Chapter 436: Testing the Edges of Death

The Ming Dynasty's talent selection mechanism, from the imperial examinations to the officialdom, is a hurdle at every step. Each stage is a life-or-death trial; failing to pass means a lifetime of obscurity. Fan Jin becoming insane after passing the provincial examination is not a hollow absurdity; it is a magical reality, and even more so, a crossing of class boundaries.

To go from tens of millions of scholars to the three hundred presented scholars every three years is already to be a dragon or phoenix among men. Only then does one enter the officialdom to continue the grind, finally grinding one's way to the capital's central offices, to the ministers of the Six Ministries, to the Wenhua Hall, and to the Grand Secretariat.

Every Grand Secretary in the cabinet, though their personalities differ, is well-versed in worldly affairs and seasoned in human sentiment. They are extremely clear about the problems of the Ming Dynasty and even have their own ideas on how to solve them. Yet, no one has ever truly sought to solve these problems effectively. It is not that they cannot, nor that they do not know how; it is that they do not do it.

Yang Bo is not ignorant of the empire's ills, but he does not act. Wang Chonggu proved through practice that he truly understands the Ming Dynasty, but before he was beaten, he did not act either. When Wan Shihe first entered the court, he fooled around like a child. They are very clear about the Ming Dynasty's ailments and are even proficient in the ancestral laws.

Zhang Juzheng did it. He led a group of very brave men—Qi Jiguang, Wang Guoguang, Tan Lun, and others—and they did it together.

Wang Chonggu wanted status; he was a Junior Grand Secretary, the top-tier architecture of official selection. Wang Chonggu wanted power; Zhu Yijun could make him a Junior Grand Secretary, with power reaching the heavens. Wang Chonggu wanted to leave his name in history; Zhu Yijun used imperial power to support his actions, realizing those proposals of his that seemed somewhat unorthodox.

But there is one thing: Zhang Juzheng's life is something Zhu Yijun will not give.

During the days Zhang Juzheng was seeing a doctor, Zhu Yijun did not enter the Quanchu Guild Hall, but came by every day to inquire. It was not until seven days later, after Zhang Juzheng had fully recovered, that Zhu Yijun finally stepped over the threshold of the Quanchu Guild Hall and walked inside.

"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy ten thousand years of golden peace." Zhang Juzheng's mood was quite complex. It was not because of embarrassment; having lived to this age, he understood well the principle that one should not hide illness from a physician. Although the location of the treatment was quite unrefined, his life was more important. His complex mood was primarily due to the Emperor's actions over these short seven days.

In the story of "standing in the snow at the door of Cheng," Yang Shi and You Zuo wanted to pay respects to the Confucian master of "Zhu-Cheng Neo-Confucianism," Cheng Yi. Because Cheng Yi was resting, Yang Shi and You Zuo waited outside the door. Heavy snow fell, over a foot thick, before Cheng Yi finally woke up. This story demonstrates Yang Shi and You Zuo's sincerity in seeking knowledge, their respect for learning, and their honoring of teachers and the Dao. In this story, Cheng Yi is also endowed with extremely high value; as a great Confucian, he is worth waiting for.

After the Tumu Crisis, the Oirat forces attacked the capital and were repelled by troops organized by Yu Qian, Shi Heng, Fan Guang, and others. In the third year of Jingtai, Yu Qian's phlegm illness grew increasingly severe, to the point of vagus nerve pain, coughing incessantly in the middle of the night and unable to sleep. The Jing Emperor, Zhu Qiyu, knew that Yu Qian's phlegm illness required fresh bamboo. At that time, in the entire capital, only Your Majesty Mountain had fresh bamboo. As Emperor, Zhu Qiyu personally went to Jingshan to cut the bamboo and extract the sap.

