everyone shook their heads. They

Zhang Juzheng took the memorial and began to calculate. He searched through all the national histories he had read in his mind, and only found one instance in the 27th year of Jiajing where there was a congratulatory text for the inner palace, which was the etiquette for the then-Crown Prince, and it was different from that of the Emperor.

"I don't understand." Zhang Juzheng gave up the search and said to Wan Shihe, "Minister Wan, is this an ancestral law?"

Wan Shihe said unhurriedly, "On the sixth day of the sixth month in the sixth year of Zhengtong, Emperor Yingzong was gradually growing up, so he announced his coming-of-age at the Fengxian Hall on this day, hence this ritual."

The gathered officials seemed to have been cast with a Great Silence spell; they didn't say a word. Who was bad to mention, but they had to mention the ancestral law of Emperor Yingzong of Ming.

Zhu Yijun really couldn't watch anymore and asked in astonishment, "Minister Wan, are you serious?"

Zhang Juzheng hadn't read the Veritable Records of Emperor Yingzong of Ming in detail. As the Grand Secretary, if he read the Veritable Records of Emperor Yingzong of Ming too much, wouldn't he be heading towards the usurpation of the divine vessel by the Three Yangs?

As a civil official, Wang Ji was good at killing great generals—that kind of rotten work, Zhang Juzheng, as the Grand Secretary, really couldn't pull it off. That wasn't a big job that a human could pull off either.

Zhang Juzheng said extremely tactfully, "Why don't we just not hold it? This ritual is originally a ritual of the palace, and the outer court yamen doesn't know about it. Minister Wan, look, the great rituals of the imperial court, none are more important than His Majesty's crowning ceremony and grand wedding. His Majesty has already performed the crowning ceremony in the Eastern Palace, and at that time, the Three Dukes held the crowning ceremony, and the assistant ministers accompanied them. The etiquette was extremely grand."

"Today's coming-of-age ritual is not as important as the crowning ceremony. Since a grander crowning ceremony has already been performed, this small ritual can be ignored. Can this coming-of-age ritual be omitted? Besides, there is no old ritual to rely on from the previous dynasty."

"Also, Minister Wan, the implication is not very good."

Zhang Juzheng had been as tactful as possible. There were two times in the past when the ruler was young and the country was suspicious. The first was during the Zhengtong period, and the second was during the Wanli period. Wan Shihe's performance was a typical case of "mentioning the pot that shouldn't be mentioned."

Bringing out the ancestral law of Emperor Yingzong, does it mean that the little Emperor will also be captured by the northern barbarians?

Wan Shihe was willing to study hard, but it seemed he had overdone it.

"I naturally know, but the Aoshan fireworks display is still suspended this year. Doesn't this make the Ministry of Rites look like it's holding a job without doing anything? Just find something to do." Wan Shihe certainly knew the implication was not good. His meaning was that there was no work, so he had to force some work out, otherwise, it would look like the Ministry of Rites was doing nothing all day.

In fact, the Ministry of Rites went around such a big circle and found a ritual that no one had heard of. In the end, they still wanted to hold a fireworks display to make it lively, happy, and get rid of the bad luck.

Wan Shihe continued, "Can we hold a small one? If there is no money, we can save a little. It's not like we have to hold a big one. The Ministry of Rites just wants to make it lively. Marquis Qian'an and Marquis Ningyuan have won two great victories against the Tuman and the Jianzhou Jurchens one after another. A little celebration can also highlight His Majesty's majesty and the national celebration."

Seeing that Wan Shihe had said this much, Wang Guoguang also pondered for a while and said, "How much?"

Wan Shihe hurriedly said, "Ten thousand taels of silver. No rewards, nothing else. In addition, allow the common people to participate. It can be considered a grand feat of sharing joy with the people. What do you say, Grand Minister of Finance?"

"That's not too much," Wang Guoguang thought for a while and said, "If it's only ten thousand taels of silver, it might not be impossible."