In this story, it is the Jing Emperor Zhu Qiyu's respect for the virtuous, and it also endows Yu Qian with value. Yu Qian repelled the Oirats, welcomed back the Ming Yingzong Emperor, and maintained the empire's stability and the continuation of the state. At the end of the Western Jin, the Huai and Min Emperors were captured, and the Western Jin perished. At the end of the Northern Jin, the Huizong and Qinzong Emperors were captured, and the Northern Song perished. Only the Ming Dynasty, under the circumstances of the Emperor being captured, still repelled the enemy and demanded the return of the captured Emperor.

Yu Qian is indeed worthy of being endowed with such value, because what he did is the only instance in the long history of the Central Plains.

Zhang Juzheng asked himself: is he worthy of the Emperor waiting outside his door for seven days? Is he worthy of His Majesty endowing him with such value? Zhang Juzheng only felt that he had done what he should do as a Grand Secretary. His Majesty called him "Master Yuanfu" at every turn; all these years, he had merely been doing his duty.

The supreme Emperor of the Ming Dynasty had endured the difficulties of a young ruler and a suspicious state, finally becoming the true sovereign of the empire. His Majesty, possessing one hundred thousand elite capital troops, had made constant, decisive choices amidst repeated contradictions and conflicts, and no longer needed him, this Grand Secretary, to support him as he moved forward. At this moment, Zhang Juzheng had instead become a stumbling block for His Majesty to mold the Ming Dynasty into his own shape.

Regarding the matter of conferring the title of Duke upon Qi Jiguang, Zhang Juzheng opposed it twice. His Majesty could not win the debate and even acted shamelessly. Zhang Juzheng felt that he had already become a stumbling block. At his core, he was a conservative; most of his routes were centered around imperial power, and he was a proper royalist.

Objectively speaking, Zhang Juzheng believed he had only done some minor work that he should have done.

Therefore, when Zhang Juzheng learned that the supreme Emperor of the Ming Dynasty came to the door of the Quanchu Guild Hall every day to carefully inquire about his condition, recovery, water and food, servants, and so on before leaving—a situation he only learned from You Qi after recovering this morning—

This shouldn't be!

This was Zhang Juzheng's first reaction upon learning this. According to historical experience, at this time, he should be dead. Even Yang Shiqi was kicked away by the Ming Yingzong Emperor after he grew up.

"Master, please rise." Zhu Yijun had no idea that Zhang Juzheng's inner heart was so turbulent. An old monster like Zhang Juzheng had long since ceased to be a youth who wore his emotions on his face. Instead, Zhu Yijun revealed a bright, sunny smile, like a child, just as before, though he had changed from a big boy into a grown man.

Zhu Yijun circled around Zhang Juzheng and turned to say to Zhang Hong: "Good, good, good. Order it down: we dine at the Quanchu Guild Hall today."

After Zhang Juzheng fell ill, there had been a sense of twilight about him. Although he didn't say it, Zhu Yijun could feel it. Now, the twilight had completely faded, and he had become a handsome old man again, even possessing a bit of youthful spirit. One had to admit that Heaven had given Zhang Juzheng immense talent, and also his appearance; in his youth, he must have been dashing and elegant.

He could continue to work for the Ming Dynasty, and Zhu Yijun could continue his own "neglect of proper work."

The Ming Chengzu Emperor, Zhu Di, was actually quite fond of "neglecting proper work" too; after the sixth year of Yongle, Zhu Di was either on a northern expedition or preparing for one.

"Your Majesty, the Junior Grand Secretary has arrived." A small eunuch bowed his head to report.

"Summon him."

Zhu Yijun liked the layout of the Quanchu Guild Hall very much; his Western Garden was modeled after the Quanchu Guild Hall, with the Wenchang Pavilion in the front courtyard for work, and the back courtyard as a home for living. When he was ten, he ran all over the Quanchu Guild Hall. That time was when the Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander Zhu Xizhong passed away, and he invited Qi Jiguang back to the capital to preside over the camp. Zhu Yijun took the blood-stained suicide note and found Zhang Juzheng, forcing Zhang Juzheng to completely set General Qi free.

At that time, General Qi was under Zhang Juzheng's tutelage. The phrase "a dog under his tutelage" expressed Qi Jiguang's fervent and pure love for the Ming Dynasty, for the Central Plains, and for China. He would rather be a dog under someone's tutelage if it meant the seas would be calm and the northern barbarians would not dare to invade.

"Paying respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy peace." Wang Chonggu came to congratulate Zhang Juzheng on his recovery, and he did not come empty-handed. He brought a painting and calligraphy, and also brought Wang Qian along.

During the time Zhang Juzheng was ill, it was inconvenient for Wang Chonggu to come here. If Zhang Juzheng had really encountered a problem while seeing a doctor, Wang Chonggu's visit would have become a handle for attack.

"Rise." Zhu Yijun met Wang Chonggu in the Wenchang Pavilion. It was still very early before mealtime, and everyone was talking in the study.

Except for Wang Chonggu, no one else was qualified to come and offer congratulations now; only tomorrow would they be able to come and pay their respects.

The empire's Emperor, Grand Secretary, and Junior Grand Secretary were gathered together at this moment to divide interests. Qi Jiguang had just taken Bansheng and was pushing toward the Hetao region. The distribution of interests regarding Hetao was the main event of the upcoming court factional strife.

Strife is strife, but factional strife should not turn into factional bans. Fighting without breaking, and developing amidst contradictions, was the current situation of the Ming court.

Zhang Juzheng had just recovered and immediately began to manage the empire again.

"During the time the Grand Secretary was seeing a doctor, our capital could be described as calm and peaceful. Even in the teahouses, people were whispering and didn't dare to speak loudly. Today, coming to the Quanchu Guild Hall, the streets are lively again." Wang Chonggu began to chat idly; before entering the theme of the meeting, small talk was necessary.

Wang Chonggu was envious—envious of the imperial favor Zhang Juzheng possessed, which was higher than the heavens. "Literary Zhang, Martial Qi" were His Majesty's golden words.

His Majesty said so, and did so. During the time Zhang Juzheng was seeing a doctor, His Majesty the Emperor moved the remaining twenty thousand troops of the Capital Camp into the city. His Majesty's sparring partners for martial arts were all placed in important locations, especially the protection work for the Quanchu Guild Hall, which was truly as solid as a golden soup.

His Majesty chose this time for Zhang Juzheng to see a doctor after careful consideration. When the news of Qi Jiguang's victory reached the capital, and when the captives like Altan Khan entered the capital, and Qi Jiguang's prestige was intuitively reflected before everyone in the capital, Zhang Juzheng began the surgery. His Majesty used Qi Jiguang's illustrious prestige to suppress the ambitions of those careerists in the court who were stirring.

Wang Chonggu did not doubt at all that His Majesty would kill, and even he, Wang Chonggu, was on the list, ranked very, very high.

The capital's calm and peaceful state was the result of several years of new policies. The capital had been built by Zhang Juzheng into His Majesty's "one-word hall," where in many major decisions, His Majesty could act arbitrarily.

Zhu Yijun suspected that in the original history, Zhang Juzheng's death was a conspiracy.

Ming Dynasty surgery was far from as backward as imagined. Chen Shigong, as a master of surgery, had extraordinary achievements. He could even perform appendectomy, and even had research on tumors, also known as "wither-and-flourish disease." Chen Shigong's appearance was not a lone seedling growing in the desert; he was an outstanding figure emerging from countless surgeons.

In the original history, the surgeon who treated Zhang Juzheng was named Zhao Yu, a physician in Xu Jie's mansion. When the matter had a connection with Xu Jie, Zhu Yijun felt that even if it wasn't a conspiracy, it was a conspiracy.