Not holding the fireworks display was because the expenses were too high. The Ministry of Rites said ten thousand taels of silver—the Ministry of Revenue still had this little money.

"Minister Wan's words are acceptable," Zhang Juzheng pondered for a while and still felt that it was better to hold a simple one, letting the common people participate, just as if it were a temple fair market.

Wang Zhigao thought for a while and said, "The Ministry of Justice has no concerns here. We will strive to ensure that there are no leaks or mistakes at the fireworks display, and it is appropriate to celebrate."

After Zhang Juzheng thought about it, he wrote the floating ticket and sent it to the imperial presence.

Zhu Yijun did not object either. What he opposed was a fireworks display that cost more than 100,000 taels at a time. If it only cost 10,000 taels of silver and everyone was happy, what was wrong with that?

"Minister Wan is incredible. Have you learned to be circuitous now?" He stamped the great seal, perceived the key, and said with great emotion.

Wan Shihe's progress was visible to the naked eye. Saying it was a coming-of-age ritual was just a circuitous way to bring up old matters again. The Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month was suspended every year.

Wan Shihe said he wanted to lift the roof, and everyone disagreed. Wan Shihe said he wanted to open the window, and everyone felt that it was not impossible.

If there is progress, of course, it should be praised.

"Your subject obeys the holy instruction and will not release the book from his hand," Wan Shihe hurriedly stood up and bowed his head.

"Alright then." Zhu Yijun approved the memorial for the small Aoshan fireworks display. The imperial court would provide 10,000 taels of silver to organize the fireworks show, throwing out a brick to attract jade, and then the common people could all participate. As for how long this fireworks display could last, it would depend on the participation of the common people. And after the fireworks display, there would be a three-day temple fair.

This can be considered as officially establishing this matter: hold it, but only hold it a little bit.

The Sichuan Circuit Censor Sun Dai impeached the Sichuan Regional Commander Guo Cheng, Liu Xian, and Liu Ting. When pacifying the Douzhang barbarians, they recruited 300 strong men and falsely claimed 900 taels of silver in military pay. But Sun Dai also said that there was military merit in pacifying the Douzhang barbarians, so it was better not to punish them. It was just such a matter, and the imperial court needed to know.

The result of the court discussion was not to pursue it. Who let them win? If they had lost, they would definitely not have passed the hurdle so easily.

As long as they can win, everything is easy to talk about.

The Douzhang barbarians had been making trouble since the pre-Qin period and were finally completely pacified, with no signs of recurrence. The matter was settled, so there was no need to be too harsh.

If Guo Cheng, Liu Xian, Liu Ting, and others had been defeated in pacifying the Douzhang barbarians, then the three of them would have suffered a great loss for those 900 taels of silver.

This is what Zhang Juzheng said about giving military generals a little authority to let them do things. Although 300 people are not many, 300 strong men are enough to influence the outcome of a battle.

Zhang Juzheng flipped out a memorial and said with a heavy face, "Liangguang... Viceroy of Luzon Yin Zhengmao reported, requesting the establishment of the Luzon Maritime Trade Office, and requesting the imperial court to dispatch a Vice Prefect of Maritime Defense from the Luzon Manila Pay Office to assist in the management of the Luzon Manila Pay Office's tax division. He said that Luzon is isolated overseas, and the tax division is two out of ten. He requested half of the maritime tax to be used for Luzon's military pay, naval ships, and other matters."

"Such a high tax rate? Won't it be too heavy?" Wang Guoguang expressed some concerns about the 20% tax rate. This tax was too high. If the tax was set too high, it would not be collected.

"Minister Yin said that this tax rate is still a tax cut. The Governor of the Red-Haired Barbarians in the Luzon Governor's District extracts 30%, or even 50%. When they encounter small boats, they simply plunder..." Zhang Juzheng talked about the cause of this high tax law. The Red-Haired Barbarians directly extracted 30% or 50%, and even the biggest pirates in Luzon were the Red-Haired Barbarians. They would come to seize the ship and cargo for no reason, taking both people and goods in one pot.