Chen Shigong had a medicine called "Wither-Hemorrhoid Powder." Using the medicine for seven or eight days could wither hemorrhoids, and after recuperating for ten-plus days, one could resume normal daily life. There was also a more potent medicine, a medicinal strip made by folk practitioners using arsenic. After being inserted, the hemorrhoids could also wither. Arsenic is something that, in small amounts, can kill parasites, but in large amounts, it is highly toxic.

Under what circumstances to use medicine and under what circumstances to perform surgery are completely different.

Zhu Yijun suspected that Zhao Yu, the doctor from Xu Jie's mansion, used potent medicine—the kind of medicinal strip made of arsenic.

Zhu Yijun set up such a posture in the capital to show an attitude: if you want to cause trouble, my blade is not necessarily blunt!

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your immense grace." Zhang Juzheng bowed his head again to thank him. He was now very certain that his new policies would not dissipate with his death. The curse of "policies dying with the person" would truly not be fulfilled in his case. His Majesty possessed supreme power and knew how to use this supreme power.

Success. Zhang Juzheng knew he had succeeded. A wise ruler cannot be cultivated; His Majesty was wise by nature, and coupled with his careful education, the Ming Dynasty finally awaited a wise ruler.

"Guihua City and Bansheng City are less than twenty li apart. This time, Bansheng City was broken. General Qi memorialized that Bansheng and Guihua should be combined into one city, named Guihua City. The construction and leveling of the official post roads for Xuanfu, Daqingshan, Jining, Guanshan, and Guihua have been memorialized by the Ministry of Works for preparation, and the surveying of the official post roads from Datong Prefecture, Datong Right Guard, Dongsheng Guard, and Guihua has also begun." Zhu Yijun brought up today's theme—dividing the spoils.

Wang Chonggu immediately spoke up: "What is currently being debated in the court is whether the Beijing-Xuanfu express road should be built all the way to Guihua, or even to Hetao. The more radical ones think it should be built to Hetao, while the conservative ones think the official post roads are enough."

This broken Grand Secretary position—whoever wants to be it can be it! Wang Chonggu wouldn't be it! During the seven days Zhang Juzheng was not in court, the court officials argued until the sky turned dark over this little matter! It made Wang Chonggu's head grow large.

"The problem is still money." Zhang Juzheng pondered for a moment and understood why there was such a debate.

Money was not enough. The Ming Dynasty now earned a lot, but also spent a lot. Every year, military expenditures alone were 11 million silver, plus the salaries of officials and royal relatives across the empire, which was 6.8 million silver. The Ming Dynasty's annual revenue was only 22 million silver. Such large-scale infrastructure investment was also a huge burden for the imperial court.

"What does the Minister of War say?" Zhang Juzheng asked for Zeng Shengwu's opinion.

"Minister Zeng says it's too expensive to build, but if we don't build it, wasn't the fighting in vain? First build the official post roads, and after the Beijing-Xuanfu and Beijing-Liaodong express roads are finished, then upgrade the official post roads to express roads. Once conquered, we naturally have to hold it; with express roads, we can hold it." Wang Chonggu explained Zeng Shengwu's rhetoric.

This conservative Zeng Shengwu was a bit strange; he also felt it was too expensive and did not suggest building it immediately, but rather waiting until the other two express roads were completed before starting work.

"We told the Ministry of Revenue to borrow a sum of money from the people at an annual interest rate of 5%. The Grand Minister of Revenue Wang Guoguang and the Junior Minister Zhang Xueyan were so bold as to slap the table with us, saying strange things about 'eating the grain of the next season in advance' and 'where is the majesty of the imperial court.'" Zhu Yijun sighed. Wang Guoguang was good in every way, but once it involved money, he was calculating. He just wouldn't pay interest; the majesty of the imperial court was secondary.

Borrowing money from the people for the imperial treasury and using it for development, and development bringing sufficient tax growth to repay the loan—this would form a cycle of development. It was not "digging a hole in the east wall to fill the west wall." "Eating the grain of the next season in advance" was misappropriation without any growth point, while this kind of national debt promoting development would have an increase in tax revenue.

Wang Guoguang was actually quite right. From the perspective of institutional design, borrowing money, investing, increasing tax revenue after development, and repaying the money—no matter how you looked at it, it was appropriate. But in reality, it was not appropriate at all. Once put into practice and executed, it would definitely turn into nests of corruption.

Wang Guoguang knew the Ming officials too well. In a Ming Dynasty where even the soldiers' rations were dared to be misappropriated, this silver, once it passed through a hand, would leave a layer of oil on the hand.

"What does the Master think?" Zhu Yijun asked for Zhang Juzheng's opinion.

"Your subject believes that we can borrow money to build roads, but this 5% annual interest rate is truly too high; 3% is sufficient. If it really cannot be repaid, treat it as their donation. As for corruption, it can actually be used as a means of weeding out. The Ming Dynasty lacks everything, except for people who want to be officials. With the Censor-in-Chief Hai in court, catching one and disposing of one is enough." Zhang Juzheng calmly stated his thoughts.

Wang Chonggu glanced at Zhang Juzheng with lingering fear. This was the ruthless Zhang Juzheng. Whoever gets beaten knows the pain; Wang Chonggu had been beaten like this before.

Yin Zhengmao's "tearing down doors and moving beds" and Ling Yunyi's frequent house raids were all learned from Zhang Juzheng. Look at what he said: if it cannot be repaid, treat it as a donation; corruption can just be used to weed out.

"It will definitely be repayable." Zhu Yijun was very certain of this. The Ming Dynasty's fiscal growth rate was very fast, and Hetao was not a barren land like the Gobi Desert; it still had great benefits. He looked at Wang Chonggu and said: "The Hetao region still needs to raise sheep for the time being, but changing from grazing to pen-raising, and changing grasslands to planting forage—just the wool business alone is enough."

"Xu Zhenming of the Precious Agriculture Office has already headed to Guihua City. He plans to promote the planting of forage in Guihua City and Hetao."

Grazing on the grasslands completely depends on the will of Heaven, while the Ming Dynasty wants to build fixed pastures and pen-raise livestock. The output will grow at a terrifying speed; this is a completely predictable matter. Otherwise, Altan Khan would not have built a city. After building a city, animal husbandry will also change from extensive grazing to fixed harvesting like agriculture.

"If we really need to borrow money, among the Shanxi people, my words are still very useful." Wang Chonggu immediately said.

The profit sharing of the wool official factory was changed to 10,000 taels annually for the Wang family alone, but this did not mean the Shanxi faction and Shanxi merchants had no profit to make. In fact, from the source of the industrial chain to supply and distribution, it was still the basic territory of the Shanxi faction and Shanxi merchants. Continuing to do the wool business could be considered handing over a piece of the cake harvested this time to the Shanxi faction.

If the Ming Dynasty borrows money from the people, and there is even interest, it is time for the Shanxi faction and Shanxi merchants to perform.

"Master, the remaining matters will be left to you." Zhu Yijun cut a piece of the wool business cake for the Shanxi faction, and that was just this one piece. The remaining personnel, agriculture, cities, guard troops, etc., had nothing to do with the Shanxi faction.

The wool business was the most profitable; this piece of cake was not small. If the Shanxi people were too greedy and wanted not only wealth but also military, political, and cultural education, now that the northern barbarians had been solved, Zhu Yijun would not mind further cleaning up the Shanxi faction.

"Your subject obeys the decree." Zhang Juzheng waited for Wang Chonggu's reaction and found that Wang Chonggu did not object and chose to accept the decree.

"The Duntai Far Marquis Cha Wen says that the Oirats recently entrenched in Helin are preparing to move west. After the Oirat Grand Master Yesian died in internal strife, Yesian's two sons had already moved west. Now the Oirats intend to leave completely. Their choice, I feel, is a bit abrupt." Zhu Yijun brought up the Oirats' choice in this battle.