The Red-Haired Barbarians are plundering, and Yin Zhengmao is ruling, so naturally, they have to cut taxes.

Yin Zhengmao is armed tax collection. Yin Zhengmao wants half of Luzon's maritime tax to be used for military affairs to ensure the Great Ming's rule in Luzon.

"The imperial court cannot give much support to Luzon's affairs. I think it is possible to use half of the maritime tax to raise troops. After all, the sky is high and the road is far." Grand Tan Sima Tan Lun first proposed giving Yin Zhengmao the power of discretion. Yin Zhengmao already had the power of discretion in Liangguang, and that was still the four corners of the Great Ming. For overseas places like Luzon, naturally, authority must also be given. If you want people to do things but don't give them authority, and take them to fight in shackles, what is that if not nonsense?

Wang Guoguang smiled and said, "Originally, Luzon's customs duties were extra."

"I fear there is a risk of a military governor," Zhang Juzheng still did not quite agree, and gave the reason. He said quite definitely, "The sky changes, and people change. If Minister Yin and the Red-Haired Barbarian Antonio and his ilk collude, the southeast of the Great Ming will be uneasy. I proposed giving authority, but we cannot indulge it."

Yin Zhengmao and Zhang Juzheng are usually regarded as being in the same party. Now, Zhang Juzheng, the leader of the party, has expressed concern about Yin Zhengmao. Entrusting such a big matter to the human heart is an extremely naive behavior.

Hai Rui and Ge Shouli communicated for a while, and Hai Rui said, "Indeed, there is this concern. The sky is high and the road is far, and the mountains are high and the water is long. Minister Yin is in such a far place in Luzon, how can people not worry about the risk of a military governor? What the Grand Secretary said is also fearing that raising a tiger will cause trouble."

Zhang Juzheng also pasted a floating ticket, expounded his own opinions, and presented them to the imperial presence.

Zhu Yijun listened to the government at the imperial gate, pondered for a moment, and said, "The imperial court wants Luzon's maritime tax. This is beyond doubt. After all, as Minister Yin said, even if only 10% of the maritime tax reaches the capital, it is as much as 600,000 to 700,000 taels of silver. However, the imperial court is also worried that Minister Yin will collude with the Red-Haired Barbarians and disturb our Great Ming's maritime borders."

"If our Great Ming's navy were like the Yongle period, showing off its power on the four seas and oceans, would you gentlemen still have this concern?"

"Give it!"

Contradictions follow one another, and only then will all things develop. Now that there are some places where contradictions have arisen and concerns about the future, doesn't this just promote the rise of the Great Ming navy again?

Zhu Yijun agreed to split the accounts 50-50 with Yin Zhengmao and let him use Luzon's maritime tax to raise troops.

"Sigh." Zhang Juzheng sighed heavily. Things must be viewed from two sides. Yin Zhengmao is like a gambler, betting his life on the card table bit by bit. In Liangguang, he asked for two years of regular taxes to pacify the Japanese pirates and bandits, dismantling doors and moving beds to recruit military pay. Last year, he completely pacified Lin Afeng or let Lin Afeng go south. After fighting the Japanese pirates, he went to Nanjing to be the Tan Sima, which can be considered a full-body retreat.

But now Yin Zhengmao is going from bad to worse, directly splitting accounts with the imperial court on maritime affairs 50-50, clearly stating that he wants to raise troops. How much power there is, there is how much responsibility. Yin Zhengmao's memorial is forcing himself into a dead end. There is only one road in front of him, and that is to keep winning, from one victory to another, and completely stabilize Luzon.