The Oirats not only did not go south to help Altan Khan, but even bypassed the middle link and moved west directly. This action made Zhu Yijun feel very surprised.

"This is not strange, Your Majesty. The Ming Dynasty is not to be trifled with; the Western Regions are easy to bully." Zhang Juzheng said with great certainty.

People in the Western Regions are easy to bully; this is historical experience and also the path dependency of the grassland people. During the time of Tang Xuanzong, there was a great power in the Western Regions, the Umayyad Dynasty, also called the Arab Empire. It was also the second external expansion of the Arab world. At that time, the four caliphs of the Islamic faith were illustrious, sweeping through most countries in Central Asia, and even reaching the Anxi Protectorate of the Great Tang.

At that time, Tang Xuanzong ordered the leader of the Turgesh tribe, Suluk, to contain the expansion of the Umayyad Dynasty. In the eyes of the Great Tang, the Turgesh tribe was just a relatively capable tribe under the Western Turkic Khanate. In the eyes of the Great Tang, the Western Turks were not worth worrying about, let alone the Turgesh tribe.

This conflict lasted for more than ten years. At that time, the Umayyad Dynasty's largest province, Khorasan Province, was almost turned into a wasteland by the Turgesh people. The Caliph was forced to mobilize troops from India and the Caucasus.

The war with the Turgesh tribe directly led to the shaking of the rule of the arrogant Umayyad Dynasty.

At that time, the Umayyad Dynasty used only six thousand people to conquer all of India, and seven thousand people fought from Tunisia directly to southern Gaul, stopping only when they were blocked by the Franks. The Umayyad Dynasty used only twenty-five thousand people to crush the arrogant Eastern Roman Empire.

In the eyes of the Central Plains, the Turgesh tribe definitely could not be counted as a strong power. The leader of the Turgesh tribe, Suluk, felt that he could press the Caliph to fight, so why should he listen to the Great Tang's orders? He floated; he rebelled, united with the Tibetans to attack the Four Garrisons of Anxi, and was fiercely taught a lesson by the Tang army. He lost.

Soon, Suluk was killed by his own subordinates.

Once the Central Plains' war machine is activated, for the grassland people entrenched in the north, moving west is the best way.

The Central Plains is not to be trifled with; the Western Regions are easy to bully.

San Niangzi said to her subordinates that the current Ming army is too much like the Ming army; everything has returned. After the Ming army ate Hetao, it would definitely not be satisfied. Pacifying the desert, attacking Helin, and using offense instead of defense became an inevitability. The Oirats choosing to flee was truly within expectations.

The Oirats are not brain-damaged, waiting for you, the Ming Dynasty, to use them to earn military merit.

"There is a matter in the court recently that is very annoying." Zhu Yijun leaned against the back of the chair, his face anxious.

Wang Chonggu was unwilling, but could only speak: "Recently, the Songjiang Prefecture Maritime Academy is preparing to expand enrollment, from the original two hundred people per year to five hundred. The imperial court decided this not without reason, but it caused some trouble. I also thought of many ways, but in the end, it still reached the Wenhua Hall."

"What kind of trouble was caused?" Zhang Juzheng had only left the court for seven days, not seven years. The bridgehead of the Ming Dynasty's opening of the seas, the Maritime Academy, actually had trouble? It was truly extra surprising to Zhang Juzheng. Wang Chonggu's methods, Zhang Juzheng knew. Could even Wang Chonggu not handle it?

"It's not the Junior Grand Secretary's territory, so it's not easy for the Junior Grand Secretary to handle." Zhu Yijun stated the main difficulty. It wasn't that Wang Chonggu couldn't do it; it was that it was inconvenient for Wang Chonggu.

The Songjiang Provincial Governor is Shen Shixing. Shen Shixing is of the Zhang faction and also of the Emperor's faction. The progress of the recent *Youlong* and *Feiyun* ships made the Emperor very satisfied. Shen Shixing's personality is relatively gentle; he prefers to smooth things over.