As long as Yin Zhengmao loses once, it is a dead end—either die in battle in Luzon, or choose to collude with the Red-Haired Barbarians, or choose to become a pirate. He asked for so much money but lost the battle. As long as Yin Zhengmao loses and loses Luzon, he will never be able to return to the Great Ming.

As for whether Yin Zhengmao will lose? Victory and defeat are common matters for military strategists.

Losing is also normal, but don't lose everything. Yin Zhengmao has confidence and ability, and he will not lose everything. He will keep winning. It is mainly because the strength of the Red-Haired Barbarians in the ocean can really be described as weak.

Yin Zhengmao occupies the home field advantage.

"Songjiang Governor Wang Daokun reported on shipbuilding." Zhang Juzheng looked at the memorial, and his expression was really hard to describe.

"Wang Daokun reported: The Songjiang Shipyard has test-built a three-masted sailing ship, which is the caravel sailing ship mentioned by the Westerners. This kind of ship can become a warship if armed. He requested to promote and spread it throughout the world for the use of shipyards in Nanjing, Zhejiang, Fujian, Liangguang, and other places. Within one year, 77 three-masted sailing ships can be built."

"The giant ship with sandwich boards, which is the galleass warship, is currently also being imitated, and it will be finished around June."

"That is to say, when the Red-Haired Barbarians' big ships arrive at Songjiang Prefecture, the giant ship with sandwich boards will just happen to be launched."

The Red-Haired Barbarians won a great victory over the Ottoman warships in the Mediterranean. In the East, the Red-Haired Barbarians did not yet possess them, but the Great Ming already possessed them, and there were two of them—one in Luzon and one in Songjiang Prefecture. Does this count as a kind of "the husband is currently committing the crime"?

But it seems there is nothing wrong with it.

Wan Shihe pondered for a long time and said, "I think it is very necessary to unify the caliber. If the Frankish envoy Li Yashi asks, Yin Zhengmao pacified the pirate Lin Afeng. Lin Afeng was defeated and fled south to Luzon's Miyangang. The Great Ming pursued, and Lin Afeng fled to Manila. The Great Ming navy pursued too much, and communication with the Frankish people was inconvenient, resulting in a conflict, and the two sides fought fiercely."

"It was all a misunderstanding."

"Then the war is a misunderstanding, and the Red-Haired Barbarians want the Great Ming to withdraw its troops and return Luzon to them?" Zhang Juzheng heard such shameless words coming from Wan Shihe's mouth and felt that Wan Shihe had indeed improved and was worthy of His Majesty's praise.

Wan Shihe said quite definitely, "If you have eaten it, how can you spit it out for no reason? If you, the Red-Haired Barbarians, want it, then go and take it yourself like Minister Yin. Luzon is a tribute state of the Great Ming. It was subverted by the Red-Haired Barbarians. The Red-Haired Barbarians refuse to pay tribute to the Great Ming, so naturally, we must conquer them to highlight the national prestige."

"If we really talk about legal principles, it is the Great Ming's legal principles. If he wants to talk about reason, it is the Great Ming's reason. Conquering our Great Ming's tribute state and refusing to return the land—if the Red-Haired Barbarians refuse to talk about reason, then talk about fists. Minister Yin is not afraid of him either."

Tribute requires the Great Ming Emperor to confer the title of King on the other party. Will the King of Spain, Felipe II, who created the Invincible Armada, accept the Great Ming Emperor's conferment?

"If you can't win on the battlefield, you won't get anything. The Japanese pirates are like this, and the Red-Haired Barbarians are also like this," Wan Shihe finally concluded.

Zhang Juzheng heard this and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Then I will trouble Minister Wan."

Wan Shihe finally had the demeanor of a Minister of Rites.

It's a bit late today. I went out to handle things and came back to code words. Coding words, coding words, I haven't even eaten a bite of rice yet. There is another chapter in the evening. Begging for monthly tickets, Awoo!!!!!!!!

(End of this chapter)