The Maritime Academy had trouble, and Wang Chonggu's hand couldn't reach in very well. If Zhang Juzheng were gone, Wang Chonggu could still intervene arrogantly. Zhang Juzheng was only ill, so Wang Chonggu couldn't do too much.

"Tell me in detail." Zhang Juzheng's face revealed solemnity.

The Ming Dynasty's opening of the seas was in full swing. The annual production capacity of the five-masted ocean-crossing ships exceeded seventy, and the production capacity of the three-masted clipper ships was like making dumplings. With the increase in ships, the demand for navigators surged. The Ming Dynasty could only train two hundred navigators a year, which could no longer meet the needs of the Ming Dynasty's maritime trade. The imperial court decided to expand enrollment, increasing from two hundred to five hundred.

This caused great dissatisfaction among the navigators. Such a surge in the number of navigators would inevitably affect their status and income. The Ming navigators' income was generally between twenty and thirty silver per year. The navigators' dissatisfaction soon resonated with all navigators. They refused to board the ships, using silence to resist the imperial court's decree.

The navigators' wages were rising rapidly at a rate of over 10% per year because they were rare talents. Navigators who could understand star charts, accurately calculate latitude and longitude, and even judge weather to guide fleets were all rare talents. Labor-capital relations were also affected by supply and demand.

Few people were grabbing the rice bowl, but many were needed, so wages were naturally high. The Ming imperial court's expansion decree obviously affected their personal interests.

Shen Shixing intended to find these navigators to talk, but there were no results yet.

"It is indeed very tricky. Going to sea inevitably requires navigators; otherwise, one will inevitably get lost, go nowhere, and be unable to move. Moreover, one cannot use hard-handed means; otherwise, if these navigators cooperate with the pirates, they will lead the merchant ships into the thieves' den. But expansion is imperative; otherwise, the ships built by the Ming Dynasty can only stop at the port berths and quietly rot." Zhang Juzheng understood the cause and effect of the matter's development.

The essence of the problem was the problem brought about by the rapid development of the Ming Dynasty's maritime trade.

"What are the navigators' demands?" Zhang Juzheng asked with a furrowed brow.

Wang Chonggu exhaled a turbid breath and said: "Stop the expansion decree and maintain the status quo. Two hundred navigators per year is already enough. Not every ship needs a navigator. Navigators are not easy to train; one must be proficient in mathematics, be an astronomy student, and also be able to understand the wind and hear the rain."

Zhang Juzheng immediately asked: "The Maritime Academy took one million silver from the Sun family brothers, Sun Kehong and Sun Keiyi, of Songjiang. It is true that they donated. Does this matter have anything to do with Sun Kehong and Sun Keiyi?"

Walking and walking and getting separated is not a strange thing. Although the Ming Maritime Academy was government-run, it did receive a donation of over one million silver from the Sun family, which was indeed a fact.

Zhang Juzheng always harbored a heart of vigilance toward the powerful and wealthy; human hearts will change.

Wang Chonggu shook his head and said: "The one who proposed expansion was Sun Kehong, mainly for the development of the Yuanxu Islands. The Yuanxu Islands are actually very far and require navigators to calculate stars and cross the ocean. The number of ships is enough, but the number of navigators already has a trend of being lacking. How crazy would Sun Kehong have to be to propose this and then stir up trouble in secret?"

Testing the edges of death is indeed very exciting, but one will really die.

"I understand." Zhang Juzheng looked at His Majesty and asked in a low voice: "What does Your Majesty think?"

"We still need to ask the contradictions to speak out and analyze the fundamental contradictions." Zhu Yijun pondered for a moment and said: "We need to find the fundamental contradiction. The fundamental contradiction is not the contradiction between the navigators opposing expansion and the increase in demand, but that the powerful and wealthy are dissatisfied with the imperial court's direct interference in maritime trade matters."

"Your Majesty is wise." Zhang Juzheng said quite earnestly.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 437 =====